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Kuruk

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128px-Padlock-olive.svg Featured Waterbending emblem Earthbending emblem Firebending emblem Airbending emblem Water Tribe emblem Spirit Emblem
Kuruk
Kuruk
Biographical information
Nationality

Northern Water Tribe

Ethnicity

Water Tribe

Born

c. 340 BSC

Died

312 BSC

Predecessor

Yangchen (as the Avatar)

Successor

Kyoshi (as the Avatar)

Physical description
Gender

Male

Hair color

Black

Personal information
Allies

Northern Water Tribe, Ummi, Aang, all Avatars

Enemies

Koh

Weapon of choice

The elements

Fighting style(s)

Waterbending (Northern style), earthbending, firebending, airbending

Chronological and political information
Profession

Avatar

Position

Fully Realized Avatar

Affiliation

Spirit

First appearance
Last appearance
Voiced by

Jim Meskimen

Avatar Kuruk was the Water Tribe Avatar immediately succeeding Avatar Yangchen and preceding Avatar Kyoshi. Native to the Northern Water Tribe, he was born around 340 BSC[2] and died in 312 BSC. Kuruk was a gifted but brash and arrogant person, who always preferred a "go with the flow" kind of mentality. Due to this attitude and his pompous demeanor, Kuruk lost his fiancée, Ummi, to Koh the Face Stealer.[3]

Contents

History Edit

Living in a world brought to peace and stability by his predecessor's tenacious efforts, Kuruk spent most of his days searching both the physical and Spirit World for worthy opponents to challenge in bending contests, usually for no other reason than the fun of it.[2] He also liked showing off grand displays of his bending ability to others, especially beautiful women. Kuruk airbent lotus tornadoes for young Air Nomad nuns, challenged random Fire Nation citizens to Agni Kai, and engaged in earth-lifting contests with earthbenders.[3] His strength in sparring matches was considered legendary, and no bender was ever able to trump his abilities. Kuruk was a "go with the flow" type of Avatar. The world's tranquility allowed him to step back from his responsibilities as the Avatar and let the four nations resolve their own conflicts. Although there was peace in his era, Kuruk's carefree lifestyle would eventually cost him dearly.[1]

Kuruk kissing Ummi
Kuruk and Ummi.
Random RanaunAdded by Random Ranaun

Never having even the slightest thought of settling down, Kuruk carried on with his casual way of life until the day he met his true love. At the New Moon Celebration, a festive meeting of the two Water Tribes, he met a woman named Ummi from the Southern Water Tribe. Kuruk fell in love with her at first sight and presented Ummi with a customary betrothal necklace shortly after their meeting, which she accepted. The two designated their marriage to be at the Spirit Oasis.

As they approached the altar on the night of their wedding, Ummi fell into the oasis, pulled in by an unseen force. She had been lured to the Spirit World by Koh the Face Stealer, to punish Kuruk for his past arrogance. Every year, on the anniversary of their wedding, Kuruk traveled to the Spirit World in hopes of saving Ummi, but failed on every occasion. His attempts made Koh hold a grudge against the Avatar. Kuruk continued the search for his wife even after his death. After he received information on Ummi's whereabouts during a brief encounter with Avatar Aang, he once again confronted Koh. He eventually managed to find Koh and would have slain him, were it not for his realization that the spirit had stolen Ummi's face and thus trapped her forever; he could not kill Koh without killing his wife in the process.[3][2]

Appearances in Aang's life Edit

Aang speaks to Kuruk's spirit
Aang and Avatar Kuruk.
RenatablsAdded by Renatabls

Aang first learned about Kuruk while he was in the Spirit World during the Siege of the North. Koh informed him that Aang had attempted to slay him in a previous incarnation, though the spirit never specifically identified this man as Kuruk.[4]

Later, while Avatar Roku was teaching Aang about the Avatar State, Aang briefly envisioned Kuruk performing advanced waterbending.[5]

Aang finally learned Kuruk's name[6] when he was in a coma after Azula's lightning attack in Ba Sing Se.[7] When they met in the realm of Koh, Kuruk asked Aang if he had seen a beautiful woman with long, brown hair. Aang responded by inquiring about Kuruk's dilemma, at which point Kuruk proceeded to tell him his history as the Avatar. After the tale, Aang realized that during his encounter with Koh, one of the spirit's faces was that of the woman Kuruk had described. Heartened by the knowledge of where his wife was, Kuruk set off to track down Koh once again.[3] However, as Avatar Yangchen had predicted, Aang retained no memory of this encounter.[8]

Later, Avatar Aang meditated on contacting Kuruk's spirit to ask him how he could defeat Fire Lord Ozai without killing him. Kuruk told Aang to actively shape both his destiny and the destiny of the world, as he had failed to do so in his own life. It was Kuruk's own arrogance and inaction that had cost him his beloved wife, Ummi.[1] Aang took this to mean that Kuruk, like the other Avatars, believed it was necessary to use lethal force in order to protect the world. However, Kuruk's answer was much more open to interpretation, since "actively shaping your destiny" could have various meanings, including Aang's decision to strip Ozai of his bending.

Appearances in Korra's life Edit

Avatars
Kuruk and past Avatars restoring Korra's bending.
Lady LostrisAdded by Lady Lostris

Kuruk stood alongside all the other Avatars when Aang passed on the knowledge of energybending to Korra and restored her bending, representing the newly established connection she made to her spiritual self.[9]

Appearances Edit

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Book Two: Earth (土)

Escape from the Spirit World

Book Three: Fire (火)

The Legend of Korra

Book One: Air (气)

  • 112. "Endgame"  (vision, no lines)

Trivia Edit

  • Kuruk's voice actor, Jim Meskimen, also voiced Lieutenant Jee and General How.
  • Kuruk had a physical resemblance to Hakoda as well as Roku's waterbending master.
  • Kuruk's name is a palindrome, like Appa and Ikki.
  • In the last episode of the series, Kuruk was seen in Aang's vision before he entered the Avatar State.[10]
  • During his airbending training, Avatar Kuruk was seen with customized Air Nomad clothing that was similar to Aang's, but in varying shades of blue.
  • Kuruk is the Pawnee Native American word for "bear", mimicking how Kuruk is frequently seen wearing an animal pelt resembling a bear-like creature over his head.
  • Koh stated that Kuruk attempted to slay him some eight or nine centuries prior to the episode,[4] but for that to have happened, he would have had to be older than his immediate successor, Avatar Kyoshi, who was the oldest Avatar in history.
  • Kuruk's favorite mode of transportation was by sea, surfing on a raft using waterbending.[11]
  • Kuruk is, so far, the only known Avatar whose predecessor and successor were both women.
  • Among all Avatars with a known lifespan, Kuruk lived for the shortest period of time. Ironically, his successor, Kyoshi, lived longer than any other Avatar.
Preceded by
Yangchen
Avatar
c. 340 - 312 BSC
Succeeded by
Kyoshi

References Edit

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Sozin's Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters". Aaron Ehasz (writer) & Giancarlo Volpe (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. July 19, 2008. No. 19, Book Three: Fire
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Welcome to Republic City. Nickelodeon (May 4, 2012). Retrieved on May 4, 2012.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Escape from the Spirit World: Avatar Kuruk Online Comic Book
  4. 4.0 4.1 "The Siege of the North, Part 2". Aaron Ehasz (writer) & Dave Filoni (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. December 2, 2005. No. 20, Book One: Water
  5. "The Avatar State". Aaron Ehasz, Elizabeth Welch Ehasz, Tim Hedrick, John O'Bryan (writers) & Giancarlo Volpe (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. March 17, 2006. No. 1, Book Two: Earth
  6. Escape from the Spirit World, Avatar Kyoshi Online Comic Book
  7. "The Crossroads of Destiny". Aaron Ehasz (writer) & Michael Dante DiMartino (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. December 1, 2006. No. 20, Book Two: Earth
  8. Escape from the Spirit World, Online game
  9. "Endgame". Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko (writers) & Joaquim Dos Santos, Ki Hyun Ryu (directors). The Legend of Korra. Nickelodeon. June 23, 2012. No. 12, Book One: Air
  10. "Sozin's Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang". Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko (writers) & Joaquim Dos Santos (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. July 19, 2008. No. 21, Book Three: Fire
  11. From older Avatar: The Last Airbender official site, originally on Nick.com (link). No longer updated.

See also Edit

Start a Discussion Discussions about Kuruk

  • avatar kuruk

    6 messages
    • check out my fanon about this guys, it takes place when he is 28: http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Fanon:Kuruk%27s_Redemption
    • As powerful as the Avatar is, he/she is just as mortal as any other human being. Disease, accidents, or an assassin's lucky shot all could h...
  • What do you guys think of this FANON idea?

    8 messages
    • i really dont know there totural on fanon
    • Paradox this my fanon account
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