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This article is about the conqueror, Chin the Great. For other similar uses, see Chin (disambiguation).

Chin the Conqueror, known in Chin Village as "Chin the Great" or "Emperor Chin",[2] was an earthbending warlord who aimed to overthrow the 46th Earth King and launched a largely successful conquest of the Earth Kingdom. An extremely stubborn and proud man, Chin fell to his death when he refused to back down as Avatar Kyoshi separated her village from the mainland and formed Kyoshi Island.[1]

History

Conquest

Prior to beginning his conquest, Chin served as the village leader of what eventually became known as Chin Village.[2] He began his occupation in the northwestern Earth Kingdom and steadily expanded to all corners of the continent, successfully conquering all settled areas except for Ba Sing Se and the southwestern peninsula, in which Avatar Kyoshi and her people lived.[1]

Final duel and death

Chin facing Kyoshi

Chin's final duel was against Avatar Kyoshi.

In 270 BG, Chin and his army approached the southwestern peninsula, determined to conquer it by any means necessary. When Chin demanded that the inhabitants submit to his rule, Kyoshi disregarded his command. Chin assumed an offensive position at the mouth of the peninsula, as his stubborn nature did not allow him to accept failure. Kyoshi acted in defense of her people by entering the Avatar State and splitting her village from the mainland, creating Kyoshi Island in the process.

As the landmass parted with the mainland, the ground on which Chin stood became an unstable cliff over the ocean. Despite his defeat, Chin refused to move and eventually fell to his death when the cliff collapsed beneath him. Although it appeared that Chin was murdered by Kyoshi, his stubbornness ultimately caused his demise since he had sufficient time to move to solid ground prior to the cliff's collapse.[1]

Legacy

Chin's statue

Chin's legacy was honored with a statue in Chin Village.

Chin's conquest occurred contemporaneously with the Peasant Uprising in Ba Sing Se, reflecting massive unrest in the Earth Kingdom at least somewhat attributable to dissatisfaction with the 46th Earth King's rule. The power of the Earth King began to decline, a development that ultimately made both the Conspiracy of Ba Sing Se as well as the successes of the Fire Nation during the Hundred Year War possible.[3][4]

After his death, the village which Chin led prior to the start of his conquest was renamed Chin Village in his honor. He remained immortalized in the village as a great hero over 370 years following his death and a statue in his likeness was erected, which was destroyed by the Rough Rhinos in 100 AG.[1]

Personality

Chin screaming

Chin screamed in frustration after Avatar Kyoshi separated her peninsula from the Earth Kingdom mainland and formed Kyoshi Island.

Chin was a highly controversial leader, as even 370 years after his death, there was still considerable debate regarding his righteousness and heroism. While those who opposed his actions refer to him as a "horrible tyrant", advocates of his conquest idolize him as a "glorious leader".

Chin's actions were often cruel and evocative, reflected by one instance in which he killed an emissary with his earthbending merely to demonstrate his power. Nevertheless, he was able to amass an army that numbered in the thousands. Chin's hubris helped him occupy most of the Earth Kingdom mainland, but effectively led to his demise. His overconfidence in facing Avatar Kyoshi by himself and unwillingness to back down following defeat led him to fall off an unstable cliff after Kyoshi separated her peninsula from the continent.[1]

Appearances

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Book Two: Earth (土)

Book Three: Fire (火)

Trivia

  • The Chinese characters carved on the lower part of the statue in ancient Seal Script read 秦帝, which means "Emperor Chin". His name bears strong resemblance to Qin Shi Huangdi (秦始皇帝), the first Emperor of China whose reign was characterized by expansion of the Chinese state.
    • In Mandarin Chinese, the "Q" in "Qin" is pronounced like the English sound "Ch", which explains why Chin is spelled with a "Ch" instead of "Q". This spelling is also more similar to the name according to the older Wade-Giles form of Chinese romanization, which would be "Ch'in".
  • The design of Chin's armor resembles that of Song and Ming Dynasty armors, commonly worn by generals and commanders. His hat, called a Tong Tian Guan, is often worn by the highest-ranking military officer.
  • Some people believed that Chin sought to conquer the Earth Kingdom simply to compensate for his short stature,[5] a phenomenon known as the Napoleon complex.
    • Napoleon and Chin both hailed from small islands located in the periphery of their eventual empires, namely Corsica and Chin Village.
  • Including Tui's death in "The Siege of the North, Part 2" and Aang's fatal injury sustained in "The Crossroads of Destiny", Chin was the third of eight characters to have been observed dying or being murdered in the original series. In chronological order, the others were Tui, Yue, Jet, Aang, Roku, Fang, and Combustion Man.
  • According to Avatar Kyoshi, Chin's death brought "a great era of peace".[6]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 O'Bryan, John (writer) & MacMullan, Lauren (director). (April 28, 2006). "Avatar Day". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2. Episode 5. Nickelodeon.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Template:Nickold
  3. Hedrick, Tim (writer) & MacMullan, Lauren (director). (September 22, 2006). "City of Walls and Secrets". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2. Episode 14. Nickelodeon.
  4. Hubbard, Matthew (writer) & Filoni, Dave (director). (March 25, 2005). "Imprisoned". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1. Episode 6. Nickelodeon.
  5. Avatar Extras for "Sozin's Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters" on Nicktoons Network.
  6. Ehasz, Aaron (writer) & Volpe, Giancarlo (director). (July 19, 2008). "Sozin's Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 3. Episode 19. Nickelodeon.
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