Yon Rha

"fire"

- I'm afraid I'm not taking prisoners today.

Yon Rha was the leader of the Southern Raiders at the time of Kya's death. He retired from the position two years following the raid that led to his involvement in Kya's death. Yon Rha killed Kya in an unsuccessful attempt to eliminate the Southern Water Tribe's population of waterbenders.

History
The aforementioned incident occurred during a raid on the Southern Water Tribe, when he was charged by Fire Lord Azulon to find and dispose of the last remaining waterbender in the tribe. He interrogated Kya to find the last bender's location. She tricked him into believing that she herself was the last bender to protect the real waterbender, her daughter, Katara. Yon Rha executed Kya on the spot, explaining that he did not intend to take any prisoners.

After this incident, Yon Rha retired with honor, going home to live quietly with his ill-tempered mother. Mostly due to the time he spent with his mother, he was reduced to a shadow of the proud commander he used to be.



Four years after his retirement, Zuko and Katara went to confront him, seeking vengeance for Kya. They found him in the center of his peaceful Fire Nation village buying vegetables for his mother. They ambushed him on the road back to his mother's house, and declared that they wanted justice. After hearing his story, Katara revealed that she was the actual last waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe. Katara then began an elaborate sequence of attacks which would end his life, but stopped in the last instant. After hearing Yon Rha begging for his life, even asking them to kill his own mother so that they could be equal, Katara made it clear that she did not intend to attack him, saying that as much as she might want revenge, she could not bring herself to kill such a miserable target. They left him crying and cowering in the dirt of the road with the knowledge that though he could still live, Katara would never forgive him.