How

"earth"

- You know well the cost of war. I ask you to exchange one life for many.

General How was the leader of the Council of Five and a longtime veteran of the Hundred Year War. He was essentially the supreme officer of the Earth Kingdom military and the primary military adviser of the Earth King. Although General How's primary duty was to protect and guard the Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se, he was also involved with the Earth Kingdom's war effort outside the wall, providing resources, troops, and intelligence to the generals located in other bases throughout the Earth Kingdom. A man of honor and courage, General How was proud to serve his kingdom in their ongoing war against the Fire Nation. Like the rest of the Council of Five, How was completely loyal to the Earth King.

History
As a loyal general to the 52nd Earth King, Kuei, and the Earth Kingdom itself, he was conflicted about the fact that the Hundred Year War remained a secret from the Earth King, but How, along with the other council members, was forced to obey Long Feng through the might of the latter's Dai Li. The Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se, however, was not interested in winning the war or using Ba Sing Se's resources to aid the Earth Kingdom army outside the wall.

Nevertheless, How did not succumb to resignation because of this, but instead tried his best to help the Earth Kingdom army in fighting the war.



After Long Feng's conspiracy in the city was revealed to the Earth King, How and his men searched Long Feng's office. They retrieved several documents, including a military report revealing the location of the Southern Water Tribe's forces, a scroll from the Guru Pathik, and a letter claiming to be from Toph's mother. Shortly afterwards How and the other council members were making preparations for the Invasion of the Fire Nation during the solar eclipse to end the war in favor of the Earth Kingdom. They used the knowledge Team Avatar had gathered to devise an invasion plan. How finally revealed the plan to Katara, who acted as the representative of the absent Avatar, and declared that the invasion would spell the demise of the Fire Nation. What How did not know at the time was that the Fire Nation recently found out about the invasion plan. The Fire Nation Princess Azula and her elite team, disguised as Kyoshi Warriors, had infiltrated Ba Sing Se and allied with the Dai Li to overthrow the Earth King. During the Coup of Ba Sing Se, How and the other council members were captured by Dai Li agents using metal chains to manacle the powerful earthbenders. Soon after, Ba Sing Se fell and was conquered by the Fire Nation army.

After the Liberation of Ba Sing Se, How was released from prison and reinstated as leader of the Earth Kingdom army. A year after the end of the War, General How was ordered by Earth King Kuei to lead troops to the Fire Nation colony of Yu Dao in order to carry out the Harmony Restoration Movement by force.



At Yu Dao, he reclaimed the Fire Nation colony for the Earth Kingdom. When the Fire Nation troops arrived, How tried to persuade Aang to end Fire Lord Zuko's life, stating that an army with no leader was like a dragon with no head. However, when Toph's metalbending made all the wheels of the Fire Nation tanks come off, he then stated that the analogous dragon now had no legs. Determined to use that advantage, he ordered his troops to arrest the Fire Nation colonials while the Fire Nation troops were in disarray, and later tried to tell the rebels that if they surrendered peacefully, they would be treated with mercy. Nevertheless, at that moment, Kori Morishita attacked him, causing How to tell his soldiers to arrest her, but they were subsequently interrupted by Zuko's firebending. The general and the Fire Lord began fighting each other until Aang earthbent the ground between them, leading the two to be separated and Zuko to fall into a crevice. After Aang saved Zuko from falling to his death, he convinced Kuei to end his military campaign, ending the fight. How returned with the Earth King and his army to the capital.

The Promise trilogy

 * The Promise Part 3

Trivia

 * How's voice actor, Jim Meskimen, also voiced Lieutenant Jee and Avatar Kuruk.
 * How is always seen with a xiao guan, a headpiece used on someone's topknot. This was common amongst Chinese nobility.