Long Feng

"earth"

- By silencing talk of conflict, Ba Sing Se remains a peaceful, orderly utopia - the last one on Earth.

Long Feng was the Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se, the leader of the Dai Li, and a very charismatic, influential, and manipulative individual who lusted for divine power. As the Earth King's closest personal adviser, Long Feng hid the existence of the Hundred Year War outside the city's walls while the Dai Li supplanted the king's power over his people.

With the arrival of Avatar Aang and his team to the city, Long Feng captured their lost flying bison, Appa, as leverage should they disrupt the delicate balance the Dai Li created. His ulterior motives were exposed by the Avatar when the Dai Li could not hide all evidence of the Fire Nation's invasion from the Earth King, so Long Feng was imprisoned for treason. However, the Dai Li were still loyal to their leader, and Long Feng struck a deal with Princess Azula to give her the Avatar in exchange for power over the city. She double-crossed him and she won the loyalty of the Dai Li, claiming Ba Sing Se in the name of the Fire Nation.

Seizure of power
Long Feng was the son of a merchant in the Middle Ring of Ba Sing Se. He rose from his humble origins to become the most feared man in the city as the Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se and, more insidiously, the Head of the Dai Li.



As Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se, his position granted him a special relationship with the Earth King as his adviser, but in reality the Earth King was but a figurehead of Ba Sing Se's government, and Long Feng truly held sway over its privatizing affairs. As the Hundred Year War with the Fire Nation spread and refugees began pouring into Ba Sing Se in greater and greater numbers, Long Feng decided to keep all information relating to the War away from the Earth King, thereby appointing himself the sole dictator in matters relating to international affairs.

As Head of the Dai Li, he utilized them as his own secret police to silence anyone who would disrupt the common peace or dare stand against him, secretly imprisoning them under Lake Laogai and using brainwashing techniques to subdue them, just like Jet. This effectively kept the citizens of Ba Sing Se in blissful ignorance and maintained the illusion that there was no war.

He claimed to have preserved the last utopian society left on the planet by covering up all knowledge of the War, when in fact, the totalitarian traits of Ba Sing Se's government are marks of dystopia. His power was so absolute that even the Council of Five could not break through his stranglehold on the Royal Palace.

Encountering the Avatar


Team Avatar arrived in Ba Sing Se to find their bison, Appa, and deliver crucial information to defeat the Fire Nation. However, these actions conflicted with Long Feng's policies in keeping the entire populace oblivious of the War.

Long Feng attended a party being held by the Earth King, for his pet bear, Bosco. There, Katara and Toph were trying to enter but were initially refused entry by a guard, who rejected even Toph's family seal. The girls asked Long Feng to escort them inside; he accepted. After he used his influence to get them through the gates, he introduced himself as a government official. He insisted on escorting them, but when they met with Aang and Sokka disguised as servants, he suddenly disappeared.

All of the kids were soon discovered by Joo Dee, who appeared very frightened that they had defied the orders and entered the palace. Aang was soon exposed as the Avatar, but he quickly smoothed things over with a display of his abilities to entertain the audience until the Earth King himself arrived. Sokka was captured and dragged away by Dai Li guards as the Dai Li bound and gagged Katara and Toph with earthbending.

Just when Aang was about to speak to the Earth King, he was confronted by Long Feng, who revealed himself to be the Grand Secretariat of the Earth King and head of the Dai Li. Aang was then led to a room where the others were waiting.



Taking them to a small, private chamber, Long Feng explained the true state of affairs in Ba Sing Se: that he is in charge of handling day-to-day affairs in the city, including all military matters. The King himself was no more than a figurehead, a beloved icon. Sokka tried to talk about the coming solar eclipse, but was abruptly cut off by Long Feng. To preserve the culture and Utopian life within the walls of Ba Sing Se, Long Feng explained, no mention of the war was permitted. When Aang threatened to talk and tell everyone about the war, Long Feng threatened them with expulsion from the city and that the Dai Li would be watching them.

Any attempts to speak to locals about the Hundred Year War would result in their expulsion from the city. He also cryptically remarked that such an expulsion would make their search for Appa difficult.

Later, he utilized a mimic of Aang's bison whistle to trick Appa into approaching him. He revealed himself to Appa, and, after a swift and powerful earthbending move, trapped the bison underground.

Avatar intervenes and Lake Laogai


Long Feng chastised Joo Dee for failing to control the situation the Avatar's presence had created. When Joo Dee confessed her doubt in ability to complete her assignment, he said the words "The Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai", which placed her in a deep hypnotic trance. He told her to await further orders, and then ordered a Dai Li officer to "quietly" deal with the Avatar, so as to prevent Aang from threatening the Dai Li's control over the Earth King.

This plan unfolded as a brainwashed acquaintance of the Avatar, Jet, and a hired janitor worked to lead the Avatar and his group out of Ba Sing Se under the illusion that Appa had been shipped to a distant island. However, by chance, the group ran into Smellerbee and Longshot, who revealed to the group that Jet was captured by the Dai Li. Eventually, the gang concluded that Jet had been brainwashed. After several attempts, they seemed to break the Dai Li's hold on Jet. He then revealed to them that he was taken to the secret headquarters of the Dai Li, located beneath Lake Laogai.

Battle at Lake Laogai
"You have made yourselves enemies of the state. Take them into custody."



When the group utilized this information, Long Feng and a group of Dai Li agents confronted them, dropping from the ceiling. He watched as the guards engaged in a heated battle with the intruders, then fled the chamber as it became apparent that the Dai Li were losing. He led Aang and Jet, who followed him, into another large chamber and then closed the exit with earthbending. He offered to drop all charges against Aang and his group and reunite them with Appa if they would immediately leave the city. When his offer was refused, he activated the hypnosis command, forcing Jet to attack Aang. However, Aang managed to break Jet out of his trance by reminding him that he was a Freedom Fighter, this time freeing Jet of the hypnosis for good. In a fit of rage, Jet flung one of his swords at Long Feng, who dodged and retaliated with a powerful earthbending move that seriously injured and, in the end, killed Jet. Angrily telling Jet he had chosen his own demise, he departed the scene.



He later appeared with a large group of Dai Li on the lake's shore, where they used earthbending to trap Aang and company. However, Appa emerged from the sky, having been freed earlier by Zuko. He barreled through the stone walls, causing the Dai Li to flee. Long Feng then attacked Appa, arrogantly claiming that he would handle them himself, but his foot was caught in Appa's mouth when he attempted to earthbend. Appa then flung him out far into the lake, leaving the dictator to nurse his wounded pride and a bitten leg from his embarrassing defeat.

Fall from power
"You've beaten me at my own game.' 'Don't flatter yourself. You were never even a player."



Long Feng tried to convince the Earth King that Aang and his friends were lying and that there was no war. He clearly had the advantage, until Aang managed to convince the Earth King to go to the Outer Wall, in exchange for a ride on Appa, showing him the drill, a massive Fire Nation war machine. Long Feng tried to cover it up as a construction project, but the Earth King was completely unconvinced. The Head of the Dai Li was then arrested and tried for conspiring against the Earth Kingdom by his own agents. Despite his imprisonment, Long Feng was reminded that the Dai Li still remained loyal to him.

Shortly after his imprisonment, Princess Azula and her allies infiltrated the city disguised as the Kyoshi Warriors. He and Azula made a deal in order to gain control of Ba Sing Se; he gave her control of the Dai Li so as to lead them while he was in jail, and they managed a coup of the city. However, Azula's ruthless efficiency had such a profound effect on the Dai Li, something Long Feng had feared but was unable to stop.



When Long Feng was eventually released, he ordered them to arrest her, but they hesitated when he did. Azula, having planned this all along, mockingly told him that though he worked hard for his position, he lacked "the divine right to rule" that she had from birth. Without the power of the Dai Li to back him up, he was forced to bow before her as she took control of both the Dai Li and Ba Sing Se. When Long Feng contemplated that Azula had beaten him at his own game, she added insult to injury by stating that he was not even a player.

During Sozin's Comet's second arrival, he was briefly mentioned when an angry Azula criticized and banished her Dai Li agents of being late to be by her side, believing they would eventually betray her just as they betrayed Long Feng.

Personality


Long Feng's desire for power stemmed from his upbringing among the dredges of society. He had to struggle up the societal ladder from the Lower Ring straight to the Imperial Palace, developing his skills of manipulation and influence. Intelligent, ruthless and patient, he was able to achieve his goals by occupying important offices. Long Feng was also capable of corrupting the Dai Li, an organization loyal to Earth Kingdom and Earth King for generations.

However, as Azula pointed out to him later, he was foolish in believing that he could accomplish total control on his own. Even though Azula stated that it was his refusal to acknowledge power as a divine gift that caused his downfall, it was his overconfidence what ultimately led to his fall from power. Controlling Ba Sing Se without any competitors and challenges for years, the Grand Secretariat became careless and very self-confident. During the Coup of Ba Sing Se, Long Feng did not realize that he himself was the victim of manipulation. However, when he recognized the truth, he bowed before Azula and uncomplainingly accepted his defeat, as he realized that any challenge would have been futile, demonstrating his self-discipline and intelligence.

Abilities


As an agent of the Dai Li himself, Long Feng was one of the most powerful earthbenders in Ba Sing Se. Though he preferred to use other people as pawns instead of facing his enemies directly, he displayed considerable earthbending skills on numerous occasions. The first was a situation in which he overturned a huge slab of ground on Appa in order to capture the Avatar's steed. Long Feng also dodged Jet's sword and killed him with a single, well-aimed block of rock.

Long Feng was also knowledgeable in hypnotism, which was commonly used by the Dai Li. By saying the trigger words "The Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai", he could cause people who had been subjected to the Dai Li's hypnosis, such as Jet and Joo Dee, to obey his every word.

Trivia

 * The name Long Feng translates to "Dragon Phoenix" which in Chinese tradition, stands for the royal throne.
 * The position Long Feng held is similar to a royal regent or to a queen in chess, in which he is really in control and victory is left to a king that wields no power.
 * The relationship between Earth King Kuei and Long Feng resembled the relationship between King Emmanuel III of Italy and Benito Mussolini. Mussolini was the Prime Minister of Italy from 1922 to 1943 and proceeded to install a Fascist government after forming an alliance with German dictator Adolf Hitler. He was finally dismissed by Emmanuel and shortly arrested afterwards. However, he was rescued by German paratrooper Otto Skorzeny and later seized power in Northern Italy with German support.
 * Each book included a villain who was introduced and defeated within the book. Book One had Admiral Zhao, Book Two had Long Feng, and Book Three had Combustion Man.
 * Of these three antagonists, Long Feng was the only one who survived, while Zhao and Combustion Man died at the hands of La and Sokka, respectively.
 * He was also one of the few antagonists who opposed the Fire Nation. The others included Jet from Book One, seen briefly in Book Two, and Hama, who appeared during Book Three.
 * The voice actor of Long Feng, Clancy Brown, also voiced the Sergeant in an episode of Phineas and Ferb; the Sergeant advertised his reformatory school as a happy place, but Phineas, Ferb, Candace, and Jeremy discovered it was much worse than what he made it out to be, much like how Long Feng portrayed Ba Sing Se as peaceful and happy, where in actuality it was run under the tight control of himself and the Dai Li, a fact which was later discovered by Team Avatar.
 * Clancy Brown is also famous for voicing Lex Luthor in Superman: The Animated Series and Justice League Unlimited. In both series, he is a villain with great political power, high intelligence and opposition toward the most powerful beings on Earth: Aang for Long Feng; Superman, the Justice League, and Darkseid for Luthor.
 * He wore a queue, a traditional Manchu hairstyle. Han Chinese were forced to wear queues under Qing Dynasty rule.
 * Clancy Brown also voiced Bosco, the Earth King's bear, in the original series, and Yakone in The Legend of Korra.
 * Long Feng and Yakone also share many similarities. Both tried to rule a city, Long Feng through his control of the Dai Li and Yakone through his criminal empire, both were defeated by Avatar Aang, both tried to reclaim their position and take revenge but failed to do so, and both caused the cities they desired to control to fall into the hands of the cities' enemies (the Fire Nation and the Equalists respectively).