I mean that was literally a point in the finale, where all previous avatars told him to swallow his pride and kill the fucking fascist. The lion turtle was a plot convenience to keep him from making a decision he didnt like.
They didnt miss the point, this was literally discussed in episode, they just swept it under the rug.
Did you literally miss the part where Aang took an alternative to a method that would have made Ozai a matyr to his remaining forces and instead rob him of the very power he used to subjectively opress and terrorize the other nations for decades? When the show itself repeatedly highlights always trying to find another solution instead of going for a plain old method that ultimately would have done more harm than good? Then I hate to tell ya bud, but…
Aang was raised in a culture of peace and understanding. A culture where he was the only survivor. If he was willing to kill the Fire Lord and negate the lessons of the monks, the Fire Lords quest for imperialism and genocide would have won at that point. Aang found a way to subdue Ozai without losing a fundamental part of himself. If he came out of that fight with blood on his hands, his character would never be the same and I find it weird people don’t get that. There’s always a price to pay for taking a life either literally or metaphorically. Aang didn’t save Ozai by sparing his life, he saved himself.
Cadet-For-Your-SpaceRescue 