The Southern Raiders

Writer: Elizabeth Welch Ehasz

Director: Joaquim dos Santos

Guest Stars: Tim Dang (Yon Rha), Grey DeLisle (Azula, Kya), André Sogliuzzo (Hakoda), Jennie Kwan (Suki)

Synopsis
The episode begins with the kids sleeping in the Western Air Temple, when Aang stirs. Out of nowhere, an Airship bomb comes flying at the gang. Aang airbends it away, and the others wake up as several Fire Nation Airships rise out of the mist. Aang Airbends the large doors closed to protect them from the flying bombs and fire blasts. As Toph and Haru blast a tunnel into the wall that they can escape through, Aang notices Zuko standing at the doors. Zuko tells Aang that he will hold them off. When Aang can't get Appa to go in the small tunnel, he decides to go help Zuko. Everybody but Aang, Katara, Sokka, Suki, Zuko, Appa, and Momo start to go through the tunnel while the others prepare to fly away. Azula and Zuko battle on top of an airship, which results in them both falling off opposites side of the airship. Zuko gets saved by the gang through Appa, while Azula uses her firebending to propel herself to the cliffside and halt to a stop using her hairpin.

The kids camp out on a small island. Aang says its like old times camping out and Zuko cracks a joke about how he can chase them around and try to capture them if they want it to feel like old times. Everyone laughs but Katara. Sokka then proposes a toast to Zuko for holding Azula off. Zuko says he doesn't deserve it which Katara agrees to and storms off. Zuko follows her and tries to talk to Katara, saying that everyone trusts him now but her. Katara yells at him and says that she was the first one to trust him in Ba Sing Se but he betrayed her and everyone. Zuko asks what he could do to make her forgive him. She angrily says, "Why don't reconquer Ba Sing Se in the name of the Earth King? Or I know, how about you bring my mother back?" She then walks off, leaving Zuko alone. He then goes to Sokka, who was expecting Suki, but is comically interrupted by Zuko. The Zuko inquires Sokka about his mother, which he things Katara put her anger of that onto him. Sokka remembers that the Fire Nation attacked their village long ago. But the attack was short and the invaders soon retreated. At that time, they discovered their mother was gone. Zuko asks what flag the ships were hoisting. Sokka describes it as a Sea Raven, which Zuko recognizes as the symbol of the Southern Raiders. He thanks Sokka who then pushes him out of the tent and says that he thought Zuko would never leave. After rubbing his hands he peeks outside and calls Suki only to find that Zuko had only taken a few steps away from the tent.

The following morning, Zuko tells Katara that he knows who killed her mother and that he can help her find him. Aang tries to dissuade her, saying revenge is never the answer. However, in her rage Katara does not listen and even says that Sokka didn't love their mother the way she did. Nonetheless, Aang allows her and Zuko to take Appa. They go to a guiding outpost that serves as a coordination station for the entire Fire Navy. They sneak in and send a guard out by waterbending ink on her. They discover that the Southern Raiders are currently stationed at Whale Tail Island. On the way, Katara reveals what she remembers of the attack.

It is revealed that upon spotting the black snow, the eight-year-old Katara went to look for her mother, but found her mother, Kya, being questioned by a Fire Nation soldier. Kya tells Katara to go outside and get her father. She complies and goes to get Hakoda but by the time they reached the igloo, Kya was already gone. Zuko comments that Kya was very brave and Katara agrees.

Later, Zuko, while sitting on Appa's head, spots the Southern Raiders. he tells Katara who was resting. They dive using katara's Waterbending and emerge on the other side of the Ship. In a swift and powerful display of Waterbending, Katara sends the crew overboard and the two make their way to the bridge to capture the captain, whom she subdues with Bloodbending. After realizing it's not the man who killed her mother, Zuko interrogates the captain, and they learn that the last commander, Yon Rha, retired 4 years ago and is living with his ill-tempered mother.

Yon Rha is sent by his mother to get fresh tomato-carrots. However, on the way back, he feels he's being watched (and is, by Katara and Zuko). Certain that he's being followed, Yon Rha swivels around, shooting a blast of fire at a nearby bush. Despite this, the two successfully ambush him. Katara threatens him to remember her, which Yon Rha does, and he tells her the whole truth of what happened that day. A source had told him of the existence of one waterbender in the Southern Water Tribe, which Kya pretended to be to save the village and her daughter. Upon hearing that Kya is the waterbender, Yon Rha kills her. Enraged, Katara reveals herself as the last true Waterbender and with a display of power waterbends the rain, turning it into icicles that fly at Yon Rha. However, she stops the assault at the last second and releases her control over the icicles, which turn to harmless water. Yon Rha pleads for his life, even offering his mother to make things even. Seeing how weak and pathetic he is, Katara decides not to kill him.

Later, Katara is waiting on a dock on Ember Island for the rest of the group to arrive on Appa. Aang has a talk with Katara about how she did the right thing by forgiving. She replies she could never forgive Yon Rha, but she was finally willing to forgive Zuko and hugs him warmly before leaving. Zuko tells Aang that he was right about Katara and Aang reaffirms that violence is never the answer. Zuko then puts Aang on the spot asking "What are you going to do when you face my father?".

Series Continuity

 * This is the first and only time in the series when we have seen Kya's face and heard her voice.
 * Kya, the mother of Sokka and Katara, was killed by trying to protect Katara, which was the target of the Southern Raiders, since she is the last Waterbender in the Southern Water Tribe.
 * This is the first time Katara bloodbends since "The Puppetmaster".
 * This is the first time Zuko has mentioned Aang's and Katara's names out loud.
 * Though some people believe Katara used Bloodbending without a full moon, this is incorrect, due to the moon being full during the episode, which barely spanned three days, while moon phases last a week.
 * This is the first time Jet has been mentioned on screen since "Lake Laogai".
 * Whale Tail Island was first mentioned in "Lake Laogai", as a place where Appa would have been taken to after being bought in the black market.
 * In The Boy in the Iceberg, Katara sarcastically remarks that Aang has to be a spy for the fire navy, just because of the "evil look in his eye", a possible comparison with Yon Rha.
 * In the end of "The Western Air Temple", Zuko had his own room in the temple, but in this episode, he is shown to sleep in sleeping bags along with others in the balcony section of the temple.

Trivia

 * Katara and Sokka's mother's name is Kya, which was Katara's name in the unaired pilot.
 * There is an animation error shortly after Yon Rha's flashback. Zuko's entire face is visible immediately after the sequence, however, when Katara bends the rain, Zuko is seen pulling down his face mask (which was already lowered).