Wei (soldier)

:This article is about the military general. For the waterbending master, see Wei (waterbender). For the metalbender from Zaofu, see Wei and Wing.
Wei was an Earth Kingdom general, infamous for his lack of caution and ultimate downfall. The massive mausoleum known as Hegemon's Folly at the Mo Ce Sea served as his final resting place.
== History ==
After joining the Earth Kingdom Army, Wei initially proved exceedingly successful and became something of a regional hero. Having risen to general, Wei wrote down his experiences in a personal journal. Over the course of his career, he devised many war strategies, including operations which were supposed to take place across the world. His plans were often exceedingly risky, and later commentators described them as "misguided". However, he was a talented martial artist. Wei wrote several training scrolls on his martial arts techniques, and these were more favorably regarded than his strategic thinking.
By the time he had become an "old warrior", Wei was desperate to forge a long-lasting legacy for himself. Not satisfied with his successes up until this point, he tried to achieve a completely unrealistic level of greatness. In the process, he declared war "against an impossible enemy". This started his final downfall and led to his doom at sea.
=== Legacy ===
Even though Wei was subsequently honored with a massive mausoleum, his legacy was one of shame. His burial site was termed "Hegemon's Folly" by historians, and his surviving family members attended his burial wearing "bleak and spiteful" masks. They also placed statues and an inscription in front of his crypt which emphasized the general's hubris. The inscription cryptically stated: "The insatiable fisherman hungers more than ever. The poor fish wonder, 'When will we be free?' But his endless appetite may not last forever, when blind to the bigger fish in the sea." The statues in front of his grave represented Wei as a fisherman whose attention was focused on two fish, even as his enemy -symbolized by an unagi- had turned its gaze on him.
Many artefacts and pieces of writing which documented Wei's downfall survived the passage of time, including his journal, a carnelian amulet he had worn, maps of his strategies, and the scroll which documented his infamous declaration of war. In contrast, his teachings on martial arts fell into obscurity.
A significant number of items and texts associated with Wei were stored as grave goods in his mausoleum, reportedly having been sealed away due to his disgraceful end. In the late Hundred Year War, several people such as Wen the archaeologist and Captain Masaru of the Fire Army tried to access the general's crypt, seeking the information it contained.
== Trivia ==
* Though Wei's lifetime is not dated, his grave was described as being "ancient" by the late Hundred Year War.
* The Avatar: Generations item of Wei's declaration of war showcases the crossed out image of a person, suggesting that Wei's last war was aimed at defeating one individual.
== Appearances ==
=== Avatar games ===
* Avatar: Generations 
== References ==
Category:A to Z
Category:Avatar: Generations characters
Category:Generals
Category:Soldiers