- This article is about the political position. For other similar uses, see Phoenix King (disambiguation).
| "Fire Lord Ozai is no more. Just as the world will be reborn in fire, I shall be reborn as the supreme ruler of the world. From this moment on, I will be known as the Phoenix King!" |
| — Ozai during his coronation as Phoenix King.[1] |
Ozai crowned himself Phoenix King just prior to the arrival of Sozin's Comet.
Phoenix King was a title created by Fire Lord Ozai, who intended it to signify his supreme rule over the entire world once the Fire Nation had won the Hundred Year War.[2] The title would also allow Azula to become Fire Lord and lead the Fire Nation in his absence.[1] It was only held by Ozai for two days, with the position being abolished after his defeat.[3]
Connection[]
The Fire Nation crafted a large platform with a depiction of a phoenix for Ozai's coronation as Phoenix King.
The Phoenix, or Benu, is a mythical sacred firebird which originated in many ancient mythologies, including Egyptian, Phoenician, Greek, Indian, Persian, Roman, and Chinese, among others. It is a radiant bird with a tail of gold and red plumage, or purple and blue, by some sources, and has a 500 to 1,000 year life cycle, near the end of which it builds itself a nest of myrrh twigs that it eventually ignites. Both nest and bird burn and are reduced to ashes, from which a new, young phoenix or phoenix egg arises, reborn anew to live again.
In Chinese mythology, the phoenix, also known as fenghuang, is one of the four Sacred Creatures, the other three being the dragon, the qilin, and the turtle. An androgynous creature, it was also associated with Yin; femininity, the moon, and the earth, as opposed to the dragon, which represented Yang; masculinity, the sun, and the sky. The new phoenix is destined to live as long as its old self and the creature is also associated with fire, justice, obedience, and fidelity.
In some legends, the new phoenix embalms the ashes of its old self in an egg made of myrrh and deposits it in the Egyptian city of Heliopolis, the "City of the Sun". The bird was also said to regenerate when wounded, essentially making it immortal and invincible. Similarly, it is asserted that a phoenix can heal a person with its tears, and even temporarily make them immune to death.
The phoenix is also a symbol of rebirth and divinity, as Ozai stated that he would no longer be Fire Lord, and instead be reborn as the Phoenix King, the supreme ruler of the world, through the fires he would set in the Earth Kingdom.[3]
Clothing[]
Overview of the clothing worn by Ozai as the Phoenix King.
As the Phoenix King, Ozai wore dark red clothing with golden ornaments. The primary pieces were a dark helmet with golden wings on the sides of the visor and shoulder pads that resembled a phoenix. He also wore a dark red cloak over his typical Fire Lord clothing.[4]
Trivia[]
- Phoenix King was the Western title given to the ruler of the Kingdom of Great Joseon, the last royal dynasty of Korea. Traditionally, Korean kings and emperors saw the majesty and power of the phoenix as divine, and often favored this mythical animal as a symbol of their supreme right to rule. The title is similar in thought and concept to the Dragon Emperor of China.
- Though titled as "king", the position would be equivalent to that of an emperor.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 DiMartino, Michael Dante (writer) & Spaulding, Ethan (director). (July 19, 2008). "Sozin's Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 3. Episode 18. Nickelodeon.
- ↑ From older Avatar: The Last Airbender official site, originally on Nick.com. Encyclopedia now broken, archived at The Lost Lore of Avatar Aang - Character: The Phoenix King.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 DiMartino, Michael Dante, Konietzko, Bryan (writers) & Dos Santos, Joaquim (director). (July 19, 2008). "Sozin's Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 3. Episode 21. Nickelodeon.
- ↑ Avatar: The Last Airbender—The Art of the Animated Series, page 126.