| "I believed you were the greatest general who had ever lived. I desperately wanted to be like you. We fought for you, General Iroh. And you abandoned us. [...] What about the soldiers under your command? Weren't we your sons too?" |
| — Keung to Iroh about the end of the Siege of Ba Sing Se.[1] |
Keung was a former Fire Nation military spy and later head of the Wuyi Tea Cartel. Originally a loyal follower of General Iroh, Keung felt betrayed when his superior withdrew during the Siege of Ba Sing Se and left his unit to die. Barely escaping from Ba Sing Se, he subsequently became involved in the Fire Nation colonies' criminal underworld and used his skills to become a crime boss specializing in tea trade. Having sworn vengeance, Keung ordered the kidnapping of Iroh following the Hundred Year War, though his plot to murder his old superior failed due to June's intervention.
History[]
Military service[]
Keung enlisted as a soldier in the Fire Nation military during the late Hundred Year War and became a spy. Rising to command a unit of infiltrators, he and his comrades disguised themselves as travelers and merchants to sneak into Earth Kingdom settlements where they waged sabotage campaigns to facilitate their nation's advances. Eventually, Keung started to serve under Iroh, Crown Prince of the Fire Nation and general of the Fire Army. He soon began to deeply admire his superior, mimicking his leadership style -including a deep interest in tea- and even regarding himself as a kind of "son" to the general.[1]
Keung was the only survivor of his unit after the Siege of Ba Sing Se.
In 94 AG, Iroh started a campaign to conquer the Earth Kingdom capital of Ba Sing Se. Keung and his unit were sent in advance, covertly moving into the massive city. When Iroh's armies laid siege, Keung's troops initiated a series of attacks to weaken Ba Sing Se's defenses, taking out "key military targets".[1] The siege lasted for 600 days, and eventually Iroh's troops breached the capital's Outer Wall;[2] Keung believed that a Fire Nation victory was within sight. However, Iroh instead ordered a retreat. Cut off from their comrades, Keung's unit was subsequently hunted and destroyed by Ba Sing Se's defenders; only Keung himself escaped with his life. Believing that Iroh was solely responsible for his comrades' demise, the spy's long-held admiration turned into bitter hatred.[1]
Criminal career and attempted revenge[]
After the failed siege, Keung eventually moved to the Fire Nation colony of Daxia Harbor, a haven for criminals. There, he used his past skills to become a crime boss, founding the Wuyi Tea Cartel and gradually capturing the international tea trade. After the Hundred Year War's end, the cartel ultimately managed to gain control of most of the Earth Kingdom's tea shipping and effectively seized control of Daxia Harbor.[1]
When Iroh apologized for his role in the Siege of Ba Sing Se, Keung demanded his old superior's death as compensation.
As his power grew, Keung eventually hired the infamous bounty hunter June to kidnap Iroh who had become the owner of the Jasmine Dragon tea shop. When the bounty hunter successfully delivered the ex-general to the cartel headquarters in Daxia Harbor, the crime boss smugly reintroduced himself. When June and Iroh expressed surprise at the situation, Keung explained his backstory and last years to the two, emphasizing his bitterness and feelings of betrayal for his former superior. Taken aback by the criminal's strong feelings, Iroh humbly asked what he could do to earn forgiveness. Keung coldly responded by demanding that Iroh should kill himself.[1]
After a moment of hesitation, Iroh refused, declaring that his life still had meaning and should not be spent "to atone for past mistakes". Regarding this response as cowardice, Keung then ordered his followers to take him to the cartel prison. When June tried to intercede, Keung declared that he would not immediately kill his old superior as he should first get "a taste of suffering". The crime boss then dismiss the bounty hunter by handing over her payment. Once June had left, Keung started to torture Iroh.[1]
However, the bounty hunter returned later that day, bringing several allies with her, namely Fan, Wei, Shu-Hui, and Kinmei. Regarding Iroh's treatment as unjust, Iroh and her allies stormed the cartel headquarters, overwhelming his guards. As June broke into the prison, she encountered Keung who held the key to Iroh's cell; the two engaged in a duel, and the bounty hunter was able to temporarily knock out Keung.[1]
At the end of his revenge quest, Keung was defeated by June and Iroh.
As Iroh and June tried to flee the headquarters, however, Keung followed them. This resulted in another confrontation, whereupon the crime boss tried to convince June to surrender as she was trying to defend a "Fire Nation general who [represented] everything wrong with this pathetic, civilized world". The bounty hunter countered that the world and its people had changed, meaning that this quest of vengeance was not longer justified. Keung ignored her arguments, however, and attacked in an attempt to kill Iroh. Together with their ally Fan, June and Iroh defeated the crime boss.[1]
Afterward, the group turned Keung over to Earth Kingdom authorities for a bounty, using it to improve the Jasmine Dragon. Furthermore, Fan and her friends seized control of the Wuyi Tea Cartel.[1]
Abilities[]
Keung was a skilled spy and decent firebender.[1]
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 Hicks, Faith Erin; Hedrick, Tim; Matera, Adele. The Bounty Hunter and the Tea Brewer (2024), Dark Horse Comics.
- ↑ Ehasz, Aaron (writer) & MacMullan, Lauren (director). (April 8, 2005). "Winter Solstice, Part 1: The Spirit World". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1. Episode 7. Nickelodeon.