Created by Eric Coleman and designed by series creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the character is voiced by Dante Basco in Avatar: The Last Airbender and Bruce Davison in The Legend of Korra, and portrayed by Dev Patel in M. Night Shyamalan's 2010 film The Last Airbender and Dallas Liu in the 2024 Netflix live-action remake series.

At the beginning of the series, he is the primary antagonist, opposing Avatar Aang and his allies as he seeks redemption for his father since he has been banished from the Fire Nation.

In the later part of the animated series, Zuko redeems himself, and eventually joins Aang, helping him learn firebending and fight his father in order to restore peace in the four nations.

In "The Tales of Ba Sing Se", his name was written as "蘇科" (sū kè) on his segment's title card.

In the first season, Zuko is introduced as the main antagonist, the exiled son of Fire Lord Ozai who is attempting to capture Avatar Aang in hopes of reclaiming his honor.

Zuko competes in his quest against Zhao, an ambitious Fire Nation admiral who is also attempting to capture the Avatar for political gain.

Zuko and Iroh travel to the walled city of Ba Sing Se and find employment at a tea shop in the slums.

He confronts his father about his cruel treatment and the Fire Nation's destructive effect on the world, before leaving to join Aang.

When Azula faces defeat, she forces Zuko to place himself in the path of a lightning bolt aimed at Katara, wounding him.

After Aang defeats Ozai and wins the war, Zuko becomes the new Fire Lord, promising world order and harmony with the aid of the Avatar.

One year later, Zuko is working with the other nations to return captured colonial lands to the Earth Kingdom as part of the Harmony Restoration Movement.

Kori Morishita attempts to assassinate Zuko in retaliation for forcibly relocating the multicultural residents of the Fire Nation colonies.

Peace is restored, and Zuko realizes that forcing Aang to make the promise was a way of distancing himself from his responsibilities as Fire Lord.

In various flashbacks in The Search, it is revealed that Zuko's mother, Ursa, was previously engaged to a man named Ikem in her hometown of Hira'a, but had to leave him after being pressured into marrying Prince Ozai.

Zuko and Azula discover that Ursa is alive and married to Ikem, having had her memories erased and appearance changed by a spirit to relieve her of the pain of losing her children.

Ursa reveals her past to Zuko, including that the letter claiming he was Ikem's son is false and that he is the rightful Fire Lord.

Lord Zuko, now eighty-seven years old, has abdicated the throne in favor of his daughter, Izumi, and travels the world on his dragon Druk as an ambassador for peace.

In Book Three: Change, it is revealed that Zuko worked with the Order of the White Lotus to keep major threats in check in the years before Avatar Korra was able.

Zuko briefly counsels Korra before he departs and is surprised to learn that the Avatar has spoken to his long-deceased uncle in the Spirit World.

After Korra defeats Zaheer, Zuko attends Jinora's airbending mastership ceremony and expresses concerns about the lingering threat of the Red Lotus.

Zuko makes a final non-speaking appearance in Book Four: Balance, attending the coronation of Prince Wu along with Izumi.

The addition of Zuko (voiced by Dante Basco) to the plot of Avatar: The Last Airbender came from executive producer Eric Coleman; during very early production, when Zuko's father Fire Lord Ozai was planned to be the main villain, Coleman suggested that they needed a character who would follow Team Avatar.

[10] Zuko was originally going to switch sides and join Team Avatar at the end of Book Two: Earth, in "The Crossroads of Destiny", but head writer Aaron Ehasz felt that "he wasn't ready" at that point.

[12] However, the two are in a relationship in the season premiere of Book Three: Fire, "The Awakening", as Zuko's characterization was retconned in the "Going Home Again" comic to turn Mai's one-sided feelings into a mutual crush.

Zuko begins the series selfishly obsessed with regaining his honor and is in a near perpetual state of rage but he eventually learns to let go of this anger to become a much calmer, rational, and selfless person.

Zuko has also demonstrated an ability in stealth and unarmed combat, as when able to infiltrate a Fire Nation fortress, the Northern Water Tribe's city, and the Dai Li's base in the Earth Kingdom without detection.

Tory Ireland Mell of IGN thought it was "painful" to watch Zuko try to win the trust of Team Avatar as he was "completely vulnerable, and no one cared.

John Maher of The Dot and Line stated that Zuko's character development throughout the series is "the best redemption arc in the history of television".