Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of the most popular cartoons from Nickelodeon of all time. Despite the show being targeted towards kids, the story drew in adults as well. Aang was the protagonist of the show, the last Airbender and an avatar who managed to unite the Four Nations.
The characters were well fleshed out, and over the course of the show, some of them stood out. One of them was Uncle Iroh, a powerful firebender. He quickly became one of the fan favorites, but if the showrunners had stuck to their original plans for the character, it would have infuriated the fanbase to no end.
Uncle Iroh was a fan favorite and his relationship with Zuko was one of the highlights of the show
Avatar: The Last Airbender made waves for its rich world and beautiful and complex story-telling when it first came out in 2003. Over the years, the Nickelodeon show has garnered a loyal and large fanbase. Such is the popularity of the show, several notable personalities have also appeared on the show and its subsequent spinoffs.
Aang may have been the protagonist, but the other characters also got to shine on the show. Uncle Iroh was one of them. He was from the Fire Nation, and the older brother of Lord Ozai, the ambitious ruler who wanted to bring the other three nations to its heels.
Zuko was the troubled son of Lord Ozai, who went on to redeem himself. It was quite a journey for the prince, but Iroh never gave up on his nephew, even though sometimes the retired general was the only one to believe in him.
Their journey was not without hurdles either. Zuko was ungrateful for the lessons that Iroh taught him initially. However, the prince was also the only person who could help the general after his son, Lu Ten’s death. Moreover, he also encouraged his uncle to do more than just disapprove of the Fire Nation’s actions.
Iroh was one of the kindest and most loved characters on the show, and his relationship with Zuko highlighted the best of his qualities. The showrunners had other plans for him initially, though.
Avatar: The Last Airbender would have seen Uncle Iroh turn into a villain
Iroh was an unfailingly kind man with a good sense of humor. He almost singlehandedly set his nephew on his path to redemption. Therefore, the initial idea that he would betray Zuko in the finale would have devasted the fans.
The showrunners, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko had toyed with the idea initially. If they had gone ahead with this plot, Iroh would have turned out to be a double agent, who would have stabbed his nephew in the back in the series finale.
The Firebender’s character arc would have been turned on its head, and fans would have also felt as betrayed as Zuko. Thankfully this idea ended up being discarded.
Avatar: The Last Airbender remains one of the most popular and beloved cartoons of all time. The story is relevant and the love for these characters has endured despite it airing over two decades ago.
