Why Some Avatar: The Last Airbender Fans Still Debate Fire Lord Ozai's Powers

"Avatar: The Last Airbender" became a Nickelodeon classic (and the best animated show ever) throughout its three-season run for a handful of reasons. It's not unreasonable to say that the heroes of the show — collectively referred to as Team Avatar — are a major contributor to its success. Aang (Zach Tyler Eisen), Toph Beifong (Michaela Jill Murphy), and their companions are all incredibly likable, and they make viewers want to root for them in their perilous quest. Of course, one would be remiss not to give the program's merciless, tyrannical villains some credit for this phenomenon as well.

As Team Avatar travels the land trying to help Aang master all four elements (water, earth, fire, and air), the shadow of the Fire Nation looms large. This militaristic, technologically-advanced civilization harnesses the power of flames to its advantage, striking fear into the hearts of the innocent. All it wants is to expand its influence and rule over all others, steamrolling the opposition in the process. That's quite the challenge for Team Avatar to overcome, especially bearing in mind who leads it: the terrifying, power-hungry Fire Lord Ozai (voiced by the incomparable Mark Hamill).

It's well understood that Ozai is a ruthless villain worthy of holding an antagonist spot on "Avatar: The Last Airbender." At the same time, fans still debate about this aspect of his powers.

Throughout "Avatar: The Last Airbender," audiences meet a handful of powerful Firebenders that never shy away from using their gift. When it comes to Fire Lord Ozai, he's among the best of them, as evidenced by his effective use of his raw ability on multiple occasions. However, one has to wonder if he's the best to ever do it. In a Reddit thread by u/Xmaster777, fans of the show have firmly planted themselves on both sides of the debate. Some believe that Ozai can lay claim to being the best Firebender of all time, while others think he's good, but someone like Iroh (the late Mako) has him beat.

Of course, this conversation revolves around the take on Fire Lord Ozai from the animated "Avatar: The Last Airbender" series. Time will tell how the version played by Daniel Dae Kim will measure up when Netflix's live-action adaptation comes to fruition. Funnily enough, before he accepted the role, he consulted his nieces, nephews, and his friends' kids about it, and their responses made it clear just how badass some fans think Ozai is. "I was like, 'But wait a minute, before you answer, just know that I play a bad guy,' And they were like, 'Ozai?' And I was like, 'Yeah.' 'Do it!' So, there was no hesitation whatsoever," he told Collider in 2021.

There's no denying just how formidable an opponent Fire Lord Ozai is on "Avatar: The Last Airbender." Still, it remains up for debate if he's the be-all-end-all of Firebenders.