I get that the Last Airbender was about the dangers of war and violence and how violence needs to be unlearned and forgiveness will bring more healing than hatred but if we are being completely honest, Katara should have killed the man who imprisoned her mother

And I understand that the message of her backing down and not killing him is like “vengeance won’t bring you happiness” but that’s not really what vengeance is about. And vengeance against an oppressive state can actually be healing not just for the person enacting it

So really what’s evident with that whole katara story line is that it’s really there to develop Zuko. We already knew katana cojldnt go through with it, but Zuko needed to see someone back down from vengeance to start his own healing. Which is bullshit. Because

Because Zuko has people in his immediate family who must be killed. Zuko was traumatized and brainwashed and deserves revenge for that. Katara deserves revenge for what happened to her mother. She should have killed that man!!!!! And Zuko should have killed Azula!!!!

And then we get the final fight, right, the big moment that’s like “look! You can stop an oppressive and colonial regime with non violence!” Which is cool and all but the fire lord deserved to die. Like let’s be honest about that. And the previous avatars even accept that

So the message becomes “violence is sometimes absolutely necessary but you will be all the more noble if you can find your way around it.” Which is fine I guess. But it would have been cool to just see Aang obliterate the fire lord I think