atla-annotated:Phoenix Queen King OzaiOzai declaring himself ‘Phoenix King’ is supposed to show how
atla-annotated:Phoenix Queen King OzaiOzai declaring himself ‘Phoenix King’ is supposed to show how far around the bent Ozai has gone. And my it is far. But if you view it in-universe (the show is set in a sino-centric universe) it becomes even weirder. Let me explain:The phoenix is the embodiment of female power i.e. the Empress; not male i.e. the Emperor. That would be the dragon.The phoenix represents yin, the dragon yang. So Phoenix King is kinda an oxymoron. What he did is either declaring that he now is Emperor and Empress in one person. Ozai is taking on the yin part of the yin and yang, on top of the yang of ‘king’. He is now, by declaring himself phoenix and dragon, ‘complete’. Or, and I am not going down that creepy road, one could argue that by making Azula Fire Lord, he is making her the dragon/husband. Anyway …Now I understand that they wanted to run with the ‘reborn from ashes’ aspect, but it makes Ozai, in cultural and show context, sound even more insane than he is. On a side note: There is a real phoenix crown, traditionally worn by the Empress (compare picture), and there are even similarities between Ozai’s helmet/crown and the real thing e.g. the wings on the sides. Image source: One, twoThe phoenix, in Chinese mythology and tradition, has symbolized the Empress and the yin force since the Yuan Dynasty. In ancient and modern Chinese culture, they can often be found in the decorations for weddings or royalty, along with dragons. This is because the Chinese considered the dragon and phoenix symbolic of blissful relations between husband and wife, another common yin and yang (Yin is female and yang is male.) metaphor.If you want to know the myth behind the dragon and the phoenix go here: How Phoenixes and Dragon came to be paired together. -- source link
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