Zuko was first known as the bad guy. At the beginning, it was his first time spotting the Avatar, who was said to be vanished for one hundred years. If he captured the Avatar and gave him to his father, he would have his throne and honor restored. As a suffering and neglected boy, this is what he was after. Zuko, a suffering boy with a tragic past, gradually learns how to make peace with his upset mind, making him vulnerable to the power of good.

“You must get some sleep, Zuko, a man needs his rest,” Iroh tells him, but Zuko insists on searching all night for the Avatar. He has had a troubling life and pretty much knows nothing about love nor happiness. When Commander Zhao appears, Zuko is faced with the past. The Agni Kai in “The Southern Air Temple” refreshed Zuko’s memory of his case of dishonor. He and Commander Zhao are both -set to capture the Avatar, but are on rival sides. They were always competing with each other, until at the end, Admiral Zhao’s life was at sake with Ocean Spirit. Even if all of his life, Zuko, the one who always tries to beat Zhao, actually tries to help him, but he slips away. That shows that Zuko even cares about his enemies when the time comes.

Everybody has seen Zuko be mean to his shipmates. He bossed them around, gave then unfair orders, and threatened them. However, in “The Storm,” Zuko actually helped one. It shows more that Zuko doesn’t have the heart for someone to disappear or lose their lives. Also in that episode, it showed some of Zuko’s mysterious past. When he interrupted the general in the war room, challenging is position, it showed that Zuko actually did care about people’s lives. He doesn’t believe in sacrifice. Zuko does have a heart.

Many people believed that in “The Blue Spirit” that Zuko saved Aang. It is somewhat true, but that was not his intention. His intention was to capture Aang. Afterwards, Aang offers Zuko a hand in friendship, Zuko actually considers, but becomes scared and frustrated that he fires at Aang, who gets away in time, but somewhat regrets that he didn’t accept. When Katara and Zuko are trapped in the crystal cave of Ba Seng Sei in “The Crossroads of Destiny,” Zuko actually tries to make peace with her. At the end though, he betrays Aang and his Uncle Iroh by taking Azula’s side, though not sure what he really wants, him himself, will come out of it.

Zuko has been disturbed from his past – from him being banned and embarrassing the Fire Nation, and from losing his mother, whom he loved more than anyone. When people search deep in his heart, they see he can love. Lots of people thought that the only way Zuko could join the good side was if Uncle Iroh died, but that is shown untrue because Iroh never tried to capture Aang, said he regretted his past (meaning he doesn’t like that he was trying to destroy the world), then recently that it is not the right thing to do. Zuko was once told by Iroh that he was like a son to him, which Zuko took to heart. At the beginning on the first season, Zuko insists that he does not need rest, even though that a man does need it. “You must get some sleep, Zuko, a man needs his rest,” Iroh tells him at the end of the first season, and Zuko closes his eyes and sleeps in peace. Iroh knows the right things at his age, and he is Zuko’s role . If Zuko knows what’s right, he will help the Avatar, and turn to the good side.