u/Zealousideal-Work719

I feel like the story's potential is to good to just leave it on the cutting room floor. Apparently it was cancelled since Avatar Studios wants to focus on TV in comparison to movies and the movie wouldn't have been as suitable for general audiences since it's darker and more political.

But I feel like this's something the novels do incredibly well by taking a more mature take on the Avatar world and its politics. I'd also love to see what the relationship between Zuko and Mai is like at this time (Or maybe they get back together in this film?) as well as Zuko finding Druk; just like Aang found the lost herd of Sky Bison in his movie. Some of the ideas for the movie included:

1. A dark political thriller set shortly after the 100-Year War, featuring an assassination attempt on Zuko and Iroh by a mysterious assassin. The film would also delve deeper into Zuko’s relationship with Azula post-war.
2. The film was going to be the origin story of The Red Lotus. They really wanted this to be an Azula/Zuko story, but it kept morphing into a Zuko/Iroh story. The story would focus on Xai Bau, the founder of the Red Lotus. The film would've revealed he was Iroh's long-lost friend during their time in the 100-Year War. Iroh and Xai Bau would've joined the Fire Nation military together and fully believed in conquering the other nations.
3. Eventually, Xai Bau and Iroh both joined the White Lotus and found the dragons Ran & Shaw together. Xai Bau’s never shared the same ideals with Iroh and was very pro-Fire Nation as a country. Iroh had a change of heart on the war following the death of his son. Xai Bau developed the philosophical idea that nations shouldn’t have divine rulers and despised the Fire Nation monarchy. He secretly wanted the Fire Nation to conquer the world and overthrow the world leaders. Then he would overthrow the Fire Nation monarchy. He wanted to create true chaos and give the world back to the people, believing this was the only way to save every nation.
4. Xai Bau leaves the White Lotus because he believes they became solely focused on helping the Avatar instead of being a secret force for the people of all nations. He then begins his mission to create the Order of the Red Lotus faction to fulfill his lifelong dream of a world without divine rulers. Fast-forward to the start of the film, and Xai Bau's the assassin behind the murders of Ran & Shaw, since he's the only other person to know their location. As well as the assassination attempts on Iroh and Zuko. Xai Bau finds Zuko working with Aang to unify the world, a direct threat to the anarchist world he wants to create.
5. The film would've concluded with Iroh and Xai Bau in a final confrontation in the Spirit World.  There were discussions of Iroh dying in the film. The film may have introduced a new way to physically enter the Spirit World so Iroh could simply stay in the Spirit World instead of actually “dying.”
6. A new actress had already signed on to voice Azula. Azula may have been a founding member of the Red Lotus or have a redemption arc to help save Zuko and Iroh. In the end, they decided Azula wouldn’t have done either, since she isn’t an anarchist and believes ruling over people is her birthright. Azula most likely would help Zuko and Iroh to keep the Royal Family alive to one day rule herself.
7. Zaheer may have had a prominent role as Xai Bau builds his Red Lotus acolytes.

By that I mean, not Jedi vs. Sith or Democracy vs. Autocracy

I just finished S2 E3 for the first time and so far Genevieve O'Reilly has killed every single outfit this entire show

a series set in-between ITSV and ASTV or even post BTSV depending on how that film wraps up with Miles on normal grounded Spider-Man adventures. Kind of like the Tales of the TMNT show set after Mutant Mayhem. we could see more of Miles coming into his own, Ganke, different criminal organizations vying for power in the vacuum left behind by Kingpin's defeat, adapting comic and video game Miles storylines, etc

What if after Ozai was anointed Firelord, Iroh contested it and immediately started to journey home instead of travel the world (Meaning he never: goes to the Spiril World, becomes a White Lotus, etc)? Would it most likely be settled in an Agni Kai or Civil War? How does the Fire Nation's internal conflict affect the war?

Who'd win the Agni Kai or Civil War? Iroh probably lost popularity after abandoning the Siege of Ba Sing Se and Ozai's been legally recognized as Azulon's heir.

If Iroh kills Ozai in an Agni Kai and Zuko (Iroh's heir) and Azula stay in his court; would Azula eventually stage a coup? If so, how successful would she be? Any rival to Iroh would have a lot of support if he tried to end the Fire Nation's conquest.

If Iroh kills Ozai during a Civil War where it's believed Azulon declared Ozai his rightful heir then what happens. Would Ozai's loyalist keep Zuko and Azula away from Iroh until they were prepared to rebel with Zuko honor-bound to avenge his father and claim his rightful throne? What are the chances of them succeeding?

Would their be enough time after Ozai's anointed Firelord for Ursa to hear that Iroh's contesting it prior to her wiping her memories?

Personally, one of my favorites is Cade Skywalker. He's a great anti-hero, functioning as the Skywalkers deconstruction. Abandoned as a child by his mother, Morrigan, Cade was raised in the Jedi Praxeum by his father, Jedi Master Kol Skywalker. That world shattered during the Sith-Imperial massacre on Ossus.

At fourteen, Cade watched his home be destroyed, his community be killed, and his father cut down while holding off an entire army of Sith to let the younglings flee. Where the Jedi saw a selfless sacrifice, a traumatized Cade blamed Kol for dying for the Jedi/galaxy and abandoning him like his mother. When his master, Wolf Sazen, was mortally wounded during the retreat, Cade snapped. Driven by an inability to handle another abandonment, he reached into the dark side to violently drag Wolf back from the dead. This awakened his signature ability, Dark Transfer - a technique fueled by rage, possessive grief, and the refusal to let go. Terrified of his own dark impulses and the generational curse of Skywalkers turning into galactic butchers like Darth Vader and Darth Caedus, Cade faked his death and vanished.

Taken in by pirates, Cade spent years building an emotional fortress around himself. Operating the Mynock alongside a mechanic named Deliah and his best friend Jariah, he became a cynical, selfish bounty hunter. Cade used death sticks to escape reality and dampen his connection to the the force to not fall to the darkside as well as silence Luke's force ghost who kept pushing him to be a true jedi/Skywalker. The drugs cause him to hallucinate ancestral arguments anyway, turning his own guilt into the haunting voice he was running from.

Fearing abandonment, Cade leaned hard into womanizing. Even as genuine love formed between him and Deliah, he kept his past hidden and pushed his crew away whenever they tried to breach his emotional walls. Cade genuinely felt he should have died on Ossus. This manifested as near-suicidal behavior - daring enemies to shoot him, overdosing, and even pointing a blaster to his own head to force Luke's spirit to leave him alone.

Cade's isolation ended when he captured a Jedi for a bounty. His buried conscience betrayed his mercenary rules, forcing him into a rescue attempt that revealed his Skywalker lineage and dragged him into the 2nd Imperial Civil War.

Suddenly, everyone wanted a piece of him: The Jedi wanted him to step up and be their legendary savior. The One Sith wanted him as a living weapon. Darth Krayt wanted him as a personal cure, needing Cade's Dark Transfer to halt the parasites rotting his body. Deliah and Jariah were the only people who wanted nothing from him, accepting Cade for who he was rather than the name he carried.

Captured and taken to the Sith Temple on Coruscant, Cade endured torture and feigned submission to learn Krayt's techniques. When Krayt executed Hosk to break Cade's spirit, Cade rejected both Sith tyranny and Jedi passivity. He reclaimed his father's lightsaber, fought his way out, and proved that his intense need for personal autonomy could outmatch Krayt's mental domination.

Cade’s darkest flaw - possessive attachment masquerading as love - peaked with his childhood flame, Azlyn Rae. Mortally wounded, Azlyn begged Cade to let her pass peacefully into the Force. Cade refused. Incapable of accepting loss, he used Dark Transfer and Imperial cybernetics to forcefully lock her into a life-support suit. Azlyn despised him for it. It was the ultimate wake-up call for Cade: his drive to save people was a selfish terror of being left behind and out of survivor's guilt.

Cade’s turning point arrived when his estranged mother was critically injured. For the first time, Cade healed through pure grace and forgiveness. Releasing his maternal resentment allowed him to finally dismantle his emotional armor, fully opening his heart to Deliah and embracing Jariah as true family.

When Wolf fell in battle again, Cade accepted Wolf’s death, finally submitting to the natural will of the Force to go after Krayt as a true Jedi. To ensure Krayt could never return, Cade piloted a starship carrying his corpse directly into a sun. Prepared to die, Cade was visited by Luke, who reminded him that true balance meant living for his future rather than dying for his past. Hearing Deliah and Jariah over the comms, Cade ejected and let his found family pull him back from the void.

Cade finishes his arc by forging a completely new path. He rejects Jedi dogma and Sith nihilism alike, overcoming addiction and generational trauma. He's really realistic as he often regresses and relapses but it makes his redemption arc all the more satisfying imo.

The Human world saw Kuvira's usage of Spirit World energy and began to overuse it themselves as a cheap energy source. The cataclysm could've been a "nuclear" war between the nations.

Or maybe they're overusage destabilized the Spirit World. Korra may have used all of her power to try and save the Spirit world but it wasn't enough and she could only save parts (The 7 Havens). People blame her since she left the Spirit Portals Open.

The amount of power she used to try and fix the issue supercharged the nascent Vaatu inside of her and he took over and messed with what she was doing causing the cataclysm. People assume Korra's completely responsible.

Perhaps the cataclysm was the Spirit and Human worlds colliding

I gotta give the Sons of Ares (Comic) and Red Rising (Book 1) a 7/10.

I went into Red Rising expecting a YA class war. So I was genuinely shocked by how dark this universe is. Between the intense deaths, SA, etc. It was basically Rated-R Hunger Games.

Having accidentally read the Sons of Ares comic months ago, I was kind of spoiled on Sevro and Fitchner's characters lol. While I wasn't the biggest fan of the comic’s art style, the story itself was fantastic. In fact, I might have loved Fitchner's character and story even more than Darrow's. Watching Fitchner sacrifice his own morality for what "had to be done" was as sad as it was fascinating. It kinda shows how a Gold's mentality is necessary for sparking a rebellion against them.

Arturius made for a cool antagonist, exploring what Golds actually value and deem honorable. Especially since, in his own mind, he genuinely wanted what was best for Fitchner. Going into Red Rising knowing the truth about Fitchner and Sevro didn't ruin the experience at all; instead, it was incredibly cool to spot the hints of Fitchner secretly helping Darrow. I can't wait for the die-hard members of the rebellion to find out who Ares really is. (Also, hoping we see Ryanna again in future books. She was so cool.)

The only things I didn't like about RR was the first quarter of the book dragged for me and the overall plot of the Institute doesn't seem to match what I heard about the series.

But it does all endear me to Darrow and establish the Red's suffering. Eo's death was tragic, but I loved that she became a martyr for the cause. (I'm still wondering what she whispered to her sister. I think she was either working with Narol or she was pregnant.).

As soon as Darrow enters the Institute, the book kicks into gear and absolutely never slows down. I really enjoyed exploring Gold culture from Darrow's POV, and the action sequences were incredible. My absolute favorite was Darrow's House taking on Minerva, using his fight with Pax as a distraction to spring his trap.

The highlight of the book, though, is the friendships. Darrow and his boys (Cassius, Sevro, Roque) are fantastic. Sevro is easily my favorite character. He is so loyal and unapologetically scrappy, which makes perfect sense knowing his comic backstory.

Cassius and Darrow have the most interesting dynamic. I truly felt for both of them and understood exactly where they were coming from. Julian's death was gut-wrenching, especially because it was written so rawly. Darrow had never killed before, and the fight was just ugly and desperate. It makes the whole experience bittersweet, knowing how sad it will be when Darrow eventually has to turn on these friends he's made, especially Mustang who was definitely top 5 characters in the book. Tho it was kind of jarring to see how loyal she became to Darrow.

Titus was the most fascinating part of the book for me. I was completely shocked to find out he was a Red, even though the clues were there. His actions were horrific, but knowing what he’s been through and that he was ultimately fighting for Darrow's cause made him really complex. It perfectly mirrored Fitchner’s arc: fighting Golds can cause you to morally descend. It blurred the line between Freedom Fighter and Terrorist. (I still wonder if Titus realized Darrow was a Red right before he died) which's a theme I hope to see explored further.

Hot take, but I didn't see the hype with the Jackal. I’ve seen people call him one of the greatest fictional antagonists, but I didn't really see it. Him cutting his own hand was metal tho. I've already started Golden Son and I am so excited to see where this goes.

P.S. RIP PAX. 😢

I feel like a trilogy of Naruto Part 1 movies works pretty well.

1. 1st Movie: Prologue - Land of Waves
2. 2nd Movie: Chūnin Exams + Konoha Crush
3. 3rd Movie: Search for Tsunade + Sasuke Recovery Mission

You still have to cut some parts out, especially for the last 2. But I don't think we realllly need to see Choji vs. Dosu. I think the 3rd movie may be a little uncohesive but it could definitely still be done well. Kishimoto's working closely with DDC who's a great director and the fights from Shang-Chi are perfect expectations for what's to come. I would've preferred a show, but it was probably going to be 8 episode seasons anyways 🤣. I love LA One Piece but hate NATLA so idk.

Who would become Firelord?

I suppose Zeisan could take the throne with Roku's support but she's be pretty unpopular amongst the nobility and Fire Nation for being a nonbender woman. Especially since Sozin was fairly popular and already started propaganda against a lot of her ideals.

Then again Sozin might've already taken care of Zeisan by that point so a Fire Nation Civil War could erupt as people try to become Firelord. Would the Fire Nation want vengeance on Roku for killing Sozin or will they just see the Avatar's will as law?

What if after Ozai was crowned Firelord, Iroh contested it? Would things end in an Agni Kai or a civil war? Who'd win the Agni Kai? If it did escalate into a civil war how would this impact the Hundred Year War.

I imagine Ozai spent a lot of time making political alliances and had the nobilities support. I'd like to say Iroh has the military's support but I imagine he was pretty unpopular for abandoning the siege of Ba Sing Se.

If Iroh did become Firelord, would he continue the war? It seems he still travelled the world a bit after Lu Ten died and that helped turn him into the man we see in ATLA. Without that what would he be like.

I love the parallel between him and Matt both being suicidal at the beginning and end of season 3. But I never fully understood why Kingpin wanted Matt to kill him in their final fight rather than just send him to jail where he could scheme his way out again

Thoughts?

personally:

8. Momo

9. Suki: She saved Appa from the circus, helped the Gaang survive the Serpent's Pass, and was instrumental in the Boiling Rock prison break.

10. Appa: Without Appa, the Gaang never reaches the North Pole in time, never escapes Zuko or Azula, and never travels the world to master the elements.

11. Toph: She taught Aang earthbending and helped destroy the Fire Nation airship fleet.

12. Sokka: The chief strategist of the resistance. He figured out how to hijack a Fire Nation airship, using it to ram and destroy Ozai's fleet before they could burn down the Earth Kingdom

13. Katara: She taught Aang waterbending and resurected him. She also defeated Azula.

14. Zuko: Taught Aang and took the throne to order the Fire Nation military to stand down.

1.Aang: He defeated Ozai

Personally:

6. The Dawn of Yangchen: While this wasn't a bad book, it didn't resonate with me. Looking back, I initially struggled to understand what it was: a slow-burn, espionage-heavy, Cold War-style political thriller. The biggest hurdle for me was Kavik. I didn't immediately connect with him, so having his perspective dominate so much of the narrative was frustrating. The overarching plot was boring, culminating in an ending that landed as distinctly anti-climactic. Ironically, the most gripping narrative thread was the historical backdrop of the Platinum Affair, which outshined the present-day events.

7. The Reckoning of Roku: This was perfectly average - it didn't do anything glaringly wrong, but absolutely nothing blew me away. While it recontextualized the Avatar and the Fire Lord, I don't feel it did so in a way that truly served Roku or Sozin's characters. The overarching plot felt largely inconsequential, and many of the character arcs - particularly Gyatso's - felt forced and rushed. Ribay's prose and action writing are a noticeable step down from F.C. Yee's. Furthermore, the inclusion of Lambak and a magic cave that artificially enhances bending felt like fanfic.

8. The Awakening of Roku: From this point forward on the list, every novel's excellent. The Awakening of Roku served as a fantastic conclusion to the duology. While Roku himself still isn't the most fascinating character to me, his dynamic with Gyatso is my favorite bromance in the franchise (even if I wish Roku and Sozin were best friends at this stage). However, the standout of this novel was Ta Min. Watching her navigate her ambitions and duty to the Fire Nation as a diplomat and spy was incredibly engaging. Similarly, Sozin's maneuvering within the capital was a masterclass in court intrigue, giving him an almost Azula-like presence that perfectly contextualized his later descent into warmongering and genocide - even if I wish his underlying motives had been more complex. However, Atka, missed the mark for me. I have always wanted a detective serial-killer hunt in the Avatar universe, but Atka’s execution felt cartoonish, constantly breathing down Roku’s neck in a way that stripped away any tension. Her backstory was delivered as a exposition dump, and her conclusion was underwhelming. Makituq was cool, but utilizing a pre-existing character as a red herring felt pointless. Furthermore, Dalisay's role in the climax left me baffled as her motives never fully made sense, and I wished we had gotten more time with Zeisan. Despite these critiques, I genuinely believe this era could support several more novels.

9. The Legacy of Yangchen: This was an outstanding book that shifted the spotlight back onto Yangchen. By the end of this duology, I honestly found myself liking her character even more than Kyoshi. Witnessing her grapple with the crushing weight of her own greatness, her grief, her guilt, and the heartbreaking reality of having to sacrifice her own spiritual beliefs for the sake of the world was profoundly compelling. While Chaisee didn't capture my interest, Kalyan stepped up as a highly entertaining and complex antagonist. The deep dive into the lore of Unanimity and the White Lotus's culpability in the Platinum Affair was brilliant world-building. Surprisingly, I enjoyed Kavik infinitely more in this novel, likely because his narrative was intrinsically tied to Yangchen's. Their bond was beautifully written, cementing Kavik as my favorite deuteragonist from the novels(Over Rangi and Gyatso). The novel balanced action sequences with political thriller elements that fleshed out the world. My only minor gripe is that standout characters like Feishan and Junsik felt underutilized; I would've loved to see them fleshed out even further.

10. The Shadow of Kyoshi: Ranking these top two is where things get difficult. SOK easily has the best lore additions. The deep dive into the political structure of the Fire Nation, combined with the tragic history of Kuruk, was phenomenal to read. Kuruk instantly skyrocketed to become my favorite Avatar, and the unique lore surrounding Szeto was so fascinating that it inspired me to write my first fanfic. The supporting cast is great, with Atuat, Hei-Ran, Rangi, etc. Kyoshi’s evolution into a hardened Avatar of justice's satisfying, yet steeped in tragedy. As a massive fan of Kung Fu Panda, watching Yun mirror Tai Lung was a thrill. However, Zoryu was the standout for me. His arc's complex, and I'd love to see a story exploring the kind of ruler he became later in life. The Camellia-Peony War provided a ASOIAF-style conflict, and Huazo was a good villain. The final confrontation with Yun remains the best battle in the novels and is one of the best of the franchise. But the book lacks the cohesiveness of ROK, with elements like Yun’s descent, Zoryu’s final turn, and the looming Fire Nation Civil War feeling slightly rushed.

11. The Rise of Kyoshi: This isn't just my favorite Avatar novel; it is genuinely one of my favorite books of all time. (As a quick aside: to anyone who loves these novels but wants something slightly more adult, I can't recommend The Green Bone Saga highly enough). I'm a sucker for a great origin story, and watching Kyoshi transform from an awkward, discarded orphan into a scarred, deeply traumatized Avatar was gripping. Plunging into the Earth Kingdom politics and its criminal underworld was a great narrative choice. The antagonists are fantastic, from Tagaka to Xu Ping An. The entire False Avatar plotline was thrilling, concluding in the most heartbreaking way imaginable. The supporting cast - Kelsang, Rangi, Lao Ge, and Lek - are all well-written. It has the best pacing of the series, giving the narrative time to flesh everything out. But the crown jewel of this novel, and the Chronicles of the Avatar as a whole, is Jianzhu. He's one of my favorite fictional villains. Experiencing the story through his POV chapters makes him deeply compelling; you witness the effects of his ruthless pragmatism, understanding exactly how his actions kill his friends, lead to his own demise, and fracture the Earth Kingdom. He's intelligent and does everything for thing for the greater good, but the trauma of losing Kuruk and the fragility of his own ego cause him to crack. The lore's great and the action sequences, specifically the Fall of the Fifth Nation, Kyoshi's vs. Xu Ping An, and the jaw-dropping. But the book suffers slightly from character bloat (some members of the Flying Opera Company, like Wong and Kirima, feel a bit vanilla).