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Juei-Sheng Joshua Chiu

HONR 399

April 7, 2016

Depictions of Genocide in Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Avatar: the Last

Airbender

In the 2000s, two fictional works were produced which included serious fictional

depictions of genocide – the extermination of the Jedi in Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the

Sith, and similarly, the destruction of the Airbenders in Avatar: The Last Airbender. Both serve

to reinforce cultural beliefs about the necessity of making choices morally in tandem with one’s

conscience and the importance of facing odds even if they seem insurmountable. They serve to

expose and socialize audiences to the prevailing social and moral codes in our society, which are

explored and tested in both of their narratives. Star Wars visually depicts the events of the

genocide on-screen, where the audience sees in scene after graphic scene the methodical

extermination of the Jedi from their greatest masters to their youngest padawans. While the

events in Avatar are not depicted on-screen in the same way, it is implied in the title: The Last

Airbender.

In their own ways, both media strongly condemn genocide through the reverberating

effects which echo throughout subsequent events in their respective universes. In both cases, an

entire culture and socio-ethnic group is eradicated, leaving only a handful of survivors or a single

survivor, in Star Wars and Avatar, respectively. This is presented as a terrible, tragic loss in both

cases. In Star Wars we see the heartless, almost mechanical massacre of the Jedi. Emperor
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Palpatine, the Sith lord and the primary perpetrator of the genocide, says “Execute order 66”, to

which the clone troopers respond “It will be done, my lord” (Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of

the Sith, 0:81). When Anakin storms the Jedi temple with the clone troopers, he is shown to have

cut down the youngest in the temple personally, as suggested by Yoda: “Not even the younglings

survived. Killed not by clones, but by a lightsaber he was” (Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of

the Sith, 0:94). Likewise, in Avatar, Aang, the primary protagonist and sole survivor of the

genocide goes through almost incomprehensible pain upon seeing the fate of his people –

especially that of his paternal mentor - and his own survivor’s guilt (Avatar: The Last Airbender,

The Southern Air Temple).

The second way in which both Star Wars and Avatar argue for the importance of making

choices morally is through the lens of peer relationships, especially those between friends who

were once as close as brothers. In the beginning of Star Wars, the audience quickly gains a sense

of the friendly camaraderie between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker as they fight

shoulder to shoulder on their initial mission of rescuing Chancellor Palpatine. Throughout the

movie they were each other’s trusted confidantes, with Obi-Wan naturally assuming the role of

an elderly brother looking out for the younger Anakin. In their final conversation on Mustafar,

Obi-Wan still expresses his former admiration for his comrade, hoping against all odds that he

can convince him to abandon his quest for power:

“You were the chosen one. It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join

them! Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness!” Said Obi-Wan.

“I hate you!” Replied Anakin.

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“You were my brother, Anakin! I loved you!” Replied Obi-Wan. (Star Wars:

Episode III Revenge of the Sith, 1:20)

Unfortunately, Anakin was too consumed by his lust for power, and so he futilely attacked Obi-

Wan, who was forced to maim him. This was the tragic end of a relationship which had spanned

decades as both of them had grown up from adolescence into adulthood. In the midst of the Jedi

genocide they were forced to choose opposing sides, and so their brotherliness was destroyed.

Their fate, as well as Padme’s death at Anakin’s hands, serve as a stark reminders of how

genocide destroys the most fundamental human connections between peers and family members,

ironically leading to the loss of what we set out to protect in the first place.

One can also see several examples of fraying relationships between formerly close peers

in Avatar: The Last Airbender. One in particular was between the former Avatar, Roku, the

‘peacekeeper’ of the Avatar world who is tasked with maintaining harmony and fighting tyranny,

and the Fire Lord, who is the head of state of the Fire Nation, the leading civilization in the

Avatar world. In the episode The Avatar and the Fire Lord, the audience learns that the

relationship between Roku and Sozin was very close for many years, with them growing up in

the palace together, and eventually becoming best friends. When Roku narrates the events of his

own life, he says, “After all these years, he was still my best friend. And a few months later, he

was my best man”, referring to Sozin’s role at his wedding.

However, as Sozin’s lust for power for himself and his country grows, Roku, as the

arbiter of peace, is forced to confront him. When trying to force him to rollback territorial

expansion, he warns Sozin: “Don't do this, Sozin. Don't challenge me. It will only end badly. It's

over.” After defeating Sozin, Roku says “I'm sparing you, Sozin. I'm letting you go in the name

of our past friendship, but I warn you, even a single step out of line will result in your permanent
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end.” Finally, at the end of the episode, when Sozin comes to assist Roku in subduing a volcano,

but then leaves him to die in the choking fumes, he callously leaves his former friend behind:

“Without you, all my plans are suddenly possible. I have a vision for the future, Roku.” (Avatar:

the Last Airbender, The Avatar and the Fire Lord). What follows is a genocidal campaign

against the Airbenders and the start of a century long war. Thus, in both Star Wars and Avatar,

the audience learns that even our closest personal relationships can be torn asunder in the

aftermath of genocide, leading those whom were once closest to instead seek out each other’s

demise. Ironically, the greatest obstacles to genocide seen in these two examples were not the

perpetrator’s archenemies whom they had set out intending to kill, but rather those whom they

were once closest friends with, and whom they were most reluctant to face.

A third way that both Star Wars and Avatar stress the importance of making choices

morally is through exploring the justifications and rationalizations for genocide used by various

characters. In Star Wars, Palpatine tells Anakin several of the reasons for his decision to

exterminate the Jedi.

“Once the Jedi learn of what has transpired here, they will kill us along with all

the senators. If they are not all destroyed, then there will be a civil war without

end.” (Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, 0:78)

“Once more, the Sith will rule the galaxy, and we will have…peace.” (Star Wars:

Episode III Revenge of the Sith, 0:80)

Through these examples the audience learns how leaders can manipulate people’s fears

(of chaos, in the case of civil war) and desires (of a peaceful galaxy) to achieve their own

genocidal goals. In the end, genocide is portrayed as a means to power (for Palpatine) or driven
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by a desire for power, for Anakin, who tells Palpatine to “just help me save Padme’s life” (Star

Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, 0:76). Even when he claims to seek to help his wife,

however, he eventually becomes consumed by grandiose delusions of power, which gradually

increased in intensity from his initial annoyance at not being granted full membership on the Jedi

Council when appointed by Palpatine to galactic proportions by the time of his duel with Obi-

Wan:

“We don’t have to keep running away anymore. I have brought peace to the

republic. I am more powerful than the chancellor. I can overthrow him. And

together you and I can rule the galaxy.” (Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the

Sith, 1:05)

Therefore, both Anakin and Palpatine are ultimately driven by a desire to increase their power

and domination of others. In his own way, Avatar’s Sozin also rationalizes his actions, driven as

he is by the desire for prosperity for his own nation and people:

“Our nation is enjoying an unprecedented time of peace and wealth. Our people

are happy, and we're so fortunate in so many ways.” Said Sozin.

“Where are you going with this?” Replied Roku.

“I've been thinking, we should share this prosperity with the rest of the world. In

our hands is the most successful empire in history. It's time we expanded it.”

“No! The four nations are meant to be just that: four.” (Avatar: the Last

Airbender, The Avatar and the Fire Lord).

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In the case of Avatar, the genocide is driven by Sozin’s wish to preclude the emergence

of the next Avatar, who would oppose his ambitions of taking over the world, much like how his

friend Roku opposed his expansionist plans. Critically, these two examples show how easily

genocide can be justified through blind acceptance of the ideals espoused by Palpatine and

Sozin. They both seek to power and domination of their various environments, and if one accepts

the desire for power as a basis for decision making, then genocide becomes merely another tool.

Therefore, viewers realize that the desire for power in its various forms cannot be the basis for

decision making, and instead embrace selflessness in conscience as a basis for decision making.

Both Star Wars and Avatar also contain warnings about how blind obedience to authority

can facilitate and erase the memory of genocide. In Star Wars the clone troopers are archetypes

for the populace imagined as mindless, obedient drones used as pawns by the power-hungry.

Ultimately, they are the greatest weapon that Palpatine has to kill the Jedi en masse. By

increasing his authority through manufactured conflict, Palpatine is ultimately able to seize

power from the Senate, where Padme bemoans the ‘death of democracy with thunderous

applause’. Similarly, in the episode The Headband, schoolchildren are shown being conditioned

to forget and justify the genocide against the Airbenders, saying in their oath “My life I give to

my country, with my hands I fight for Fire Lord Ozai and our forefathers before him. With my

mind I seek ways to better my country, and with my feet may our March of Civilization

continue.” Thus, Avatar illustrates the dangerous outcome brought out through blind obedience

through indoctrination, with the genocide and the war it sparked being justified and exalted.

When the schoolteacher says “Question one: What year did Fire Lord Sozin battle the Air

Nation army?” and Aang replies “Is that a trick question? The Air Nomads didn't have a formal

military. Sozin defeated them by ambush.” he is verbally rebuked. This represents the erasure of
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any competing narratives and the upholding of authority as the ultimate source of knowledge.

Therefore, both Star Wars and Avatar serve to caution audiences about obedience to authority in

the case of genocide, which is shown to be terribly cruel, and offer compelling narratives which

assist viewers in reflecting on how their own conscience might serve as a basis for making

decisions.

However, both media go beyond simple urging of the audience to consider morality when

making decisions, and additionally strongly suggest the need for moral actions, even if the odds

seem insurmountable. The manner in which they develop the narrative serves this purpose. First

of all, in both Star Wars and Avatar, the story told strongly confirms the absolute power that

even a single individual or a small group can wield in affecting the outcome of an entire world

(or galaxy). In Star Wars Anakin’s change of allegiance at a critical moment tips the balance of

power against the Jedi and is critical to the outcome of Palpatine’s plans. Throughout the entirety

of the film he is aware of the immense power he wields, and because of his constant quest for

more, it ultimately becomes his downfall. The narrative is focused around Anakin, and the

reactions and parallel actions of people around him, including other Jedi Masters. Ultimately, the

audience realizes how the actions of a single person can reverberate to have truly terrible

consequences.

In Avatar the narrative focuses on a group of youth as they gradually improve their

fighting skills to take on their common oppressor, the Fire Nation, forging strong friendships

along the way. There are many moments in the story in which the outcome hinges on the success

of one character or the small group working together, and at no moment are the odds numerically

ever in their favor. Likewise, by the end of Star Wars the odds are heavily against Obi-Wan and

Yoda, with the Jedi all but extinct and the few survivors denounced everywhere as traitors.
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However, they carry on, going into their respective exiles with the intent to carry on the fight

later, which is ultimately successful (but which is outside the scope of Episode III Revenge of the

Sith).

One of the strongest attributes that both Star Wars and Avatar have in their favor in

arguing their case for action in the case of genocide is the nuanced manner in which many of the

decisions that characters make are presented. Anakin struggles remarkably with choices in Star

Wars, and in the first half of the film he endures repeated mental anguish as he seeks out the

advice of Obi-Wan, comfort from Padme, trust from Mace Windu, counseling from Yoda and

arguably, encouragement, albeit manipulatively, from Palpatine. The audience sees how various

psychological influences on a person cause internal turmoil within a character when it is time to

make a critical choice. Anakin knows that his actual self is not his ideal self – he tells Padme that

he is “not the good Jedi that I should be”, because he is very aware of how his emotions towards

her are clouding his judgement. He is, of course, not going to tell her that her relationship with

him is causing him to lose his judgement. Instead he asks Yoda for advice, whose advice to him

– to abandon attachment - is doomed to fail in the face of his entrenched affection for Padme. It

is this love for her that overcomes his other inhibitions in betraying the Jedi – thus, in a way,

while he is acting according to his own morals which center on protecting Padme, his conscience

is shown to emphasize certain moral threads such as protectiveness of those whom he loves,

rather than sparing the innocent or loyalty. Therefore, Star Wars does not suggest that making

the right decision is easy – rather, it suggests that one’s own biases can exert powerful influences

which can have disastrous consequences, and we must always consider the outcome as part of

the decision-making calculus. No matter how noble the intention may appear to be to ourselves,

a sufficiently terrible outcome, whether real or projected, should force us to question those
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assumptions. While Star Wars strongly suggests that this moral reexamination will be

emotionally daunting, it also shows it as being all the more necessary to prevent horrendous

tragedies.

Likewise, the psychological journey undertaken by Zuko in Avatar also contain strong

narratives about the difficult path people take when moving towards acting morally. Zuko

undergoes the most transformative change in Avatar, transitioning from a Fire Nation Prince set

on capturing the Avatar alive to one of the Avatar’s closest allies, completing a stark about-face

to betray his father and reject the ideology he represents. The factors in this gradual transition

(which takes three-fourths of the entire series) span themes such as the complex relationships

among family members, the role of one’s personal conscience, expectations and failures to meet

them, past experiences, and the influence of others – especially mentors – in decision making.

Zuko is at heart someone who questions authority, because of his humiliation at the hands

of his father when he dared to question his actions. Banished and forced into exile with little

hope of return, he is forced to question his assumptions about his family, the purpose of the war,

and the contradictions he feels between his own morality and those of his supposed allies. Even

though he is determined to do the right thing, and regain his ‘honor’, he feels more and more

uneasy as the series progresses, because of his own favorable interactions with those he calls

enemies, and the subtle message suggested by his uncle that power and domination are not the

final goal of life, a message that his uncle only learnt through the death of his own son. However,

this transition is extremely arduous and painful for Zuko since he is forced to reject the ideology

he grew up with, his sister and father, and momentarily betray the nation he is a prince of.

Ultimately, the audience sees the triumph of good in its battle with evil inside Zuko’s psyche,

with Zuko helping to prevent a re-occurrence of genocide, but on a much more massive scale, in
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the finale of the series. The series, therefore, paints the psychological journey from embracing to

rejecting genocide in a sympathetic, understanding light – illustrating the challenging mental

journey many people have in standing up to evil when they are on the perpetrating side. While

Avatar doesn’t necessarily ask viewers to embrace Zuko’s convoluted emotions and logic, it does

try to coax a sense of empathy for his difficult transition, showing that it is not a simple switch

once one realizes the ‘wrongness’ of one’s actions. Rather, after an action is seen as wrong, there

are continuing psychological and emotional barriers to bringing around and changing one’s

behavior – therefore, we ourselves shouldn’t be discouraged if we feel it difficult to change our

own behavior even if we know doing something is wrong.

In conclusion, there are strong parallels in how both films emphasize the importance of

morality in decision making and not backing down when facing terrifying odds, which illustrate

how both Star Wars and Avatar impart strong messages on viewers. While Star Wars focuses on

the depicting the immediate genocide of the Jedi on-screen, Avatar focuses on the lasting,

resonant impact that the genocide had on the entire world, down to the last survivor, a century

after the events. In the dividing of former friends who were once as close as brothers, they both

show the inevitable outcome of genocide as a tragic, fratricidal conflict where the perpetrator

destroys that which he held most dear. Both media strongly suggest that political, power-oriented

justifications abound for genocide, so decision-making must instead be grounded in a personal

conscience based on selflessness. Additionally, they both contain warnings about deference to

authority which taken to its extreme can be used as a powerful tool in implementing genocide

and rewriting history to justify it. In both Star Wars and Avatar the impact of a single individual

and a small group are explored and highlighted – in the end, the actions of a handful of highly

motivated people can effect huge change, whether for good or evil. Complex narratives about the
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internal, mental journey undertaken by both reluctant villains and heroes serve to humanize and

caution viewers about the innate difficulty in decision making in these situations. Overall, both

Star Wars and Avatar educate the audience about the intricacies in the genesis of genocides –

their execution, justification and motivations of those involved – and how people can act

powerfully to prevent genocide, an action which while being absolutely critical will also be

mentally and emotionally taxing, forcing us to either question or reaffirm our beliefs at every

step.
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Works Cited

“The Avatar and the Fire Lord.” Avatar: the Last Airbender. Hollywood, CA: Paramount

Pictures, 2008. Television.

“The Southern Air Temple.” Avatar: the Last Airbender. Hollywood, CA: Paramount Pictures,

2008. Television.

DiMartino, Michael D, Bryan Konietzko, Giancarlo Volpe, Elizabeth W. Ehasz, Zach T. Eisen,

Mae Whitman, Jack DeSena, Dante Basco, Dee B. Baker, Mako, Deru, and Jeremy

Zuckerman. Avatar, the Last Airbender: Jiang Shi Shen Tong. Hollywood, CA:

Paramount Pictures, 2008.

Lucas, George, Rick McCallum, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Ian

McDiarmid, Frank Oz, Jimmy Smits, Peter Mayhew, Ahmed Best, Oliver F. Davies,

Temuera Morrison, Anthony Daniels, Silas Carson, Kenny Baker, Samuel L. Jackson,

Christopher Lee, and John Williams. Star Wars: Episode Iii. , 2013.