| "... this is a royal artifact. It's supposed to be worn by the Crown Prince." |
| — Avatar Roku to Prince Sozin.[1] |
The Crown Prince headpiece's prongs are shaped like stylized flames.
The Crown Prince headpiece is an ancient royal artifact of the Fire Nation intended to be worn by the Heir to the Fire Lord. The crown is composed of two prongs, one on each side, as opposed to the Fire Lord's five-pronged headpiece, which faces the front;[1] in further contrast, this headpiece encircles the top-knot, while the Fire Lord's goes through it.
History
This headpiece was passed down through generations until it was inherited by Prince Sozin, who gave it to his friend, Avatar Roku, as a gesture of friendship prior to the latter setting out on his journey to master the four elements. Roku kept and wore it for the rest of his life as a reminder of this connection.[2]
The Avatar was not wearing the headpiece when he died, as it fell off his bedside table during his frantic escape from his home with his wife, Ta Min.[1] However, the headpiece came into the possession of his daughter Rina, who looked at it in sadness when Fire Lord Azulon came to her house to have Ozai propose to Ursa.[3] The object eventually came into the possession of Iroh, Sozin's grandson, who passed it down to his nephew, Prince Zuko, after the latter discovered that he was Roku's great-grandson.[1]
Trivia
- The idea of a headpiece worn by the crown prince is likely influenced by a similar custom during the Han Dynasty of China. When the emperor chooses one of his sons to be his heir, the emperor would personally clasp the headpiece around the heir's topknot and fix it in place with the appropriate hair-stick. The process is shown in accurate detail when Roku did this to his own hair upon receiving the headpiece.
- Although he did not wear it when he died, Avatar Roku always wore the headpiece when he talked to Aang or manifested in the physical world.[4]
- Zuko never wore the headpiece after Iroh gave it to him.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Ehasz, Elizabeth Welch (writer) & Spaulding, Ethan (director). (October 26, 2007). "The Avatar and the Fire Lord". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 3. Episode 6. Nickelodeon.
- ↑ Template:Nickold
- ↑ DiMartino, Michael Dante; Konietzko, Bryan; Yang, Gene Luen (writer), Sasaki of Gurihiru (penciling, inking), Kawano of Gurihiru (colorist), Heisler, Michael; Comicraft (letterer). The Search Part One (March 20, 2013), Dark Horse Comics.
- ↑ Throughout Avatar: The Last Airbender.
