Ashes of the Academy

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"The generations of headmistresses who came before you didn't teach Fire Nation kids to be strong—they traumatized them! They taught them to fear their friends and be suspicious of their neighbors. All this talk of "great Fire Nation leaders." You didn't make great leaders—you made Azula. You remember Azula, don't you? When she was playing as Fire Lord, she was so paranoid she bandished everyone close to her. The education of Royal Fire Academy gives these kids hurts them. I'm putting an end to it."

— Mai to Headmistress Shihan.

Ashes of the Academy
Creative
Story by	Faith Erin Hicks
Art by	Peter Wartman
Coloring by	Adele Matera
Lettering by	Richard Starkings Jimmy Betancourt
Publication
Issue	79
Publisher	Dark Horse Comics
Date of publication	March 25, 2025
ISBN	978-1-50673-773-7
Pages	80
Last comic	Mystery of Penquan Island (issue order)
Next comic	"Ramen Rumble" (issue order)
Image gallery (37)

Ashes of the Academy is a standalone graphic novel set in the Avatar universe, following Kiyi, Zuko, and Mai after the former enrolls at the Royal Fire Academy for Girls. The book was written by Faith Erin Hicks and drawn by Peter Wartman, in consultation with Avatar Studios, and was released on March 25, 2025. The book focuses on Mai finding her ultimate path and features flashbacks of Mai meeting Azula at the academy when they were children.

Overview

Kiyi, half-sister to Fire Lord Zuko, enrolls at the Royal Fire Academy for Girls! Known for its strict curriculum and even stricter instructors, Zuko worries for Kiyi.

When things take a turn for the worse and a seed of doubt about the new headmistress is planted, Zuko takes action by installing one of the people he trusts most, Mai, as an academy teacher. Can Mai keep a watchful eye over Kiyi and keep her on the right path, or will the academy's cruel culture shape her footsteps into those of her other half-sibling, Azula?

Synopsis

Ursa looks up at the Royal Fire Academy for Girls with a concerned expression, drawing the concern of the nearby Fire Lord Zuko. Ursa explains to him that she is worried about what effects the Academy might have on Kiyi, who is due to start attending that day, citing a belief that the institution may have influenced Azula for the worse. Zuko agrees that the Academy was a harsh place in the past, but assures his mother that things are different now, before promising to protect the new generation of students and encouraging Ursa to believe in him if not the Academy. Ursa grins and replies that she will try her best, and Zuko orders the Academy's gates to be opened.

As the gates are opened, Kiyi enthusiastically runs inside while pulling Ursa along with her, before running off towards the Academy's playground with Lihua, now her friend following the "Kemurikage" conspiracy. Ursa and Zuko watch them go, both of them glad to see Kiyi able to attend the Academy with a friend, with Zuko remarking that the institution should have been opened to commoner children long ago. Ursa jokes about how such a thing would have been seen as an attack on the Fire Nation's traditions, Zuko replying that the Fire Nation should have some new traditions, including teaching its people the truth about the Hundred Year War and their nation's actions during it. Ursa remarks that some people will not take kindly to such changes, before the two of them walk past a group of noble parents exchanging disapproving looks with a group of commoner parents. Zuko admits that not all of the parents of the Academy's students approve of his plans when questioned about such by Ursa, but expresses a hope that they will come around, before remarking that children at least are more open-minded than adults.

Ursa continues to worry; while acknowledging that Kiyi should have the opportunity to make friends and learn proper firebending at the Academy, she again wonders if the Academy's teachings led to Azula becoming someone she could no longer influence, recalling how the institution's students were taught to treat each other. Zuko reminds her that Kiyi is not Azula, and assures her that her youngest daughter will be okay.

In an effort to ease Ursa's concerns, Zuko introduces her to Shihan, the Headmistress of the Academy. He and Shihan greet each other warmly, but things start to sour when Shihan voices a desire to emulate her predecessor and mentor Pearl, who was favored by Fire Lord Ozai. Zuko warns Shihan that he intends for the Academy to be a different place than it was under Ozai's rule, Shihan admitting her concern that Zuko's planned curriculum would serve to coddle her students, whom she sees as the future of the Fire Nation. Zuko denies that his planned changes amount to coddling; he states that he too is trying to safeguard the Fire Nation's future, albeit a future very different than what Ozai had envisioned, and that he expects Shihan to follow his instructions regardless of whatever reservations she might have. Shihan claims that she will do so, and she, Zuko and Ursa turn to welcome the new students.

As the students enter the Academy proper, Lihua admits to Kiyi that she is scared of the other noble students, some of whom are older than them and do not appear to want them around. Kiyi replies that the other students' prejudices are their problem, but Lihua points out that Kiyi is Zuko's sister and thus unlikely to be bullied, an advantage she herself lacks. In response, Kiyi assures Lihua that she will protect her, much to Lihua's gratitude.

Kiyi and Lihua later attend a history lesson. Their teacher begins reading to the class from a book, but stops when she discovers that the book blames the Fire Nation for starting the Hundred Year War, viewing such a claim as accusatory language. Kiyi replies that the claim is nevertheless true, citing Fire Lord Sozin's establishment of colonies in the Earth Kingdom, but while the teacher agrees that Sozin did heinous things in his time, she insists that the present day Fire Nation would never repeat them. In response, Kiyi voices a belief of Zuko's that the Fire Nation's people should learn their history in order to avoid repeating it; the teacher agrees with the sentiment, but replies that she and her class are all Fire Nationals, and she herself was never involved in the Fire Nation's war effort; thus she does not feel comfortable discussing a history that frames the Fire Nation as villains. Kiyi replies that the Fire Nation was nevertheless in the wrong during the Hundred Year War, adding that she does not feel badly about herself despite this when questioned by the teacher; she points out that Zuko was also a Fire National, yet he helped Avatar Aang defeat Ozai and end the conflict. The teacher is momentarily silent upon hearing this, but resumes reading to the class from the book.

During a break period, Kiyi and Lihua race each other to the top of the Academy's playground castle, but find themselves confronted by Diu, Chen and Qiang, three of the noble students Lihua had expressed fear of earlier. Diu offers to let Kiyi hang out with her and the other two noble students, but insists that Lihua leave, decrying the latter as a "peasant". Kiyi responds by insulting Diu, before Lihua suggests the two of them leave, Diu responding by attacking and knocking her off the castle with firebending. Furious, Kiyi attacks Diu with her own firebending.

Following the fight, Kiyi and Lihua are forced to meet with Shihan in the headmistress's office. To Kiyi's fury, Shihan accuses her and Lihua of starting the fight, while making clear that she will not punish Diu, Chen and Qiang on account of their noble heritage. She declares that Lihua will have to stay after school and clean the classrooms as punishment for her supposed role in the fight, and dismisses the two students with a warning to listen to their betters in the future. After they leave, Lihua expresses a desire to return to her old school, but Kiyi reminds her of her assurance that she would protect the her. She declares that Shihan will regret messing with a Fire Nation princess.

The next day, Shihan is taken by surprise when Zuko enters her office and calls her out on her classism, having been told of such by Kiyi. He expresses concern that Shihan is not suited to be in charge of the institution, Shihan replying that she has the support of Zuko's most influential citizens, and that they will continue to back her as headmistress. Zuko reveals that he intends to bring in Mai as a new teacher; remembering Mai as the daughter of former Omashu governor Ukano, Shihan accepts the appointment.

Production notes

Series continuity

• One of the honors Pearl received for work as headmistress, which she left in the Academy for Shihan, is a model of a Fire Nation cruiser.
• When the history teacher said "Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked" while teaching the first-year students, this references the opening sequence narrated by Katara.
• Ty Lee mentions about taking a break from tracking Azula, indicating this may take place after Azula in the Spirit Temple.

Goofs

• Kiyi says that Roku was her "great-great grandfather", but in fact, Roku was only her great-grandfather.
• The map on the wall in history class features Ba Sing Se misinterpreted by the artist with the Agrarian Zone as a giant lake, and Lake Laogai and the inner city as its islands.
• When the history teacher resumes reading from the textbook after Kiyi's criticism of the teacher's criticism of the text, one word is different, changing from "Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked." to "Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. But everything changed when the fire nation attacked".
• When telling Mai how Headmistress Shihan knows who she is, Zuko misnames Mai's father as "Ukeno". This mistake is only present in digital copies of the book, whereas physical copies correctly name him "Ukano".
• In the flashbacks to Mai's time in the Academy, Azula tells her that Peijing lied about being from Fire Fountain City, when she was actually from Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom. However, the fire fountain whose popularity led North Chung-Ling to change its name was made in "Fire Lord" Ozai's image, making it impossible for the city to have that name while Azulon was Fire Lord, Ozai also not expected to become Fire Lord as Iroh was his heir.
• When Mai tells Headmistress Shihan about what happened to Azula when Ozai made her as the new Fire Lord, she said "When she was playing at Fire Lord" instead of "When she was playing as Fire Lord". This mistake is only present in digital copies of the book.

Trivia

• In a preview of the comic published on Edelweiss, notes of the creation process were included in one of Ursa's speech bubbles. These reveal that a friend of Kiyi, Lihua, is meant to be a character previously seen in Smoke and Shadow.
• A Boxed Set collecting it, The Bounty Hunter and the Tea Brewer, and Azula in the Spirit Temple will be released on September 16, 2025 under the name of Fire and Family Treasury.

See also

• List of Avatar: The Last Airbender comics