- This article is about the military of the Fire Nation. For other similar uses, see Military (disambiguation).
The military of the Fire Nation is the unified armed forces of the Fire Nation. It was the world's most powerful military during the Hundred Year War, and saw many glorious victories in battle throughout the span of the conflict. However, it also committed horrible war crimes such as the Air Nomad Genocide.[2]
The Fire Lord is the commander-in-chief of the Fire Nation military and delegates power through a select few generals and admirals of the army and navy, respectively. The War Minister, a member of the Fire Lord's cabinet, oversees the creation and acquisition of new technology for the Fire Nation military and occasionally participates in battlefield demonstrations.[3][4] At least prior to the Hundred Year War's end, female Fire Nation soldiers mainly served in the homeland.[5]
The Fire Nation military is comprised of a large number of personnel, with an extensive propaganda campaign used to convince people to volunteer.[6] The nation's army is the second largest in the world in terms of numbers, after the Earth Kingdom, and it maintains the largest navy. The Fire Nation military also possesses advanced and powerful military equipment, giving it huge military capabilities and power projection solidifying itself as the most powerful military force in the world. The only known force capable enough to match the Fire Nation military head-on was the military of the Earth Kingdom, though it very often experienced major losses against the Fire Nation.[2]
Army[]
- Main article: Fire Army
Fire Army soldiers are well known for their distinctive uniform.
Fire Nation's army, officially called the "Fire Army",[7] is comprised of both nonbending and firebending soldiers.[2] For much of its history, it included both male as well as female soldiers,[8] although the latter had become a small minority by the Hundred Year War's end. The army is very large and employs infantry, cavalry, and artillery.[2]
The Fire Army traditionally emphasizes hard training, esprit de corps, aggressive strategies, and up-to-date technologies, making it capable of almost any military ground operation.[2] As one of the most advanced ground warfare forces in history,[2] the Fire Army was the first force in the world to use tanks on a large scale.[2]
The Fire Army has played a major part in the Fire Nation's history. As standing force loyal to the Fire Lords, it initially kept the country's noble clans and their private militias in check.[7] In the 3rd century BG, a Fire Army soldier named Rangi became Avatar Kyoshi's girlfriend, firebending trainer, and bodyguard.[9]
The Fire Army was eventually used by Fire Lord Sozin and his successors Azulon as well as Ozai to conquer much territory during the Hundred Year War. In this conflict, the Fire Army proved to be the strongest army in the world, defeating the militaries of the other nations numerous times.[2] Following the Hundred Year War's end, it was used by Fire Lord Zuko to protect the Fire Nation colony of Yu Dao amid the crisis surrounding the Harmony Restoration Movement.[10]
Domestic Forces[]
- Main article: Domestic Forces
The Fire Nation also employed domestic soldiers.
By the time of the late Hundred Year War, the Fire Nation maintained the so-called "Domestic Forces" as territorial defense, to enforce the law in the homeland, and to guard prisons.[11][12] The majority of the Domestic Forces were women who usually did not serve on the front lines, although there were domestic servicemen as well. In addition to their other duties, the Domestic Forces also trained new recruits for both the army and the navy.[11]
The exact origins of the Domestic Forces are unclear, though domestic security in the Fire Nation had long been entrusted to the noble clans' household troops.[7] In course of the Hundred Year War, the Domestic Forces secured the Fire Islands, as the other military branches were largely deployed overseas.[11][13][14] After the Great War's end, the Domestic Forces mainly focused on their police duties, and played an important role in countering the resistance against Fire Lord Zuko.[12][15][16]
In contrast to the Fire Army and the Fire Navy, the Domestic Forces mainly relied on lighter equipment such as jet skis to carry out their duties, though they did had access to all kinds of weaponry. They were regarded as a failry effective police and national guard.[17][18]
[]
- Main article: Fire Nation Navy
Admiral Zhao's massive fleet attempted to conquer the Northern Water Tribe.
The "Fire Nation Navy" is the most powerful naval force in the world, fielding massive fleets manned by tens of thousands of firebending and nonbending crews.[2][19][20] As the Fire Nation is an archipelago, its navy has traditionally been of supreme importance to any defensive or offensive military effort.[2] The Fire Nation's fleets traditionally kept its waters safe from pirates.[20]
The Fire Nation Navy initially used sailing ships, but it began to gradually deploy steam- and coal-powered vessels from the 3rd century BG.[21] Even at this point, it was already outmatching the navies of other states.[20] Under Fire Lord Sozin, the navy was further modernized and massively expanded.[22][23][24] When the Fire Nation started the Hundred Year War, it could rely on its powerful navy –mostly consisting of cruisers– to dominate the world's oceans and crush the other nations' fleets, most notably those of the Water Tribes.[2][19][25] The navy also played a major role in the murderous Southern Water Tribe raids.[26] Following the end of the Hundred Year War, the Fire Nation Navy started to play a major role in humanitarian missions.[27][28]
The Fire Nation Navy is highly organized and stratified, with a clear hierarchy and efficient bureaucracy. All soldiers are expected to defer unquestioningly to their superiors. The navy's movements are coordinated by messenger hawk through various towers placed strategically throughout the ocean, and all towers are required to stay current on all navy movements.[29]
Air force[]
The Fire Nation air force.
The Fire Nation was the first of the four nations to develop flying machines for military purposes; war balloons and airships. It should be noted that the war balloons were designed by the mechanist, an Earth Kingdom citizen,[3] and that the airships were made using the balloons as a basis. Being able to control the skies gave the Fire Nation an almost insurmountable advantage over its enemies.[30]
Before the end of the Hundred Year War, all known personnel of the Fire Nation air force was male.[31] After the conflict's end, women began to serve in the air force as well.[15]
History[]
For most of the course of the Hundred Year War, the Fire Nation was not known to have utilized any true air force against its enemies. However, after the battle for the Northern Air Temple, the Fire Nation acquired a war balloon, a hot air balloon designed by the mechanist, an Earth Kingdom inventor who the Fire Nation had pressed into service by designing weapons and technology. As stated by War Minister Qin, "This defeat is the gateway to many victories."[3] Toward the end of the invasion of the Fire Nation, it was revealed that the Fire Nation had constructed many more war balloons which are now fueled by firebenders, as well as several massive metal airships.[30]
The air force aided Azula in tracking down Team Avatar after Sokka and Zuko freed Hakoda, Suki, and Chit Sang from the Boiling Rock. After a short battle at the Western Air Temple, the team managed to escape on Appa.[29] Sometime later, an air force detachement assisted Commander Mamushi of the Fire Navy in searching for an artifact at a Fire Nation colony.[32]
The air force suffered a major defeat in the Battle at Wulong Forest.
The airships served a critical role in Ozai's plan to destroy the Earth Kingdom by harnessing the power of Sozin's Comet. Although the attack razed much of the western coastline, the airships were all captured or destroyed when Avatar Aang and his friends defeated Ozai and sabotaged the attack. This attack essentially destroyed the Fire Nation air force, as the bulk of its power had been invested in the airships.[31] The air force was reconstituted after the war's end and employed to quickly transport members of the royal family such as Iroh[15] and Fire Lord Zuko to important meetings.[33]
Hot air balloons[]
- Main article: Hot air balloon
The Fire Nation hot air balloon, also called the war balloon, is a simple airborne vehicle comprised of a large red balloon with the Fire Nation insignia and a personnel gondola underneath. The balloon is fueled by a coal furnace set alight by a single firebender while a second firebender launches projectiles at air or ground-based forces.[3]
Airships[]
- Main article: Fire Nation airship
Airships are massive aerial warships made of metal, with dozens of crew members. They are primarily used for bombing ground targets, and have dozens of small platforms from which firebenders can attack airborne enemies, and also defend the body of the ship. The airships float using large fuel cells on the bottom of the hull to heat the air inside.[30] The airships played a large role in the last stages of the war, as they made up the battle force with which Ozai planned to burn down the Earth Kingdom during the passing of Sozin's Comet.[34]
Known commanding officers[]
- Fire Nation airship captain
- Princess Azula
- Phoenix King Ozai
Special task forces[]
Yuyan Archers[]
- Main article: Yuyan Archers
The Yuyan Archers are Colonel Shinu's highly skilled unit of archers, and are, according to Zhao, "capable of pinning a fly to a tree from one hundred yards away, without killing it".[35]
Imperial Firebenders[]
- Main article: Royal Procession
The Imperial Firebenders are an elite group of firebenders dressed in unique armor serving to protect members of the Royal Family.[36] They were banished by a paranoid Azula just before Sozin's Comet arrived, as she believed they could not be trusted and would eventually betray her.[37]
Rough Rhinos[]
- Main article: Rough Rhinos
The Rough Rhinos were an elite group of Fire Nation cavalry, founded by Colonel Mongke. There were five members of the group, each of whom carried a different specialized weapon. They were highly skilled and able to ride their komodo rhinos silently through the brush.[38][39] After the Hundred Year War, the Rough Rhinos left the military to become mercenaries.[1]
Southern Raiders[]
- Main article: Southern Raiders
The Southern Raiders are comprised of an elite force of vessels and soldiers tasked with launching the numerous raids on the Southern Water Tribe.
Their insignia is a sea raven and their uniforms are slightly different from conventional Fire Nation armor. Their helmets have red eye shields that extend to the sides with two spikes on each side in the resemblance of flames or wings and the armor is all black except for red outlining along the edges. The commander has a more intricate helmet in that he has no eye shield but has three red spikes extending outward, a curved red spike outlining the eyes, a black nose guard that extends down, spikes near the mouth, and finally spikes on the arm guards.
Their flagship is fairly advanced, with an unusually large conning tower. The goal of the Southern Raiders is to eliminate all the waterbenders from the Southern Water Tribe, as well as stealing supplies for the Fire Nation.[29]
Known commanding officers[]
- Southern Raiders commander
- Yon Rha (retired in 96 AG)
Relief Fleet[]
- Main article: Fire Nation Relief Fleet
The government committed to funding an official Relief Fleet in the early-mid 160s AG, after seeing Admiral Dalja Ro reroute their ships to aid a village where a volcano had erupted. The Relief Fleet is dispatched to deal with mine collapses, tsunamis, and earthquakes, and helps anyone in the world who needs their aid. Some civilians and citizens of other nations are also part of the fleet, as the admiral never turns down anyone who offers help.[28]
Known bases[]
The Fire Nation military operated many bases and garrisons throughout the homeland and Earth Kingdom during the Hundred Year War. These bases were led by high ranking officers of the Army and Navy.
Strategies[]
- "All warfare is based on deception."
- ―A widely known Fire Nation proverb.[41]
The Fire Nation military forces seem to favor a strategy that symbolizes their bending art. The Siege of the North showed that the Fire Nation uses heavy bombing with their fleets before overpowering the enemy with armored vehicles, heavy cavalry, and heavy infantry. After gaining a foothold the Fire Nation usually clears the area by advancing at great speeds with cavalry and tanks. After the first advancement, the Fire Nation military usually swarms over the area with infantry. Other strategies are not shown but they are known to make use of maneuver warfare and for encircling their enemy.
List of known engagements[]
Trivia[]
- According to unverified information by the Avatar: The Last Airbender YouTube channel, the Fire Nation already possessed some kind of air force at the time of Fire Lord Sozin.[46]
