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Kyoshi Warriors

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This article is about the organization. For the episode with a similar name, see "The Warriors of Kyoshi".
Kyoshi Warriors
教师勇士
Kyoshi Warriors
General information
Leader(s)

Suki

Notable members
Founder(s)

Avatar Kyoshi

Headquarters

Kyoshi Island

Affiliation
Purpose
  • Defend Kyoshi Island
  • Defend the Earth Kingdom
  • Protect Fire Lord Zuko
Chronological information
First appearance

"The Warriors of Kyoshi"

Last appearance

The Promise Part 2

The Kyoshi Warriors are an all-female group of warriors, formerly led by Suki on Kyoshi Island. Their individualities have been greatly expanded since Avatar Aang returned. When he visited the island, all of the other warriors looked exactly the same, with the exception of their leader Suki.[1] However, later, they all had different hairstyles and headdresses. They were named after Avatar Kyoshi.[2]

Contents

History

Though their fighting style and clothing mimic those of Avatar Kyoshi, they seemingly did not implement any of the bending arts in their physical movements. Clad in ornate, armored, green kimonos inspired by Kabuki theater, metal headdresses, and white-faced makeup designed to intimidate opponents. The Kyoshi Warriors used metal fans as their main weapons but also implemented katanas and retractable shields. The warriors' most prominent fighting style was not about strength but about using their opponents' force against them. Primarily, the warriors dealt with the disorderly traders and travelers who, after a night of carousing in the port of Kyoshi, often stumbled into the village and caused trouble.[3]

Kyoshi Warriors clothing
"The silk threads symbolize the brave blood that flows through our veins. The gold insignia represents the honor of the warrior's heart." - Suki explaining to Sokka the significance of the Kyoshi Warriors' clothing.
Lady LostrisAdded by Lady Lostris

The warrior's uniform has a gold insignia that represents the honor of the warrior's heart, and the silk threads symbolize the brave blood that flows through their veins. They also utilize swords similar to katanas and wrist shields. Holding the fans like extensions of their arms, they aim to turn the strength of their opponents against them, a main principle of waterbending.[2] The female warriors do not take kindly to training outsiders, let alone men, in these unique methods. However, Sokka was admitted to the group despite being a male and outsider, but he had to go along with all the Kyoshi traditions: wearing their style of armor and traditional make-up. This made him the first known male Kyoshi Warrior in history. The only other known outsider to join them is Ty Lee, who was born of the Fire Nation.[4]

Although Kyoshi Island had long remained neutral in the Fire Nation's war against the Earth Kingdom, after the Avatar arrived on the island, the Kyoshi Island Warriors decided to assist the Earth Kingdom army in its attempts to resist the Fire Nation. The warriors were not on the front lines, but were serving as guards for the ferries to Ba Sing Se.[5] They also struggled to protect Appa from capture at the hands of Princess Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee.[2]

In Ba Sing Se, Azula, Mai and Ty Lee infiltrated the city disguised as members of the Kyoshi Warriors. The real Kyoshi Warriors were defeated in their battle with Azula and subsequently imprisoned.[6] The Kyoshi Warriors were sent to the Capital City Prison, with the exception of their leader Suki who was taken to the Boiling Rock prison.[7] Suki was eventually freed by Sokka and Zuko with the help of Mai.[8]

The rest of the Kyoshi Warriors were finally freed after the Hundred Year War ended, and Suki resumed her role as their leader. They were in full uniform at Zuko's coronation and even had a new member: Ty Lee. She said that they bonded a lot in prison and now they could be "best friends forever". Ty Lee also taught them some chi blocking.[4]

Ty Lee and Kyoshi Warriors
Ty Lee and the Kyoshi Warriors.
Random RanaunAdded by Random Ranaun

A year after the end of the Hundred Year War, Mai asked the Kyoshi Warriors for help with the security of the Fire Nation Royal Palace after an intent of murder to Fire Lord Zuko by Kori, the daughter of Yu Dao's mayor, which had put in evidence the inefficiency of the palace bodyguards.[9]

Metal headdress

Initially, all warriors besides Suki wore a simple green headband. During and after the spring of 100 ASC, however, the warriors wore distinct, individualized headdresses, allowing one to discern specific warriors, such as the unnamed warrior who was seen both with Suki and also when being hugged by Ty Lee at Zuko's coronation.[4]

The Last Airbender

File:Film - Kyoshi Warriors.jpg
The Kyoshi Warriors in the movie.

M. Night Shyamalan stated that the Kyoshi Warriors were one of his favorite parts of season one, and that they had filmed multiple action scenes of them in the movie with them, "dropping out of trees" and such. He said that they were great, but the problem was that he himself "loved them too much", stating that his own love of the characters in the show made him want to keep them throughout the movie as they filmed more and more. Thus the Kyoshi Warriors do not appear in the first movie, it is said that they will appear in The Last Airbender 2 instead.

Appearances

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Book One: Water (水)

Book Two: Earth (土)

Book Three: Fire (火)

The Promise Trilogy

Trivia

  • With the white face, red lips and accents, and black eye and brow streaks, their makeup is a cross between two traditional Japanese styles, Geisha and Kabuki, more dramatic than the former but less than the latter.
  • Sokka is the only known male to be trained, to any extent, by the Kyoshi Warriors. He is also the only known male to have ever worn their uniform.
  • Ty Lee of the Fire Nation is the only known member who did not reside on Kyoshi Island to have formally joined the Kyoshi Warriors.
  • It was shown that even underwater their makeup could not be erased.[5]
  • Their weaponry is similar to that of the samurai, making them one of the few groups in Avatar: The Last Airbender to be based on Japanese culture.

References

  1. "The Warriors of Kyoshi". Nick Malis (writer) & Giancarlo Volpe (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. March 4, 2005. No. 4, Book One: Water
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Appa's Lost Days". Elizabeth Welch Ehasz (writer) & Giancarlo Volpe (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. October 13, 2006. No. 16, Book Two: Earth
  3. From older Avatar: The Last Airbender official site, originally on Nick.com (link). No longer updated.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 "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
  5. 5.0 5.1 "The Serpent's Pass". Michael Dante DiMartino, Joshua Hamilton (writers) & Ethan Spaulding (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. September 15, 2006. No. 12, Book Two: Earth
  6. "The Day of Black Sun, Part 2: The Eclipse". Aaron Ehasz (writer) & Joaquim Dos Santos (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. November 30, 2007. No. 11, Book Three: Fire
  7. "The Boiling Rock, Part 1". May Chan (writer) & Joaquim Dos Santos (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. July 16, 2008. No. 14, Book Three: Fire
  8. "The Boiling Rock, Part 2". Joshua Hamilton (writer) & Ethan Spaulding (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. July 16, 2008. No. 15, Book Three: Fire
  9. Gene Yang (w, a). The Promise Part 1 (Jan 25, 2012), Dark Horse Comics

See also

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