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.

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 by a nonbending majority as the United Republic's first president after the United Republic Council disbanded itself 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 mover, 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 mover, 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 so that he could instead direct efforts 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. Displeased 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.

Two weeks after Korra had taken down Zaheer, President Raiko went to Air Temple Island and officially welcomed her back to Republic City, thanking her for stopping the Red Lotus from plunging the world into anarchy. When Lin helped Korra ascend the stairs to enter the temple, Raiko remarked that she was not looking well, noting that the world needed the Avatar now more than ever as the Earth Kingdom was in disarray following the assassination of the Earth Queen and there was the potential for more Red Lotus anarchists to be in hiding. The president subsequently attended Jinora's anointment ceremony as an airbending master, during which her tattoos were revealed.

174 AG
In the three years following the Insurrection of the Red Lotus, President Raiko remained in power and he managed to find a way for the citizens of Republic City and the spirits living in the Spirit Wilds to coincide. At some point, he also renamed Republic City Park to Avatar Korra Park in the Avatar's honor. He also provided political refuge to Prince Wu due to the Earth Kingdom's instability.



In 174 AG, Raiko held a public ceremony for the grand reopening of the Central City Station. During his speech, he specifically thanked Asami Sato and Future Industries for helping to update the rail system and establishing a connection between the United Republic and the Earth Kingdom like never before.

After the ceremonial cutting of the ribbon, Raiko requested Prince Wu's presence to go over some details regarding the aftermath of his coronation as the new Earth King. As the prince expressed his concerns over his safety in the Earth Kingdom, the president tried to reassure him by telling that Kuvira had "pretty much" stabilized the nation, though his words did not truly calm Wu.

President Raiko was later approached by Prince Wu in regards to Mako coming along with him to Ba Sing Se after his coronation even though that was not in the firebender's job description. However, the president readily agreed to the prince's request, using Mako as part of his diplomatic game, despite Chief Beifong's opposition to the transfer.

Later that night, President Raiko attended a dinner at Air Temple Island together with his wife, Buttercup, where they both engaged in an animated conversation with the prince about spa treatments. When an Air Acolyte notified all the dinner guests of the arrival of a ship from the South, Raiko and the others went to the docks to greet Korra, who was scheduled to arrive with the ship. However, the president grew worried about Korra's whereabouts upon learning that she had left the Southern Water Tribe six months prior.



Before Kuvira and her army arrived in Republic City, Raiko was forced by the metalbender to pardon Varrick of the crimes he had committed in the nation. The day before Prince Wu's coronation as Earth King, Raiko oversaw the preparations made on the square before City Hall. He asked Wu if he was excited for his imminent ascension to the throne. Before he could receive a proper answer, however, the prince dashed off and began dancing to show a Metalbending Police Force officer why he could not erect bleachers in a certain spot, which prompted Mako to ask the president if he was certain the world leaders wanted to have Wu on the Earth Kingdom throne. Raiko assured the firebender that they would send a delegation of experienced advisers to Ba Sing Se to handle the day-to-day governing. When Tenzin joined the conversation, he asked him if he had any updates regarding Korra's whereabouts. Receiving a negative answer, Raiko continued to ease the airbending master's worries about Kuvira's growing military, pointing out that she was to step down the following day and that they could then begin correcting any of her mistakes if necessary. As Mako expressed concern about Kuvira's willingness to step down voluntarily, Raiko assured him that everything would be okay, as the metalbender had known from the start that her position was only of a temporary nature and she had given Raiko her word that she would relinquish power when the time came.



The next day, Raiko sat on the podium with the rest of the world leaders from where he witnessed Wu's coronation as the fifty-fourth earth monarch. When Kuvira speeched after receiving the Kyoshi Medal of Freedom, he glanced at Tenzin, who was sitting next to him, in concern when the metalbender announced that she had no intention to relinquish the power over the Earth Kingdom to the newly crowned king, denouncing his authority altogether and appointing herself as the leader of the new Earth Empire. Concerned about Kuvira's declarations, Raiko and the world leaders convened after the coronation and agreed to send Suyin Beifong as their representative to speak with Kuvira and convince her to step down. When Tenzin wanted to leave the city to search for Korra, Raiko asked the airbending master to stay behind and help him find a diplomatic solution for Kuvira's actions.

Personality
As a politician, Raiko strives to find diplomatic solutions to problems that occur within his nation. He is mindful of international politics and will not hesitate to use other people to benefit the United Republic and his own office. He is a prideful man who has difficulties acknowledging his mistakes and will try his best to always save face in a public setting. Under pressure of the media and public polls, he is prone to shift blame to other parties, as he did in the aftermath of the Unalaq Crisis, where he placed all the blame of the sprouting Spirit Wilds on Avatar Korra. However, despite being prone to playing politics, he cares about the people of his nation and strives to protect them as best as he can.

Relatives

 * Buttercup Raiko (wife)

Appearances
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Book Four: Balance (平衡)
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Trivia

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