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Home > The Psychiatric Breakdown of Azula From ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’

The Psychiatric Breakdown of Azula From ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’

Avatar: The Last Airbender Live Action Adaption (2024) Official Netflix Trailer 

The Firebending Prodigy

Avatar the Last Airbender is an animated series known for its fantastic world-building, unique plot, and intricate story arcs. Many characters see redemption, but one in particular has a sadder ending. Princess Azula (Grey DeLisle) is the daughter of Fire Lord Ozai (Mark Hamill) and Ursa (Jen Cohn) and the younger sister of Prince Zuko (Dante Basco). The 14-year-old is a firebending prodigy, having perfected the use of the element significantly young, and her power is so strong her fire is blue. This is due to the influence of her overbearing father, who expected perfection since her older brother and heir to the throne was exiled for speaking out of turn, leaving Azula the de facto heir. After Zuko was dubbed a traitor and the Avatar – who could master all four elements and was tasked with bringing balance to the four nations – Ozai sent Azula to capture both so they couldn’t interfere with the expansion of the Fire Nation. 

Azula is known for being confident, driven, and sadistic. She expects perfection in all areas from anyone and refuses to allow anything she deems insubordination to occur. Despite her narcissism and cruelty, all the pressure from her manipulative father and her belief that her mother hated her had a significant impact on her emotional and psychological state. As the series progresses, viewers see Azula’s walls come crashing down, revealing her insecurities and psychological issues.

NOTE: DTN is not qualified to make diagnoses; this article is for entertainment purposes only

Oppositional Defiant Disorder 

While similar to Conduct Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is less severe as there is usually no damage to property or physical altercations. However, it is possible to be diagnosed with ODD while also having symptoms of physical aggression and destruction of property, especially if there is a comorbidity with a Conduct Disorder. The DSM-5-tr defines Oppositional Defiant Disorder as “A pattern of angry/irritable mood, argumentative/defiant behavior, or vindictiveness lasting at least 6 months as evidenced by at least four symptoms from any of the following categories and exhibited during interaction with at least one individual who is not a sibling.” The three categories are angry/irritable mood, argumentative/defiant behavior, and vindictiveness. 

Between the flashbacks, how Zuko describes his sister, and how she describes herself, viewers are given insight into her personality. Azula is described as resentful of Zuko, so she teases and torments him because she believes their mother loves her brother more. Azula was often resentful towards her mother, not only because she believed Ursa loved Zuko more but also because she believed her mother thought she was a monster. Alongside being moody and irritable, Azula is highly argumentative. As a child, Azula was often very defiant to her mother’s authority, as Ursa tried to curb her manipulative and cruel behavior so she wouldn’t turn out like Ozai. This stemmed from Azula’s treatment of her brother, as the girl often took her jealousy out on him to gain Ursa’s attention.

Conduct Disorder

A Conduct Disorder is a recurrent behavior that violates either the rights of others or central societal norms to the point of causing significant impairment in social, academic, or occupational functioning. Conduct disorders are typically diagnosed in early childhood or early adolescence, and while they primarily affect males, females can also develop the disorder. People with conduct disorders have a pattern of displaying callous and remorseless interpersonal behavior across relationships and settings. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, text revision (DSM-5-tr) defines Conduct Disorder as “A repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior in which the basic rights of others or major age-appropriate societal norms or rules are violated, as manifested by the presence of at least three of the following 15 criteria.” The categories include aggression to people or animals, destruction of property, deceitfulness or theft, and serious rule violations.

When looking at Azula’s character, it is overwhelmingly apparent that she has some sort of behavior disorder. In early childhood, Azula showed numerous symptoms of a Conduct Disorder, with her behavior falling into three of the four categories: aggression to people or animals, destruction of property, deceitfulness, or theft. Azula fits five of the seven criteria under aggression toward people in animals. In one of Zuko’s flashbacks, he throws a rock at a turtle duck, and when his mother asks him why, he says he saw Azula doing it. She has also been seen – in flashbacks and in the present – to bully and intimidate others, even those much older than her or with the same (if not higher) social ranking as her. She even managed to overthrow the Earth King at only 14, making her the youngest conqueror in the Avatar universe. With the destruction of property, viewers see that Azula not only uses her firebending to cause serious harm but also takes no issue breaking other’s property, like when she destroyed Chen’s house. For deceitfulness or theft, Azula has lied to many people, including her brother, mother, and Team Avatar, one of the only people who could lie to Toph.

Schizophrenia 

The characteristic symptoms of schizophrenia involve a range of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional dysfunctions. According to the DSM-5-tr, Schizophrenia is “a psychotic disorder that is diagnosed when two or more of the following symptoms are present for a significant amount of time during one month.” The symptoms are listed as delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior, and negative symptoms, such as diminished emotional expression or avolition. To be diagnosed with Schizophrenia, one of the first three symptoms must be present. Delusions are fixed beliefs that don’t change even when the person experiencing delusions is given evidence to suggest otherwise. These delusions can vary, as they range from persecutory delusions, referential delusions, Grandiose delusions, erotomaniac delusions, somatic delusions, and bizarre delusions. Hallucinations also vary and can be visual, auditory, olfactory, tactical, gustatory, Hypnopompic, or Hypnagogic. Disorganized speech – or disorganized thinking – is when the person with Schizophrenia speaks without making sense (incoherence or world salad) or switches between topics quickly (derailment or loose association) without realizing it.

Towards the end of Avatar: The Last Airbender, viewers see Azula’s mental state deteriorate after her friends have betrayed her. She begins to become paranoid, feeling like everyone is against her, and starts experiencing delusions. On the day of her coronation, Azula eats a piece of fruit with the pit still in it and accuses the servant of trying to kill her. When her Dai Lee agents hear the disturbance, Azula lashes out at them for getting to her too late and tells them an assassin would have had enough time to execute her. She then becomes paranoid that they would betray her like her friends Ty Lee and Mai, so she banishes them. After Azula has banished her entire staff, she hallucinates her mother, seeing the woman in her mirror. While hallucinating, Azula argues with Ursa over whether or not her mother loved her before breaking the mirror in a rage.

Overall 

Azula’s pathology could go several ways, as she fits into multiple diagnostic criteria. However, given the evidence from the show, these three diagnoses make the most sense. Regardless of what the exact diagnosis is, it is more than clear that Azula has severe psychological issues stemming from deep-rooted trauma. Although she is incredibly cold and brutal for her age, it is no surprise given that she was raised primarily by Ozai, whose own narcissism and hunger for power caused him to manipulate his daughter.

Source: Dead Talk Live

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Author at Dead Talk News |  Posts

Hi, I'm Haley! I recently graduated from the University of Maine at Farmington with a B.F.A. in creative writing and a B.A. in psychology. I love writing and have been doing it since I was little, with my niche being the dark and macabre in short stories and poems.

I am an aspiring author living and working out of Honolulu, Hawaii. I received my bachelor's degree in Art History at Westmont College and then pursued a master's in Museum Studies at the University of Hawaii. I am currently working on a few novels, and am thankful for the opportunity to expand my creative writing voice at Dead Talk Live.