Uncle Iroh went to the Spirit World sometime after Avatar: The Last Airbender, but how exactly did he get there? The hit animated series is known for its great cast of characters, with Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, and Zuko at the forefront of the story. There are also a number of other supporting characters who had prominent roles throughout Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s three seasons, and Iroh is widely considered to be a fan-favorite.

He is the uncle of Zuko and Azula, and he has a compelling arc throughout the series. Viewers learned about his tragic backstory and the death of his son, while his firebending abilities were repeatedly displayed. It was even revealed that he was part of the top-secret group known as the Order of the White Lotus. But, one of the most intriguing aspects of Iroh is his spirituality. He is connected to spirits in a way that most other characters in Avatar never were, and The Legend of Korra included a big revelation that he ascended to the Spirit World sometime after The Last Airbender ended. Without a clear explanation of how this happened, fans have been left speculating about how Iroh accomplished this.

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

Iroh’s appearance in the Spirit World during The Legend of Korra doesn’t provide a lot of background on this transformation, but he did say the following during his season 2 appearance: “I had always enjoyed the company of the spirits. So when my work was done in the material world, I chose to leave my body behind and come to the Spirit World.” This quote indicates that Iroh didn’t die like normal humans and instead chose to enter the Spirit World. Some fans have theorized that Iroh was able to do this by himself because of how in-tune he was with the spirits. An early episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender showed that Iroh was able to see Aang, Iroh, and a spirit dragon flying through the sky, which humans cannot normally do. If he was able to see spirits and those in the Spirit World this easily, he might have found a way to travel there on his own.

This connection to the Spirit World has also brought a theory that the spirits are the ones who brought him there. It has been established in the Avatar canon that spirits can transfer humans to the Spirit World. The spirit Hei Bai stole multiple individuals, including Sokka, from the Earth Kingdom forest and trapped them in the Spirit World. They are only freed after Aang reasons with the spirit, but this confirms that humans can be brought into the Spirit World by the spirits inside of it. If Iroh is so in-tune with spirits that he can see them, its possible he communicated with some in the past and it was mutually agreed that they would bring Iroh into the Spirit World.

One of the other popular theories about Iroh’s ability to enter the Spirit World is that his firebending training could play a factor. Iroh was the last person to learn the firebending form Dancing Dragon and it was said that he killed the last living dragon. However, the truth is that Iroh lied about the death of the dragons to keep the master dragons alive. Since dragons were the original firebenders, some think Iroh having a connection to the master dragons allowed him to enter the Spirit World. If that is the case, then Zuko also would be able to ascend to the Spirit World since he and Aang also trained with the dragons. So, if Zuko shows up the Spirit World in future Avatar: The Last Airbender materials, that could confirm that this played a part in Iroh’s ascension.

Disney+ Has Made Star Wars Rebels Essential (But It Always Should’ve Been)

About The Author


Cooper Hood
(5619 Articles Published)

See also  The Best Upcoming Movies

Cooper Hood is a news and feature writer for Screen Rant. He joined Screen Rant in late 2016 following a year-long stint with MCU Exchange, which came after first developing an MCU blog of his own. He graduated college in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Media & Public Communication, with a minor in Media Production. Cooper’s love for movies began by watching Toy Story and Lion King on repeat as a child, but it wasn’t until The Avengers that he took an invested interest in movies and the filmmaking process, leading him to discover the world of film journalism. Every year Cooper looks forward to seeing the latest blockbusters from the likes of Marvel, DC, and Star Wars, but also loves the rush to catch up on Oscar films near the end of the year. When he isn’t writing about or watching new releases, Cooper is a fantasy football obsessive and looking to expand his Blu-Ray collection – because physical media is still king! Follow Cooper on Twitter @MovieCooper.

More From Cooper Hood