Even the villains in Avatar: The Last Airbender care about each other, although their ways of expressing it leave a lot to be desired— the frazzled fraternal dynamic between Ozai and Iroh being a prime example. Among the most enduring friendships in the series is that between Azula and her two companions/lackeys, Mai and Ty Lee.
While Mai is usually able to defend herself against the wrath of Azula, Ty Lee's childlike devotion towards the latter makes the whole thing seem like a case of Stockholm Syndrome. The following list considers a few important details regarding this highly dysfunctional relationship in the Avatar franchise.
They Met At The Royal Fire Academy For Girls
Azula was born with a silver spoon in her mouth being the cherished child of Firelord Ozai, so naturally she is sent to the Royal Fire Academy— which noble women are expected to attend compulsorily. Ty Lee, also being part of the aristocracy, meets her best friend turned paranoid enemy at this school.
Interestingly, the academy educates its students on history and culture as much as it trains them to survive as part of the demanding military of the Fire Nation.
Azula Bullied Her From The Start
While both play villainous roles for most of the series, it is clear that the dynamic between them is established by the time they are around ten years old. During a noteworthy scene in the Fire Palace gardens, Azula rudely pushes Ty Lee while mocking her for no apparent reason.
Strangely, the latter doesn't seem to mind this behavior at all, as she immediately agrees with Azula's nasty little plot to embarrass her brother by having him fall into a nearby fountain along with Mai— who allegedly had feelings for him even then.
Ty Lee Runs Away From The Fire Nation
Ty Lee's acrobatic tendencies serve her well in a traveling circus, but the reason she reaches this point in the first place is to get away from Azula's abuse and lack of compassion towards her.
This decision works in her favor for some time, but her peaceful life is rudely interrupted by the Fire Princess' arrival. Azula basically blackmails her into re-enlisting in her entourage, blithely suggesting that it's either that or a fiery death below her tightrope— or worse.
Azula Was Always Jealous Of Her
Azula tries to maintain a facade of pure cockiness, which is almost always impregnable— but there have been times when a few cracks have appeared. For instance, during their little Ember Island outing, she mocks Ty Lee for being "a tease", claiming that boys only prefer her because she "makes it so easy for them."
When her friend begins weeping, Azula uncharacteristically apologizes to her, suggesting that she may have been jealous. This moment is one of the few warm ones involving Azula, which is saying something.
Ty Lee Keeps Her Prisoner
Zuko unsuccessfully tries to extract the current location of his mother, Ursa, from the imprisoned Ozai. To improve his chances of success, he has Azula brought to the dungeon cell next to his.
Here, he requests his new bodyguards— Suki and Ty Lee— to ensure that his little sister stays out of trouble. Ty Lee lives up to her word, and when Azula tries to lunge at Zuko, she is instantly paralyzed by a series of rapid chi-block jabs.
Azula Throws Her In Jail
When Mai betrays the Fire Nation by allowing her ex-boyfriend and the Avatar to escape the Boiling Rock, Azula decides to punish her on the spot. However, she is startled by Ty Lee's collusion when the latter chooses to save Mai by rendering her immovable.
Azula is protected by arriving Fire Nation soldiers, and she orders them to throw her "friends" in jail and "let them rot." As a consequence of these actions, she later begins developing strange paranoia and hallucinations, even imagining her mother at one point.
Ty Lee Saves Kiyi From Her
Kiyi is Zuko's half-sister, and though she doesn't make an appearance in the series, her character is one of the most well-designed overall.
When Azula tries to sabotage Zuko's regime by randomly abducting kids, Kiyi is one of the few who gets taken. Luckily, Azula's "hideout" location was discovered by Ty Lee, who recalled the maze of tunnels that they had all played around in when they were younger.
Azula Learned Circus Tricks From Her
Azula's genius lies not in her lightningbending, but in the shrewd manipulation of everyone around her, practically converting her friends into mindless zombies. She also displays considerable aptitude in the martial arts, showing that she can easily win her fights without even resorting to bending.
The ballerina-like agility with which she often moves is reminiscent of Ty Lee's own talents. Thank heavens Azula didn't also pick up the dangerous technique of chi-blocking as well, or the outcome of the story would have been quite different.
Ty Lee Remains Terrified Of Her
Ty Lee is impressive without any bending talents, but there's only so far that that can get her against Azula. In fact, the Fire princess loves to boast about using fear as a motivator, asserting that it is far more successful than any other emotion.
Mai overcomes this deep-rooted fright by realizing that she cared more for Zuko than she was afraid of his sister, but Ty Lee has had no such breakthrough. In fact, even when Azula is locked up, she hesitantly mentions that she "never lost her fear of her."
They Reaffirm Their Friendship Through Vandalism
After being invited to Chan's party on Ember Island, Azula, Ty Lee, Zuko and Mai have an impromptu group therapy session in which they expose their most shameful secrets to each other.
Once they achieve a tentative catharsis, the gang return to Chan's mansion, where they proceed to destroy everything in sight. As strange as it might sound, it is this event that restores their relationship— like shared trauma, but basically the exact opposite.