The refugees of the Hundred Year War were citizens of the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes who fled from their towns and villages after they became zones of fighting or had been occupied by the Fire Nation during the Great War. Most of these citizens sought protection in the Earth Kingdom capital city, Ba Sing Se, which stood as one of the last remaining strongholds in the world from the Fire Nation prior to its fall in 100 AG. Others fled to Jasmine Island, an independent and formally neutral state in the South Sea.
History[]
Early refugees[]
When Fire Lord Sozin launched his initial campaign against the other nations, this already triggered a wave of migration as people sought safety away from the developing war zones. For instance, some Southern Water Tribe families fled the South Pole region after the first Fire Nation attacks, with Siku's ancestors seeking refuge on Jasmine Island,[1] a neutral-island state with traditional ties to the Southern Water Tribe.[2][3] Despite its remoteness and small size, Jasmine Island would generally become a popular destination for refugees during the Hundred Year War, as its native people were welcoming and it was located far away from most fighting.[3][4]
Hidden stations such as Full Moon Bay aided refugees in reaching safer areas such as Ba Sing Se.
Meanwhile, the Earth Kingdom suffered widespread misery and destruction due to the Fire Nation's invasion. This triggered great waves of refugees, most of whom fled toward the relative safety of Ba Sing Se.[5] To help displaced citizens reach locations such as Ba Sing Se, hidden stations and transport hubs such as Full Moon Bay were created all over the Earth Kingdom to house refugees or provide transportation.[6]
Later stages[]
As Ba Sing Se's Lower Ring became increasingly crowded with refugees living in a state of poverty, the Earth Kingdom government fell under control of the Dai Li. The secret police established a totalitarian dictatorship within the walls of the Earth Kingdom capital, silencing anyone who dared to question the new regime or put too much focus on the war. This led to even greater misery for many refugees, though people continued to flee to Ba Sing Se despite the increasingly oppressive system.[7][8] As refugees were not supposed to mention the war in Ba Sing Se, they simply became known as "newcomers". However, they were still permitted to advertise that they had lost contact with their loved ones. It was common to see bulletin boards in the Lower Ring full of messages from people trying to find lost relatives.[9]
Around 89 AG,[10][11] people of one northern Earth Kingdom village became refugees when their homes were destroyed by a flood. Led by the mechanist, the survivors eventually discovered a new home in the abandoned Northern Air Temple.[8][10][12]
By the early 90s AG, Jasmine Island remained a popular place for refugees. However, the small state itself suffered great damage due to a unsanctioned invasion by Admiral Yueya of the Fire Nation Navy, destroying local settlements and displacing many natives. Regardless, the islanders remained committed to helping foreign refugees, though their openness was occasionally tested.[3][4] Soon after Yueya's rampage, a ship of Water Tribe refugees arrived requesting aid, but an islander named Kallik recognized that the ship was a stolen Fire Nation vessel. The locals were unsure over their next moves, as many took pity on the refugees, whereas others wanted them gone due to the threat of another Fire Nation attack in retaliation.[4] In general, people from the South Pole region continued to flee their villages due to the ongoing Southern Water Tribe raids, especially surviving waterbenders such as Teek.[13]
In the mid-90s AG, a group of refugees led by Weili were accidentally drawn into the chase for Haoran's rebel group. Ignorant of Haoran's previous deeds and vendetta with Fire Nation General Uyanga, the civilians followed the insurgents for about a month until finding temporary shelter at the abandoned Western Air Temple. Unbeknownst to Weili's group, the air temple was a trap, set by a spy named Jianjun, who had infiltrated the refugees.[14][15]
Team Avatar's encounters with refugees[]
Meanwhile, many young children and teenagers who lost their homes and family to Fire Nation raids and attacks in the western Earth Kingdom. These orphans became refugees, but a substantial number eventually banded together and formed the Freedom Fighters around the mid-90s AG. This was a revolutionary group led by Jet, which aimed to rid the world of firebenders. This group fought a guerrilla campaign against the Fire Nation and its local allies before being shattered after an encounter with Team Avatar.[8][16] Afterward, several remaining Freedom Fighters once again became refugees.[6]
Team Avatar helped a refugee family cross the dangerous Serpent's Pass.
In late 99 AG and early 100 AG, Team Avatar aided various groups of refugees across the Earth Kingdom. The group helped unite the Gan Jin and Zhang tribes, displaced by the Fire Nation, mending their long feud and inspiring them to move to the safety of Ba Sing Se together.[17] Later, Team Avatar helped the refugees Than, his sister, and Ying, to travel toward Ba Sing Se.[6] Around the same time, Suki's Kyoshi Warriors also helped refugees, eventually ending up as security at Full Moon Bay.[6][18] In the process, Suki temporarily reunited with her best friend, Mingxia, who had become the leader of a small group of refugees moving through Full Moon Bay.[19] After Than's family was rejected by the passport attendant at Full Moon Bay, Team Avatar and Suki assisted them in crossing the dangerous Serpent's Pass and thus reaching the capital after all. Meanwhile, exiled Prince Zuko and his uncle Iroh also sought refuge following their condemnation by Princess Azula. The two, under the guise of refugees named Lee and Mushi, boarded a ferry headed to Ba Sing Se along with Jet, Smellerbee, and Longshot of the Freedom Fighters.[6]
Following the Coup of Ba Sing Se and the occupation of the Earth Kingdom capital by the Fire Nation, several citizens fled the city, including Liling and her daughters Ru and Yaling.[20]
Post-war[]
With the end of the Hundred Year War, some refugees decided to stay in Ba Sing Se's Lower Ring, while others moved back to the villages they evacuated. Some returned to find that the settlements they had left had been destroyed in the war, and some started the process of rebuilding, where in some places bandits took advantage of their struggles. Other refugees had lingering unanswered questions about loved ones they had been separated from during the war. Some people had these questions answered, for better or worse, while others had to choose between devoting themselves to hunting down these answers, or choosing to move forward without them.[21][22]
One group of village refugees were tired of the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se and decided to return home. However, their village was pillaged during the war, and a group of bandits lived in the ruins. While they waited for aid from the authorities, Chungsuk, the former governor of the village, wanted to launch a war against the bandits, for which he requested the aid of a group of adventurers.[22]
Those who remained in the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se found little in the way of relief immediately after the war. The area was still overcrowded, and the government did not provide enough resources to the citizens who lived there. Some of those in the Lower Ring felt forgotten as the world started to heal, facing problems such as poor sanitation, poverty, and crime. Though the corruption in government was reduced since Long Feng was deposed, the Lower Ring was a vulnerable target for both crime bosses and some government officials who wanted to take advantage of people in such a chaotic time.[21]
Notable refugees[]
- Cabbage merchant[6]
- Freedom Fighters[6]
- Gan Jin tribe[17]
- Hope[6]
- Iroh (as "Mushi")[6]
- Jianjun (undercover)[23]
- Jin's family[24][25]
- Liling[20]
- The mechanist[10]
- Meilin[19]
- Aniki[13]
- Mingxia[19]
- Ru[20]
- Siku's family[1]
- Teek[13]
- Than[6]
- Than's sister[6]
- Teo[10]
- Weili[23]
- Woong[23]
- Yaling[20]
- Ying[6]
- Zhang tribe[17]
- Zuko (as "Lee")[6]
Trivia[]
- Among the refugees waiting to board a ferry to Ba Sing Se was the cabbage merchant.[6]
- Many refugees attempted to masquerade as Avatar Aang in order to receive free ferry tickets at Full Moon Bay.[6]