Jin

"earth"

- I have something for you, too. Now it's your turn to close your eyes.

Jin was a girl from Ba Sing Se who developed a crush on Zuko and even asked him out on a date. Not aggressive or assertive, she was nonetheless able to attain her desires in her own kind way. She was understanding, kind, and a true romantic. Like most people in the Lower Ring, Jin's parents were refugees who had moved to the city; though they struggled most of their lives, they were strong and able to provide for their family.

Date with Zuko
Jin frequently visited the tea shop where Iroh and Zuko were employed, convincing Zuko that she knew they were from the Fire Nation. Iroh, however, immediately contradicted Zuko's suspicions and told him that the girl had a crush on him. Jin came up to the counter to pay for her tea and to talk to him; after Zuko introduced himself as Lee, Jin finally built up the courage to ask him out on a date, to which Iroh said that Zuko "would love to". Excitedly leaving the shop, she said that she would meet Zuko there at sun down.

When Zuko emerged from the shop, his hair combed and cleaned by his uncle, Jin immediately went through it to get it back to normal, before pulling him along to a restaurant in the Middle Ring of the city. Trying to make conversation during an awkward dinner, she asked some questions about Zuko and Iroh's background; not being able to tell the truth, Zuko blurted out that they traveled the world a lot as part of a traveling circus. Jin guessed that he was a juggler, to which Zuko reluctantly agreed and was forced to give a performance. After failing miserably at this, Jin took Zuko to see one of her favorite places in the city: The Firelight Fountain.



The Firelight Fountain was renowned for its beauty, and it was also the place where Jin's parents used to meet as teenagers. Excitedly talking about how beautiful the fountain looked when the light of the lanterns that majestically illuminated it reflected in the water, she was saddened to see that they were not lit when they arrived. Noticing her disappointment, Zuko asked Jin to close her eyes while he carefully used his firebending to light the lanterns. To thank him for lighting the lanterns, Jin turned to Zuko to give him a kiss, but Zuko interrupted her by holding a coupon for a free cup of tea in front of his face, to which she replied how sweet he was. She then proceeded to say that she had something for Zuko as well for which he also needed to close his eyes. Obeying her request, Jin softly kissed Zuko on the lips; a gesture he promptly returned, before backing away. When she asked what was wrong, he simply excused himself by saying that it was "complicated" and that he had to go, leaving her standing alone.

Fall of Ba Sing Se


After Princess Azula's successful Coup of Ba Sing Se, Jin was once again at Pao's tea shop watching in horror as the Fire Nation soldiers swarmed the streets of Ba Sing Se and secured the city completely.

Shortly after the Fall of Ba Sing Se, Jin noticed Zuko walking with Mai, called him by his refugee name of Lee, and asked who Mai was. Zuko, clearly uncomfortable at the situation, said that Mai was a friend from the circus, where she was a knife thrower. Joining the charade, Mai offered to teach Jin to throw knives, and she had Zuko stand in front of a fountain with a fish from a nearby market on his head. Mai explained that the trick was in the wrist, and she accurately hit the fish with an icicle. When it was Jin's turn, she tossed the icicle, she barely missed Zuko's head, making him subsequently fall into the fountain.

Trivia

 * Jin (金) is a Chinese surname that literally means "gold". It is also a Japanese name, meaning "gentleness, tenderness".