Board Thread:Speculation House/@comment-4830106-20131108040231/@comment-82.12.156.248-20140305103017

It's rare to have the big bads actively associated with the original villain or other big bads. Bakura had no real link to Pegasus. Frieza, Piccolo, Cell and Majin Boo weren't directly linked if I recall correctly (and I don't know which you may consider a big bad). Asura, Medusa and Arachne, despite interactions never really associated one another with each other. Medusa and Arcahne were in fact enemies and Asura, despite seemingly seeking protection from Arachne, still ended up fighting on his own in the final episode. The only real exception I can think of is Avatar: The Last Airbender which followed Aang preparing for a fight with Fire Lord Ozai because the Fire Nation were being a bunch of dicks and then it made sense to have such a complex command structure since it was an actual war.

What I'm getting at here is that there does not necessarily have to be a big bad behind Cinder. She could be in and of herself a big bad considering her seemingly equalling or surpassing Glynda in power. She could also just be another villain that is defeated in the first story arc (akin to Picollo) with more powerful villains introduced later. She could just be a Zuko, she doesn't actually have to be or have an Ozai associated with her.