Kyoshi Warriors

:This article is about the organization. For the episode with a similar name, see "The Warriors of Kyoshi".
The Kyoshi Warriors are an order of female warriors named after Avatar Kyoshi, who founded them to protect her homeland, Kyoshi Island. Each village of the island had its own band of warriors. With their unique and individual fighting style, these elite fighters ensured the safety and isolationism of their homeland during the Hundred Year War. However, when Avatar Aang visited the island in late 99 AG, he inspired a group of warriors, led by Suki, to travel to the Earth Kingdom and help the defenseless there. Even though most members of this group were imprisoned by the Fire Nation after a lost fight against Princess Azula's team, Suki was later freed and helped to end the war as part of Team Avatar. After the war, Suki's Kyoshi Warriors continued their service, volunteering to become the Fire Lord's bodyguards and later training Cranefish Town's police.
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. They are clad in ornate, armored, green kimonos, metal headdresses, and white-faced makeup designed to intimidate opponents. The Kyoshi Warriors used metal fans as their main weapons like Avatar Kyoshi, but also implemented katanas and retractable shields. The warriors' most prominent fighting style was not about strength, but rather 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 one of the villages and caused trouble.
== History ==
=== Early history ===
Prior to Kyoshi Island's separation from the Earth Kingdom mainland, Avatar Kyoshi witnessed women being mistreated by rowdy men. She had often defended the women in the village's seaside marketplace and endeavored to teach them defensive combat. Knowing that the nonbending women could not rely on brute strength as she often did, Kyoshi taught them the fighting styles of her girlfriend Rangi, an elite Fire Army soldier. Within a few years, Kyoshi had gathered a small band of disciples consisting of fisherwomen, weavers, and homemakers who eventually developed into the first Kyoshi Warriors.
The female warriors do not take kindly to training outsiders or men in their unique methods of fighting. However, Sokka was admitted to the group despite possessing both of the aforementioned qualities on the condition that he had to adhere to all of the traditions of the female Kyoshi Warrior, including wearing their style of armor and traditional make-up. In the organization's history, there have been only a few male warriors. The only other known outsider to join them is Ty Lee, who was born in the Fire Nation.
=== Hundred Year War ===
Kyoshi Island, and by extension the Kyoshi Warriors, remained neutral for most of the Hundred Year War. Regardless, the Kyoshi Warriors continued to protect their home against raiders and maintained order when traders visited its ports. This changed in late 99 AG when Avatar Aang arrived on the island. After initially capturing Team Avatar, the Kyoshi Warrior band of Suki quickly accepted them upon learning of Aang's true identity. Whereas Sokka began training with Suki, Aang accompanied some Kyoshi Warriors on a patrol to Koi Harbor where they arrested some foreign thieves.
Soon, however, Fire Nation Prince Zuko and his troops landed on the island, chasing the Air Nomad. A few Kyoshi Warriors directly opposed Zuko's raid at Koi Bay, but were defeated. However, the warriors were able to successfully retreat. Zuko then attacked Suki's village and forced its warriors to defend their home. After repelling the attack with the aid of Team Avatar, Suki and her comrades helped to rebuild their village. Frustrated at the situation and their home's neutrality, Suki decided to assist the Earth Kingdom military in its attempts to fight against the Fire Nation. This led to some internal tension, as not all members of her team agreed to leave with her.
Before departing, however, Suki and her comrades tried to ensure their home's safety. This was made difficult due to the chaos caused by Zuko's raid, with the Black Koi Pirates exploiting the situation to try to entrench themselves on Kyoshi Island. Suki enlisted the help of some foreign adventurers, and together they dealt with the pirate threat. Suki and her Kyoshi Warrior group subsequently challenged the adventurers to a series of friendly duels, with the foreigners proving their martial capabilities and agreeing to help fending off further pirate incursions. With Kyoshi Island secured, Suki and four other warriors left their home. Among their first destinations was Razor Reef in the southern Mo Ce Sea where they hoped to find a martial arts master, Tidao, hoping for some additional training and advice. However, the master was gone by the time of their arrival, with the group only discovering the party of Wen the archaeologist.
The group ultimately ended up at Full Moon Bay, where they served as guards for the ferries to Ba Sing Se. Desiring to do more, they started roaming the Earth Kingdom and stumbled upon Appa, who at that point had gotten separated from Aang and had grown fearful of humans. The Kyoshi Warriors worked together to gain the flying bison's trust and clean him up, intending to reunite him with his owner. Before they could do so, however, they were discovered by Azula's team. The Kyoshi Warriors immediately grouped to defend Appa, sacrificing their own freedom in order to buy Appa enough time to escape capture at the hands of Princess Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee.
In Ba Sing Se, Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee infiltrated the city disguised as members of the Kyoshi Warriors. The real Kyoshi Warriors were imprisoned following their defeat. 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. Azula decided to split them up, as she held a special interest in the Kyoshi Warrior leader and wanted to break her spirit in the isolated prison. Once at the Boiling Rock, however, Suki used her skills as Kyoshi Warrior to organize a resistance among the prisoners. Suki eventually broke out of the prison with the help of Sokka, Zuko, and Mai.
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 contained a new member: Ty Lee. She noted the bond that she had formed with the warriors while they were in prison. Ty Lee also provided the Kyoshi Warriors with some lessons in the art of chi-blocking.
=== As the Fire Lord's bodyguards ===
A year after the end of the Hundred Year War, Mai asked Suki's Kyoshi Warrior band for help with the security of the Fire Nation Royal Palace following a series of assassination attempts, most notably by Kori, the daughter of Yu Dao's mayor, which had put in evidence the inefficiency of the palace bodyguards.
The Kyoshi Warriors were tasked by Zuko to oversee Azula when she was conversing with her father, and they were quick to intervene when she attacked her brother. They left their post on Zuko's inquiry, however, as he wanted to give his family some privacy. They continued escorting the Fire Lord, ensuring his safety on the palace grounds, and followed his orders. After Zuko left with Azula and part of Team Avatar, they remained at the Fire Nation Royal Palace to assist the interim Fire Lord, Iroh. While in the Fire Nation, Suki's band of Kyoshi Warriors grew in numbers, expanding to include at least ten members.
After warning Zuko of an impending ambush by the New Ozai Society mere hours before his return to the capital, Suki rendezvoused with the Fire Lord and his family near a secret route leading to the Royal Palace. From there, Suki and several other Kyoshi Warriors escorted the royal family to their destination while Iroh acted as a decoy on the main road. Their plan failed, however, as Ozai loyalists, who had given the Kyoshi Warriors false information about their plans, surrounded the Fire Lord's entourage and attacked. While initially overwhelmed by the society, the Kyoshi Warriors and Zuko were able to tip the scale in their favor when reinforcements in the form of another squad of Kyoshi Warriors led by Ty Lee came to their aid. Following the battle's end, the warriors were formally thanked by the Fire Lord.
Afterward, Suki and her companions continued to guard the Royal Palace amid the growing crisis of puported kidnappings by the Kemurikage. When the latter broke into the palace to abduct Zuko's sister Kiyi, the Kyoshi Warriors along with the Fire Lord and Aang attempted to stop them. Though they could not rescue Kiyi, it was revealed that the alleged Kemurikage were in fact a militant group led by Azula. Suki, Ty Lee, and Aang subsequently investigated the Royal Palace, discovering a secret passageway to the Garden of Tranquil Souls. After the crisis was solved, the Kyoshi Warriors were present at Zuko's speech to his people in which he apologized for his mistakes in handling the Kemurikage incident.
=== Training Cranefish Town's police ===
After Suki taught several nonbenders to chi-block to ward off bender supremacists, the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors were requested by Avatar Aang to come to Cranefish Town to work as its de facto law enforcement for a time,Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game. Core Book, Version 1.0, 2022, p. 74. as well as to help dissolve the tensions between its bending and nonbending residents.
== Attire ==
The Kyoshi Warriors dressed in adorned metal headdresses and heavily armored green kimonos and wore face paint while on duty. This uniform was designed to resemble the attire that Avatar Kyoshi wore during her life, as well as her face paint that was meant to intimidate opponents. In turn, Kyoshi's face paint was associated with the Flying Opera Company, a crime group which she belonged to during her early life. The colors had a deeper meaning: White stood for treachery, suspicion, and the readiness to visit "evil deeds" upon others; this was the side which Kyoshi's gang showed to outsiders. In contrast, red symbolized honor, heroism, and loyalty; these were virtues that were usually hidden to the uninitiated, but shown to the group's sworn members.
The Kyoshi Warriors' golden insignia represented the "honor of a warrior's heart", and the silk threads symbolized the "brave blood that flows through [their] veins". Wearing such attire is a high honor for the Kyoshi Warriors. Regardless, Ty Lee once expressed the feeling that the getup was stifling one's movement.
=== Metal headdress ===
Initially, all warriors, besides Suki, wore a simple green headband. Following the spring of 100 AG, the warriors wore distinct, individualized headdresses (天冠, Tenkan), allowing one to discern specific warriors. At times, however, the warriors would switch back to the simple headband such as during training exercises.
== Beliefs ==
The Kyoshi Warriors consider themselves devotees of Avatar Kyoshi, and their service as a form of self-empowerment. They take pride in their role as active fighters, but mainly operate as protectors for their home communities as well as those in need of aid.Avatar: The Last Airbender—The Art of the Animated Series, page 47. As part of their combat training, Kyoshi Warriors practice a form of meditation which emphasizes their community spirit and unity as group.
== Fighting style ==
The Kyoshi Warriors are trained in a fighting style which was practiced by Rangi, an elite Fire Army soldier. Their technique aims to use an opponent's own force against them. The warriors train to act as coordinated group, supporting each other both mentally as well as in battle. The group also utilized a wide range of weapons in combat, varying from simple fans to deadly katanas. During the Kyoshi Warrior's incarceration by the Fire Nation, Ty Lee, also a prisoner, taught some of the group's members how to chi-block. After a few lessons and accepting Ty Lee into their group, chi-blocking became a fighting style the group used. Following the end of the war, when fighting benders, the Kyoshi Warriors use chi-blocking to disable them.
=== War fans ===
The Kyoshi Warriors used a set of two metal fans in imitation of Avatar Kyoshi. They wielded these fans in conjunction with a specialized fighting style that was based on the concept of turning an opponent's energy against them and exploiting openings. These implements were used for defense, but they could also be thrown elliptically as boomerangs or propelled as projectiles. These fans were the primary weapons of the Kyoshi Warriors and usually the first to be used in battle. Later, when teaching Sokka about the way of the Kyoshi Warriors, Suki said that it was like an extension of the arm.
=== Shield ===
The Kyoshi Warriors each carried a round retractable shield that could be combined to protect the entire unit. The combined shields were capable of withstanding a fire blast from Azula. They bear a likeness to the Earth Kingdom's emblem.
=== Katana ===
Each of the Kyoshi Warriors also carried a katana, which is a long, thin sword. The blade is folded 700 times from carefully smelted carbon steel to produce a moderately curved and single edged weapon. Although rarely used in combat, the Kyoshi Warriors did employ katanas when battling Azula and her elite team, where they proved to be well-suited for both self-defense and offense, as evidenced by Suki, who used hers to keep Azula at bay and nearly struck a deadly blow that the princess barely dodged.
== Means of transportation ==
While in the Fire Nation, the Kyoshi Warriors adopted Komodo rhinos as mounts, and at least one Fire Nation hot air balloon was provided exclusively for their use, being adorned with a green and yellow bottom and a fan insignia.
== Known members ==
* Jie
* Mingxia (formerly)
* Sokka (temporary; honorary member)
* Suki (leader)
* Ty Lee
== Trivia ==
* The makeup worn by the Kyoshi Warriors are similar to that worn by both kabuki actors and geisha, with the green kimonos additionally being inspired by Kabuki theater. The Kyoshi Warriors' designs were meant to be a homage to the richness of traditional Japanese aesthetic according to the creators.
** It also resembles that worn in traditional Chinese opera, which is consistent with in-universe origin introduced in The Rise of Kyoshi through Hark's theater lineage and subsequent adoption by the Flying Opera Company and Avatar Kyoshi.
* 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.
** Even though it was temporary, Sokka is also the first known non-Earth Kingdom native to join the group. Ty Lee is the first known to join full time.
* Their makeup is water-resistant.
* The Kyoshi Warriors' use of fans is similar to Tessenjutsu, a martial art that is characterized by the use of war fans.
* Their weaponry is similar to that of the samurai warrior, making them one of the few groups in Avatar: The Last Airbender to be based on Japanese culture; for example, katanas are primarily used by the samurai.
* Even though each village on Kyoshi Island has its own band of warriors, only the division that protected Oyaji's village, led by Suki, and the original group trained by Kyoshi herself have been featured.
* Rangi's technique of using Guan's own force against him on the lei tai formed the basis of the Kyoshi Warriors' fighting style.
* According to unverified information by the Avatar: The Last Airbender YouTube channel, Giya eventually became a full-fledged Kyoshi Warrior.
== References ==
== See also ==
* Earth Kingdom
* Military of the Earth Kingdom
* Organizations in the World of Avatar
de:Kyoshi-Kriegerinnen
es:Guerreras Kyoshi
fr:Guerrières Kyoshi
id:Ksatria Kyoshi
nl:Kyoshi Krijgers
pl:Wojowniczki Kyoshi
pt-br:Guerreiras Kyoshi
ru:Воины Киоши
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