- —Tagline
Zuko VS Shoto Todoroki is the 131st episode of Death Battle, featuring Zuko from the Avatar: The Last Airbender series and Shoto Todoroki from the My Hero Academia series in a battle between scarred pyrokinetic teens. Zuko was voiced by Dante Basco and Todoroki was voiced by John Van Doren.
Interlude
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Wiz & Boomstick by Brandon Yates  
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We cut to Wiz and Boomstick.
Boomstick: With all those cool anime heroes out there, there's bound to be plenty with angsty daddy issues.
Wiz: You mean like you?
Boomstick: (chuckles) Ah, don't be silly, Wiz. I'm not an anime character.
We see anime-esque tears run down his face.
We cut to the combatants' name cards.
Boomstick: Like Prince Zuko, the firebending hunter of the Avatar, the Last Airbender.
Wiz: And Shoto Todoroki, the prodigal son of fire and ice from My Hero Academia.
We cut back to Wiz and Boomstick.
Boomstick: He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick.
Wiz: And it's our job to analyze their weapons, armor, and skills to find out who would win... a Death Battle.
Zuko
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Feel The Heat by Terry Devine-King 
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Wiz: Water, Earth, Fire, Air. The four elemental nations once coexisted peacefully. Then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.
Boomstick: Yeah, the cranky old Fire Lord went and conquered basically the whole world.
Wiz: And, a hundred years later, the equally powerful master of fire, Ozai, continued that tyranny. Many believed his rule would one day pass to either his daughter, Azula, or his son, Zuko.
Boomstick: Yeah, Fire Dad was way too ego crazy for that. He drove Azula mad, even though he did clearly favor her. Poor little Zuko got screwed over from the beginning.
Wiz: Can you imagine your dad saying that while your sister was born lucky, you were just lucky to be born?
Boomstick: I can't imagine my dad saying anything to me.
Wiz: Oh, right... Uh, well, despite this, Zuko was desperate to prove himself. What a fine work ethic.
Boomstick: But he screwed up by talkin' out of turn in a big boy meeting. So naturally, his dad took him aside, sat him down, and taught him the importance of respecting others.
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Urgent by Bryce Jacobs 
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Boomstick: Oh wait, just kidding, he burned his friggin' face off!
Zuko's screams are heard as his father attacks him.
Boomstick: Holy shit!
Wiz: With his new scar came a new mission. Zuko would hunt down the elusive Avatar, the one threat to his nation's rule, to prove himself to his father, and regain his honor.
Boomstick: Which is just a nice way of saying he was banished so he could never come back. Just like my dad didn't...
Wiz: Though, frankly, Zuko did have the talent and training he needed to capture someone even as powerful as the Avatar.
Boomstick: Damn right! He's a fighting pro! The dude's strong enough to shatter metal chains with a kick. He's super skilled with martial arts, dual swords, and, oh yeah, firebending!
Wiz: As a firebender, Zuko harnesses the light of the sun to summon flames from thin air. Wherever fire remains alight in an area that's not too cold, he can manipulate, or "bend" it to his will.
Boomstick: I mean, if I had to pick between swirlin' water around, tossin' a few rocks, or farting hot air all the time, I would definitely go with firebending. It literally means you're a living flamethrower!
Wiz: Plus, it's surprisingly versatile. Aside from simply creating, launching, and moving flames, firebending can be used to heat objects, melt through ice prisons, and even defy gravity.
We see Ozai using his firebending to fly at Aang.
Boomstick: Is that guy flying? With fire? Awesome! How does that even work?
Wiz: Well, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Newton's third law. By creating a rapid series of explosions an inch or so away from the palm, the air in between the hand and fire is launched toward the user, thereby creating propulsion.
Boomstick: Yeah, firebending isn't just about creating fire. It's about creating a bunch of it! So, Zuko can make large, long-lasting walls of flame to protect himself, and keep enemies at a distance.
We cut to Wiz and Boomstick.
Boomstick: That stuff's hot, y'know!
Wiz: Uh, yeah. It's fire. You know, I've actually rigged up my arm to replicate the technique of firebending. DUMMI, if you'd please?
DUMMI floats in.
DUMMI: Another test. How thrilling.
Wiz: Now, this isn't as simple as just pointing and shooting. Firebenders fuel their flames with their own breath, and using it at all requires a fierce understanding of martial arts.
He does some martial arts moves.
Boomstick: What, are you trying to do the Macarena?
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Urgent 4 by Bryce Jacobs
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Wiz: Zuko's favorite form, the Dancing Dragon, draws primarily from Northern Shaolin Kung Fu.
Boomstick: That's a Chinese martial art that's all about agility, wide stances, and aggressive attacks. A perfect mix of speed and strength.
Wiz: Like this.
Wiz makes kung fu-esque motions and sounds, fire shooting out of his metal arm as he does so. However, instead of charring DUMMI, he accidentally chars Boomstick instead.
Boomstick: Wiz... (coughs) ....why?
DUMMI: Ha ha ha.
We cut back to the analysis.
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Make the Escape by Philip Guyler
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Wiz: Anyway, the fire that benders like Zuko can generate is extremely hot, capable of melting through a cast iron door hot. This would need to be over 1,200°C.
Boomstick: And while Sozin's Comet was boosting his powers, Zuko's Uncle Iroh blasted apart the giant outer wall of Ba Sing Se. "There is no war in Ba Sing Se." Until Iroh comes a-knockin'. I mean, that's like, the thickest wall I've ever seen! (sadly) Second only to the emotional walls between me and my dad.
Wiz: Even without Sozin's Comet, which only appears once every 100 years, Zuko has more than enough firepower to level a building. That's no laughing matter for any person, or building.
Boomstick: He's even quick enough to catch lightning, and use his fire powers to redirect it wherever he wants it to go. KAPOW! Suck it, dad! Oh shoot, wait, did he just shoot his dad with lightning?!
Wiz: Zuko's quest for the Avatar led him down a different path than he expected. Inspired by his kind uncle and the Avatar himself, he joined the heroes on a new journey, one of self discovery.
Boomstick: Yeah, turns out he didn't need his dad's approval after all. He just needed to approve himself. Now, that's character development!
Wiz: Zuko's definitely had a "heated" redemption arc, and now that he's the Fire Daddy... uh, Lord, Fire Lord, his honor keeps burning brighter.
Boomstick: Are you crushin' on Zuko?
Wiz: W-What? No, no.
Boomstick: (chuckles) Yeah, you are. It's okay, Wiz. Everybody does.
Zuko: Hello, Zuko here.
Shoto Todoroki
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Hero's Penultimate War by Noah Sorota
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Wiz: Welcome to a world where the supernatural is natural, where more than 80% of the population possesses superhuman abilities known as Quirks.
Boomstick: And because everyone loves to game a system, there's a superhero leaderboard! At the very top of it stands the ultimate hero, All Might!
Wiz: All Might's feats and reputation were incredible, a true symbol of peace for everyone. That is, everyone except the hero perpetually stuck at rank No. 2.
Boomstick: That's Endeavor, and he vowed to surpass All Might. But his literal firepower was just never enough.
Wiz: But if he couldn't do it himself, he would vicariously through his own heir. Thus, he made the desperate decision to arrange a Quirk marriage.
Boomstick: Basically, he paid a family off to get a wife with an ice Quirk, and popped out kids until they got the right Quirk combo. Gross, I feel like I need a shower.
Wiz: After four, uh... attempts, they finally spawned the child he was looking for: Shoto Todoroki.
Boomstick: Half-Cold, Half-Hot, literally! Right side's ice like his mom, and left side's fire like his dad.
Wiz: Endeavor quickly separated young Todoroki from his supposedly lesser siblings, ruthlessly training him to become the most powerful hero in history.
Boomstick: Surprise, things didn't go so well. He drove Shoto's mom totally insane, until... she broke.
A splash of boiling water can be heard in the background.
Wiz: Pouring boiling water on her son's left side, because it reminded her too much of him.
Boomstick: Okay, this is gettin' super heavy for a colorful cartoon about superpowers and frog people.
Wiz: Fortunately, Todoroki never truly fell for his father's disgusting manipulation. He attended U.A. High School, a hero academy, and worked to use his power for good.
Boomstick: But just his mom's power. Why use fire when you can stick it to the man?! The man being a big scary fire dad over there. Anyone else notice his facial hair is made of fire? How's that work?
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World Domination by Kes Loy & Richard Kimmings
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Wiz: From his right side, Todoroki can summon intense bouts of cold, freezing the air, or even creating massive glaciers of ice.
Boomstick: Talk about overkill! And like a good edgy teen, Shoto named this super iceberg something badass: Heaven-Piercing Ice Wall! Oh, you can just taste the self-loathing.
Wiz: He can create sheets of ice to slide on, or propel himself forward as if riding a Heely. While he can't manipulate the ice after he's launched it, he has extremely precise control over its initial release. He can even freeze opponents so thoroughly, that they are frozen both inside and out, effortlessly causing necrosis and shattering body parts.
Boomstick: Seriously, that's so dark, it's chilling.
We cut to Wiz and Boomstick.
Boomstick: Talk about havin' a cold shoulder.
Wiz: But, Todoroki has a problem: while he is highly resistant to cold, he's not immune.
DUMMI floats in.
DUMMI: Here I am. Guess I'll die.
Wiz: Oh, I won't be needing you this time, DUMMI.
DUMMI: Genuine joy.
DUMMI floats back out as Wiz keeps talking.
Wiz: Casting too much ice from his right side will cause his body temperature to drop until he falls unconscious, potentially even suffering frostbite.
Boomstick: I mean, it takes freezing an entire building before side effects even start to show up, so it's not all-
Wiz fires ice from his robot hand, flash-freezing Boomstick.
Boomstick: Why'd you even make the stupid robot?!
We cut back to the analysis.
Wiz: That's why Endeavor chose to mix ice with fire. See, he had the same problem with his own fire Quirk, but with cold and hot combined, they could counter each other's weaknesses.
Boomstick: Thankfully, Shoto made a friend who helped show him that his fire wasn't his father's, it was his own. You tell him, Deku! Finally, the full power of IcyHot was unleashed! Hey, you think he could help my back? It just hurts from carrying this show.
Wiz: While he's much less proficient with fire, given his lack of experience with it, this half of his quirk is identical to Endeavor's. His fire is hot enough to melt Tetsutetsu, whose body can turn to steel. Which means it can reach temperatures over 1,600 degrees.
Boomstick: He can blast fire like a raging inferno, form walls of flame to block off areas, and use his evil dad's signature technique: Flashfire!
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One Chance At Glory by Ian Dolamore
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Wiz: Flashfire is a method of compressing flame under super hot temperatures, before releasing it in a single strike. Endeavor can also shape his fire, use it to cling to walls, and fly.
Boomstick: But even if he is a huge dick, Endeavor was kinda right; fire and ice combined put both Quirks at their best. Shoto's one of the best in his class, taking hits from a tank like Deku, fighting top tier-foes like Stain, and keepin' up with classmates like Bakugo and Tokoyami, who can block Kaminari's electricity.
Wiz: And while he's often criticized for relying too much on his Quirk, Todoroki is incredibly smart and a quick thinker, reading and setting traps for his opponents in the blink of an eye.
Boomstick: And after all that craziness, he finally patched things up with his mom, and somehow even inspired his dad to try and be a better person. What a nice story. (sniffles) I wish he could inspire my dad, too. Not Mama though. She's already perfect.
Wiz: Well on his way to becoming a successful hero, Shoto Todoroki no longer fights in spite of his father, but for himself, and the sake of others.
Todoroki: I want it, too... I'll be a hero!
Prelude
Wiz: Alright, the combatants are set and we've run the data through all possibilities.
Boomstick: But first, let me tell ya about BlueChew.
Wiz and Boomstick read out an advertisement for BlueChew.
Boomstick: But right now, IT'S TIME FOR A DEATH BATTLEEE!!!
Wiz: Alright, the combatants are set and we've run the data through all possibilities.
Boomstick: IT'S TIME FOR A DEATH BATTLEEE!!!(The transcript below is exclusive to the YouTube version of the episode.)
Wiz: Alright, the combatants are set and we've run the data through all possibilities.
Boomstick: But first, let me tell ya about BlueChew.
Wiz and Boomstick read out an advertisement for BlueChew.
Boomstick: But right now, IT'S TIME FOR A DEATH BATTLEEE!!!
(The transcript below is exclusive to the Rooster Teeth version of the episode.)
Wiz: Alright, the combatants are set and we've run the data through all possibilities.
Boomstick: IT'S TIME FOR A DEATH BATTLEEE!!!Death Battle
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Frozen Fire by Brandon Yates
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In the middle of a forest, Zuko is seen practicing various Dancing Dragon firebending techniques. Todoroki walks through a darker section of trees and slowly approaches the area. Zuko kicks up a fire blast behind him heading right in Shoto's direction. Todoroki summons a large block of ice to deflect the flames, which land on the nearby trees and set them on fire.
Todoroki: A villain? You'll pay for that.
Zuko: No, wait! I'm not the bad guy here! I mean, not anymore!
Todoroki: Your actions say otherwise!
Todoroki stomps on the ground to leave a large trail of frozen spikes. Zuko is able to leap and avoid the ice before firebending some of it to provide a safe landing.
Todoroki: Fire? Like my father... I'll prove I'm better than both of you!
Shoto shoots a large fireball from his left hand that Zuko easily deflects. Zuko dashes forward by propelling fire from his feet. Todoroki summons another ice wall, but Zuko is able to punch through it and send his opponent back. Todoroki tries the same technique once more, only to suffer the same result.
Zuko: What's the matter? Melting under pressure?
Zuko ignites his fist with fire as he leaps and punches through an iceball that Shoto threw towards him. He dashes forward at high speeds. Todoroki creates a stronger ice wall to prevent him from bursting through, but Zuko instead leaps forward and fires a burst of flame towards his enemy. Todoroki reacts quickly in time to counter his opponent's flames with his own.
As their flames clash, the two take a closer look at each other in shock.
Zuko: He's just...
Todoroki: ...like me.
Zuko lands and quickly sends over two fire bursts with his kicks, which Todoroki deflects with his burning left hand. Shoto sends a straight line of fire in his opponent's direction, but Zuko dashes forward and pushes away the fire before punching his foe forward and down on the ground. Zuko attempts to take advantage of his opponent's state by aiming a fire stream at the ground, but Todoroki quickly evades it by creating a pillar of ice below him. The clashing fire and ice covers the forest in mist.
Todoroki quickly leaps off the pillar and begins propelling himself forward while leaving a trail of ice behind.
Zuko: Whoa!
While creating the ice trail with his right hand, Todoroki uses his left hand to shoot more fire at Zuko, who leaps over the blazing projectiles and counters with his own. He then attempts to disrupt the ice trail and charges at his foe, but Shoto leaps over him and continues skating forward as Zuko pursues him with his jet propulsion.
The two continue trading flaming blows until Todoroki fully charges his left side to unleash his Wall of Flames attack. Zuko propels himself to avoid the burst before flipping and unleashing a powerful axe kick that sends more fire. As the attack proves to be too hot, Shoto begins tapping more into his right side.
Todoroki unleashes his Heaven-Piercing Ice Wall attack against Zuko's Fire Bomb. The resulting clash sends large chunks of ice flying everywhere, with one of them hitting the stand of the always unlucky Cabbage Merchant.
Cabbage Merchant: Noooo! My cabbages!
Todoroki, who is starting to get covered in frost, observes the results of his attack.
Todoroki: I never intended to finish you with fire. You could obviously block it. But not this. It's over.
However, Todoroki is shocked to hear a powerful blast from within the large ice wall he created. A section of it suddenly turns red before the surviving Zuko bursts through the middle of it. After Zuko reaches the grass, he unleashes a large fire stream at his opponent. Shoto summons large ice spikes to block the fire, but he begins suffering from frostbite as a result of overusing his right side.
Zuko: I don't care how much power you have, I know who I am. I will win!
Zuko amps up the power on his firebending to put more pressure on Todoroki.
Todoroki: Then I'll have... to go... beyond!
Todoroki regains control of himself by releasing a Wall of Flames to counter Zuko's fire before sending a trail of ice forward. The ice captures Zuko and pins his left arm against the massive Ice Wall. Before he could use his right hand, Todoroki sends more ice walls that freeze the rest of Zuko's limbs.
Zuko: I am the Fire Lord! I will win this...for my HONOR!
In a last-ditch attempt, Zuko unleashes his Dragon Breath from his mouth and directs it forward. Todoroki is able to counter it using Flashfreeze Heatwave before sending one final Heaven-Piercing Ice Wall, which pierces through Zuko and freezes him to death. Zuko and the large Ice Walls encasing him disintegrate shortly afterwards.
Todoroki: (sighs) Apologies...
Results
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Frozen Fire by Brandon Yates
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We cut to Wiz and Boomstick, the former clearly grief-stricken.
Boomstick: Okay, talk about cool as hell! That was epic.
Wiz: Please, I'm grieving here... Ahem, both Todoroki and Zuko held solid advantages over the other. Zuko's martial arts, athleticism, and lightning-fast reflexes meant that if he could get close to Todoroki, he could likely end the fight pretty quick.
Boomstick: But Shoto's no slouch. The guy may be better at long range, but he's been in scraps before, like with the super-fast, super-deadly Hero-Killer Stain. And with all that ice poppin' up everywhere, and his own super sliding and boosting skills, Shoto made it hard for Zuko to get close for long.
Wiz: Plus, the speed difference wasn't all that drastic.
We cut to the post-analysis.
Wiz: Todoroki's fellow student, Tokoyami's Dark Shadow blocked Kaminari's electricity after it had been fired. Quirks are not magic, and there are very few ways for electricity to travel through the air. Lightning is essentially an ionized path that electricity travels through. Kaminari's Quirk must use the same method.
Boomstick: Dark Shadow blocked Kaminari, Bakugo dodged Dark Shadow, and Todoroki can match Bakugo in a fight. Bada-bing, bada-boom, that's lightning-fast reflexes, baby!
Wiz: While Zuko certainly had more control over fire, Todoroki could easily repel his firebending with his own flames. Not to mention, the clear difference in temperature. Zuko may be skilled with fire, but he's not immune to it, nor did he have any reliable counter for fast and massive ice attacks.
Boomstick: We don't even need to bust out the calculator for this one, Wiz. That stadium is circled by a four kilometer track. That's huge! And the edgy ice wall covered almost half of it in less than a second! Zuko didn't have that kind of power spread.
Wiz: Yes, I know fire melts ice, but not instantly when it comes to gigantic glaciers. Plus, firebending becomes much more difficult in cold temperatures. Sure, Zuko's melted through ice prisons before, but only ones where he could still move, or at least breathe. Remember, firebending requires breath and movement. When Azula was trapped in an ice prison so compact she couldn't move or breathe, she was helpless.
Boomstick: But like, Shoto could just freeze over Zuko's insides anyway. No way he was survivin' that!
We cut to Wiz and Boomstick, the latter looking like he's trying to think of a good ending pun.
Wiz: Zuko might have been an admirable bender and adorable fan favorite, but Todoroki's overwhelming ice, versatile defense, and incredible power were just too much to handle.
Boomstick: Zuko fl-aimed for success, but his opponent, Shoto, put him on ice.
He crosses his arms and smirks as Wiz glares at him, his eye twitching. We then cut to the "Winner" card.
Wiz: The winner is Shoto Todoroki.
Original Track
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Frozen Fire by Brandon Yates
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Composition
The track for this fight is "Frozen Fire" by Brandon Yates. It is an intense eastern style piece with a heavy emphasis on violins, the Japanese shamisen, and flutes, referencing both combatants' eastern influenced backgrounds, especially Avatar. The beginning of the track features a remix of the Avatar: The Last Airbender theme, while the ending of the track features a remix of "You Say Run" from My Hero Academia to signify Todoroki's victory over Zuko.
Title
The title is a reference to Zuko and Todoroki's pyrokinetic abilities, as well as Todoroki's cryokinetic powers.
Cover Art
The cover art done by Luis Cruz depicts Todoroki's Heaven-Piercing Ice Wall encasing flames in the shape of Sozin's Comet, which makes it look similar to the scars that both Zuko and Todoroki possess across their left eyes.
Trivia
Production
- The core connections between Zuko and Shoto Todoroki are that they are both teenage fire manipulators with scars on their left eyes caused by their parent(s), mainly their father (Zuko's father, Ozai, burned Zuko's face for refusing to fight him in an Agni Kai duel, while Todoroki's mother, Rei, spilled boiling water on Todoroki's face out of madness inflicted by the abuses of his father, Endeavor), giving them father issues which made them go on a difficult quest, motivated by their fathers in opposite ways (Zuko went on a mission to capture the Avatar in order to regain his honor and gain approval from Ozai, while Todoroki wanted to prove that he can be the No. 1 Hero without using his the fire side of his Quirk in order to spite Endeavor) whilst their mothers were removed from their lives. In addition:
- Both were introduced on opposing sides of their series' main protagonists (Aang and Izuku Midoriya, respectively) who are inheritors of a power passed on from a heroic legacy for generations (Aang is the Avatar, while Izuku is the latest bearer of One for All) before joining their side.
- Both hail from upper-class upper-class families and can manipulate another element besides fire (lightning and ice, respectively).
- Both of their fathers are capable of manipulating fire like them, were driven by envy of someone in a position of great prestige, had ambitions to usurp them (Ozai sought to usurp his older brother Iroh as the crown prince of the Fire Nation, while Endeavor sought to surpass the No. 1 Hero, All Might), and married their wives for the sake of breeding powerful heirs (Ozai married Ursa, a descendant of Avatar Roku, in order to marry into the bloodline of the Avatar, while Endeavor married Rei, who had the Frost Quirk, hoping to raise a child who would inherit both their Quirks and surpass All Might).
- Both also have evil, cunning, and mentally unstable siblings who can use blue flames (Azula and Dabi, respectively).
- This is also a battle of opposites, as they were perceived in contrasting ways by their fathers (Zuko was the un-favorite child of Ozai, who favored Azula because of her firebending prowess, while Todoroki was favored by Endeavor over his other siblings because he had the best potential to surpass All Might).
- In 2024, their official English voice actors (Dante Basco and David Matranga, respectively) met each other at Permian Basin Comic Con X and recorded a TikTok together, in which they acted as their respective characters and compared the ways they received their scars.[1]
- During production, Genos VS War Machine took this episode's place, and Zuko was originally slated to win. However, the episode was eventually pushed back, and Todoroki was given a power buff later on in My Hero Academia, which resulted in the verdict being changed.[2]
- This is the eighth episode in which one of the combatants is voiced by their official voice actor (as Dante Basco reprises his role as Zuko), after Iron Man VS Lex Luthor, Yang VS Tifa, Meta VS Carolina, Naruto VS Ichigo (unconfirmed), Raven VS Twilight Sparkle, Ultron VS Sigma (unconfirmed), and Weiss VS Mitsuru, and with the next three being Red VS Blue, Trunks VS Silver (unconfirmed), and Rick Sanchez VS The Doctor.
- This is the fifth episode where a non-Rooster Teeth character is voiced by their official voice actor, after Iron Man VS Lex Luthor, Naruto VS Ichigo (unconfirmed), Raven VS Twilight Sparkle, and Ultron VS Sigma (unconfirmed), and with the next two being Trunks VS Silver (unconfirmed) and Rick Sanchez VS The Doctor.
- This is the third episode to have the voice actor credited under their real name and not under an alias, after Iron Man VS Lex Luthor and Raven VS Twilight Sparkle, and with the next one being Rick Sanchez VS The Doctor.
- This is the fifth episode where a non-Rooster Teeth character is voiced by their official voice actor, after Iron Man VS Lex Luthor, Naruto VS Ichigo (unconfirmed), Raven VS Twilight Sparkle, and Ultron VS Sigma (unconfirmed), and with the next two being Trunks VS Silver (unconfirmed) and Rick Sanchez VS The Doctor.
- The original and current thumbnails for this episode use an uncredited fan render of Zuko that's a redraw of this shot from the episode "The Day of Black Sun, Part 2: The Eclipse".
- This makes it the 18th episode where at least one of its thumbnails uses fan art, after Zitz VS Leonardo, Kratos VS Spawn, Bomberman VS Dig Dug, Vegeta VS Shadow, Chun-Li VS Mai Shiranui, Ivy VS Orchid, Fulgore VS Sektor, Godzilla VS Gamera, Deadpool VS Pinkie Pie, Metal Sonic VS Zero, Lucario VS Renamon, Raven VS Twilight Sparkle, Leon Kennedy VS Frank West, Nightwing VS Daredevil, All Might VS Might Guy, Black Canary VS Sindel, and Beerus VS Sailor Galaxia, and with the next five being Blake VS Mikasa, Steven Universe VS Star Butterfly, Sauron VS Lich King, Frieza VS Megatron, and Rick Sanchez VS The Doctor.
- Likely due to the team not realizing the render was not official during the sweeping removal of such, this is the third episode whose thumbnail keeps its fan art after 2024, after Deadpool VS Pinkie Pie and Lucario VS Renamon.
- This makes it the 18th episode where at least one of its thumbnails uses fan art, after Zitz VS Leonardo, Kratos VS Spawn, Bomberman VS Dig Dug, Vegeta VS Shadow, Chun-Li VS Mai Shiranui, Ivy VS Orchid, Fulgore VS Sektor, Godzilla VS Gamera, Deadpool VS Pinkie Pie, Metal Sonic VS Zero, Lucario VS Renamon, Raven VS Twilight Sparkle, Leon Kennedy VS Frank West, Nightwing VS Daredevil, All Might VS Might Guy, Black Canary VS Sindel, and Beerus VS Sailor Galaxia, and with the next five being Blake VS Mikasa, Steven Universe VS Star Butterfly, Sauron VS Lich King, Frieza VS Megatron, and Rick Sanchez VS The Doctor.
- Wiz having a crush on Zuko has become a point of controversy since the episode's release. This is due to Wiz being an adult and scenes of Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender (where he's 16 for the entire series) being shown on-screen rather than any appearances where he was an adult (such as The Legend of Korra, which is where his age is put for his "Background" slide).
Easter Eggs
- The Cabbage Merchant makes a cameo appearance during the fight, shouting "NO! My cabbages!" when his cabbage cart gets smashed by a giant chunk of ice sent flying by Zuko's firebending and Todoroki's Heaven-Piercing Ice Wall clashing together, similar to what happens whenever his cabbages get destroyed in Avatar: The Last Airbender.
- This is also continuing a running gag from Aang VS Edward Elric, which would be continued further in Korra VS Storm.
- Shoto's final line "Apologies..." that he says after trapping and killing Zuko in his ice wall is a reference to when he defeated Hanto Sero in the U.A. Sports Festival in a similar way, in which he says the same line.
Errors
- Boomstick refers to Zuko and Todoroki as "anime heroes" during the interlude, despite the fact that Zuko is a Western cartoon character instead of an anime character.
- Wiz refers to Todoroki as "the prodigal son of fire and ice." "Prodigal" refers to someone who spends money with wasteful extravagance. The correct adjective form of "prodigy" is "prodigious".
- Zuko's scar switches sides for a split second after getting pinned to Todoroki's ice wall.
- Dante Basco's name in the credits was misspelled as "Dante Bosco", though this was later corrected.
- Despite explicitly referring to Wally West by his name in the reveal, one of the pieces of artwork used in the Next Time trailer for Flash VS Sonic is the cover of Barry Allen from The Flash: Futures End #1.
- Ironically, Barry's own reveal had made the opposite mistake.
Other
- This is the fifth Cartoon VS Anime/Manga-themed episode, after Gaara VS Toph, Samurai Jack VS Afro Samurai, Optimus Prime VS Gundam, and Aang VS Edward Elric, and with the next two being Saitama VS Popeye and Frieza VS Megatron.
- This is the first time that the Anime/Manga character wins, with the next one being Frieza VS Megatron.
- This is the the second Paramount VS Hitotsubashi-themed episode, after Gaara VS Toph.
- This episode reached YouTube's Trending page.
- This is the third fire-themed episode, after Pokémon VS Digimon and Natsu VS Ace.
- This is the second Fire VS Ice-themed episode, after Danny Phantom VS American Dragon Jake Long, and with the next one being Sauron VS Lich King.
- This is the second time the ice-themed combatant wins, after Danny Phantom VS American Dragon Jake Long.
- This episode has the highest amount of the infamous "Boomstick's dad" jokes, with a total of five.
References
- ↑ https://www.tiktok.com/@rufiozuko/video/7347417835968138526
- ↑ Death Battle Retrospective: Eps 131-139 ("Episode 131: Zuko vs Shoto" section)