Out of all the what ifs in the world of Avatar,
there's one that changes everything.
So today, thanks to your votes, we're answering this one simple question.
What if Iroh was the Fire Lord?
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Now it's hard to imagine Iroh, Zuko's wise, tea loving, peaceful uncle,
as... this guy.
[roaring]
But as the first born son of Azulon,
Iroh was next in line to become the Fire Lord
until it all fell apart in Ba Sing Se.
Iroh has lost his son. Lu Ten did not survive the battle.
After Lu Ten's death, Ozai's scheming cut Iroh out of the line of succession.
But if Lu Ten had survived, it's safe to assume
that Iroh would have become the Fire Lord.
Now, if Iroh doesn't leave the front the day his army breaches the outer wall,
it seems like his forces would have taken all of the Earth Kingdom's capital.
After all, he was on the verge of victory when his son died.
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.
[laughing]
Iroh has admitted that war and destruction were a part of the family business.
And he really wanted to succeed in the eyes of his father.
Plus, he believed that conquest was his destiny.
When I was a boy, I had a vision that I would one day take Ba Sing Se.
So winning this battle with his son at his side would fulfill this destiny.
And make Iroh even more confident in the Fire Nation's mission
to take over the world.
With the Earth Kingdom capital conquered, Iroh would probably leave his son,
Lu Ten in charge of Ba Sing Se, before returning to the Fire Nation.
And he would receive a hero's welcome.
If Iroh is the first born, the Dragon of the West,
the hero of the Fire Nation, the conqueror of Ba Sing Se,
and the father of a living heir to the throne,
Ozai would have no way to argue
that he should be crowned Fire Lord, not Iroh.
My brother abandoned the siege of Ba Sing Se.
But I am here father and my children are alive.
Revoke Iroh's birthright.
Then Azulon would have no reason to tell Ozai to kill Zuko.
Grandfather said dad's punishment should fit his crime.
"You must know the pain of losing a first born son,
by sacrificing your own!"
And Ursa and Ozai would have no reason to poison Fire Lord Azulon.
Your mother did vicious, treasonous things that night.
So, Azulon would live out his reign
and conquer the rest of the Earth Kingdom with General Iroh's help.
While it's possible that Azulon could survive until Aang unfreezes,
let's be real, he looks a little... past his prime here.
Fire Lord Azulon, can't you just call him grandfather?
He's not exactly the powerful Fire Lord he used to be.
Someone will probably end up taking his place soon.
So, Iroh probably wouldn't have long to wait
before being crowned the next Fire Lord.
In a world where the Earth Kingdom is under his control,
the Air Nomads are believed to be completely wiped out.
And the Water Tribes are the only resistance.
What would Fire Lord Iroh do with his power?
Well, Iroh, himself said that back then
the mantle of Fire Lord was in his blood, which boiled with desire for conquest.
That doesn't sound like the Uncle Iroh we know.
And even after the war, he wrote in a letter to Zuko,
"Even now, I can picture the path not taken Iroh: the Fire Lord,
scourge of the Fire Nation! How the world would fear me!"
That's pretty intense.
He also said that it was losing Lou Ten
that changed the course of his entire life.
He gave up his desire for power
and went into the Spirit World to search for his son.
So, in a timeline where Lu Ten survived and Iroh never went to the Spirit World,
he would definitely become a tyrannical Fire Lord,
just like Ozai. Right?
And he would continue the war
and wipe out the Water Tribes and the world would fear him.
And he'd never stop until they conquered the Four Nations.
Right?
Uh, maybe... or maybe not.
Because even back then, there was more to Iroh
than just a desire for conquest.
At this point, Fire Lord Iroh would have two sides at war inside him.
On one hand, he would wanna make his father proud
by leading the Fire Nation to conquer the world.
Just call it, taking over the family business.
On the other hand, Iroh's experiences as a young man traveling the world
had already taught him about balance and peace.
He had already joined the Order of the White Lotus
at this point and lied to protect the last dragons.
Hang on. An inner conflict between seeking the destiny
the Father Lord sets out for you...
You mean the Fire Lord.
...or finding balance and peace while traveling the Four Nations
and meeting Ran and Shaw.
Now, who does that remind you of?
Hello. Zuko here.
I'm just saying... the parallels are uncanny.
Anyways, the world would settle into an uneasy, conquered peace
under Fire Nation rule...
until the return of the Avatar.
Now, Fire Lord Iroh wouldn't think the Avatar is coming back any time soon.
Even if you're right and the Avatar is alive,
you won't find him.
Your father, grandfather
and great grandfather all tried and failed.
And in this timeline, Ozai is never running a war council meeting
because Ozai never becomes Fire Lord.
Little 13 year old Zuko might be invited to these war meetings,
but he'd never end up fighting his uncle in an Agni Kai.
So, Zuko would never be banished and sent to hunt for the Avatar.
With nobody trying to hunt him down, Aang would be able to thaw out in peace.
Uh!
Now, because all the Waterbenders were taken from the Southern Water Tribe
before Iroh's reign, Katara would still need to go with Aang
to find a waterbending master at the North Pole.
Katara, we're going to find you a master.
But without Zuko tracking them, Aang, Katara and Sokka
would be able to travel without getting the Fire Nation's attention.
[screaming]
My name is--
Check this out.
[screaming]
I'm the Avatar.
Ah, scratch that. Fire Lord Iroh would definitely hear
about the return of the Avatar, whether from his fellow
White Lotus members or from the Fire Sages.
We are the Fire Sages, guardians of the temple of the Avatar.
Great. I am the Avatar.
We know.
Even in this timeline, where he conquered the Earth Kingdom
and became Fire Lord, Iroh would still have a lot of respect
for the Avatar.
It is the combination of the four elements
in one person that makes the Avatar so powerful.
So, at some point during the journey to the North Pole,
Aang would probably receive an invitation to tea with Fire Lord Iroh.
Sharing tea with a fascinating stranger is one of life's true delights.
And the Avatar's big confrontation with the Fire Lord
would be less like this.
I have all the power in the world!
And more like this.
Why don't you enjoy a cup of calming jasmine tea?
Their discussion would probably be a lot like what happens in The Promise,
but with Fire Lord Iroh instead of Fire Lord Zuko.
Iroh would argue that the Fire Nation
should keep control of the lands it conquered in the Earth Kingdom.
While Aang would want to restore balance among all four nations.
And there's no telling how that one would turn out.
So--
Maybe Fire Lord Iroh would use a strategic genius to out argue Aang.
Maybe Aang would go all Avatar State on him.
Or maybe Iroh's respect for balance among the Four Nations would lead him
to agree with Aang and end the Fire Nation's 100 year quest
to rule the world... permanently.
Understanding others, the other elements
and the other nations will help you become whole.
But that's assuming that Iroh becomes the Fire Lord because Lu Ten survives.
What if there was another way for Iroh to become the Fire Lord?
Say Lu Ten doesn't survive the siege.
Everything could play out the way it does in the show,
But Iroh's destiny doesn't just depend on Lu Ten's death.
It also depends on Azulon's.
So, what if Lu Ten didn't survive but Azulon did?
In his letters to Zuko in the Legacy of the Fire Nation,
Iroh writes that his spirit wouldn't allow him to become the Fire Lord
after the loss of both his son and his father.
So, say that when he hears about Lu Ten's death,
Ozai still asks to take Iroh's place as heir to the throne.
Azulon would refuse, as we know, and he would tell Ozai to kill Zuko.
Ozai would try to poison Azulon. But it's possible that as a firebender,
Azulon's inner fire could weaken the effect of Ursa's poison,
keeping him alive. Then what?
Well, Ozai would probably have to take Zuko's life just like Azulon ordered.
Maybe Zuko could catch up with his mother and go into hiding.
But either way, Zuko would be gone.
Then Azulon would want to punish Ozai for trying to poison him.
He might put him in prison.
Or he might... banish Ozai and tell him he can only return to the Fire Nation
and win back his honor if he captures the Avatar.
Oh, man. Can you imagine Ozai out on a boat freezing his beard off,
looking for 112 year old kid in an ice cube?
I would love to see that.
Azulon, meanwhile, would call his only loyal heir
back to the Fire Nation.
So, Iroh probably wouldn't have the chance to enter the Spirit World
and grieve for his son the way he does
in the timeline that we know.
This Fire Lord Iroh, who lost his son but stayed by Azulon's side,
might seek revenge for Lou Ten's death at Ba Sing Se.
How? Well, he might use Sozin's Comet to burn down the entire Earth Kingdom.
And as for the Avatar... with Ozai on his trail
in a world mostly conquered by the Fire Nation...
Run!
...and without Iroh's help in Ba Sing Se,
or Zuko's firebending lessons or the Blue Spirit's help,
or Appa's escape from Lake Laogai,
he might not be able to stop Fire Lord Iroh,
the Dragon of the West, from seeking revenge on the Earth Kingdom.
Wow, Fire Lord Iroh in this timeline is terrifying.
Good thing the real Iroh is, well, Iroh.
Now let's make these people some tea.
Yes. Let's make some tea.
Yeah, it's really hard to imagine Iroh burning down the Earth Kingdom,
especially because we actually do find out
what would happen if Uncle Iroh was the Fire Lord.
After the war, Zuko names him interim Fire Lord
while he leaves to search for his mom.
And the first thing Uncle Iroh does with his Fire Lord power
is... declare a National Tea Appreciation Day.
Best interim Fire Lord ever.
Looking at these alternate timelines, two things are clear.
One, losing his father, his son and his throne
might actually have been the best thing for Iroh and the world.
Someone new must take the throne;
an idealist with a pure heart and unquestionable honor.
And to, if he did take the throne, Fire Lord Iroh would have to face
a conflict within himself;
follow the path his father set out for him or find his own destiny.
It's time for you to look inward
and begin asking yourself the big questions.
Who are you and what do you want?
Ever wonder what Avatar would be like if Aang never ran away?
Or if Ursa didn't disappear?
Or if there was no cabbage merchant?
Oh, my cabbages!
What what if questions should we explore next?
Tell us in the comments. Vote in the community tab.
And be sure to like and subscribe
for more alternate timelines in the world of Avatar.