I always wondered why Aang and Katara’s kiss at the end of the series felt like such a moment.And then rewatching the series, I figured it out. It was the song. Don’t get me wrong it’s a lot of build-up that we had been waiting for, but there’s more to it. The song is literally a timeline of their relationship.
In the finale, when we first see Katara walking up to Aang all the way until she hugs him, we hear a tune that sounds very familiar. It’s a clear staple of the series, but when does it normally play…
The tune’s typical appearance occurs whenever Katara kisses Aang on the cheek at the end of the episode, and he begins to blush. It’s a sweet little melody. Their cheek kisses almost always were done with friendly intentions, but there was always a hint that it could lead to something more. (Katara isn’t giving Toph, and everyone else cheek kisses, so it isn’t 100% platonic). This parallels their hug in the finale scene because while it’s a hug rooted in so much friendly love, their eyes give you a look at the end that tells you there is much more to it than that.
Then the song changes briefly into a very soft melody. An iconic melody. Right as Aang and Katara are about to kiss.
Say hello to the song from “The Cave of Two Lovers” episode. This parallel is gorgeous. The scenes line up exactly. The images are almost identical as they are about to kiss each other. It’s the song of their firstandlast kiss in the series.
Which brings us to the last part of the finale song: the part where they actually kiss. This tune is much louder and, for some reason, makes us feel passionate? If you weren’t a Katara/Aang stan before, I’m not sure how you’re not one after watching this. The kiss paired with this song makes you feel like their adventure is not over. Like you’re about to go off to battle, and you’re prepared to die with this ship. But why?
Becauseyou are about to go off to battle. This is a louder version of the song that was playing when Aang kisses Katara right before he went to fight the Firelord, and you didn’t even know it. The finale kiss makes you feel passionate and promotes a sense of urgency in you because that’s how the kiss before the invasion was supposed to make you feel. What is so beautiful about how they used this song in both scenes is that:
Aang kissed Katara the first time it was used and now Katara is kissing Aang the last time it is used—tying it together in a really pretty way.
They are letting you know that the kiss at the invasion was a massive milestone in their relationship, and, yes, it was mutual. Otherwise, that song wouldn’t have been in the finale. So congrats, Aang, your baddie move worked.
My point is, is that throughout this entire goddamn series, we were being conditioned and trained to fall in love with the pairing. Their intention with putting all these tunes into one big song at the end was to remind you of how you felt during their past romantic moments. It was a mental nostalgia montage. We were being told, it’s going to happen no matter what, and here are the signs. And as they left, the creators/writers/music director wanted to leave you with this one note: it’s Aang and Katara. It has always been Aang and Katara.
There’s so many articles or “think pieces” popping up about making Zuko/Katara a thing now that there’s going to be an Avatar live action remake. (Buzzfeed has even mentioned Zutara in two of their recent posts) And, while I doubt the creators would change who she ends up with, I hope Netflix doesn’t push them to throw in a love triangle for the sensationalism of it all. Not only because love triangles are annoying and unnecessary, but also because I can’t stress enough how unhealthy that relationship would be. I don’t care about people shipping them—to each your own—and some people have even said they shipped them because they like Zuko and related to Katara. All the power to you! But I’ve said it once and I’ll die saying it: he tried to kill/harm her several times. He fought with her in the Siege of the North episode with a vengeance that was meant to kill. He hired an assassin, stalked her and her friends, verbally abused her, stole from her, and there was literally physical confrontations. If someone does that to you, donot get into a relationship with them. I can’t believe I even have to say that. Yes, he changed, but you can’t discredit that he did all those things to her at a point in time. If you choose to ship them though, then that’s fine. Tomato, toe-ma-toe. But please for the love of everything, do not write think pieces or posts asking for the remake of a children’s show to have a young girl be in a relationship that would ultimately be toxic rather than the healthy, supportive-from-the-start relationship she originally ended up in. Let’s give kids healthy relationship examples.
I’m always very confused by people who thought Katara and Zuko were going to end up together and thought that Aang and Katara were forced. In each season they had essentially a whole episode screaming it in your face that they had feelings/would end up together:
The Fortune Teller(S1): This entire episode is basically one big lead up to telling you that Katara would look at Aang as a serious love interest once he grows up. Also, it’s unclear whether the fortune teller is a fake at the end of the episode because while she may have been wrong about the volcano, she’s right about everything else (the umbrella, Aang’s battle, etc). And when she told Katara that she would end up with a powerful bender, it’s literally pointed out to us—in WORDS—at the end of the episode that that bender was Aang.
The Cave of Two Lovers (S2)- Katara is the one who brings up kissing and in an embarrassed-maybe-I-have-feelings-for-you type of way. It has also been confirmed by creators and voice of Katara that they kissed in that episode.
The Headband (S3)- Katara gets visibly jealous when the Aang is dancing with a girl who obviously has a crush on him. Then when Katara and Aang dance, there is a clear connection between the two of them and it looks like they are going to kiss.
Every single season made sure to let you know where the endgame was. Yet people who ship Zuko and Katara argue that there were all these moments: he gave her this look (while he was attacking her), he kept her mother’s necklace (after he stole it to hunt her down), etc. It’s all very abusive. The main argument comes from halfway through S3 when she forgives Zuko, and they begin to have a friendship. Except the problem is, is that the entirety of S3 shows Aang and Katara’s growth from friendship into a relationship. (See: Katara’s extra protectiveness over him after he died, Katara leaning into Aang’s kiss on Day of the Black Sun, The Headband, Katara threatening Zuko specifically if he hurt Aang, etc.) Not to mention the fact that the writers literally made fun of Zuko/Katara shipping in Ember Island Players.
No one watched the show and thought that Aang and Katara were going to be together in the first or second season, but it was pretty obvious from the beginning that they were going to do a “last episode and now the main characters are a couple” thing. So, if Aang and Katara came as a surprise/seemed forced to you, then you either were paying too much attention to Sokka or you got too caught up in wishful thinking.
Saw these hashtags by @floppy-ding-dong and I feel like it’s an important addition to the post that many people don’t talk about.
I’m always very confused by people who thought Katara and Zuko were going to end up together and thought that Aang and Katara were forced. In each season they had essentially a whole episode screaming it in your face that they had feelings/would end up together:
The Fortune Teller(S1): This entire episode is basically one big lead up to telling you that Katara would look at Aang as a serious love interest once he grows up. Also, it’s unclear whether the fortune teller is a fake at the end of the episode because while she may have been wrong about the volcano, she’s right about everything else (the umbrella, Aang’s battle, etc). And when she told Katara that she would end up with a powerful bender, it’s literally pointed out to us—in WORDS—at the end of the episode that that bender was Aang.
The Cave of Two Lovers (S2)- Katara is the one who brings up kissing and in an embarrassed-maybe-I-have-feelings-for-you type of way. It has also been confirmed by creators and voice of Katara that they kissed in that episode.
The Headband (S3)- Katara gets visibly jealous when the Aang is dancing with a girl who obviously has a crush on him. Then when Katara and Aang dance, there is a clear connection between the two of them and it looks like they are going to kiss.
Every single season made sure to let you know where the endgame was. Yet people who ship Zuko and Katara argue that there were all these moments: he gave her this look (while he was attacking her), he kept her mother’s necklace (after he stole it to hunt her down), etc. It’s all very abusive. The main argument comes from halfway through S3 when she forgives Zuko, and they begin to have a friendship. Except the problem is, is that the entirety of S3 shows Aang and Katara’s growth from friendship into a relationship. (See: Katara’s extra protectiveness over him after he died, Katara leaning into Aang’s kiss on Day of the Black Sun, The Headband, Katara threatening Zuko specifically if he hurt Aang, etc.) Not to mention the fact that the writers literally made fun of Zuko/Katara shipping in Ember Island Players.
No one watched the show and thought that Aang and Katara were going to be together in the first or second season, but it was pretty obvious from the beginning that they were going to do a “last episode and now the main characters are a couple” thing. So, if Aang and Katara came as a surprise/seemed forced to you, then you either were paying too much attention to Sokka or you got too caught up in wishful thinking.
I see a lot of people posting that now that they’re adults and rewatching avatar, they wish Katara and Zuko had gotten together. But rewatching it as an adult has made me even happier that they didn’t end up together. Yes, Zuko changed and had one of the best redemption arcs I’ve ever seen in a show, but you also need to remember what he did to Katara. He constantly tried to kill her and her friends, stole her mother’s necklace to get leverage in a situation, hired an assassin to kill them, chased them all over the world trying to hurt them, and the second she trusted him, he betrayed her. However, people took those moments and made them something they weren’t. This was a show aimed at children and having her end up with a person—even though he changed into a great guy—that tried to murder her on several occasions, just sends a terrible message to young girls, and just overall demonstrates a very unhealthy relationship. As women, we have enough tv shows and movies telling us that it doesn’t matter if a guy treats you bad at first, as long as he changes, it’s all good!
So yes, Aang was two years younger than Katara and looked a little bit like Caillou. Still, he treated her with respect, he complimented her, and if he ever hurt her/made her uncomfortable, he apologized immediately. That is the type of relationship little girls should be shown to choose.
And honestly, what’s great about the show is that both Katara and Zuko both got into relationships that were healthy for them. What else could you ask for?
Master Pakku: It’s not natural for women to fight.
Katara: It’s not natural for someone to be as stupid as he is tall, and yet there you stand.
Sokka: Trust me, this plan’s going to work!
Katara: Fine. But if Combustion Man kills us all, I’m going to get Aang’s spirit to teach my spirit how to play the tsungi horn just so that I can annoy the heck out of your spirit.”
Sokka: I’ll just hire Zuko’s spirit to kick your spirits’s butt!
Zuko: My spirit won’t associate with your spirit.
Iroh: You are going to… kill the Moon?
Zhao: Tui made the decision to return to the physical world. If she makes herself such an available target, she can further the Fire Nation’s great destiny.
Iroh: Men mock the spirits until they need them, Zhao.
Ty Lee: Spirits, Mai, you actually look happy.
Mai, clearly smiling: Don’t be ridiculous.
Zuko, at the Agni Kai: What’s the matter today, no lightning? Afraid I’ll redirect it?
Azula: Oh, I’ll show you lightning!
Katara: Zuko, this whole ‘shoot lightning at me’ thing is starting to concern me.
Sokka: Aang, maybe the monks didn’t cover this lesson, but you do not negotiate with a powerful firebender with lightning crackling around him during Sozin’s Comet.
alternatively,
Sokka: Zuko, maybe your fancy tutors didn’t cover this lesson, but you do not argue with a guy who can start glowing and harness all the power and skills of his past lives at any time.
Sokka: You were early, Toph!
Toph: I was on time!
Sokka: For you, that’s early. Next time you plan to impress me give me some warning!
Toph: The animals are free, and I found you a boat. This is when a thank you would be in order.
Suki: Thank you, Toph.
Toph: Hey, no problem, Suki.
Toph: See, Sokka? That’s how the civilised folk do it.
Sokka, to Zuko, at the Boiling Rock: Well, we’ve managed to get ourselves locked into the most secure prison in the world. We’re either geniuses or the dumbest sons of bitches to ever breathe air.
Aang: We’re all gonna die!
Sokka: Well, statistically speaking, only SOME of us are going to die.
Sokka: It was a calculated risk.
Zuko: It was cross-your-fingers-and-hope-for-the-best. Believe me, I know the difference.
Sokka and Aang: *doing their spirit magic impressions, i.e. waving their arms and making vaguely creepy sounds*
Zuko: What are they doing?
Katara: Performing an ancient Spirit-summoning ritual.
Zuko: Really?
Katara: No.
Aang: Sure, I’m skinny, but I stay drier in the rain.
Sokka: How?
Aang: Less falls on me.
Sokka:
Sokka: You can WATERBEND.
Hakoda: Good luck hitting a skinny little Water Tribe boat, cutting through the waves and staffed by a crew of men who’ve spent their whole life dodging obstacles in boats.
Bato: I’ll quote you on that when a fireball lands in my lap.
Random Boiling Rock guard: Please, have mercy!
Suki: I like it when men beg. But this isn’t the time for it.
Chief Hakoda: How are you finding our country?
Toph: It’s a magical place. If you like ice and more ice.
Sokka, about Zuko: Would it kill him to smile every once in a while?
Katara: Very possibly.
Toph: Katara and Zuko? Far be it from me to doubt anyone’s determination to get this done, but is that really the ideal pairing?“
Sokka: Zuko knows guard procedure, and Katara can handle any guards without a noisy fight. Your job is to keep them from killing each other.
Toph: Because I’m definitely the diplomat of the the group.
Sokka: Aang is the diplomat of the group. But he’s busy, so you get to do it.
Jet: What’s the easiest way to steal a man’s money?
Smellerbee: Knife to the throat?
Pipsqueak: Bludgeon to the head?
Sneers: Poison in his cup?
Tea Shop Lee, the new recruit: You’re all horrible.
Jet: Have any of you wondered what I did with all the gold we got from the Dai Li?
Smellerbee: Weapons?
Pipqueak: Ships?
The Duke: Bombs?
Sneers: Political bribes?
Smellerbee, to Lee: This is where you tell us how awful we are.
Lee: They all seem like practical choices.
Zuko: Has anyone noticed that every nation in the world is looking for me, mad at me, or wants to kill me?
Toph: So?
Zuko: Well, usually it’s just half the nations.
Suki: I am grateful that you’re alive.
Sokka: Suki, you’re better than meat and boomerangs!
Suki: Let’s not say things we don’t mean, Boomerang Guy.
Sokka: You’re stupid about a lot of things, Zuko, but you are not stupid. And if I ever hear you call yourself a moron again, I’m going to tell Katara you tried to kiss Aang. With tongue.
Zuko: She’ll never believe it.
Sokka: Then I’ll tell Aang you tried to kiss Katara. With tongue.
Sokka: Don’t worry, Gran-Gran. People firebend at each other all the time in the Fire Nation. It’s basically a handshake.
Toph: Who’d deny a poor blind girl her precious meteor bracelet?
Sokka: If the blind girl is you, then anyone with sense.
Toph: When people see a little blind girl walking down the street, what do they feel?
Toph: They feel pity. Now, what do they think when they see me coming?
Zuko: They think they’d better cross the street.
Toph: You’re not weak because of your scar. You’re weak because you’re afraid of people seeing your scar and knowing what it means. You’re letting shame decide who you are.
Sokka: Do you really have a flying ship?
The Mechanist: No.
Sokka: Oh.
The Mechanist: I have several.
Sokka: Take me with you.
Ty Lee, to post-redemption Azula: He was going to break my legs. Would you have come for me then, Azula? When I couldn’t walk a tightrope or chi block a squad of benders? When I wasn’t useful anymore?
Azula: I would come for you.
Azula: I would come for you. And if I couldn’t walk, I’d crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we’d fight our way out together—with fire blazing and lightning crackling and fingers blocking. Because that’s what we do. We never stop fighting.
Zuko: Sokka, I’ve thought about this-
Sokka: Thought of me? Late at night? What was I wearing?
Zuko:
Zuko: I’ve thought about your diplomatic skills.
Zuko: Do you know what Ozai’s problem is?
Aang: No honor?
Katara: Rotten parenting skills?
Sokka: Receding hairline?
Zuko: Katara—
Katara: Don’t you start in on me.
Zuko: It will all work out. Let Azula do what she does best.
Katara: She’s horrible.
Zuko: But effective. Being angry at Azula for being ruthless is like being angry at a fire for being hot. You know what she is.
Hakoda, meeting Master Pakku: Why doesn’t the Northern Water Tribe let girls fight?
Master Pakku: They don’t want to fight.
Hakoda: How do you know? Have you ever asked one?
Pakku: Northern Water Tribe women are to be venerated, protected.
Hakoda: That’s probably a wise policy.
Pakku: I agree, seeing as-
Hakoda: Think how embarrassing it would be for you when you got trounced by a little girl.
Hakoda: Like my daughter.
Zuko: We were fools.
Sokka: You were children. Was there no one to protect you?
Zuko: Was there anyone to protect you?
Sokka: My father. He went to war so that we might have a better life. My mother. She died protecting Katara. They would have done anything to keep us safe.
Sokka: We … uh … we were having a disagreement.
Gran-Gran: I can see that. I have been very patient with all of this, Sokka, but I am at my limit. I want you down here before I count ten or I will tan your hide so you don’t sit for two weeks.
Toph, snickering: You are in so much trouble.
Sokka: Katara, Toph conned a rich man into paying us off because he thought he’d killed her with his carriage.
Toph: I am going to turn your teeth inside out.
Sokka: That is physically impossible.
Toph: I just invented metalbending. Do you really want to argue with me?
after Ba Sing Se falls, except Zuko goes with the Gaang:
Sokka: So, other than Zuko having an unplanned family reunion, what the hell happened out there?
Katara: Let’s see. Aang was shot with lightning and fell twenty stories.
Toph: We put a serious hole in the Crystal Catacombs of Ba Sing Se.
Zuko: Katara can bring back the dead.
some random Fire Nation official: Why does your weak king send an ancient loony to do his bidding?
Bumi: I suppose he thought my good looks would give me the advantage. Not a concern where you’re from, I take it?
Fire Nation official: Preening, ridiculous peacock. You stink of dirt and poverty.
Bumi, sniffing the air: I’m amazed you can detect anything over the reek of ashes and inbreeding.
