History Recap / AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheBlueSpirit

* IntrovertedCatPerson: The herbalist lives alone with her pet cat Miyuki after her peers left years ago.

* {{Ninja}}: The Blue Spirit.

** At the end of the episode, Aang sadly contemplating his failed attempt to befriend Zuko is contrasted with humor when Sokka and Kitara realise they have frogs in their mouths and spit them out in disgust.

* StabTheScorpion: It looks like the Blue Spirit is about to kill enchained Aang, but then it turns out he was using his swords to cut the chains and free him instead. Plays out as a PseudoCrisis.

* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Aang saves Zuko in hopes that it might somehow make them [[FireForgedFriends friends]]. All he gets for his trouble is Zuko blasting fire at him.

* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: Zuko rescues Aang from the prison in order to prevent Zhao from getting the glory of capturing him.

* TrickArrows: The Yu-Yan Archers use rope arrows to pursue Aang down a cliff, and a net-arrow to trap him.

* TrickArrrows: The Yu-Yan Archers use rope arrows to pursue Aang down a cliff, and a net-arrow to trap him.

* TrickArrrow: The Yu-Yan Archers use rope arrows to pursue Aang down a cliff, and a net-arrow to trap him.

* MoodWhiplash: After a very intense, full of action escape, we have a very quiet, melancholic and even sad scene with Aang reminiscing after a long gone friend he had, wondering if Zuko and him could've been friends in different circumstances.

* EliteMooks: The Yu-Yan archers. They take down ''the Avatar'' with ridiculous ease.

* WhatYouAreInTheDark: Aang was the only one to discover the Blue Spirit was Zuko and could've left him to his fate. But after a moment of hesitation, he takes Zuko with him, saving him from being discovered as the Blue Spirit ''and'' healing his wound. [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished Zuko still tries to attack him when he comes to]].

%%* EnemyMine

%%* FindTheCure

[[caption-width-right:333:The Blue Spirit is surrounded by Fire Nation soldiers as Aang runs for the gate.]]

-->"This is the year Sozen's comet returns to grant us its power! This is the year the Fire Nation breaks through the walls of Ba Sing Se, and burns the city to the ground."

* DescriptionCut:
-->'''Fire Nation Soldier 1:''' Says here that the Avatar can create tornados and run faster than the wind. Pretty amazing.\\
'''Fire Nation Soldier 2:''' Ehh, that's just a bunch of Fire Lord propaganda. There's no way that's true.\\
''[Cut outside view of Aang running past, destroying the lookout]''

->"If we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends too?"

After rescuing Sokka from the storm in the previous episode, "The Blue Spirit" begins with Katara and Sokka both falling ill. Sokka, who started with nothing more than a cough, is now falling into horrible delusions and is barely lucid. Katara attempts to care for him, only to begin coughing herself, prompting Aang to fear for both his friends' lives.

Aang sets off to find medicine from a local healer; however, Zhao has been recently promoted, and wastes no time in using his new clout to send a contingent of elite archers to capture him. Both gathering the cure and evading the archers proves to be too much for Aang, and he is captured. Imprisoned, and with both Katara and Sokka having no idea where he is and being in no condition to save him, Aang finally seems defeated. Suddenly, a ninja in a blue mask appears, frees Aang, and motions for him to follow.

The titular Blue Spirit refuses to speak, but the two manage to escape to the courtyard before being spotted. Despite the Blue Spirit being unable to bend, they fight off guards left, right and center. However, the gates are hurriedly closed before they can make it through, and they are cornered by Zhao and his soldiers. Upon hearing Zhao say Aang must be taken alive, the Blue Spirit quickly brings a sword to Aang's neck, knowing that Zhao can't risk the Avatar's death. Zhao lets them escape--only to have an archer aim an arrow at the Blue Spirit's head.

Seeing the sniper, Aang moves quickly; the arrow hits, knocking the mask off, and revealing the spirit's face. It's Zuko, who freed Aang because he couldn't risk Zhao capturing his only way to return home. Fearful and uncertain, Aang decides that he can't leave the prince to be captured, and takes him away.

Hours later, Zuko awakes in a swamp. Aang sits not far away, talking about how he loved visiting the Fire Nation when he was a kid, and how one of his best friends was from there. He wonders if they could be friends too.

In response, Zuko throws a fire ball at him.

Quickly disappearing, Aang finally returns to Katara and Sokka with the medicine. Despite this and his escape, he seems melancholic and sad.

* BackToBackBadasses: Aang and the Blue Spirit aka Zuko.

-->"If we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends too?"

The titular Blue Spirit refuses to speak, but the two manage to escape to the courtyard before being spotted. Despite the Blue Spirit being unable to bend, they fight off guards left, right and center. However, the gates are hurriedly closed before they can make it through, and they are cornered by Zhao and his soldiers. Upon hearing Zhao say Aang must be taken alive, the Blue Spirit quickly brings a sword to Aang's neck, knowing that Zhao can't risk the Avatar's death. Zhao lets them escape- only to have an archer aim an arrow at the Blue Spirit's head.

--> '''Sokka:''' Aang, how was your trip? Did you make any new friends?
--> '''Aang:''' No, I don't think I did.

* CloudCuckoolander: Sokka's illness makes him more than a little loopy.

--->'''Aang''': You're insane, aren't you?
--->'''Herbalist''': That's riiiiiiight.

-->'''Fire Nation Soldier 1:''' Says here that the Avatar can create tornados and run faster than the wind. Pretty amazing.
-->'''Fire Nation Soldier 2:''' Ehh, that's just a bunch of Fire Lord propaganda. There's no way that's true.
-->(''Cut outside view of Aang running past, destroying the lookout'')

-->'''Aang:''' [[YoureInsane You're insane]], aren't you?
-->'''Herbalist:''' That's ''riiight''.

-->'''Aang:''' Untie me, and I'll fight you right now!
-->'''Zhao:''' Uh... no.

* ContrivedCoincidence: Zhao receives word of his promotion to Admiral just as he's trying to recruit the Yu-Yan Archers, allowing him to make his request an order. How lucky can a guy get? Played with though, as there's no established reason why the original commanding officer of the archers should have outranked Zhao. The writers could have given Zhao the authority from the beginning, simply by making the original CO someone lower ranked than Zhao. They created a contrived problem, and moments later presented a contrived solution.

* BadassNormal: The Blue Spirit outfights and outwits quite a few firebenders while freeing Aang, with nothing but his swords and a bucket of water.

* BroughtDownToBadass: The Blue Spirit is actually Zuko, who just isn't using his firebending to avoid revealing his identity.

* UndersideRide: How Zuko gets close to the fortress, getting inside the cart when the underside is checked.