Earthbender captain

:This article is about the captain of an Earth Kingdom military unit. For other similar uses, see Captain (disambiguation).
The earthbender captain was a vengeful soldier who wanted the Fire Nation to pay for instigating the Hundred Year War. He fought against General Iroh and the Fire Nation Army during the six hundred-day Siege of Ba Sing Se, after which he considered Iroh a prime enemy of the Earth Kingdom and pledged himself to promoting the defense of his nation.
== History ==
The earthbender captain served in the Earth Kingdom military during General Iroh's siege of Ba Sing Se, where he developed an especially strong hatred toward the Fire Nation officer.
Not long before the winter solstice of 99 AG, he and his unit of earthbending soldiers stumbled upon a bathing Iroh and captured the retired general by trapping him in the spring with their earthbending. When a soldier commented that Iroh was a Fire Nation soldier based on his uniform, the earthbender captain quickly identified Iroh for who he truly was: the Fire Lord's brother, the Dragon of the West. He smugly finished off by stating that the "once great" General Iroh was now their prisoner.
The captain and his unit set out immediately, riding through the night on their ostrich horses to take Iroh to Ba Sing Se to face justice. Still angered over Iroh's attempt to conquer the city, the captain stated that the city was greater than Iroh, as it would not yield to him.
The next day, the captain asked Iroh whether something was wrong when the latter had gasped in shock when he saw Aang's spirit pass by on Avatar Roku's dragon, Fang. Iroh initially stated that everything was fine, though swiftly reconsidered and complained that his handcuffs were too loose, asking for them to be tightened. Though he was surprised by such a request, the captain ordered his corporal to do as asked. However, Iroh had tricked him, as the firebender had heated his chains and pressed the corporal's hand against them, burning him, before firebending from his feet at the rest of the troops in order to facilitate his escape. While the earthbender captain attempted to calm down two started ostrich horses by pulling tightly on their reins, he watched as Iroh rolled down a mountainside.
The captain used his earthbending to send an avalanche after the ex-general, effectively halting his escape by trapping him underneath the sand. Together with two other soldiers, the earthbender captain slid down the slope. Having recaptured Iroh, the captain agreed with his corporal that it was too dangerous to transport Iroh to Ba Sing Se and concluded that the firebender needed to be dealt with immediately and severely.
At twilight, the Earth Kingdom unit had Iroh tied down to a rock with metal shackles, his hands spread out on the surface. The earthbender captain noted that Iroh's hands, capable of great danger, needed to be crushed and proceeded to lift a boulder with his earthbending. However, the execution of the punishment was interrupted by Zuko, who appeared from nowhere and kicked the rock away to free his uncle. The captain demanded their surrender, stating that they were clearly outnumbered, to which Iroh cleverly responded that although that was true, the captain and his men were clearly outmatched.
A fierce duel ensued, in which the captain held his own, showcasing his proficiency in earthbending by launching boulder after boulder. After a short time, the captain was the only one left standing, but he managed to keep Zuko at bay. He raised the earth high above him, intending to crush the Fire Nation prince under a mixture of sand and rocks in a finishing move. However, before he could execute the attack, he was immobilized by Iroh, who entangled a chain around the earthbender captain's ankles and yanked his feet from underneath him. As the captain fell down, he lost the control of the raised landmass and the rocks crashed down on top of him, effectively knocking him out cold. He was spared by the two firebenders, as they left to continue their own journey.
== Appearances ==
=== Avatar: The Last Airbender ===
==== Book One: Water (水) ====
=== Avatar games ===
* Avatar: Generations
== Trivia ==
* The earthbender captain thought that Iroh had grown senile after meeting the famed retired general bathing in an Earth Kingdom hot spring.Avatar Extras for "Winter Solstice, Part 1: The Spirit World" on Nicktoons Network.
== References ==
de:Erdbändiger-Captain
es:Capitán Maestro Tierra
fi:Maantaitajakapteeni
fr:Capitaine Maître de la Terre
nl:Aardstuurder kapitein
Category:A to Z
Category:Avatar: Generations characters
Category:Characters
Category:Earth Kingdom characters
Category:Earthbenders
Category:Minor characters
Category:Soldiers