Bumi


 * This article is about Aang and Katara's eldest son. For the King of Omashu, see Bumi (King of Omashu).

"air"

- I've tried my best to keep the world safe. Hope I made you proud.

Bumi is Avatar Aang and Katara's first child and eldest son, as well as the only one to be born a nonbender among the couple's three children; he later developed airbending abilities after the Harmonic Convergence of 171 AG. Before his retirement, he was the commander of the Second Division of the United Forces.

Early life


The firstborn and only nonbender among Aang and Katara's three children, Bumi grew into a rambunctious child who needed close supervision. Similar to his sister Kya, Bumi was somewhat distant from his father, who was focused primarily on his Avatar duties, preserving Air Nomad culture, and training Tenzin in airbending.

According to Bumi, he was kidnapped in a burlap sack and forced to join the United Forces, where he became a commander. In the course of his career, Bumi was involved in many missions: he commanded a rescue operation in the mountains near Ba Sing Se; led his men against hostile Sandbender Tribes in the Si Wong Desert; and captured a band of pirates at the Hurricane Straits. The commander also claimed to have participated in a rock-throwing contest, during which he defeated an earthbender, winning a trophy as a result. Because of his achievements, unorthodox tactics, and exceptional character, many of his colleagues, including General Iroh, came to respect him greatly.

170 AG
In 170 AG, during the battle for Republic City, Bumi was sent a wire by Gommu from General Iroh after the latter's fleet was defeated by Equalist biplanes. The firebender instructed Bumi to hide his armada at Red Sand Island until Iroh signaled him that it was clear to attack.

Bumi later arrived at Air Temple Island with reinforcements, crowing and cackling atop his ship, much to the embarrassment of his younger brother, Tenzin, who became annoyed upon the realization that he would have to entertain his hyperactive brother. Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo, however, were delighted to see their uncle.

Retirement and life with Tenzin's family


Six months after arriving in Republic City, Bumi retired from the United Forces and came to live on Air Temple Island with Tenzin and his family. Bumi later stood at a gateway on Air Temple Island that doubled as the finish line to the air scooter race between Korra, Ikki, Jinora, and Meelo, serving as a referee. He waved a checkered flag as Korra passed and declared her the winner of the race. Bumi sided with Korra in her argument with Tenzin when she insisted that she had already mastered airbending, annoying his younger brother. When Tenzin dryly asked him if it were too late for him to rejoin the United Forces, Bumi happily announced that his resignation papers had already been processed and he promised "24/7 Bumi time" for his younger brother, pinching Tenzin's face in a teasing manner.

Bumi continued to tease his brother, as he mocked Tenzin's ability to be relaxed on a vacation, and suggested he accompany them for the purpose of seeing "vacation Tenzin", which Tenzin opposed. However, when Korra interjected that they would first visit the Southern Water Tribe to attend the Glacier Spirits Festival, Bumi joyfully announced that Tenzin could not keep him from accompanying them there, as their mother, Katara, had already invited him.



Upon arriving at the South Pole, the brothers are reunited with their sister Kya, and Bumi teamed up with her to continue teasing Tenzin. At the royal banquet, Bumi mocked Tenzin over being potentially replaced by Chief Unalaq as Korra's spiritual mentor. When the time came that Tenzin was preparing his departure for the air temple, Bumi was allowed to tag along, after their mother had persuaded Tenzin to spend time with his siblings. As Bumi struggled to climb aboard Oogi, Tenzin helped him up with a small air blast.

Family troubles
Upon arriving at the Southern Air Temple, a frustrated Bumi and Kya asked for assistance with their luggage, though ended up severely annoyed by a female Air Acolyte who thought that they were Tenzin's servants. Their irritation grew as the woman reacted sympathetically upon learning that they were not airbenders.



The next day, as the family began relaxing, Bumi interrupted Tenzin's relaxation as he jumped out with an unbuttoned robe and boxers, to the discomfort of his sister. Tenzin subsequently attempted to reminisce about past vacations with their father, only for his siblings to inform him that only he had accompanied Aang on those vacations. Suddenly, Jinora and Meelo arrived without Ikki. Jinora confessed that they had teased Ikki, causing her to run off. Meelo also mentioned a shark-squid in between Pema's questions, which Bumi claimed was his nemesis and became frantic thereafter. Tenzin, Bumi, and Kya then began searching for Ikki.

Traveling far from the temple, Bumi briefly played a prank on Tenzin by pretending to be Ikki hiding in a bush. As Kya rejoined them, Tenzin wondered where he had gone wrong with his children. Kya believed this to be because Tenzin let his duties get in the way of being a father, remembering that Aang was exactly the same way, only for Bumi to squeeze Tenzin's cheeks and say that Aang always had time for the airbender. Tenzin brushed him off, insisting that their father loved them all equally and asked why they were even discussing things long past. After Tenzin ran off, both Kya and Bumi mocked him for running away in the "typical airbender" style.



As night fell, Bumi recounted a search-and-rescue operation he had performed outside of Ba Sing Se, which only irritated his brother, who criticized his embellishing regarding facing three typhoons. Bumi defended that he was only trying to inspire him. Soon after, Kya found footprints leading down the mountain, but instead of following those tracks, Bumi insisted they make their way down the waterfall, convinced that the faster route would be no trouble for benders. His siblings, however, upstaged him by effortlessly making it down to the bottom with their bending. Though Tenzin offered to air lift him down, Bumi refused his help, only to slip and fall into the water. Kya began to heal his head injury and chastised him for failing to accept that he could not do everything a bender could. Bumi disregarded her words, insisting that she was not their mother, prompting Kya to stop healing him and let the water splash on his head. Bumi attempted to turn to Tenzin for support, but his younger brother retorted that he had always been the most childish, whereas he had to be the responsible one. Kya took offense to the remark, stating that only she was willing to move to the South Pole to support their mother after their father had died. Tenzin defended that he had the responsibility of carrying on the traditions of the Air Nomads, but his siblings retorted that he should not be carrying the burden alone, since they are also Aang's children and started regretting joining him on this vacation. Tenzin confessed that he never wanted to bring them along in the first place and told them to return to the temple in case Ikki had returned while he continued searching.



Later the next day, Bumi walked into the air temple sanctuary and stood before the statue of Aang, wondering if he had done enough to uphold his father's legacy and help the world. Kya arrived and assured him that their father is proud of him, giving him a comforting hug. After Tenzin returned with Ikki, Bumi and Kya apologized to their brother for taking out their frustrations on him. Kya pulled out a picture that Katara had given to her before they had left, showing the much younger children with their parents in happier days. A few days later, Bumi witnessed in delight as Meelo orchestrated a ring-tailed winged lemur air show.

Eastern Air Temple
Having arrived at the Eastern Air Temple, Bumi engaged in a discussion with his sister, trying to convince her that he had once won a rock-throwing contest against an earthbender, though their conversation was cut short when Tenzin announced their itinerary for the day. However, before they could embark on the tour of the temple, Korra arrived, pleasantly surprising everyone. Bumi was shocked to learn the events they had missed by being closed off from the outside world, for which he blamed Tenzin.

When it became apparent that Korra needed to enter the Spirit World, Bumi tagged along to several locations where he witnessed Korra and Tenzin meditating in an attempt to cross over. He was shocked to hear Tenzin's confession that he had never been to the Spirit World before, though when his brother listed that as being his biggest shortcoming as a son of Aang, Bumi amusedly welcomed him to the "I Disappoint Dad Club". After Jinora told her dragonfly bunny spirits that is was all right to reveal themselves, Bumi bonded with one of them, as the entity landed and stayed on his shoulder; he named the spirit "Bum-Ju", short for Bumi Junior.



As they arrived at the location to which the dragonfly bunny spirits had lead them, Bumi witnessed Tenzin perform a cleansing ceremony. However, he chided his brother for having chased away the dragonfly bunny spirits. The ritual also drew out a swarm of bat-like dark spirits that promptly attacked them. He ducked for cover and waiting until Korra used Unalaq's purification technique to calm them down.

Bumi spent the remainder of the day waiting with the others while Tenzin attempted to cross over to the Spirit World through meditation. Growing tired, he used a long stick to poke his brother in the back, asking whether or not he was in the Spirit World. When it became apparent that it was not going to work and that it was Jinora's destiny to guide Korra into the Spirit World, Bumi and his siblings remained behind to keep the young benders' bodies safe until they returned.

Later that night, Bumi tried to comfort his brother, who was concerned about Jinora, by reminding him that their father had entered the Spirit World on many occasions. When Tenzin worried that they would be defenseless without their bending, Bumi took offense, stating that this would not hold true for him. As Tenzin failed to develop a reason for the difference in his brother's situation, Kya came to his aid by proposing it was Bumi's positive attitude, to which Bumi responded that he preferred to think it was his "acute intellect and cat-like reflexes". He was advised by his brother to get some rest, offering to take first watch. Bumi told Tenzin to wake him and Kya if "interesting spirit-y stuff" began to happen, such as Korra and Jinora's bodies suddenly beginning to float away. Kya subsequently chastised her brother, and Bumi took a gentler tone, assuring Tenzin that he and his sister were there if he needed them. The next morning, Bumi was awoken by Korra's sudden return to the physical world.

Siege of the South Pole
Bumi subsequently followed his siblings, his eldest niece, and the Avatar back to Republic City. They landed at the Pro-bending Arena, tracking down President Raiko in hopes he would send reinforcements down with them to the South Pole. After the president dismissed the call for help, Bumi traveled with his siblings and Team Avatar toward the police headquarters where he joined in the applause for Mako.



While aboard the Zhu Li battleship from Varrick en route to the South Pole, Bumi occupied himself by playing a flute. When Tenzin suggested breaking through the security forces guarding the Southern spirit portal with brute force, the ex-United Forces commander objected due to their being outnumbered, opting for a more strategical approach. However, when he elaborated on a similar encounter in which he defeated pirates with a feather, two eggs, and a barrel of molasses, Tenzin promptly dismissed it as another one of his crazy stories.

After receiving a distress signal from the Southern Water Tribe rebels, Bumi accompanied everyone else as they traveled to the Southern Water Tribe compound, where they left Jinora's body with Katara. When deciding on how to enter the spirit portal, Bumi once again brought up a similar tale regarding how he had fashioned together a catapult in order to bypass defending sandbenders and reach the water of an oasis. Although he was silenced once again by his brother, his tale inspired Asami to devise the plan of an aerial attack using a biplane and Oogi.



While Asami, Mako, and Bolin served as the distraction, Bumi, Tenzin, Kya, and Korra attempted to enter the spirit portal while riding Oogi. However, their way was blocked by dark spirits, who promptly attacked them. Bumi attacked a dark spirit which had attached to Oogi, declaring that if he went down, he was taking the spirit with him, causing both of them to plunge into the snow, where he resumed his battle with the spirit, using punches and a hidden knife, albeit with no success. However, when he equipped himself with his final item, namely the flute, the spirit's attention was drawn. Noticing the change in the entities behavior, Bumi played a cheerful tune, calming the dark spirit. At that moment, he was joined by Naga and Pabu, whom he cheerfully greeted as being his reinforcements.



Bumi made his way toward the Northern encampment, where he ambushed and overpowered a patrolling guard to steal his uniform. In disguise, he walked into the camp, and, believing all spirits could be calmed and controlled through music, he attempted make them into his army. His plan backfired, as the spirits grew angered by his music and attacked him. He hoped to escape from the spirits by seeking refuge inside a nearby mecha tank, but the spirits entered the engine, causing it to go haywire. In a desperate attempt to regain control, Bumi accidentally fired a tethered cable to the middle tower, causing the tank to circle the encampment and destroy everything. When the spirits made their way into the mecha tank's cockpit, Bumi ejected and landed into the tent where his friends and family were being held captive, knocking over Desna and Eska upon entering.

When they all exited the tent and oversaw the wreckage Bumi had dealt to the camp, a baffled Tenzin inquired how he had managed to accomplish such a feat by himself. Bumi began to explain, though quickly decided against it as he knew Tenzin would most likely not believe him. Bumi entered the Southern portal with his siblings, Korra, Mako, and Bolin, though immediately left with Tenzin and Kya in order to find Jinora.

Finding Jinora


Bumi wandered through the Spirit World, calling for Jinora, though when it became apparent that that tactic would not work, Bumi suggested they locate Jinora's footprints and track them. However, his plan was quickly refuted by Kya, who pointed out that since he did not know whether or not a spirit left a footprint, his tracking skills would be useless. When Kya tried to locate Jinora by following spiritual activity instead, Bumi chided her for believing that would work, since there was spiritual energy in every direction in the Spirit World. He was silenced by his brother, who stated that they needed a spirit guide to help them. However, when the spirit they asked for help turned out to be a malevolent scorpion spider spirit, Bumi and his siblings were chased of a nearby cliff. Completely lost, they wandered around until they eventually encountered Iroh's spirit, who had been alerted of their presence by a Knowledge Seeker. When Tenzin declined his offer to lead them out, they were imparted the warning to not venture into the Spirit World too deeply, lest they end up in a place where only the lost would ever find them. Although Bumi did not understand the cryptic message, his brother did, and Bumi was subsequently led back to the hole of the scorpion spider spirit, where they let themselves be captured and dragged off toward the Fog of Lost Souls.



Inside the bar-less prison, Bumi was warned about the ability of the fog spirit to trap its prisoners in their own darkest memories and drive them mad. When Zhao grabbed hold of Tenzin, believing him to be their father, Bumi freed his brother with the help of his sister, before retreating into the fog, away from Zhao. To prevent losing each other, they tied Tenzin's sash around their midst and continued their search for Jinora. After a while, Bumi became affected by the fog's ability and came under the impression that they were surrounded by cannibals. He subsequently untied himself and ran off, wandering around by himself until the fog completely got to him and he resigned to his mental prison. However, after Tenzin reached spiritual clarity, Bumi was saved by him and led out. As soon as he was out of the fog, he started to regain consciousness; although, he had no recollection of what befell him. He made it out of the Spirit World by following a butterfly light spirit that Jinora had given them.



As they exited the Southern portal, they found the unconscious bodies of Korra, Mako, and Bolin, which they instantly took back through the portal to be healed in spirit water. Together with the others, Bumi defended the Tree of Time against invading hordes of dark spirits, who attempted to stop Korra from defeating the Dark Avatar. They managed to hold on long enough for Korra to save the world. As Vaatu's dark presence was purged from the area, the good spirits returned and Bumi was reunited with Bum-Ju, much to both their pleasure.

Bumi later stood by his family as Korra declared the Water Tribe Civil War to be over and the Southern Water Tribe independent. He happily listened, while cuddling with Bum-Ju, as Korra announced that there would no longer be a separation between the mortal and the Spirit World, marking the start of a new age where humans and spirits coexisted.

Post-Harmonic Convergence


Two weeks after Harmonic Convergence, Bumi was chasing Bum-Ju around Air Temple Island, trying to get the spirit to wear a little sweater he had stitched but it wouldn't fit. Bumi climbed to the tip of a tree branch, but it soon cracked, causing him to fall quickly toward the ground. However, he suddenly found himself airbending to prevent his fall. The former commander quickly ran to tell his family, finding Meelo and Ikki, the latter of whom called for Tenzin at Bumi's request. Bumi tried to tell his brother about his feat and attempted to replicate it, but was unable to do so after several attempts, prompting Tenzin to dismiss him and call the family for dinner instead. At the dinner table, Bumi continued to make attempts at airbending, even blowing on a napkin to make it appear as though he performed the feat. Recalling how he had airbent earlier, Bumi asked Bolin to bend a rock at him, an offer the earthbender declined. Meelo soon threw a plate at his uncle, which Bumi stopped with airbending, thus proving his newfound ability.

The next day, Bumi continuously tried to again airbend, but again had no success. While the family mused over how he could have become an airbender, one potential reason being Harmonic Convergence, Kya told Bumi that she had noticed a change in his aura, angering Bumi, who wondered why she did not tell him earlier. When the group learned that Bumi was not the only nonbender who had become an airbender, Bumi and Team Avatar decided to set off throughout the Earth Kingdom for the new benders, hoping to teach them the ways of and rebuild the Air Nation.

The team set out to the Earth Kingdom on a Future Industries airship, first visiting a village that was home to Kuon, its new airbender. They met Kuon and his family and discussed his new abilities and responsibilities over dinner, but the new airbender refused to join them, desiring only to help his barn and family. After multiple unsuccessful attempts to recruit the new airbenders, the group discussed the best method for recruiting the new airbenders. After Bolin suggested throwing them into potato sacks and dragging them onto the ship, Bumi replied that said method was how the United Forces got him to join. He later assured a disheartened Tenzin that he still wanted to be an airbender, and helped come up with a new plan to dazzle potential recruits. Bumi was going to suggest decorating Tenzin's robes with sequins, but instead agreed with Bolin's idea of an "airbending street performance". During the performance that followed, Bumi demonstrated his airbending with several small gusts of wind from his hands as Bolin remarked on the progress that could be made in just a few weeks of training under Tenzin.

After a young orphan airbender named Kai joined the group, they headed to Ba Sing Se to search for airbenders. Along the way, Bumi and Kai trained with Jinora. Despite Bumi's experience as a fighter, Kai was able to best him, using airbending to sweep Bumi's feet out from under him. Upon helping him up, Kai playfully stole Bumi's wallet, prompting the retired commander to chase him. When the team had settled in Ba Sing Se, they soon noticed that Kai had gone missing. Like the others, Bumi was not able to find him in their house.

The next day, Mako and Bolin returned to the group to inform them that the Earth Queen had been capturing airbenders to conscript into her army. Bumi pointed out that technically the Earth Queen has the right to conscript her own citizens, causing everyone to stare at him. Mako suggested they check out Lake Laogai as a possible hiding place for the airbenders and Jinora suggested that she project her spirit to find them. Ultimately, their search discerned that the Earth Queen was hiding the airbenders beneath her own palace temple. Bumi then came up with a plan to bust them out, suggesting that they infiltrate the temple at night with two insertion teams with a third on the outside. However, he impractically he suggested that they would need twelve tons of blasting jelly, a medium-sized bulldozer and badgermole who knows Morse code. Their party was soon joined by Lin Beifong, who had come to warn Korra that Zaheer, Ghazan, Ming-Hua and P'Li were hunting her, and insisted that she return to Republic City. However, Korra refused to leave without the airbenders.

As night fell, the party managed to get past the guards and infiltrate the temple before splitting up. Korra, Tenzin and Bumi went looking for the airbenders while Mako, Bolin and Jinora went to free Kai. Once the airbenders were freed, Bumi radioed Lin and Asami to bring in their airships to extract them, though Lin failed to understand his use of codenames. When it seemed like the coast was clear, Dai Li agents appeared to block their escape. After the Avatar and Earth Queen trade words, the airbenders fight against the Dai Li. When the airships arrived, Bumi led the airbenders into them and they made a clean getaway.

Personality


When Pema asked Katara if Tenzin and his siblings were as rambunctious as her own children, Katara replied by saying that Bumi was, while Tenzin had always been "rather serious". Bumi is described by General Iroh as being a "bit of a wild man, but the bravest commander you'll ever meet". When he first arrived in Republic City's harbor, Bumi let out a large celebratory bellow as his way of greeting those awaiting his arrival, proving half of Iroh's statement correct. His wild personality stems from the fact that he came from a family of benders and became determined to prove that he can do everything a bender can, a trait he carried since childhood. Bumi later showed an apologetic and vulnerable side over this in front of his father's statue, feeling guilty over not being born an airbender like his father wanted, but hoping that he still made him proud by devoting his life to making the world a better place. Like his uncle, Sokka, Bumi was very proud of being able to keep up with master benders during their respective adventures.

Bumi is also a bit of a story teller, able to turn "a story about buying figs into a feat of derring-do".

Like his niece Jinora, Bumi shows something of an affinity with spirits that his brother does not, easily befriending a dragonfly-bunny spirit whom he names Bum-Ju. The playful nature of the dragonfly-bunny spirits matches Bumi's own, and after the events of Harmonic Convergence, Bumi still maintains a close friendship with Bum-Ju, whom he brings with him while searching for airbenders in the Earth Kingdom.

Airbending
After the Harmonic Convergence of 171 AG, Bumi developed airbending abilities. At first they only manifested when he was in serious physical danger; however after a few weeks of practice, Bumi was able to demonstrate multiple air blasts at will.

Other skills


Bumi is a capable leader, having formerly been a commander of the United Forces' Second Division. He is renowned for his strategic thinking and courage, though these attributes are often overshadowed by his apparent immaturity. He is known to finish his missions using unorthodox and sometimes bizarre strategies, to a point where Tenzin deemed his stories as absurd and convoluted. He describes himself as having an acute intellect and cat-like reflexes, which he proved with his proficiency in boxing and knife-throwing. He also has some degree of physical strength, as he was able to carry both Mako and Bolin at the same time whilst they were unconscious.

Bumi also has some skill playing the flute, enabling him to produce sounds that can subdue a dark spirit on occasion if the entity is perceptible to it.

Appearances
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Book Three: Change (易)
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Trivia

 * Bumi was named after Aang's childhood friend, King Bumi.
 * Both men share a rowdy, wild, and reckless personality, along with a similar dark-skinned and gruff appearance.
 * Until he developed airbending abilities, Bumi was the first known nonbender and non-airbender child of an airbender.
 * He was also the only known child of a member of the original Team Avatar to be a nonbender.
 * While originally fit upon his first appearance, Bumi has since gained weight within the six months following his retirement after the Anti-bending Revolution.
 * Bumi will be more heavily featured in Book Three: Change.
 * Bumi claims that the United Forces threw him into a potato sack to get him to enlist.