Avatar:Sozin
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- This article is about the character. For the character in Netflix's live-action series, see Sozin. For other similar uses, see Sozin's Comet (disambiguation).
"With Roku gone and the great comet returning, the timing was perfect to change the world. I knew the next Avatar would be born an Air Nomad, so I wiped out the air temples. But somehow, the new Avatar eluded me. I wasted the remainder of my life searching in vain. I know he's hiding out there somewhere. The Fire Nation's greatest threat ... the last airbender."
β Sozin.[1]
Sozin was the ruler of the Fire Nation from 58 BG until his death in 20 AG, and the instigator of the Hundred Year War. He was the son of Fire Lord Taiso and Lady Hazei, the brother of Princess Zeisan, the grandfather of Iroh and Ozai, and the great-grandfather of Lu Ten, Zuko, and Azula. He was succeeded as Fire Lord by his son Azulon.
As the Fire Nation's Crown Prince, Sozin developed ambitions to reform and strengthen his home country, only to be repeatedly frustrated by existing power structures.[8] After Sozin ascended the throne, he became a revolutionary monarch by expanding the Fire Nation's industry, sponsoring new research and technology, improving internal security, initiating anti-poverty programmes, and modernizing both the government as well as the military. Conversely, his early reign also became marked by a rise of xenophobia, imperialism, militarism, and a decline of spirituality, with Sozin actively encouraging or outright kickstarting these developments.[9][10][11]
In his early life, Sozin was also best friends with Avatar Roku, but their friendship became strained after Sozin immersed himself in the role of Fire Lord and Roku became a fully realized Avatar. Seeing the great progress and wealth of his state, Sozin desired the Fire Nation to encompass the entire world, a plan to which Roku was strongly opposed. Following a confrontation over this which ended in Sozin's defeat, neither spoke to the other until they were seventy years old. Upon meeting the Avatar again, Sozin left his old friend to die, and began a war that would last one hundred years.[1]
Using the fire-enhancing power of a comet, Sozin eradicated the Air Nomads in an attempt to preemptively eliminate the next Avatar. His plan failed however, and he spent the last years of his life hunting the new Avatar, Aang, in vain.[1] Sozin continued to implement great reforms until his death, though his later policies were largely aimed at an increase of military strength, propaganda, and oppression of minority groups.[12][13]
History
Early life
Sozin was the son of Fire Lord Taiso and Lady Hazei.[2] As he was born in 82 BG,[3][14] around the time of Kyoshi's death, his father hoped that he might be the next Avatar.[2] Sozin also had a younger sister named Zeisan, who showed no signs of firebending. Sozin and Zeisan's teachers and family always pitted them against each other, with the two siblings fighting for as long as they could remember.[11] The competitions were meant to drive Sozin to greater heights and to draw firebending abilities out of Zeisan, though his sister never proved to be a firebender, with their teachers thus focusing their attention entirely upon Sozin.[15] This put immense pressure on Sozin, as Taiso believed that his firebender son was too much of a dreamer who lacked Zeisan's brilliance and skill in statecraft. Concluding that Zeisan could never become Fire Lord due to being a non-bender, however, Taiso constantly demanded that Sozin prove himself worthy in one way or another.[8]
Thus Sozin became emotionally distant to his parents despite being their politically favored child,[2][8] while his relationship to Zeisan was also rather poor.[15] He continually felt that his father still favored the princess over him, as Taiso treated Zeisan less strict and much more indulgently than Sozin.[16] At the same time, Sozin quickly realized that his status as prince meant that most people around him were sycophants who only tried to be nice to him to get something for themselves.[2][8] As a result, it became of great importance to Sozin as he met and befriended twin brothers of noble background named Yasu and Roku. The three boys shared a birthday and had very compatible personalities. They became best friends, with Sozin relying on Yasu and Roku for emotional support.[2][17] Initially, Sozin grew closer to Yasu, as the two were quite similar in their interests, whereas Roku was much more shy and cautious.[17] The trio went on small adventures such as secretly exploring the Dragonbone Catacombs.[8][17] In the course of one outing, Sozin discovered a scroll by a travel writer named AshΕ in the catacombs' libraries. The author claimed to have discovered a hidden island whose benders possessed immense abilities. Sozin became fascinated with AshΕ's story, and resolved to find this mysterious island one day to unlock these great powers.[8]
However, Yasu eventually drowned in an accident at age 12, robbing Sozin of a close companion and causing Roku to sink into a depression. Determined to not lose his other friend at any cost, the prince stayed by Roku's side and helped him to recover from the loss. Together, the two worked through their grief, and grew inseparable.[17] As time went on, Sozin began to greatly value Roku's advice, as his friend was unambitious and very honest unlike other people at court.[2]
As Sozin grew up, the Fire Nation experienced an era of industrialization and great prosperity, and trade flourished.[18] Below the surface, however, there were growing tensions which manifested in conflicts such as the Outer Islands Rebellions.[8] While Zeisan sensed the corruption growing within their family,[11] Sozin was influenced by his father's beliefs, according to which a nation's worldly power and landmass corresponded to greatness.[19] Accordingly, he began to invest time into projects which could grow his home nation's long-term power.[8] In fact, Sozin even concluded that his father was not a strong enough ruler and disagreed with his traditionalist approach to politics,[10] but he hesitated to openly showcase this. Instead, he strove for his father's approval and asked to be granted more authority, only to be frustrated as Taiso refused to support his son's unusual projects.[2][8]
Meanwhile, Sozin and Roku continued to spend much time together.[2] They often trained firebending together, regularly fighting duels against one another for fun, and to test and strengthen their skills.[1][2] They also went to the same schools.[2] Sozin also tried to encourage his best friend to confess his love for Ta Min, but Roku never found the courage to do so.[2][1] Over time, Sozin's circle of trusted fellows gradually decreased until Roku was his only remaining "true friend". The prince valued his relationship with the young nobleman, and often tried to encourage Roku to become more self-confident.[2]
Roku's departure and the quest for Lambak Island
At their sixteenth birthday celebration in 66 BG, Roku was unexpectedly told by the Fire Sages that he was the Avatar.[1] Soon after the announcement, Fire Lord Taiso ordered Sozin to start manipulating Roku to the Fire Nation's benefit. Despite the prince's genuine misgivings about the idea, he started to go along with it.[2] Before the Fire Avatar departed to start his journey to master all elements, Sozin came by to talk and was told by Roku that the Fire Sages told him to bring nothing, as the Avatar did not need material goods. By this statement, Sozin gave him a gift: the headpiece worn by the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, hoping that he was at least allowed to have that.[1] In reality, Taiso had ordered Sozin to gift the headpiece to constantly remind Roku of his "true loyalties". The prince internally tried to justify this manipulation by telling himself that he continued to be genuinely devoted to their friendship.[2] Furthermore, the loss of contact with Roku caused Sozin to become socially isolated to some degree; from this time onward, he had no more friends, only subordinates. Sozin channeled his frustration into a growing obsession with his research and his plans.[2][8]
Soon after Roku had departed and begun his airbending training, Sozin began to actively search for the mysterious Lambak Island described by AshΕ. After his father voiced his disapproval of this quest, Sozin recruited Dalisay and Kozaru, launching a covert mission. Though the prince indeed found the island, the Earth Kingdom-based Western Kingdom Trading Company had already established a small outpost there. In order to avoid an international crisis as well as prevent others from learning about the island's true value,[8][20] Sozin then sent Ta Min, knowing Roku's feelings toward her, to deliver a message to Roku requesting his friend's aid in defending the Fire Nation's interests. In this request however he withheld information about the potential power Lambak Island could offer.[6] When the young Avatar initially declined the request, Sozin asked his subordinate Kozaru to task an earthbending criminal to pose as a fake agent of Earth King Jialun and attack Roku.[21][22] This played out like the prince wanted, and the Avatar was deceived into accepting the mission due to a belief that the Earth King was plotting against him. However, Sozin felt some unease over the deception as the fake agent had almost killed Roku and Ta Min during the attack.[22]
Even as he continued to plot to capture Lambak Island's power source, Sozin invested time into other ventures. Thus, he travelled with Dalisay and Kozaru to the Si Wong Desert, ignoring his father's protest letters as he tried to find Wan Shi Tong's Library.[22][23] The prince hoped that the library harbored knowledge with which he could greatly increase his firebending. Upon arriving at the library, he forbid his companions from following him, and offered Wan Shi Tong Roku's stolen childhood diary to gain access. While there he learned about extinct firebending forms as well as advanced methods such as combustionbending and lightning. However, he also came across an ancient scroll that exposed many parts of AshΕ's story as lies and confirmed that the island's natives were extremely dangerous. Horrified that he was endangering Roku for a worthless quest, he chose to go save Roku rather then continue to seek knowledge in Wan Shi Tong's Library.[24]
Using his considerable resources, Sozin was able to return to Lambak Island in record time. Alongside Kozaru and Dalisay, he came across Roku's friends, Malaya and Gyatso, as they were helping the island natives recover from a brutal attack by Western Kingdom Trading Company guards. After a brief but tense conversation, Sozin threatened the two into showing him the path toward Roku's location.[25] On the way, the group chanced upon the Company guards, defeating them after a hard-fought skirmish.[26] Afterwards, the prince demanded that Malaya lead him into the island's sacred cave to find Roku and save him before it was too late, forbidding the others from accompanying them due to his mistrust.[27] After getting near the Avatar's location in the cave, Malaya attacked Sozin due to seeing him as a corrupting influence on the Avatar and threat to the world. However, the prince anticipated her move, and killed her after a short scuffle.[28][29]
Now alone, Sozin eventually discovered Roku in intense meditation. The prince quickly realized that his friend was about to be murdered by Ulo, the leader of the natives who wanted to sacrifice Roku to the spirits. Feeling his powers enhanced by the cave's spirit energy, Sozin tried to protect the Avatar, but lost control of his enhanced bending and caused an explosion that rendered him unconscious.[29] The blast took Roku out of the meditation, however, whereupon the Avatar killed Ulo in an attack that shattered the cave completely. Roku used earthbending to take himself and Sozin out to safety.[30][31]
After the battle, Sozin lied to the others that Malaya had been killed by the cave's collapse. He also skillfully manipulated Roku by apologizing for some of his false claims, thereby preventing the Avatar from checking even darker truths. Either way, Roku demanded that Sozin atone by promising to grant Lambak Island's natives continued self-rule as well as support the Air Nomads in opening a small air temple in the Fire Nation Capital to improve intercultural understanding.[32] The prince agreed to the demands, as he considered them a small price to pay to regain Roku's trust. He believed that the new temple would fail anyway,[20] though it would subsequently develop into the popular Fire & Air Center of Learning.[33]
With the Avatar's approval, Sozin subsequently spread a propagandistic account of the events, claiming that he had slain Ulo himself to save Roku. Thus, his reputation among Fire Nationals began to grow, and the prince was able to gradually take more power regardless of his father's views. In fact, Dalisay discovered that the spiritually infused ore on Lambak Island could serve as a strong material for Fire Nation technology. The prince then used the island's autonomy within the Fire Nation to turn it into his private fiefdom, starting a mining and research operation with the natives' aid and without informing even Fire Lord Taiso. The prince also sent Ta Min as a diplomat to spy on Queen Guo Xun of Omashu, suspecting that she had realized the true worth of Lambak Island due to the Western Kingdom Trading Company's reports. Believing that Roku was being corrupted by Air Nomad beliefs and thus no longer a reliable ally, Sozin then ordered his subordinates to search for more sources of special ore to further strengthen the Fire Nation.[20]
Reign as Fire Lord (58 BG - 20 AG)
Early reign
In 58 BG, Sozin ascended to the throne following the death of his father.[14] The earliest years of his reign saw the last true conflict between the Fire Lord and the noble clans, which was won by the Fire Army in a decisive victory commanded by General Oraso Eiko. The nation was considered to be finally united under the throne.[11] After bringing the warring families to heel, Sozin made great strides toward progress in his country, uplifting the poorest of the nation.[9] As a reform-oriented ruler with a firm vision of the future, he intended to transform not just his nation but also strengthen the role of the Fire Lord. Sozin was greatly interested in technological advancement, and he jump-started his nation's development of coal-powered vessels and thus created hundreds of jobs for the poorest members of society, building a great fleet. Materials for the fleet were scarce, and the Fire Nation began to come into numerous conflicts with the Earth Kingdom over resources, which Sozin quietly used to stoke anti-Earth Kingdom sentiment in his nation.[10]
Despite his political machinations, scholars and diplomats attempted to open relations with other nations and share their knowledge in other nations to further Fire Nation knowledge. Sozin encouraged his people to look for knowledge in other nations, but within his borders he tried to preserve Fire Nation culture. The largest roadblock to this was the growing friendship between the Fire Nation nobility and the Air Nomads, as many of the nation's nobility embraced Air Nomad teachings, culminating in the expansion of the Fire & Air Center of Learning.[9][10][34]
While the Air Nomads of the time embraced a responsibility to aid the other nations, a renegade order of Air Nomads known as the Guiding Wind was also active during this time period, opposing Air Nomad involvement with the nobility and wealthy elite with the other nations. In protest against the Fire & Air Center of Learning, the Guiding Wind sabotaged construction on the site. In response, Sozin seized the site from the nobility, and entrenched his military guard to protect the local population. He refused to remove his guard until the Guiding Wind left, but the order had no plans on leaving until construction ended completely.[9][10][34]
Seeking to destabilize her brother's reign, Princess Zeisan proposed a political marriage to Khandro, the popular Air Nomad philosopher who led the Guiding Wind, and announced she was renouncing her wealth and titles to lead a life of austerity. Sozin almost could not control his rage when this happened, and he began to view the Guiding Wind as an even more severe threat, viewing their opposition to nobility as a direct threat to his power. To counteract his sister's influence, Sozin began nationalistic propaganda campaigns targeting the poorest members of society. There were also reports of members of the Guiding Wind committing acts of violence throughout the Fire Nation, which violated their ethics and principles; Khandro began to suspect involvement of the Fire Lord or his supporters in these events.[9][10][34]
Sozin's actions with the Fire & Air Center of Learning eroded his political support among the nobility. However, in a show of power as Fire Lord, and wanting to appear more fearsome than his father, he began to organize the Dragon Hunts. While only a few dragons were hunted at killed at first, the nobles embraced the sport voraciously. As whoever slayed a dragon gained the honorary title of "Dragon", many nobles enjoyed the prestige that such a title granted them, as well as the ability to one-up their competitors, earning loyalty for Sozin among the noble class. The slaying of dragons led to spirits being attracted and strange hauntings of places, but Sozin quickly formed an elite taskforce to deal with these occurences and keep them under wraps from the general population.[35] When the Water Tribes noticed the spiritual disturbances and sent envoys to investigate the death sites, Sozin spun a propaganda campaign blaming the Water Tribe for any strange phenomena around these sites discovered by the public.[11]
Sozin began to make the first moves of his imperialistic goals by claiming uninhabited islands near the Fire Nation, which nonetheless inflamed international tensions. After a discovery of a large cache of ore on Natsuo Island between the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom, the previously unclaimed territory was considered Fire Nation territory. The calculating Earth King Jialun intended to goad Sozin into conflict by sending his vessels on training exercises near the island.[36] The Fire Nation also laid claim to an island considered sacred by the Water Tribes at the halfway point between the North and South. Chief Skiri of the North wanted to send a majority of his fleet to retake the island, but needed the consensus of the Southern chieftains. The chieftains could not come to a consensus on what to do, as many were unwilling to start an all-out war with the Fire Nation.[37]
Eventually, Zeisan's wedding to Monk Khandro was being planned in the Fire Nation Capital, around the same time Sozin began spreading propaganda around the city concerning the Guiding Wind's radical beliefs.[38][39] Being given the opportunity to schedule activities in line with the celebrations, Zeisan planned a pre-wedding symposium in Hari Bulkan Square, inviting high-ranking nobles, military officers, and members of the royal court. She planned to discuss the Guiding Wind's teachings and deliver a refutation of Sozin's xenophobic propaganda.[40] Sozin was well aware of Zeisan's plans, and although he gave no official orders on what was to be done, he made it clear to his underlings that they must see his will done.[38] He tacitly gave his right hand, Minister Zianda, the go-ahead for a plot to undermine the princess, disrupt the symposium, and discredit the Guiding Wind at the same time.[40] Zianda and Sozin's bodyguard, Mio, worked together to plan to have Fire Nation soldiers pose as Air Nomads, wearing disguises and equipping Mio's team with clever devices that could mimic airbending. The supposed radical Air Nomads would then attack nobles while espousing anti-nobility and xenophobic anti-Fire Nation propaganda.[40][41] Around this time, Sister Rioshon, one of Zeisan's teachers, arrived back in the city. Not trusting her, Sozin declared Rioshon a guest of the royal family, and attached a retinue of Fire Nation soldiers to keep tabs on the Air Nun. Rioshon began to suspect that there was a vile plot against Zeisan and her symposium, but was unable to warn the princess herself, having to rely on Nyanchi, Boin, Ezra, and Zeebee so that she did not violate the Fire Lord's hospitality and risk being arrested.[38][40][42]
Preparing for world conquest
Over time, Sozin began to develop his ambition to unite the four nations under his rule. His grandson, Iroh, attributed this quest for power to jealousy of the Avatar's immense strength, a feeling that only grew as Sozin immersed himself in the role of Fire Lord and put ever more importance in power and influence.[43]
In 54 BG, twelve years after his departure, Roku returned to the Fire Nation. Even though many years had passed, Sozin still considered Roku his best friend, and warmly greeted him upon his return. The Fire Lord even willingly ignored old customs of respect for the Avatar and happily hugged Roku just like in their youth.[1]
A few months later at Roku and Ta Min's wedding, the Fire Lord took the position of Roku's best man. However, Sozin also saw the wedding as his best opportunity to talk with his friend about his future plans. Subsequently, the Fire Lord approached Roku shortly after the wedding and took a walk with him. Sozin commented that the Fire Nation was going through a period of great prosperity and wealth and told Roku that together, the two of them could spread it throughout the world by expanding the empire, to make a "brighter future" possible. However, Roku was greatly disturbed by this, telling Sozin that the four nations were meant to be separate and that he should not think of this again. The Fire Lord asked his friend to at least consider the possibilities, but Roku remained firm and stated that it would be the last he ever wanted to hear of such things.[1]
Despite Roku's warnings, Sozin prepared for the unification of the nations through war. He continued to greatly expand the Fire Nation's already powerful army and navy,[44] and ordered the establishment of colonies in the Earth Kingdom.[1]
Seventeen years later, however, Roku was traveling in the Earth Kingdom on Fang, discovered the colonies and came to the Fire Nation Capital to rebuke him. The Fire Lord was outraged that the Avatar, still a Fire Nation citizen, dared to treat him like that. Sozin warned his former friend that "[their] loyalty is to [their] nation first. Anything less [would make him] a traitor." Roku, however, replied that the Fire Lord should not challenge him, as it would "only end badly", leading Sozin to wrathfully attack him when his back was turned. The two engaged in a short battle, with Roku defeating Sozin and then leveling the palace's throne room in the Avatar State. Roku spared his life because of their past friendship, but warned him never to move forward with his plans again, or it would result in his "permanent end".[1]
Twenty-five years later, Roku's home island was consumed in a volcanic eruption so massive that Sozin could see and feel it from a hundred miles away. The Fire Lord flew in on his dragon to assist his old friend. The two used their bending to try to contain the lava flow, but were hindered by poisonous gases, which eventually overwhelmed Roku, leaving him lying on the ground and begging for his old friend's help. Sozin suddenly realized, however, that Roku's death would allow him to fulfill his plans, and left his old friend to die along with his dragon, Fang.[1]
With Roku gone, Sozin continued his military build-up, covertly preparing for a global war by further increasing the Fire Army's manpower and building a massive fleet of warships for the Fire Navy.[45]
Invasion
Twelve years after Roku died, Sozin used the power of a comet to enhance the abilities of his firebending army and launched simultaneous attacks on all other nations.[45] Most importantly, he organized a massive, genocidal assault on the Air Nomads in an attempt to kill the new Avatar and break the Avatar Cycle.[5] However, Sozin failed, as Aang had run away from the air temples some time before.[46] Sozin spent the rest of his life searching in vain for the last airbender. After the comet passed, he had a son, Prince Azulon.[47] Sozin favored his son over another family member, thereby contributing to a trend of antagonism and rivalry that would plague the royal family for generations.[48]
One of his lesser-known military accomplishments during this period was the Battle of Han Tui, which was applauded as a magnificent display of skill and military cunning.[49] He also fortified the Fire Nation Capital, designing a new road from the harbor to Hari Bulkan. By creating a series of switchbacks in the narrow pathway, which forces any approaching party to travel in single column, and heavily fortifying it with watchtowers and battlements every hundred yards, he created one of the most secure roads in the world.[50] As the Dragon Hunts continued throughout Sozin's reign, they began to become increasingly intense, and the dragons began to be driven to the brink of extinction.[51]
As his reign carried on and the war escalated, Sozin established a cult of personality centered upon himself and the royal family, one that would be upheld through the reigns of Azulon and Ozai after him. Numerous monuments were constructed in reverence of himself, and the imperialist regime enforced various forms of propaganda that established Sozin as a higher, benevolent being. Such propaganda included the false claim that the Air Nomads possessed an army when in truth they were a pacifist culture.[52] Additionally, Sozin ordered that the Dragonbone Catacombs be sealed off so that all Fire Nation history recorded before his reign would be erased from the national conscience, making it appear as if Fire Nation history began with himself.[12] He also outlawed same-sex relationships during his later reign,[13] possibly due to his lasting hatred for his sister Zeisan who had been in relationships with women[8] and in love with an Air Nun.[10]
In 20 AG, Sozin died at the age of 102. It was rumored that he lived to be older due to the influence of the power of the comet,[47] but he had also sought the secret of immortality at one point.[8] Fire Nation schools taught that he died peacefully in his sleep, an old and successful man, though in Sozin's own last testament he reminisced about how his younger years used to be "brighter". Sozin, like all Fire Lords, was buried in the Dragonbone Catacombs,[1] and he was succeeded by his son Azulon.[47][53]
Legacy
Following his demise, Sozin was glorified in the Fire Nation, and his actions were justified through the spread of propaganda.[1][52] The comet he had used to start the Hundred Year War became known as "Sozin's Comet".[1] Overall, Sozin's reign left a deep and lasting impact on the Fire Nation and the wider world, not just due to him starting the Great War, but also by politically, economically, technologically, and culturally transforming the Fire Nation.[1][13][10][51]
Azulon continued most of his father's policies.[53] Sozin's legacy of rivalry within the royal family as well as aggressive imperialism for the Fire Nation continued until the reign of his great-grandson, Zuko.[43][54] At the same time, many details of the friendship of Roku and Sozin faded out of public memory, and their story was passed down as "a kind of fairy tale".[43] By the 170s AG, Sozin's reputation had considerably declined in the Fire Nation, though ultranationalist Penquan Islanders still held him in high regard.[55]
Personality
From an early age, Sozin was affected by his complex relationship with his family.[2][8] He craved the approval of his father, Fire Lord Taiso, but also realized that he could never meet the older man's demands.[2][6] In particular, Sozin was an intelligent dreamer and visionary who was fascinated with obscure knowledge and reformist ideas, whereas Taiso was a manipulative, petty traditionalist.[2][8] In his childhood, Sozin's anger over his family often manifested in aggression and minor acts of rebellion. Furthermore, the young prince found it difficult to truly trust anyone, as he was manipulated not just by court officials, but even his parents.[2][8][17] His relationship with Zeisan was also poor, another result of his parents' influence.[11] Even though Sozin was politically favored by his parents[2][8] and Zeisan often felt miserable in her family,[15] the prince firmly believed that Zeisan was Taiso's favorite and more beloved child.[16] Thus, his friendship with Yasu and Roku became an emotional anchor;[2] as long as at least one of them was part of his life, Sozin maintained many positive characteristics: he could be empathetic, considerate, encouraging, and treated Yasu and Roku as equals.[2][1][17]
As Sozin lost his two friends -one to death,[17] the other to Avatarhood-, he became increasingly bitter,[2] cynical, mistrustful,[8] and even sociopathic.[29][20] This development was fueled by Taiso's continued manipulative behavior, as the Fire Lord encouraged his son to betray Roku's trust to gain an advantage for the Fire Nation.[2][8] In a matter of months after the start of Roku's Avatar journey, Sozin became more willing to threaten or kill others. After taking his first life and earning easy respect in the process,[8] Sozin became willing to deliberately put Roku at risk, while feeling betrayed when his old friend did not immediately support his plans.[22] The events of the Lambak Island conflict further encouraged Sozin's cruelty and detachment from human suffering, as evidenced when he murdered Malaya in cold blood.[29] Furthermore, he displayed growing racist and chauvinistic attitudes, which were encouraged by his growing belief that he could not truly trust anyone.[22][26]
Ultimately, Sozin's sociopathic tendencies, obsession with power, and belief that he was destined to lead the Fire Nation into a greater future eroded his view of anyone who did not support him, including Roku. On the outside, he seemingly continued to treasure his friendship with the Avatar, but internally he began to distrust and sometimes even disdain his old friend.[20] He also grew more and more hostile toward the Air Nomads, blaming them for corrupting Roku[22][20] and supporting Zeisan's coup plans.[9][10][34]
After decades of ruling as Fire Lord, Sozin became utterly ruthless, as demonstrated by his ordering the genocide of the Air Nomads simply to locate and destroy a single obstacle to his power. His betrayal of his best friend, Avatar Roku, also highlights his willingness to embrace power over friendship and kindness. However, unlike his more militaristic son Azulon, grandson Ozai, and great-granddaughter Azula, Sozin, at least initially, saw his war with the other nations as a case of 'ends justifying means', he hoped not simply to increase his own power, but to provide the other nations with the Fire Nation's higher standard of living and perceived better system of order.[1] Domestically, Sozin preferred to silence, but not to completely destroy, opposition to his policies. This is exemplified in the fact that he did not execute Fire Sage Kaja, a known friend of Roku, when the latter declared that the new Avatar had not died during the Air Nomad Genocide.[56]
Overall, Sozin was afflicted by conflicting internal tendencies for his entire life: even though he had already begun to doubt their friendship when he was seventeen,[20] Sozin still tried to convince Roku of his plans for world conquest when he was an adult. Later, even after their uneasy split, he went to help his former friend when he saw Roku's volcanic island erupt, only to then leave him to die.[1] Sozin also expressed an attraction to strong, talented women, preferring them as companions and bodyguards, while simultaneously believing that such individuals could never be trusted and would ultimately try to backstab him.[29] Furthermore, Sozin had a dragon as a companion, yet organized the murderous Dragon Hunts.[1][35] He despised how his father had manipulated him,[2] but repeated the same mistakes his own parents had made, as he fueled familial rivalries by favoring Azulon over another relative.[48] Additionally, Sozin organized a great propaganda campaign, spread deliberate falsehoods, and suppressed knowledge which did not suit his goals.[12][20][40] Yet he was personally fascinated with uncovering the truth of stories,[8][24] and when he wanted to eliminate the Fire Nation's ancient history to legitimize his policies, he chose not to destroy the historical corridors of the Dragonbone Catacombs but to simply seal them, believing he could still learn from the past.[12]
Abilities
Firebending
Like many Fire Lords, Sozin was a powerful firebending master. When he was young, he sparred with Avatar Roku and defeated him on more than one occasion. When Roku confronted him years later about his actions in the Earth Kingdom, Sozin attacked him by unleashing a massive wave of fire against him, even though he did not have access to the power Sozin's Comet provided. However, he was still no match for Roku, who had all four elements and the Avatar State at his command. When he helped Roku tame an erupting volcano, he used a technique to redirect heat, cooling the lava.[1]
Other skills
Sozin was an intelligent strategist. When he and Roku were teenagers, Sozin tricked Roku into tripping over a tree root in order to win a sparring match. Sozin's intelligence made him a capable military leader. During the Hundred Year War, Sozin won the Battle of Han Tui by taking advantage of the fact that the enemy had been in the middle of a drought and downwind. According to Azula in a later recounting of the event, their defenses were burnt to a crisp in minutes.[49]
Relationships
Relatives
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| Zeisan |
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| Izumi's daughter[57] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Appearances
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Book Three: Fire (η«)
Graphic novels
Chronicles of the Avatar
The Reckoning of Roku
The Awakening of Roku
Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game
Trivia
- Sozin's name, (θι²
(sū jìn)), translates as "revival and progress" and is closely related to the Persian name Souzan, which means "fire". - Fire Lord Sozin had his son, Azulon, very late in life; since Azulon was born shortly after the start of the war, Sozin would have been eighty-two years old at the time.
- Sozin's official portrait features firebending soldiers, a scroll in his hand, and a comet, signifying his military buildup and the beginning of the Hundred Year War, the many reforms under his rule, and the coming of the comet which now bears his name.
- An early script of the premiere episode included a friendly duel between Avatar Roku and Sozin when they were younger, similar to the one shown in "The Avatar and the Fire Lord".[14]
- People in the Avatar universe believe that the power granted from Sozin's Comet is what allowed Sozin to live as long as he did.[14]
- Sozin was responsible for manipulating firebending's roots, changing it to match his militaristic and conquering goals.[51]
- Sozin is the only known firebender able to redirect heat.
- Sozin is the longest-reigning known Fire Lord, as well as the longest-lived.
- Sozin's great-grandson, Lord Zuko, sports a beard similar to the one Sozin and Roku did in their young adult years.
| Preceded by Unknown, eventually Zoryu |
Heir to the Fire Lord 82 BG - 58 BG |
Succeeded by Azulon |
| Preceded by Taiso |
Fire Lord 58 BG - 20 AG |
Succeeded by Azulon |
References
de:Zosin es:Sozin fr:Sozin he:Χ‘ΧΧΧΧ nl:Sozin pl:Sozin pt-br:Sozin ru:Π‘ΠΎΠ·ΠΈΠ½ uk:Π‘ΠΎΠ·ΡΠ½
- Pages with reference errors
- Protected
- Featured articles
- A to Z
- Avatar: Generations characters
- Avatar: The Last Airbender characters
- Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game characters
- Azula in the Spirit Temple characters
- Characters
- Fire Lords
- Fire Nation characters
- Fire Nation Royal Family
- Firebenders
- Generals
- Main characters (Roku novels)
- Major characters (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
- Minor characters (Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game)
- Roku novels characters
- Royal Fire Academy for Boys
- Soldiers
- Sozin