Uncle Iroh

Iroh’s Origins

Iroh was born into the Fire Nation Royal Family to Fire Lord Azulon and Fire Lady Ilah. Being Azulon’s first born son, he was the first in line to the throne when Azulon died. in his adulthood, he had a son, Lu Ten, to an unknown mother, and he and his son were well known to play on a hill. When Iroh was called off to war, his son came with him, and Iroh proved to be a great General, laying seige to the impenetrable city of Ba Sing Se, and was even able to breach the front wall of Ba Sing Se, a feat that no other general had ever done. Iroh’s victory was cut short when he heard of his son’s demise in the seige. He ordered his men to retreat, and the seige ended after six-hundred days, and abandoning certain victory.

This retreat and the fact of his son’s demise gave Iroh’s brother, Ozai, a chance to attempt to seize the throne. Ozai addressed Azulon and told him that Iroh both had a broken spirit and now no longer an heir to ascend to the throne, and that Ozai should be placed in Iroh’s stead. Azulon became furious and refused and stated that Ozai would be punished greatly. Ozai never recieved his punshment, as Azulon died that night, the cause never being revealed to the audience. Somehow, Ozai was ascended to the throne, and was stated as this being wished by Fire Lord Azulon.

Exile

One day Iroh and his nephew Zuko were in Ozai’s war room where Ozai and his generals discussed war plans. One of the generals discussed a plan to sacrifice inexperenced troops as a diversionary tactic. Zuko spoke out against this but his father saw it as disrespect. Ozai demanded that his son participate in a Fire Duel. He accepted thinking he would fight the general, but he had to face his father instead. Ozai burnned Zuko’s face terribly scaring it and banished him from the Fire Nation. He could only regain his honor if he captured the Avatar. Iroh went with his nephew to watch over and guide him

Book 1: Water

Zuko and Iroh searched the seas for two years. Iroh thought it to be a fools mission. They found a beacon of light near the south pole. They discrovered that it was the Avatar, Aang. They set out on hot persuit chasing the Avatar.

Book 2: Earth

Iroh’s evil neice Azula attemped to capture Iroh and Zuko and imprison them. Iroh rescued Zuko from a fatal fire blast made by Azula and kicked her off the Fire Nation ship. Now considered traitors to the Fire Nation they took cover as refugees in the Earth Kingdom villages

They then had a second confrontation with Azula and were joined by the Aang and his friends. Azula pretened to surrender and used it as a chance to cheap shot Iroh with a fire blast wounding him.

When Iroh recovered he tried to teach Zuko more firebending techniques so he could defeat Azula. He first tried to teach Zuko lightning, one of the most difficult techniques of firebening. To performe the technique your heart must be calm.

Zuko could not calm his heart so Iroh then taught him a unique technique that he developed by studying the Water Tribes. A way to absorb lightning then to redirect it. Zuko wanted to test this new technique by having Iroh shoot him with lightning, but Iroh wouldn’t take that chance.

Uncle Iroh is the master of a secret society known as The Order of the White Lotus. Little is known about this group but it was influencal enough to get fake passports for Zuko and Iroh to take refuge in Ba Sing Se where they got jobs serving tea. Iroh is even offered a chance to open up his own tea shop.

Azula later infiltraits the Ba Sing Se with the help of the Dai Li. She confronts the Avatar and Zuko. She offers Zuko a chance to reclaim his honor and join her in conquring Ba Sing Se. He then helps Azula fight the Avatar, but Iroh intervines and fights off Azula and Zuko. Azula mangages to wound Aang in his Avatar state. Aang manages to get away and the Fire Nation capture Iroh and imprison him as a traitor.

Book Three: Fire

In the beginning Zuko visits Iroh in a prison tower. He threatens the officer to say nothing about his visit. He tries to talk to Iroh but Iroh turns away. Zuko brings him food and tries to talk to him but Iroh doesn’t talk back. Zuko becomes mad and storms out.

The guards believe that Iroh is dilusion and senial but Iroh is just misleading him. During his time that the guards aren’t around Iroh trains intensively. In “The Avatar and The Firelord” it is believed that Iroh sent notes to Zuko to learn about his great-grandfather’s demise. Zuko comes and asks him that he already knows of Firelord Sozin’s death but Iroh meant his mother’s grandfather. This is when he tells him that hwe is a descedent of Avatar Roku. He tell Zuko that he believes that he is the one that can right his family’s wrong doing. He then gives Zuko Roku’s headpiece that he used during his life.

All of his training comes to good use when he uses it to break free of his prison. Iroh breaks the bars of the cell somehow and leaves the guards on the floor. When Zuko comes an gets him out he asks one of the guards who was on the floor what happened, he describes Iroh as a “one man army.”

Personality

Iroh’s personality is very different from his brother. As a general, the times of war did not seem to alter his kind and patient personality. While travelling with Zuko, he acted as a father figure to him, staying with him no matter what and even teaching him during the pursuit of the Avatar. He also has a optimistic outlook and a good sense of humor, often making jokes to try and bring out a happier side to his very serious nephew. He also loves drinking tea (which he once cried over when it was spilled). Iroh is also know for his wisdom and love for learning which is only paralleled by his love of hedonistic pursuits. He has demonstrated on more than one occasion his aptitude for wooing the opposite sex. Despite his facade of being a wise but overly indulgent old man, Iroh has proven time and time again that in combat he is a very skilled fighter and fire bending master, earning him the title “The Dragon Of The West.” General Iroh has also revealed himself to be a brilliant and brutally cunning strategist on the battle field.

Powers and Abilites

Uncle Iroh is a master of Firebending and is considered one of the best in the Fire Nation. He is also acknowledged as being one of the most powerful elemental masters on the planet.

Martial Arts- Iroh is very skilled at matial arts styles and combines it with his firebending techniques.

Breath of Fire- This technique gave him the name, The Dragon of the West. Iroh opens his mouth and spews out a torrent of flame that resembles that of a dragon’s fire breath.

Lightning Manipulation- Although lightning is different from fire its still considered part of Firebending. Iroh can create deadly bolts of lightning and shoot it at his opponents.

Lightning Redirection- Iroh learned this from studying the Water Tribes and combined this knowledge with his skills as a Firebender. He can absorb lightning attacks with one hand and redirect it with his other hand.

For more information on Fire and Lightningbending, visit the Benders page.

Episode Appearances:

• School Time Shipping

• The Boy in the Iceberg

• The Avatar Returns

• The Southern Air Temple

• The Warriors of Kyoshi

• The Spirit World: Winter Solstice Part 1

• Avatar Roku: Winter Solstice Part 2

• The Waterbending Scroll

• The Storm

• The Blue Spirit

• Bato of the Water Tribe

• The Waterbending Master

• The Siege of the North (Part I)

• The Siege of the North (Part II)

• The Avatar State

• The Cave of Two Lovers

• The Swamp

• Avatar Day

• Zuko Alone

• The Chase

• Bitter Work

• The Desert

• The Serpent’s Pass

• The Drill

• City of Walls and Secrets

• The Tales of Ba Sing Se

• Appa’s Lost Days

• Lake Laogai

• The Earth King

• The Guru

• The Crossroads of Destiny

• The Headband

• Sozin’s Comet Part 1

• Sozin’s Comet Part 2