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PERSONALITY: On the surface, Iroh is inept and lazy, accepting tea with people he shouldn’t, trying to turn various possibly deadly poisonous plants into tea, and relaxing in hot springs when enemies are on his trail. His lack of awareness and talents for turning everything into a proverb often infuriate his traveling companion, his nephew Zuko.

But Iroh is not a surface character. Beneath the mask of silliness is a very aware and cunning strategist, and a man who loves and cares very much. When captured by Earth Nation soldiers who recognized him, Iroh managed to leave behind a trail for Zuko and fight back. When he had a chance to save Zuko by temporarily serving Zhao, Iroh took it, sacrificing his pride for strategy’s sake. He’s part of a secret order, the Order of the White Lotus, masters from every nation carefully working to re-balance the world.

Thanks to the death of his beloved son, Iroh has come to value life and understanding. He is prone to advising anyone he comes across, seeking to bring out the best in them. When finding Toph wandering alone, he sits down and makes tea for her, giving advice but listening too. He never ceases to try to help his nephew; he’s faithful and loyal. Iroh does not give up hope, even when everything seems lost to him, when his nephew has declared him wrong and left. He still hoped for that moment of reconciliation with Zuko that came at the gathering of those in the Order of the White Lotus.

TIMELINE: Just after Iroh embraces Zuko in his tent at the gathering of the Order of the White Lotus members.

BACKGROUND: Iroh was born heir to the Fire Nation throne, son of Azulon and older brother to Ozai. He had a son named Lu Ten.

A brilliant and powerful general, Iroh was leading the assault on Ba Sing Se when a counterattack killed his son, and killed his resolve. The Dragon of the West pulled back, abandoning the fighting, even though they were well on the way to victory. He returned to find his younger brother had taken the throne. There’s no sign that Iroh ever protested this change. Around a few years after Iroh’s return, his young nephew, whom he had sent many gifts during his campaign, was disgraced. Zuko is exiled, and Iroh voluntarily joins him. Only one way is given for Zuko to return, something his grandfather Azulon never managed – find and capture the Avatar.

The journey began with no real hope. It’s been a hundred years since the Avatar was last seen. Due to the cycle of rebirth for Avatars, it was known that he would be an Airbender, and the Fire Nation had wiped out every Airbender they could find. The temples were destroyed, and nothing is seen of other Air Nomads throughout the series. But somehow, the Fire Nation knew the Avatar had not been killed, and continued looking for him. Fire Lord Azulon, the one who killed the previous Avatar, Avatar Roku, searched fruitlessly. He died, and Ozai became Fire Lord. When Prince Zuko, son of Ozai, contested military decisions and then chose not to fight his own father out of a sense of respect for Ozai, Ozai burned him. Zuko saw one chance to regain his honor – find the Avatar. Iroh joined him on the quest that had no chance of success. And so the two of them set off to search the world.

In the second episode of the show they come across the Avatar, Aang, a young boy. No longer is the quest futile, but without much difficulty Aang gets away. Iroh doesn’t help to try to capture Aang – instead, his focus can be seen to be on his nephew. He’s more concerned about Zuko than he is with capturing the Avatar, and this stays the same through the entire journey. He wants Zuko to have a chance to become his own person instead of a copy of his father.

Their ship is so damaged that they have to go to port where Commander Zhao is stationed. Iroh is there tempted by one of his favorite things, tea. Over tea, it comes out that the Avatar has been found, and thus the stage is set. Zhao wants to get him first for glory; Zuko needs to get Aang first to restore his honor. And Iroh, well, Iroh loves his nephew.

There are a lot of near captures. Sometimes they’re foiled by Fire Nation, sometimes they’re foiled by Iroh thinking he misplaced his White Lotus tile, sometimes they’re foiled by tea, and sometimes they’re foiled by Zuko’s temper.

At the end of the first season and beginning of the second, the Fire Nation fleet, with Iroh and Zuko, are at the Northern Water Tribe, believing Aang and his friends to be there. Commander Zhao attacks the spirit of the moon, Tui, endangering all of the waterbenders and the balance of the world. Iroh makes a difficult decision, and protects the fish representing the spirit. He is then branded a traitor.

Iroh does not know for certain of this declaration until Azula comes for him and Zuko, claiming they’re allowed to return, forgiven. As they go to join her on her ship, one of the soldiers calls them prisoners, and Zuko and Iroh fight and escape. This is when they make a choice. It’s time to leave their old lives behind. Together, they cut off their topknots and begin making their way as refugees. Zuko can’t accept this life and abandons Iroh, but Iroh doesn’t give up hope. He follows Zuko.

Along the way, Iroh runs into Toph and shares tea and advice. It’s a very pleasant meeting before he runs into Zuko and joins forces with Aang, Katara, Soka, and Zuko against Azula. Seeing her chance, Azula attacks Iroh and flees. This is when Iroh shows that for once, he’s given up on someone, declaring that Azula is crazy and needs to go down. He teaches Zuko a very useful move, how to redirect lightning. It’s his own technique, made by watching waterbenders.

Soon after, Zuko and Iroh make it to Ba Sing Se. Iroh gets the chance of his dreams, his own tea shop, and Zuko actually finds a nice girl who likes him. Seeing the struggle of his nephew, Iroh tries to convince him that now is the time to turn good. The anniversary of his son’s death comes around, and Iroh spends a day in town gathering what he needs to honor Lu Ten’s memory while righting a few wrongs.

When Zuko frees Appa, Iroh encourages him to leave behind the Blue Spirit and change. After a struggle with fever, Zuko might have done just that… if his sister hadn’t shown up offering him a chance at redemption. When she and Zuko attack the Avatar and Katara, Iroh stands against them. He surrenders once Aang and Katara are safe, with a look of regret given to his nephew.

Much time later, it is revealed that Iroh has been imprisoned by the Dai Lee. Sometimes Zuko visits him, but for the most part Iroh spends his time acting stupid to fool the guards and training to one day break free. He manages to let Zuko know the story of both of his ancestors, trying to sway Zuko. On the day of Black Sun, when firebending no longer works, Iroh breaks from his prison cell and escapes, ostensibly seeking out members of the Order of the White Lotus.

He finally shows up again when Zuko reaches the White Lotus camp with the Avatar’s party. He listens to Zuko’s apology, turns, and embraces his nephew, forgiving him. Iroh never stopped hoping.

~*~

There are two points at which Iroh actually changed as well as one possible point and none of them are during the journey.

The possible changing point was when Iroh went to kill a dragon. There’s no way to know his exact mentality, but the school system of the Fire Nation and how the dragons were nearly hunted to extinction says that almost everyone who went after the dragons intended to kill them. There’s no reason to think Iroh was any different until he met the dragons and learned from them. He lies to the Fire Nation, saying that he killed the last one. This shows compassion that isn’t demonstrated by a majority of Fire Nation adults.

The first known changing point is when Lu Ten is killed outside the walls of Ba Sing Se. We know nothing about Iroh’s wife or lover, Lu Ten’s mother, but we know that Lu Ten was very important to Iroh. Up until this point he’d been winning the battle against the strongest fortress of the Earth Kingdom. He held his course ruthlessly, fighting for the Fire Nation in a war they started. They were at the brink of breaking in when Lu Ten died… and Iroh left the field. He brought back his forces, abandoning the war, causing Ozai and Azula to look down on him. Further evidence of how much losing his son hurt him is shown in the episode “Tales of Ba Sing Se,” where Iroh spends most of the day helping people out as he gathers what is needed for a simple time of mourning on Lu Ten’s birthday.

The second known changing point is while Iroh is imprisoned. His decision to save the Avatar and Katara from Azula and Zuko is nothing new. It isn’t due to the journey, it ties back to him saving the dragons and being a part of the Order of the White Lotus. He’s already seeking balance long before he sets out with Zuko. But when Iroh is imprisoned, he makes his decision to actively work against the Fire Nation. He trains himself, breaks free, and leaves the Fire Nation. We next see him as he attacks the Fire Nation at Ba Sing Se, completing the circle that began shortly before the death of his son.



ABILITIES: Firebending, obviously. Firebending is using the element of fire as an attack or defensive mechanism, and is an inborn talent of many of the Fire Nation people. Fire can be channeled or directed, flung, and generally manipulated by those born with this ability. He’s very powerful, having a unique technique where he blows out flames, reminiscent of a dragon. He also has a technique he invented to redirect lightning, and can use lightning firebending.

Strategy – an intelligent general and leader of men, Iroh is a skilled strategist and tactician.

Muscular strength – “Like a one-man army,” from a defeated guard. It’s an exaggeration, of course, but he’s not to be trifled with.

Tsungi Horn playing – arguable. Depends probably on if you like the tsungi horn.

Tea making – he brews excellent tea, the best in the city of Ba Sing Se. But he’s not the most expert botanist, sometimes using things that are actually poisonous.

Pai Sho master, Pai Sho being a strategy game played with small circular tiles.

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