Ukano

Ukano was the first and only Fire Nation governor of New Ozai, originally Omashu, appointed by Fire Lord Ozai himself.Avatar Extras for "Return to Omashu" on Nicktoons Network. The father of Mai and Tom-Tom, he cared greatly for his family but was a weak ruler whose faulty assumptions often led to poor decisions. Career-minded and deeply loyal to Ozai, Ukano accepted neither his forceful deposition as governor in 100 AG, nor the new Fire Nation government under Fire Lord Zuko. Therefore, he founded the subversive New Ozai Society, an act that would lead to the breakup of his beloved family. After a failed attempt on Zuko's life, he conspired with Azula to sway the public opinion against Zuko by kidnapping children. When he found himself expendable to Azula, he released the children. He was later arrested for his involvement in the scheme and his previous attempt on Zuko's life.
== History ==
=== Governor of New Ozai ===
Ukano masterminded the Surrender of Omashu, and as a reward for his role, he was appointed governor of the newly subjected city, later renamed New Ozai by Princess Azula in honor of her father. He moved there with his wife Michi, his daughter Mai, and his infant son Tom-Tom.
In order to escape Ukano's rule, Sokka helped the citizens of New Ozai devise a plan that would allow them to willingly leave the city. Using the suckers of the purple pentapus, they covered their bodies with the pentapus' distinctive red marks. Feigning illness, the citizens converged on the city guards. The governor ordered the citizens to be driven out of the city, thinking there was a plague. The following night, Mai's family discovered that Tom-Tom had disappeared. Believing that the resistance had kidnapped his son, Ukano, full of anger and despair about his son's fate, lamented that the resistance was "so clever, so tricky". Eventually, he sent a messenger hawk to the resistance members, offering to trade King Bumi, the former ruler of Omashu, for his son.
The next day, however, Princess Azula unexpectedly arrived in the city. She met with Ukano and berated him for acting foolishly due to the chain of events that occurred during the previous day. The governor humbly and desperately asked for forgiveness, also addressing the planned trade for his son. Despite all his excuses, Azula forced Ukano to stay in the palace, so he did not have "a chance to mess [the trade] up". Nevertheless, the hostage trade failed, causing Ukano and Michi to sink into despair, deeply fearing for their infant son's life. However, to their utmost joy, Aang covertly went to the governor's house and secretly returned Tom-Tom later on in the night.
=== Founding the New Ozai Society ===
When the Day of Black Sun arrived, King Bumi liberated New Ozai, effectively ending Ukano's control of the city and forcing him to flee the city, which became Omashu once again. He returned to the Fire Nation Capital.
Following Zuko's ascension to the throne, Ukano was offered a position in the new government, though he declined, dismissing the desk job to be beneath him as well as a way for Zuko to control him. Believing Zuko to be a usurper, the former governor concluded that the only way to restore what he saw as the Fire Nation's "greatness" was to return Ozai to the throne. To that end, he founded the New Ozai Society and brought his son, Tom-Tom, along with him to meetings in order to teach him the "duties of Fire Nation citizenship". Hoping that Mai would also join his cause after her break up with Zuko in 101 AG, believing that her knowledge about Zuko would give the society the edge it needed to take him down, he tasked a member of the society, Kei Lo, to bring her to a meeting. He tried to convince his daughter of the righteousness of his goal, though after she reunited with her brother and took a look around at the violence displayed against effigies of Zuko, she refused to join them, announcing that she and Tom-Tom would be leaving. Ukano ordered the society members to capture his children without harm, though he was left alone after Mai easily overpowered them. As she walked out with Tom-Tom, he urged her to stay, to no avail. Following the incident, Ukano was left by his wife, who blamed him for caring more about politics than the safety of their children.
=== Attempted deposition of Zuko ===
One night in 102 AG, Ukano awoke in his house upon hearing his name being called. To his disbelief, he discovered the intruders to be the Kemurikage, who labeled him a "failure" and a "disgrace" though offered him the chance to redeem himself by deposing Zuko lest he suffer the consequences. Terrified, Ukano dismissed the Kemurikage as mere fables, though they countered that they were real.
Following the Kemurikage's warning, Ukano addressed the members of the New Ozai Society, lamenting about how strong and safe the Fire Nation had once been. Emphasizing how they had all been patiently waiting for the day they could dethrone the "impostor" Zuko, he announced that their moment was near and explained how the Fire Lord would be vulnerable the following day during his journey from Harbor City to the royal palace due to only being accompanied by a small group of his friends. After inspiring the members to kill Zuko and "restore the Fire Nation to glory", Ukano retreated to his quarters, where he was confronted by Kei Lo, who expressed his doubts about the plan, reiterating Ukano's previous statements that they would need at least six months to properly prepare for the endeavor. As Kei Lo pointed out that there would likely be more security on the day of the Fire Lord's return to the city, Ukano admitted that he had had a "premonition" that prevented them from waiting any longer, as he believed their nation to be in "grave danger", and it was the responsibility of the New Ozai Society to provide safety, which could "only be born out of strength".
Aware that Kei Lo was becoming disaffected with the Society's cause and was secretly meeting with Mai, Ukano decided to misinform Kei Lo, telling him that the Society would attack Zuko along the main road to the capital. Banking on Kei Lo relaying it to their enemies and Zuko opting to travel via a hidden path, Ukano and the bulk of his forces prepared to ambush the Fire Lord's caravan there, trapping them by knocking down trees with dynamite. Ukano demanded that Zuko relinquish the throne, promising not to harm Ursa and her family if he did. Zuko outright refused and though he and his Kyoshi Warrior bodyguards managed to put up a fight, the Society members eventually subdued them. To punish Zuko for his defiance, Ukano ordered his firebenders to burn the carriage containing Ursa and her family. When Kei Lo openly rebelled and freed Zuko, Ukano boasted to Kei Lo that his soft heart was what had made him so useful to the Society. Upon the arrival of reinforcements in the form of Mai, Ty Lee, Iroh, and the other Kyoshi Warriors, Ukano ordered his men to attack the carriage. Mai recognized his voice, however, and confronted him, accusing him of insanity and treason. As Mai was forced to defend herself against members of the Society, Ukano came to her rescue and ordered his followers to avoid hurting her and attack Kei Lo instead.
Alone with his daughter, Ukano attempted to reason with her, insisting that everything he had done was out of love for the Fire Nation. He claimed that Zuko had weakened the nation, caring more about appeasing the Avatar, and cited how the Fire Nation colonies were no longer in control of their own lives. He revealed that although he wanted his family back, he believed they would not be safe as long as Zuko ruled. Mai contradicted that Zuko was not a weakling, as he had forced the Society to either surrender or flee, though Ukano dismissed this as Zuko being willing to strong-arm his own people, when he should be worried about the other nations. He pointed out that Mai was Zuko's only real Fire Nation friend, and he had pushed her away. Ukano told her to arrest him if she believed there was no truth in what he had said, though he was allowed to flee the scene.
Returning to his empty hideout, Ukano was confronted by the Kemurikage, who declared their intention to make him suffer for his failure. Terrified for his life, Ukano begged a month's respite to depose Zuko. The Kemurikage consented to his request but warned that should he fail again, he would lose all he held dear. Around this time, the ghostly figures also revealed their true nature. They were disguised escapees, led by someone of whom Ukano was even more afraid than of the Kemurikage: Azula.
=== Tom-Tom's abduction ===
When the Kemurikage abducted Tom-Tom from Mura's flower shop a month later, Ukano barged into the royal palace to confront Zuko, interrupting the Fire Lord's meeting with Aang. Taking note of Mai's presence, he blamed her for Tom-Tom's abduction, stating that if they had remained under his roof, he could have protected his son. Kei Lo noted that no house was safe from dark spirits, but Ukano promptly dismissed him.
Ukano insisted that Zuko enforced a curfew and assembled an elite task force to hunt down the renegade spirits, though Aang protested that it would only escalate things. Ultimately, Zuko decided against Ukano's suggestion and ordered Constable Sung to escort Ukano from the palace. Upset, Ukano called Zuko an impostor, unworthy of the throne.
As soon as he was out of Zuko's presence, Ukano asked Sung if he had any children, to which the constable confirmed he had a son. Though Sung assured Ukano that he and his men would do everything in their power to find Tom-Tom, Ukano insisted that they could not wait for Zuko to act and advised Sung to keep an eye on his own son.
=== Forming the Safe Nation Society ===
Ukano was later stirred from his sleep by Sung, who confirmed that the Kemurikage had abducted his son and a few other children. With Zuko absent, Ukano took advantage by forming a volunteer militia called the Safe Nation Society. Enforcing a curfew, the Safe Nation Society ordered an old man and his grandson to return home. During their patrol, the Kemurikage attempted another kidnapping, which the Safe Nation Society was able to thwart.
Not long after, they were confronted by the Fire Lord and the Avatar. Ukano boasted of the Safe Nation Society's victory over the dark spirits, but Aang claimed that the Kemurikage were impostors. Ukano rejected the Aang's claim, insisting that he knew what he had seen. However, when Mai accused him of hiding, he was quick to deny. When Zuko asserted his authority over Sung and ordered Ukano to disband the Safe Nation Society or face arrest, Ukano grudgingly acquiesced, though told Mai to come find him when she realized the truth about Zuko.
Ukano later went to a hideout where Tom-Tom and the other abducted children were being kept, telling them that their parents would not come for them until they were asleep. As he put Tom-Tom to bed, Ukano assured him that he and his "friends", the Kemurikage, would make the Fire Nation safe again and that Tom-Tom and the other children would play their part in that plan. Ukano left his son be, however, after the child pointed out that he seemed afraid of the Kemurikage.
=== Turning against the kidnappers and imprisonment ===
Not long after Tom-Tom's kidnapping, the fake Kemurikage arrived with a captured Kiyi at their hideout. As the group's actual leader, Azula, discussed the situation with her followers, Ukano listened with some trepidation. After the princess had dismissed the others, Ukano argued that they could no longer sustain the operation. Azula responded by questioning his commitment to her cause, whereupon he countered that he had spend all his money on supporting her and torn his family apart for the cause, yet it broke his heart to see Tom-Tom in a cell.
Unmoved, Azula told him hold out and keep the kidnapped children inside their quarters until further notice. She claimed that he had to do only one more thing for her: Mobilize the Safe Nation Society to march through the capital and provoke a riot. Ukano was critical of this proposal, arguing that the city's people were already turning against Zuko, making a violent escalation unneccessary. The princess threateningly insisted on the riot, however, whereupon Ukano agreed to comply despite his misgivings.
Ukano subsequently organized and led the protest march. When General Mak attempted to halt the Safe Nation Society and proclaimed the ex-governor's arrest, Ukano used the opportunity to incite his followers into rioting by pointing out that the government was more concerned with stopping them than rescuing the missing children. As the protestors and security forces clashed, Ukano fled. He returned to the hideout where he expressed his horror at the riot's violence and the fact that almost all Safe Nation Society members -who had trusted him- had been arrested. He then asked Azula to free the children, pointing out that he had held up his part of the deal. The princess refused, however, as the children would reveal the fact that the "Kemurikage" had been fake to their parents, derailing the conspirators' plans.
After Azula left, Ukano collapsed in front of the hideout's cell. Desparate and hopeless, he realized that Azula was a "madwoman" who considered the children as expendable tools. As he began to cry, he expressed regret that he had allowed Azula to capture the children, and was now unable to save them. To his surprise, however, the cell's steel door began to heat up and then melt as Kiyi used her latent firebending abilities. Overjoyed at this unexpected development, Ukano helped the children to get through the now-destroyed door and told them that he would bring them back to their parents. The ex-governor implored them to be quiet in order to not alert the "scary ladies", but as the group was about to reach the hideout's exit, they were stopped by two Kemurikage imposters. One of Azula's followers grabbed Ukano, threatening to burn him as Avatar Aang broke through the hideout's exit. He fought the imposters, and after Mai and Kei Lo arrived as reinforcements, they were overpowered. Ukano smiled as he saw Mai embrace Tom-Tom.
After all children were safe and Azula had fled, Ukano agreed to submit himself to the authorities for his role in the uprising against Zuko. He was sentenced to prison. Later, Ukano arrived at Capital City Prison with Mai and Tom-Tom. He said goodbye to his children, telling his son that he had to look out for his mother and sister. As he was led away by a prison guard, Mai told him that despite his many faults, he had been brave in the end and she would remember him this way. Ukano responded "that's more than I have a right to ask, my daughter."
== Relatives ==
== Appearances ==
=== Avatar: The Last Airbender ===
==== Book Two: Earth (土) ====
=== Avatar comics ===
=== Graphic novels ===
== Trivia ==
* Avatar Extras for "Return to Omashu" revealed that Ukano is not a firebender. However, in Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Burning Earth, he was a boss battle and depicted as being a powerful firebender.
* The Avatar Cookbook suggests that Ukano was eventually released from prison and reinstated as official in the Fire Nation Capital.Avatar: The Last Airbender Cookbook: Official Recipes from the Four Nations, p. 121.
== References ==
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