Gondola guards

"fire"

- What are you doing?

The Gondola Guards are more like sentries. They stand guard on the gondola platform, making sure anyone that arrives or leaves the island has clearance to do so. They are also there to protect the Gondola from any prisoners who might try to use it to escape. Many of the gondola guards dream about being bumped up to prison guard where they could rough up a few rowdy criminals from time to time.

History
As it is their duty to oversee any gondola traffic, they were present when Hakoda was brought into the prison and were challanged when he, Sokka, Zuko, Suki and Chit Sang, with the warden as their prisoner, planned to escape the Boiling Rock using the gondola.

When the group neared the gondola platform, the guards directed a fire blast at them in an attempt to prevent their escape. Zuko easily blocked this and ordered them to back off because they had the warden as a hostage. The guards had no other option than to let them through. The escapees were already half way on the line when the warden managed to free himself from his mouth gag and ordered the gondola guards to cut the line in order to prevent their escape.

The guards stopped the gondola's progress by jamming its mechanism with two large iron bars. While carrying out the warden's orders and cutting the line with a giant saw, they were attacked by Mai who was "saving the jerk who dumped her". She quickly pinned several guards down before clearing the gondola's mechanism of the iron bars, enabling Zuko and the others to succeed in their escape. In the end, they couldn't prevent the prisoners from escaping, but they apprehended Mai and Ty Lee as traitors after attacking Princess Azula.

It is unknown what became of them after the war, though it is likely that they kept their position as Gondola Guards after Zuko assumed the throne.