| "The way of the sword doesn't belong to any one nation. Knowledge of the arts belongs to us all." |
| — Piandao to Sokka.[1] |
Piandao was a Fire Nation bladesmith, swordmaster, and calligrapher. A former member of the Fire Army, he was also a high-ranking member of the Order of the White Lotus and participated in the liberation of Ba Sing Se. Piandao was considered the greatest swordmaster and maker in Fire Nation history and taught both Zuko and Sokka in the art of swordsmanship.[2][3]
History[]
Early life[]
Piandao was born to two firebenders, both of whom were considered prodigies in their art.[2] Ashamed that their only son was not a bender, his parents left him on the doorsteps of an orphanage. Growing up, Piandao was a nervous and agitated child, but he showed interest in the arts and enjoyed painting and calligraphy, which helped him relax and focus his mind.[2][4]
At the age of ten, Piandao attended a Fire Nation boys' camp where his natural talent with the sword was recognized. He furthered his studies in the army, where he developed a vicious and fearsome sword fighting style. Piandao fought many battles for the Fire Nation and won them all.[2][4] However, after several years of fighting, Piandao lost his taste for war,[2] reflecting that he had initially taken up the sword to train his mind instead of assisting an imperialistic campaign.[4] He felt increasingly conflicted about the Fire Nation's role in the Hundred Year War, and eventually deserted the army.[2][4]
Seeking to become a more enlightened person, he subsequently traveled the world for many years, spending his time of refining his artistic and martial skills. He studied under a variety of benders, warriors, and artisans, most of them masters in their subject matter.[2][4] As part of his travels, he discovered his aptitude for smithing, and became immersed in not just wielding but creating swords. His inclinations ultimately led him to join the Order of the White Lotus.[4]
After some time, he returned to the Fire Nation and settled in the town of Shu Jing,[2] where he acquired an old castle as his new home and remodeled it to suit his tastes.[4] Soon after, a Fire Army contingent came to arrest him for deserting the military. In a legendary battle, Piandao defeated all one hundred soldiers. The Fire Army never bothered him again.[2][4] From far and wide people came seeking his tutelage in the art of sword fighting, though Piandao became known for turning potential students down as he had met several students claiming to be the best in their village and thus deserving of his instruction.[1][4] However, at some point, he agreed to train the young Prince Zuko to wield dual broadswords.[5]
Meeting Team Avatar and end of the war[]
Piandao instructed Sokka in the essence of swordsmanship.
After Sokka concluded that he did not openly contribute to the group, he sought out Piandao and traveled to the swordmaster's castle. During the interview, Sokka humbly admitted his own unworthiness to the master, much to Piandao's surprise. Having grown accustomed to potential students bragging about their own worth, Piandao found Sokka's humility not only refreshing but exactly what he was looking for. He decided to properly train Sokka. He was set about to do tasks such as landscape painting, rock gardening, and calligraphy, as well as practicing against one of the master's underlings. Piandao believed him to be worthy enough to choose a steel to make his sword. Sokka made a sword out of a meteorite.[1]
When Piandao gave Sokka the sword, Sokka initially refused the blade and confessed the truth about actually being from the Southern Water Tribe. The master attacked him, and they engaged in a duel. As the duel between Sokka and his master transitioned outside, Sokka used the techniques he had learned to get the upper hand, something the master pointed out several times.[1]
However, the swordmaster finally gained the upper hand but sheathed his sword before delivering the final blow. He subsequently revealed that he had known Sokka was from the Water Tribe all along just from his name, and also noted that Aang was the Avatar. Nonetheless, he claimed that the art of the sword did not belong to any one nation, and gave Sokka his sword back. When the group left, they were given a bag with a Pai Sho piece, the white lotus tile.[1]
Piandao cooperated with Pakku during the liberation of Ba Sing Se.
Several months later, Piando was among the White Lotus masters who were contacted by Iroh. Roused from his previous passivity by Iroh's appeal,[4] the swordmaster traveled to the destroyed Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se, where he met up with other White Lotus members such as Pakku, Jeong Jeong, and King Bumi. As the contingent waited, they were discovered by Team Avatar. The masters took the group to their camp, and Piandao showed Iroh's tent to Zuko.[6] Soon after, Bumi and Toph Beifong engaged in a duel to determine who was the better earthbender. Their clash caused great destruction and alarmed Piandao who initially feared that the camp was under attack. Once the cause of the commotion was determined, the swordmaster helped to break up the duel.[7] Piandao subsequently took part in the fight to reclaim Ba Sing Se in the name of the Earth Kingdom, along with the rest of the Order. He fought by the side of Pakku, and easily defeated many Fire Army soldiers.[6]
Later life[]
After the Hundred Year War, Piandao enjoyed the new peace of the world to finally travel, study, and teach as he saw fit.[4][8] Eventually, he joined Iroh and a group of Air Acolytes on a mission to Jasmine Island to rebuild a peace monument honoring the Guiding Wind. The White Lotus masters also sought a former companion, Xai Bau, who had effectively abandoned the order and reportedly become active on the island.[9][10] Piandao and Iroh soon learned that Xai Bau had already left the area, though discovered evidence of his increasingly radical activities.[10][11]
Personality[]
Piandao held the view that the world was "infinitely complex and beautiful",[4] and held a great love for various artistic pursuits. Using the arts to calm his mind since his youth, he saw them as an interconnected way of life and tried to nurture curiosity in all of his students.[1][4] He also sought enlightenment by focusing on the moment and its impressions. Ever since deserting the Fire Army, Piandao held a deep disdain for war and rarely took a side in conflicts.[8]
Abilities[]
Swordsmanship[]
While training Sokka, Piandao demonstrated his skills as a legendary swordsman.
Piandao was a master swordsman who incorporated techniques of benders, warriors, and artisans into his swordsmanship; though retired from conflict, he was still considered the greatest swordsman in Fire Nation history,[2][3] and one of the most powerful and skilled nonbenders in the world.[5] His prowess was best renowned from having never lost a single battle and defeating a hundred Fire Nation soldiers so decisively that he was left in peace afterward. He was incredibly swift and agile; when testing Sokka, he was fast enough to move in front of Sokka before the latter realized it. He had an acute sense of hearing; while temporarily blinded, he was able to ascertain Sokka's position by hearing him step on a twig, subsequently disarming the young swordsman, and was also able to catch a thrown sheath perfectly on his sword. He was also very aware of his surroundings, able to remember the layout and his current location to better handle the situation at hand. During the battle of Ba Sing Se, he disabled several soldiers with the aid of Pakku.
Other skills[]
In additional to his undeniable prowess in wielding a sword, Piandao was equally renowned for his skill in forging and repairing them with high quality and great artistic design. Many of his works became regarded as prized possessions of high price value. His skill could effectively use any form of material to create his swords, even a meteorite. Piandao was also a masterful artist, primarily in calligraphy, which further refined his precision and dexterity for swordsmanship.
Known apprentices[]
Appearances[]
Avatar: The Last Airbender[]
Book Three: Fire (火)[]
- 304. "Sokka's Master"
- 319. "Sozin's Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters"
- 320. "Sozin's Comet, Part 3: Into the Inferno" (no lines)
- 321. "Sozin's Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang" (no lines)
Avatar comics[]
Book Three: Fire (火)[]
- Iss. #26. "Bumi vs. Toph, Round One"
Graphic novels[]
- The Promise Part Three (vision, no lines)
Avatar books[]
Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game[]
Trivia[]
- A "Pian Dao" (片刀) is a "slashing sabre", a deeply curved Chinese sword, which was very rare. This is probably a reference to Piandao being a swordmaster. Despite his name, Piandao used a "jian" (剑), a straight-bladed short sword.
- Like Jeong Jeong and Chey, he also deserted the Fire Nation military and lived.[12][13] However, unlike the former two who became outspoken against the Fire Nation's cause for imperial dominance, Piandao left the military simply because he grew tired of war in favor of enlightenment.
- He was one of a few Fire Nation characters who knew the Avatar was still alive prior to the Day of Black Sun.
- Piandao's character design was a reference by the makers of Avatar to Sifu Kisu, the martial arts consultant for the series.[14]
- On Piandao's door was a symbol of the white lotus, foreshadowing the events of "Sozin's Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters".
- He was the only named member of the Order of the White Lotus not to have white or gray hair.
- Piandao was one of the few Fire Nation characters that did not have typical golden eyes. Others included Ty Lee, Fat, Chit Sang, Shoji, and Ta Min.
- Piandao was the only "old master" who was not a bender, just like Sokka was the only nonbender on Team Avatar, which helped teacher and student to better understand each other.
- Of the named members of the Order of the White Lotus who participated in the liberation of Ba Sing Se, Piandao was the only one who did not appear in the first book.