Fighter, leader, mentor, friend.
Let's take a look at Roku's Skill Tree
to find out how he became one of the most
influential Avatars in history.
Where are we going?
To visit my past?
Our shared past?
Roku was born to a noble family in the Fire Nation.
As such, his first Firebending sparring partner
was none other than the future world leader,
Firelord Sozin.
You were friends with Firelord Sozin?
Back then, he was just Prince Sozin.
And he was my best friend.
It wasn't too long after that,
Roku was approached by the Fire Sages
and his destiny was made abundantly clear.
It is our honor to serve you,
Avatar Roku.
First stop in Roku's journey to master the elements,
The Southern Air Temple. There, he would begin
his Airbending tutelage, learning the basics
and some rather unusual styles.
[laughing]
Check this out.
He's air surfing.
I can't believe I never thought of that.
While there, he would also make friends
with a very important person from Aang's life,
Monk Gyatso.
That's amazing!
I can't believe you were friends with Monk Gyatso,
just like I was.
Some friendships are so strong,
they can even transcend lifetimes.
Next up, Roku would journey
to the Northern Water Tribe to master Waterbending.
And while he would struggle with it at first,
not unlike certain other Avatars,
he'd get the hang of it, eventually.
[screaming]
And lastly, we have Earthbending.
With the help of his teacher and lifelong friend, Sud,
he would soon learn to master it.
Ha ha!
Huah?
At some point,
Roku would travel to Crescent Island
to master the Avatar state.
For five months,
Roku would train night and day, to no avail.
That is until the day of the Winter Solstice,
where he would succeed.
Albeit, with some slight collateral damage.
It would also be during this time
that Roku would master another rare bending ability,
Lavabending.
Avatar Roku once called this temple his home.
He formed these secret passages out of the magma.
Did you know Avatar Roku?
No, but my grandfather knew him.
In addition, Roku would find a dragon, Fang,
and adopt him as his animal guide and constant companion.
You're Avatar Roku's Animal Guide, like Appa is to me.
While it's unknown where he found Fang,
it's very possible he was discovered
while training with the Sun Warriors.
We have no choice but to imprison you here forever.
Just kidding.
But seriously, don't tell anyone.
At last, Roku had done it.
He was finally a fully realized Avatar.
Roku was ready to embrace his destiny
of bringing balance to the word
and keeping the nations at peace.
Unfortunately for Roku, his greatest challenge
would come from something much closer to home.
Right from the start, I was destined to be Firelord.
And although we didn't always know it,
you were destined to be the Avatar.
It's an amazing stroke of fate we know each other so well,
isn't it?
Together, we could do...
anything.
Yeah, we could.
I have been thinking, we should share this prosperity
with the rest of the world.
In our hands is the most successful empire in history.
It's time we expanded it.
No, the Four Nations are meant to be just that, Four.
Roku, you haven't even stopped to consider the possibilities.
There are no possibilities.
This is the last I want to hear about this.
Roku standing up to Sozin,
would be his first real test as Avatar,
but certainly, not his last.
Seeing that kind words would be ineffective,
Roku confronted the Firelord head on.
I've seen the colony, Sozin.
How dare you occupy Earth Kingdom territory?
How dare you,
a citizen of the Fire Nation,
address your Firelord this way?
Your loyalty is to our nation first.
Anything less makes you a traitor.
Don't do this, Sozin.
Don't challenge me.
It will only end badly.
It's over.
Using the skills he acquired,
mastering the elements, Roku was able to easily subdue Sozi.
However, Roku couldn't bring himself to end him due
to their lifelong friendship.
A decision Roku would later come to regret.
Years later, Roku would have one final battle,
not against his friend, but the elements themselves.
Using an air sphere, Roku was able to safely
evacuate the village, while creating earth
walls and fissures to direct the flow of lava.
This is amazing. Roku!
You're battling a volcano and you're winning.
Unfortunately, my success didn't last, Aang.
There was no way I could do it all.
With Sozin's arrival,
the two Firebenders worked in perfect unison.
Roku used his Lavabending to suppress the eruption,
while Sozin redirected the hea.
However, it would be ambition, not friendship,
that would be the true victor, this day,
[coughing]
It's too much.
[gasping]
Please.
Without you, all my plans are suddenly possible.
I have a vision for the future, Roku.
Fang stayed by his side as Roku succumbed to the toxic gas.
The life of the Avatar had finally come to an end.
Despite this significant setback,
Roku would still go on to serve as Aang's
primary guide, always appearing when needed most.
It's good to see you, Aang.
What took you so long?
I'm not gonna make it.
I failed.
Roku?
You haven't failed, Aang.
I wish I had some help right now.
I wish I had Roku.
I do have Roku!
You're right, Aang.
All the past Avatars,
all their experience and wisdom, is available to you.
Regardless of the regrets
he may have taken into the spirit realm,
Roku's true legacy
was his penchant for compassion and friendship.
Roku was just as much Fire Nation as Sozin was, right?
If anything, their story proves anyone's capable
of great good and great evil.
Everyone, even the Firelord and the Fire Nation,
have to be treated like they're worth giving a chance.
And I also think it was about friendships.
Before the war started,
I used to always visit my friend, Kuzon.
The two of us, we'd get in and out of so much trouble together.
He was one of the best friends I ever had.
And he was from the Fire Nation, just like you.
If we knew each other back then,
do you think we could've been friends, too?
Avatar Roku's skill may not have been enough
to prevent the 100 Year War,
but it's possible he was able to prove something even bigger.
You really think friendships can last more than one lifetime?
I don't see why not.
Well, scientifically speaking, there's no way to prove that.
Oh Sokka, just hold hands!
But what do you think?
How do Roku's skills stack up against the other Avatars?
Let us know in the comments and tell us who you'd like
to see in the next skill tree.
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