FIRE LORD SOZIN
Fighting
the war for
decades, Sozin
died
before
his dream was
realized. Now
his destructive
plan is being
carried out by
his descendants.
FIRE LORD OZAI
The grandson of Fire Lord Sozin,
Ozai is the current Fire lord. Ozai will
stop at nothing in his quest for world
domination. Like the Fire lords
before him, he rules through fear and
intimidation.
LOCATION
The Fire Nation is
located on a group of volcanic
islands near the equator. It is a
hot, barren land, and the active
volcanoes give the Fire Nation an
unlimited source of power. Though
based on the islands, the Fire Nation has
its army and navy engaged in campaigns all
over the world.
The Fire Nation’s dominant season is summer.
SEASON
POWER SOURCES
Firebenders draw their
energy from heat sources,
most commonly the sun, but
also from volcanic energy,
lightning, and comets.
NATURAL RESOURCES AND FOOD
The Fire Nation has
many skilled metalworkers
who use iron to build
the group’s fortresses and
warships. It powers massive
furnaces with coal dug
from mines by its prisoners.
Its people eat rice, noodles,
cabbages, and lychee nuts.
They also drink plenty of
tea. Having a taste for spicier
fare, they also enjoy fire
cakes and flaming fire flakes.
INDUSTRIES
Because the Fire Nation focuses on global conquest, it is
actively engaged in building ships, manufacturing weapons
(such as fire catapults, arrows and spears, swords, and knives),
and shaping metal.
FIRE NATION ARMY/NAVY
Admiral Zhao is the leader of the Fire Nation
navy and Prince Zuko’s nemesis. A former student of
the legendary master Jeong Jeong, Zhao is a ruthless
Firebender who lacks the patience to properly or
strategically use his skills. That is often his downfall.
SHIPS
Ships in the Fire Nation are made from solid iron,
to resist attacks from other nations. They are fueled
by coal.
PRISONS
Fire Nation prisons are also facilities where prisoners
from other nations are put to hard work. Built of
sturdy metal, one such prison is a stationary shipyard
in the middle of the ocean. An enormous wall bisects
this structure. On one side is a shipyard, where the
Fire Nation repairs and refuels its ships. The other side
is a prison for captive Earthbenders. The prisoners
cannot Earthbend because the metal rig is surrounded
by water, and they are miles away from land. But the
warden doesn’t let the muscular Earthbenders go to
waste: He forces them to work in the shipyard, building
new ships for the Fire Nation navy to use to defeat the
Earth Kingdom.
The fire festival is a traveling street fair in the
villages and towns of the Fire Nation. Everyone wears
hand-carved masks, and vendors sell a wide variety
of local foods and trinkets. There are puppet shows,
Firebending magicians and jugglers, fireworks, and
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The festival also visits locales in nations where other
Fire Nation members live.
Fire festival masks are usually
hand-carved from wood and
feature expressive, stylized faces
similar to Kabuki theater masks.
FIRE NATION MASK ART
THE FIRE FESTIVAL
GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS
Fire Nation snaps were
invented by the Fire Nation.
These are small toys made of
sulfur and flint that snap when
thrown onto the ground.
The tsungi horn is a
musical instrument forged
from metal. The curved
and highly polished horn is
believed to have originated
in the Fire Nation and is
used in traditional music
of the Avatar world.
DRAGON HAWK
ANIMALS OF THE FIRE NATION
HOG
MONKEY
Members of the Fire Nation use sturdy metal
traps to catch hog monkeys, but they’ve also
caught a few unsuspecting humans who hadn’t
been watching where they were going.
Dragon hawks
are an essential means
of communication between
factions of the Fire Nation
military. Like homing pigeons,
these large birds carry messages
in metal containers attached to
their talons.
KOMODO
RHINO
Komodo rhinos are large three-horned
beasts with long and powerful tails. They
wear armor for protection, and are used
by the military for transportation.
PHILOSOPHY AND STYLE
Firebending is an aggressive, offensive fighting force. To
make up for the lack of defensive moves, a Firebender will
try to overwhelm an opponent with a barrage of blows. True
Firebending power comes from controlled breathing, not
necessarily physical strength or size.
ANCIENT MARTIAL
ARTS I
NFLUENCES
Firebending draws from several ancient
martial arts. Each art has its own specific
moves and creates different results:
the classic “Seven Stars”: hands, feet,
knees, elbows, hips, shoulders, and
head.
Southern Dragon Claw–Like
a dragon swooping down on its
prey, this form has techniques
for seizing and holding that
utilize the hand.
Northern Shaolin–Developed by the
Shaolin monks of ancient China, this “long-
fist” style emphasizes kicking over hand
fighting. Kicks are extended as far as possible
without compromising balance.
FIREBENDING TECHNIQUES
Firebending moves are direct and designed
for
victory.
No
other
outcome
is acceptable. A quick kick or a jab
creates bursts of flame that thrust
forward at an opponent. Whirlwind
kicks generate blazing arcs of flame.
Punches unleash fireballs, while
spinning kicks create rings of fire.
Snapping the hand or wrist creates
a deadly fire-pinwheel. When
several Firebenders fight together,
their combined energy enables them
to shoot missiles of flame that can
travel long distances.
STRENGTHS
Firebenders are more powerful during the day and
in warm climates, when they can draw on the sun for
strength. A Firebender’s power is at its peak near the
equator during summer.
Darkness, a solar eclipse, and a full moon can weaken
a Firebender’s abilities. Firebenders are also less powerful
when it’s raining. Because of their aggressive nature,
Firebenders traditionally lack defensive moves, which
can leave them vulnerable.
FIREBENDING DUELS
An
agni-kai
is traditionally fought at sunset. The
Firebenders begin back-to-back, barefoot. The goal is
to overpower your opponent, knock him or her to the
ground, and burn him or her.
I couldn’t believe what I
was seeing. A large scar of
charred earth cut through
the forest.
Sokka pointed to
heavy boot tracks. “The
Fire Nation did this,
Aang,” he said.
A beautiful forest
had been destroyed.
It broke my heart.
I’m supposed to
protect nature. I’m
Aang, the Avatar from
the Air Nomads. Of
course,
I don’t really know how
to be the Avatar—yet. I
spent the last one hundred
years frozen in an iceberg!
The Fire Temple
LEGEND 2
“How could I let this happen, Katara?” I asked
Sokka’s sister.
Katara picked up an acorn from the ground.
“These are everywhere, Aang,” she said encouragingly.
“Each acorn will be a tall oak tree someday. And all
the birds and animals that lived here will come back.”
Katara folded the acorn into my hand, and I knew
she was right. The forest would return. I suddenly felt
a great sense of calm.
“Hey, everyone, we’ve got company,” Sokka
pointed out.
An old man approached us and smiled at me.
“Those markings on your head. Are you the Avatar?”
he asked.
I nodded.
The old man sighed like a great burden had been
lifted from his shoulders. “My name is Kay-fon. Our
village desperately needs your help!”
In the center of the forest, Kay-fon’s village had
a central hall surrounded by several houses. A tall
wooden fence separated the village from the trees.
Many of the houses had been damaged.
“For the last few sunsets, Hei Bai, the black-and-
white spirit, has attacked our village,” Kay-fon said.
“No one knows why.”
“As the solstice approaches,” he continued, “the
natural world and the spirit world grow closer.” He
pointed at me. “Who better to resolve a crisis between
the two than the Avatar himself!”
Now it really was up to me. I just wish I knew
what to do!
I stood at the entrance of the village as the last sliver
of light dropped behind the trees.
How do you stop a spirit from attacking a village?
I had never spoken to a spirit before. I took a deep
breath. “Hello, Hei Bai. This is the Avatar. I hereby
ask you to please leave this village in peace!”
I didn’t have long to wait. Hei Bai materialized
from the woods. He was huge and angry—and he
was racing toward me!
He swiped his hand across my body. I flew backward
but cushioned my fall with an Airbending move that
created a pillow of air underneath me. Dealing with
the spirit was going to be harder than I thought.
Sokka ran up. “We’ll fight him together, Aang,”
he said.
But I didn’t want to fight the spirit. I wanted to
help him, to find out why he was attacking the village.
But before I could say anything, the spirit grabbed
Sokka with one of his massive claws and returned to
the woods.
“Aang!” Sokka yelped.
I unfolded my staff and snapped my glider over
my back. I took off after Sokka and the spirit, riding
the air currents through the trees.
“Hurry, Aang!” Sokka called out, desperately
thrusting out his hand.
I swooped lower. Our fingertips brushed against
one another. That’s when Hei Bai faded into nothing
and disappeared, taking Sokka with him.
The last thing I remember was flying into a large
stone statue that looked like a panda bear.
When I awoke, it was just before sunrise. My head
was pounding from when I’d hit the statue.
I had failed. Not only did I
not protect the village,
but I had lost Katara’s brother to the spirit beast. It
would not be easy to tell her.
When I got back to the village, Katara was sitting
on the ground, staring into the woods.
“Katara, I lost him.” I was afraid to look her in the
eyes.
She didn’t res
pond.
It was as if she couldn’t
see me! I looked at my
hands and realized
why: I was invisible!
I was in the spirit
world! My crash into
the statue must have
triggered my Avatar
state and sent me
there.
That’s when I saw
something truly incredible—a blue dragon, gliding
toward me! The sunlight shimmered off its blue
scales. I could hear the steady flapping of its wings.
I had to get away. If it meant to harm me, I had to
lead it away from Katara.
I snapped open my glider and leaped into the air.
But instead of flying, I flopped to the ground. That’s
when I realized Airbending was not possible in the
spirit world.
The dragon landed next to me. I took a step back.
You can’t be too careful with dragons.
The creature opened its mouth, and one of its
tendrils snapped out and gently touched my hand.
I closed my eyes, and in that instant a bright, blue
flash of light washed over us.
The dragon was sending me a vision of Avatar
Roku’s temple. That’s where I had to go to talk to
Avatar Roku!
When I opened my eyes, Katara threw her arms
around me. I was back from the spirit world!
“Where’s Sokka?” Katara asked.
“I—I don’t know . . . ,” I admitted—but I did
have a plan to get him back.
That night I waited at the entrance to the village.
I was ready this time. Hei Bai materialized from the
woods and rushed toward me.
The spirit beast growled and gnashed his teeth.
I reached out my hand and touched him. There was
a flash of light around my fingers, and I had a vision