| "That's the difference between you and me, Suki. You need to be part of a community, I don't." |
| — Biyu to Suki.[1] |
Biyu was a thief from the Earth Kingdom who ended up as prisoner at the Boiling Rock after becoming involved with a Fire Nation general's son.
History[]
Biyu was arrested due to the intervention of a Fire Nation general with whose son she had a short-lived affair.
Biyu was relatively well known as a criminal, and usually remained one step ahead of the law. However, she eventually met the son of a prominent Fire Army general. The boy fell in love with her, and they had a short affair, though Biyu did not think much of it. In contrast, the boy's mother was quite upset about the relationship and arranged for Biyu to be arrested and transported to the Boiling Rock, a high-security prison in the Fire Nation. She later commented that this taught her to never underestimate the wrath of Fire Nation mothers.[1]
Once there, Biyu had to contend with the harsh prison conditions. At one point, she loudly complained about the food in the cafeteria, raising the attention of a fellow prisoner, Suki. The latter introduced herself, but Biyu initially expressed little interest in talking unless her new acquaintance could do something about the food. When Suki stated that she might be able to do so, the two began to converse about how they ended up at the Boiling Rock. Biyu was impressed with Suki having served as Kyoshi Warrior, considering her own backstory quite mundane. As Suki said that she was sorry about how Biyu had lost her boyfriend, the thief brushed it off, commenting that the general's son had been nothing serious. The Kyoshi Warrior then provided Biyu with some peas to improve her soup. This caused the thief to comment on how any resistance against the prison authorities was made impossible by the prisoners being half-starved due to the horrible food given to them.[1]
This gave Suki an idea; she and Biyu consequently began to collect peas from wild plants that grew at some spots throughout the prison. Afterward, they took inventory. and Biyu expressed her eagerness at dividing the spoils 50-50 to get a decent meal for once. However, the Kyoshi Warrior disagreed, arguing that they should begin to secretly raise pea plants to provide food to other prisoners as well. The thief initially raised objections, expressing no interest in helping the others, but Suki pointed out that organizing better food might help at mobilizing the prison population for a breakout attempt. Though unconvinced, Biyu agreed to follow Suki's lead by admitting that the Kyoshi Warrior was "the boss".[1]
Biyu and Suki tend to dumpling weed at their secret garden.
Over the next two weeks, Suki and Biyu cultivated a small garden and built a secret passage to it through the laundry room. They were joined by several prisoners as allies, such as Qing and Han. When the warden made a surprise inspection in the laundry room, Han alerted Suki and Biyu to his presence, and they hid in the laundry while he confronted the other prisoners. Afterward, Biyu talked to Suki in the courtyard about what had happened, surprised that the other prisoners would look out for them. Suki took the chance to explain her belief that community was more important than an individual advantage, as they all stood a chance of escape if they worked together.[1]
In the cafeteria, a guard approached Qing looking for contraband just after Suki slipped some vegetables to him. Before the guard could reach the bowl, the other prisoners stood up for him and crowded around the guard, throwing their food at them before backup could arrive and bent a warning blast of fire in their direction. The prisoners were handcuffed and taken back to their cells, and Biyu came to believe that the plan was proving more trouble than it was worth. She betrayed Suki by telling the warden about her plans, and was rewarded with an elevated position and certain privileges. She was allowed a higher quality uniform than the standard prison rags, was placed in a special cell, and was fed much better food than the standard prison slop. Biyu began to become friends with the guards, and Suki spotted her talking to the guards in her new uniform as she was being taken from the warden's office back to solitary confinement.[1]
Biyu taunted Suki when she confronted her over the betrayal.
Two weeks later, Suki was released from solitary confinement and learned about Biyu's new privileges from the other prisoners. Suki scaled the walls of the prison and knocked Biyu to the floor as she was heading back to her cell, calling her a traitor. Biyu did not deny betraying the group, arguing that she had to look out for herself. Suki asked about the others and the plan to build up their strength to escape; Biyu responded that the plan was Suki's and not her own, and although she once thought that the plan was smart, she had come to realize that she did not need to be in such danger after the fight in the cafeteria. Suki angrily stated that Biyu had betrayed her fellow prisoners to the Fire Nation after they tried to stand up to them, and asked Biyu if she had any loyalty toward anyone. Biyu stated that, unlike Suki, she did not care about community, and only needed to get through her sentence in as much comfort as possible, saying that she would choose the warden over Suki as he owned the prison. Biyu chided Suki for believing that they were friends, before walking away in self-confidence. However, Suki got so angry at this lack of loyalty that she lurched toward Biyu and threatened to throw her over the railing. As Biyu began to panic and apologize, Suki threw her back onto the floor and walked away. Surprised, Biyu mocked her for being a coward after asking if she had just wanted to scare her.[1]
Personality[]
Biyu was a selfish person who always sought her own benefit and completely rejected the idea of charity and sharing among those who suffer. She only accepted social groups if she expected an advantage from them. She was only loyal to herself and to those who could give her the advantage she desired, having no problem betraying her former colleagues. Recklessness was the epitome of her nature, so Biyu despised cowardice.[1]
Appearances[]
Graphic novels[]
Trivia[]
- Biyu was voiced by Deedee Magno Hall when she performed a Dark Horse live reading of Suki, Alone. She also voiced Azula during the streaming.[2]
- Faith Erin Hicks commented that the general's son may have tried to help Biyu escape prison at one point.[3]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Hicks, Faith Erin (writer), Wartman, Peter (artist), Matera, Adele (colorist). Suki, Alone (July 27, 2021), Dark Horse Comics.
- ↑ Avatar: The Last Airbender - Suki, Alone Live Reading with Voice Actors and Comic Creators. DarkHorseComics - Twitch (September 22, 2021). Retrieved on October 6, 2021.
- ↑ Hicks, Faith Erin (writer), Wartman, Peter (artist), Matera, Adele (colorist), Jimmy Betancourt (letterer). Team Avatar Treasury Library Edition (October 29, 2024), Dark Horse Comics.