June

"earth"

- Make it your weight and we got a deal.

June is a bounty hunter who travels around the Earth Kingdom. She is a mercenary and has no allegiance to any nation, only the highest bidder for her services.

She is confident and self-assured, possesses a dry sarcastic wit, considered quite beautiful in a dangerous sort of way and has incredible physical strength. June will arm wrestle men in bars on a bet, then squander her winnings on a round of drinks. June wears a headband with a skull adornment, the origin of which is unknown.

June hunts her prey with the help of her mount, a giant beast called a Shirshu; hers is named Nyla. Though blind, the Shirshu "sees" by means of its powerful scent receptors, and June claims it can track quarry across half a continent. To capture her targets June depends on her Shirshu to use its long whip-like tongue (coated in paralyzing neurotoxins) to immobilize them.

History
June originated from the Earth Kingdom where she spent her childhood traveling with her father, who was also a bounty hunter. It was from him that she adopted the tracking and fighting skills she currently employs. June received the Shirshu she now owns from her father when she was just a child. A rare animal collector once took the Shirshu when it was an infant and later gave it to June's father as payment for a bounty, who later gave it to her. The two have grown up together for over seventeen years.

In "Bato of the Water Tribe", June tracked a fleeing target who had stowed on board Zuko's ship and captured him, inflicting mild damage to the ship in the process. Iroh developed a immediate interest in her while Zuko was angered (though quietly impressed) with her inanity and skill. Tracking her down afterwards, they employed her to track down Aang by following his trail after obtaining Katara's scent from her necklace. They successfully found Aang at a nearby Abbey where she was largely occupied with an angry Appa. Eventually the Shirshu was thrown off by a large quantity of perfume that Katara had waterbended over it. As the Shirshu lashed out in confusion, June and Zuko were both temporarily paralyzed. Iroh caught and supported her and was quite content to feign paralysis simply to get close and hold her, although the act clearly annoyed her, she couldn't do anything about it.

After a long absence June reappeared in "Sozin's Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King" where a reformed Zuko and Team Avatar went in search of her hoping to use her Shirshu to find a currently missing Aang; unfortunately, Aang's scent could not be found. Instead Zuko suggested they search for Iroh, hoping he would know; she soon led them outside the broken walls of Ba Sing Se, saying that Iroh was just on the other side of the large pile of debris, and with her job complete she gave a final farewell to the group and was not seen again.

Personality
In June's profession she must mix with a variety of people from unsavory to low life as well as regular characters. Her determination, resolve and superior physical strength have enabled her to get the job done in the toughest of assignments. June's character along with her Shirshu's abilities make her a force to be reckoned with - a fearless and non-fragile woman and rarely misunderstood. June is also confident and decisive; although she seems dark and uncaring, she did not ask for payment from Zuko when he said that the world would be destroyed and needed her help, proving that loyalty to her pocket is not the only consideration.

Trivia

 * Even though she only appeared in two episodes, June has become quite popular among fans, something the creators of Avatar have (half-jokingly) noted.
 * June is featured in the short "School Time Shipping" with her Shirshu, Nyla.
 * June is frequently thought to be from the Fire Nation due to her opposition to Team Avatar and her clothes.
 * June's voice actress, Jennifer Hale, also voices Avatar Kyoshi.
 * In "Bato of the Water Tribe", June treats Nyla very harshly; in "Sozin's Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters," she treats her much more kindly, calling it her "snuffly wuffly". The reason for the difference in treatment is a matter of speculation.
 * There has been some confusion among fans whether her name should be spelled "June" or "Jun". "Jun" is a more authentic Japanese name, used in the animé Science Ninja Team Gatchaman. However, the credits and Nickelodeon website both spell the Avatar character's name as "June."
 * The name June comes from English meaning "The first month of summer." This month was named after Juno, the ancient Roman goddess and queen of the gods. In Greek mythology, she was known as Hera, the protector of women and marriage, which may help to explain the tradition of June weddings.