| "Any archer who wears the Yuyan tattoo can do that, your Highness. I can pin that fly to that tree a hundred yards away without killing it ... and I can do it blindfolded." |
| — Vachir bragging about his skills to Prince Ozai.[1] |
Vachir was a dishonored Yuyan Archer who was forced to resign from the elite force after failing Prince Ozai.[1] Following these events, he became a member of the Rough Rhinos, where he served as their bowman. He specialized in fire arrows and his bow had a small torch just below the grip to ignite them. Vachir, along with the rest of the Rough Rhinos, was responsible for the deaths of Jet's parents and the destruction of their village.[3] After the Hundred Year War, he stayed with the Rough Rhinos when they became a force for hire and ended up guarding Loban's iron mine at the Earthen Fire Refinery.[4]
History[]
Early life[]
As a young boy, Vachir attended a Fire Nation school located in the eastern Fire Islands, where he was a star pupil under Ms. Kwan. He was taught discipline and hard work, which would help him in his later life.[5]
Vachir was relieved of his duties as a Yuyan Archer by Prince Ozai for failing to locate and kill Ikem.
As an esteemed member of the Yuyan Archers, Vachir was called to the Fire Nation Royal Palace by Prince Ozai, where he received the mission to travel to Hira'a and assassinate Ikem. Confident in his skills, Vachir accepted and left immediately. Many months later, the Yuyan Archer returned to the palace to report to the prince that he had failed to locate and kill Ikem. Based on report of the local residents of the town, Vachir had traveled inside the Forgetful Valley and searched for Ikem, albeit with no success. Vachir concluded that no commoner like Ikem could have survived in the hostile environment and returned home. However, Prince Ozai was not pleased that he did not at least bring back definite proof of his quarry's demise and commanded Vachir to return to Pohuai Stronghold to hand in his resignation to Colonel Shinu, stating that since he failed to complete Ozai's request, Vachir no longer qualified as an elite fighter, the best of the best. Vachir insisted that Ikem's survival was impossible even as he pleaded Ozai for mercy, to no avail.[1]
Fighting the War as a Rough Rhino[]
Vachir did what he was told by the prince and left the Yuyan Archers, though he kept his equipment and uniform. Sometime later, he became a part of the Rough Rhinos, and as their resident archer, he and the rest of the group attacked the village where Jet and his family lived around 91 AG. In their attack, they killed his parents and destroyed the village, leaving Jet with a hatred of the Fire Nation for years to come.[3] At some point between 95 and 99 AG, Vachir and his comrades were hired by Fire Lord Ozai to hunt down Onomu, a former Fire army general who had defected to the Earth Kingdom. Vachir took this mission especially seriously, believing that delivering Onomu to Ozai might help him in regaining his old status.[2] In late 99 AG, Vachir and the other Rough Rhinos invaded another Earth Kingdom village, forcing several inhabitants to become refugees, among whom were Than and his pregnant wife, Ying.[6]
Sokka distracted Vachir with reflected sunlight during their fight at Chin Village.
In 100 AG, the Rough Rhinos attempted to capture the Earth Kingdom's Chin Village in honor of Fire Lord Ozai. During this fight, Sokka reflected the sun in his magnifying glass to distract Vachir. Vachir turned and fired at the source of the light without being able to take aim properly. His arrows missed Sokka; instead they embedded themselves into Yeh-Lu's saddle bag which contained four sticks of dynamite. Yeh-Lu picked up the bag and threw it on the roof of a neighboring house where it exploded, burying Yeh-Lu under debris. While Vachir was still distracted, Katara sneaked up behind him and used her water whip to cut the saddle straps. Vachir fell off and was dragged by his fleeing rhino.[7]
Later that spring, Vachir encountered Team Avatar with the Rough Rhinos at a small village; he and the Rhinos believed Sokka to be the Avatar and apprehended him instead of their true target. Even so, Aang, Katara, and Toph used their abilities to ward of Vachir and the Rhinos, forcing them to flee the village.[8]
The Rough Rhinos ran into Iroh and Zuko, who had been branded traitors of the Fire Nation, not long after their encounter with Team Avatar. Vachir shot a lit arrow at Zuko's back, but Zuko sensed the arrow, turned, and broke it apart as it approached him. Zuko promptly let loose a measured stream of fire which burned a hole in the archer's bow, a hand's width above the archer's hand. The blast passed through the bow and broke the string, leaving Vachir weaponless.[9]
Guard at the Earthen Fire Refinery[]
After repeatedly shooting arrows at Sokka, Vachir's arm and bow were frozen by Katara.
After the Hundred Year War, Vachir and the rest of the Rough Rhinos became guards at the Earthen Fire Refinery. Along with Kahchi, he was stationed underground in an iron mine by Loban, which is where he encountered Katara and Sokka snooping around. He rapidly fired four arrows at the Southern Water Tribe warrior, which embedded themselves in a support beam, causing it to rupture and induce an earthquake as a result. Vachir did not relent his assault, however, and kept on firing at Sokka, until he found his bow entirely encased in ice, frozen to his arm, while his feet were also fused to the ground by Katara's waterbending attack. He eventually managed to free himself and prepared to attack again, though relented when the mine caved in and he became trapped.[4]
Vachir was goaded by Sokka into close combat after losing his bow, betraying his lack of skill in hand-to-hand fighting.
After Aang and Toph's metalbending students rescued everyone from the cave-in, Vachir had his injuries tended to by the Air Acolytes; Jingbo bandaged his pointer finger. Afterward, he and Kahchi were ordered by Loban to retrieve their rhinos to haul a giant iron mask back to the beach so he could ship it to his own plant in the Fire Nation for processing and the subsequent profits. On the way, however, a storm developed, making the transport difficult. Vachir was soon shocked when Sokka's boomerang snapped the ropes connecting the animals and mask. At Loban's demand, the archer took on Sokka, but lost his bow and arrow after another toss from the warrior's boomerang, thus, he was forced to fight hand-to-hand. He quickly became unnerved when his foe taunted his abilities and, when he tried to land a punch, was grabbed and thrown to the ground. He and Kahchi were left behind as the spirit General Old Iron emerged from the water.
Three months later, Vachir marched in the parade for the new Spirits' Friendship Festival, but was unsure how to play the horn he was given for the procession.[10] A few months later, Vachir stopped working at the Earthen Fire Refinery.[11]
Personality[]
As a Yuyan Archer, Vachir was very confident in his abilities almost to a fault, boasting to Ozai that while any of his fellow archers could pin a fly to a tree from a hundred yards away without killing it, he could do the same while blindfolded.[1] This pride, however, did not extend to admitting his lack of skill at hand-to-hand combat[10] and when faced with odds he could not overcome, he would conclude that the challenge was outright impossible for anyone.[1]
After his disgraceful discharge from the Yuyan Archers, Vachir's wounded pride became his main drive as he hoped to somehow regain his respected status. Even though he remained arrogant and boastful, this became a facade hiding a deep insecurity related to his fall from grace.[2]
Despite his excessive pride, however, Vachir was not a vengeful individual. He remained loyal to both the Fire Nation as well as Ozai despite being factually exiled,[2] and was willing to celebrate with his former opponents during the Spirits' Friendship Festival.[10]
Appearances[]
Avatar: The Last AirbenderBook Two: Earth (土)
Avatar comicsBook Two: Earth (土)
Graphic novels
Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game |
Trivia[]
- On the old Nickelodeon website, Vachir's name was misspelled as "Vashir".
- Michael Dante DiMartino says that Vachir "presumably" met Colonel Mongke sometime after his resignation from the Yuyan Archers, which led to his employment with the Rough Rhinos.[12]
- Vachir's name translated in Mongolian means "thunderbolt".[13]