How Old Is Prince Zuko & 9 Other Things You Didn't Know About Him

There are a lot of amazing characters in Avatar: The Last Airbender, each of them serving their purpose on Aang's journey to defeat Ozai. Interestingly, most of them clearly fall into either category — aligning themselves with the Avatar or with the Fire Lord.

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Prince Zuko is not one of them: he is a hotbed of conflict, initially seeking to capture the Avatar in order to restore his "honor," but Iroh's gentle mentoring gradually sets him free from his paternal bonds. He is, generally speaking, a very private person (adding to that extra sense of mysterious charm.) Therefore, here are a few things about Zuko that are not immediately obvious.

10 His Age

Zuko starts off as a 16-year-old banished prince, sailing the seas with his uncle, burning with a desire to return to his homeland. If it's not bad enough that he's a teenager trying to be a grown man, consider the fact that Ozai, his own father, burns his 13-year-old face, and immediately exiles him from the Fire Nation for having the temerity to "challenge" his court.

Zuko shows everyone what he's made of though, proving himself the only one worthy of becoming the Fire Lord. Even in his old age, in his late eighties during the events of Korra,  he can hold his own in battle against the likes of Ghazan.

9 He Has A Secret Sibling

The last time Ursa is mentioned in the series is when Zuko demands his imprisoned father tell him where his mother has gone. However, the graphic novels take the story much further: it appears that Ursa travels back to Hira'a, her native town, where she reconnects with her old beau, Ikem.

After settling down into a much happier life, the couple gives birth to a daughter, Kiyi (automatically Zuko and Azula's half-sister.) She is a playful character but has displayed extremely powerful firebending tendencies.

8 His Voice Actor

Image via Avatar Studios

One of the reasons that fans adored Zuko was his voice: confident and firm, but with hints of vulnerability shining through. The showrunners opted to provide the same voice (performed perfectly by Dante Basco) to Zuko's grandson, General Iroh, an important side-character in The Legend of Korra.

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This decision to reuse a familiar voice had two simultaneous results — it created a powerful connection with the sequel but also took away from Zuko's originality.

7 He Participates In All The Agni Kais

The first one, as is well-known, occurs between Zuko and Ozai, which he loses because he is too terrified to take on his father (but also because he's a little kid.) A couple of years later, he invokes a second Agni Kai against Commander Zhao, gracefully beating the arrogant gas-bag into a puddle of humiliation.

The third and final time is the one against his sister, in the Fire Palace courtyard, placing all the stakes on this single fight. He wins, but not before Azula tries to play the dirtiest trick of all.

6 His Memorial Statue

Although Zuko's life changes when he helps Aang save the world, his first mission is to help his friend create a safe space for all people, benders and nonbenders alike, a dream that culminates in Republic City.

To show their respect, the Central City station has a statue dedicated to Zuko located in the middle of the square right outside the entryway. It shows him as a young man in traditional armor, holding a burning ball of flame above his head (a possible reference to the Statue of Liberty and her golden lamp.)

5 He Abdicates The Throne

Even in his desperation to solve his daddy issues, Zuko has always tried to be the good guy. Unlike Ozai, he exhibits no greed for power, no urges to crown himself with silly titles like "Phoenix King."

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In fact, after ruling for almost seven decades, he decides to give up the position and title, transferring them to his heir, Izumi. After this, he "retired" to his ancient vacation spot, Ember Island, occasionally going on important missions related to the protection of the new Avatar, Korra.

4 His Descendants

In the past, Zuko and Mai may have been lovers, but it is as yet unknown if there was anything more to their relationship. All that is clear is that he Zuko has a single child, his daughter, Izumi. Like her dad, there are no details about her spouse, only that she has two kids, Iroh (named after who else), and an unnamed daughter.

As the Fire Lord, it is likely that General Iroh will succeed to the throne when his time comes, although it would be great if Zuko's granddaughter was given at least some kind of backstory.

3 He Trains Under Piandao

Sokka is stunned to discover that Zuko had also trained under his sword-fighting master, Piandao (and having done so at a much younger age.) The young Fire Prince's martial skills are untouchable, as seen in so many of his battles, but especially when he takes on his secret identity, the Blue Spirit.

Piandao's coaching has clearly left a mark on Zuko, seeing as he is capable of fighting off multiple enemies with the help of nothing more than his dao blades, the iconic weapons more popularly known as dual broadswords.

2 His Hairstyle

Zuko's hairdo is quite odd from the outset, as there is practically nobody in the show who has a fully bald head with a ponytail jutting out of it. Apparently this is related to his primary shame (the loss of royal privileges), in the sense that shaving one's head is a metaphorical form of atonement for his so-called crimes.

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Zuko carries it around as a twisted reminder for everything that he's lost, only chopping it off after he and Uncle Iroh finally realize that they can never go back again.

1 He Was Believed To Be A Nonbender

Only the worst parent in the universe, Ozai, to be specific, would rant and whine about his children not showing any kind of bending capability. Forget the fact that there exist nonbenders with the power to take out the Avatar (and who have done so multiple times.)

Instead of cherishing his firstborn, Ozai proclaims him an insult to the family name, even threatening to have baby Zuko murdered. Fortunately, wiser heads prevailed, and the tension disappears as soon as Zuko produces his first flame.

NEXT: How Many Avatars Are There & 9 Other Things You Didn't Know About The Last Airbender