| "My family in Hanno'wu, we have nothing! Less than nothing! My debts—the Fire Lord promised me they'd be paid off upon my death! This is the last thing I can do for my wife and children! [...] The court needs its scapegoat, doesn't it? I understand the situation; I'm not stupid. Letting me die is necessary for the country!" |
| — The impostor about his situation.[1] |
Yun's impostor was a Fire Nation man from Hanno'wu who was recruited as double for the false Avatar, Yun, as they looked strikingly similar. Having been promised by Fire Lord Zoryu that his low-income family would be cared for if he sacrificed himself, the impostor agreed to become part of his ruler's plans to end the Camellia-Peony War. As part of this operation, the impostor was supposed to be publicly executed for Yun's crimes and his alleged support of a usurpation attempt. This would present Zoryu as a strong and successful ruler, but Avatar Kyoshi prevented the death of the impostor. The Fire Lord consequently moved the false Yun to a comfortable prison.
History[]
The man who would become Yun's double originally lived in Hanno'wu, a poor area of the Fire Nation. He was married and had children, but his family was destitute and he accumulated great debts which he could not pay off.[1] Eventually, agents of Fire Lord Zoryu located him and assessed that he would be an almost perfect double for the then-presumed Avatar, Yun. Even when it became publicly known that Yun was not the true Avatar, Zoryu kept the man under watch. In 295 BG, Yun attacked a party at the Fire Nation Royal Palace, killing several people and thereby humiliating the Fire Lord. At the time, Zoryu struggled to keep power, as he was challenged by the Saowon clan during a succession conflict.[4]
The impostor looked almost exactly like Yun. The main difference was their irises, as the impostor had golden ones,[1] while Yun's were jade-green.[2]
To safeguard his position and disempower the Saowon, Zoryu ordered his agents to contact the Yun-lookalike in Hanno'wu. They told the man that all his debts would be paid off and his family would be cared for if he agreed to participate in a conspiracy that would result in his death. Desperate to save his family from poverty, the man agreed. He was consequently presented at a gathering of the Fire Nation nobles at the palace, bound and blindfolded to hide his golden irises. Zoryu proclaimed that he had captured Yun and that he would be executed as an enemy of the state. Beforehand, however, he ordered the imposter to speak. As agreed, he stated to be Yun and claimed to have worked with the Saowon to overthrow the Fire Lord. Zoryu proclaimed this treason and ordered his loyalists to kill or capture the Saowon; the room promptly descended into chaos and fighting as the accused attempted to flee.[1]
Several guards took away the impostor, but Avatar Kyoshi pursued them, suspecting that something was amiss. She easily knocked out the guards with airbending and began to question the false Yun. The man initially continued to claim to be Yun, but when she removed his eyepatch, revealing his eyes, it was clear that he lied. Seeing that he was being confronted by Kyoshi, who knew Yun very well, the impostor initially shut up. However, when she began freeing him from his bonds, the man tried to get away and pleaded with her to stop. Confused and angry, Kyoshi questioned his intentions, and the man revealed that his family would be saved through his death. If Kyoshi saved him, his wife and children would die of starvation. In addition, he argued that his sacrifice would help to keep the Fire Nation stable and that he was absolutely willing to die for his family and country.[1]
Per his request, Kyoshi left him in the guards' hands[1] but consequently confronted Zoryu. She demanded that the Fire Lord send the man back to his family and reward him for his readiness to sacrifice himself, threatening to kill Zoryu if she heard that he had executed the false Yun.[4] The Fire Lord did not free the impostor, but he refrained from killing him. For the time being, Zoryu placed him in a comfortable prison, unsure about what to do with him.[5]
Physical description[]
The decoy's appearance was almost identical to Yun's, save for his golden irises.[1]
Personality[]
Yun's impostor was a selfless man who was completely loyal and dedicated to his family, willingly giving his life for its well-being when they did not have anything, and he was unable to pay his debts. He rejected Kyoshi's help in rescuing him from Zoryu's guards, determined that his death was the only thing that would save his wife and children. In addition to his family, he was loyal to his nation and the Fire Lord as well, and he was also intelligent, understanding that his sacrifice would prevent a civil war.[1]
Appearances[]
Chronicles of the Avatar[]
The Shadow of Kyoshi[]
- 221. "Shapes of Life and Death"
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Yee, F. C. (author), DiMartino, Michael Dante (author). (July 21, 2020). Chapter Twenty-One, "Shapes of Life and Death". The Shadow of Kyoshi. Amulet Books.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Yee, F. C. (author), DiMartino, Michael Dante (author). (July 16, 2019). Chapter Nine, "Desperate Measures". The Rise of Kyoshi. Amulet Books.
- ↑ Yee, F. C. (author), DiMartino, Michael Dante (author). (July 21, 2020). The Shadow of Kyoshi Barnes & Noble Exclusive Edition. Amulet Books.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Yee, F. C. (author), DiMartino, Michael Dante (author). (July 21, 2020). Chapter Twenty-Two, "Housecleaning". The Shadow of Kyoshi. Amulet Books.
- ↑ Yee, F. C. (author), DiMartino, Michael Dante (author). (July 21, 2020). Epilogue. The Shadow of Kyoshi. Amulet Books.