this post was submitted on 29 Oct 2024
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Avatar: The Last Airbender

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[–] DannyBoy@sh.itjust.works 7 points 4 hours ago

Varrick bombed buildings and tried to kidnap a president to start a war for profit and got away with it too.

[–] Apytele@sh.itjust.works 70 points 8 hours ago (2 children)

No he "got away" with decades of war crimes by becoming disillusioned of the society he was born and bred in and becoming a political enemy of the state and putting his physical wellbeing at risk to free the people his country had waged war on all while mentoring the person who would take over that country and try to create a better country and a better world. One of the most poignant moments is when he says he didn't realize his visions of conquering ba sing se would be him taking it back for its own people.

[–] socsa@piefed.social 5 points 3 hours ago

The Mikhail Bakunin of Nickelodeon cartoons.

[–] pandapoo@sh.itjust.works 3 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Which is why this is fictional, and he's allowed to have a narrative story arc.

However, if this was a Nazi SS Officer, who fled to South America, and then went on to redeem himself by [insert narratively compelling redemption story], he'd still be a war criminal.

But again, it's a cartoon, and we don't have to treat his character as if he were an actual Imperial General commanding troops during wars of conquest, especially one from the IJA.

[–] dotslashme@infosec.pub 36 points 8 hours ago

People change, we should all learn to see people for who they are, not who they were.

[–] Dadifer@lemmy.world 27 points 8 hours ago (3 children)

I'm not sure siege is considered a war crime. Isn't that just standard medieval warfare?

I mean really the existence of war crimes relies on the existence of treaties between the nations defining what those crimes are. Gonna guess the Fire Nation was not a signatory.

[–] brucethemoose@lemmy.world 13 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago)

The other nations wouldn't see it that way.

There's no central authority, but it's not a machiavellian free-for-all like medeival Europe. The rest of the world was rather unhappy with the Fire Nation's aggression, even in light if the world's long history of warfare. He would be tried for that, no doubt.

And his reputation/nickname is subtext for crimes he did commit but that the cartoon couldn't spell out.

[–] TOModera@lemmy.world 11 points 8 hours ago

No, it's not a war crime that I can find, however we can attribute harm caused to civilians through these actions, such as starvation due to supply lines cut off. So he did some vile shit, had a moment where he realized the error in his ways, then did everything in his power to make things better.

[–] paultimate14@lemmy.world 9 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

A war crime according to... Who? Is there some treaty or convention that happened? Is there some customary international law that he violated? I can't find the Hague anywhere on any maps in this universe but maybe I missed something.

[–] half_built_pyramids@lemmy.world 7 points 7 hours ago

There is no war

[–] simple@lemm.ee 12 points 8 hours ago

Well he does leave the army and help the opposition so I'd say he redeemed himself hard

[–] brucethemoose@lemmy.world 6 points 8 hours ago

I like how NATLA goes into his "war crimes" more.

And Lu Ten's funeral... I cried over that scene.

There's a lot to not like about live-action atla, but I was there for all the Iroh/Zuko scenes. Kinda like Book 1 of ATLA, to be honest.

[–] BonerMan@ani.social 3 points 8 hours ago

A sige isn't actually a warcrime...

[–] RandomStickman@fedia.io 3 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Maybe not war crimes but what he did with June isn't great either

[–] brucethemoose@lemmy.world 2 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

He apologies for that in the comics, though many of the panels feel OOC.

[–] RandomStickman@fedia.io 2 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Which comic is that one from?

[–] brucethemoose@lemmy.world 5 points 8 hours ago (1 children)
[–] RandomStickman@fedia.io 3 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

I keep forgetting that they're still releasing new ones. Cheers!

[–] brucethemoose@lemmy.world 2 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago) (1 children)

New novels keep coming too!

The novels are great, TBH way better than the comics.

[–] RandomStickman@fedia.io 3 points 8 hours ago

100% I really digged the Kyoshi ones and you reminded me to pick up the Yangchen ones again.