| "All this talk of 'great Fire Nation leaders.' You didn't make great leaders--you made Azula. You remember Azula, don't you? When she was playing as Fire Lord, she was so paranoid she banished everyone close to her. The education of Royal Fire Academy gives these kids hurts them. I'm putting an end to it." |
| — Mai to Headmistress Shihan.[1] |
Mai was the daughter and eldest child of Ukano, the former governor of New Ozai, and his wife, Michi. During the last year of the Hundred Year War, she became one of Princess Azula's main allies, and therefore one of Team Avatar's greatest foes, as well as Prince Zuko's love interest once he returned to the Fire Nation. As one of the most privileged girls in the Fire Nation, she attended the Royal Fire Academy for Girls[2] and became a friend of Princess Azula and Ty Lee at a young age.
Mai was exceptionally proficient at throwing stilettos, a self-taught skill she developed out of boredom. Using small knives and spring-loaded stiletto holsters concealed in her robes, she was capable of besting numerous benders at once, despite not being a bender herself. She was recruited by Azula along with Ty Lee to capture the princess' brother and uncle, as well as the Avatar and his friends.[7]
Mai outwardly resembled an impassive and apathetic teenager. A victim of her father's political aspirations since early childhood, Mai confessed she got anything she wanted from her parents so long as she was quiet, well-mannered, and perfectly behaved.[8] This had a profound effect on her personality, as it was deeply ingrained in her to keep all of her feelings and emotions strongly hidden. She did, however, show happiness when in the presence of Zuko, whom she loved deeply.
The strength of her feelings toward Zuko led her to save him from Azula at the Boiling Rock. She confronted Azula, declaring that her love for Zuko outweighed her fear of retaliation. As a result of this betrayal, Azula imprisoned her, along with Ty Lee, who stopped Azula's attack by blocking her chi.[9] Mai was later released after Zuko defeated Azula and claimed the throne. They restarted their relationship with a kiss before Zuko's coronation as the new Fire Lord,[10] though Mai broke up with him a year later due to his unwillingness to confide in her, claiming he loved his secrets more than her.[11] Regardless, she continued to support his rule, helping to put down uprisings and conspiracies instigated by her father and Azula. She also became a teacher at the Royal Fire Academy for Girls at Zuko's request.[1]
Quick Answers
Who are Mai's parents?
What is Mai's preferred fighting style?
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History[]
Early life[]
- Main article: History of Mai (85 AG - 100 AG)
By displaying her martial abilities, Mai was able to befriend Azula.
Mai was born to Ukano and Michi[12] in the Fire Nation in 85 AG.[2][3] She was an only child for thirteen years and was given whatever she wanted, but her parents constantly required her to behave perfectly to benefit her father's career. This led her to become emotionally distant.[8][6] To alleviate her frustration, she taught herself to throw knives, gradually reaching mastery in this skill.[13] Mai later attended the Royal Fire Academy for Girls, where her father encouraged her to become friends with Princess Azula to socially advance their family. Despite Mai's initial reluctance to get close to Azula upon witnessing how she acted and treated others, she befriended the princess by showing her skills with knives.[1] Mai also became friends with Ty Lee, another member of Azula's circle.[7]
During the beginning of their friendship, Mai felt Azula gave her attention she never had, making her feel important. Azula shared secrets with her on how she was manipulating students for her own benefit as well as pitting them against one another, such as Hong and Peijing, to maintain control over people and situations in the Academy. Mai ultimately concluded that the Royal Fire Academy encouraged the worst traits in the students, abetted by the instructors such as Pearl and Shihan.[1] Even though Mai held a position of prestige inside and outside of the Academy due to her connections with Azula, she was often manipulated and even bullied by the princess.[6][14] In her childhood, she often visited the Fire Nation Royal Palace to meet Azula, where she developed a crush on Prince Zuko.[14]
In early 100 AG, Mai's father organized the conquest of a major Earth Kingdom city, Omashu, and was awarded governorship over the occupied settlement.[15] He subsequently moved into Omashu alongside his family, including Michi, Mai, and her infant brother, Tom-Tom. She largely despised the place.[7][16]
Spring 100 AG[]
Meeting an old friend[]
By spring 100 AG, Mai was bored out of her mind in Omashu, and made her displeasure known to her mother, to no avail. Thus, she welcomed the distraction when a local insurgent group, the Omashu Resistance, unsuccessfully attempted to crush her and her family under a boulder. She charged the rebels, and in the proccess encountered Team Avatar. Thinking Aang and his friends were responsible for the attack, she pursued them until the resistance helped them escape.[7]
Soon after, Azula arrived in the city, with Ty Lee in tow, to recruit Mai to assist her on a special mission. Desperate to get out of Omashu, Mai agreed to this immediately even though she had not been told what that mission was. Before leaving, however, Azula appointed Mai, in lieu of her father, to oversee a pre-arranged hostage trade: King Bumi for Tom-Tom, her baby brother, who wandered out of the city with a group of fleeing citizens and was subsequently assumed "kidnapped" by the resistance. However, right before Mai began the transaction, Azula interrupted, coyly suggesting that trading a powerful earthbender king for a two-year-old was strategically unwise. After a measured pause, Mai agreed and declared the deal off, thus initiating a fight between the two sides. Initially, she was overwhelmed by Katara's waterbending skills until Ty Lee blocked her opponent's chi. Mai was about to finish Katara off before Sokka knocked her weapon away with his boomerang. Later, as Mai, Azula, and Ty Lee were leaving the city, Mai impassively confirmed that their mission was to "track down" the now-fugitive Zuko and Iroh, though she did smile at the thought of seeing Zuko again. However, Azula noted that they also had a third target, Aang.[7]
Before the newly formed team left Omashu, however, Azula wanted to improve security. She roped Mai and Ty Lee into training the local garrison. Later, the princess told her comrades that she suspected "traitors" among the city guards due to the low arrest rates, resulting in her beginning investigations. Instead of revealing treason, however, the princess' high-handed and draconian ways alienated the local civilians to the extent that both Mai and Ty Lee unsuccessfully tried to convince Azula to back down. The situation ultimately escalated into an unsuccessful uprising by Omashu's people, with Mai helping to suppress it despite her misgivings.[16]
Pursuing Team Avatar[]
Mai fighting Sokka and Katara by the Nan Shan River.
After leaving Omashu, Mai, Azula, and Ty Lee tracked Aang and his companions, and once Aang split from Katara and Sokka, Azula sent Mai and Ty Lee to face them while she chased down Aang. Mai and Ty Lee defeated the siblings rather easily, much in part thanks to the siblings' lack of sleep, though they were caught off-guard by an air blast from Appa and sent flying into a nearby river.[17]
When a Fire Nation drill was heading toward Ba Sing Se, Mai expressed her boredom by twirling a shuriken around her fingers. When a group of elite earthbenders attempted to stop the drill, Azula sent Mai and Ty Lee to face them, which elicited approval from Mai as it was something to do. However, when Azula sent Mai and Ty Lee after Sokka and Katara, who were caught trying to sabotage the drill from the inside, Mai refused to chase them into the slurry pipeline, stating that despite how much lightning this act of defiance might cause Azula to throw at her, she would not go into that "wall sludge juice"—which gave the impression that Mai was not scared of the princess. Later, Aang destroyed the drill by causing the slurry pipeline to back up and explode, thus covering everyone in the general vicinity in slurry. After this, a completely pristine Mai leaned out of a hatch and dryly announced to the sludge-drenched Ty Lee and Azula that they lost.[18]
Fall of Ba Sing Se[]
Mai under the guise of a Kyoshi Warrior.
Mai later assisted Azula in attacking Suki and the other Kyoshi Warriors, stating that their colorful makeup and uniforms were making her nauseous.[19] After the three girls defeated the Kyoshi Warriors, Mai, Azula, and Ty Lee donned their uniforms to sneak into Ba Sing Se. On Azula's orders, Mai and Ty Lee deliberately talked about their Fire Nation origins in the open, banking on the Dai Li to be spying on them and relaying the message to Long Feng.[20]
While lingering in the Earth King's throne room, Mai and the group were surprised by Katara who ran in with news about Zuko and Iroh. Azula said she would tell the Earth King, but Katara realized who they were because of Azula's amber-colored eyes. Ty Lee paralyzed her with a chi strike before she could escape and the trio proceeded to capture the waterbender.[20]
During the Coup of Ba Sing Se, Mai sat in the throne room with Ty Lee, apparently having been ordered to guard the Earth King's pet bear, Bosco, but did not care enough about her assignment to attempt to stop Sokka, Toph, and Earth King Kuei from retrieving the pet. She was so bored and restless from her duty that she let Toph, Sokka, and Kuei escape with the bear, stating, "Just take the bear."[21]
Summer 100 AG[]
Rekindled love[]
Mai telling Zuko that "not everything's changed".
Mai and Zuko were later set up on a dinner date by Azula in a plan to persuade the reluctant prince to return home, playing off their childhood crushes on each other. However, the two caught on to the setup and decided to take a walk around Ba Sing Se. Soon after, they ran into Jin, who immediately recognized "Lee" and questioned who his companion was. Thinking quickly, Zuko sheepishly claimed that Mai was a friend from the circus, the knife thrower. Mai joined in on the charade and decided to give a demonstration. After moving Zuko in front of a fountain and placing a fish from a seafood stand they had passed earlier on top of his head, she targeted and precisely pierced the fish with an icicle. Mai persuaded Jin to give it a try. Zuko was just barely able to avoid being impaled by the sharp piece of ice, falling backward into the fountain in the process. Leaning over the drenched prince, Mai wryly stated that now they were "even".[22]
As he chased her down an alley, Zuko exclaimed that she could have gotten him killed, but Mai merely laughed it off. Zuko stopped to point out that she finally seemed to be enjoying herself, going on to say that he had missed seeing this side of her. Mai admitted that a lot had changed since the days when she "used to throw mud in his face", but not everything had changed; she proved this by kissing him softly. The next day, the two of them arrived at the ship to leave for the Fire Nation together.[22]
To the Fire Nation[]
Mai and Zuko sharing a romantic moment.
Mai was next seen having a brief moment with Zuko on the ship voyage home, where he expressed nervousness about how much things would have changed and whether or not he would be forgiven and welcomed home. She humorously replied that she had not asked for his life story, told him not to worry, and kissed him briefly before departing once more. Later, when Azula saw Zuko moping, she commented that he was acting like Mai, though she amended that, claiming that Mai had been unusually cheerful lately.[23] Later, Zuko and Mai were having a romantic picnic on an oceanside cliff and enjoying an orange sunset together. Mai hated the color and told Zuko so, but this only made him chuckle and state how beautiful she was when she hated the world. Mai told Zuko she did not hate him and he told her the same and they kissed. Their moment was interrupted by Azula, who wished to speak with Zuko alone. The two tried to ignore her until Azula told Mai to go help Ty Lee, who apparently needed help untangling her braid. Mai complied, but glared briefly at Azula as she passed.[24]
Vacation at Ember Island[]
Zuko attempting to impress Mai with his doltish gift.
Mai's relationship with Zuko went through a rocky period during a trip to Ember Island; Zuko became increasingly short-tempered and tactless around her, growing frustrated when shiny shells and ice cream failed to impress her, though Zuko did accidentally drop the ice cream on her thigh; he also became protective when Ruon-Jian took interest in her. When he shoved Ruon-Jian across a room, breaking a vase, Mai reprimanded him for being "impatient, hot-headed, and angry". He responded by saying that she has no passion for anything and that she is "a big blah". Stung by this, Mai softly and yet harshly said that their relationship was over and wordlessly watched him storm outside.[8]
When Zuko met her on the beach, she greeted him in a conciliatory tone, but he rudely asked her where her "boyfriend" is, and she got angry again. She remained cold toward him when he joined her, Ty Lee, and Azula around a campfire for a discussion. When Zuko yelled at Ty Lee, Mai told him to leave her alone; he persisted, however, and Ty Lee finally broke the story of her childhood out to them. Considering her words, Mai theorized that Ty Lee needed "ten boyfriends" because she wanted to make up for the attention she missed as a child. Ty Lee angrily asked for Mai's story, saying that all she saw with Mai was a "dingy, pasty, gray" aura. Mai dismissed the idea of auras and sarcastically apologized to Zuko for not being as "high-strung and crazy" as the others. Zuko said that he would like it if she did not keep her emotions bottled up; Mai explained to everyone how her mother's control and her father's political career meant that she could not stand out as she wanted to as a child. Azula summarized this, saying that a controlling mother was why Mai was afraid of caring about anything and could not express herself. Mai snapped at Azula's attempt to be an emotional mediator, demanding to be left alone. When Zuko moved to calm her down, she angrily refused him again and said that his not having an easy life was no excuse for the anger he had been showing. She and the other girls pressured Zuko, asking at whom he was angry. When he admitted that he was angry at himself and confused about what was right and what was wrong, Mai saw him once again as the Zuko she loved. Moving to comfort him, she said he is the one thing she cares about. Mai kissed him again, reaffirming their relationship.[8]
A happy relationship[]
Mai and Zuko were on much better terms in the weeks that followed. Mai had learned to express herself more often and Zuko often visited her at home, which was across from the palace. Zuko asked her what she would want from the world if she could have anything she wanted, when she wanted it, and she said that it would be a fruit tart with rose petals on top. Zuko requested a tart from his servants, and they went on to discuss the advantages and downsides of being royalty. Mai suddenly mentioned a war meeting to which Azula had been invited, assuming that Zuko was also going, but he had not been invited.[25]
Mai attempting to cheer Zuko up.
Zuko was annoyed that his father would invite Azula to the meeting as opposed to his true heir, despite the fact that Azula assured him that he was wanted there. Mai tried to cheer up Zuko by suggesting that he boss around some servants or that they have some more fruit tarts, but to no avail. The next day, they were hanging out again when a servant came in to say that Zuko was expected at the meeting. This cheered up Zuko and Mai a great deal. When the meeting ended, Mai was happy to hear that Zuko was allowed to sit by his father's right side, but he told her that even though he acted like the son his father wanted, he was not being himself. It was clear to her that he had more on his mind.[25]
A broken heart[]
Mai berating Zuko for leaving her.
Mai was not seen during the Day of Black Sun, as she and the rest of the people in the Fire Nation Capital had been ordered to evacuate. However, Zuko wrote a letter and left the message in her bedroom, stating that he was leaving to join the Avatar.[26] Zuko was clearly upset that he must leave her, but he told Sokka he did that in order to protect her since he became a traitor. He did not want her to get caught in the crossfire on his behalf, to be branded as a traitor along with him.[5]
At the Boiling Rock, Zuko learned that the warden was Mai's uncle, who told him that he had broken Mai's heart when he had left her.[5] When the two met unexpectedly, Mai was in her characteristically irritated demeanor, but she had clearly been deeply hurt, and argued with Zuko about his motives for leaving. She also berated him for leaving only a letter as a good-bye, rather than having the courage to break with her to her face. Zuko attempted to explain himself, saying that it was necessary to save his country, but Mai did not agree with his intent, saying he was betraying it instead, and turned away from him as he tried to protest. When a riot started, a guard arrived with orders from the warden to protect her- although, as both she and Zuko stated, she did not need any protection. Zuko took advantage of this moment and locked both inside the room. Mai glared at Zuko tearfully through the view hole, and Zuko showed deep regret before he fled to help Sokka.[9]
Arrest[]
Mai preparing to defend her choice to double-cross Azula.
Later, during the escape, the guards were about to cut the line from the gondola that held Zuko, Sokka, Hakoda, Suki, Chit Sang, and the warden. The guards were attacked and stopped by Mai who, when questioned what she was doing, stated that she was "saving the jerk who dumped [her]." Reactivating the cable, she engaged the gondola guards in combat, outmatching them with her knives, darts and sheer agility.[9]
Mai was eventually arrested and brought before an enraged Azula and a frightened Ty Lee. When she was asked why she did what she had done as she knew what the consequences would be, Mai scornfully replied that her love for Zuko was stronger than her fear of Azula, adding that the princess had thus miscalculated.[9]
Enraged by this retort, Azula prepared to attack Mai with her firebending; despite knowing that Azula's lightning would quickly kill her, Mai answered the challenge, readying a shuriken to defend herself. Much to Mai's surprise, Ty Lee intervened by chi-blocking Azula. The two friends were immediately apprehended by the guards, however, and Azula ordered them to be locked away.[9]
Release from prison[]
Mai reaffirming her love for Zuko by kissing him.
Mai and Ty Lee were locked up at another prison, where they met the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors, until the defeat of Fire Lord Ozai during the coming of Sozin's Comet. After the battle, Mai and Ty Lee were freed after Mai's uncle "pulled a few strings", and as that her boyfriend was the new Fire Lord. While they finally reunited with a kiss, she sternly told Zuko not to ever break up with her again before embracing him.[10]
Mai made peace with Team Avatar after the Hundred Year War's end. She wore Earth Kingdom robes, enjoying the newfound peace with her boyfriend and Team Avatar in Ba Sing Se at the Jasmine Dragon. She joined Suki in a game of Pai Sho and later, joined the rest of the group in making fun of Sokka's amateur drawing; in Mai's case, his efforts made her resemble a man.[10]
101 AG – c. 103 AG[]
- Main article: History of Mai (100 AG - c. 103 AG)
Mai broke up with Zuko due to his refusal to open up to her.
Following the Great War, Mai aided Zuko in his new role as Fire Lord. For instance, she enlisted the Kyoshi Warriors as his bodyguards after repeated assassination attempts on him.[27] Yet a rift emerged between the two in 101 AG, with Zuko becoming increasingly closed off during the crisis surrounding the Harmony Restoration Movement. Mai eventually broke up with him after learning that he had secretly visited Ozai in prison.[11] She subsequently began to work at the flower shop of her aunt Mura.[28]
Mai eventually learned that her own father Ukano had mobilized a rebel group dubbed the "New Ozai Society" to overthrow Zuko. Despite their breakup, she remained loyal to the Fire Lord's vision of a reformed Fire Nation, and subsequently sought to undermine Ukano's insurgents.[28][12] To do so, she used a double agent, Kei Lo, ensuring the latter's loyalty by pretending to be his girlfriend. Though Mai initially viewed their relationship as purely utilitarian, she eventually began to genuinely like Kei Lo, while also maintaining lingering feelings for Zuko.[12][6]
At the Garden of Tranquil Souls, Mai and Kei Lo saved Aang from Azula's followers.
In 102 AG, Mai helped Zuko and his allies to defeat an open rebellion by the New Ozai Society, though she could not bring herself to publicly exposing her father's role in the uprising.[12] Soon after the defeat of the New Ozai Society, the Fire Nation Capital started to suffer under kidnappings seemingly conducted by the Kemurikage dark spirits.[12][29] Mai's brother Tom-Tom was one of the victims, and she investigated the abductions alongside Avatar Aang, Zuko, Kei Lo, and the Kyoshi Warriors. The allies ultimately realized that the "Kemurikage" were actually impersonators led by Azula who had also manipulated Ukano's actions.[29][6] After Mai and her comrades managed to discover Azula's hideout at the Garden of Tranquil Souls, they saved the kidnapped children, though the princess escaped. Having finally revealed Ukano's activity as rebel, Mai later oversaw her father's imprisonment, though still reconciled with him at this point. Furthermore, Kei Lo broke up with her, having realized that she still loved Zuko to some extent.[6]
Mai bitterly argued with Shihan about the values and teachings of the Royal Fire Academy for Girls.
Sometime later, Mai agreed to become a teacher at the Royal Fire Academy for Girls at Zuko's request, as the latter was informed of the institute's resistance to his reform efforts. Despite her initial uncertainty, she quickly warmed up to her work as a teacher due to seeing how she could make a positive difference in the students' lives. This also brought her into repeated conflicts with Headmistress Shihan who continually desired the school's historical legacy to be upheld. After several disputes, Mai ultimately convinced Shihan of the reform education's values.[1]
As Shihan pledged herself to the reform programme, however, she angered a clique of reactionaries who sought to murder her. With the help of Zuko and Ty Lee, Mai prevented the assassination attempt on the headmistress. Afterward, she decided to continue working as a teacher, realizing that the job made her happy and put her on the right path.[1]
Personality[]
Due to Mai's meticulous upbringing, she was consistently unamused as a teenager.
Dark, brooding, and gloomy, Mai was usually bored by her circumstances and took little interest in anything around her. Her stoic exterior was often mistaken for a lack of emotion, but was really more self control and a great sense of discipline. This was due to the manner in which she was brought up by her politically-motivated parents. Her seeming apathy tended to irritate others, such as when Zuko described her as "just a big blah", and when Ty Lee described Mai's aura as "dingy and gray".[8]
Mai was also not easily intimidated; she was one of the few people who did not openly showcase fear of Azula. Instead, she respected the great power of the princess, and initially stayed loyal to her due to feeling more important around Azula.[18] For years, Azula gave Mai the feeling that her opinions mattered, something which she long lacked in interactions with her parents. Nevertheless, Mai had always disliked Azula's manipulations, ruthless behavior, and callous disregard for others, though she did not dare to strongly oppose the princess' actions.[18][1]
Disdaining the nationalistic and often hateful teachings of her alma mater, the Royal Fire Academy for Girls, Mai held a cynical view of the Fire Nation's imperialism during her youth.[1] She never displayed any bigotry or xenophobia toward people of other nations, attitudes that were characteristic of much of the Fire Nation nobility, especially Azula.[30] As a result, she was an easy convert to the Fire Nation's reforms after Zuko's accession of the throne, viewing them as means to avoid future suffering and work toward a better future.[1] Like Zuko, Mai was also opposed to the idea of needless killing and unnecessary violence; more often than not, she chose to disable foes rather than outright kill them during battle. She generally achieved this by using her weapons to pin their clothes, usually the sleeves, to a vertical surface.[30] As a teacher, she refused to take her weapons onto school grounds.[1]
When united with Zuko, Mai overcame her stoic nature and showed genuine happiness.
Despite her stoic nature, her strong relationship with Zuko tended to bring out her more passionate side. Azula took note of Mai's "strangely good mood" since Zuko's return to the Fire Nation.[24] When Azula started toying with them and mocked her boyfriend, Mai soothed him by assuring him that, even though she had trouble showing it, she did love him.[8] She expressed deep concern when Zuko fretted over why he was not invited to a war meeting hosted by his father.[25] Mai was devastated by Zuko's sudden departure from the Fire Nation and consequently harbored some resentment toward him, as evidenced by her bitter confrontation with Zuko in his prison cell at the Boiling Rock. Despite her hurt, however, she retained a great affection for Zuko, aiding his escape from the prison and, in the process, betraying her loyalty to Azula; she later affirmed to the princess that she loved Zuko more than she feared the latter.[9] Unwilling to hold a grudge, Mai happily reunited with Zuko after the Hundred Year War ended.[10]
Following the War's end, Mai began to develop something of a nurturing streak, becoming more openly affectionate of her little brother Tom-Tom and eventually finding her calling as a teacher at the Royal Fire Academy for Girls. Mai's previous differences in opinion with traditional Fire Nation nobility of the time would also become much more prevalent post-war, as she was one of the staunchest supporters of the reforms Zuko wished to implement as Fire Lord, openly opining that the less of the Fire Nation's war era traditions remained, the better. She attributed the previous era's traditions with the Fire Nation's loss, as well as the failure of individuals such as Azula. As a teacher, she took a hands-on and improvisational approach to the job, encouraging her students' curiosity, kindness, and respect that was not based on fear of retribution, but instead on the common humanity that all peoples share.[1]
Abilities[]
- See also: Mai's weapons
Mai was highly skilled at throwing knives.
Mai was a master markswoman, able to skillfully hit targets from a distance.[31] This skill, also known as "stilettos", involved shuriken knives and hand arrows, a skill that apparently started with her throwing knives at her bedroom wall out of boredom.[13] She had a deadly accuracy with these weapons and used them to pin her opponents down, even if she or the target was moving, which also helped against benders as they primarily needed their hands and arms to be free to bend. Her expert marksmanship gave her enough strength to defeat powerful benders and multiple opponents.[30]
While she usually pinned her opponents down with her stilettos, she had been seen throwing them in a way that would cause severe, and possibly fatal, injuries, such as when she attacked Aang and Katara,[7] and Toph.[21] Mai's excellent reflexes, speed, and agility, enabled her to incapacitate several prison guards[9] without killing or injuring them. She proved to be quite nimble; on several occasions she was able to leap across long distances and over high obstacles with little effort. She was also shown to be able to slide across surfaces on her side. When attacking the guards on the Boiling Rock, she was able to attack and dodge by throwing a knife and diving onto her side, gliding across the metal surface in one fluid motion. In addition to her shurikens and the arrow-like darts in her sleeve and ankle holsters, Mai was also proficient with a three-pronged, retractable sai dagger which she used for close combat.[9]
Relationships[]
- Main article: Mai's relationships
Relatives[]
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Appearances[]
Avatar: The Last AirbenderBook Two: Earth (土)
Book Three: Fire (火)
Avatar comicsBook Two: Earth (土)
Book Three: Fire (火)
Other comics
Graphic novels
Avatar games |
Trivia[]
- At Emerald City ComiCon 2017, Gene Luen Yang implied that Mai and Zuko rekindled their relationship three years after their break-up in The Promise Part Two,[32] though official confirmation of this happening has not yet occurred.
- Mai is the Cantonese pronunciation of 袂 meaning "sleeve of a robe", which is where Mai conceals her weapons. Her name is also phonetically similar to the Japanese meimei (冥々, めいめい),[33] meaning "dark" or "invisible", which is relatable to both her gloomy personality and her fighting style.
- Mai's hairstyle was based on the Chinese traditional "ox horns" hairstyle. Like many traditional Chinese hairstyles, Mai's hair was bunched up and tied into buns on the top, with the rest let down below shoulder-level. Her hairstyle should not be confused with the odango hairstyle, which was popularized by and refers to styles in certain anime.
- Due to the severity and violence of her attack methods, Mai's daggers were never actually shown hitting a person directly. Rather, they were just barely blocked or dodged. However, when they did hit, they were always aimed at the target's sleeves or clothing and were merely meant to disable the target. The closest these knives were shown to hitting someone in the show was when Katara was fighting Mai in Omashu; when Mai threw a flurry of knives at her, Katara used her waterbending to knock wooden boards into the air in front of her, causing the knives to hit the boards only inches from her face.[7]
- Though Mai was most often seen using knives and daggers, she could also shoot arrows from the holsters on her wrists and ankles.[7]
- Mai is the only person who wears nail polish in the entire series, though only in Book Two: Earth.
- Mai's personality is based on Lisa Yang's, a writer for the series.[34]
- Mai is the second person seen touching Zuko's scar, after Katara and not counting Zuko himself.