Avatar: The Last Airbender and My Hero Academia have been one of the most successful anime of all time. Their cult following continues to grow every year. Two of the characters from these shows have a lot of similarities. Zuko from Avatar and Endeavor from My Hero Academia have had problematic family relationships. They are short-tempered and ambitious men, who undergo personal crisis and loss. Their journey is one of suffering and redemption. Since their characters’ arcs and powers are so similar it will be interesting to compare both of them and see who is the better Fire hero.
Endeavor: The Flame Hero
Endeavor has the life-long ambition to become the Number One Pro Hero which he knew he would not be able to achieve this goal as All Might was already the Number One Hero. He thought he would have to choose a different path to fulfil his desire. He decided to get married and have a child who will become the Number One Pro Hero which he himself could not become.
He decided to marry Rei, in pursuit of his ambitious and now obsessive goal. He had four children – Natsuo, Fuyumi, Shoto and Toya with her. Natsuo and Fuyum, both like their mother, got the ice Quirk. But they were never given much attention from their father. The eldest among them Toya died a mysterious death, the cause of which is still unknown. With time Endeavor became more malicious and angry. He saw hope in Shoto who had both fire and ice Quirk. To train him Endeavor put him under tremendous pressure. The training soon becomes physical and mental torture and even started affecting Rei who was unable to see his child go through such a painful and rigorous process.
His cruel and unforgiving ways had terrible repercussions. Natsuo and Fuyumi both hold grudges against their father. They can’t seem to completely forget the horrible treatment meted out to them by him, which seems justified. While his wife Rei has had a complete mental breakdown because of all the mental abuse she has endured over the years. Shoto struggles for a long time before he can finally overcome his past and grow as an individual.
Endeavor finally achieved his long-term dream and became the Number One Hero after the retirement of All Might. This turns out to be a pivotal moment for his character as he changes radically after it. He mends his old ways and recognizes his past mistakes. Taking responsibility not in words but in actions, he tries to work on his broken family so that he can compensate for the damage that he has done. He promises to become a hero that his children can look up to. It remains to be seen if others can also let go of the past like him and forgive him for all that he has done.
Zuko: The Fire Prince
Born in an aristocratic family, Zuko was never liked by his father. He seemed to possess no power when he was little which fueled his father’s resentment towards him. Even though later it turned out he can bend fire. Because of his younger sister Azula who was way more talented than him, his father never gave him much affection and all of his praise went only to her. Soon afterwards, Zuko was banished from the Fire Nation.
His banishment turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Under the tutelage of his uncle Iroh he was able to get over his past. He understood himself better as he travelled the world. When he came back, he was a changed boy. He stood up to his father and completely rejected him. But this was not enough to satiate his desire for redemption. He approached team Avatar and did all he could to win their trust.
Zuko was not really responsible for the way most things turned out in his life. It is easy to condemn his past actions but most of the wrongs done by him were a result of his father’s actions. But still, Zuko took responsibility for his past and walked the path of redemption.
So, Who Was Better?
Zuko and Endeavor both chose a path of regrets in pursuit of their ambitions. They hurt a lot of people along the way but they both decided to redeem themselves of their past and mended their ways. But when compared Endeavor’s walk of redemption pales in comparison to Zuko.
Zuko was able to make up for every wrong that he had done and endured great pain in the process. But it liberated him completely from his past and made him a better person. Endeavor, on the other hand, did change but his path to complete redemption still seems far away. He has hurt his loved ones in such terrible ways in his desire for power that it seems that some of the wounds will never be healed. How can one make up for years of physical and mental abuse? There is no doubt Endeavor is trying hard to still make things right. But it seems impossible to right all wrongs. Some pains inflicted by him are going to stay there forever.
So, it seems obvious that Zuko is a better Fire hero as he was able to completely let go of his past and made many contributions towards a more peaceful world. While Endeavor still has a long road to travel which seems never-ending. It is certain that his complete redemption will never be accomplished.
Emily Hadley is an avid technical blogger, a magazine contributor, a publisher of guides at Blogs Book, and a professional cyber security analyst. Through her writing, she aims to educate people about the dangers and threats lurking in the digital world. Read My Site theratingstar
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