Azulon

"fire"

- You dare suggest I betray Iroh? My first born? Directly after the demise of his only beloved son? I think Iroh has suffered enough. But you, your punishment has scarcely begun!

Fire Lord Azulon was the ruler of the Fire Nation from 20 ASC - 95 ASC. He was the son of Fire Lord Sozin and the Fire Lord before Ozai. He was husband to Ilah, father to Iroh and Ozai, and grandfather to Prince Lu Ten, Prince Zuko, and Princess Azula.

Azulon's reign was marked by an increased efficiency in the Fire Nation war machine and massive territorial conquests; his leadership in several Earth Kingdom campaigns won him great fame as a general. He was also responsible for the destruction of the Southern Water Tribe, which was nearly annihilated under his orders. Although seen as uncaring and cruel, even toward his own people, he was remembered as one of the Fire Nation's strongest and most effective leaders.

History
Azulon was the ruler of the Fire Nation for seventy-five years until he mysteriously died at the age of ninety-five, five years before the discovery of Avatar Aang at the Southern Water Tribe. Born shortly after the beginning of the Hundred Year War, Azulon was a frightening man who demanded perfection. He ran the Fire Nation with an iron fist, much like his father in his later reign. Following his father's death, Azulon took charge of the Fire Nation at the age of twenty and continued his father's quest for world domination. Eventually, he married a woman named Ilah, and together, they produced two children: Iroh, his mother's namesake, and Ozai. Like every Fire Lord, Azulon was a master firebender; in his time, he was considered one of the best in the world and no one would dare cross him. Ozai noted that Azulon had been a firebending child prodigy, like his granddaughter Azula, who was given his name. Despite his strong leadership, Azulon cared very little for the people of his nation and was more interested in world domination, a quality he passed down to Ozai (and from Ozai to Azula).

Azulon secured many victories against the Earth Kingdom during his reign, expanding Fire Nation territory and increasing colonization of the continent. Under his leadership the Fire Nation continued to push the Earth Kingdom forces east toward the capital of Ba Sing Se; some of his greater military successes included the conquest of the Hu Xin Provinces in the western Earth Kingdom and his victory at the Battle of Garsai.



Azulon was also responsible for the near-complete destruction of the Southern Water Tribe. Starting around 40 ASC, he began ordering attacks on the tribe's main city and villages in an attempt to destroy the tribe, which was seen as a threat to the Fire Nation's domination. The Southern Raiders were created to carry out these attacks. Their main objective was to capture the tribe's waterbenders, who were seen as the greatest threat to Fire Nation dominance. Azulon imprisoned the waterbenders in large internment camps in the Fire Nation. Of those imprisoned, only Hama was known to have survived. These raids were a terrible success; by the time of his death, Katara was the last remaining waterbender in the Southern Tribe, and the southern waterbending style was effectively extinct.

Early in his reign, he commissioned the Great Gates of Azulon to protect the entrance to the Fire Nation Capital.

Death
Five years prior to the release of Avatar Aang, and shortly after the death of Iroh's son, Lu Ten, Ozai demanded that Iroh be passed over as heir, inciting his father's fury. Ozai declared Iroh was unworthy for the throne by allowing thoughts of his son's death to obstruct victory at Ba Sing Se. He claimed that the royal bloodline no longer continued through Iroh upon his son's death. Azulon was outraged at the suggestion to betray his firstborn son and Ozai's bold ambitions, promising to punish his younger son. Azula, who spied on the conversation, later claimed that Ozai was ordered to kill his firstborn son, Zuko, forcing him to understand his brother's personal grief.



Ozai intended to murder his son, however, his wife, Ursa, discovered the plan and plotted with Ozai to gain the throne whilst allowing Zuko to live. According to Ozai, Ursa committed "vicious, treasonous things that night" implying her responsibility for Azulon's death: she was subsequently banished from the Fire Nation.

Trivia



 * Azulon was known to have been Fire Lord for the longest time during the Hundred Year War, for about seventy-five years as opposed to his father, Sozin, who ruled for twenty years during the War, and his son, Ozai, who ruled for five to six years during the War. He was also the second-longest known reigning Fire Lord, after his father.
 * Azulon ruled the Fire Nation for seventy-five years. However, the fire sage crowning Fire Lord Ozai during Azulon's funeral mentions that Azulon reigned for twenty-three years.
 * Azulon was the only known Fire Lord not to have met an Avatar or airbender.
 * In his official portrait, Azulon stood on top of a turtle, an animal that lives both on land and in water, signifying his military successes over both the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes. He also held up two fireballs, reflecting his legendary power in firebending.
 * Princess Azula was named after Azulon.
 * Azulon is the only other person than Azula known to have been named a firebending prodigy.