The Psychology of Azula l Avatar: The Last Airbender

The opposite would mean being imperfect: that you need others emotionally, that you are weak in many things. The same thing she did in “The Beach,” Azula then lashes out violently, breaking the mirror to reaffirm her position, based on violence and fear. It is at this point that many rushed to “diagnose” Azula with schizophrenia, a disorder characterized by delusions and hallucinations that she now suffers from. Importantly, delusions also fit specific DSM criteria for schizophrenia. Her mother's criticism is precisely this. Schizophrenia also requires: (A) a significant breakdown in interpersonal relationships due to these delusions or hallucinations... and (B) failure to achieve personal standards of excellence.

Both criteria are definitively met in her banishment from those around her... ...And the inability to maintain the perfect firebending composure she is so known for. Particularly in "The Last Agni Kai." There is a marked literary symmetry between it. first fight and her final fight with Zuko. Where she was determined and composed, she is now erratic and formless. Where she fought defensively, she now fights aggressively. And although she never let emotions get in her way, she is now fueled by anger and resentment. But it is essential to note that duration *is* identified as a qualifying factor in the diagnosis of said disorder.

Even fully functioning people *can* suffer temporary psychotic breaks when put under extreme pressure. And Azula is increasingly isolated and stressed towards the climax of the story. It must persist for at least six months. And, at least at this point… …It would be irresponsible to diagnose so quickly. AZULA: "Don't pretend to act proud." A second point in Azula's psychological development here is the transition from interpretive delusions to systematized delusion. One that "can involve multiple themes and can become complex, all-encompassing narratives." Interpretive delusions grow and transform into a core belief about "why the whole world is the way it is, in its entirety." Persecutory delusions are particularly prone to this, and Azula's systematized delusion begins here, with the belief that her mother is manipulating everything in her life: her failures, her defeats, her betrayals.

In “The Search”, Azula begins to see the actions of others orchestrated by her mother (PARPHRASING AZULA’S DIALOGUE:) “Tell me how she got to you and Mai! ...How did he make them lose their fear of me!" "Which of you evildoers do you approach first?"... ... "How do you convince them to help ruin my life?" Finally, before another hallucination of her mother, she openly accuses her. (PARPHRASING AZULA'S DIALOGUE:) "You've been plotting since I was a baby to ruin my life because you saw something in me: power!" Not only does her mother transform into a Mastermind whose sole goal is to destroy her and prevent her from ever taking the throne as Fire Lord... ...but her father, Ozai, transforms into a Saint, who fought against her. long enough for Azula to find her.

A defining element of systematized delusions is that they cannot be questioned and that the world fits *them*. However, Azula does not understand how Zuko and Katara could have communicated with her after her disappearance. ... ...none of this ever undermines this great, persecutory delusion. They are forced to work around that core belief. It should be noted that Azula has always, possibly, also had delusions of grandeur. – An inflated self-importance, high self-esteem, and a rigid belief in her inherent superiority. But this persecutory delusion that began in "The Boiling Rock" eventually warps to include a secondary type of delusion that functions within this larger, more systematized one.

A delirium of control. (This is the idea that forces outside of her control her thoughts.) and actions, or the actions of others.) This becomes clearer later in "The Search", when she finally finds her mother... (PARAPHRASING) "You don't understand, Zuzu! We'll finally be free! You from the throne you never wanted and I from this incessant annoyance in my head!" She even earlier accused Ursa of "turning her own mind against her." Psychologically, this is to be expected. A 2017 study showed that... For Azula, her mother is the puppeteer who puts the thoughts, ideas and head to control her. More specifically, though, the focus on Azula's psychological processes seems to be on her throne: that her mother has gone to great lengths to put Zuko on it, and not her.

The closest this systematized deception comes to breaking for Azula is when her real mother fundamentally challenges him in "The Search." Azula demands to be called a monster, so that her mother will admit that she has been orchestrating her downfall all along...…But Ursa, of course, does no such thing. (URSA DIALOGUE:) "I'm sorry I didn't love you enough." Once again, she returns to that 'Love versus Fear' dynamic. Although this revelation threatens to destroy this worldview, Azula remains deceived. As discussed before, external facts are not necessarily rejected, but are forced to fit into a persecutory and controlling deception, which is what we see in the story of "Smoke and Shadow", which is warped into a strange deception. . (DIALOGUE FROM AZULA:) "I *know* that I will never be Fire Lord because I am not *meant* to be Fire Lord!" "My *destiny*... is to make *you* the Fire Lord I tried to be, one who is *strong*, who rules through *fear!*" "And then, *laughs* in “In a certain sense, I will be *Fire Lord* again.” The illusion evolves so that it is *not* that she was wrong about her mother plotting or that she was not destined to take the throne.

Her mother is still the mastermind. , but Azula now knows that she *must* be the Fire Lord in a way she didn't expect: by manipulating, manipulating Zuko. Interestingly, this is now a contradictory belief system, something quite common in her mother's systematized delusions. prevents her from taking her rightful place on the throne... And she is not destined to take the throne now, although the persistence of her delusions and hallucinations for months and years based on her father's lies and abuse may mean that it meets the DSM duration criteria for a schizophrenic disorder... Closer examination. Azula's behavior and psychological processes may be better explained by a second diagnosis...

This is defined as when a person prominently exhibits schizophrenic signs and major mood symptoms, such as manic depression or mania. In "The Search", Azula is. She has been shown to be suicidal, even throwing herself at Appa as she fled, with no regard for her own safety. …uncontrollable thoughts and rapid speech are also identified with schizoaffective disorder. And, although she is not sure, Azula is constantly tormented by her own thoughts and her tumultuous voices. Negative symptoms, such as the inability to care for oneself, are also not as serious for Azula. Despite her initial breakdown... she shows a notable return to form in "Smoke and Shadow", once again keeping her hair perfectly symmetrical.

The defining characteristic of schizoaffective disorder is experiencing periods of hallucinations and delusions without mood symptoms for intermittent periods. Some of her

psychology

is a bit of a guess, because we can't ask precisely what Azula has been feeling throughout her years in the story, but in the comics there are many suggestions that she experiences radical anxiety attacks, joy, and depressive thoughts. Together, these features would suggest a schizoaffective disorder, rather than simply schizophrenia. URSA: “What's wrong with that child?” Before delving deeper, it is important to recognize that psychological disorders are not self-explanatory. A "diagnosis" is not the end of the discussion.

These mentalities and disorders develop under a series of environmental factors. And in particular, we need to examine Azula's relationship with her parents to see where this mentality comes from. One of the interesting things we see in Zuko's flashbacks is that there are tender moments with Zuko though... ...pretty much every interaction between Azula and her mother is clearly negative. she overhears her own mother asking what is wrong with her URSA: “Young lady! Another word!" “What is *wrong* with that girl?” This type of dynamic can be quite harmful for a girl. This is not to say that Ursa emotionally abused Azula, not at all.

She clearly loves her and, on a subliminal level, Azula even understands her. This, then, where does this belief that her mother sees her as a monster come from? This brings us to a concept called... Here, being Ozai and Ursa, the two parents present a stark contrast in parenting strategies: Ursa seems positively. She reinforces social skills and behaviors that are based on... ...and her approval does not depend on her abilities, such as her Firebending. In contrast, Ozai only seems to find value in her sons' expressions of... ...with a darker truth than these abilities. They are useful for promoting *your* own goals from it.

The clearest scene to demonstrate this dynamic is when Azula and Zuko demonstrate their firebending skills to Fire Lord Azulon *YOUNG ZUKO growls* YOUNG ZUKO: “I failed!” URSA: “No. I loved seeing you." URSA: "That's what you are, Zuko. Someone who keeps fighting, even if it's hard." Here, Ursa expresses affection for Zuko, just because he tried, while Ozai just frowns. However, when Azula performs, the prodigy, Ozai smiles. The result of this dynamic is that Azula receives positive comments. A girl, mainly from her father. She shows immense talent and skill in firebending and in her ruthlessness. self-esteem" that every child truly needs.

She is also presented as "the prodigious, perfect girl" in Ozai's eyes; with Zuko constantly living in her shadow. At the same time, Ozai positively punishes weakness by telling him, at one point, that "he was born lucky." We also see that Ozai views virtues, such as mercy, as a weakness. When Aang refuses to kill him, he says... OZAI: “Even with all the power in the world, you're still weak! *" This is a sentiment that Azula clearly takes to heart, repeating it to Zuko during "The Quest" (PARAPHRASING:) "Even when you are strong, Zuzu, you are weak." She describes Iroh's sensitive empathy as "the way of tea and failure." When Zuko confronts Ozai and asks him why he would physically abuse his own son, Ozai dismisses him without thinking.

OZAI: "It was to teach you respect." This belief that respect comes entirely from power, It's also something Zuko clearly believed as a child, pleading with his father that he meant no disrespect. Ozai's upbringing reinforced the idea that To be feared is to be respected. That to be a strong leader is to punish your enemies and. asserting your authority through fear and power The only time we see Ozai express pride in Zuko is when he praises him for killing Avatar necessarily, this is completely opposite, even antithetical to the values ​​Ursa tries to instill in her children. She admonishes Zuko for not showing empathy towards turtle ducks weaker than him and emphasizes the value of relationships based on love. "Zuko, please, my love, listen to me.

Everything I have done, I have done to protect you." These two parental moral frameworks that emphasize opposing principles, values, and behaviors give the child an unclear direction for emotional development. Children naturally gravitate toward a parent's moral framework that provides them with positive feedback. And due to Azula's prodigious talent for controlling fire, this was her father's. The fundamental problem in their co-parenting here is that Ozai punishes the very skills and virtues that Ursa reinforces because she sees them as weaknesses, while Ursa punishes many of the skills and values ​​that Ozai reinforces. It cannot be understated that Azula also saw these two moral frameworks unfold before her in real time.

Although it is never shown on screen, there is a clear implication that Ozai physically abused Ursa in the comics. And there is explicit evidence of emotional abuse of her when he completely separates her from her friends and family, to make her dependent on him. A hallmark of an abusive person. relationship. A scene in “Smoke and Shadow” shows Ursa experiencing anxiety attacks and unable to sleep in the same room as before, with him. Victims of abuse often find themselves unable to be in the same physical space in which they experienced such trauma. From these signs, it is possible to suggest that Ursa may have had depression while she was raising Azula.

Something that would have seriously affected her abilities as a mother. To demonstrate the seriousness of this, Grube & Dorn's 2007 study concluded that... For Azula, her parents. 'relationship is a morality game that teaches that fear and power are the only reliable way to protect yourself and keep people loyal to you because your father is the one who has complete control over them and the home, which means that she is less likely to do so. She develops her mother's social skills and this becomes a spiral for her.relationship with his mother. The more she adores and gets approval from her father... ...the more she feels that her mother rejects her, for a child, moral disagreements are repeated.

It is difficult to distinguish it from outright rejection or even hatred, over time. Especially, if Azula feels like that's just who she is. For Azula, the only way to be strong (which is now the most important thing in the world to her) is to be a monster in her mother's eyes. The final result is clear. AZULA: “My own mother… thought I was a monster.” This relationship leads her to idolize Ozai since she was little, firmly believing that he would be the best Fire Lord, doing everything possible to appease him... She sees herself as, "the legitimately privileged girl." She is the loyal one, the successful one, but the cruelty that underpins this twisted idolatry culminates in one scene, during "The Phoenix King," when the time comes for her and her father to come together. assault the Earth Kingdom OZAI: "You will remain here in the Fire Nation." AZULA: “But I thought we were going to do this together!” AZULA: "You can't treat me like that!" AZULA: "You can't treat me like Zuko!" This moment of isolation and rejection by her father is deeper than anything before.

Being rejected like this is putting yourself on the level of her imperfect, weak brother, and there's nothing worse than that. It also talks about the fear of abuse at home, where siblings do everything they can to avoid being the ones to bear the brunt. To Azula, this was always Zuko. But this line suggests a fear of inheriting that position in an abusive home. But, instead of finally seeing her father for the manipulative psychopath that he is... Using even her own children as tools to achieve her own goals... Azula believes him when he tells her that he can only trust her. this task to her.

OZAI: "I need you here to watch over the country. It is a very important job that I can only entrust to you." For the first time in her history, a person successfully manipulates *Azula*. Ozai knowingly plays her desperate need for approval against him... For her own personal gain. This, however, would be his only victory. He discards it when it is useful. This damaging lack of co-parenting leaves Azula out of her reach in other ways as well. Menninger stated that… These three factors have been shown to exist during Azula's primary psychological development. Fincham and Osborn's 1993 study reinforces this.

Discovering that... Although she is not dead, per se, Ursa leaves; which, to a child, can seem like abandonment on a par with death. The following discussion is mostly conjecture about what we see of her story. But the Hajdu-Gimes study explained that of the children who developed schizophrenia or related disorders, such as schizoaffective disorder… The roles of the sadistic parent and the passive parent are swapped here. Ursa was never “malevolent” towards Azula. In fact, he expressed a deeper affection for her; however, never to the point where we see her connect with Zuko. Theoretically, this preference may contain some truth and could explain a lot of things psychologically.

Sullivan writes... Sullivan's description fits Azula perfectly. Attacking when she feels vulnerable Ozai would likely have rejected any of his early attempts to find that tenderness, empathy, or nurturing love. And if Ursa felt unable to connect with her, becoming more passive in raising her... ...Whether due to her depression or Ozai's controlling and abusive role in her relationship... This would have contributed to Azula's more violent tendencies. Osa may be "inappropriate, rather than malevolent." On this basis, the loss of a parent is a recurring theme in the development of disorders in children. But Sullivan also highlighted the importance of a Rescue Parent who enters the situation and, by giving the child genuine love and acceptance, manages to undo some of the damage.

This point marks a stark contrast between Azula and Zuko, who faced many of the same family traumas and pressures at home as they developed, psychologically. But while Azula only seemed to trust Ozai, her abuser Zuko had Iroh. A rescue surrogate father who works to undo much of the same mentality that has become ingrained in Zuko's mind and succeeds. Partly explaining the difference between the two brothers, psychologically. In this sense, it was Azula who was left behind, who was not rescued, who was not cared for, who was not loved in the same way as Zuko. Azula's story is a tragedy, at its core.

Her

psychology

is the latest domino to fall in a long chain of family abuse, defective parenting, and emotional rejection. Although it is easy to read as an adult; She, in fact, is only fourteen years old. A teenager. It's unlikely that Ozai had much time for immaturity, much time for her to be a child. Just like Zuko was given time to be a child, because of Iroh. There are so many things that influence why we. we are as we are And, while Azula's evil actions cannot be attributed to anyone... ...It is important to recognize the complexity behind violence and abuse.

These are cycles... ...and perpetuated, again... And it feels inescapable. And, Azula... "...even with all the power in the world..." "...*she* is still weak." *GENTLE RAIN*