Mongke

"fire"

- If you're surprised we're here then the Dragon of the West has lost a few steps.

Colonel Mongke is the leader of the Fire Nation group called the Rough Rhinos. His quick wits and ruthless tactics make him a formidable opponent. Mongke is the only Firebender in the group.

Mongke killed Jet's parents, starting the fire in the village with the Rough Rhinos.

Background
Mongke once served under Iroh in the Fire Nation army. Colonel Mongke is responsible for the deaths of Jet's parents and Jet's village is one of the Earth Kingdom villages that the Rough Rhinos destroyed. ("Lake Laogai")

Attacking Chin


Mongke and the rest of the Rough Rhinos attempt to capture the Earth Kingdom town of Chin for the Fire Lord. Colonel Mongke is a typical arrogant, ruthless Fire Nation officer who only cares about capturing cities and subjugating others in the name of the Fire Lord. He doesn't particularly care how much damage he causes the town of Chin or how many people get hurt, just as long as it surrenders to him. ("Avatar Day")

Meeting Iroh and Zuko
The Rough Rhinos attack General Iroh and Prince Zuko, in an attempt to apprehend them. While Iroh appears happy to see them, even complementing their singing abilities, Mongke is disinterested and orders his group to arrest the fugitives. After a brief battle, Zuko and Iroh manage to escape. ("The Desert")

Aftermath
It's unknown what became of Mongke and his men after the war.

Abilities
Colonel Mongke is a capable firebender. He, combined with all the other Rough Rhinos, is very difficult to beat. He is a good tactician and knows which Earth Kingdom towns are weaker than others. Due to his and the rest of the Rough Rhinos destructive weapons of choice, many weak Earth Kingdom towns have fallen or nearly fallen to him. He even came close to capturing the Avatar once. He is also said to be a pretty good singer when in a group.

Trivia

 * His name seems to reflect a Mongolian influence. "Mongke" is the name of Genghis Khan's grandson and means "eternal", which makes sense given that Khan himself has been seen as a destructive warmonger.
 * Mongke is one of the only characters in the entire series to have any piercings. The only other characters with them are Hama and Oh.