- This article is about the pirate. For the airbender, see Jiang.
| "I'm not ashamed of my upbringing. It made me strong. [...] My crew isn't much to look at, but they're dedicated. I'll do what I must to make sure they remain free." |
| — Jiang about her life as a pirate to Katara.[1] |
Jiang was a pirate leader and the last captain of the Flying Wolfbat. She and her crew usually raided along the southern Earth Kingdom's rivers,[1] though they occasionally expanded their operations to coastal areas in other regions.[3] Jiang was both a ruthless criminal as well as a social bandit, seeing her piracy as a way to get rich while also using her loot to provide for the poor and downtrodden.[1][4]
History[]
Early life[]
As a member of the Earth Kingdom's daofei,[3] Jiang descended from a long line of river pirates who made their living raiding using the sailing ship Flying Wolfbat. She grew up on the river rather than any settlement and consequently became tough as well as a skilled fighter.[1] Her family was poor, and Jiang soon became accustomed to stealing as a means to survive. Before long, she also began to distribute her loot to those who were even poorer than herself, seeing this as a form of justice.[3]
Proud about both her heritage as well as her way of life, Jiang had little love for either the Earth Kingdom government or the Fire Nation, feeling that the former had abandoned its people during the Hundred Year War while the latter brought oppression. At some point, she became captain of the Flying Wolfbat with a small but loyal crew, plundering along the rivers.[1] Over time, she earned a reputation, not just as a pirate but also as a skilled safe cracker.[3]
Hegemon's Folly and protecting her territory[]
Jiang was hired by Captain Masaru to break into the mausoleum at Hegemon's Folly.
In late 99 AG, Jiang was hired by Captain Masaru of the Fire Army. The pirate consequently travelled to Hegemon's Folly, a grave site at the Mo Ce Sea's coast. Upon arriving at Masaru's camp, Jiang requested the details on the job. The captain complied, outlining that he needed her to access the greatest tomb in the area, the mausoleum of General Wei. If she succeeded, the pirate could take as many treasures as she wanted, under the condition that Masaru received any pieces of writing in the tomb. Jiang considered this a fair deal, and agreed.
To her annoyance, however, the local Fire Army unit had also hired several more mercenaries and local Earth Kingdom collaborators to act as her team. Though she had no issue with some quieter members of her assigned group, the pirate quickly began to clash with a group of "teammates" who belittled and insulted her. As Jiang, her team, and a number of Fire Army soldiers made their way to the mausoleum, they encountered two civilians, Jade and Lee. When the soldiers and several mercenaries threatened the two with violence, Jiang interceded, declaring that she could not abide bullies. The dispute escalated into violence, and Jiang revolted alongside a few mercenaries sympathic to her. After dealing with the Fire Army soldiers and their supporters, the pirate turned to Jade and Lee to ask what they were doing here. The two revealed that Jade had intended to get some antiques for her shop in Omashu, with Lee assisting her.
After abandoning Masaru's cause, Jiang helped Jade and Lee to enter Hegemon's Folly.
As her alliance with Masaru's unit had broken done and she still wanted to get something out of the entire mission, Jiang offered to help Jade and Lee to access the mausoleum and share the spoils. They agreed, and the group began their attempts to access the main tomb. Working together, they solved a statue puzzle, opening the passage to Wei's crypt. After entering the tomb, the group was initially spooked upon encountering someone, fearing that they had roused a ghost. In truth, the individual was Wen the archaeologist. Wen revealed that they had managed to enter the mausoleum some time before the arrival of Jiang's group, only to become trapped after accidentally activating a mechanism which had re-sealed the entrance.
Just after Wen had explained their situation, a group of Fire Army soldiers led by Masaru arrived at the crypt. The captain and Jiang exchanged some aggressive banter before battle began. Even though they were outnumbered by the Fire Army troops, the pirate and her allies defeated the Fire Nation troops in the crypt's corridors, forcing Masaru to order a retreat.
With the mausoleum secured, the group returned their attention to the alleged treasures housed there. However, Wen quashed their hopes by revealing that the grave goods had only historical value, and could not be realistically sold. Though disappointed, Jiang told Jade, Lee and Wen that if any of them ever wanted to also become pirates, she would gladly enlist them into her crew. The corsair then departed, returning to the shore to the Flying Wolfbat to travel back to her turf in the southern Earth Kingdom.[3]
Jiang and her crew fought off the Fire Nation soldiers who tried to confiscate the Flying Wolfbat.
Not long after the incident at Hegemon's Folly, the Fire Nation military began to encroach on Jiang's traditional territory in the south. Despite their status as outlaws, Jiang and her comrades still felt an affinity to Earth Kingdom civilians; with the Fire Nation threatening their lands, the crew swore to fight the invaders instead of operating as regular pirates until the war was over. Regardless, Jiang and her crew continued to regard the Earth Kingdom government and its military as legitimate targets, stealing from them to support their own resistance efforts. At the start of 100 AG, some Fire Nation troops held up the Flying Wolfbat and tried to confiscate the ship, but the pirates chased off the soldiers. As a result, the Flying Wolfbat became the only local ship that was not under Fire Nation control.[1]
Preparing for a mission and meeting Katara[]
In spring 100 AG, Jiang and her crew stole a large shipment of medicine as well as uniforms from an Earth Kingdom Army patrol. The pirates realized that this could allow them to aid a local village which was isolated and troubled by sickness; however, the Fire Nation blockaded the river. Working out a plan, Jiang decided that they needed the assistance of a waterbender for this relief mission. While searching for such an individual, the pirates stored their goods in a house managed by their associate Tu. They eventually found a boy who claimed that he could bend water, but when it turned out he lied, a furious Jiang fed him to a saber-tooth moose lion. Once more looking for assistance, she and her pirates made a stop in a town where they noticed how Katara secretly incapacitated a Fire Army soldier by bending ice.
Jiang asked Katara to give her a quick demonstration of her waterbending abilities.
When Katara was alone in an alley, the pirates approached her, and Jiang complemented her bending skills and announced that she was looking to hire a waterbender for a journey downriver. Since Katara expressed interest yet remained doubtful, Jiang explained that her crew needed a waterbender in case they encountered the Fire Nation military during their journey. Having convinced Katara, Jiang requested a short demonstration of her waterbending skills, which the Water Tribe native readily complied with. Jiang guided her to the Flying Wolfbat and started to talk with Katara along the way. The pirate captain casually mentioned the incident with the false waterbender without elaborating on the boy's fate, and when Katara inquired about it, Jiang merely smiled and stated that he was "perfectly fine".
They made their way to storage, where Jiang informed Tu that they were ready to take their cargo. The pirate captain happily announced that they had found a real waterbender, raising Tu's suspicion and resulting in tensions between him and Katara. Before the situation escalated, Jiang chimed in, stating that Katara was part of her crew. They then went to check on the goods, whereupon the pirates began to dress up in uniforms and load the medicine onto carts. When Katara inquired why the boxes were marked with the Earth Kingdom Army seal, the pirate captain initially insisted that the waterbender followed the "no questions" rule as agreed previously. She did explain, however, that the group was putting on uniforms to pose as Earth Kingdom collaborators to slip past the Fire Nation troops guarding the harbor.[1]
Confrontation at the harbor[]
As the group returned to the Flying Wolfbat, Jiang informed Katara that the ship was part of her family's heritage, whereupon the waterbender deduced that they had been pirates. The captain argued that she was proud of her criminal background, as it had made her strong enough to remain free even in the face of the Fire Nation's invasion. When Katara countered that her form of freedom apparently included stealing from her "own people". Jiang denied this accusation, stating that the Earth Kingdom government as well as its military had abandoned most of the country; as a result, she did not regard them as compatriots.
Disguised as Earth Kingdom collaborators, Jiang warned Katara to prepare herself for a fight.
Upon approaching the harbor's guards, Jiang posed as a collaborationist officer, presenting documents that affirmed their false identity. The Fire Nation soldier checking the papers initially wanted to let them pass, but an officer intervened and asked if he could check the Flying Wolfbat first. While outwardly remaining cooperative, Jiang suspected that something was amiss and quietly told Katara to prepare herself. The waterbender answered dismissively, causing the pirate to repeat that their cargo was extremely important. The Fire Nation officer eventually recognized the ship as an Earth Kingdom pirate vessel and ordered his soldiers to arrest the criminals. Jiang and Katara quickly sprinted to the ship, while the other pirates prepared it to take off.
While Jiang and her comrades tried to secure the cargo while setting sail, Katara used her waterbending to fend off the attacking Fire Nation troops. When she urged the pirate captain to leave some cargo behind so that they could speedily escape, Jiang refused. This gave a soldier the opportunity to board the Flying Wolfbat, but he was quickly overpowered by Katara and Jiang. Finally convinced that they could no longer wait, the captain urged her crew to steer the ship toward the river. As they tried to leave the harbor, a Fire Nation vessel attacked and crippled the Flying Wolfbat with a catapult. With the ship sinking, Jiang urged her crew to save the cargo, causing Katara to scream that they should try to save their lives instead of the boxes. The pirate refused to budge, however, causing the waterbender to jump off-board and take over one Fire Nation ship by herself. When Jiang and the others were about to take the cargo to the other vessel, the Fire Nation soldiers on the boardwalk threatened them with bows. Jiang was just ready to surrender before Katara intervened, using her ship to ram the boardwalk. The pirates promptly got onto her vessel, whereupon Jiang thanked Katara for her help. Shortly after getting out of the river, another Fire Nation ship encroached on them. Jiang and her crew reacted by firing the catapult, successfully destroying the enemy vessel.[1]
Delivering the medicine[]
Making their way upriver, Jiang again thanked the waterbender and informed her that they would take her as fas she wanted to search for her friends. Soon after, Katara noticed that their cargo consisted of medicine and accused Jiang of smuggling life-saving goods for a profit. Jiang just smiled and ambiguously claimed that she would never do anything without payment, and that these goods would make her "plenty of silver".
After arriving at the remote river village, the pirates unloaded the medicine. They were happily greeted by the locals, and Jiang was given some silver lily flowers by a boy. She thanked him, commenting that it was her favorite color, before turning to a dumbfounded Katara and telling her that this was sufficient payment. She explained that she would never take money to help sick locals, as they were her people, and that her crew had sworn to fight the Fire Nation until the war's end. When asked by Katara what they would do after the conflict, Jiang answered that they had not yet decided, but needed a new ship either way.
After Jiang made Katara an honorary crew member, they said goodbye.
As Jiang made her way into the village, Katara's friends arrived on Appa. Before they could leave again, the pirates approached them. On their behalf, Jiang explained that they would like to make Katara an honorary crew member. The waterbender accepted but urged the pirates to consider becoming law-abiding after the conflict. Although the captain expressed sympathy for the request, commenting that she was getting "too old" for these kinds of adventures, she also told Katara that she could always become a pirate if she tired of aiding the Avatar. With that, they parted ways.[1]
Personality[]
Jiang was a ruthless, determined, and brave woman, though she also had a softer side. Generally speaking, she mainly strove to get rich, but also wanted to share her spoils so others could also profit from her activities.[1][4] Based on her lineage and early life, Jiang had little sympathy for governments of any kind, seeing all of them as oppressive and uncaring toward most people.[1] Accordingly, she felt no strong attachment to any nation, and was willing to work with anyone as long as they were respectful, earnest, and not cruel toward weaker people.[1][3] At the same time, she did not hestiate to kill those who abused her trust.[1]
Appearances[]
Graphic novels[]
Avatar games[]
Trivia[]
- The author of Katara and the Pirate's Silver, Faith Erin Hicks, stated on Twitter that Jiang is one of her favorite Avatar: The Last Airbender characters.[2]
- The name Jiang (江) translates to "river", befitting her history as a river pirate.[5]
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 Hicks, Faith Erin; Hedrick, Tim (writer), Wartman, Peter (artist), Matera, Adele (colorist), Betancourt, Jimmy (letterer). Katara and the Pirate's Silver (October 13, 2020), Dark Horse Comics.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Best new ATLA character everrrr!!! I love her!. Twitter (September 18, 2020). Retrieved on September 18, 2020.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 "Hegemon's Folly", Avatar: Generations. Navigator Games & Square Enix Mobile London (May 16, 2023). Square Enix.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Avatar Generations - Dev Stream Episode #2 - VOD. YouTube (May 18, 2023).
- ↑ Jiang. Behind The Name (February 12, 2018). Retrieved on February 16, 2021.