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- Aang’s Disappearance From the World. One literal change in the Avatar: The Last Airbender live-action series is that, unlike in the cartoon, viewers are shown the full Air Nomad Genocide.
- Katara’s Waterbending Journey. Speaking with Nerdist, Katara’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender actress Kiawentiio summarized the key difference in Katara’s journey from cartoon to live-action.
- Sokka’s Warrior Arc and Other Character Differences in the Avatar Live-Action Series. In the lead-up to Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s live-action release, there was a lot of conversation about whether “modernizing” early Sokka’s more sexist tendencies was a helpful change from the cartoon.
- The Absence of Sozin’s Comet Changes the Avatar: The Last Airbender Live-Action Timeline. This one is pretty straightforward, but a key difference between the Avatar: The Last Airbender cartoon and its live-action series is the current lack of Sozin’s Comet.
Zuko vs. Aang in Omashu. Originally, Zuko and Iroh aren’t a part of the Omashu arc, but here Zuko battles Aang in the market and Iroh draws the guards’ attention his way, allowing himself to ...
- Buzzfeed Staff
- First, the live-action series opens with viewers seeing the assault on the Southern Air Temple by the Fire Nation, thus leading to the extinction of the Air Nomads, besides Aang.
- In the live-action series, the Air Nomads are at the Southern Air Temple because of a festival that brings them all together in celebration, and Sozin realizes it's the perfect time to strike.
- Speaking of Sozin's Comet, which is extremely important in the animated series, the live-action series does not use this celestial event to put a ticking clock on Aang's need to master all four elements.
- While a big part of the first season of the animated series is Aang learning to master waterbending by working with Katara, and later making it to the Northern Water Tribe, in the live-action show, we never see Aang waterbend, and he doesn't master the element in the first season.
- Overview
- History
- Personality
- Abilities
- Appearances
- Voice actor
- Trivia
Iroh was a retired Fire Nation general, a former Crown Prince of the nation, a Grand Lotus of the Order of the White Lotus, a firebending master, and a wise mentor to his nephew Zuko. He was the elder son of Fire Lord Azulon and Ilah and the older brother of Ozai. Iroh's well-known ability to breathe fire and his claims of "slaying" the last dragon earned him the honorary title "The Dragon of the West".
Unlike many other individuals from the Fire Nation, particularly those within his own family, Iroh was a wise, easy-going, and spiritual man. He appreciated and admired the balance of the four elements, and even incorporated aspects of the other elements into his own firebending techniques. Iroh aided Avatar Aang and his companions on several occasions, and was consequently branded as a traitor. An extremely perceptive person, he journeyed to the Spirit World in search of his deceased son Lu Ten. His knowledge and respect for the four elements allowed him to provide advice to others; he assisted many close associates and friends.
Early life and career
Born around 45 AG, Iroh was the oldest son of Azulon and Ilah, and grandson of Fire Lord Sozin. He was formerly the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, and destined to become the new Fire Lord. The relationship between Iroh and his younger brother Ozai became already strained when they were young. The two often competed with one another, and fought over the pettiest matters like a game of Pai Sho. Iroh would later regret that he had not done enough during this time to better understand and guide his brother. Instead, he distanced himself from Ozai, believing that the latter's aggressive temperament and ambition hinted at a deeper evil. Nevertheless, there was a period in their lives when Iroh admired his younger brother's ruthlessness, namely when they were in school and Ozai proved very successful. As he grew older, however, Iroh realized that "we would all get burned" due to his brother's ambition and lack of empathy. Iroh later judged that his childhood had been a difficult experience. Iroh eventually had one son, Lu Ten, with whom he was very close and loved very much. At some point, Iroh left his birthplace, seeking insight from other benders as he yearned for enlightenment. While traveling the world, the firebender studied how waterbenders deal with the flow of energy, which led to the creation of the lightning redirection technique. During his journeys as a young man, Iroh also visited the Sun Warriors, where he stood before the original firebenders: a pair of dragons, Ran and Shaw. He managed to prove himself worthy, and they revealed to him the true secrets of firebending, without recourse to hatred and aggression. They taught him the importance of balance in all things, influencing his later decision to move away from his father's aggressive and imperialist mindset. In addition, the Sun Warriors showed him new breathing techniques, which allowed one to breath fire with exceptional mastery. Iroh would later falsely claim that he had fought and killed the last surviving dragon in order to preserve what was left of the species and to ensure that the Sun Warriors remained undisturbed. Because of this claim and his ability to breathe fire, Iroh earned the title "The Dragon of the West". As the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, Iroh was essentially "forced" by public expectations to join the military. Like his father before him, Iroh became a renowned Fire Nation general during the Hundred Year War, serving for decades. He enjoyed serving as a military commander and fully embraced his role as heir to the Fire Lord, later musing that his blood "boiled with desire" for power at the time. His views at the time partially stemmed from a desire to honor his father Azulon and grandfather Sozin, both of which had fully committed themselves to the war. Whenever he returned to the homeland from the frontlines, Iroh spent time with his family, most importantly Lu Ten. Over time, Iroh also grew close to his nephew Zuko, teaching him Pai Sho tricks, taking him to festivals, and sneaking with him into the palace's kitchen to steal snacks. Eventually, Lu Ten also enlisted in the military, and came to serve under Iroh's command. Despite this, they remained jovial and informal in each other's presence even when on duty. Overall, his military service had a major physical and psychological impact on Iroh, aging him beyond his years. Iroh was generally successful as commander and was decorated numerous times. Acting on a vision he had witnessed in his youth which told him he would capture the Earth Kingdom capital of Ba Sing Se, Iroh started a siege of the great city in 94 AG. The campaign lasted for six hundred days, and Iroh eventually breached the Outer Wall – a feat that had never been equaled before. However, before he could breach the Inner Wall, his son Lu Ten was killed on the front lines, and in his grief, Iroh lost most of his fighting spirit and abandoned the siege. The Siege of Ba Sing Se came to be seen as a terrible dishonor and failure for Iroh. As Iroh was returning home from the siege, his father, Fire Lord Azulon, died under mysterious circumstances. Although Iroh was the Crown Prince, his younger brother Ozai was named Fire Lord, apparently at the dying request of Azulon himself. Having lost his desire for power after the death of Lu Ten, Iroh did not fight for his right to the throne, and Ozai took power without incident. Regardless, Iroh initially felt that not becoming the Fire Lord was a "tremendous failure". Distraught by the death of his son and father, Iroh thought it was necessary that he temporarily retract from his usual work as a general to recuperate. He did not immediately return to the Fire Nation and instead went on a journey throughout the world, which included a spiritual adventure. It was even rumored that he went to the Spirit World in search of Lu Ten. Despite never finding his son, Iroh's travels greatly enhanced his understanding of the world and of himself. These experiences had a profound impact on Iroh, as he eventually changed his perspective on the world and his life. In the past, Iroh had focused on his work in the military and preparing to become a Fire Lord, but after Lu Ten's death, he realized these were not the most important aspects of his life. The aging general wanted to relax and appreciate life more, an attitude that led to his retirement and engendered a deeper relationship between him and Zuko. Iroh felt empathy for the young prince, who had been injured and shamefully banished by his father, and wished to help him with his struggles; Zuko's uncle viewed him as an adopted son. As time went on, Iroh increasingly believed that his fall from power had been a "gift", and that not becoming the Fire Lord was exactly what he needed. He also began to reject the legacies of Azulon and Sozin, instead striving to change the course of the Fire Nation Royal Family away from the quest for absolute power. During his travels, he also became a member of the Order of the White Lotus. Although Iroh mostly retired from politics and the military, he was still well respected in the Fire Nation and well-liked by soldiers because of his personality.
Zuko's banishment
Around 97 AG, an indulgent Iroh allowed his beloved nephew to observe a meeting of Fire Lord Ozai's war council under the promise that he would not speak. However, Zuko did speak up, and even though Iroh silently agreed with him, the Fire Lord demanded that Zuko participate in an Agni Kai for his insubordination. Iroh witnessed how Zuko refused to duel his father, though averted his gaze when Ozai proceeded to burn Zuko's face, scarring him. Iroh subsequently accompanied Zuko on his quest to find the Avatar, and it was through Iroh's influence that Zuko was able to procure a ship and a crew. The pair spent nearly three years at sea, searching in vain for any sign of the centenarian airbender the Fire Sages had described, traveling to several locations including the Western Air Temple. From the beginning of their quest, Iroh attempted to help his nephew as best he could, greatly caring for Zuko's well-being and health. However, the banished prince often misinterpreted Iroh's advice, like taking "some time to heal and rest" at the Western Air Temple, as laziness, and they restlessly continued the search. Consequently, Iroh was resigned to the futility of their mission and whittled away his days with games. He would continue to assist Zuko mostly by offering advice through proverbs and teaching him firebending, strategy, and leadership skills. Zuko was an impatient student, who was anxious to learn combat quickly, and had little time for the life lessons Iroh wanted to impart on him, though Iroh persisted.
Later life
Iroh returned to the Jasmine Dragon, where he welcomed several spirits to the shop as customers, keeping them hidden from the rest of the staff and his customers. Iroh began to receive a new regular customer called Li-Mei, who was very fond of the tea and the store, and both held strong affections for one another. Although Iroh told himself that he was happy being alone in his later years, the spirits began playing tricks on him so that he would ask Li-Mei on a date to a restaurant in the city, and she happily accepted. Iroh was still Grand Lotus when his fellow member Xai Bau and a faction naming themselves the Red Lotus defected from the Order. While Iroh partially respected their goals to reconnect the Spirit World and physical world, he looked down upon the group's aversion to any sort of government and believed it was contradictory to the tenets that brought the Order together. While he hoped that the Red Lotus and the White Lotus would be able to reconcile, this was not achieved in his life. He also hoped to transform the White Lotus into something bigger, such as an army that kept the good of the people, the Avatar, and the world at heart. Iroh kept strong relationships with his own family and those of Team Avatar. Aang would come to tell Iroh that he considered him the uncle he always wanted, and he would often visit Aang, Katara, and their children Bumi, Kya, and Tenzin.
Born into a militaristic family that placed power and success above all else, Iroh initially developed a fierce and determined personality. Though never cruel, he adhered to his family's lust for power and pursued his goals with some level of ruthlessness. He enjoyed being a renowned Fire Nation General and reveling in his status as the Crown Prince, eager for the power of the Fire Lord, as evidenced by his admission in the letter he wrote to Zuko, Azula, and Ursa after he had broken through the walls of Ba Sing Se, that he hoped they could see the city if he did not "burn it to the ground first". Nevertheless, Iroh also always had an easygoing, empathic, and cosmopolitan side. Even as military commander, he never liked hurting people, seeing violence merely as a means to an end. He was disturbed by his younger brother's brutality and coldness, while maintaining a warm relationship with his son, nephew, and sister-in-law. Despite his difficult youth, Iroh also felt affection for his father Azulon.
He lost his desire for power, however, after the death of his son Lu Ten and his father Azulon shortly thereafter, being so distraught and grief-striken that he even withdrew from what seemed like a near victory over Ba Sing Se. The deaths of Lu Ten and Azulon and losing his claim on the throne of Fire Lord filled Iroh with a deep sense of sadness and failure, though his journey across the world by the side of his nephew Zuko healed and transformed him into a kind and wiser man, changing his perspective of the world completely from when he was the Crown Prince and a general. In retirement, he stated that "there is nothing wrong with a life of peace and prosperity".
By his elder years, Iroh was easygoing, open-minded, wise, comforting, generous, advising, kind, and humorous. Thus, he treated his self-imposed exile during Zuko's search for the Avatar as though it were an extended vacation. Something of an epicurean in his old age, he did not devote his full energies to the pursuit of the Avatar, clashing with the dedication of his nephew. However, beneath his easygoing attitude lays a wise man experienced in the ways of the world, a seasoned and wily strategist, and an incredibly strong and powerful firebending master. His changed perception of the world was also reflected by the fact that he rarely held grudges and did not seem to care much about his own welfare, which was made evident when a man attempted to mug him in Ba Sing Se; he did not fight back but instead helped and gave advice to the mugger.
Although he appeared hedonistic, Iroh's life philosophies were about living life to the fullest and choosing your own destiny. He was a firm believer that everyone had the power to create their own destiny. He appeared laid-back because he understood that there were things in life he could not control, but he also believed that a person is fully responsible for the parts they can. From Zuko's point of view, Iroh seemed lazy, but from an objective point of view, it could be seen that he understood that Zuko was misguided. Throughout the last year of the Hundred Year War, Iroh constantly asked Zuko what it was that he wanted in life, asking him if capturing Aang was the destiny that he chose, or a path that others told him he needed to follow. Iroh was a father figure to Zuko.
Iroh was particularly fond of tea, the strategy game Pai Sho, and music. He founded a music night for the ship's crew, among whom he was popular, involving singing and the playing of instruments. He displayed skill at playing the tsungi horn and liuqin, as well as singing lullabies to pacify a crying child. He had shown himself to be an amateur botanist with knowledge of a wide variety of plants and their effects on the human body, though misinterpretation of some plant characteristics led him to accidentally poisoning himself. Ginseng, followed by jasmine, are pronounced to be his favorite teas. After so many years of war, for Iroh, spending his days "soothing others with [their] tea" became a mental, physical, and spiritual balm. It brought him great joy to see his tea bring travelers from all over the four nations together.
Probably as definitive of Iroh's character as his love for tea was his sage advice and wisdom. Iroh was known by his niece and nephew for his sometimes cryptic proverbs and lengthy anecdotes. Iroh constantly guided Zuko during his exile and critical, character-shaping decisions. He had also advised Aang and Toph to great effect.
Firebending
Iroh was one of the most powerful firebenders of his time, to the point where he was considered the only person other than the Avatar who could defeat Ozai; Iroh himself, however, doubted his ability to defeat his younger brother. Iroh, like Jeong Jeong, knew its destructive and alluring power which could cause an amateur firebender to lose control. Instead of anger, Iroh based his bending style on the original firebending wisdom of the dragons and teachings of the Sun Warriors from whom he learned and whose secrets he kept. This philosophy emphasized the beauty and life-giving qualities of fire; thus, Iroh firebent without resorting to anger, hate, or lust, unlike his brother, niece and most other firebenders of his time. At the same time, he was able to show truly destructive power when provoked, able to blast through the inner wall of Ba Sing Se with a large and highly charged fire blast. Iroh was highly knowledgeable and well-versed in most styles of firebending and their respective techniques. He was also a very capable teacher of the art, having personally trained his nephew, Zuko, in the majority of his high proficiency in firebending. He also stood as one of the select few firebenders of his time who possessed the ability to generate lightning. This technique required perfect calmness of mind, but unlike his brother Ozai and niece Azula, Iroh derived this from inner peace instead of amorality. Like his brother, he could easily perform it quickly and even during intense battle. Iroh's prowess for firebending also extended to creating his own original techniques. One of the techniques he invented was the absorption and redirection of lightning. Iroh invented this by observing the fluidity of waterbending moves and their ability to effectively redirect chi. He used this move on multiple occasions, to redirect natural as well as man-made lightning (the latter he even channeled before it was fully unleashed). While not exclusive to him, Iroh's signature technique was his fire-breath, a feat he could perform with especially potent power that earned him the nickname "The Dragon of the West". He was able to maintain this technique in a sweeping manner against the Dai Li to give himself and Zuko enough time to escape from their clutches. Iroh had a tendency to not involve himself in battle, but when he did partake, he displayed great skill, speed, agility, and ferocity. Even in his old age and while out of shape, he overwhelmed a group of four firebending guards accompanying Admiral Zhao within seconds, causing Zhao to retreat in fear, and defeated multiple trained earthbenders in combat, using the chains that had previously subdued him. He was also able to overpower, with notable ease, a full squad of Imperial Firebenders accompanying Azula as well as the prodigious princess herself. His firebending skill may have developed even further after getting back in shape in prison. He managed to break himself out of the jail, leaving only an enormous hole in the bars of his cell, and various scorch-marks on the walls. A shell-shocked Warden Poon described Iroh as being like a "one-man army". During the coming of Sozin's Comet, Iroh displayed the true extent of his firebending prowess: he created a ring of fire around him and several other members of the Order of the White Lotus, expanding it and shrinking it with every breath, in and out. After a few breaths, he focused the ring around him into a ball, from which he launched a fire blast that breached the Inner Wall of Ba Sing Se itself.
Other skills
Iroh was a gifted strategist and tactician, having once been the Fire Nation's top general and next in line to become Fire Lord. His craftiness was best showcased by his skill at Pai Sho. His army won many battles in the Earth Kingdom and managed to break through the Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se. There were many who still referred to him as "General" Iroh, despite the fact that he had been retired for years, though Zhao did so in a partially sarcastic manner. Iroh was a lover of music; he was a good singer, as well as a gifted pipa and tsungi horn player. He had knowledge of other cultures, and history. He was also something of an amateur botanist, probably due to his love of tea, although this skill was not enough to save him getting poisoned, when he confused a rare tea plant with a poisonous one. Because of his love of tea, Iroh was also an excellent tea maker, increasing business in the tea shop he and Zuko worked in and was eventually awarded one of his own. With his adept entrepreneurial skills, Iroh had managed to invent a new variety of tea, mixing tea with milk and tapioca pearls. Iroh became very spiritual after the passing of his son. He was able to see the spirit of Aang riding Roku's dragon when no one else could. He was also able to immediately discern that Princess Yue had been given life by the Moon Spirit. He continued to communicate with spirits later in life. His knowledge of the spirits and their world is immense, as he was later in life able to consciously depart his soul to the Spirit World, where he was welcomed. Iroh also demonstrated an impressive physical strength and skill in close combat without the usage of firebending. While imprisoned after the fall of Ba Sing Se, he spent most of his time performing intensive calisthenic routines without the guards' knowledge. In a few weeks, his previously overweight physique had completely changed to a slim yet impressively muscular one. On the Day of Black Sun, while the scorch marks on the prison walls indicated part of his escape occurred before the eclipse began, he still escaped during the eclipse, when firebending was not possible. This implied that Iroh had some knowledge of hand-to-hand combat to accomplish this feat. Interestingly, Iroh had planned to escape on the Day of Black Sun beforehand, implying he knew not only of this firebending weakness but also knew when an eclipse was going to occur, despite none of this information being public knowledge.
Avatar: The Last Airbender Graphic novels
•The Promise trilogy •The Search trilogy •The Rift trilogy •Smoke and Shadow trilogy •
Iroh was voiced by the late Japanese-American actor Mako Iwamatsu, who passed away on July 21, 2006, due to esophageal cancer. The episode "The Tales of Ba Sing Se", which aired on September 29 of that year, contained a segment titled "The Tale of Iroh" that ended with a dedication to Mako. The segment featured Iroh mourning the death of his son, Lu Ten.
The role of Iroh was recast with Greg Baldwin, Mako's understudy and a long-time student of his voice. He performed a few one-off lines that Mako was unable to complete in Book Two and went on to do all of Iroh's voice work in Book Three and The Legend of Korra. Baldwin's vocal timbre is lighter than Mako's, but he replicated Mako's unique accent, pronunciation, syllable stressing, and gravelly undertones in his performance rather than using a different style.
•In the first episode, Iroh told an impatient Zuko that firebending came from the breath. This corresponded with his title "The Dragon of the West", as dragons breathe fire. Iroh demonstrated the importance of breathing in "Sozin's Comet, Part 3: Into the Inferno", where he utilized the power of Sozin's Comet to create a blazing circle of fire around himself and the other prominent members of the Order of the White Lotus, accomplishing this only by breathing in and out.
•Iroh gained the title "The Dragon of the West" for two reasons: one, due to his ability to use the "Breath of Fire" technique effortlessly, and two, from him having supposedly slain the last two dragons, Ran and Shaw.
•In the Filipino, Finnish, Hungarian, Dutch, Russian, Hindi, and Turkish dubs of the series, it is Iroh instead of Avatar Roku who says the words, "Previously on Avatar".
•Iroh could fall asleep anywhere and anytime.
•Iroh developed lightning redirection by studying waterbending.
•Iroh used his own redirection technique twice during the series: once when a bolt of lightning almost struck the hull of Zuko's ship, and again when he grabbed Azula's hand to redirect the lightning with which she intended to strike Zuko. Iroh acted like a router both times; he simultaneously took the bolt in and shot it out away from both vessels.
R1- Aang takes the majority. He is the avatar, after all, and even if he doesn't have the AS, he still has more elements to work with. Additionally, Iroh has no experience fighting airbenders. R2- Aang stomps. He can redirect any lightning Iroh throws at him, not to mention he has the AS R3- Iroh takes the majority.
Feb 22, 2024 · Commander Zhao's demise plays out differently in live-action. In the live-action, Iroh uses his firebending abilities to throw Zhao off a bridge into the ocean, where his burning body...
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In the episode "A New Spiritual Age", Iroh comes to the aid of Aang's successor as Avatar, Korra, who is trapped unprepared deep in the Spirit World.
