Avatar:Avatar: The Last Airbender: Legacy of the Fire Nation

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For the scrapbook with a similar title that Aang leaves to Tenzin, see Avatar: The Last Airbender: Legacy.

<infobox theme-source="nation"> <image source="image" /> <title source="name"><default>Avatar: The Last Airbender: Legacy of the Fire Nation</default></title> <group> <header>Creative</header> <label>Author</label> <label>Art by</label> <label>Coloring by</label> <label>Lettering by</label> </group> <group> <header>Publication</header> <label>Issue</label> <label>Publisher</label> <label>Date of publication</label> <label>ISBN</label> <label>Series</label> <label>Pages</label> <label>Last novel</label> <label>Next novel</label> </group> <navigation></navigation> <header></header> </infobox> Avatar: The Last Airbender: Legacy of the Fire Nation is a hardcover scrapbook released on February 4, 2020, written by Joshua Pruett and published by Insight Editions. The book follows Iroh as he shares memories and mementos with Prince Zuko.^[1]

Description

In Avatar: The Last Airbender: Legacy of the Fire Nation, discover long-kept secrets carried by Uncle Iroh as he records his stories for Prince Zuko. Read letters from family, friends, and more in this special collection of mementos and keepsakes.

Iroh has held many roles in his long life including crown prince of the Fire Nation, mentor to Prince Zuko, and ally of Avatar Aang. In the peace following the end of the Hundred Year War, Iroh has compiled his many thoughts, memories, artifacts, and stories from his long life to share with Prince Zuko. Filled with amazing removable mementos from Iroh, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Legacy of the Fire Nation presents an exclusive look into one of the series' most-loved characters.

The book began with Iroh's letter to Zuko, in which he claimed that the book is part letter and part memory book. Stating that it was time for Zuko to learn more about the history of the Fire Nation Royal Family, it started with Fire Lord Sozin, who had been the best friend of Avatar Roku until he had betrayed the latter for world domination, leading to Roku's death. Sozin's son, Prince Azulon, had been trained by his father to become one of the most powerful firebenders of his time, one that no one dared to challenge. Later, Azulon and Ilah had two sons of their own, Iroh and Ozai. Iroh claimed that Ozai had always sought power, from the moment he first crawled to their Pai Sho games, where they fought over the pettiest of issues like warriors. During their teenage years, despite their strained relationship, Iroh was impressed by his younger brother's popularity in school. This would be short-lived though, as Iroh caught on to Ozai's brutal ambitions and began permanently distancing himself from his brother.

Iroh rose to the rank of General in the Fire Nation military and had a son Lu Ten. In this capacity, he led the siege of Ba Sing Se though stopped his campaign after his son died in the battle. Returning home, he was welcomed with the news of Azulon's mysterious death and Ozai's ascension to the throne. Iroh subsequently turned to scour the Spirit World to find Lu Ten. While unsuccessful in that endeavor, he did discover himself and achieved enlightenment, through which he was able to find peace and become a caring uncle to Zuko. When Zuko was banished, Iroh accompanied him on his quest to find the Avatar and later helped him and Team Avatar end the Hundred Year War.

Comments on Team Avatar

Iroh complimented every main member of Team Avatar, aside from Zuko:

Aang for giving the acknowledgement Zuko desperately needed, changing Zuko's perspective of the Fire Nation, and for his emotional temperament and heroism.
Katara for her passion, forgiving Zuko despite his earlier betrayal, her bond with Zuko being his strength, and forcing him to grow up and become the man he currently is.
Sokka for his sarcasm and bravery, especially during his and Zuko's mission to save Hakoda at the Boiling Rock.
Toph for being a fierce warrior, her fighting spirit, and stubborn thick-headedness like Zuko.
Appa for instigating the change within Zuko when the latter tried to capture him.
Momo for representing the spirit of the then lost Air Nomads along with Aang.

Letters from Team Avatar

Every main member of Team Avatar wrote a letter to Iroh during their adulthood.

Aang

Dear Master Iroh,

I should've written this letter long ago. More to the point, I shouldn't be writing it at all—I should be telling this to you in person. Have you ever noticed how gratitude is so small when it's just words on paper? But thank you. Thank you anyway. And thank you again! Thank you for sticking to Zuko the way you did, because if you hadn't, we would never have met, and without you, I'd never have learned firebending and become the true Avatar. You helped me grow. Without you, I'd never have stopped Ozai. Without you, this world would be ashes and soot. You're like, the greatest bender teacher that is! And you make great tea.

I haven't had a real family in a very long time, and you became like the uncle I always wanted. I know for Zuko you are that and so much more. I hope that, with your guidance, Zuko is able to reach his full potential. There is greatness in him. I've seen him. His heart burns brighter than any flame we can bend. With you at his side, I believe Zuko will become a great Fire Lord, and together the two of you will create a truly, honourable and righteous Fire Nation.

Aang.

Katara

Dear General Iroh,

Long ago, you were my enemy. And then, you were my friend. Now looking back, I see that you were so much more. Almost every time we met, whether you were on my side or not, you seemed to be doing the right thing, and you were always focused on leading Zuko by example. The way you fought for the life of the Moon Spirit and saved us in the Crystal Catacombs ... Every time, you did the honourable thing - even when it caused you bodily harm, as it often did when we ran afoul of your niece, Azula.

When you guided us through our final confrontation with Ozai, and when I elected to support Zuko in his battle against Azula, you encouraged me. That alone told me that I was doing the right thing, because the right thing was all Iroh ever did. If you approved of my actions, I knew beyond a shadow of doubt that I was doing the right thing. That gave me confidence to help my friends and do the impossible. I could not have done that without you.

Thank you, dear Iroh, for always being exactly who I needed you to be.

Oh yes, and I so miss your incredible tea!

Gratefully, Katara.

Sokka

Hello Zuko's Uncle Iroh,

Katara's making me write this letter because she thinks she's our mother. Anyways, you're pretty funny, for an old guy. And you're pretty old, for a funny guy. Please stop making me drink your tea. Thanks for helping us out and being old or whatever it is Katara wants me to thank you for.

Signed, the leader of Team Avatar for life, no take-backs, no erasies, Sokka.

P.S. Are you sure there's no bending for jokes? Or how about bending for gas? Or is that just breaking wind.

Toph (written by Katara)

Iroh,

Katara is writing this all down for me because - hello, I'm blind. You're very powerful, for an old man. I'm not sure what's stronger, your puns or your bending. Thanks for the tea.

Toph,
aka The Blind Bandit.

Zuko (after his retirement as the Fire Lord)

Dearest Uncle Iroh,

Do you remember when I used to write you letters? It must be this place, having its effect on me, but here on Ember Island, I find myself introspective and thinking back about my life. I think I used to write you to buy me presents. Such a cheeky child.

I've retired now, given up my throne for the peace of this place, to be warmed by the sun and my own memories. I think of you often here. My good memories wash over the bad ones like waves on the shore, clearing the old sand and resetting. I remember summers on the beach, playing with Azula, we didn't want to kill each other then, though sometimes we acted like it. But the island brought us together. It did that again, one time, in our teens. It was a golden time. One I never felt again until Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph and I had finished our journey and had a moment to enjoy each other's company.

I am old now, and you have been gone to the Spirit World a great many years. I don't really know why I'm writing you this letter. Perhaps just thinking of you brings me back your voice, and writing to you brings you back to my side, where I could always count on you to be.

I will probably just put this letter with the other in that journal you gave me all those years ago. At least for safekeeping. I could go back and read them all again, but I don't need to. I have memorized your words, Uncle, and so keep you with me at all times. You're with me every day and on every adventure. And now, the beach calls. They sell paper dragons there. Might pick one up.

Zuko, age ... much older than seven.

Flashforward

Several decades after the book's completion and Iroh's mortal-spirit transcendence, an elderly Zuko, after abdicating the throne and passing it to his daughter Izumi, reunited with Iroh in the Spirit World to have tea.

Production notes

Character revelations

Iroh learned to breathe fire from the Sun Warriors. This, and his alleged slaying of the dragons, were major reasons he earned the title "Dragon of the West".
Iroh was aware of the existence of the Red Lotus, even attempted to prevent its members, who were members of the Order of the White Lotus at the time, from defecting while still upholding its ideals.
Zuko, during his childhood, used to write letters to Iroh when he was away on military campaigns, including one at age seven before the Fire Festival.
Zuko had been playing Pai Sho since he was at least six years old.
Kiyi, Zuko's half-sister from Ursa, was regarded as an official member of the Fire Nation Royal Family.
Iroh visited an adult Katara in the Southern Water Tribe when Kya and Bumi were still children but prior to Tenzin's birth.
Katara wrote Iroh a letter on behalf of Toph, who was the Chief of Police of Republic City at that point.
Zuko wrote a letter to Iroh sometime after the foundation of Republic City.
Zuko had been living a retired life on Ember Island.
Zuko, in his posthumous letter to Iroh, referred to the time when he had visited Ember Island in his teens, along with Azula, Mai and Ty Lee, in the episode "The Beach".

Goofs

In a depiction of young Azulon receiving firebending training, Sozin appears more youthful with black hair. However, at that time, Sozin should have been at least in his nineties, much older than in the flashback of Roku's death in "The Avatar and the Fire Lord", and his hair should have been gray.
On page 26 of the book, the opening line "The greatest losses can also break you. But they can also remake you." has a redundant "also" in the first sentence.
Ta Min's name is misspelled as "Tamin" in a picture of the Fire Nation Royal Family.

Trivia

A possible title for the book is Old Iroh's Guide to Paisho and Other Nonsense. Iroh had Zuko choose between the current title and this one, and apparently, Zuko chose the former in the end.

References

↑ "Amazon.com: Avatar: The Last Airbender: Legacy of The Fire Nation".Link(accessed 18-11-29).