Raiko

"URN"

- I'm very concerned by what's happening down there. But I don't think it's the Republic's place to interfere with internal Water Tribe matters.

President Raiko is a nonbender native to Republic City and the first democratically-chosen president of the United Republic of Nations. An assertive authority figure, he was elected to the position following the dissolution of the United Republic Council in 171 AG.

Early life
With financial backing from Varrick, Raiko managed to set up a decent election campaign, and was subsequently elected as the United Republic's first president after the United Republic Council was disbanded due to its failure to represent the interests of the majority.

Neutrality


Six months after the revolution, Raiko was visited by Avatar Korra and Varrick, who requested the deployment of the United Forces to aid the Southern Water Tribe in the Water Tribe Civil War. Raiko refused to send his forces, believing that the Republic had no business interfering with internal Water Tribe conflicts. When Varrick pointed out that the Republic was already involved in the conflict due to the bombing of the Southern Water Tribe Cultural Center, the president merely stated that he was doing everything he could to bring the culprits to justice. He asserted his position, and promised only to facilitate a diplomatic resolution between the tribes. As he declared the meeting over, Korra stated that his passivity would lead to the destruction of the South.



Raiko later came by the police headquarters to talk to Chief Lin Beifong about the bombing of the Southern Water Tribe Cultural Center the previous night, threatening to replace her unless she yielded results. After the meeting, he passed by Mako's desk, complimenting him on his good work. Aware that Mako was dating the Avatar, he inquired whether or not he knew if Korra was plotting something that might compromise the security of Republic City. As Mako hesitated, Raiko reminded the young officer of his oath to uphold the law first and foremost at all times. As he turned to leave, Mako confessed that Korra intended to go directly to General Iroh for help. With that information, Raiko made his way down to the docks where the United Forces were stationed, and caught the general and the Avatar plotting to bring the fleet down to the South for training exercises as an excuse to engage the Northern blockade. The president asserted his authority as commander-in-chief and warned Iroh against deploying his fleet without authorization, threatening to court-martial him if he did. He also warned Korra against going behind his back again, strengthening her dislike of him even further.

Attempted kidnapping


Raiko and his wife attended the finale of The Adventures of Nuktuk: Hero of the South as honored guests, having been invited by Varrick in hopes of convincing them to help support the South in the Water Tribe Civil War. Aware of Varrick's intentions, Raiko reaffirmed his position to remain diplomatic in the conflict. In the middle of the mover, Raiko and his wife were nearly kidnapped by four waterbenders, but were promptly saved by Bolin, who subdued the attackers with his earthbending. The president and his wife were secured by several of Chief Beifong's officers to ensure their safety, while Varrick was apprehended for masterminding the attempted abduction.

After the mover, Raiko was approached by Avatar Korra, who once again asked him to reconsider sending support to the South, having discovered that Unalaq's plan was to free Vaatu and destroy the entire world, rather than just occupy the Southern tribe. With this information, Raiko again decided against mobilizing his troops so that he could instead direct efforts to secure the safety of the United Republic.

Harmonic Convergence


As Harmonic Convergence enveloped the world, Raiko, along with Beifong, surveyed Republic City from an airship for an expected attack. Raiko helplessly watched the Dark Avatar, a fusion of Unalaq and Vaatu, destroy his fleet and lay waste to the city. When his airship was shot down by one of the Dark Avatar's energy beams, he was saved by Chief Beifong, who grabbed hold of him and used her metalbending to swing them both to safety on a nearby rooftop.

Aftermath of the Harmonic Convergence


Following the shift in the planet's energy due to Harmonic Convergence and the spirit portals being left open, Republic City became infested with vines and spirits. With no means of removing the vines effectively, Raiko's approval ratings dropped significantly. As the president held a press conference concerning the matter of the vines, Korra showed up and Raiko used the opportunity to put the blame on her and try to highlight the efforts of his administration. Korra hotly reminded Raiko that his administration had been powerless against the Dark Avatar, though before he could react, Lin Beifong separated the two and ended the press conference. Raiko immediately marched back into City Hall.

After being alerted that Korra was undertaking a new attempt to remove the vines, Raiko brought the press to her location to see if she would succeed or not. He watched in amazement as she succeeded with her purification technique, though when the vines grew back stronger than before moments later, Raiko was escorted out of harms way by his bodyguards while Korra, Lin, and Bolin dealt with a collapsing building.



Later in the evening, Raiko came to Kyoshi Bridge as Korra saved a new airbender, Daw. Displeased by the fact that Daw's new abilities, a result of Harmonic Convergence, had caused a lot of damage to the city, the president demanded to know if these crises would become a regular part of life. When told that the spirits and the vines were there to stay and that he should grow accustomed to them, Raiko retaliated by saying that he knew someone who was not staying and subsequently ordered Korra to leave the city.

Two weeks after Korra had taken down Zaheer, President Raiko went to Air Temple Island and officially welcomed her back to Republic City, thanking her for stopping the Red Lotus from plunging the world into anarchy. When Lin helped Korra ascend the stairs to enter the temple, Raiko remarked that she was not looking well, noting that the world needed the Avatar now more than ever as the Earth Kingdom was in disarray following the assassination of the Earth Queen and there was the potential for more Red Lotus anarchists to be in hiding. The president subsequently attended Jinora's anointment ceremony as an airbending master, during which her tattoos were revealed.

174 AG
President Raiko was  addressing a crowd of people in the Central City Station ,thanking Asami Sato for connecting The United Republic and The Earth Kingdom with a new railway.

Personality
In making decisions, Raiko has put his own nation over others, deciding not involve the United Republic militarily in a conflict that was limited to only the Water Tribes, instead seeking a diplomatic end to the crisis, going so far as to threaten General Iroh with a court-martial if he went behind Raiko's back and sneaked into the South Pole. Ironically, this single-minded desire to govern Republic City and keep outside affairs away from it led it to being attacked first by the Dark Avatar and, ultimately, the spreading of spirit vines into Republic City.

His stance after Harmonic Convergence has affected his public image, and he refused to acknowledge his mistake in judgment, instead trying to direct all blame for the crisis and the poor condition of the city over to Avatar Korra, belittling her during her attempts to clear the spirit vines. As media pressure continued to bear down on him, he grew more furious with the Avatar, resolving to banish her from the city because of the incident that surrounded the spreading of new airbenders. Later however, Raiko did show concern for the state of the world after hearing of the Earth Queen's death and the growing anarchy as a result of the Red Lotus' actions. He showed Korra genuine gratitude in thanking her for stopping the Red Lotus.

Relatives

 * Buttercup Raiko (wife)

Trivia

 * Raiko is the first known democratically elected head of state in the Avatar World.
 * Raiko likes the Nuktuk chronicles.