Fire Nation

The Fire Nation is one of the world's four nations. It is an absolute monarchy led by the Fire Lord. Geographically, the continent is located on the planet's equator in the western hemisphere, and is composed of several islands, and therefore is an archipelago. Its capital is at the Fire Nation Capital. The Fire Nation is home to almost all Firebenders.

The Fire Nation is the second largest nation in the world in terms of population and area. It is second in both of these respects to the Earth Kingdom. The Fire Nation economy is the most powerful in the world, with a strong industrial sector and extensive technological developments.

Regardless of previous boundaries, the Military of the Fire Nation was recently engaged in an imperialistic century long war with the other three nations. The current ruler, Fire Lord Zuko, intends to use Fire Nation resources to help rebuild the world. The Fire Nation Capital is guarded by the Great Gates of Azulon, named after the previous Fire Lord Azulon.

Appearance


Members of the Fire Nation tend to have black or brown hair, amber, gold, brown, or gray eyes, and pale skin, though exceptions such as Ty Lee, Piandao, Shoji, On Ji, and Hide do exist. It is also peculiar how most of the nation is very pale, yet they are the closest to the equator.

Older men tend to sport large beards, mustaches, and sideburns, while younger men are usually clean-shaven, or wear small mustaches and goatees. Women usually wear their hair back, though for special occasions it may be piled on top of the head, or wrapped around a support. Female members of the aristocracy also tend to have long, pointed, well-manicured finger nails, which resemble the long gold "nails" ancient Chinese empresses wore. Almost all citizens wear topknots, often held by a decorative topknot piece indicating their socioeconomic rank. Nobles and politicians tend to ornament their hair with a two pronged, flame-styled piece; the Fire Lord wears a gold, five-pronged piece.

Members of the army wear red and black uniforms that may have gold trim or emblems on them. Traditional colors worn throughout the nation range from deep reds to darker browns, grays, and blacks, with occasional white, or pink. Many citizens wear shoulder spikes, the amount designating social standing (ordinary civilians wear one, nobles wear two, and the Fire Lord wears three, though there are exceptions to these rules). It is observed that aesthetically, the clothing, architecture, and general visual style of the Fire Nation resembles that of the Chinese Qin and Han dynasty period. There are also hints of Indian, Aztec, and Japanese fashion influences.

National Emblem
The national emblem of the Fire Nation is a stylized, teardrop-shaped flame forked into a trident of three tongues that taper upward to a point. The insignia is primarily displayed on its flag, uniforms, on the pennants of Fire Navy warships, the sides of their various vehicles of war, and as marking of Fire Nation territory. It seems that the royal family or certain higher members wear the emblem in their topknots. Azula, Fire Lord Sozin, Fire Lord Azulon, Roku, Fire Lord Ozai, Fire Lord Zuko, Lu Ten and Ursa have been seen wearing them.

The Fire Nation flag is a triangle-shaped banner with the stylized flame insignia at its center. Six thin stripes extend from the slanted edge.

Fire Nation currency consists of gold, silver, and bronze pieces of varying shapes and sizes used by Fire Nation citizens to purchase goods and services, and are fashioned with the national emblem situated in the center.

Based on the red Fire Lord's seal on all the wanted posters, Fire Nation is written in Chinese as 烈火國 (liè huǒ guó), literally "Raging fire country". Coincidentally, the term "烈火" is the Chinese way of writing "Agni", the Hindu god of fire.

Geography
The Fire Nation is located on an archipelago of tropical volcanic islands, many still active, that give the nation an unlimited source of power. Because of a warm and humid climate, the Fire Nation is home to a variety of native flora and fauna, though most of the main islands have been stripped of their forests and now consist of grassy plains. Few travel to the Fire Nation, and no nation has ever mounted an invasion against it (although in the War's later years, the Earth Kingdom planned to do so on the Day of Black Sun, but was stopped by the Fire Nation beforehand due to the fall of Ba Sing Se; a later invasion attempt mounted by the Avatar and a band of freedom fighters failed).

The population of the Fire Nation is mostly concentrated in urban centers, though smaller settlements, villages and towns dot the landscape as well. The capital city is on the largest island, situated inside the crater of a large volcano. There are also many industrial establishments where weapons, tanks and warships are built to support the war effort. However, it is logical to say that said establishments were dismantled when Zuko was crowned as the new Fire Lord, in order to promote a peaceful healing of the world.

On the DVD commentaries for Book 3, co-creator Bryan Konietzko talked about how his trip to Iceland inspired the terrain for the Fire Nation.

Natural Resources
The Fire Nation employs skilled metalworkers and blacksmiths who make use of iron and other metals to engender their fortresses and warships. Utilizing coal dug out by prisoners slaving in mines, they are able to power massive furnaces. According to audio commentary, the initial drive for their attempts for expansion was industrializing and having a greater need for resources, in itself a staple of imperialism.

Government


Government System: Absolute Monarchy

Head of State: Fire Lord

Religious Authority: Great Sage & Council of Fire Sages

The Fire Nation is ruled with an iron fist by the latest in a long line of Firebenders, with the most recent leader being Fire Lord Zuko. The Fire Nation's political system is an absolute monarchy that has been waging a century-long imperialist war against the other three nations of the world; the stated goal of which is to create a planet wide empire. They are not above employing genocide to accomplish this goal, having already eliminated the entire nation of Air Nomads, and driven the Southern Water Tribe to the brink of extinction. The idea of an absolute monarchy is reinforced by Azula's comments in The Crossroads of Destiny, stating that "true power, the divine right to rule, is something you're born with".

However, the Fire Nation was not always the tyrannical, militaristic embodiment it is today. A millennia ago, in its earliest years, a council of sages led the Fire Nation who, among several other national interests, were heavily invested in philosophy and spirituality, much like that of the monastic Air Nomad race. The lead sage was known as the "Fire Lord" due to his high level Firebending powers as well as his deep spiritual affinity with the element. Over the years, one lead sage chose to sever ties with the remaining sages and sought to be the sole ruler of the Fire Nation. Now led by the Great Sage, the sages were regulated primarily to spiritual matters but nonetheless still retained some political power over the Nation, with tensions between the two sects increasing with every generation.



The dispute finally reached a state of equilibrium during the course of Sozin's rise to the throne and reign. When still alive during Sozin's rule, the sages remained loyal to Avatar Roku and kept watch over his sanctuary. But following the death of the Avatar, the sages were, after three generations, finally submitted under the Fire Lord's rule and were forced to serve only him, counseling him on spiritual affairs.

Now under the servitude of Fire Lord Zuko, the current Fire Sages are the last of their kind, aging remnants of an era long past when spiritual matters were placed in high importance over military ambition.

Following the defeat of Fire Lord Ozai at the hands of Avatar Aang, Fire Lord Zuko rose to power and ended the century-long war. He has dedicated his rule towards rebuilding the Four Nations in a new era of peace. It is presumed that he also ended the subjugation of the Fire Sages.

See also: Fire Nation Royal Family Tree

Industry
In compliance with its former goal of global conquest, the Nation used to be engaged in shipbuilding, shaping metal and manufacturing weapons including arrows, spear, shields, swords and knives. Aside from this cruder range of weaponry, the Fire Nation stands as the most technologically advanced of the nations, as its inherent knowledge of combustion gives them several Industrial-Age technologies such as advanced metallurgy, tanks, rudimentary explosives ("blasting jelly"), sophisticated catapults, siege drills, and coal-powered ironclad warships. Some of these innovations were commissioned by extorting an expatriate Earth Kingdom inventor, the Mechanist.

Education


The Fire Nation expresses a formal education system which overall is quite similar to real-life school systems. High class public schools can be found on the outer islands, which equate to the upper class suburbs of the Fire Nation. Students in certain schools begin the educational process as soon as they begin Firebending, or for non-benders, as soon as they begin walking. Subjects including history, music, etiquette, warfare, and Firebending are taught to the students by various teachers. However, the educational system works also as a "mind-molding" process, causing students to develop a strong sense of nationality and loyalty to the Fire Lord. Teachers maintain rigid discipline and order and refuse to teach the students the art of dance or any form of self-expression. In addition, censorship and propaganda can be found in articles within history books (e.g. the genocide of the Air Nomads). However, it is highly likely that reforms will be made in these regards under Fire Lord Zuko's reign.

Culture


The appearance of the Fire Nation is based on fire, naturally. Like the other nations, it is based on its elemental color, in this case, red. The majority of the buildings are made of stone. They also have red pagoda-style roofs favored by the Fire Nation. Fire Nation symbols are often put on important or nice buildings for decoration and inside it is common for a picture of Fire Lord Ozai to be kept in an important, visible place. Roads are well-built, neat ones, mostly straight, heading towards the destination, which suits the Fire Nation's ruler's personality - global domination and striving to do that. They hardly ever have bumps in and are made of neat stone slotted in place.

Children are taught that the Fire Nation is the greatest civilization that has ever existed and that the War is its way of sharing its greatness, and that Fire Lord Ozai and his family are great people who are helping the world out. This has caused a cult of personality to build up around the Fire Lord, military, and aristocracy, who are seen as bringing the benefits of Fire Nation culture to the other nations.

Many names of Fire Nation citizens utilize harsh consonants and letter "Z," including Zuko, Ozai, Azula, Sozin, Zhao, Azulon, Kuzon, etc. Though interestingly enough, Piandao does mention to Sokka in Sokka's Master that there are "a million Lees" when aiding him in choosing an alias.

Customs
Fire Nation society places a great emphasis on respect and honor, especially towards the nobility and elders; the concept of the famed Agni Kai stems from these beliefs. Should one be honored enough to be in the presence of a member of the Royal Family, the person needs to prostrate themselves in respect or risk being challenged to an Agni Kai to avenge the disrespected Royal's honor. Upon coming into contact with an elder or superior, it is polite to bow down. Unlike in other parts of the world, this bow consists in placing a hand in a straight fashion with the other placed underneath it vertically. This represents the superior standing with one below him, bowing. Also when receiving an order in the Fire Nation by a superior it is common to not bow, but make the hand symbol. Bowing is required upon greeting to one, when something nice has happened, after business, and leaving. This might be a reference to the practice of unquestionable respect for elders and superiors in India and China.

Likely as a result of the cultural upheavals during the War, women in the Fire Nation are given more freedom than in the other Nations, and are even able (and sometimes encouraged) to join the police and Homeland Defense Force.

Foods
The diet of its citizens consists of noodles, rice, cabbage, tea and lychee nuts. The people are also known for having a taste for foods of a spicier fare, as they enjoy Flaming Fire Flakes, Fire Gummies, Sizzle Crisps, and Fire Cakes. The tea most commonly drunk in the Fire Nation is Spiced Tea.

Cultural Festivals




The "Fire Days Festival" is a traveling street fair in Fire Nation towns and villages, including those situated in former Earth Kingdom territory. Its participants wear stylized hand-carved wooden masks similar to that of Kabuki theater masks, and merchants vendor a wide variety of trinkets and local snacks. The festival's attractions include puppet shows, fireworks, Firebending jugglers and magicians, and overall displays of individual or group bending prowess. As illustrated in its cultural festivals, the Fire Nation employs propaganda to indoctrinate a sense of nationalism and loyalty to the Fire Lord (cult of personality) in its citizens from the earliest age possible (a popular attraction cast Ozai as a hero in a children's puppet show). It was during one of these festivals that Team Avatar met Chey, and eventually Jeong Jeong.

During the summer months around August, numerous Fire Lily Festivals spring up around the Fire Nation to celebrate the flower's blooms, famed as a symbol of fiery passion, and persist throughout their short blooming season.

In "The Puppetmaster", Hama collected a few Fire Nation puppets that look similar to the "Fire Days Festival" ones.

Season
Each nation of the Four Nations is influenced by their own distinct, dominant season. The Fire Nation's season is Summer. Firebenders' powers are slightly enhanced due to the increase in temperature. Most Firebending children are born during the summer.

Military


The Fire Nation military is the strongest of the four nations. Using a fiery comet that greatly enhanced their powers, they succeeded in wiping out the Air Nomads early in the war. Though the Fire Nation fought on two fronts against the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom, they still maintained the upper hand. As the war dragged on, it became clear that the Fire Nation would eventually win if the Avatar did not intervene. The Water Tribe does not have the military might to directly challenge the Fire Nation, and as of "The Crossroads of Destiny", the vast Earth Kingdom has lost its last great military stronghold to the Fire Nation.

Army


The Fire Nation Army is comprised of both normal foot soldiers, who normally wield spears, swords, and shields, and Firebenders. Their cavalry ride Komodo Rhinos. These creatures are a mix between a large rhinoceros and a komodo dragon, and have three horns like a Triceratops and a long whip-like tail. The Fire Nation also has units of metal tanks. These tanks are heavily armored and equipped with fire ports (to allow the crew to fire projectiles, ranging from fireballs produced by Firebending to giant grappling hooks).

In "Zuko Alone", the act of dressing up prisoners of war as faux soldiers to provide fodder was a tactic used by the ancient Mongolians and some Chinese warlords. In "The Storm", one of the generals suggests sacrificing a novice division of troops to provide a distraction, an act used by various military leaders (from both the West and the East) throughout history.

Yu Yan Archers


The Yu Yan Archers are Colonel Shinu's highly skilled unit of archers, and are, according to Zhao, "capable of pinning a fly to a tree from 100 yards away without killing it." They are so skilled that they succeeded in overwhelming and capturing Aang, the Avatar, though he subsequently escaped from custody.

Navy


The Fire Nation's navy comprises coal-powered ironclad warships. In addition to its sturdy properties, the Fire Nation's use of metallurgy to remove impurities from the metal ensures that Earthbenders cannot damage their ships with their powers. These vessels serve many purposes, from ferrying and disembarking troops to providing bombardment with their catapults to creating blockades.

In Imprisoned, captured Earthbenders were forced into labor to work on a mid-ocean shipyard. Knowing that they couldn't bend the metal of the rig, many of the captured Earthbenders lost their will to fight.

The Fire Nation's navy is very powerful and has no equal; Admiral Zhao laid siege on the Northern Water Tribe with hundreds of ships, and the Fire Nation certainly has many more. However, almost all of that fleet was destroyed during Siege of the North, Part II when Aang became the physical incarnation of the ocean spirit, leaving only a few survivors to retreat.

In The Siege of the North, Part 1 with Avatar Extras bonus commentary, one of the commentary bubbles said that the shoulder spikes on Fire Navy uniforms were removed due to their tendencies to get stuck on things.

Azula's Ship


Compared to Zuko's ship, Azula's ship is bigger, faster, and newer. Under Azula's command, the ship is guarded by members of the Royal Procession - an elite group of Firebenders dressed in unique armor serving to protect Azula and hunt down Zuko and Iroh (though they turn out to be no match for either of them). This ship is particularly unique for having a 3-spiked prow, and a pagoda tower. The ship was not seen again after the episode "Return to Omashu", when Azula abandoned it to pursue the Avatar on land with Mai and Ty Lee. However, it recently reappeared as Azula and Zuko's means of returning home to the Fire Nation in the episode "The Awakening". It is unknown what happens when Zuko takes the throne, although it is most likely that the Royal Guards now serve him.

The Southern Raiders
The Southern Raiders are comprised of an elite force of vessels and soldiers tasked with launching the numerous raids on the Southern Water Tribe. Their insignia is a Sea Raven and their uniforms are slightly different from conventional Fire Nation armor, as they are mostly black and consist of a helmet with bird-like ornaments. As seen in "The Southern Raiders", their flagship is fairly advanced, with an unusually large conning tower. The goal of the Southern Raiders is to eliminate all Waterbenders from the Southern Water Tribe, as well as stealing supplies for the Fire Nation. These raiders are presumably the soldiers who captured all of the Waterbenders prior to the show's beginning.

Air Force
The Fire Nation is the only one of the Four Nations that has developed military flying machines, War Balloons and Airships. Towards the end of "The Northern Air Temple", the Fire Nation acquired a War Balloon, a hot air balloon designed by The Mechanist, an Earth Kingdom inventor who the Fire Nation had pressed into service designing weapons and technology. As stated by War Minister Qin, "This defeat is the gateway to many victories." In "The Day of Black Sun, Part 2: The Eclipse", it was revealed that the Fire Nation had constructed many more War Balloons which are now fueled by Firebenders, as well as several massive metal airships. These airships float using large fuel cells on the bottom of the hull, and have dozens of small platforms from which Firebenders launch fire at enemies. In the 4-episode part series finale, Sozin's Comet, Phoenix King Ozai planned to harness the comet's power to lead a massive fleet of Airships to completely burn the Earth Kingdom to the ground. This attempt was stopped by Sokka, Suki, and Toph, along with a little help from Avatar Aang.

The Drill


Main Article: Fire Nation Drill

Seen in "The Drill", this siege engine is a massive drill, designed to breach the outer wall of Ba Sing Se. The drill was originally modeled by the Mechanist and took over two years to construct. As large as a village, it houses an entire brigade of Fire Nation engineers, who are needed to make repairs and clean out pipelines. The Drill is composed of two moving parts which are connected by a series of braces. It works by tearing chunks of stone from structures and grinding them down, dispensing them into water and channeling them out the rear. The Drill was successful in breaching the wall, but was stopped when Aang and Katara teamed up to weaken outer layer of braces. Aang then delivered a final blow to the drill from the exterior, causing the structure to fall apart from the inside out.

The Drill was also accompanied by a fleet of tank-like threaded vehicles with catapults, but these were quickly destroyed by Ba Sing Se's Terra Team.

Notable Places

 * Capital City
 * The Boiling Rock Prison
 * Crescent Island
 * Ember Island
 * Fire Fountain City
 * Jang Hui
 * Roku's Island
 * Shu Jing

Notable Figures

 * Fire Lord Sozin
 * Fire Lord Azulon
 * Fire Lord Ozai
 * Fire Lord Zuko
 * Princess Azula
 * General Iroh
 * Avatar Roku

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