Sozin

"With Roku gone, and the great comet returning, the timing was perfect to change the world. I knew the next avatar would be born an air nomad. So I wiped out the air temples. But somehow, the new avatar eluded me. I wasted the remainder of my life searching in vain. I know he's hiding out there somewhere. The Fire Nation's greatest threat…the last airbender."

- Sozin in "The Avatar and the Fire Lord"

Fire Lord Sozin was the instigator of the War, and Fire Lord before Azulon. He was the father of Azulon, grandfather to Ozai and Iroh, and great grandfather to Zuko, Azula, and Lu Ten.

Sozin was the ruler of the Fire Nation for almost eighty years, and lived to be 102 - some claimed that the power of the the Comet prolonged his life. Like every Fire Lord, Sozin was a master Firebender, and his Firebending skills were on par with those of Avatar Roku. The beginning of Sozin's reign was a time of great peace and prosperity in the Fire Nation, causing Sozin a desire to share the prosperity with the rest of the world. In his last years, Sozin ruled the Fire Nation with an iron fist, all the while searching the world for the Avatar. One of his lesser-known military accomplishments was the Battle of Han Tui, which was applauded as a magnificent display of skill and military cunning.

Youth with Roku


In his youth, Sozin and Avatar Roku were best friends and even shared the same birthday, which they celebrated together. It could be said that both of them were also Firebender Masters at an early age, given that Roku was the Avatar and Sozin's family had a natural affinity for their element.

At their 16th birthday party, Roku was told by the Fire Sages that he was the Avatar, and the two friends are forced to separate as Roku goes to learn mastery of the three other elements. Before leaving, comes by to talk and is told by Roku that the sages told him to bring nothing, as the Avatar needed no material goods. By this statement Sozin gives him a gift: the headpiece worn by the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, hoping that he was at least allowed to have that.

The Fire Lord and the Avatar


Twelve years later, Roku returns to the Fire Nation and Sozin has become Fire Lord. At Roku's wedding, Sozin takes the position of his best man. At the wedding, Sozin comments that the Fire Nation is going through a period of great prosperity and tells Roku that together, the two of them could spread it to the world by expanding the empire. Roku is greatly disturbed by this, telling Sozin that the Four Nations are meant to be kept separate and that he should not think of this again.



Several years later, however, Roku discovers that Sozin has set up colonies in the Earth Kingdom and comes to rebuke him, leading Sozin to attack him. The two engage in a battle, with Roku finally destroying most of the palace and defeating Sozin. Roku spares his life because of their past friendship but warns him never to move forward with his plans again, or it would result in his "permanent end".



Twenty-five years later, Roku's home island is consumed in a volcanic eruption so massive that Sozin can see and feel it from a hundred miles away. The Fire Lord flies in on his dragon to assist his old friend. The two use their Bending to try to contain the lava flow but are hindered by poisonous gases, which eventually overwhelm Roku, leaving him lying on the ground and begging for his old friend's help. Sozin suddenly realizes, however, that Roku's death would allow him to fulfill his plans, and leaves his old friend to die along with his dragon Fang.

Invasion


Twelve years after Roku had died, Sozin used the power of a comet to enhance the power of his Firebender army and launched a genocide on the Air Nomads in an attempt to kill Aang, the new Avatar, and halt the Avatar cycle. However, Sozin failed, as Aang had run away from the Air Nomads some time before. Sozin spent the rest of his life searching, so that he could find and destroy the last Airbender.

Sozin produced a son, Prince Azulon, the same year he began the war. It is unknown what kind of relationship Sozin had with his son, but Azulon would come to share his thirst for world domination, and became a terrifying dictator. It is unknown who Sozin's wife was.

At some point during his reign, probably after Roku's death, Sozin started the tradition of hunting dragons for glory. For a Firebender who could kill a Dragon, the original Firebenders, he would be showered with glory and praise, and earn the honorary title "Dragon". This lead to the dragon's near-extinction.

However, it appears at the end of his life that he regrets what he started by stating "As I feel my own life dimming, I can't help but think of a time when everything was so much brighter...".

According to what is learned in Fire Nation schools, Sozin died a very old and successful man, dying peacefully in his sleep.

The War that Sozin started finally came to an end one hundred years later when Avatar Aang defeated Sozin's grandson, Fire Lord Ozai.

Firebending
Being a Fire Lord, Sozin was a powerful Firebending master. When he was young, he sparred with Avatar Roku and defeated him on at least one occasion. When Roku confronted him years later about his actions in the Earth Kingdom, Sozin attacked him by unleashing a massive wave of fire against him, one of the most powerful blasts in the series, even though he did not have access to the power Sozin's Comet provided. However, Roku is easily able to defeat him with the other elements. When he helps Roku tame an erupting volcano, he uses a technique to redirect heat, cooling the lava. The technique he used appears to be similar to Iroh's Lightning redirection move.

Other Skills
Sozin was a very intelligent strategist. When he and Roku were teenagers, Sozin tricked Roku into tripping over a tree root in order to win a sparring match. Sozin's intelligence made him a capable military leader. During the war, Sozin won the Battle of Han Tui by taking advantage of the fact that the enemy had been in the middle of a drought and downwind. According to Azula in a later recounting of the event, their defenses burned to a crisp in minutes.

Quotes
"As I feel my own life dimming, I can't help but think of a time when everything was so much brighter..."

"Customarily my subjects bow before greeting me, but you're the exception."

"Our nation is enjoying an unprecedented time of peace and wealth. Our people are happy and we are so fortunate in so many ways... I’ve been thinking we should share this prosperity with the rest of the world. In our hands is the most successful empire in history.  It's time we expanded it."

"You're loyalty is to our nation first, anything less makes you a traitor."

"Without you all my plans are suddenly possible. I have a vision for the future, Roku."

"With Roku gone and the great comet returning, the timing was perfect to change the world."

Trivia

 * Fire Lord Sozin is written as 烈火君蘇進 (liè huǒ jūn sū jìn). Sozin or Sū Jìn translates as 'resurrection enters'.
 * Sū Jìn could also be a refrence to Sūn Jian, a decendant of the legendary stratigist Sūn Tzū, and the king of the nation of Wū in the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Relatives

 * See Fire Nation Royal Family Tree
 * Azulon (son)
 * Iroh (older grandson)
 * Lu Ten (eldest great grandson)
 * Ozai (younger grandson)
 * Zuko (older great grandson)
 * Azula (youngest great granddaughter)