Paul Sun-Hyung Lee teases a difficult period full of conflict for Iroh and Prince Zuko in Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2. Adapted from the popular Nickelodeon animated series of the same name, the live-action show centers on Aang, a boy gifted with the ability to manipulate all four elements as he takes a stand against the Fire Nation. Lee’s Iroh is a once-celebrated tactician and member of the Fire Nation’s royal family, who joins his nephew Zuko in his exile and hopes to offer the boy a greater perspective.
With Avatar: The Last Airbender season 1’s ending seeing Iroh and Zuko setting off on their own away from their forces, The Direct reports that tensions will be high between the uncle and nephew going into season 2. Lee explains that Iroh and Zuko are destined to part ways in a heartbreaking story that gives greater perspective on the world for both characters, and deeper insight into how each Firebender lives. Check out Lee’s full explanation below:
As shown in Avatar: The Last Airbender season 1, Iroh already possesses a mind unlike any other key figure in the Fire Nation, keen to learn rather than simply destroy and conquer. Despite Iroh’s reputation for his deeds against the Earth Kingdom, the former general takes no pleasure in his duty, having lost his son Lu Ten in the war. Seen by some of the nobility in his homeland as a failure, as others justified his son’s death for the greater good, Iroh knows the cost conflict brings and hopes to impart this knowledge to his nephew.
With Zuko and Iroh disconnected from their forces in Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2, the series is preparing to take Zuko on a journey that will give him a much-needed perspective on the cost of the Fire Nation’s war. Without soldiers to lead and inspire fear in civilians, the pair will have to act like they are just another citizen of the nations they will cross, bringing them closer than ever to those the Fire Nation targets. As such, Zuko, born among royalty, is set to have his worldview upended, perhaps forever changing how he views his homeland.
Within the original animated series, Zuko and Iroh’s season 2 journey provided Avatar: The Last Airbender with some of its most intriguing episodes. From glimpses at how life could be different for the pair if they abandoned their identities, Iroh’s tragic past and how it shapes his present, and Zuko trying to be a hero to vulnerable civilians, their Earth Kingdom journeys reframed how viewers would see them. With Lee teasing how the live-action adaptation will divide the pair and explore them outside their dynamic, it is clear the adaptation will bring many beloved moments to life.
Source: The Direct