Jetko
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[edit] Introduction
Jetko is a portmanteau used to refer to a relationship between Jet and Zuko, two male characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender.
[edit] About
[edit] Interactions in canon
In the Avatar: The Last Airbender episode "The Serpent's Pass", Jet and Zuko met while traveling to Ba Sing Se as refugees. Jet proposes that Zuko help him and his two friends, Smellerbee and Longshot, "liberate" some of the captain's dinner to supplement their own inedible rations. Zuko agrees, introducing himself as "Lee", and the two begin a short-lived but notable friendship. Jet sees a kindred spirit in Zuko, taking his scar as evidence that he, too, has suffered at the hands of the Fire Nation.
When they arrive in Ba Sing Se, Jet invites Zuko to join his Freedom Fighters, but Zuko declines, knowing full well how Jet would react if he knew the truth of Zuko's identity. Unfortunately, Iroh chooses that moment to use Firebending to heat his tea, which Jet notices, beginning an obsession that sets a chain of sad events in motion.
Once in the city, Jet stalks Zuko and Iroh as they start their new lives in hiding, determined to catch them Firebending again and use that evidence to turn them in to the authorities. Eventually he loses patience, bursting into the teashop where Zuko works to start a fight. His efforts to force Zuko to Firebend ultimately fail, however, and Jet is taken away by Ba Sing Se's secret police, the Dai Li.
[edit] Fanon interpretations
While there's as much variety within Jet/Zuko fanfiction and fanart as there is in any other popular pairing, several fanon trends have emerged over time.
In many stories, Jet propositions Zuko while the two of them are on the ferry to Ba Sing Se. This first encounter often continues after they reach the city, although the tone of those interactions changes dramatically once Jet realizes Zuko is a Firebender.
A common device used in fanfiction for this pairing is to posit an alternate universe in which Jet doesn't notice Iroh Firebending his tea. This allows the author to put off Jet's discovery that Zuko and Iroh are Firebenders, giving them time to develop a more substantial relationship before that complication is introduced.
Modern AUs are also common for this pairing, as they allow the dynamic between Jet and Zuko's personalities to be explored without the more extreme divisions and tragic backstories of canon.
[edit] Quotes
- "You know, as soon as I saw your scar, I knew exactly who you were. You’re an outcast, like me. And us outcasts have to stick together. We have to watch each other’s backs, because no one else will." - Jet, in "The Serpent's Pass"
- "I think Lee would make a good Freedom Fighter. He’s just trying to find his way in the world, like us." - Jet, in "The Drill"
[edit] Timeline
- On September 15, 2006, an Avatar: The Last Airbender episode titled "The Serpent's Pass" aired, in which Jet and Zuko meet.
- On September 16, 2006, Memlu created the JetHeartsZuko community on Livejournal.
[edit] Kerfluffles
There have been no kerfluffles in the Jet/Zuko community of any note.
[edit] Influential Fans
- Ali_Wildgoose, fanartist on Y-gallery [1], fanfiction author on Livejournal [2], JetHeartsZuko [3] community moderator
- Resemble, fanartist on DeviantArt [4], Y-gallery [5] and Livejournal [6]
- FoxySquid, fanfiction author on Livejournal [7]
- GeekeryPokery, fanfiction author on Livejournal [8]
- KittyJimJams, fanfiction author on Livejournal [9]
[edit] External Links
- JetHeartsZuko - Livejournal community
- Us Outcasts - Y-gallery club
