Avatar:Yue
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- This article is about the character in Avatar: The Last Airbender. For the character in Netflix's live-action series, see Yue. For other similar uses, see Yue (disambiguation).
"It gave me life. Maybe I can give it back."
— Yue talking about the Moon Spirit.[1]
Yue was a princess of the Northern Water Tribe, daughter of Chief Arnook, as well as one of the latter's advisors. After the death of Tui during the Siege of the North, she sacrificed her life to replace it and shared its position as the Moon Spirit.[1]
History
Early life
Yue was born in the Northern Water Tribe's capital of Agna Qel'a to Chief Arnook and his wife, the daughter of a tribal chieftain. She had an unknown illness as an infant, being still and quiet as though asleep, so her parents feared she would die. As her condition was critical and the tribe's healers, including Yagoda, could not cure her, Arnook prayed to the Moon Spirit in desperation and placed her in the tribe's Spirit Oasis. The Moon Spirit gifted her with part of its own life force, saving her life and turning her hair white as a side effect. Thus, her parents named her Yue, for the moon.[2]
Sometime prior to Team Avatar's arrival at the Northern Water Tribe, it was arranged that Yue would marry a young, egotistical warrior named Hahn. He carved a betrothal necklace for her to mark their engagement,[2] but she did not really love him and consented to the marriage only to stay in line with her people's customs.[1]
Meeting Team Avatar
Upon arriving at the Northern Water Tribe, Sokka was smitten with Yue, taken by her beauty at first sight. He first engaged in conversation with the young princess during the joint celebration of the Avatar Aang's arrival and her sixteenth birthday, in which she was seated along with her father and Master Pakku.[2]
After he awkwardly flirted with her, Yue and Sokka soon began to arrange meetings.[2] These included riding on Appa and taking walks together around Agna Qel'a. Although affection budded between the two, she was bound in an arranged marriage to Hahn, who had more love for her high status than toward her, boasting once to Sokka that "she [came] with the most perks". The two teenagers came to realize their love for each other, but she could not bear to continue their meetings because they conflicted so strongly with her responsibilities to her tribe. He eventually became angered when she insisted that being together was "wrong" and that it was her duty to marry Hahn for her people, to which he replied that she was not marrying her people.[4]
During Admiral Zhao's siege of Agna Qel'a, Sokka was ordered by Arnook to act as his daughter's bodyguard, noticing how their love persisted. Yue led Aang and Katara to the Spirit Oasis, helping him to enter the Spirit World.[4] When Aang had been captured by Zuko, she accompanied Katara and Sokka as they tracked the two of them down on Appa.[1]
Upon their return to the Spirit Oasis, Yue and Team Avatar were confronted by Zhao, who fatally struck the Moon Spirit's mortal form, leaving all waterbenders powerless without the moon's influence. Appearing on scene, Iroh saw that she had been touched by the Moon Spirit, which reminded her how her life was saved by Tui as a newborn. Once again acting dutifully to her tribe, Yue sacrificed herself to give back the life that the Moon had given her. This was against Sokka's wishes, but the young warrior did not stop her in the end. She placed her hands onto the fish, closed her eyes, and died in Sokka's arms. Yue's spirit appeared before Sokka when her physical body vanished from his arms. She whispered and swore that she would always be with the former before the two shared a final kiss, then vanished completely.[1]
As the Moon Spirit
Having "restored" Tui and merged with the latter,[5] Yue took the role of La's counterpart and partner.[6] Yet she initially retained much of her old personality as a spirit, and began to watch over the entire world.[7] In particular, she sought to protect and aid the people of the Water Tribes.[8] To her chagrin, she thus became the subject of worship in her new role. She also followed the continued adventures of Team Avatar.[7]
After Aang was struck down by Princess Azula's lightning during the Coup of Ba Sing Se, Yue was able to provide more tangible assistance to Team Avatar: She took it upon herself to meet the Avatar in the Spirit World, informed him of the damage that had taken place to the Avatar Spirit and explained how to return to his body. She further instructed him to seek out the past four Avatars while avoiding Koh, the Face Stealer.[9] Yue later appeared to Aang once more to encourage him not to lose hope and to continue fighting the war, as he had already saved the world once. She subsequently assisted him in forming a massive wave of water to ride toward the island where Roku's temple once stood, utilizing her powers as the Moon Spirit.[10]
At one point during Team Avatar's journey through the Fire Nation, Sokka reacted with anger at Toph's suggestion that the Moon Spirit might be harming people, declaring that the Moon Spirit was "a gentle, loving lady who rules the skies with compassion and lunar goodness".[11] Thanks to her overview of the world, Yue knew of Sokka's words and found his description of her humorous.[7]
Legacy
Yue's sacrifice was honored by the Northern Water Tribe. For example, the tribe developed special cakes made from roots and seeds of the Spirit Oasis which were to be consumed to both remember her life as well as her current role as the Moon Spirit.[12] Her sacrifice was also honored by the United Republic of Nations, who named the bay connecting Republic City to the Mo Ce Sea Yue Bay.[13]
Personality
Yue was a remarkably kind, sweet, and gentle girl with a certain sense of humor. She offered hope to others even in crucial times, including a despaired Aang. Yue was courageous enough to sacrifice her own life to save the Moon Spirit, a feat that not only saved her tribe but possibly the world.[4][1]
Yue had a deep sense of loyalty and duty to her tribe. This is evident through her willingness to enter an arranged marriage with Hahn despite her affections for Sokka,[4] and her choice to sacrifice her life to bring the Moon Spirit back. Her spiritual nature was influenced by her upbringing in the Northern Water Tribe and the circumstances of her birth and ill-health as a child.[1][2][4]
As the Moon Spirit, Yue initially retained much of her old personality, remaining playful, contemplative, and merciful. She also remained humble; when interacting with mortals at one point after her ascension, she asked them to just call her Yue due to not being used to the "whole worship-thing".[7]
Abilities
Although she did not possess any waterbending ability during her life, Yue took over the Moon Spirit's abilities and became a waterbender[14] capable of Avatar-level techniques.[1][15] She can generate massive tidal waves, enlarging Aang's own in order to safely carry him to shore,[10] and possesses great healing abilities.[15]
Relationships
Relatives
| Arnook |
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| Yue |
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Appearances
Avatar: The Last AirbenderBook One: Water (水)
Appearances: 1
Book Two: Earth (土)
Appearances: 1
Escape from the Spirit World
Book Three: Fire (火)
Appearances: 1
Avatar games |
Trivia
- "Yue" (月
(yuè)) means "moon" in Mandarin Chinese. - Yue's appearance as the Moon Spirit is very similar to that of Chang'e (嫦娥
(Cháng'é)), the Goddess of the Moon in Chinese mythology.- As the incarnation of the Moon Spirit, Yue wears a Pibo (披帛
(pībó)), or Tenne (天衣, てんね) in Japanese, much like Chang'e. This halo-like scarf of gauze, a ribbon-like strip of narrow, ornamental and floating cloth, is often depicted on deities and divine beings, denoting them as "divine".
- As the incarnation of the Moon Spirit, Yue wears a Pibo (披帛
- In Chinese slang "white moonlight" (白月光
(bái yuè guāng)) means a pure unobtainable first love, which fits what Yue became to Sokka after her death. - After seeing Angela Mueller's initial design for Yue, Aaron Ehasz requested that her hair color be changed from a dark color to a silvery white, in order to further Yue's connection to the moon.[16]
- She was one of the few people belonging to the Water Tribe whose name did not have an "uh" sound.
- Yue was the only known person to have life given to them by a spirit.
- Despite her affinity for the spirits, she has shown to be unfamiliar with the Avatar's spiritual power, being visibly concerned Aang was in danger the moment he meditated into the Spirit World.[4]
- After Zhao killed the Moon Spirit, everything turned gray except for her eyes which remained blue, showing the life force of Tui inside of her.[1]
- Aside from the elderly, Yue was the only white-haired character in the series.
- Her betrothal necklace vanished after becoming the Moon Spirit.
- Yue and Jinora were the inspiration for The Destined playbook in Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game.[17]
| Preceded by Unknown |
Tribal Princess 84 - 100 AG |
Succeeded by Unknown, eventually Eska |
| Preceded by Tui |
Moon Spirit 100 AG - present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
References
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See also
- Yue in The Last Airbender
de:Yue es:Yue fi:Yue fr:Yue he:יואה id:Yue nl:Yue pl:Yue pt-br:Yue ru:Юи uk:Юї