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 movie, 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 movie, 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 in order 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. Displeaded 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.

Personality
Raiko has a fault of only listening to himself and not always taking the ideas, opinions or accounts of others or even common sense and logical leadership skills into consideration even when someone as important as the Avatar makes a request that could potentially stop an all out war Raiko rebuffed the logic of aiding the South; a decision that solidified intense hostilities between the South and North. Similar to Unalaq's advise to Korra to be neutral, Raiko did the same, refusing the take sides and giving strict orders to the United Republic's Forces to do the same effectively tying the hands of General Iroh and his men. His reasoning was rather than stomp out a threat before it became one he should prepare for a disaster that would only occur if he did nothing. This ultimately allowed Unalaq to take over the South with only civil resistance and though Raiko's decision was to keep the Republic out of harm's way he ironically allowed a great evil to persist and come to fruition and his city was the first target to the hostilities that followed and his lack of better judgement almost cost Republic City to crumble in the wake of UnaVaatu.

His stance has had an affect of his image, and even now he refuses to acknowledge his mistake in judgement and has instead attempted to force guilt and pressure on the Avatar which has done little to help Republic City and more hinder the Avatar. The Media's campaign against him and the vines growing out of his office and the intense pressure from the Republic's citizens has cracked down heavily on Raiko.

Balance-bringing events such the rebirth of the Air Bending art has only been met with hostility from the president and he refuses to take into account certain factors that do not aid in bringing up his record-low image. Finally when Korra declared that the vines and spirits would only remain in Republic City Raiko completely lost his patience with her and banished her from Republic City.

Relatives

 * Buttercup Raiko (wife)

Trivia

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