The aforementioned incident occurred during a raid on the Southern Water Tribe, when he was charged by Fire LordAzulon to find and dispose of the last remaining waterbender in the tribe. He interrogated Kya to find the last bender's location. She tricked him into believing that she herself was the last bender to protect the real waterbender, her daughter, Katara. Yon Rha executed Kya on the spot, explaining that he did not intend to take any prisoners.[2]
After this incident, Yon Rha retired with honor, going home to live quietly with his ill-tempered mother. Mostly due to the time he spent with his mother, he was reduced to a shadow of the proud commander he used to be.[3]
Four years after his retirement, Zuko and Katara went to confront him, seeking vengeance for Kya. They found him in the center of his peaceful Fire Nation village buying vegetables for his mother. They ambushed him on the road back to his mother's house, and declared that they wanted justice, and after hearing his story, Katara revealed that she was the actual last waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe. Katara began an elaborate sequence of attacks which would end his life, but stopped in the last instant. After hearing Yon Rha begging for his life, even asking them to kill his own mother so that they could be equal, Katara made it clear that she did not intend to attack him, saying that she could not bring herself to kill such a miserable target, as much as she might want revenge. They left him crying and cowering in the dirt of the road with the knowledge that though he could still live, Katara stated she would never forgive him.[2]
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I don't think it's right to kill him, he was only doing his job. You cannot blame for being blind, for following orders, because most people, real people are like that too, preaching what they're taught. I guess he could've taken Katara's mother as a prisoner, but then think about what happened with Hama, what Hama did to Fire Nation, and what Fire Nation did to her. I think Fire Nation took that into consideration when the orders came through. Although, I wonder how they knew there was a last Southern Waterbender?? A traitor? A prophesy about Katara?? hehe...
Okay, one: It's a fucking cartoon. For someone THINKING this guy should have gotten what was coming to him deserve to be killed and have a bad after life? WTF is wrong with you? This is why idiots and children should not be allowed to have internet access.
He's a soldier, and soldiers kill. He was doing his nation a favour and he brought himself honour. If he hadn't carried out his duty he might have been arrested or killed. Soldiers must do what they have to if their nation orders it. I won't hate a man for doing his duty.
I thought Katara sparing him was a reflection on what she thinks he should have done to her mother. Even if he had orders to kill, even if he didn't, he'll live with the thought of knowing that little girl could have stooped to his level. He has the guilt. I applaud Katara on not killing him, but I think his mother is punishment enough lol.
^ I KNOW!!! Slap him around a bit. He killed your mother!! I don't think I could have ever taken someone's life, but I know for a fact I have no problem whoopin some ass.
Even though he killed Katara's mother, he could have thought twice. In his childhood, he was shamed by his mother , and probably abused. Through his childhood, he developedgreat sadness, thus making him an raider. If his mother had been more affectionate, Katara's mother might still be alive.
he's a soldier. killing is part of his job. you're not talking about some murderer here. you're talking about soldiers in armed battle. soldiers do not need to have tragic childhood in order to kill their enemies.
This is what i dont understand, when he asked who is the last water bender and Katara's mum said it was her wouldnt he ask her to prove it so he knows it acctually was her instead of just taking her word and killing her.
when Katara said that her "mother was gone too" she might not neccesarily have meant it literally, maybe she was gone as in dead so the body was still there...but then she might have been really traumatized by that so prbly not
Personally I wonder how the southern raiders would have ended if Hakoda had come along with the Gaang. Odds are Hakoda would have killed Yon Rha, or at least taken him into custody to stand trial for his crimes against the Southern Water Tribe.
I think that the real reason that Yon Rha couldn't ever understand the pain that Katara felt when her mother was killed is because Yon Rha has a terrible mother. His mother was constantly complaining and showed no affection at all. Had his mother been better, Yon Rha might have been a better person. I almost feel sorry for him...
This is an example of the immense depth this series can go to. I mean stories like these happened in real life after world war II. People sent to concentration camps wanted revenge or justice whichever way you looked at it. But when revenge is the same thing as justice, then it doesn't matter what it was done for, it's still an unnecessary death. Death is death and nothing no matter what. not justice, not revenge, not the orders of superior men, nothing but self defense can justify murder.
hes just a helpless old man now when he killed kataras mother he was young and powerful if katara came earlire and he was younger they would probely fight but i agree offering his own mothers death too be even is a stupid idea but he shoudnt die
An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. Revenge is like a two-headed rat viper. Turn the other cheek. Somewhere along the line, the cycle of wrong-for-wrong has to end. Katara did the right thing: she ended the cycle.
Agree with Free as a Bison - but I do think confronting Yon Rha helped her, though. Seeing Yon Rha, as pitiful as he was, made her realize that killing him would not give her the "satisfaction" she thought she needed. The feeling of loss of her mother would still be there. Instead of compromising her beliefs of right and wrong for the sake of revenge (killing Yon Rha), she found comfort and humility in forgiving Zuko.....
Does he show mercy to Katara's mother? You should've seen what happened, I don't care who he is, he's a monster who attacked the poor, that man, he'll suffer the pain that the others had and are suffering. He should be ashamed as a Fire Nation Marine.
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