There are always certain expectations when it comes to a remake or adaptation of a beloved IP. Fans are hoping for something that is “accurate” or as close to the original as possible. Of course, there are certain limitations some times that will cause things to be changed. And then there’s the obvious differences that come up simply because the new leaders behind the adaptation thinks it works out better for their vision. So when Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 was released, fans were surprised to see some changes brought to Zuko and Katara’s storyline that made it feel like we were back in the trenches of Zutara.
If the over 7,000 fan fics on Archive of Our Own are any indication, it’s that fans are still hoping for them to get together many years after the animated series finished airing. For so many fans, including myself, Zuko and Katara are the blueprint. The classic enemies-to-lovers ship, it’s hard to ignore the chemistry between the waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe and the prince of the Fire Nation as they get closer together and then, eventually, start to understand each other on a personal level.
When they’re not trying to take each other down, they realize that they’ve both been hurt by the actions of Zuko’s father and have each lost their mother as a result. Despite Katara being younger than her brother Sokka, she is often seen as the more emotionally mature one of the two siblings and fits more of the archetype of the older sibling, which Zuko is in his family.
And there’s also the fact that Aang, who the show sets up Katara with throughout the series, is viewed as significantly younger than her due to childlike nature, causing some watchers to see them more as a sibling relationship. Meanwhile, Katara and Zuko—who actually have the exact same age gap between them compared to Katara and Aang—are seen to be on the same level emotionally which has sparked more ideas of a romantic relationship between them.
For those who have never seen the original series, spoiler alert: Zuko and Katara never actually end up together. In fact, in a compilation video posted by Nickelodeon about their relationship from the original series, they prove that they’ve been seeing the shippers and their hopes of them getting together for years.
“From their turbulent, flaming start to their touching, cool end, Zuko and Katara have been through a lot together! While they never ended up together, there is an undeniable connection and chemistry between these two elemental opposites that deserves to be recognized and celebrated!”
And with the storylines of Katara undercover as the Painted Lady and Zuko as the Blue Spirit moved up from book 3 to season 2, it feels like it could be leading us to a different direction.
In the original version, Zuko and Katara end up captured separately, with Zuko purposefully turning himself in to finally face his sister, and put together in the same cell by Azula. However, in the live-action version, Zuko actually ends up getting captured alongside Katara when he tries to protect her when she is trapped by the Dai Li.
Zuko already knew The Painted Lady was Katara due to her waterbending abilities, however, as Zuko was not using his firebending as the Blue Spirit, she doesn’t discover who he really is until he reveals himself during their imprisonment. Why would he protect his enemy?
One part could simply be Zuko trying to be good in this new chance that he was given in Ba Sing Se. For another, it’s because he already feels this connection to her as their alter egos, which gives them this invisible string that ties them together in more ways than they realize.
Not only has this bumped up them realizing their similarities with one another, it also made Zuko’s betrayal and decision to return to the Fire Nation that much more emotional. These are clear adaptation choices that differ from the original series, and it made fans question whether the live-action was about to take the characters on a different, more romantic journey. Could this hint at a bigger reunion when Zuko (spoiler alert!) joins Team Avatar later on and becomes the good guy that he was meant to be?
Unfortunately for Zutara shippers who have been waiting since the original series for them to get together, the show is already setting up Katara and Aang’s romance while also revealing Mai’s longtime crush on Zuko.
Some people are also questioning Katara and Aang’s romance after changes in the story made it feel like he was going making decisions out of character compared to his original version in the animated series. Obviously, this could have been done to add more drama into this version, especially since the characters are seemingly older than the OG.
The show’s creators have yet to reveal what their actual plans are, but the cast have been very vocal about what is going on between Zutara.
“I would say we’re sticking pretty close to the animated series in terms of the relationship between the characters,” Dallas Liu told Entertainment Weekly.
Listen, Zuko and Katara might not have actually been endgame, but the fandom is clearly still hoping for something to change in this new version. And with one more season coming out, it’s still not too late to give us what we want. Even if it means completely changing the canon up to make it happen.
