Since they won't let me post my ideas through a word document or picture, I will present my Prequel Idea like this:
Ok, we all know what has happened with the Avatar and his friends fighting the Fire Nation, but as a rhetorical, what did people do about the Fire Nation when the Avatar was absent? Sit around? Don't count on it. There had to be at least someone to do something about the Fire Nation and their tyranny. Of course, you can expect this story to remain consistent with canon. Here's how I picture the opening for the first episode (which I've noticed is usually longer than subsequent episode openings) and Goro narrates:
Water. Earth. Fire. Air. My name is Goro. They have called me a pirate, an outlaw, and recently, a rebel. I have heard stories about how people of all four nations used to live in harmony, about what life was like before the Fire Nation attacked. Back in the day, the Avatar kept balance between all four nations. But now, here I am, against an entire empire. I lived a quiet life until the Fire Nation invaded my home town. I took up my swords and I live to fight for freedom, against the evil injustices against the Fire Nation. Since then, I have become the most wanted man in the Fire Nation. The Avatar may be gone but hope…cannot die.
Here’s the opening for all subsequent episodes:
Water. Earth. Fire. Air. I fought for freedom and justice, prevailing against all odds while the Fire Nation’s tyranny reigns upon us. By chance, I made four unlikely friends, among them being a young cadet named Prayat. He used to fight for the Fire Nation until I taught him that he should fight for what is right and true. I took a shine to him when I realized that fighting injustice is too much to handle alone. Together, we have created a small rebellion that can bring back hope in a world where it has died.
The storyline goes like this:
Book 1: Taking place in the Southeastern Earth Kingdom, Goro is a lone wolf who only wishes to make lives for people who can't fend for themselves. He is the most wanted criminal in the eyes of the Fire Nation, but he's hard to catch. His life changes when he runs into two opportunistic bounty hunters--Semra and Kanaye, and Azar, a teenage girl who wants to avenge her family, as they were slaughtered by the Fire Nation. They all meet by an unlucky coincidence, and their troublemaking gets them sent to a Fire Nation. Meanwhile, a young Fire Nation cadet named Pravat is among the soldiers guarding the prison. He is very patriotic and believed the Fire Nation seeks to bring justice and peace throughout the world. However, he starts having doubts when he learns he's about to be put on a mission to prove his loyalty by burning an innocent family's farm. Goro overhears this and encourages him to reconsider his loyalty. Goro understands that Prayat only wants what is right, and decides to help Goro, Semra, Kanaye and Azar plan a prison breakout. After the breakout, the five new friends decide that in a world without the Avatar, they must bring hope in the face of injustice. Along the way, they must contend with the forces of High Governer Jian of the Southeastern Provinces. One of his enforcers is Agent Zamran, a high-ranking officer of the Fire Nation Internal Security (equivalent of Soviet KGB) whose task is to curb rebel activity. They slowly discover that together, there is a bigger cause ahead of them.
Book 2: The five rebels continue to regularly fight the Fire Nation and do whatever it takes to impede their efforts, and still come into blows with Agent Zamran. However, the rebels face against a new threat—12-year old Princess Azula, who is under the tutelage of Governor Jian himself. Additionally, this book fleshes out the backstories of several characters. For example, we will learn about how Azar lost her family to the Fire Nation, and how Semra and Kanaye became bounty hunters after their farm was taken by the Fire Nation. Additionally, they realize there are other groups of people who want to fight the Fire Nation, but they lack unity to make any real success. The team will also run into characters seen from the first series, such as Hakoda and his men, since they left to go to the Earth Kingdom. Meanwhile, they also try to find evidence of the Fire Nation’s atrocities in order to discredit Fire Nation rule, as well as recruit more people to the growing rebellion. Additionally, they run into mysterious couriers who are part of a rebel network created by the Order of the White Lotus (the audience will know about OWL’s existence, but the heroes won’t), who give the rebels secret messages and intel, and each courier is concealed by a cloak. They also try to help other Fire Nation defectors by giving them safe exit and taking them into their rebellion.
Book 3: The rebellion continues to grow, and now, the five friends have to prepare for their biggest mission of all, a direct strike against the Fire Nation, which is one that will liberate the Southeastern provinces, giving way to the condition the Earth Kingdom will be in for Aang and his friends.
Characters:
Pryat: The main protagonist of the series. Born in the Fire Nation, his parents enrolled him into boarding school at the age of 10. When he was 13, he was excited to serve his country, and enlisted as a junior cadet. He progressed well ahead of his class for his age, and now 15, he was deployed to the Southeastern Provinces of the Earth Kingdom. Pryat wanted to do his part for the Fire Nation, believing they were bringing order for the greater good. After being posted as a prison sentry as part of his tour of duty and meeting Goro, he started to question the morality of the Fire Nation’s actions and defected. In battle, he wields a Bo staff.
Goro: Goro is a 27-year old swordsman who has the reputation of being the most wanted man in the Fire Nation, skirmishing Fire Nation soldiers who oppress innocent Earth Kingdom citizens. He is idealistic that, in a world even without the Avatar, hope is still possible in the face of tyranny. Goro doesn’t wait for miracles—he tries to make them happen himself. However, his life is full of hazard, that the risk of being captured makes it hard for him to trust others, and working alone was a pragmatic course of action for his survival. Upon meeting Azar, Semra and Kanaye, he learned that fighting for truth and justice is too much for one man alone. He later took a shine to Pryat, whom he took on as a student. In battle, he wields two katanas.
Semra and Kanaye: Bounty hunters who are a brother-sister duo. Semra and Kanaye lived on a farm all their lives, but once the Fire Nation came to their region, they kicked their family off their farm, and imprisoned them. They became bounty hunters hoping they can buy back their farm, and then get their family out of prison. Upon meeting Goro, they learn that there are more things at stake than profit. Kanaye and Semra have differing views towards solving problems, which is incorporated in their fighting styles. Kanaye is more warlike in spirit, as he believes aggression is the only way to solve disputes. As such, he employs aggressive and offensive techniques in his fighting style. Semra is more pacifist—she believes education is the solution for a majority of conflicts. Her fighting style is more defensive, employing Aikido-esque and Judo-esque techniques and turning her opponents' strength against them.
Azar: Azar is a gifted teenage earthbender who witnessed her own family get slaughtered by the Fire Nation on an unfortunate night when she was twelve. Once Governor Jian’s forces invaded her village, they refused to submit, leading them to purge her village and slaughter everyone, including her parents and sister. After that, she unleashed her earthbending wrath on the soldiers, swearing vengeance on Governor Jian. She barely escaped with her life, and began her quest to hunt down the governor who ordered her people to leave her village. She finds Goro’s and Pryat’s ideals to be naïve, but over time must learn to reevaluate her quest for vengeance and see the bigger picture ahead of her.
Antagonists:
Governor Jian: Governor Jian is the ruthless administrator of the Southeastern Provinces, appointed by the Fire Lord himself. As governor, he would instill fear to deter Earth Kingdom citizens from defying the Fire Lord’s will, including the burning of many villages. Some of his actions have ended up catching both Fire Nation personnel and Earth Kingdom civilians in the crossfire. Jian sees his position as an opportunity to gain prestige and curry favor from the Fire Lord. His ruthlessness is only matched by his calculated and cunning nature.
High General Ronin: High General Ronin was appointed by the Fire Lord to lend his services to Governor Jian. Ronin’s skills with a blade are considered legendary that even his fellow officers have considered him the deadliest swordsman in the Fire Nation. Back in the day, he was a captain under General Iroh during the 600-day siege of Ba Sing Se, and his ferocity won Iroh many battles during the siege. When a new threat in the Southeastern Provinces emerged in the form of Goro, he was necessarily promoted to deal with the problem, as Goro’s skill and tenacity proved to be too much for the Fire Nation to handle, and would spark a message that would undermine the strength and security of the Fire Nation.
Agent Zamran: Agent Zamran is a high-ranking officer in the FNISD (Fire Nation Internal Security Division) and a fierce firebender. His job is to monitor and maintain the loyalty of all citizens to the Fire Nation. Agent Zamran believes the war fought by the Fire Nation is just, and is fiercely loyal to the Fire Lord. As such, he had a zero-tolerance policy on disobedience and dissent, making it his life’s work to ensure stability within the Fire Nation and their provinces. When Goro and his new friends formed their own rebel group, Agent Zamran responded to the threat and was tasked with neutralizing them before they can grow into a larger movement. He felt crushing them would be his greatest prize for the Fire Nation. He is sometimes at odds with High General Ronin, who believes they should make a symbolic victory by capturing the rebels’ hope-inspiring leader, whereas Zamran wants to bag the whole group to prevent them from spreading.