Yuyan Archers

"fire"

- Their precision is legendary. The Yuyan can pin a fly to a tree from a hundred yards away without killing it.

The Yuyan Archers were a group of elite, extremely proficient Fire Nation archers. They were used for very stealthy missions where precision and accuracy were vital for success, and they were one of the Fire Nation's secret weapons. Their skill was first demonstrated when one of the archers fired an arrow into the bulls-eye of a target, then fired another arrow directly into the first arrow, splitting it down the middle; this was then followed by a repetition of the feat with a third arrow. Commander Zhao claimed they could pin a fly to a tree from a hundred yards away without killing it. The bow they use is called a recurve bow, and it is known for a much longer range than the long bow; five hundred yards as compared to four hundred yards.

History
Little is known about the history of the Yuyan Archers prior to their servitude under Colonel Shinu as sentries of the Fire Nation's Pohuai Stronghold. After Commander Zhao received his promotion to admiral, surpassing Colonel Shinu's rank, he took control of the archers and employed them in his hunt for the Avatar. When the archers discovered the Avatar, Aang's extreme agility was matched by their expert aim. Outnumbered and simultaneously trying to collect frozen wood frogs in order to cure Katara and Sokka of fever, Aang could not resist the group and was consequently captured. One archer was later instructed to incapacitate the Blue Spirit.

Trivia

 * A possible way to write their name is 玉眼 for "jade eye". "Yu" means "jade" in Chinese and "yan" means "eye". The Chinese believed that jade had magical properties and would prevent the decay of the body.
 * One Yuyan Archer, Vachir, was a member of the Rough Rhinos.
 * Their uniforms, especially the short jackets and poofy pants, resemble Zouave uniforms from the American Civil War, which in turn were inspired by 19th century French Zouave uniforms which also were widely imitated by forces of other nations in the 19th century.
 * The small triangle that is present on Yuyan head bands, and also on Lo and Li's hair bands, is the alchemical symbol for fire.