| By Hiroakira Fengxian | See other fanon and fan fiction works from Hiroakira Fengxian. |
This page comprises Hiro's relationships with other characters in the story.
Adopted Relatives[]
Yuan Fengxian[]
When Hiroakira was rejected for adoption into the royal family by Firelord Azulon, Ozai desired to continue keeping the boy within reach, so he called on an old friend of the family to intervene. Duke Yuan Fengxian adopted Hiroakira primarily out of a need for an heir, as most of the illustrious Fengxian Clan had been wiped out by that point. Hiro and his stepfather never really bonded, as Yuan was so ill by that point that he left the actual raising of the boy up to his vassals. If there was one emotion that Yuan felt for his ward, it was curiosity in Hiro's potential, and thus took steps to ensure that Hiro would receive a good education, even going so far as to pestering the swordmaster Piandao into taking Hiro on as a student. When Yuan finally died, Hiro was not very shook up over his stepfather's passing. As Yuan stated in his will, he left the entire Fengxian Estate to Hiroakira, including the vast family fortune, the nobility title of Duke, the family's land holdings, and ownership of Fengxian Heavy Industries. Unfortunately, as Hiro was not yet 16, the young heir would have to live with Yuan's closest remaining kin, Governor Tao Shi Wang of Fubai Dashi. As Hiro would quickly learn, being heir to such a wealthy and powerful position was equivalent to painting a target on the young boy's back, and Hiro would spend the next few years fighting for his very survival.
Haruka Rong Yan[]
Haruka and Hiro have been close for years, and although they haven't managed to get the adoption papers through, they share something similar to a brother-sister relationship. Hiro tends to look out for Haruka's well-being, either personally or assigning one of his officers to look after her. However, Hiro has proven to be less than a good model, especially where discipline is concerned, and he often more-or-less lets her do whatever the hell she wants, and rarely tells her off. Even worse, Hiro actually encourages some of her mischief, such as her frequent raids on the Governor's mansion. Hiro is confident enough in Haruka's economic and organizing skills to put her in charge of Squad 9's paperwork, a task that she not only excels in, but keeps her out of trouble as well. Haruka is Hiro's devoted follower: she looks up to him as a father/big brother figure, and naively believes much of what he says. She is proud of her Big Brother to the point where she'll attack people that speak ill of him. Haruka always misses Hiro when he's off to battle, and constantly pesters him to do things with her, particularly to take her fishing. She can also be jealous over the other women in Hiro's life: although she warmed up to Azula for helping save Hiro from execution (to the point where she refers to Azula as Big Sister), she has essentially declared war on Ty Lee after Haruka witnessed the acrobat playfully flirt with Hiro (she now calls Ty Lee the "Painted Floozy"). Despite this, the two fight just like any siblings, often bickering over pointless things. Haruka is even more aggressive and relentless with her verbal jabs than Hiro, fulling exploiting her status as a small girl to get away with mockery and insults nobody else would.
Love Interests[]
Princess Azula[]
Hiro: "Hey Azula? Serious question, no beating 'round the bush: Do you think we rushed into this engagement thing too quickly?"
Azula: "Uh, yeah, that should be pretty obvious by now."
Hiro: "Yeah, me too. You wanna stay a couple anyway?"
Azula: (smirking) "Uh, yeah, that should be pretty obvious by now."
Hiro: "Yeah, me too. (beat) Was that the entire conversation?"
Azula: "I think it was..."
Hiro: "That was so simple!"
Azula: "We're so simple! Well, you more than me..."
Hiro: "Man, let's hope we don't have to go through all that the next time we have to have a talk."
Azula: "No kidding! I hope we don't end up with wasting thirst from all that nauseating sweetness! I don't know how Ty Lee does it all the time."
Hiro: "Well, you DID find her at a circus. Hey, tomorrow you wanna slip her drugs and make fun of her antics?"
Azula: "Hiro, that's cruel and manipulative! (beat) That sounds like fun! Yeah, let's do it!"
Hiro and Azula have shared a bond ever since they first met as children. It was Azula who found the boy lying half dead on the shore near her father's beach house, and it was Azula who gave Hiroakira his name, based on an engraving she found on a scrap of metal he was holding. Not long afterwards, Hiro saved her from a not-so-dead dragon that she insisted on poking with a stick. Immediately after this incident, her father Prince Ozai quarantined the boy and had him brought to the Firelord. Although it turned out that Hiro wasn't what Ozai was hoping he'd be, Ozai decided to make use of the boy, pulling some strings to ensure Hiro was adopted by the powerful Fengxian family. Believing that Hiro was her find, Azula insisted on seeing him again, and the boy was allowed to the palace frequently to play with the prince and princess. Their friendship was marked by Hiro's stubborn refusal to do what Azula demanded of him in an almost teasing manner. Azula seemed to feel a sort of possessiveness over Hiro, and it used to greatly irritate her when bossing the boy around failed. Still, Hiro would often go out of his way to make Azula laugh, often at the expense of their other playmates. Hiro became close friends with both Azula and Zuko throughout their childhood, and until Hiro's stepfather Yuan Fengxian died it was assumed that Princess Azula and Hiro would eventually be betrothed by their parents. When Hiro was sent to Fubai Dashi to live with Yuan's next-of-kin, the 8-year-old Azula was hurt inside, although she hid her feelings to save face, putting on a cold and indifferent front. It would be over five years before the two would see each other again.
After being pardoned for his trumped-up criminal charges, Hiro would become Azula's bodyguard. Azula decided on this after seeing the massive destruction caused by Hiro during the Red Moon Incident, and decided to keep him as a weapon for her own use. Over the next few months, their relationship could be best described and vitriolic: Azula constantly nagging and trying to boss around Hiro, and Hiro mocking everyone him and acting chronically insubordinate due to his complete lack of fear. Despite their squabbles, the two are still willing to come to each other's defense, such as when Hiro pulled Azula out of Tu Zin after Azula made an escape from their enemies. Azula initially found that she couldn't get a proper read on Hiro, and was unable to find anything to intimidate him with, greatly frustrating her.
After taking over Ba Sing Se, Azula would frequently visit a still-recovering Hiro, if only to trade verbal jabs with the injured boy. Upon return to the Home Islands Ozai subtly encouraged the two to spend more time together, hoping that a successful marriage alliance would give him tighter control over the war industries which were heavily influenced by the Fengxian Zaibatsu. Assigned to several small assignments together, the socially awkward teen couple slowly grew more comfortable in one another's presence, with Azula threatening other girls who showed an interest in Hiro. Observing Hiro's interactions with others their own age outside their group, Azula quickly realizes that Hiro puts on his mocking facade is an attempt to get others to like and respect him, something she believes she can exploit. Eventually this lead to a night of passion. Out of sheer ignorance of how to take their relationship past that, Hiro spontaneously proposed marriage, with Azula saying yes in a moment of surprise and panic. Neither actually wanted a marriage at this point, but neither one was willing to be the one to call it off, especially after Ozai found out and endorsed the engagement. Both were basically fumbling around with no idea what they were doing, and both were too proud to admit it. As a result, they began acting in an increasingly sickeningly sweet manner towards each other, unnerving both friends and family at the display. This ramped up even further when Azula discovered a mysterious amnesiac girl in her bed one morning. Identifying herself as "Tia", she inquired if Hiro and Azula were her parents. Despite initial revulsion, Azula decided to use this turn of events to scare Hiro into calling off the engagement, cheerfully acknowledging Tia as their daughter. Quickly getting over the initial shock and confusion, Hiro realized Azula's power move and decided to beat Azula at her own game, leading to the two to compete to see who could dote on Tia more. Stubborn and determined to win at all costs, the situation rapidly escalates beyond their control, leading Azula to try to "buy" more children at an orphanage, to Hiro claiming he'll outright buy the orphanage itself. Although Hiro and Azula initial use Tia as a pawn in their power struggle, the two slowly become genuinely fond of the adorable waif, to the point where even Azula threatens to murder someone who screams at Tia.
Azula begins using both Hiro's PTSD and physical pleasure as tools to keep Hiro around, undercutting his relationships to other women, reinforcing that any side women will wake up charbroiled and that she's too powerful to die on him .She does this out of fear, especially after the incident at Ember Island made it clear that the majority of other guys are too afraid to stick around her, leading Azula to do everything in her power to make sure Hiro sticks around. Hiro is receptive to this, as his compounding insecurities have lead him to believe that he is basically unlikable and that emotional investment in others will lead to heartbreak and loss, leading him to go along with someone who's compounding insecurities lead her to being aggressively affectionate. Hiro sees Azula as someone powerful and elite on his level, someone who can keep up with him and will not die easily.
The relationship between these two can be charitably described as "dysfunctional". Most of the people who know them are baffled as to how their relationship works; on character even states that one of them should have killed the other at some point, yet they are somehow still together. Later on, Azula begins developing Hybristophilia toward her lover's Blood Knight level of violence.
Friends/Allies[]
Prince Zuko[]
"ZUKO!!! Hahahaha!! How've you been you little scar-faced goofball?!"
"Let me down you maniac, you're gonna break my ribs again!"
"Aww, I've missed you too buddy!"
~one of Hiro and Zuko's typical reunions.
Ever since they were little kids, Hiro has always been Zuko's best friend and unswerving supporter. Although Zuko first saw Hiro lying unconscious on the ship ride home from Ember Island, they officially met shortly before Hiro was adopted into the Fengxian clan. Although the relationship between the two got off to an initial rocky start, they built up a strong friendship during the course of Hiro's frequent visits to the Palace, and became classmates when they were enrolled in the Royal Fire Academy. Although he fell behind Hiro in terms of fighting ability and was increasingly considered weak by comparison, the one trait Zuko possessed that Hiro admired most was the prince's relentless determination. It was this never-give-up attitude that greatly impressed the young Dragon, leading to Hiro's firm belief that Zuko was capable of accomplishing the impossible, something he always encouraged in his friend at every given opportunity. The two became students of Piandao at an early age, and would often train together. Both of them developed their own twin-sword styles, and eventually became some of the best swordsmen of their generation. When his stepfather died of consumption, Hiro was to be shipped to Fubai Dushi, a colony on the mainland, despite the boy's unwillingness. It was the encouragement of Zuko and his mother that gave Hiro the courage to face his new future. Three years later, Hiro unexpectedly ran into Zuko during the latter's exile and search for the long lost Avatar. In private, Zuko revealed to his friend that he felt hopelessness in his mission. To this, Hiro decked his friend in the face and (rather roughly) encouraged Zuko to never give up hope. Despite the long odds, Hiro claimed that he was certain that not only would Zuko find the Avatar, he'd kick his ass and "drag him back to the Capital by his scrawny 100-year-old neck!" The only condition Hiro gave in his moral support was that Zuko would let Hiro take a shot at fighting the "Living God" if possible.
To this day, Hiroakira is Zuko's loudest and most faithful (and possibly his only genuine) supporter, and will duel anyone who tries to slander the fallen Prince. Zuko on the other hand, although he appreciates Hiro's rather enthusiastic support, has no intention of letting Hiro anywhere near the Avatar. This is not out of a fear that he'll steal Zuko's glory or honor, it's because Zuko needs to bring the Avatar in alive, and he's well aware of Hiro's tendency to go overboard in a fight, and his penchant for reckless mass destruction. Anyone can dress up a corpse and claim it's the long-lost Avatar (indeed, many bounty-seeking con artists have tried in the past), and if "The Devil of the West" has become as powerful as the war stories are claiming these days, Zuko would be lucky just to bring back a well-charred corpse. Whenever the two meet, the occasion is marked by Hiro getting excited as a puppy and immediately tackeling Zuko in an over-enthusiastic bearhug. This is something that really irritates Zuko, and he claims that Hiro nearly broke several of his ribs the last few time he did this. Since his exile, Zuko tends to be irritated by Hiro's whole "frivolous" jolly personally, even more so than his uncle Iroh. Still, Hiro takes his old friend's perpetually sour attitude in stride, and often teases him playfully.
Mai[]
Hiro and Mai are not exactly close. The two have a mutually sarcastic attitude toward one another, and get along about as well as a lemurbat and a messenger hawk. Mai often mocks Hiro's enthusiasm and frequently questions his sanity and intelligence, while Hiro often taunts Mai about her ability to hit someone with her knives, and often goads her to try throwing them at him. Hiro is also put off by Mai's lack of appreciation for her family, considering her an ungrateful brat. Hiro finds himself at a loss in understanding the mutual attraction between Mai and Zuko.
Ty Lee[]
"You know, we should really cut down on Ty Lee's sugar intake." ~Hiroakira Fengxian
Ty Lee always had an interest in Hiro, and she used to frequently show off in front of him to try to get his attention. This attraction is apparently one-sided, as Hiro seems oblivious to Ty Lee's apparent crush. While he does like her as a friend, even Hiro finds her constant perkiness a little annoying. Hiro also has few qualms over giving her psycho hallucinogenicpsychohallucinagetic substances simply to amuse himself with her subsequent drug-induced antics. Ty Lee's frequent flirting with Hiro often gets on Azula's nerves, although Ty Lee can't imagine why, since Azula keeps insisting that there is no romantic connection between her an Hiro.
Hiro has acknowledged that she and her snarky sister Ty Woo are indeed far more interesting and tolerable than their multiple sisters, who's almost exact appearance and personality unnerve him, especially when they talked in unison.
Prince Lu Ten[]
"Prince Lu Ten was the kind of guy every boy in school wanted to grow up to be: big, strong a great firebender and solider, a war hero, and great at sports. He was like the walking, talking archetype of a warrior prince from a wuxia novel, and Zuko and I were lucky enough to know him a a first-name basis! He was a fun guy to be around whenever he was home from the front, and he always made time to play with us kids. He'd always come home with more exciting and heroic war stories, like the one where he'd and his men got surrounded and had to fight their way through a whole earthbender battalion. I realize now that he was probably exaggerating on more than a few details, but Zuko and I always hung onto every word he said. It's a real shame what happened to Lu Ten at Ba Sing Se. Also a shame that war in real life isn't as glamorous as he'd always described. Something died in me the day I heard he died. I realized that even the heroes we worship as kids can bite it." ~memoirs of Hiroakira Fengxian
As a child, Hiro and Zuko both looked up to Lu Ten as sort of a big brother figure. Hiro always enjoyed listening to Lu Ten's war stories. Hiro had little time to grieve when he heard of Lu Ten's untimely death, as he was too busy fighting for his life, although he was greatly saddened by the news.
Princess Ursa[]
"I always liked Zuko and Azula's mom, she was really pretty and she was always really nice to me whenever I was around. I always wanted a mom like her. Zuko and Azula never realized just how lucky they were..."
When Prince Ozai decided to bring Hiro back to Caldera, his wife Ursa was the one that insisted that the child be treated as a guest instead of as a prisoner, and nursed the injured boy back to helth herself. Taking pity on the orphan, Ursa repeatedly offered to adopt him, but for more altruistic reasons than her husband. Although she never did get a second son, she nevertheless was very supportive of Hiro, and encouraged her own children to make friends with him. Hiro saw Princess Ursa as the mother that he never had, and was always secretly envious of Zuko and Azula. When Yuan Fengxian died, Ursa and her husband tried again unsuccessfully to adopt Hiro, but nevertheless encouraged Hiro to face whatever lay ahead of him without fear before he was shipped off the colonies. That would be the last time Hiro saw Ursa for many years.
Iroh[]
"Wow. Either your Uncle is scraping the bottom of the barrel for good koans or he's been drinking a lot of Kratom tea. Don't tell me if it's the latter, since I'd have to book him for possessing illegal substances." ~Hiroakira Fengxian
Hiro and Iroh are on somewhat friendly terms, but know each other primarily through Iroh's relatives. Like nearly everyone in the Fire Nation, Hiro saw General Iroh as a hero back when he was young. During their few brief interactions, Iroh was just as polite and friendly to Hiroakira as he was with all children, and it is known that the two once played a game of Pai Sho, to which Iroh recalls Hiro's performance as "certainly no Avatar Kuruk". While Hiro is genuinely sympathetic to Iroh over Lu Ten's death, he feels that Iroh should have finished the Ba Sing Se campaign out of respect for Lu Ten's memory.
Being well-read, Hiro can usually understand Iroh's various metaphors and idioms, although is not afraid to call out weak ones when he hears them. Iroh is not above Hiro's mocking, although Iroh takes it in stride, recognizing it as a facade Hiro puts up to hide his loneliness and poor social skills.
Iroh is one of the few people to recognize the enormous spiritual presence living within Hiro and it's primal ties to firebending, and is thus always polite, respectful, and friendly towards the young man. Iroh even admits that he would've mentored Hiro had he felt that Zuko had not needed him more.
Piandao[]
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!! Yeah, like you could take on Master Piandao! Yeah, okay, sure. Hell, I'm pretty sure I couldn't take on Master Piandao, and I'm a young, strapping firebender with mad sword skills!" ~Hiroakira Fengxian
When Hiro was little, he often struggled to control his firebending. Eventually, his stepfather Yuan decided to attempt to get an old friend of his to instruct him in a different are to teach his young heir discipline and control. At first, Master Piandao was reluctant to take on another student, but after much pestering the swordmaster eventually agreed to teach Hiroakira the way of the sword. Some time afterward, Prince Zuko became another of Piandao's students, and often sparred with Hiro. Hiro was a very quick learner, not only mastering the basics of the sword in record time, but also calligraphy, landscaping, and art. Hiro advanced so quickly in fact, that Piandao himself soon had to personally spar with the boy, as his fellow pupil Zuko and his butler Fat had soon proved to be no longer a challenge after the first summer. Hiroakira came to revere his tutor, as no matter how many times they sparred Piandao would always easily win (the same can't be said for Fat or Zuko however). After several summers training Hiro, Piandao admitted that both Hiro and Zuko were among the most skilled disciples that he had ever trained. However, to the young noble it appeared that no matter how well he fought, it seemed that his master was always somehow disappointed in him. Hiro was unsure, but believed that it was due to his pitifully poor skills in Pai Sho, which Piandao had attempted to teach him.
In truth, Piandao found fault in both of his students despite their promising skills. Zuko was far too irate and easily frustrated, and Hiro was far too arrogant and given to blood frenzy, easily getting caught up in the heat of the moment to pay attention to his surroundings.
Hiro was forced to stop learning from his master after the death of Yuan Fengxian, whereupon Hiro was shipped off to live in the colonies.
The sword techniques that Piandao had imparted to him proved to be a vital lifesaver, as the young Fengxian soon found himself many, many life-or-death struggles either on the battlefield of the Rangyi Uprising, or under frequent attack by a seemingly endless supply of hitmen, assassins, and mercenaries. To this day, Hiro firmly believes Piandao to be the greatest swordsman in the world, with himself "somewhere in the top five", and Zuko "in the top ten".
Colonel Shinu[]
Hiroakira Fengxian and Colonel Shinu are trusted allies, and friends forged in the heat of battle. When Shinu had fallen into General Targutai's trap during the Rangyi Uprising, which left him and his men on the run, cut off, and severely under-supplied, it was Captain Fengxian leading a relief force that saved Shinu and his Yu Yan Archers at the First Battle of Senlin Forest. Although he considers the Captain young, brash, reckless, and highly unorthodox, the Colonel is still owes an immense debt of gratitude to Fengxian, and has decided to keep the existence of the Earthbenders in Squad 9 a secret from his superiors as a favor. When Zhao took credit for Targutai's death from Hiro, Shinu was very displeased and would've stood up for Fengxian had the boy actually bothered to challenge Zhao's claim. This is what initially painted Shinu's view of Zhao as an arrogant glory-seeker.
For all Hiro's arrogance, immaturity, and recklessness, Shinu recognizes that Hiro is someone who will step up and do what needs to be done when the chips are down, and someone who is willing to protect his fellow soldiers at great personal risk. Shinu thus has a far better view of Fengxian than he does of selfish ladder-climbers like Zhao.
Firelord Ozai[]
Ozai always saw Hiro as a pawn to increase his own power, and has constantly tried to gain influence over the boy. Ozai was the first besides Azula to witness Hiro's fight with the dragon on Ember Island, and initially believed that the heavens had delivered the Avatar to him. Ozai didn't share this theory with anyone, and took the boy under his protective custody until he could have the Fire Sages test him. The water and rock tests failed, proving that the boy was not the Avatar, but during the fire test the candle burst into flames and melted in seconds, which the sages interpreted as a sign that the child had a very strong connection to the Spirit World. Although not what he's initially hoped, Ozai still saw Hiro as a very powerful pawn, and when he presented the boy to Firelord Azulon the Prince offered to adopt him. Azulon was rightly suspicious of Ozai's motives however, and refused the request, but did bestow Hiro with the title of Dragon. Wanting to keep the powerful young firebender within reach, Ozai convinced the childless Duke Yuan Fengxian to adopt Hiro as his heir, hoping to eventually gain the backing of the powerful Fengxian Heavy Industries. Ozai encouraged his own children to make friends with Hiro, in order to strengthen Hiro's loyalty to Ozai's side of the Royal Family. The Prince also monitored Hiro's growth and progress, and was impressed at the sheer amount of damage the young noble could cause. Ozai even considered arranging an engagement between his own daughter Azula and Hiro (a marriage between the two would've given Ozai power over Fengxian Heavy Industries, and thus the Nation's war production), until Yuan Fengxian passed away. Upon learning that Hiroakira would be shipped off the colonies to live out the next seven years with Governor Tao Shui Wang, one of Ozai's most bitter rivals, the Prince again requested that the young Duke be adopted into his family, and again Azulon refused. Ozai reluctantly watched as his weapon-in-the-making slipped through his fingers. Even after becoming Firelord, Ozai's attempts to bring the young Fengxian under his control were thwarted by political bureaucracy and red tape, and the Rangyi Rebellion soon forced him to focus on more pressing matters. It was not until after the Winter of 100 A.S.C. that Ozai would find an opportunity to regain his powerful asset, and instructed his daughter, Princess Azula, to personally investigate Hiroakira's imprisonment by Governor Tao for so-called "alleged treasonous acts" while she was in Fubai Dashi.
Ozai, through Azula, would offer Hiro with a royal pardon for his supposed crimes in return for executing Governor Tao for his crimes against the state, which Hiro was more than happy to do. Azula gained permission to appoint Hiro as her personal bodyguard, on the condition that she not endanger the relationship with the Fengxian Zaibatsu's heir. This allowed Hiro to get away with minor insubordination and mockery that no one else around Azula dared attempt. Upon their return to the Fire Nation, Ozai personally congratulated Hiro on his career so far, and had the official records altered to give Hiro the credit he deserved during the Rangyi Uprising, effectively sweeping Zhao's version of events under the rug. Ozai attempted to foster Hiro and Azula's relationship by putting them on minor, local assignments together in the hopes that Hiro would be receptive to an arranged marriage offer. Ozai knew full well that unlike his marriage to Ursa, Hiro was no mere peasant, but a nobleman with very powerful supporters who might cause serious problems if Ozai tried to force the issue. Fortunately for him, Hiro surprised everyone, including himself, by proposing to Azula one night out of the blue.
Ozai quickly recognized Hiro's abrasive nature and tendency to pick fights, and as such initially kept him away from War meeting for fear of causing an incident amongst the military officers that an Agni Kai wouldn't be able to rectify.
Lo and Li[]
Hiro: "Can we get going? Kooky and Spooky over there are starting to get on my nerves."
Lo & Li: (in unison) "We can hear you, you know"
Hiro: "Yeah, and...?"
While the elderly twins acknowledge that Hiroakira Fengxian is incredibly powerful and would make a strong addition to Azula's team, the two find Hiro to be far too boorish and brash for somebody of his noble rank. Hiro doesn't much like them either, considering the twins to be creepy and condescending. Still, the twins are shown to be quite perceptive of Hiro and Azula's mutual feelings for one another, and have stated that a marriage of the princess and the young duke would be very beneficial.
Friends/Foes[]
Aang[]
Hiro has a bizarre friend/enemy with Aang and the rest of Team Avatar in general. The two met on rather friendly terms (a fact helped by neither side knew which faction the other belonged to), and became good acquaintances despite Hiro's relentless snark. Then things took a turn when Hiro discovered that Aang was the Avatar, possibly the greatest challenge he'd ever get to face. After capturing and detaining Sokka and Katara, Hiro promised Aang that he'd release the two if the airbender would fight him one-on-one. Although it seemed that Aang had the advantage at first, he was soon running for his life once Hiro decided to "cut loose", and started using his inhumanly powerful firebending. Aang eventually managed to give Hiro and his Squad the slip, and managed to escape with his friends. Hiro still considers Aang a friend, and looks forward to the day when he can fight him again. Aang however is scared of Hiro now, but their encounter has made the young monk wonder if not everyone in the modern Fire Nation is truly evil.
Hiro and Aang share a number of similar personality traits, including a friendly and open nature, an insatiable craving to see new places and things and make new friends, and a tendency to shirk responsibility in favor of having fun. However, Hiro differs from Aang in that he is far more nihilistic about life, he prefers meat, uses violence as a form of entertainment, and is more mean-spirited about his jokes. Although he has no personal qualms against Aang and doesn't really care about turning him in to the Fire Nation, Aang is an Airbender, a type of foe that Hiro has never had the opportunity to fight before, and he is also the Avatar, supposedly the most powerful being in the world. To Hiro, this makes Aang seem like potentially the ultimate opponent, and that is a challenge that the fight-happy firebender does not want to pass up. Although he does lament that Aang's morals and some of his friends are greatly holding him back from becoming truly powerful.
Katara[]
Like with Aang, Katara didn't think that Hiro or Haruka were Fire Nation, and was initially on much friendlier terms with the two than her brother. Hiro was unconcerned to learn that Katara was a waterbender (he was on vacation, so he felt no obligation to arrest any of them), but felt that the girl had a great deal of potential, and noted that he'd never fought a waterbender before. The friendliness changed when Hiro met the group again, this time armed and ready to fight Aang. Hiro's officers apprehended Katara and Sokka in order to force Aang to stay and fight. Katara felt betrayed about Hiro's identity (Hiro claims that he never said he wasn't a firebender), although Hiro said it was justified since Team Avatar hid their identities as well. Katara and Sokka later escaped custody and managed to flash-freeze Hiro, allowing Aang time to escape. Hiro has no resentment towards Katara for this, and still thinks of her as a friend. Katara on the other hand no longer trusts Hiro for his attempt on Aang's life, going from seeing him as merely abrasive to considering him a dangerous threat.
Sokka[]
During Team Avatar's first encounter with Captain Fengxian, Sokka was (as always) immediately suspicious of the new guy, an impression that was probably reinforced by Sokka immediate adversarial relationship with Hiro's little sister Haruka. Hiro quickly dismissed Sokka as a credible threat, believing that the Water Tribe warrior had more hot air than muscle. Hiro's assumption seemed justified later when he came to fight Aang. Sokka attempted to knock Hiro out with his boomerang, but was dismayed when it just bounced harmlessly off the Firebender's head, prompting Hiro to ask if that was all Sokka had and deemed him pathetic. Hiro's earthbending officers then captured both Sokka and Katara and threw them into a holding cell, forcing Aang to accept Hiro's challenge in order to free them. Sokka would later escape and get his revenge when he knocked a barrel of water on top of Hiro, allowing his sister to freeze him long enough for Aang and the group to escape.
Hiro looks down on Sokka, viewing him as a weak poser who's way in over his head. He is particularly mocking and dismissive of Sokka, and pulls no punches in emphasizing what he views as Sokka's insignificance to Team Avatar. Sokka likewise holds great contempt for Hiro for this, as well as sheer terror for Hiro's juggernaut-levels of strength and resilience. Sokka desperately wants to see Hiro beaten, as much for his own sense of security as for revenge for all the humiliating trash talk.
Toph[]
Hiro met little Toph Bei Fong during the Rangyi Rebellion, when an ambush in the mountains forced Hiro and Haruka to take the long way home through enemy territory. Hiro was initially planning to avoid Gaoling until he was robbed by a female earthbending bandit, forcing him to go after her. Hiro and Haruka ran into a blind 9-year-old earthbender one night, and wound up getting into a fight with her. Hiro didn't hold back even after learning that the "Blind Bandit" was actually blind. They were forced to flee when their tussle attracted the attention of the authorities. Toph later decided to help Hiro in tracking down the thief, and after talking awhile the two became friends. After retrieving Hiro's stolen items, Toph helped Hiro and Haruka escape, but not before making the firebender promise to come back and fight her one day.
Hiro and Toph have a great deal of respect for one another, as both share a mutual love of fighting and mocking others. Hiro likes Toph's puckish attitude and spunk, and is greatly amused that the most gifted earthbender he'd fought was a little blind girl. Hiro has great confidence in her potential, and feels that she could be the toughest challenge the Earth Kingdom has to offer. Toph appreciated that Hiro was the first person she met that didn't treat her like a baby due to her age and her blindness, and his shameless verbal jabs. The young earthbender looked up to Hiro in a sense, and respected him enough to not rat him out for being a firebender.
Enemies[]
Governor Tao Shui Wang[]
Governor Tao is one of the very few people that Hiroakira holds a perpetual grudge against, and Tao feels roughly the same about Hiro. It is very hard to like a person after all when instead of caring for you they send armed men to kill you and generally try to make your life miserable. Tao was always greedy and seeking power, and jumped at the opportunity presented by Yuan Fengxian's death. The only fly in the ointment was Hiroakira, Yuan's 9-year-old heir, but that was a minor detail that Tao thought could be dealt with easily so long as it was dealt with carefully. Taking custody of the young Duke, Tao forced the boy to do exhausting and humiliating chores around the Governor's Palatial island estate until the right preparations could be made. Tao then placed Hiro in the Colonial Force in the 9th District, the most dangerous part of Fubai Dushi, and gave Captain Bao Tai permission to work the boy until he died of exhaustion. Bao Tai's abuse continued until Hiro challenged him to an Agni Kai, which presented Tao with a golden opportunity to dispose of the little obstacle cleanly and legally. Tao was genuinely shocked and terrified when Hiro proceeded to tear Bao Tai apart and burn him alive, becoming captain of the 9th Division as per the conditions of the duel. To keep Hiro from repeating the slaughter on him, Tao passed several ordinances forbidding Agni Kai's between military officers and government officials in the city, and began to send assassins to try to murder Hiro quietly, although they all failed. Tao soon began to cut funding for Squad 9, hoping to starve out the motley group, until Hiro began arranging graft agreements with the local underworld. Growing increasingly frustrated, Governor Tao began sending Squad 9 out to combat the growing Rangyi Movement, often under-supplied, under-informed and under-manned, hoping that the little nuisance would be taken care of by the earthbenders. His hatred of Fengxian grew every time the Captain and his men returned home alive. When Hiro went missing during a mountain crossing, Tao pushed to have the boy declared legally dead only for the plucky young captain to return to Fubai Dushi mere days before the paperwork could be finalized. The portly Governor became obsessed with destroying Fengxian, even risking the safety of Fubai Dushi to send Hiro off to die in what would become known as the Battle of Blood Road. Tao resorted to suppressing or tarnishing Captain Fengxian's growing clout however he could, mostly out of spite, and always made sure to confiscate any correspondence between the young Duke and the Fire Nation Capital. As Hiro drew closer to reaching 16, Governor Tao, out of ideas, assassins and suicide missions, immediately jumped on the opportunity presented when word reached his ears that the Captain of the 9th Division was illegally harboring unlicensed earthbenders.
His subsequent orders to arrest Fengxian lead to the Red Moon Incident, where Hiro transformed into a giant rampaging spirit monster that destroyed part of Fubai Dashi, much to Tao's horror. When the rampage subsided, Tao had Hiro imprisoned under ludicrously heavy restraints as he prepared a very public execution. Many officers of Squad 9 were arrested and executed for aiding and abetting Hiro. The intervention and investigations of Princess Azula on the other hand thwarted all his schemes, exposing Tao as a profiteer and a tax cheat who undermined the war effort for personal gain. The coup de grace was delivered by none other than Hiro Fengxian himself, who rather gruesomely executed Tao, taking vengeance for years of hardship and misery.
Captain Bao Tai[]
General Targutai[]
The leader of the Rangyi Movement, Targutai's brilliance on the battlefield and his ability to gain support for his cause rivaled his xenophobic hatred of the Fire Nation, his utter ruthlessness in his attempt to destroy the "inhuman invaders", and his supremely inflated ego. Although Hiro fought many of Targutai's troops during the rebellion, it wasn't until the Battle of Blood Road that the two finally met face-to-face. Targutai had led his own personal army in a pincer move to annihilate what remained of the forces under Lt. Colonel Shinu, and Captain Fengxian had led a detachment to resupply and reinforce Shinu, unintentionally finding himself trapped along with Shinu near an old farm in Senlin Forrest. Rather than surrender, Hiro decided that their best chance would be to stand and fight, and to this end he led a night raid on the Rangyi camp in order to draw them onto the battlefield. Having his personal standard stolen and his tent set on fire by a mere boy was too much for Targutai's vanity, and threw caution to the wind in an attempt to take revenge for this insult. The two would meet for a second time that day during the pre-battle parley, where Targutai demanded that the young Fire Nation Duke surrender and bow down to the General personally. Captain Fengxian apparently made a number of rude comments which sent his adversary into a blind rage, because Targutai immediately ordered his troops to charge after the Captain, only for his men to become bogged down in the mud. The two warriors would meet later that day when Fengxian had inadvertently gotten far ahead of his own men, having carved his way straight to General Targutai's position by accident. The young firebender immediately took Targutai by surprise when he lobbed his sasumata at the general, knocking him off of his mount. Targutai quickly recovered, and decided to take the little upstart down himself. Ordering his troops not to interfere, the earthbending general dueled with the much younger firebender, only to find that Fengxian was far more powerful than he had anticipated, and was soon forced on a desperate defensive. Realizing that his opponent had seemingly endless stamina, Targutai decided to retreat to his camp, with Fengxian in close pursuit. The firebender caught up to his quarry on the opposite bank of the river, and cut off the head of the General with a sword shortly before Fire Navy reinforcements arrived. Although Captain Hiroakira Fengxian was responsible for decapitating the head of the Rangyi Movement (both figuratively and literally), Captain Zhao secretly confiscated the General's head for himself and took the credit for Targutai's defeat. By that point, Fengxian was far too exhausted to argue and let Zhao have his glory.
General Fong[]
Hiroakira and General Fong are naturally enemies, being on different sides of the War. They met face-to-face only briefly during the First Battle of Senlin Forest, but it was Fong who, seeing the horrific aftermath of Hiro's rampage, called the boy the "Devil of the West". Fong considers the boy an almost unholy abomination. Captain Fengxian for his part doesn't even remember who Fong is. Ironically, Hiro is the main reason that Fong was promoted General, after Hiro's slaying of General Targutai and many of Fong's superior officers left virtually no obstacle for Fong's for advancement.
Fong hates and fears Hiro for destroying the Rangyi, and view the boy as an unholy demon.
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