Yon Rha

"fire"

- I'm afraid I'm not taking prisoners today.

Yon Rha was leader of the Southern Raiders at the time of Kya's death. He retired from the position two years following the raid that involved Kya's death. Due to being head of the Southern Raiders, it was possible he was a skilled Firebender. Yon Rha was the one who killed Kya.

History
Yon Rha's life prior to the incident with Kya is unknown.

The incident with Kya occurred during a raid on the Southern Water Tribe, when he was charged by Fire Lord Azulon to find and dispose of the last remaining Waterbender in the tribe. He interrogated Kya to find the last bender's location. She tricked him into believing that she herself was the last bender to protect the real Waterbender, her daughter Katara. Yon Rha executed Kya on the spot, explaining that he did not intend to take any prisoners.

After this incident, Yon Rha retired with honor, going home to live quietly with his ill-tempered mother.



Four years after his retirement, Zuko and Katara went to confront him, seeking vengeance for Kya. They found him in the center of his peaceful Fire Nation village buying vegetables for his mother. They ambushed him on the road back to his mother's house, declared that they wanted justice and, after hearing his story, that Katara was the real last Waterbender of the Southern Tribe. Katara began an elaborate sequence of attacks which would end his life, but stopped in the last instant. After hearing Yon Rha begging for his life, even asking them to kill his own mother so that they could be equal, Katara made it clear that she did not intend to attack him, saying that she could not bring herself to kill such a miserable target, as much as she might want revenge. They left him crying and cowering in the dirt of the road with the knowledge that though he could still live, Katara stated she would never forgive him.

His ultimate fate after the War is unknown, although it is likely that he was forgiven by Fire Lord Zuko.