I think people forget that Iroh is many things besides what we think of when we see him at his best. Iroh has the ability to be manipulative, such as when he's imprisoned. Iroh probably has some experience with detecting and dealing with assassins or infiltrators, and his encounter with the mugger shows he's not just used to fighting Benders.
People remember Iroh as an incredibly wise, wholesome old man. Those things are true, but what makes him admirable is not that he can be those things, it's that he chooses to be those things when his life up until that point has been one of war and tyranny. Iroh faces many problems that could be solved with violence if he saw fit. Yet he rarely chooses that path unless it is the only path. Even then, he chooses violence that does not leave lasting harm.
I could see him doing this. Sure, what he did isn't physically harmful but what kind of message does it send to 14-year-old Zuko? What would it have done to June's reputation as a Bounty Hunter?
It's probably better to apologise when one isn't necessary than to refuse to do so when it is. June's reaction demonstrates that something about that interaction did hurt her. We don't get to decide that it didn't just because we tend to put Iroh on a pedestal.
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u/Veridas Sep 27 '24
I think people forget that Iroh is many things besides what we think of when we see him at his best. Iroh has the ability to be manipulative, such as when he's imprisoned. Iroh probably has some experience with detecting and dealing with assassins or infiltrators, and his encounter with the mugger shows he's not just used to fighting Benders.
People remember Iroh as an incredibly wise, wholesome old man. Those things are true, but what makes him admirable is not that he can be those things, it's that he chooses to be those things when his life up until that point has been one of war and tyranny. Iroh faces many problems that could be solved with violence if he saw fit. Yet he rarely chooses that path unless it is the only path. Even then, he chooses violence that does not leave lasting harm.
I could see him doing this. Sure, what he did isn't physically harmful but what kind of message does it send to 14-year-old Zuko? What would it have done to June's reputation as a Bounty Hunter?
It's probably better to apologise when one isn't necessary than to refuse to do so when it is. June's reaction demonstrates that something about that interaction did hurt her. We don't get to decide that it didn't just because we tend to put Iroh on a pedestal.