Tagaka

"water"

- How would you like a taste of true freedom? To go where you want and take what you’re owed? Trust me, it’s a better life than whatever dirt-scratch existence you have on land.

Tagaka was a pirate queen, slaver, and waterbender who led a mixed Water Tribe-Fire Nation pirate fleet that ravaged the Earth Kingdom's coast during the early life of Avatar Kyoshi.

History
At some point, Tagaka assumed command of a pirate fleet consisting of waterbenders, firebenders, and nonbenders that called itself the "Fifth Nation". Sh became notorious for her activities, including practising slavery. This brought Tagaka on a collision course with Yun, a Earth Kingdom man believed to be the Avatar at the time, and his companions (including Kyoshi, the actual Avatar). The pirate queen managed to lure Yun's party into a trap on the sea, and captured him while scattering his companions. As she attempted to escape with her fleet and Yun, whom she had frozen in ice, as hostage, Tagaka was confronted by Kyoshi.

Impressed by Kyoshi's resolve and believing that she had potential as fighter, Tagaka offered her to join the pirate fleet, but Kyoshi angrily rebuffed her. She then unleashed her Avatar-powered bending, lifting parts of the seafloor to destroy much of Tagaka's fleet. As chaos erupted and her forces were decimated, Yun's other companions also rallied and counter-attacked. Though utterly confused by Kyoshi's bending power, the pirate queen quickly reacted to the surprising turn of events by attacking Kyoshi to kill her. Two firebending companions of Yun, Rangi and Hei-Ran, intervened and started dueling Tagaka.

Abilities
For much of her life, Tagaka pretended to be a weak waterbender, though she was in fact extremely powerful. She was also a capable swordswoman.