Warden (Boiling Rock)

For the character from "Imprisoned", see The Warden (Imprisoned) "fire"

- No one has ever, ever escaped from here. I'd sooner jump in the boiling lake myself than let that record fall.

The Warden is the head of the Boiling Rock, and prides himself on the prison's status as inescapable. He is Mai and Tom-Tom's uncle.

History
The Warden first appears when he goes to the cooler to taunt Chit Sang, and warns him not to escape. He tells him that he is very proud of the prison's escape record, and that he'd rather jump into the boiling lake himself than see it broken.

Later, when Zuko is revealed to have been impersonating a guard and is thrown in prison, the Warden comes to visit him, and instantly recognizes him. When Zuko asks him how he knew who he was, the Warden reveals that he is Mai's uncle. He tells Zuko that he broke Mai's heart when he left. He tells the former prince that it would be a good idea for him to behave himself while in the prison, since the other prisoners would not be friendly to him if they found out who he was, implying that he would tell them. When Zuko asks why he doesn't just tell the Fire Lord, the Warden responds that he intends to, but he wants Zuko to stay at the prison first. Presumably after this, he tells Mai that Zuko is at the prison, who tells Azula and Ty Lee.

Later, he discovers Chit Sang's escape attempt when he cries out after being burned by the boiling lake. He orders the escapees be recaptured and placed in coolers, and that the entire prison be placed on lock-down, since there are new prisoners arriving.

The Warden goes out to inspect and greet the new prisoners. In his usual arrogant fashion, he tells him that their time in the Boiling Rock doesn't have to be unpleasant, so long as they play by the rules. He stops at Hakoda, who refuses to look him in the eyes, and orders him to do so. After a brief scuffle with the Southern Water Tribe chief, he orders the prisoners into their cells.

Next, he goes to interrogate Chit Sang. After asking whether the prisoner is comfortable, and Chit Sang says yes, the Warden kicks Chit Sang over. Chit Sang angrily declares that he won't talk, unwittingly revealing that there was another conspirator. The Warden proceeds to have Chit Sang tortured by being held upside down until the blood rushes to his head, until he talks. Eventually, the prisoner succumbs to the torture and reveals that it was a man disguised as a guard who came up with the plan.

He has Chit Sang pick the fake guard out of a line up, unknowing that he picks out the wrong one. He proceeds to interrogate this guard until he is interrupted by Princess Azula. She tells him that the guard he is interrogating isn't one of the conspirators, and when he asks her how she knows, she simply replies that she is a "people-person".

Meanwhile, outside in the prison yard, a riot is occurring. The Warden goes out to take control of the situation, but is captured by Suki while she, Sokka, Hakoda, Chit Sang and Zuko are escaping. The five of them use the Warden as a hostage to get on the gondola.

While the gondola is running, and Zuko, Sokka, and Suki are battling with Azula and Ty Lee, the Warden manages to get out of his restraints and yells for his men to cut the line, preferring to die than see his record broken. Chit Sang and Hakoda manage to restrain him, but not before the damage is done and the guards start cutting the line. However, Mai intervenes and saves Zuko and the others from falling to their deaths. The gondola manages to get to the other side of the lake, and Hakoda tells the Warden that his record is officially broken.

After Ozai was overthrown and the War ended, the Warden somehow managed to earn his niece and Ty Lee their freedom, which shows that even after Mai assisted in the escape that ruined his record at the prison, he still cared for his niece. How he was able to free the two girls is unclear.

Personality
The Warden, being the highest official of the Boiling Rock prison, is very demanding, impatient, yet skilled at what he does. He is particularly proud of the no escape record of the Boiling Rock, a record he would die to keep. He is very bossy and demeaning when he talks to prisoners and guards, with the obvious exception of Princess Azula, who is in a higher position than him. He only treats prisoners well on a few occasions, but mostly in condescending ways. Despite his obvious lack of kindness, he may have a softer side as Mai reveals in the finale that he managed to pull some strings to get her out of prison, despite the fact she helped Zuko, Sokka and the others escape the Boiling Rock and shatter the Warden`s otherwise perfect record of inescapeability. He does also seem to care for his family, as he was angry that Zuko broke up with Mai.

Relatives

 * Mai (niece)
 * Tom-Tom (nephew)
 * New Ozai Governor (brother-in-law, based on facts from Book 3: Avatar Extras)
 * Governor's Wife (sister, based on facts from Book 3: Avatar Extras)

Behind the Scenes
The Warden is voiced by American actor Wade Williams, who has a starring role as Captain Brad Bellick on Fox's television series Prison Break, about a man jailed for a crime he didn't commit, who then tries to escape from prison.

During the previews at the New York Comic-Con in 2008, it was revealed that his design is based on one of the show's staff members, Oh Seung-hyun.