artbooksgalore:

Mike: Unlike Aang, Katara, and Sokka, whom we created in those first two weeks of brainstorming, Zuko came later in the development process. The only villain we had was the Fire Lord, whom we imagined leading the war from the comfort of his throne. Thankfully, Eric Coleman posed a question that gave birth to the banished prince. What if there was a young villain going after Aang in each episode? A flurry of sketches and story ideas followed. Bryan drew a scary-looking kid with a scar over one eye, and we thought, “What if his father gave him that scar?” From there, we focused on Zuko’s motivation, deciding that he could restore his honor and return home only by capturing the Avatar. 

Early on, we knew that Zuko would turn from Aang’s opponent to his ally, but we didn’t know exactly when it would happen or how. His journey and his decisions, both good and bad, made him the most complex and realistic character on the show, and one of the most popular. 

Avatar: The Last Airbender Art of the Animated Series, Zuko designs and art by Bryan Konietzko and Yoon Young Ki.