The Last Four Avatars
Full summary of the lives of the most recent four in the cycle.
Aang - Korra - Hao - Taiyang
In the year 12 BG Avatar Aang was born to the Air Nomads. His proficiency with airbending led him to earn his tattoos at the age of twelve. In the close months following Aang was revealed to be the next avatar at the critical age of twelve, four years ahead of the traditional informative date, due to his sudden life change and his adolescence immaturity Aang fled from the Southern Air Temple on his flying bison Appa. A raging storm caught him off guard in the ocean near the South Pole and he was pulled under the waves and entered the avatar state to preserve his life and Appa. For the next one hundred years the two of them remained frozen in an ice capsule until two teenagers from the Southern Water Tribe came across the young airbender. The two members of the Water Tribe were Sokka and Katara, brother and sister and children of the great chief of their people. The two of them joined Aang on his travels around the world to master all four elements. In the hundred years Aang was in the ice Fire Lord Sozin nearly eradicated the entire Air Nomads (all but the avatar) and brought war upon the other nations. Invasions were upon them all as firebenders became a symbol of hatred, destruction, and oppression. Under the regime of the Fire Nation their soldiers came close to capturing all of the waterbenders in the Southern Tribe, yet they once again fell short. Sieges were weighted on the Earth Kingdom and even though the Fire Nation lost the battle they had inflicted damage beyond compare and were on the path to global domination. During the teenage years of Avatar Aang he traveled the world and learned all four elements. He repaired relations with the Fire Nation with many thanks to their new leader, the once banished Prince Zuko. Together with the added help of their friends they all formed a new nation where benders and non-bender could coexist harmoniously and the capitol was named Republic City. Not counting the 100 years in the ice, Aang lived to be 67 years old.
In the year 153 AG Avatar Korra was born into the Southern Water Tribe. From the young age of four Korra displayed remarkable talent by bending water, earth, and fire despite having no formal instruction. The Order of the White Lotus confirmed that she was indeed the next avatar. After she had attained a high standard of bending the first three elements Korra moved to begin her airbending training in Republic City. This element was especially difficult for her as Korra was not the most spiritual avatar. While dealing with the Equalist anti bending revolution Korra unlocked her airbending. She made many friends while in the city and even joined a pro bending team. Though it was not all joyous times for her. Due to extenuating circumstances Korra became separated from her avatar spirit and lost all connection with her countless past lives. The portals to the Spirit World were opened by Korra when she renounced being the sole bridge between the two worlds. Several others were and still are upset with the avatar’s abandonment of the world and some even began to form groups dedicated to permanently end the avatar cycle. Yet, nothing happened while Korra was alive and she continued her spiritual quest (and her grandest accomplishment was bringing the Air Nomads back to their former strength and repairing the air temples) to restore balance and peace until she passed away naturally at the age of 80 years old.
In the year 233 AG Avatar Hao was born to the lower ring of the Ba Sing Se. Chaos is still fraught upon those residing there after the wild plots and assassinations in the avatar’s previous life. Many here were beginning to sway towards the state of mind that there should be no avatar at all and the Spirit World should be closed forever. They were upset with the imbalance in their lives and the uncomfortable nature of living alongside spirits is impossibly challenging for countless people. Due to this lack of control some parts of the world receded into the non-advanced technological state during the time of the last airbender, they yearned to return to their simpler times. Unbeknownst to himself Hao is the next avatar though he is only capable of bending earth initially. He and his friends formed a rebel group that stole from the rich of Ba Sing Se and helped provide for the refugees and impoverished. One day Hao unintentionally bended fire and suddenly everyone turned on him. He widely became known as the avatar and soon after assassins came after him. Utterly on his own Hao fled his home city and was relentlessly pursed by those who seek to eliminate the avatar. With no spiritual training he was alone in his connection to his past life and was unaware of who to go to for guidance in learning the elements. While living his life on the run Hao made his way to Republic City where he hoped he could find a teacher or someone, anyone, to help him in his newfound responsibilities. A common belief is that Hao died in the avatar state, thus ending the reincarnation cycle. This is not the truth- it is a falsehood spread around by anti-avatar communities. He never entered the avatar state, not once in his whole 19 years, not even when he was murdered outside Republic City.
In the year 252 AG Avatar Taiyang was born to the ancient civilization of the Sun Warriors. Completely unaware of her most recent life’s troubles Taiyang was living peacefully until her sixteenth name day when her tribe’s chief told her of the destiny placed at her feet. Due to the traditions of her people Taiyang must set out from her island (north of the Fire Nation) with only Yin, her dragon companion for company. Obeying the ancient laws she is forbidden from returning to her people’s city after her departure. Forgoing the culture of her upbringing Taiyang cut her long black hair to only a few inches signifying her time as a member of their civilization was over; additionally she had to wash away the symbolic red face paint. On her last day in the city Taiyang cut her hair and burned all of her clothes having been striped of her materialistic possessions. Following the order of the cycle Taiyang must learn fire, air, water, and earth bending. With her fire bending near mastery Taiyang begins her journey with eyes set on the Western Air Temple to begin her airbending training. Still unaware of the assassins who seek to kill the avatar in its entirety she must develop her bending and forge strong friendships if she has any hopes for survival.
*Hao and Taiyang are original characters.