Avatar: 10 Little Known Facts About The Fire Nation

It is said that Firebenders naturally possess heated dispositions that explain their tempers, but this feature is not the reason for their slew of terrible leaders, Fire Lords Sozin, Azulon, and Ozai. Although portrayed as the antagonist kingdom in Avatar: The Last Airbender, the Fire Nation is no better or worse than the other three, just different.

The Fire Nation is probably the most powerful country in the world of Avatar during the Hundred Year War, in both the economic and military sectors. Keeping aside its technological prowess, this country is also known for its science, art, theater, and various other cultural and historical contributions.

10 The Founding Sun Warrior Civilization

The Fire Nation is descended from the ancient Sun Warriors, said to have picked up the art of Firebending from the original wielders, the Dragons. This civilization survived for an unknown amount of time and seemingly perished several millennia prior to the narrative’s events.

Interestingly, a small fraction of Sun Warriors continue to exist, although they keep themselves hidden from the outside world in order to protect themselves as well as the last two dragons, Ren and Shaw.

9 The Role Of Avatar Szeto

The order goes: Aang, Roku, Kyoshi, Kuruk, Yangchen, Szeto, the last of whom was a Fire Nation Avatar a few centuries before the Hundred Year War. During his time, his country had been undergoing considerable conflict, both political and economic.

Rather than take his place as the unbiased arbitrator for the Four Nations, Avatar Szeto chose to work his magic using the powers of bureaucracy. He quickly rose from a minor minister to the Fire Lord’s Grand Advisor, ultimately restoring balance to the Fire Nation.

8 The Development Of Industrialization

Unlike the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, and the Air Nomads, the Fire Nation began to develop better and more improved technology at a consistent pace, with production spiking during the Hundred Year War.

Although most of the engineering genius was geared towards military use, the level of development in the Fire Nation is as extensive as it is complex. On a positive note, industrialization is the main reason that Fire Nation citizens are relatively better off.

7 The Breadth Of Its Armed Forces

It’s quite evident that the Fire Nation boasts the most powerful military in the world of Avatar, but the amount of energy and effort that has gone into building its forces cannot be undercut. The land army includes Nonbenders and Firebenders, each of whom employs techniques favorable to them.

Tanks and cavalries are part of the army, as are the highly prestigious Yuyan archers. The Fire Nation Navy is massive, with dozens of warships dedicated to different tasks, who sometimes enlist mercenary bands like the Southern Raiders. After Sokka’s faux pas, the Fire Nation discovers that air travel is a possibility, and immediately begins to improve the war balloon. In the end, the air force has a number of weaponized zeppelins.

6 The Spice-Derived Cuisine

Citizens of the Fire Nation lean towards meat in their diet, partly because there isn’t much agricultural land available. The most common consumables are rice, noodles, fish, meat, lychee nuts, and cabbage, but the spiciest food items in the country directly reflect Firebender attitudes.

Dishes like Fire Gummies, Fire Cakes, Sizzle Crisps, and Flaming Fire Flakes are extremely popular Fire Nation cuisine, although people who can’t handle spice would be better off not eating any. On the other hand, most Fire Nation inhabitants treat them as casual snacks.

5 The Heavily Urbanized Political Infrastructure Of Fire Cities

There is a considerable amount of occupied rural areas in the Fire Nation, but a large fraction of the population is concentrated in cities, which are likely to receive a lot more civil engineering attention than their village counterparts.

Fire Fountain City and the Capital City are the two that stand out, but the latter is composed of at least three town-sized sections — Royal Caldera City, the Royal Plaza, and Harbor City (with a couple more depicted on cartographic references.) It’s important to note that Fire Nation city planning depends on political maneuverability, given that the most powerful citizens all live together.

4 The Indoctrination In Schools

Fire Nation education is at par with the other three countries. The problem, however, is that schools are expected to induct their students into a forcefully patriotic state, ensuring that all new members of society grow up to be vehemently nationalistic.

There isn’t much attention given to the arts, as the Fire Nation deems self-expression to be frivolous, which doesn’t explain the theatrical talents of the Ember Island Players. Worse is the fact that a lot of historical data is either restricted or flat-out falsehood, like the Air Nomad Genocide.

3 Equality

In the Fire Nation, strength, power, and merit topple other more arbitrary aspects, such as gender. A fact made evident by the fact the Fire Lord sees his younger daughter as his heir rather than his older son.

Ozai sees potential in Azula and that is what counts. Several women have been part of the Fire Nation military, and there are also known female Fire Lords — one of whom turns out to be Zuko’s daughter, Izumi from The Legend of Korra. In other areas of the Avatar world, obstructive gender norms are more prevelent.

2 The Slow Decline Of The Fire Sages

At the foundation, the Fire Sages were an oligarchic council, ruling the Fire Nation together with the Fire Lord. This meant that the administrative functions of the country were managed by this group of advisors.

Over time, their influence shifted towards their spiritual side, and they began to focus on the Avatar’s journey. Fire Sages are still found all over the Fire Nation, especially in the Capital City where they conduct coronations and other rites, such as marriage or festival celebrations.

1 The Universality Of The Fire Nation Emblem

The famous flame-shaped emblem of the Fire Nation signified terror around the world for an entire century, but this was never intended in the original design.

The simple shape depicts the core aspect of both the country and its people: Firebending, an artform that is no less violent and no more benevolent than the other elements. Due to Fire Lord Ozai’s dictatorial drive, the emblem was plastered on nearly everything related to the Fire Nation, from uniforms and tanks to flags and currency.

About The Author

Ajay Aravind
(429 Articles Published)

In real life, Ajay disguises himself as an academic, mainly writing textbooks for children — who all hate him for making their lives more miserable. He also writes about TV and film, strewing his opinions across the internet to see if people care (they don’t). You can find him @stain_dprinc_ss on Twitter.

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