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there are criticisms on Zutara being an "oppressed falls for the oppressor" trope but i disagree (THREAD: i'm a nerd for this show, humor me?)
the trope is dependent upon the oppressor realizing the humanity of the oppressed through an intimate relationship with someone of that party
the idea of the trope: that a racist can undo their racism by being in an interracial relationship. a nazi falling in love with a jew. a colonizer falling in love with the colonized. it's problematic.
but Zuko's redemption arc is written in a way in which his moral compass is questioned on a very internal and visceral way
it's not dependent on a singular relationship. it's a continual self-reflection of what is right and wrong
Zutara developed bc both characters' stories are a reflection of one another that developed *outside* of each other
Katara has a strong moral compass that gets challenged when she's faced with her anger. Zuko questions his own morals and finally finds himself by confronting his anger
Both of their anger stems from the same place. The ramifications and consequences of imperialism
In the end, Zuko chooses to dismantle the oppressive system not bc he fell in love with someone who belongs to the oppressed party but bc his very nature is to self-reflect on how he played a part in the system
Zutara was born out of the natural ebb and flow of these two stories throughout the series. They hold a mirror to each other in a really beautiful way. They don't end up together, of course, but there is a justifiable reason why so many of us ship it
