Avatar: The Last Airbender: Iroh Is the Unofficial Avatar (2024)

In Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans followed Aang’s journey to save the world by defeating the Fire Nation and become a fully realized Avatar, master of all four elements. While Aang is the only Avatar in the series, there is one other character who embodies all the characteristics of one: Uncle Iroh.

When first introduced, Iroh comes across as an old man who doesn’t take things seriously and, at times, appears to impede his nephew, Prince Zuko’s goal of capturing the Avatar. Throughout the series, fans come to learn that, in addition to being a powerful bender, he is a wise mentor that wants to help everyone he meets with endless advice to give. Iroh is the closest any other character can be to becoming the Avatar, not just because of this wisdom but because of the way he views the world.

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Iroh’s views of the world are a stark contrast to those of his fellow Fire Nation citizens. Instead of holding the nationalist views that are taught to everyone, he appreciates the unique qualities of each nation. Through flashbacks, we see him during his time as a renowned Fire Nation General. He talks about the other nations with awe and admiration as opposed to the comments of belittlement and war that come from characters like Commander Zhao and Fire Lord Ozai. Ba Sing Se is the site of his greatest defeat and the death of his son, yet he never says anything bad about the capital city.

Like the Avatar, he understands how each nation is part of a whole and necessary for balance in the world. There aren’t too many people like this throughout the series because the majority of people in this world only travel outside their own nation as a result of war. They see one side as right and the other as wrong because it’s what they were taught and the situation they’re thrown into. Iroh, on the other hand, becomes a refugee himself and views it as an opportunity to start a new life -- quickly advancing by doing something he’s passionate about.

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This understanding and appreciation are best exemplified through his bending. The people behind the show made sure each form of bending had its own unique style with some deviations between different regions. Throughout the series, Iroh can be seen firebending with moves that resemble those of earth and water. He openly acknowledges that one of his signature moves, redirecting lightning, is based on a waterbending technique. He’ll never be able to master all four elementsbut he still has a deep understanding of all forms and how they affect the cultures that use them.

One of the biggest things that set him apart from others is his advanced understanding of the spirit world. This is first hinted at in Season 1, Episode 7, “Winter Solstice Part 1.” As a result of Aang entering the spirit world, no one else can see him, but Iroh clearly observes him flying on Roku’s dragon across the sky. Then, in Season 1, Episodes 19 and 20, “The Seige of the North,” Iroh exemplifies keen knowledge of the moon spirit. We’re led to believe members of the Northern Water Tribe are the only ones knowledgeable about the spirit with Zhao, the only outsider who knows about it, having learned of it from a hidden library. Iroh not only knows of visual cues to identify the spirit’s presence but knows of the effects its death would have over the rest of the world.

The only characters noted to have a better relationship with spirits are Avatars and airbenders, whose spirituality is an important aspect of their culture. In the sequel series, The Legend of Korra, Season 2, Episode 10, “A New Spiritual Age,” we learn Iroh has even “retired” into the spirit world and even gives Korra guidance like an Avatar's past-life would. The only other people shown to live on in spirit form are past Avatars who do this through Raava, the light spirit. This means Iroh either learned to do this on his own or another powerful spirit admired and respected him so much that they brought him in.

The Avatar is a position one has to be born into, but they still carry principles and characteristics everyone should look to emulate. No one did this more than Iroh, whose wisdom and guidance impacted everyone he met, especially Zuko, who began to exemplifymany of those qualities himself. The Avatar is a great responsibility that requires a lot of training but if anyone else has earned the title -- at least in spirit -- it’s Iroh.

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