Nickelodeon's hit animated series Avatar: the Last Airbender transported viewers to a diverse, Asian-inspired world that is scarred by war. In this series, the Fire Nation is about to conquer the globe, and only avatar Aang can restore peace. Aang faces many villains, from prince Zuko (who gets a redemption arc) to princess Azula to the Fire Lord himself.
The Fire Nation's family dynasty is fully fleshed out in its backstory and family tree, and the fire bender known as Iroh is the Fire Lord's brother and thus Zuko and Azula's uncle. He appeared early and often in the series, and he underwent a redemption arc of his own. We even meet him again in The Legend of Korra! What else should we know about everyone's favorite fire bending uncle?
10 He mirrored Zuko's redemption arc
For many fans of the Avatar universe, Prince Zuko's redemption arc is one of the best stories of all. This angry teenager went from a hothead who was desperate for his father's approval, to a mature young man who longed for peace and acceptance in the world. He even risked his father's wrath to set things right.
But Iroh did it first. For a time, Iroh was the big bad guy, the mastermind behind Ba Sing Se's siege, and the Dragon of the West. But the death of his son, Lu Ten, changed everything. Iroh denounced war and became a peaceful man, dedicated to the beautiful side of life, from venerating nature to tea, Pai Sho, and proverbs. No one in the Fire Nation is born a monster; they choose to be one.
9 He favors balance, like the avatar
Here is another way in which Iroh mirrors another character: like the avatar, he believes in the value of true balance. Iroh broke away from the Fire Nation's global conquest, and later actively fought against it. Avatar Roku would be proud.
That's not all. Iroh also studied the other three elements, unlike his peers, and he used water bender techniques to develop his lighting redirection move. You don't have to be the avatar to learn from others.
8 He's a music lover
Iroh is a man who loves constructive and healing things, and that includes music. Good music can cheer you up, inspire you, and even encourage mental healing. Iroh is never one to shy away from a musical performance, and he's skilled at the tsungi horn and liunqin.
On a more humorous note, he even wanted Zuko to pick up a tsungi horn and play! He made this offer while he and Zuko were docked with some pirates, but Zuko was hardly in the mood. Things were rather testy between uncle and nephew at the time.
7 He has a careless streak
Iroh isn't entirely a tragic figure, he's also pretty funny. For the most part, this ex-general is a smart and resourceful man and no doubt that was a real asset in his career. But he's oddly clumsy too, and he's got an oafish side.
Don't forget that time his botany skills failed him, and he made tea that gave him a rash! Or that time he heated some cold tea where other people could see him, tipping off Jet. And as we see in the picture, Iroh was convinced he had lost his most valuable Pai Sho piece and fretted about it... only to find it in his pocket.
6 He loves proverbs
"Even a broken clock is right twice a day." Okay, Iroh never said that one, but throughout the series, he dispenses more than a few proverbs to help guide Zuko through his difficult life.
For the most part, Zuko ignored them, or made fun of them, but after a p0int, Zuko absorbed those lessons and had a "he was right all along" moment. Iroh's wisdom was never doubted again.
5 He started off as a mystery
Iroh appeared as soon as Zuko did, but he was a mystery man. Zuko's personality, goals, and backstory were revealed nice and quick, but his uncle Iroh was shrouded in mystery. One thin layer at a time, we finally learned who he is and what he has experienced in his years.
Often, learning something new about Iroh would bring about more questions, such as why he was disgraced as a general or why he failed to conquer Ba Sing Se. And it's not until the last moment when we learn about his White Lotus membership.
4 He abandoned Zuko's "prince" title
Both Iroh and Zuko are royalty, descended from Fire Lord Sozin. Iroh was once considered for the throne, and Zuko really did claim it. But during the series, Iroh identified less and less with his royal heritage, and after a point, he couldn't care less about his lofty lineage.
To show this, he once cut off his topknot, and he started dressing in Earth Kingdom clothes. He also stopped addressing his nephew as "prince," since Zuko had also broken away from the royal family in a sense. Now, they are just two men trying to find their way. Kings and princes be darned.
3 He's a master of the breath
In real life, studies have shown that slow, deliberate breathing can have all kinds of health benefits, from lowering stress to clearing your mind. No wonder eastern monks put so much emphasis on it. In the Avatar world, the vitality of breath is associated with fire bending.
Iroh can use his breath to conjure flames, and he once did this to escape a trap that Azula had set. He also urged Zuko to control his own breathing, to re-learn the fundamentals of fire bending.
2 He has an affinity for spirits
Here is another example of the overlap between Iroh and the avatar. If you ask us, Iroh would have made a pretty decent avatar himself. Anyway, it should be noted that Iroh did not share admiral Zhao's disdain for spirits at all.
In fact, Iroh came to the Moon Spirit's defense, threatening to utterly destroy Zhao should the latter harm the two moon fish at the North Pole. Iroh didn't quite make good on his promise, but he tried. Not to mention how he moved into the Spirit World after death and made a lot of friends there. Finally, let's not forget his wise words of warning: "spirits are not to be trifled with."
1 His voice actor inspired Mako's name
For season one and most of season two, Iroh was voiced by a Japanese-American named Mako, until he passed away in 2006. So, his understudy took over and did his best to recreate Iroh's voice for season three.
Not only that, but the Mako character in The Legend of Korra is named after him as a loving tribute. He brought Iroh to life in all the best ways, wouldn't you agree?