Dante Basco, the actor behind Prince Zuko from the acclaimed animated series, Avatar: The Last Airbender, recently revealed that he wasn't aware of Zuko's character arc until well after he was cast. Although The Last Airbender concluded its final season in 2008, it has recently enjoyed a resurgence in popularity since the Covid-19 pandemic began last year. Zuko's status as a fan-favorite character has remained a consistent aspect of the fandom throughout the years, with many praising the show's treatment of Zuko's redemption.
In the show, Zuko is the prince of the Fire Nation and the heir to the imperialist legacy of his autocratic father, Fire Lord Ozai. Zuko serves as the principal antagonist in the show's earlier seasons, but later joins the Avatar's side upon seeing the error of his ways (and with a bit of advice from the lovable Uncle Iroh). The hotheaded prince's redemption arc became a defining aspect of the character, cementing him as one of the most popular characters from the show – so much so that the show's creators authorized and wrote graphic novels that tied up loose threads in Zuko's storyline. Needless to say that Zuko's popularity is intrinsically linked with the development of his character.
In a recent episode of the official Avatar: The Last Airbender podcast, Basco admitted that he was unaware of what was in store for the character even after being cast for the role. Basco says that he had "no idea" and that there was "no arc discussion at all." You can read Basco's full account below:
No idea. No arc discussion at all… They’re like, ‘you’re auditioning for Zuko,’ and I’m at Nickelodeon studios, and they’re literally all in the booth, behind the glass, and I was like ‘this guy’s named Zuko? Like Danny Zuko? Then I get a picture of the guy. He’s doing a kick, and he’s wearing his armor, and he’s got his ponytail, and he’s bald, and he has this massive scar on his face, and I’m just like, ‘who is this guy? What is going on here?’
Given how crucial Zuko's redemption ultimately was in the character's development, it's surprising to hear that Basco was unaware of it until well into production. Perhaps withholding this information helped Basco play the character more convincingly as an antagonist in the show's earlier seasons; Zuko does indeed rack up a handful of despicable deeds before his final decision to join the Avatar. Regardless, the outcome has proved to be a massive success with both critics and fans alike.
With more content set in the Avatar universe on the horizon, it's possible we may see Basco reprise the role in a future project. Bruce Davison voiced an older incarnation of Zuko in the Avatar sequel series, The Legend of Korra, but that doesn't necessarily preclude the possibility of stories set between the two eras. Given how iconic Basco's performance in Avatar: The Last Airbender has become, it would be a missed opportunity not to invite him back to reprise his role.
Source: Dante Basco