Iroh (United Forces general)


 * This article is about the general of the United Forces. For Zuko's uncle, see Iroh.

"fire"

- Tell her we will be arriving in three days' time, and that I look forward to winning back Republic City, together.

Iroh is a general and leader of the United Forces. He is also commander of the First Division of the United Forces. Furthermore, he is the grandson of the now retired Fire Lord Zuko.

History
During the Battle for Republic City, Tenzin sent a message to General Iroh requesting the support of the United Forces. The general accepted the request for help and expressed his desire to reclaim Republic City alongside Avatar Korra, traveling alongside his fleet of battleships toward the city.



Once Iroh and his fleet reached the shores of Republic City, they were quickly overwhelmed by the new high-speed aircraft fielded by the Equalists. At one point, Iroh himself was on the helm of his ship launching fireblasts at the enemy biplanes, destroying several until he struck a bomb in midair with his firebending. The resulting explosion catapulted General Iroh overboard and into the ocean, where he was later rescued by Avatar Korra.

With his fleet destroyed, Iroh and Team Avatar hid in the sewers of Republic City while they planned to take out an Equalist airfield. To prevent the second fleet from being destroyed as well, Iroh sent a message to Bumi, Aang's son and a United Forces commander, to wait with his fleet until the airfield was taken out. Korra decided to stay in Republic City to deal with Amon, although Iroh did not approve of the idea. Korra insisted and Mako decided to stay with her. The general allowed her to stay, stating that his grandfather would have trusted the Avatar's instinct, and he should as well.

When Iroh, Asami, and Bolin reached the airfield, they were rendered unconscious by the electric fence that surrounded the complex. They were imprisoned, where the group was confronted by Hiroshi Sato, who told them that he had intercepted General Iroh's wire to Bumi and that he knew exactly where his fleet was hiding. Iroh asked Bolin if he was a metalbender, to which the earthbender replied that he was not. Shortly thereafter, Naga broke the three out of their cell, allowing them to head toward the airstrips.



After escaping, Iroh pursued a taxiing biplane down a runway. By utilizing his firebending in a manner similar to jet propulsion, he successfully boarded the plane as it took off, hijacking it and forcing the pilot to bail out.

Once inside, Iroh struggled to control the machine; eventually, however, the general gained control of the aircraft and used it to intercept the flight wing of five aircraft while flying over Republic City. He was able to destroy two airplanes during his initial attack with lightning. Following this, his own biplane was destroyed when an Equalist bola was used to jam the propellers.

Utilizing the jet propulsion technique a second time, Iroh boarded a second plane, fatally damaging another plane with his firebending before commandeering the biplane. During the fight, Iroh's biplane was damaged by the last aircraft which had dropped a bomb on the tail of his aircraft. As the other biplane prepared to continue the bombing, Iroh used his firebending to detonate the remaining bombs in the attacking plane's bomb bay.



Despite his success, Iroh's airplane was too damaged to remain airborne. He unsuccessfully attempted to steer the plane away from Aang Memorial Island and had to bail out, grabbing onto the Equalist banner hanging from the statue of Aang to save himself. Iroh watched as his biplane crashed into the statue's face, causing the giant replica of Amon's mask to fall off into the water. Iroh then thanked Aang for watching over him.

Personality
Iroh is a disciplined and determined young man. Like his namesake, he is very cautious and methodical in his approach during battle. Furthermore, he has shown great bravery on the field, willing to risk his life to aid his allies without hesitation. Despite his senior rank among the United Forces and his status as a member of the Fire Nation Royal Family, Iroh is a humble man, openly showing his sincere gratitude for other people's assistance.

Abilities


As a member of the Fire Nation Royal Family, Iroh has demonstrated great skill in firebending, as shown by his ability to generate lightning as well as use his firebending to propel himself through the air with great accuracy. He also effectively took down numerous airborne planes with only his bending. Furthermore, he is a quick learner, as he was able to figure out how to pilot an Equalist biplane despite his lack of experience with them.

Trivia

 * Iroh is voiced by Dante Basco, who also voiced Zuko in Avatar: The Last Airbender.
 * He shares his name with Zuko's paternal uncle, Iroh. Like his namesake, he also holds the rank of general.
 * Iroh is the youngest general in the United Forces.
 * Bryan Konietzko described Iroh as a "swashbuckling hero-type guy".
 * Iroh is the fourth person to be seen using firebending to propel himself into the air, and the second to have done so without the aid of Sozin's Comet. He is also the first person to do so in The Legend of Korra.
 * Having destroyed many aircraft, Iroh would be considered a flying ace, that is, a pilot that shoots down five or more enemy aircraft. Interestingly enough, he earned it in a day without any prior experience or training, an incredible feat for a real world pilot.
 * After the initial skirmish following his arrival at Republic City, General Iroh gained a burn scar on his left arm reminiscent of his grandfather Zuko's burn scar.
 * The way that Iroh said that if "[his] grandfather would respect the Avatar's instinct, [he should, too]" is very similar to how Zuko would ask himself what his uncle would do.