Fire Nation

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The Fire Nation is a collective term for a nation of people in the fictional universe of the 2005 animated television series . One of the series' "," the Fire Nation comprises a small system of volcanic islands in the planet's Western Hemisphere. The Fire Nation is home to an order of men and women who practice firebending, the pyrokinetic ability to create and control fire.

Contents

Weaknesses

In the episode "" it is known that the Fire Benders lose their ability to bend fire during a solar eclipse.

Fire Lord's Throne Room.

Fire Lord Ozai.

Fire Nation National Emblem.

Appearance

Members of the Fire Nation have black or dark brown hair, amber or brown eyes, and pale skin. The men in older years sport beards and mustaches, and almost all Fire Nation citizens have topknots. Members of the army wear red and black uniforms that may have yellow touches to them. Civilians wear red and white or red tinted outfits. Their clothing and architecture seem to reflect chinese and some japanese influences.

National emblem

The national emblem of the Fire Nation is a stylized, teardrop-shaped flame forked into a trident of three tongues that taper upward to a point. It is displayed on its flag, on the pennants of Fire Navy warships, and the sides of their various vehicles of war. It seems that the royal family or certain higher members wear the emblem in their topknots. Azula, , , and Ursa have been seen wearing them.

Culture

Fire Nation nobles.

The Fire Nation is ruled with an iron fist by the latest in a long line of Firebenders, Fire Lord Ozai. Ozai is the father of Prince Zuko and Princess Azula, and the brother of General Iroh.

The Fire Nation's political system is an absolute monarchy that has been waging a century-long imperialist war against the other three nations of the world; the stated goal of which is to create a planetwide empire. They are not above employing genocide to accomplish this goal, having already eliminated the entire nation of Air Nomads, and driven the Southern Water Tribe to the brink of extinction. A recent naval siege of the Northern Water Tribe failed, but the Nation's current ambition is to conquer the Earth Kingdom by storming their capital city of Ba Sing Se. A previous siege of the city led by General Iroh lasted six-hundred days until Iroh lost his son to the war, and therefore lost his will to fight. The defeat has since branded him a failure. The Fire Nation has also taken the Earth Kingdom stronghold of Omashu.

As illustrated in its cultural festivals, the Fire Nation employs propaganda to indoctrinate a sense of nationalism and loyalty to the Fire Lord (cult of personality) in its citizens from the earliest age possible. (A popular attraction cast Ozai as a hero in a children's puppet show.)

However, little is known about the actual Fire Nation mainland. No foreign nation has ever attempted to invade or travel to the Fire Nation due to its defences, many of the Fire Nation soldiers mention little about their homes, and almost all recorded information on the Fire Nation has been destroyed. As a result, there is no clear idea as to what the geography, appearance, population, or culture of the Fire Nation is actually like. The only record of Fire Nation history that survives is a date referencing the Fire Nation's "darkest day", which is the same day as a solar eclipse.

Military

Fire Lord's War Room.

The Fire Nation military is definitely the strongest of the four nations. Using a mystical comet that greatly enhanced their powers, they succeeded in wiping out the Air Nomads early in the war. Though the Fire Nation is fighting on two-fronts with the Water Tribe and the Earth Kingdom, they still have the upper hand. As the war drags on, it becomes clear that the Fire Nation will eventually win if the Avatar does not intervene. The Water Tribe hasn't the military might to directly challenge the Fire Nation, and the vast Earth Kingdom continues to lose territory to the Firebenders.

Fire Nation soldiers.

Army

The Fire Nation's army comprises both normal foot soldiers (non-benders normally wield spears and swords) and Firebenders. Firebending soldiers wear white faceplates shaped like abstract skulls, while ranking officers do not. Both have spiky fire crests on the front of their helmets. Normal soldiers wear cone shaped helmets without masks. It is a possibility that a Firebending soldier's skull mask is also used for psychological warfare due to their frightening appearances.

Their cavalry ride Komodo-Rhinos. Fire Nation soldiers mount these frightening beasts to terrorize their enemies.

In the episode "The Northern Air Temple", the Fire Nation sieged an air temple with metal tanks. Each vehicle was heavily armoured, equipped with fire ports (to allow the crew to fire projectiles from firebending to giant grappling hooks), and had a water-based "balancing system" that allowed the tank to continue fighting even if it tipped over.

Later, in the same episode, the Fire Nation captured a prototype "war balloon," which may allude that they're creating an air force.

Yu Yan Archers

A Yu Yan Archer takes aim

The Yu Yan Archers are Colonel Shinu's highly skilled unit of archers, capable of pinning a fly to a tree from 100 yards away, without killing it. They're so skilled that they succeeded in overwhelming and capturing Aang, the Avatar, though he subsequently escaped from custody. One Yu Yan Archer is seen as a member of the Rough Rhinos, a team of weapons specialists on three-horned rhinos and, stated by Iroh,"A great Singing group."

Fire Nation naval forces

Navy

The Fire Nation's navy comprises coal-powered warships, built of metal. In addition to its sturdy properties, the Fire Nation's use of metallurgy to remove impurities from the metal ensures that Earthbenders cannot damage their ships with their powers. These vessels serve many purposes, from ferrying and unloading troops to providing bombardment with their catapults.

In one particular episode, captured Earthbenders were forced into labor to work on a mid-ocean mining rig, and knowing that they couldn't bend the metal of the rig, many of the captured Earthbenders lost their will to fight.

The Fire Nation's navy is very large; Admiral Zhao laid siege on the Northern Water Tribe with several dozens of ships, and the Fire Nation certainly has many more. However, a large portion of the fire Navy was destroyed during Siege of the North, Part II when Aang became the physical incarnation of the ocean spirit, leaving only a few ships to retreat.

Technology

The Fire Nation is the most technologically advanced of the nations, boasting Industrial-Age technologies like advanced metallurgy, tanks, rudimentary explosives ("blasting jelly"), semi-automated catapults, and coal-powered, iron-clad warships. Some of these innovations were commissioned by extorting an expatriate Earth Kingdom inventor, .

Azula’s Ship

This royal ship is the pride of the Fire Nation Navy -- it is the most technologically advanced ship in the fleet. Compared to Zuko's ship, Azula's ship is bigger, faster, newer, and in every way, better. This ship was specifically built for Azula and no expense was spared for the Fire Lord's favorite child. The ship is guarded by Princess Azula's royal guard, an elite group of firebenders dressed in robes who served as her bodyguards.

Komodo Rhinos

A large rhino/komodo dragon mix, they have three horns like a triceratops and a long whip-like tail. Outfitted with heavy armor around the face, they're used for pulling carts and carrying people, both for war and civilian purposes. The Rough Rhinos wouldn't have a name without them.

Rough Rhinos

The Rough Rhinos are an elite group of Fire Nation cavalry. There are five members of the group: Colonel Mongke, Ogodei, Yeh-Lu, Kahchi, and Vachir, each of whom is a different combat specialist. Colonel Mongke is the only firebender in the group, while the others are a masked explosives expert, a Yu Yan Archer, a flail user, and a naginata wielder. They are highly skilled, and able to ride their Komodo rhinos silently through the brush. A little known fact about the Rough Rhinos, according to Iroh, is that they are a very talented singing group.

The leader of the Rough Rhinos is the gruff Colonel Mongke, whose quick wits and ruthless tactics make him a formidable opponent. He once served under Uncle Iroh in the Fire Nation army. Regardless of the Rough Rhinos' skill, both their appearances on the show have been defeats, either against Aang and company or Iroh and Zuko, although the latter was more of a humilating draw.

Air Force

In the ending of the episode, The Northern Air Temple, the Fire Nation has acquired a hot air balloon. It is intended that the Fire Nation will use this Force as an advantage in battles. "This defeat is the gateway to many victories". For example, using the hot air balloon they could just fly over the walls of Ba Sing Se. On closer examination, this ballon itself is of limited utility. It could provide at best a small deep striking force, assuming that it is not shot down by enemy archers, benders or artilary. It does provide a superior vantage point to observe battles from, and may serve as an ideal platform for elite firebenders to overwatch a battle and deploy their powers.

Cities and locations

Avatar Roku's temple.

New Ozai, after the conquest of Omashu.

Avatar Roku's temple

On top of a rocky, crescent-shaped island in western Fire Nation waters is located 's temple. Built by Avatar Roku himself, the temple contains numerous passageways that extend underground and a spiraling staircase that leads to a sanctuary. In the episode "Avatar Roku (Winter Solstice, Part 2)", Avatar Roku's spirit temporarily merges into Aang's body, and together they destroy the temple to allow Aang, Sokka and Katara to escape from Fire Nation soldiers who had invaded it.

New Ozai

After conquering the Earth Kingdom city of Omashu, the city is being reconstructed to better suit the new Fire Nation occupants. The former ruler, King Bumi, is currently deposed and Earth Kingdom forces continue to resist their new masters, at least in secret. The new governor's daughter, Mai, is a friend of the Princess Azula, who renamed the city New Ozai after her father.

The Fire Lord Royal Palace

Located in the heart of the Fire Nation, The Fire Lord's Royal Palace is the most recognizable structure in the Fire Nation. The Fire Lord's Palace is where the Fire Lord and the Royal family live. The Palace is located on a large, beautiful estate.

Inside, the palace is made up of enormous halls. Large tapestries line the walls. Fire-related images and moldings can be seen throughout the palace -- it is a truly powerful structure. The Palace has many different wings and many different rooms. The throne room is where the Fire Lord rules. The throne is on an elevated platform and sits high above any visitors. This is also the war planning room, where the Fire Lord sits with his generals to discuss planning and tactics for the war. There are bedrooms, guestrooms and even servant's quarters inside this enormous palace.

Influences

The Fire Nation is extremely influenced by ancient Japan and China in terms of architecture, clothing, hair, and combat style. This is exemplified in the episode Zuko Alone, where mourning are shown wearing white at cremation funderals, which is a Chinese tradition.#redirect