NATION: Fire

Special Skills: firebending, lightning redirection, double broadswords

Voiced by: Dante Basco

First Appearance: “The Boy in the Iceberg”: Episode 1, Season 1

Proud, impulsive, and intense, Zuko strives to take the honorable path, but sometimes does dishonorable things along the way. When Zuko sets a goal, he won’t let anything—or anyone—stop him. At his core, Zuko is a person who ultimately embraces his virtuous side, though a part of him will always be in turmoil.

As a curious and thoughtful child, Zuko struggled to please his cruel and domineering father, Fire Lord Ozai, who viewed Zuko as weak. When Zuko was thirteen, he spoke out against the Fire Nation’s brutish war strategy in front of his father. As punishment, Ozai scarred Zuko’s face and exiled him. The only way Zuko could return home was if he captured the Avatar.

Zuko became obsessed with capturing the Avatar and ended up chasing Aang and his friends all over the world. Gradually, though, he absorbed the wisdom of his companion and paternal uncle, Iroh, turning against his family’s brutal legacy and allying himself with Aang. After the Fire Nation’s defeat, Zuko became the new Fire Lord and vowed to lead his people into a new era of peace.