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Airbender URN icon
"Without my shaved head, I never could have dodged that net. I really felt it coming at me. You guys should totally get shaved."
— Daw to his fellow airbenders.[1]

Daw is a simple shopkeeper from Republic City. Upon discovering his airbending abilities shortly after the Harmonic Convergence of 171 AG,[2] he began to study the art under Tenzin's tutelage.[3]

History[]

171 AG[]

Becoming an airbender[]

Daw discovered that he inexplicably became an airbender following Harmonic Convergence, causing him to panic due to being unable to control his newfound abilities. Alarmed, he inadvertently destroyed his and his brother's store during an uncontrolled display of his powers, after which he hastily locked himself in a room and his brother called the authorities. Upon arriving on the scene, Detective Mako ordered Daw to come out of the room. The latter, however, ended up blowing the door off its hinges, knocking the firebender against a wall, and fled the store in terror.

Daw on Kyoshi Bridge

Daw refused to come down from Kyoshi Bridge until Avatar Korra calmed him down.

Panicked, Daw went to the top of Kyoshi Bridge, forcing the Metalbending Police Force to halt traffic until he was detained. Despite orders from Lin Beifong to come down, Daw refused to budge out of fear that he would cause harm to other civilians. When metalbending officers ascended the beams of the bridge prepared to detain Daw, the man frantically conjured up an air blast that sent all of them plummeting into the harbor below. However, after consulting with Avatar Korra, Daw relented to develop his airbending under Tenzin's tutelage and agreed to come down. However, he missed a step while reaching toward Korra and fell from the beam, but was saved by Korra using her airbender staff. Following this, Korra introduced Daw to Tenzin, who expressed delight over meeting an airbender whose diaper he did not have to change. Daw corrected Tenzin and expressed his need to have a diaper change, as he had fallen off a bridge.[2]

Training[]

Daw and Meelo

After failing to cross the airbending gates, Daw was told by Meelo to "be the leaf", although he did not understand the meaning of the phrase.

Daw was subsequently sent to Air Temple Island to train as an airbender. Upon being introduced to other airbenders while eating a meal one day, Daw quickly jumped up with a burst of air and nervously introduced himself. He subsequently watched as an airbender who claimed his name to be Yorru entered and demonstrated his own abilities. That evening, during his training, Daw was unable to get through the airbending gates and expressed confusion at Meelo's advice to "be the leaf". He and his fellow trainees soon watched in shock as "Yorru" made it through the gates effortlessly. Immediately afterward, Kya informed the group that Tenzin had found other airbenders and that they would be joining them at the Northern Air Temple the next day, which excited Daw.[3]

Daw and his companions arrived at the Northern Air Temple the following day. However, the day after, with Tenzin having misunderstood Bumi's advice to train them with an iron fist, Daw and his fellow airbenders were put through much more rigorous training. He was left exhausted by a ten-mile hike, and one of Tenzin's lessons involved Daw getting his head shaved by the master, claiming that a bald airbender can feel the wind against his head. To his dismay, he soon found out the shave was merely voluntary. On the subsequent obstacle course, Daw struggled to maintain his balance above the rash cacti, but did eventually complete the course. Afterward, he expressed his desire to go home and visit his family. He instead had to listen as Meelo led them into the Ba Gua exercises.

Daw's shaved head

Daw explained the benefits of having a shaved head to his fellow recruits.

Later, Bumi rallied the airbenders to help rescue Jinora, Kai, and flying bison calves from bison rustlers. Daw expressed hesitancy in engaging them, pointing out that he and the other new airbenders had only recently begun their training, but Bumi was able to rally their spirits. In the midst of the attack, he felt the wind from a net against his bald head, allowing him to dodge and counterattack. That evening, after the group freed their fellow airbenders and the bison calves, he retold these events to a few others and advised them to get their heads shaved.[1]

The Red Lotus' attack[]

Daw was practicing airbending stances with some other benders when Kai came to get him to evacuate the temple. However, as they wanted to go inside, their path was blocked when Ghazan lavabent the floor, forcing Daw to use his airbending to avoid stepping in it. He and the other airbenders were rounded up in one of the temple's courtyards, where Zaheer told them they were to be used as leverage to get to Korra. Daw made his escape, however, when Tenzin airbent Zaheer, Ghazan, and Ming-Hua back and ordered the airbenders to get to the bison stables and evacuate. Although they managed to get there, the bison got spooked and took off when P'Li's combustion attack exploded near them, leaving Daw and the others at the mercy of the firebender.[4]

Red Lotus prisoners

Unable to escape the Red Lotus, Daw worried about the well-being of the heavily wounded Kya and Bumi.

Daw and the other occupants were ushered into an airship by P'Li and taken to a series of caves a few miles away from the temple. They were released into the custody of Red Lotus sentries, who chained them to the floor in one of the caves by their wrists. As part of an escape plan, Daw was among those who tried to draw the attention of the guards, and he did that by telling them he needed to use the bathroom. When the guard came close enough, Jinora was able to airbend at the sentry and get the keys over to Opal, but Team Avatar soon burst into the cave, defeated the guards, and released the captives from their bonds. They left the cave and watched a poisoned Korra struggle in her duel with Zaheer. At Jinora's order, Daw and the other airbenders formed a circle and helped create a tornado that freed the Avatar and allowed her to throw down Zaheer, ending the fight. He subsequently watched as Suyin bent most of the mercury out of Korra, saving her life.

Two weeks later, Daw took part in Jinora's anointment ceremony as an airbending master. He listened with pride to Tenzin's speech of how the Air Nation would reclaim its nomadic roots and roam the earth, promoting peace, balance, and harmony while Korra recuperated from her fight with the Red Lotus. When Tenzin revealed Jinora's mastery tattoos, Daw bent the smoke from the incense sticks behind him and guided them through the temple hall, tingling several wind chimes in recognition of the new master.[5]

174 AG[]

Defending Republic City[]

Daw continued his airbending training for the next three years and became proficient enough to start wearing a wingsuit. He also continued to shave his head after experiencing the benefits it provided.

Alarmed Daw

Alarmed, Daw warned Asami, Varrick, and Zhu Li about an incoming platoon of Earth Empire mecha suits.

When Kuvira marched her army down to Republic City, Daw oversaw her arrival from atop a roof, together with the rest of the other airbenders.[6] After Kuvira blew up a factory of Future Industries with her spirit energy cannon, Daw stood among the rubble. While the benders faced the master metalbender and her army in an attempt to stop them or at the very least, slow them down, he went to Future Industries Tower and stood on the lookout while Asami, Varrick, and Zhu Li attempted to adapt the prototypes of the hummingbird mecha suits to get them airborne. Upon spotting a platoon of mecha suits heading toward their location, he informed the threesome of the oncoming threat, prompting Varrick and Zhu Li to create an electromagnetic pulse attack to stop them.

Daw later warned Korra and her allies that Kuvira herself was coming their way. He subsequently took part in the plan to slow down her progress that stated that the benders would relentlessly attack the Colossus to distract her and enable the two hummingbird mecha suits to land on the enormous machine and cut a hole in it without being crushed. When Kuvira aimed her cannon at Korra, Daw joined Tenzin, Bumi, Jinora, Ikki, Meelo, Kai, and another female airbender to form a tornado in their wake and swoop down on the weaponized arm of the suit, knocking it out of balance and distorting its aim.[7]

Defending the spirits[]

Airbenders volunteer to help defend the spirit portal

Daw and the other airbenders vowed to stand beside Korra to protect the spirits and the Republic City spirit portal.

In the aftermath of Kuvira's defeat, Daw joined Jinora and several other airbenders in a meditation session at the new Republic City spirit portal. Their session was interrupted, however, by the appearance of Wonyong Keum and his construction workers, who threatened to call the police if they did not get off the land he had purchased to turn into an amusement park. Daw, refusing to leave the area surrounding the portal, which they now considered to be sacred land belonging to the spirits, supported Jinora as she told off the businessman. The heated discussion was interrupted by Korra and Asami's return from their vacation in the Spirit World, and Daw smiled in support when Opal assured the Avatar that the airbenders were on her side and ready to help protect the portal.

Later that night, Daw had to make good on that promise, as the portal came under attack by the Triple Threat Triad, hired by Wonyong to scare them off the land he had purchased to turn into an amusement park. The battle came to a quick end when Team Avatar arrived, as well as several angry spirits, who drove away the Triple Threats.[8]

Abilities[]

Prior to his training, Daw already demonstrated potential as an airbender, exhibiting enough power to destroy an entire store. His defensive instincts prompt him to inadvertently execute powerful airbending techniques, such as an air dome which he used to fend off several metalbenders[2] and a bison rustler.[1]

Daw also displayed a natural talent in the utilization of an airbender's heightened sensitivity to air movements and could react with incredible speed to an attack from behind him after shaving his head.

Appearances[]

The Legend of Korra

Book Three: Change (易)

Book Four: Balance (平衡)

Grafic novel trilogies

Trivia[]

  • The character of Daw was created by Tim Hedrick and visualized by Angela Song Mueller.[9]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Hedrick, Tim (writer) & Zwyer, Mel (director). (July 18, 2014). "Original Airbenders". The Legend of Korra. Book Three: Change. Episode 7. Nickelodeon.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Hedrick, Tim, Hamilton, Joshua (writers) & Heck, Colin, Zwyer, Melchior (directors). (June 27, 2014). "A Breath of Fresh Air". The Legend of Korra. Book Three: Change. Episode 1. Nickelodeon.
  3. 3.0 3.1 DiMartino, Michael Dante (writer) & Heck, Colin (director). (July 11, 2014). "The Metal Clan". The Legend of Korra. Book Three: Change. Episode 5. Nickelodeon.
  4. Hamilton, Joshua (writer) & Heck, Colin (director). (August 15, 2014). "The Ultimatum". The Legend of Korra. Book Three: Change. Episode 11. Nick.com.
  5. Hamilton, Joshua and Hedrick, Tim (writer) & Zwyer, Mel (director). (August 22, 2014). "Venom of the Red Lotus". The Legend of Korra. Book Three: Change. Episode 13. Nick.com.
  6. Hamilton, Joshua (writer) & Heck, Colin (director). (December 12, 2014). "Kuvira's Gambit". The Legend of Korra. Book Four: Balance. Episode 11. Nick.com.
  7. Hedrick, Tim (writer) & Graham, Ian (director). (December 19, 2014). "Day of the Colossus". The Legend of Korra. Book Four: Balance. Episode 12. Nick.com.
  8. DiMartino, Michael Dante (writer), Koh, Irene (artist), Piekos, Nate; Blambot (letterer), Campbell, Heather; Bak, Jane (cover), Ng, Killian (colorist). Turf Wars Part One (July 26, 2016), Dark Horse Comics.
  9. The Legend of Korra—The Art of the Animated Series, Book Three: Change, page 11.
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