To track the exact journey of Uncle Iroh
would be a feat only the knowledge spirit could do.
So let's check out the master tea maker' most important pit stops.
Destination one:
The home of Iroh's youth, the Fire Nation Capitol.
He was the grandson to Sozin, the first son of Zulan,
and the original heir to the Fire Nation throne.
As evidence from his nephew Zuko's childhood,
the royal family raised their offspring under extreme pressure.
I'd like to demonstrate what I've been learning.
Ugh, I failed.
In a similar vein, Iroh described his own childhood
as heat, but no warmth.
Take, for example, his relationship with his younger brother Ozai.
My brother is not the understanding type.
Ozai and Iroh were extremely competitive,
as Iroh would later recount,
even games of Pai Sho would end in violence.
Ozai's capacity for destruction and hate worried Iroh
from the start.
The eldest brother knew this path would burn them all eventually.
It seems as if that notion is what had Iroh yearning for enlightenment.
He left the Fire Nation capital seeking insight from other benders,
and one major outcome is what he learned from water benders.
Water benders deal with a flow of energy.
A water bender lets their defense become their offense,
turning their opponents' energy against them.
I learned a way to do this with lightning.
It's likely that Iroh learned this in the northern water tribe,
possibly even studying alongside Master Paku.
That could be how Iroh and Paku who developed a secret friendship
that would stem into the Order of the White Lotus.
Welcome, brother.
The White Lotus opens wide to those who know our secrets.
What are you old gasbags talking about?
I always try to tell you that Pai Sho is more than just a game.
During his journeys, Iroh also found himself
among the ancient sun warriors and the original fire benders,
Ran and Shaw.
Here he learned the true meaning of fire bending.
It was not an art of destruction, but life.
Power in fire bending
comes from the breath, not the muscles.
The Sun Warriors themselves taught Iroh how to breathe fire.
Back home, he earned the title of the Dragon of the West
for slaying Ran and Shaw.
But we know that wasn't true.
I can't believe there are still living dragons.
My uncle Iroh said that he faced the last dragon and killed it.
So your uncle lied.
Actually, it was the total lie.
Iroh was the last outsider to face the masters.
They deemed him worthy,
and passed secret all to him as well.
He must have lied to protect them so no one else would hunt them.
Eventually, Iroh had a son, Lu Ten.
The two shared a close familial bond.
Memories of the two visiting Ember Island
with the rest of the royal family were held dear.
Heh, I got you Dad!
Iroh had it all.
Family, enlightenment, power, until the siege of Ba Sing Se.
if the city is as magnificent as its wall Ba Sing Se must be something to behold.
I hope you all may see it someday if we don't burn it to the ground first.
[evil laugh]
Taking control of the impenetrable city should have been an epic accomplishment,
especially since Lu Ten was now fighting alongside Iroh.
That's right, a father and son entered the battlefield,
but only a Father returned.
Iroh has lost his son.
Your cousin Lu Ten did not survive the battle.
Losing Lu Ten had killed off a part of Iroh.
He lost the will to fight and the siege of Ba Sing Se failed.
My beloved Lu Ten, I will see you again.
Sometime after losing his son, Iroh found his way to the spirit world
in hopes of reconnecting with Lu Ten.
But how, exactly?
It's the center of all spiritually energy in our land.
Well, if Iroh had already spent time in the Northern Water tribe
then it's likely he knew about their spirit oasis.
For the sake of mapping his journey, we'll place his entrance
into the spirit world here. Now Iroh never found his son,
and as if adding salt to the wound, he returned home
only to be met with the death of his own father, Firelord Azulon,
a death that came with an unexpected wish.
Grandfather of Lu Ten now passed, grandfather of Zuko and Azula.
We lay you to rest, as was your dying wish,
you are now succeeded by your second son.
Hail Fire Lord Ozai!
The loss of the throne added to Cairo's feeling of failure.
So Iroh remained on the sidelines of the Fire Nation Army until yet again,
he witnessed a member of his own family burned by their toxic culture.
This time it was his nephew, Prince Zuko.
The Fire Lord said that Zuko had shown shameful weakness.
As punishment, he was banished,
and sent to capture the Avatar.
Only then could he return with his honor.
Iroh joined Zuko in banishment.
As they searched high and low for the Avatar,
Iroh tried to share his enlightened wisdom with the future Fire Lord.
Zuko, it's only very a week since your banishment.
You should take some time to heal and rest.
What else would I expect to hear from the laziest man in the Fire Nation?
After nearly three years, they made their way through the Southern Water Tribe.
In one very fateful encounter, the Avatar revealed himself,
and suddenly their hunt would turn into a chase.
There have been multiple sightings of the Avatar,
but he is impossible to track down.
Iroh and Zuko followed a chaotic and unpredictable path,
though some stops would still be of major significance.
In one pit stop at some hot springs in Earth Kingdom territory,
Iroh was captured, taken hostage.
This is the Fire Lord's brother,
the Dragon of the West, the once great General Iroh.
But now he's our prisoner.
This moment of failure could be seen as a gift,
because just for a moment, Zuko saw that some things in life
were more important than capturing the Avatar.
Iroh's influence on its nephew seemed to be leaving an impact.
Excellent form, Prince Zuko.
You taught me well.
For more encounters with the Avatar,
Iroh found himself back in the Northern Water Tribe.
He had hitched a ride with the Fire Nation Army, who prepared an invasion.
But despite returning to his title as General,
Iroh found himself at odds with his home nation.
The spirits are not to be trifled with!
Yes, yes, I know you fear the spirits, Iroh.
I've heard rumors about your journey into the spirit world
that Ocean and Moon gave up their immortality
to become a part of our world.
And now they will face the consequences.
Iroh's venture into the spirit world years earlier
may not have delivered him to Lu Ten,
however, it could have provided him the insight to save the moon spirit.
You have been touched by the moon spirit.
-Some of its life is in you. -Yes, you're right.
It gave me life.
Maybe I can give it back.
After the siege of the North, Iroh and Zuko
regrouped at a Fire Nation Spa in Earth Kingdom territory.
Ah, this is what I've been missing.
Who knew floating on a piece of driftwood for three weeks with no food or water
and sea vultures waiting to pluck out your liver could make one so tense.
Thanks to a brief reunion with his niece, Azula,
that spa was cut short, Iroh and Zuko rescinded their Fire Nation identity
and embarked on a new leg of their journey as refugees,
a chapter that did not often play into their favor.
I know we've had some difficult times lately.
We've had to struggle just to get by, but it's nothing to be ashamed of.
There is a simple honor in poverty.
Their travels into the Earth Kingdom continued.
Zuko even went on his own one point, but once reunited, they made their way
into Ba Sing Se.
Who would have thought after all these years,
I'd return to the scene of my greatest military disgrace
as a tourist!
Look around, we're not tourists, we're refugees.
Strangely enough, the sight of Iroh's greatest failure eventually became a home.
He landed a job in a local tea shop, where he'd brew quite the impression.
So you're the genius behind this incredible brew.
The whole city is buzzing about you.
I hope Pao pays you well.
Good tea is its own reward, but it doesn't have to be the only reward.
How would you like to have your own tea shop?
My own tea shop? This is a dream come true!
For a time, Iroh was able to enjoy the good life in Ba Sing Se.
It even allowed Iroh to mourn his son properly.
If only I could have helped you.
Come home, solider boy, come marching home.
♫ Brave soldier boy ♫
♫ Comes marching home ♫
As he honored his son,
Iroh's niece made her own impact on the city.
Azula snuck in, began to collude with the corrupt Earth Kingdom army,
and before you know it,
Iroh was back in the Fire Nation Capitol as a prisoner.
You brought this on yourself, you know, we could have returned together!
You could have been a hero!
You're a crazy old man!
You're crazy! And if you weren't in jail,
you'd be sleeping in the gutter!
Being one of the smartest people around,
he wouldn't be held captive for long.
When left alone, he exercised his body,
preparing for an explosive and unexpected escape.
-Where is my uncle? -He's gone.
He busted himself out.
I've never seen anything like it, he was like a one man army!
Iroh began his trek to Ba Sing Se once again,
not for his tea shop or his son, but for a grander reason.
When I was a boy, I had a vision that I would one day take Ba Sing Se,
only now do I see that my destiny is to take it back from the Fire nation.
Iroh would prepare to do so with a different kind of army,
an army made of balance, benders of all types,
The Order of the White Lotus.
A white lotus has always been about philosophy and beauty and truth.
But about a month ago, a call went out
that we were needed for something important.
It came from a grand Lotus.
Your uncle, Iroh of the Fire Nation.
With the Order of the White Lotus at his side,
Iroh was ready to power through Sozin's comet
and liberate the Earth Kingdom from his brother's army.
So if I'm going to be Fire Lord after the war is over,
what are you going to do?
After I reconquer Ba Sing Se,
I'm going to reconquer my tea shop
and I'm going to play Pai Sho every day.
The hundred year war came to an end.
And the man that Iroh treated like a son, Prince Zuko,
became Fire Lord Zuko.
I promised my uncle that I would restore the honor of the Fire Nation, and I will.
The road ahead of us is challenging.
One hundred years of fighting has left the world scarred and divided.
But with the Avatar's help, we can get it back on the right path
and begin a new era of love and peace.
Iroh remained in Ba Sing Se for the most part,
except for a quick stint as interim Fire Lord,
though his tea shop, the Jasmine Dragon, remained home.
At my age there is really only one big surprise left.
And I'd just as soon leave it a mystery.
Iroh eventually closed his tea shop one final time...
and opened a new tea shop in the spirit world.
I had always enjoyed the company of the spirits.
So when my work was done in the material world,
I chose to leave my body behind and come to the spirit world.
It can be a wonderful place, and I've made so many friends.
Iroh continued to serve tea and advice to passersby
like Avatar Aang's successor.
I'm glad you came to visit us in the spirit world, Korra.
We're having a little tea party to celebrate Mei Jian's wedding.
The spirit world is very mysterious, but so is love.
Help yourself to some tea and cakes.
And if you have any advice for us,
it might be to hurry up and finish your tea
because that covers the most important moments in Iroh's journey.
What was your favorite location?
Comment below and keep watching for all things Avatar.
Life happens wherever you are, whether you make it or not.