When To Name Your Character's After Other Characters: A Case Study

 One of my earlier posts was about naming characters after other characters, and when that would be a good idea. I listed four different ways to pull this off effectively. The first was when a character was nobility, the second was when the person who they were named after is dead or distant, the third reason was to establish favoritism, and the final reason was to show the values of the culture or family the character was born into.

To make what this looks like more clear I've found a character that fits into all four of these categories: Azula, from Avatar the Last Airbender.

Azula is a princess and while her father is technically the main antagonist Azula over shadows him in skill, smarts, strategy, and story. She is a far more interesting character and villain, leaving many people to cite her as the main antagonist. 

Her name is interesting however, Azula, which simply means blue. It seems like an odd name for a fire princess, but it's rather fitting. Her flames are blue, and she can also shoot lightning, which is blue as well. 

She is also named after her grandfather, Fire Lord Azulon. I wouldn't have been surprised if in production Azula's name came first, and the writers decided to name her grandfather after her. It was a good idea and did a lot to help with character development with her brother, Zuko. I'm inclined to believe it was the right choice in this case, but why is that? Why does it work so well here?

First of all, let look back at the list. The first option is if a character is nobility or royalty. Azula falls into this category very easily. Not only is she a princess, but for a little while she is the Fire Lord herself, and she's heiress to the entire world. Can't get much more royal than that.

The second category is if a character is dead or distant. So you may ask, where Azulon is during the events of The Last Airbender? Well he's dead. (That was easy.) Of course he is seen in flashbacks and is mentioned a few times by other characters, but he has a little plot relevance.

The third category is to establish favoritism, which I think is the main reason the writers chose Azula's name. Azula is very much favored over Zuko, to the point where their father maims and banishes Zuko to make sure Azula becomes the fire lord.

The fourth category is not as relevant as the others, but still applicable. Azulon was a war mongering king. He was ambitious and ruthless, demanding the death of his grandson at one point. these traits were valued by Azula's father greatly, who showed the same level of ambition. It also suited Azula well, who valued power over all else.