Iroh

"Evil and good are always at war inside you, Zuko. It is your nature, your legacy. But there is a bright side. What happened generations ago can be resolved now…by you. Because of your legacy, you alone can cleanse the sins of our family and the Fire Nation. Born in you, along with all this strife, is the power to restore balance to the world." - Iroh to Zuko in "The Avatar and the Fire Lord"

Iroh is a Firebending Master and a mentor to his nephew, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation. He is referred to by several different names, such as Uncle Iroh by Zuko, General Iroh by the Fire Nation military, and Dragon of the West. Formerly the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation and a General of the Fire Nation Army, Iroh is the son of Azulon, and the brother of Fire Lord Ozai.

Unlike others seen from the Fire Nation, particularly his own family, Iroh is an easy-going and spiritual man. He appreciates the balance of the four elements, even incorporating elements of the other elements into his own Firebending skills. He has aided Avatar Aang and his companions on several occasions, and for this was branded as a traitor by his brother the Fire Lord.

After the traumatic death of his son Prince Lu Ten, Iroh sees Prince Zuko more as a son than a nephew. Iroh has influenced Zuko to choose his own destiny and not the destiny what others have expected of him or tried to force on him.

Background


Iroh is the eldest son of Fire Lord Azulon and Fire Lady Ilah, and thus he was a grandson of Fire Lord Sozin. He was the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, and destined to become the new Fire Lord. He had one son, Lu Ten, with whom he was very close.

Little is known of Iroh's early life. In "The Firebending Masters" it is revealed that Iroh once visited the Sun Warriors and went before the original Firebenders: a pair of dragons, Ran and Shao. He managed to prove himself worthy, and they revealed to him the true secrets of Firebending, without recourse to hatred and aggression. Iroh later claimed 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. For this, he was showered with glory in the Fire Nation and awarded the title of "Dragon". Admiral Zhao has also mentioned that Iroh once visited the Spirit World, although the details of this journey are not known. This may explain why Iroh was able to see Aang and Fang fly overhead in spirit form in Winter Solstice Part 1: The Spirit World.



Like his father before him, Iroh was a renowned Fire Nation General during the War. 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 laid siege the city for 600 days, and successfully breached the Outer Wall - a feat that had never been equaled before or since. However, before he could breach the Inner Wall, his son Lu Ten was killed on the front lines, and in his grief Iroh 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 still the Crown Prince, his younger brother Ozai was appointed Fire Lord, apparently on the dying request of Azulon himself. Still grieving for the loss of Lu Ten, Iroh did not contest the throne, and Ozai took power without incident. Iroh retired as a General, but he was still well respected in the Fire Nation and well liked by the soldiers.

Three years before the start of the series, an indulgent Iroh allowed his beloved nephew to observe a meeting of Ozai's war council — a mistake he would soon come to regret. In the council, Zuko spoke out against a General who planned to sacrifice an entire division of novice troops in battle as a diversionary tactic. Though Iroh silently agreed with young Zuko's assessment, the Fire Lord demanded that Zuko participate in a fire duel, the Agni Kai, for his insubordination. Zuko accepted, under the mistaken impression he would be dueling the General he'd insulted. However, because Zuko had spoken out in his father's war room, Zuko had disrespected his father. Iroh bore witness in the audience when Zuko fell to his knees in the arena, pleading for forgiveness and refusing to duel his own father. When Iroh's brother badly burned his own son's face, permanently scarring him as punishment for his cowardice and disrespect, Iroh looked away, unable to stand the sight.



Zuko was afterward stripped of his birthright and exiled from the Fire Nation. However, one condition could restore his honor and throne and allow him to return home. Zuko was instructed to find and capture the Avatar. This powerful being was the only threat to the Fire Nation's victory in its imperialist war against the other nations. Yet the Avatar had vanished a century ago—shortly before the Fire Nation's first strike. Three generations had conducted fruitless searches, and Zuko was to be sent on a quest that seemed little more than a fool's errand.

Book 1: Water
Undeterred, Zuko sought to do the impossible, and Iroh accompanied him. The pair spent two years at sea, searching in vain for any sign of the centenarian Airbender the Fire Sages had described. Though Iroh was resigned to the futility of their mission and whittled away his days with games, finally a day came when a strange beacon lit the skies off the coast of the South Pole. When Zuko investigated, he discovered that the Avatar had reappeared at last. Improbably, the long-sought old man was actually Aang, a twelve-year-old boy recently woken from a hundred years of suspended animation. Thrown off-guard, Zuko underestimated the boy, who managed to escape their grasp. Zuko and Iroh quickly engaged in hot pursuit, tracking the Avatar and his friends across the globe. During "Winter Solstice Part 1: The Spirit World", Iroh is the only character besides Aang who is able to see the spirit of Roku's dragon. Despite his devotion to Zuko's thirst to capture the Avatar and restore his honor, and after Admiral Zhao had just reinstated him as a General, Iroh bravely betrayed Admiral Zhao during "The Siege of the North, Part 2" by attacking him and his men with a short, but deadly, display of his Firebending powers after Zhao threatened to kill the Moon Spirit Tui and permanently destroy the powers of the Waterbenders worldwide. During "The Siege of the North, Part 2", Zhao also mentions a rumor that Iroh had traveled the Spirit World.

Book 2: Earth
As of Season Two, Iroh and Zuko had been branded traitors of the Fire Nation. After a confrontation with Azula, Iroh and Zuko learned of a plot to capture them and return them home imprisoned. After escaping from Azula's nearly victorious set-up, Iroh and Zuko cut their hair to symbolize their new life as fugitives unable to return home. The two later took refuge in random Earth Kingdom towns acting as homeless beggars. While Iroh was able to adjust to a life of simplicity, humility, and poverty, Zuko was not, and Iroh soon suspected that Zuko had been obtaining items for their day-to-day life by theft. The older man attempted to persuade his nephew that those who maintain hope in the face of adversity are the ones with true strength. However, Zuko thought otherwise, and the two separated. The two were soon reunited, as Iroh covertly followed Zuko in case he needed assistance. When Zuko got in over his head in a three-way battle with Aang and Azula, Iroh intervened, as did Aang's companions. The six of them confronted Azula together, but she managed to wound Iroh with a fire blast to the chest, and she escaped.



After recovering from his injury, Iroh decided to teach Zuko the advanced Firebending techniques he would need to defeat Azula. He first tried to teach Zuko how to create lightning, but his nephew's emotional turmoil prevented him from making progress with the difficult art. Instead, Iroh taught Zuko a technique of his own creation—to absorb and redirect lightning, which he developed after studying Waterbenders. Zuko soon demanded that Iroh attack him with lightning so that he can redirect it, but Iroh refused to perform such a dangerous test.



Iroh is a grand master of the secret society, the Order of the White Lotus; although what the group represents or does has yet to be seen. The Order of the White Lotus has members spread far and wide across the world—even in desolate remote villages of the Earth Kingdom. Iroh and Zuko sought their aid in avoiding the bounty hunters Master Yu and Xin Fu, who temporarily decided to seek the two fugitives from the Firebending nation rather than pursue the Avatar and Toph. Since the people who protected Iroh appeared to be of the Earth Kingdom, the organization of the group may itself be independent of any particular nation. Also, the White Lotus appears to have at least some degree of bureaucratic influence, as it managed, on short notice, to produce fake passports and other paperwork to smuggle Iroh and Zuko into Ba Sing Se.



With the White Lotus Order's help, Iroh and Zuko are able to make their way to Ba Sing Se as refugees. Once inside, Iroh gets them jobs at a tea shop. During the episode "The Tales of Ba Sing Se," Iroh spends a day shopping in the city. In this episode, Iroh is displayed as a teacher as he grants wisdom and help to all those he encounters during his day of shopping. He later holds a small memorial service for Lu Ten, marking his late son's birthday, and tearfully noting he wished he could have helped Lu Ten.

After weeks in Ba Sing Se, Iroh is given the chance to run his own tea shop, but Zuko has other plans. When Zuko attempts to capture Appa, Iroh confronts Zuko and tells him rather bluntly to stop trying to live the life people say he has to live. Iroh convinces Zuko to give up his alias as the Blue Spirit and takes care of his nephew when Zuko is stricken by the negative effects of the mental metamorphosis caused by Zuko's actions. Iroh remains confident in Zuko and believes that Zuko will become the prince he was meant to be.

When Azula offered Zuko a chance to reclaim his honor by helping take over the Earth Kingdom capital, he agrees. Iroh was last seen defending the wounded Avatar and Katara, giving them time to escape before he peacefully allowed himself to be captured. Iroh makes eye contact with Zuko before turning away, expressing shame at his nephew's decision.

Book 3: Fire


In the episode "The Headband", Zuko secretly visits Iroh, who has been imprisoned in a tower. After threatening the guard to keep silent about the visit, Zuko attempts to talk to his uncle, only to have Iroh turn away from him and say nothing. Zuko later brings food to Iroh and asks for his help. He continues his silence, causing Zuko to become angry and storm from the room. A single tear then rolls down Iroh's face.

While in prison General Poon goes to give Iroh his food in prison. Poon mocks a markedly disheveled Iroh as he scrabbles for the gruel, even scooping what had fallen onto the ground into his mouth. As soon as Poon is gone, he becomes more collected, wipes the sweaty hair out of his face and calmly finishes his meal in peace, only eating out of the bowl. Iroh is shown again, calmly lying on the ground deep in thought. Suddenly his eyes widen and he begins aggressively doing bent-knee sit ups. Later, Iroh is still mocked and ridiculed by Poon, while still feigning insanity. At the prison, Iroh is then seen to be training in Poon's absence, having upgraded to a more difficult variation of sit-up, the straight-legged inverted sit-ups. He keeps up the facade of loneliness and desperation in front of Poon. Iroh is seen to be training whenever not under watch, being able to perform difficult exercises including but not limited to inverted crunches, inverted push ups, and one handed pull ups. Meanwhile, still keeping his jailer unaware, Iroh has managed to recondition his body back to its original, intimidating form, and even managed to lose his pronounced belly, which he slyly hides by stuffing spare clothing under his robes.



In "The Avatar and the Fire Lord", Zuko angrily goes to the Fire Nation jail tower, and, bursting into his cell, accuses Iroh of having sent him the message. He then angrily demands the point, as the testament did not even reveal anything about Sozin's death. Iroh admits to having sent the message, and explains that the message that Zuko must find out about his great-grandfather's death did not refer to his paternal ancestor, Sozin, but his mother's grandfather---none other than Avatar Roku. He then produces the lost crown prince's headpiece, once worn by both his great-grandfathers, and gives it to a stunned Zuko, explaining that, as he has both Roku and Sozin's blood in his veins, he has the power to redeem their family by choosing which of their paths to follow. How he managed to smuggle the headpiece into prison is unknown, but he had the royal headpiece stashed behind one of the cell's bricks.

In "The Day of Black Sun, Part 1: The Invasion", Iroh tells Ming that it would be wise for her to leave the Prison and go home, hinting that something will happen.

In "The Day of Black Sun, Part 2: The Eclipse", Iroh breaks himself out of prison during the eclipse and single-handedly defeats Warden Poon and everybody else inside. The defeated Poon told Zuko, who intended to free his uncle himself, that Iroh was like a "one-man army". Zuko left to join the Avatar afterwords, and presumably he assumes that Iroh is safe somewhere else.



Zuko is deeply troubled by his betrayal towards his uncle afterwords. When Aang disappeared before the arrival of Sozin's Comet, Zuko attempted to track Aang down by hiring June the Bounty Hunter. When June is unable to find Aang, Zuko has her track down his Uncle, knowing the he is the only other possible person who could defeat the Fire Lord. He used Iroh's stinky sandal, which he apparently kept, as a scent for June's Shirshu to track down the source. Zuko discovers that Iroh is in Ba Sing Se with the Order of the White Lotus, where he intends on leading the Order into battle with the Fire Nation occupational forces and reclaim the city in the name of the Earth Kingdom. He is overwhelmed with happiness when Zuko comes before him, and Zuko begs for forgiveness. Iroh states that he was never angry with Zuko, just sad that he lost his way, but is happy that Zuko found it once again. While going over the battle plans, he says that he cannot face the Fire Lord, because one; he doesn't know if he could win, and two; history would just look upon it as more senseless violence, a brother killing a brother for power.



When Zuko asks Iroh if he will become the new Fire Lord afterward, Iroh says he is no longer cut out for the job. He says that Zuko must be the new Fire Lord, for he has the ideas and the honor to restore the Fire Nation's own honor. But he tells Zuko he must return to the Fire Nation, and that Azula will be waiting. He then tells his nephew that he will not be able to take Azula alone, and Zuko then asks Katara for her help in "putting Azula in her place".

Iroh's assault on Ba Sing Se eventually succeeds, and the vision of his youth is proven true, as he "recaptures" the city in the name of the Earth Kingdom. After Zuko's coronation, Iroh reopened the Jasmine Dragon, where the gang celebrated their triumph. He was happy to serve tea with Zuko again. He intends to spend his retirement serving tea and playing Pai Sho "every day".

Personality
Easygoing, friendly and dryly good-humored, Iroh treats his self-imposed exile of the first part of the series as though it were an extended vacation. Something of an epicurean in his old age, he does not devote his full energies to the pursuit of the Avatar, clashing with the dedication of his nephew. However, beneath the easygoing exterior lies a wise man experienced in the ways of the world, a seasoned and wily strategist, and a powerful Firebending master.

Iroh is particularly fond of tea, the strategy game Pai Sho, and music. He founded a music night for the ship's crew, among whom he is popular, involving singing and the playing of instruments. He later displays skill at playing the liuqin, singing lullabies to pacify a crying child. Most likely because of his love of tea, he has shown himself to be an amateur botanist with knowledge of a wide variety of plants and their affects on the human body, though misinterpretation of some plant characteristics lead him to accidentally poisoning himself. Ginseng happens to be his favorite tea.

Probably as definitive of Iroh's character as his love for tea is his sage advice and wisdom. Iroh is known by his niece and nephew for his sometimes cryptic proverbs and lengthy anecdotes. Throughout Books 1 and 2, Iroh constantly guides Zuko during his exile and critical, character-shaping decisions. He has also advised Aang and Toph to great effect.

Closely related to this wisdom is Iroh's affinity for spirituality. He constantly advocates maintaining the balance between elements, as demonstrated in "Bitter Work" when he implements waterbending technique to divert lightning. In "The Winter Solstice Part One", Iroh is the only character besides Aang who is able to see the spirit of Roku's dragon. During "The Siege of the North," Zhao also mentions a rumor that Iroh had travelled the Spirit World.

Iroh has no desire for power, not protesting when his brother took the his birthright title of Fire Lord. He soon retired from being a General, and states that "there is nothing wrong with a simple life of peace and prosperity".

Though a very honorable man, he is not above a spot of pilfering as he once pocketed perfumes from an abbey. He also demonstrates a respect and appreciation for all cultures, which seems to be a rarity among those of the Fire Nation. This partially stems from his trip into the spirit world, which left him with a certain spiritual awareness.

Despite his age, Iroh can be quite the ladies' man when the need arises and is seen flirting with various women throughout the series, many of them older women but some have been much younger (including the bounty hunter June and an Earth Kingdom peasant in "The Swamp"). He has been addressed as "handsome" on multiple occasions.

It has been hinted that Iroh may have been crueler in his days as a General before the death of his son. In "Zuko Alone", during a flash back, it shows Iroh just after he has broken through the Walls of Ba Sing Se, writing to Zuko, Azula, and Ursa. In his letter, he says he hopes they can see the city, "if we don't burn it to the ground first", and then laughing. However, this may have just been his way of mocking the senseless destruction carried out by the Fire Nation during The War. On the way to Ba Sing Se years later he states he "was a different man" when he laid siege to it. His cruelty however was probably much less than that of others in the Fire Nation, as the creators later stated that Iroh was never a cruel person but was "very good at what he did".

It is unclear when Iroh traveled to the spirit world and when he met the Dragons and proved worthy to learn the original form of Firebending, so it is not known if these experiences reformed Iroh into the man he became or if he was always a more peaceful man than his father and brother.

Firebending
Iroh is a well-known Firebending master in the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom. His style of Firebending tends to be less aggressive than others, featuring more grasping techniques and throws than direct strikes. Iroh is most likely one of the two best Firebenders on the planet, the other being his brother, Fire Lord Ozai. In the series finale, he doubted that even he could match the Fire Lord's bending prowess. Iroh is considered to be one of the most powerful firebenders in the series and even though he is a goofy "fuddy duddy" person, once it comes to combat, he is a force to be reckoned with.

Iroh stands as one of the select few Firebenders who possess the ability to generate lightning. Most notably, he is also the inventor of a unique Firebending technique involving the absorption and redirection of lightning. Iroh developed the technique by observing Waterbenders, who use their fluid movements to redirect the energy of attacks.

Iroh is one of the select few who have learned the true form of Firebending, from the dragons. This style springs from the beauty and life in fire, not the anger, hate, and destruction.

Iroh has a tendency to not involve himself in battle, but when he does partake in them, he displays great skill. He overwhelmed a group of four Firebending guards accompanying Admiral Zhao within seconds (causing Zhao to retreat in fear), defeated multiple Earthbenders in combat, and even overpowered with ease a full squad of Fire Nation royal guards accompanying Azula. Furthermore, he has his famous "Breath of Fire," which resembles a dragon breathing flames on its opponent, giving him the nickname "The Dragon of the West". Iroh demonstrates this "breath of fire" technique to fend off numerous Dai Li agents to give himself and Zuko enough time to make their escape.

His Firebending skill may have increased after getting back in shape in prison. He managed to break himself out of the jail, and all that is shown is an enormous hole of twisted metal in his cage, and various scorch-marks on the walls. A shell-shocked General Poon describes Iroh as being like a "one-man army".

Other Skills
Iroh is a very gifted strategist, having once been the Fire Nation's top General. His knowledge of strategy is best showcased in the series 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 are many who still refer to him as "General" Iroh, despite the fact that he has been retired for years. This is possibly out of respect, though in the case of Zhao, at least, it was partial sarcasm.

Iroh is a lover of music, and is a very good singer and plays both the pipa and tsungi horn. He has knowledge of other cultures, and history. He is also something of an amateur botanist, probably due to his love of tea, although this skill is not enough to save him getting poisoned, when he confuses a rare tea plant with a poisonous one.

As mentioned above, Iroh 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 may have some kind of spiritual awareness or skill unknown to other people, which may be due to his trip to the Spirit World.

Voice actor
Iroh was voiced by the late Japanese actor Mako. Mako passed away in July 2006 due to cancer. The Iroh portion of Tales of Ba Sing Se was a stunning (and coincidental as Iroh mourns his dead son) homage to the actor who had recently passed when the episode aired. Mako's last work was the first episode in Book 3:Fire "The Awakening". The role was then recast with Greg Baldwin.

Relatives
See Fire Nation Royal Family Tree
 * Sozin (paternal grandfather)
 * Azulon (father)
 * Ilah (mother)
 * Lu Ten (son)
 * Ozai (younger brother)
 * Zuko (nephew)
 * Azula (niece)
 * Ursa (sister in law)