Anon asked: What do you think was the basis of Mai & Ty Lee's friendship with Azula? What interests and/or hobbies did they share? What was their time in the academy like? Did they do combat training together? What do you think Iroh, Ozai, and Ursa though about their relationship? What do you think Zuko/The Gaang think about Mai and Ty Lee betraying Azula to essentially help them and later support Zuko's regime? And do you think Mai, Ty Lee, and Azula can be friends again? What about the comic portrayal?

LONG POST AHEAD! I think these three became friends for three reasons.

1 - Shared experiences. They all had problems with their families from a very young age, and even though I don't think they have discussed that with each other except for in The Beach (and did it in an unhealthy way), they'd still sort of understand each other because of it. They were all nobles, so they were raised in very similar ways (and Azula being royalty was part of what started to destroy their friendship, because while Mai and Ty Lee were more or less equals, Azula was above them).

2 - Their personalities, although distinct, are still very similar. We tend to forget that, while Azula was definitively the meanest one, Mai and Ty Lee were not saints, and they did enjoy Azula's cruel jokes, they just didn't like being the targets of said jokes. They also have a sense of adventure - Ty Lee ran away from home and joined a circus, and then became part of a group of warriors; Mai left Omashu because being essentially treated as a princess was boring and she jumped at the chance of going in a potentially life threatening mission; Azula was having a fucking blast chasing after Zuko/the Gaang.

3 - Shared interests. Like I said, they have a sense of adventure, and they're also very interested in, and terrifyingly good at, combat. Ty Lee could defeat an entire army with her chi-blocking, Mai managed to defeat a ton of guards at the Boiling Rock all by herself, and Azula is Azula. Considering how absurdly in sync they were in episodes like The Chase, I think it's safe to say they have trained together. Also, we forget that while Azula was treating the game at the beach as a fucking war, these two (and Zuko) didn't see absolutely anything weird about doing so as well, they just weren't as intense about it as she was (because that's kind of impossible), which sugests they're as competitive as she is - comfirmed by Mai taunting the Gaang about their victory in The Chase, and Ty Lee going "You're prettier than we are" at the Kyoshi Warriors.

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Ozai wouldn't give a shit about their friendship, and would just nod his head once Azula told him she made some friends at school.

I think Iroh and Ursa were pretty sure there was at least one bad influence in the group… but they weren't always sure said influence was Azula. Still, I think they'd believe these three could be quite the team, but Azula needed to treat her friends better, Mai needed to stop playing with knives before somebody lost an eye, and Ty Lee should quit beating people up.

I believe their friendship both before the show and during it was exactly the same: sometimes they were squad goals, other times you felt terrible for Mai and Ty Lee.

Zuko and the Gaang would be glad they supported them instead of Azula, and would be on good terms with them, but I can see them feeling at least a little guilty once they see just how badly their "betrayal" affected Azula. Still, they'd think they did the right choice by changing sides and cuting ties with an toxic friend.

I believe they could be friends again, but only after Azula understood that, despite her pain being very real and her only having mistreated them because that was what she was raised to believe every relationship should be like, she was 100% in the wrong and her friends were right to "betray" her, and they don't owe her sympathy or forgiveness. If she accepts that fact, sincerely apologizes, and treat them with kindness, their friendship could be salvaged (but I feel like Mai would take a little longer to forgive her, since is the one who's personality most resembles Azula - which is a kind way of saying she's proud and stubborn).