| "Every moment in the Avatar's service is a guided step along the true path. By following in her wake, I have been blessed with certainty in all I do." |
| — Jujinta explains the impact of Yangchen on his life.[1] |
Jujinta was an expert Fire Nation marksman who took on a self-imposed exile after killing his brother. After ending up in the shang city of Jonduri, Jujinta became entangled with Kavik, an informant working for Avatar Yangchen. Jujinta ended up joining Yangchen's team and played a pivotal role in putting a stop to the Unanimity project in Bin-Er and Taku, and ended up being considered one of Yangchen's companions.
History[]
Early life[]
Jujinta was a "Yuyan"[nb 1] who grew up on an island where he and others underwent harsh training in order to learn how to use projectile weapons such as bows, arrows and knives with pinpoint accuracy. In a later conversation in which his past was brought up, he implied that he and his fellow trainees were forced to do morally reprehensible things to survive, and that those of them who failed to compete with the others were discarded.[2]
At some point, Jujinta was involved in an incident in which he murdered his brother, and left his family to seek forgiveness from the spirits. He ended up in Jonduri, where he made a living by working as an errand runner in Zongdu Chaisee's large organization, but held no love for his employers or compatriots.[3] Jujinta had also taken an oath not to use a bow and arrow. Avatar Yangchen later understood the meaning of Jujinta's customs and rituals through her past lives.[4] Jujinta also mentioned he could never return to his home island again.[5]
Unanimity project[]
In year 17 of the era of Yangchen, Jujinta was competing against another young man, Shigoro, in a knife-throwing contest, the winner of which would be selected for the association's next job. After confirming the prize with association manager Tael, Jujinta stabbed Shigoro in the shoulder of his throwing arm and announced that he was forfeiting the competition, before commenting that Shigoro would not be employable for a while. With little other choice, Tael selected Jujinta for the job and introduced him to Kavik, a runner who was secretly in the employ of Avatar Yangchen, and who sought to infiltrate the association while investigating the Unanimity project.[6]
The rest of the association members refused to talk to Jujinta after they left to take Shigoro away for medical attention, and by extension, they refused to talk to Kavik. Jujinta performed his own personal rituals, before sitting next to Kavik on the bench. Jujinta acted quite coolly around Kavik, aware that the waterbender was trying to pry into him.[7]
The pair were later tasked with disposing of the dead bodies of Qiu and Sidao, Tael explaining that they would keep the new recruits loyal through guilt by association, as the members of the organization would testify that Kavik and Jujinta played a part in their deaths if they came looking. Jujinta was unperturbed, asking what the two men did, and was told that they were merely spies. Jujinta and Kavik got in a boat with the corpses and rowed out to sea, with the marksman instructing Kavik to encase them in a block of sea ice and let the current take them away before it melted and any remains could be found. Jujinta prayed again as the icebergs drifted away, and Tael told them that they did good when they returned, telling them to report for more work next week. Jujinta stared at Kavik as he navigated his way out of the building.[7]
Later, Kavik and Jujinta were assigned to Pang for a raid on a warehouse whose workers had gone on strike, their goal being to deal with everyone inside. In preparation for the job, Jujinta and Kavik drank tea together at a stall that faced the main warehouse row of Jonduri, with Jujinta informing Kavik about his past after the waterbender asked. After paying for the tea, they crossed the street and prepared for the mission. Once they joined up with Pang, they went over the count inside, expecting to face five people with the nine association members they had. After Pang kicked down the door, the group went inside, where they were confronted by a group of powerfully built workers that was five times larger than what they had been anticipating. With the workers having the upper hand, a confrontation broke out, and Jujinta ended up getting trapped by four men wielding long wooden planks. He managed to fend them off with one of his daggers, but was unable to attack any of his opponents without exposing himself to the others. In the end, Kavik - who had managed to avoid getting caught up in the worst of the fighting - made eye contact with Jujinta, distracting him and allowing one of the workers to strike him on the shoulders and knock him to the ground. His four opponents proceeded to lay into him with vicious kicks and stomps, before stopping when Kavik grabbed their attention and directed a powerful waterbending attack right at them.
Kavik brought an unconscious Jujinta to the top of a crate tower, splashing him with water to wake him up, as they were now trapped and outnumbered. The leader of the workers pointed out how they had the upper hand, to which Jujinta responded by using a throwing knife to pin down a worker next to him. Kavik told him to stop knifing people in the moment, and Pang bragged that a member of the association had managed to escape with the logbook of the warehouse's contents, depriving the workers of any leverage over Chaisee. Resigned to facing Chaisee's wrath, the crew leader used firebending to set the crate tower Jujinta and Kavik were trapped upon on fire, before asking the pair if they were really going to burn for Chaisee's sake. Knowing that he had to bend from the water reservoir tank, Kavik asked Jujinta for an opening on the tight seals. Jujinta managed to stick a point in the metal, and knowing he had to hammer it deeper, used his final throwing knife to make his second throw, driving the first blade deeper into the tank and allowing water to pour out of the hole, with Kavik widening the stream and creating an indoor wave.[3]
After the fight was over, Jujinta waited by the exit, with the group expecting Kavik to catch the blame for much of the cargo being destroyed by water. After Pang was killed by Tael for talking openly about Chaisee when he was told that he would also take part of the blame, Jujinta stepped between the manager and Kavik when the waterbender was to be taken to the "boss-boss", ready to defend his partner. Tael told Jujinta to back down or he would be "disposed of" in the same manner as Pang, and Kavik told the marksman that he would be fine.[8] However, Kavik later turned up unharmed at the association hall. They spent some time together in the mostly empty warehouse for a few days, with Kavik coming to a much better understanding of his partner's intense spiritual concerns. He told Kavik that there were crimes that could not be lived down, with certain acts not being able to be forgiven. He pondered that perhaps the right person could forgive, but stated that the person who could have forgiven him was gone. The day after they talked, Kavik departed Jonduri, though left behind the bison whistle in his possession, giving him instructions to use it when he meditated alone or made offerings to the spirits.[9][10] Kavik would later think that he had manipulated Jujinta by taking advantage of his troubles in order to deliver a message to the Avatar without tipping off Chaisee's association.[11]
While meditating in a meadow, Jujinta was blowing on the bison whistle with every exhalation. This alerted Yangchen's flying bison, Nujian, upon their return from Port Tuugaq. Yangchen and Jujinta were both greatly surprised to see one another. She decided to take him along with her to stop the Unanimity project in Bin-Er, for his own protection and the extra help. Before they left, Jujinta declared his undying loyalty to the Avatar.[4] After arriving in Bin-Er, Jujinta came to the Water Tribe Quarter, and went to Ujurak and Tapeesa's house. When Kavik answered the door, Jujinta told him that he was right, and that the answer had come to him. He instructed Kavik to come along, as everyone was waiting for him.[10] They returned to Boma's inn together, and met up with Tayagum, Akuudan, and Yangchen.[4]
After taking down Xiaoyun and Thapa, Yangchen's allies still had to stop Yingsu, the sole remember of the Unanimity project. Jujinta saw Yangchen panicking once Kavik was in the combustionbender's line of sight, telling her that it would be all right, and that the men who served her would return. Tayagum brought a bow to Jujinta, and Yangchen realized that he was violating his oath, which would be a taboo. Jujinta stated that his mission in Bin-Er was more important, and asked for the arrows. He said he could make the shot and target Yingsu, but that the problem was that there were too many places she could be in. Before anyone could react, the Avatar took off her cloak and sped toward Yingsu, her voice booming as she dared the combustionbender to challenge her. Yingsu sent a blast in her direction, and Yangchen sped forward to get out of the way. This gave an opening for Jujinta to make the shot, and his arrow landed just under Yingsu's collarbone. Yangchen apprehended the last member of Unanimity, healing her where Jujinta's arrow had struck.[4] After the crisis was over, Yangchen supposed that she had gained a new companion in Jujinta.[11]
Serving the Avatar[]
Unbeknownst to Jujinta, Kavik had betrayed Yangchen and her group in Jonduri in favor of his brother Kalyaan - the head of Chaisee's association - by distracting her with false information regarding Unanimity in order to allow Kalyaan to smuggle Thapa, Xiaoyun and Yingsu to Bin-Er. Owing to the fallout generated by Kavik's betrayal and the resulting events, Jujinta, Tayagum and Akuudan were relocated to a village near the Northern Air Temple by Yangchen, with the latter two setting up a teahouse there.
About six months after the conflict in Bin-Er, Jujinta, Tayagum and Akuudan were all gathered in the teahouse when Kavik unexpectedly entered. Jujinta attempted to kill his former partner almost immediately upon seeing him,[12] and the two of them ended up struggling on the floor together before the former Yuyan was pulled away by Akuudan, who reasoned that Kavik must have been brought here by Yangchen, and that they should hold off on killing him until they got an explanation from the Avatar.[13]
Soon afterward, the Unanimity combustionbenders - who had been held captive in the region surrounding the temple following their defeat in Bin-Er - escaped their confinement, with one of them causing a rockslide that endangered the village. Alongside Kavik, Akuudan, and Tayagum, Jujinta assisted Yangchen with keeping the situation under control.[14] After putting a halt to the rockslide, Yangchen sent Jujinta and Kavik into the temple to check on Henshe - the former zongdu of Bin-Er and the one who had originally bought the combustionbenders to the city - who had been detained there after the situation in Bin-Er. While on the way to Henshe, they encountered five villagers who had been bribed to delay them; Jujinta initially mistook them for hired thugs, but Kavik figured out what they really were, and the pair managed to intimidate the five into backing down. They continued on to the room in which Henshe had been detained, but discovered he had already been killed by Kalyaan.[15]
Jujinta later helped Yangchen attend to those who had been injured during the breakout within the village hospital, before he, the rest of her team and Kavik met with her within the temple. At the start of the meeting, he questioned whether Kavik should be present, to which Yangchen replied affirmatively. The Avatar explained that Thapa had escaped his imprisonment with help from Chaisee's agents after killing Xiaoyun and Yingsu, and that Chaisee planned to have him use his abilities during the yearly convocation in Taku, when the Earth King, Fire Lord and Water Tribe Chief would all be gathered in the city. She stated that the five of them would need to travel to Taku and stop Thapa, since they knew what he looked like and were the only people Yangchen could trust with such a matter. Jujinta tried to question Yangchen again; anticipating what he planned to ask, the Avatar told him that Kavik was to be included in the mission as well, as she and the others needed every resource they could make use of. Jujinta reluctantly pointed out that they had only been able to catch Thapa in Bin-Er with Kavik's help, before asking whether they could call on the aid of the Air Nomads who had previously guarded him. Yangchen replied that it was unlikely they could count on further support from the Northern Air Temple, but did not elaborate.[16]
Prior to the team's journey to Taku, Jujinta observed Kavik sneaking away to meet with someone and reported it to Yangchen, who told him to drop the matter. After the team arrived in Taku, Jujinta, once alone with Kavik, explained the spiritual significance Yangchen had on him when she entered his life, before threatening to kill Kavik if he betrayed her or anyone else on the team again.[1]
Jujinta's next mission was to sneak onto the Bliss Eternal - the boat of Taku's zongdu Iwashi - with Akuudan and Tayagum to look for any secret records Chaisee had about the Unanimity project and Thapa's hiding place, while Yangchen and Kavik distracted Iwashi with a game of sparrowbones.[17] The mission was a success; following its conclusion, Yangchen attempted to convince Jujinta and Kavik to work together, but Jujinta ended up trying to attack Kavik after the waterbender sarcastically praised the Avatar's wisdom, forcing her to keep them apart.[18]
The next morning, Yangchen claimed to have discovered through the stolen records that Unanimity had been developed on an uncharted island within Chaisee's territory. Jujinta agreed with Yangchen that other members of Unanimity possibly existed outside of the combustionbenders already encountered, and that they should search for the island in order to try and gather more information.[19] Yangchen ultimately decided to look for the island with Jujinta and Kavik. Prior to their departure, Jujinta bonded with Nujian by feeding him a apple as a way to show Kavik he also had a connection with him.[5]
Upon finding the island, Jujinta recognized it as similar to the one on which he grew up; felt it was cursed, describing echoes of people he heard that once inhabited it. They discovered a secret room holding a heap of different-sized iron rings and a chair in which occupants had been forcibly held, and all believed the room was too evil to continue existing.[20] A few moments later, they met Raitei and Hsien, two children whom Jujinta recognized as castoffs from the Unanimity project. He tried to discourage Kavik from approaching them, having gotten a rough idea of what they had been through, but his warning went unheeded, and Kavik found himself partially chi-blocked by Hsien. The two children ran away, but Jujinta, Kavik and Yangchen were able to follow them.
Upon locating Raitei and Hsien again, Jujinta offered to talk to them in a language they would understand, before drawing three of his knives and throwing them at a nearby piece of driftwood. The first knife knocked it into the air, and the next two landed in such a way to give it a crude tripod to land on. In doing this, Jujinta identified himself to the two children as another individual who had been trained to master phenomenal skills through harsh measures. He approached the pair, who made no move to attack him, and told them that while he and the others could offer to only take whichever one proved the most useful and abandon the other - a practice he suspected they had become used to during their time on the island - they would instead help both children and make sure they did not have to answer for whatever crimes they had committed to survive, provided they co-operated. This convinced them to open up about their pasts and Unanimity's origins.[2]
Afterward, Jujinta and everyone left the island on Nujian. The group began to talk about their plans of bringing Chaisee to justice. Jujinta remarked the value in which Raitei held as a combustionbender. Raitei, overhearing this conversation and knowing his value, attempted to kill Yangchen and escape from the group. Kavik noticed this and sprung into action, however Nujian defended Yangchen fast enough leading to both Nujian and Raitei dying in the process.[21] After the death of Nujian, Jujinta stood standing alongside Yangchen's bed with Tayagum while she grieved her lost companion.[22]
Jujinta partook in Kavik's final plan alongside Akuudan and Tayagum to bring Kalyaan to justice. Kavik agreed to be stabbed non-lethally by Jujinta prior to Kalyaan's questioning. Jujinta warned him however the stabbing would hurt still.[23] Jujinta stabbed Kavik.[24] Afterward, Kavik was carried to a nearby apothecary by Kalyaan. Once Kalyaan entered the trap, Jujinta observed Akuudan and Tayagum's questioning after a fight broke out. Deceived into thinking Kavik was being tortured, Kalyaan gave up the information on the signal causing Thapa's attack. Jujinta delivered this final message to Yangchen.[25] When the bells rang for a third and final time with no explosions heard, Jujinta along with Kavik, Akuudan, and Tayagum celebrated Yangchen's completion of the mission.[23]
Physical description[]
Jujinta was a boy with a stocky build and a nasal, squeaky voice. A broad, wrinkled scar ran down the middle of his forehead to his nose.[6]
Personality[]
Jujinta was an unusually quiet individual and Yangchen described him as having the ability to intimidate without saying a single word.[26] He usually had an unchanging expression and he was generally considered strange and off-putting by most people. He was very casually violent, known for stabbing people and attacking without a warning, and having knowledge of body disposal and being unbothered by their presence.[6][7] He disliked being pried into and felt pained about acknowledging himself as a Yuyan. He had taken an oath to not use a bow and arrow and would only break it for a very important reason.
After causing the death of his brother in the past, he became very spiritual, regularly performing rituals and praying. Kavik initially found his mannerisms creepy, until he learned to understand him better. After winning anything, Jujinta performed a post-victory ritual, starting with a deep, fervent prayer to some unknown spirit, often whispering to himself about condemnations of unforgivable crimes from his past.[7] He became protective of Kavik, considering him his partner and eventually opening up to him, but begun to strongly dislike the waterbender after he betrayed his friends. Jujinta attempted to kill him the next time they met, regularly argued with him and was ready to finish him off if given any reason to, but was ultimately able to forgive Kavik after he proved his genuine loyalty.
Jujinta initially considered himself unworthy and beyond forgiveness due to his past, but he was greatly changed by his experience of meeting an Avatar, considering Yangchen answering his call similar to a religious experience. Before, his eyes had been vacant and dull, as if part of him were trapped in another time and place. But after meeting up with Yangchen, he was fully present, and shone with inner purpose.[10] He was incredibly loyal to the Avatar and very protective of her.
Appearances[]
Chronicles of the AvatarThe Dawn of Yangchen
The Legacy of Yangchen
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Notes[]
- ↑ It is unclear whether the Yuyan Archers existed in their more well-known form at the time. Jujinta may have been a Yuyan Archer, or have been from the family of Uzuku Yuyan, but neither option is certain.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Yee, F. C. (author). (July 18, 2023). Chapter Fifteen, "The Oathbreaker". The Legacy of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Yee, F. C. (author). (July 18, 2023). Chapter Twenty-Four, "Primary Sources". The Legacy of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Yee, F. C. (author). (July 19, 2022). Chapter Twenty-Five, "The Numbers Game". The Dawn of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Yee, F. C. (author). (July 19, 2022). Chapter Thirty-Six, "Exposure". The Dawn of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Yee, F. C. (author). (July 18, 2023). Chapter Twenty-Two, "Bonding". The Legacy of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Yee, F. C. (author). (July 19, 2022). Chapter Twenty, "The Gamble". The Dawn of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Yee, F. C. (author). (July 19, 2022). Chapter Twenty-Three, "Loose Ends". The Dawn of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ Yee, F. C. (author). (July 19, 2022). Chapter Twenty-Six, "The Reckoning". The Dawn of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ Yee, F. C. (author). (July 19, 2022). Chapter Twenty-Eight, "Following Through". The Dawn of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Yee, F. C. (author). (July 19, 2022). Chapter Thirty-Four, "Clarity". The Dawn of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Yee, F. C. (author). (July 19, 2022). Chapter Thirty-Seven, "Reconciling". The Dawn of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ Yee, F. C. (author). (July 18, 2023). Chapter Eight, "Stomping Grounds". The Legacy of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ Yee, F. C. (author). (July 18, 2023). Chapter Nine, "Dead Giveaway". The Legacy of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ Yee, F. C. (author). (July 18, 2023). Chapter Ten, "Gravity". The Legacy of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ Yee, F. C. (author). (July 18, 2023). Chapter Eleven, "Second Option". The Legacy of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ Yee, F. C. (author). (July 18, 2023). Chapter Thirteen, "Mitigation". The Legacy of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ Yee, F. C. (author). (July 18, 2023). Chapter Seventeen, "Baited". The Legacy of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ Yee, F. C. (author). (July 18, 2023). Chapter Twenty, "Anonymity". The Legacy of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ Yee, F. C. (author). (July 18, 2023). Chapter Twenty-One, "Keeping Pace". The Legacy of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ Yee, F. C. (author). (July 18, 2023). Chapter Twenty-Three, "Circumstantial Evidence". The Legacy of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ Yee, F. C. (author). (July 18, 2023). Chapter Twenty-Five, "The Price". The Legacy of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ Yee, F. C. (author). (July 18, 2023). Chapter Twenty-Six, "Aftershocks". The Legacy of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Yee, F. C. (author). (July 18, 2023). Chapter Thirty-Five, "Truth". The Legacy of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ Yee, F. C. (author). (July 18, 2023). Chapter Thirty, "Choosing Sides". The Legacy of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ Yee, F. C. (author). (July 18, 2023). Chapter Thirty-One, "Casualties". The Legacy of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ Yee, F. C. (author). (July 18, 2023). Chapter Twenty-Seven, "Bereavement". The Legacy of Yangchen. Amulet Books.