Avatar: The Last

Airbender – The
Search

Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Search is a graphic novel, written by Gene Yang and illustrated
by Studio Gurihiru that was released in three parts throughout 2013.[1] It is a continuation of
Avatar: The Last Airbender and a prequel to The Legend of Korra, both of which are animated TV
series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. It takes place after the events
of the graphic novel Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Promise.[2] It is followed by a sequel, Avatar:
The Last Airbender – The Rift.

Overview
The Search focuses on the mystery surrounding Zuko and Azula's long-lost mother, Ursa. It
reveals the details of former Princess Azula's imprisonment in a Fire Nation mental institution
and the complexities of Fire Lord Ozai and Ursa's relationship.
The main characters are the members of the
Fire Nation family, particularly Zuko and Azula.
Avatar Aang, Sokka, and Katara help the Fire
Avatar: The Last
Nation siblings to find their long lost mother.
Airbender
Gene Yang noted that the series would focus
more on the supernatural side of the Avatar – The Search
world.[3]

Plot

Part One
Two mysterious figures are talking to each
other with one wanting to know everything the
other one knows.

In the past, Ursa accepts a marriage proposal

from her boyfriend Ikem, then a member of an Avatar: The Last
acting troupe in the Fire Nation town of Hira'a.
Shortly after receiving the proposal, however, Airbender – The
she is forcibly engaged to Ozai, then a Fire
Prince. Ikem attempts to stop Ursa leaving, Search, Part 1 cover
but she lies about willingly accepting Ozai's
proposal in order to prevent Ozai from killing Date March
him. During the wedding, Ozai forbids Ursa
from contacting her old family or her past 20, 2013
acquaintances.
(Part 1)
In the present, Zuko has Azula brought to
July 10,
Ozai's cell in the hope of encouraging them to
talk to one another. Azula, now completely 2013
insane, believes that Ursa has been actively
working to bring her down, and is responsible
for all the events that led to her defeat. Acting
(Part 2)
on information from Ozai, Azula escapes October
custody and lets Zuko chase her to one of
Ozai's secret chambers in the royal palace, 30, 2013
where she burns a number of letters that Ursa
(Part 3)[1]
had written. Azula offers to tell Zuko what was
written in the letters, on the condition that he
lets her accompany him on his search for
Publisher Dark
Ursa. Zuko reluctantly complies, and Horse
convinces Aang, Katara and Sokka to travel
with him, in order to keep Azula in line. The Comics
group travel to Hira'a.
Creative team
Near the end of the journey, Azula attempts to
flee the group, but experiences a hallucination
of her mother. She tells the hallucination that Writers Gene
thanks to Ozai, she has evidence that she can
use to overthrow Zuko and become Fire Lord
Yang
in his place, and intends to kill Ursa to prevent
her interference. After she is restrained by
Artists Studio
Katara, the group is attacked by a giant wolf Gurihiru
spirit. With the spirit overwhelming them,
Azula convinces Zuko to free her, and lures it Pencillers Chifuyu
away with her lightning generation. That night,
Zuko discovers that Azula's evidence is a Sasaki
letter from Ursa to Ikem, which claims that he
is in fact Ikem's son. In the past, it is shown Inkers Chifuyu
that Ozai had intercepted the letter after Ursa
attempted to send it to Ikem. Sasaki
Letterers Michael
Heisler
 Colourists Naoko
Part Two
Kawano
In the past, Ozai hires a Yuyan Archer named
Vachir to kill Ikem. Returning to Ozai several
Creators Michael
months later after failing to complete his Dante
mission, Vachir tells him that Ikem fled into a
nearby forest known for its violent plant and
DiMartino
animal life, and is likely dead as a result. Bryan
Confronting Ursa over both her
communication with Ikem and her infidelity, Konietzko
Ozai states that he will allow Zuko to live
despite his heritage, but claims to have had Editors Dave
Ikem killed, much to Ursa's horror.
Marshall
In the present day, Azula discovers the
disappearance of the letter and attacks Zuko,
Original publication
believing that Ursa told him to steal the letter
from her. The two siblings fight until Azula
realizes that, despite having the letter in his
Published in Avatar:
possession, Zuko hasn't taken the opportunity
The Las
to destroy it. Zuko allows his sister to keep the
letter. Entering Hira'a to ask for information on Airbend
Ursa, Zuko and the others meet Noren and his
wife Noriko, two members of the acting ISBN 978161655054
troupe that Ikem and Ursa were once part of.
The couple say that following Ursa's 978161655190
engagement to Ozai, Ikem headed into
978161655184
Forgetful Valley, a forest in a canyon that
heartbroken people supposedly travel to in Three)
order to forget their pasts and that when Ursa
returned to Hira'a few years later, she travelled
978161655226
into Forgetful Valley as well. Noren and Noriko edition)
claim that no one who has entered the valley
has returned. Aang advises Zuko to forget
978150672172
about Ikem and destroy Ursa's letter, not
wanting Zuko to lose his position as Fire Lord Chronology
because of the new era he represents, but
Zuko decides to travel to Forgetful Valley
Preceded by The
regardless.
Promis
In a second flashback, Ursa learnt from Azula
that Ozai's father, Fire Lord Azulon, had (comic
ordered his son to kill Zuko as punishment for
Ozai asking to be made heir to the throne, Followed by The Rift
following the death of Iroh's son in the siege
of Ba Sing Se. Discovering Ozai compliant (comic)
with Azulon's demand, Ursa offered to provide
him with an untraceable poison which he
could use to kill Azulon and become Fire Lord in his place. Ozai agreed, on the condition that
Ursa would leave the city and never return, no longer trusting her not to poison him. As a second
condition, Ozai forced Ursa to leave Azula and Zuko behind in order to use them as collateral
against her.

Travelling to Forgetful Valley in the present, the group encounter Misu and Rafa, siblings from
the Northern Water Tribe. Misu explains that they are trying to find a spirit with the power to give
people new faces, in order to heal an undisclosed disfigurement of Rafa's. Learning that the
spirit appears at one of four pools of water selected by the wolf spirit that had attacked the
group earlier, Aang manages to find her, discovering that she is known as The Mother of Faces.
Azula attacks Misu and Rafa, believing that Ursa has sent them to slow her down.

Part Three
In the past, Ursa returns to Hira'a and meets Noren, who reveals himself to be Ikem. Ikem
explains that he had disappeared into Forgetful Valley after becoming unable to live with the
sorrowful treatment he received from all the townspeople as a result of Ursa's disappearance.
While there, he encountered the Mother of Faces, who gave him the face of Noren, allowing him
to return to Hira'a and live there in the anonymity that he desired. He offers to take Ursa to
receive a new face.

In the present, Azula battles with the rest of the group before Aang rejoins them, having
convinced the Mother of Faces to travel to the pool at which the group is assembled, rather than
the one selected by the wolf. The spirit agrees to grant one request from the group before
disappearing for the rest of the season. Zuko intends to let Misu ask the Mother of Faces to help
Rafa, but before he can do so, Azula demands that the spirit reveal where Ursa is. The Mother of
Faces says that Ursa had visited her years ago to receive a new face, which she reveals to be
that of Noriko. Realizing that Noriko is really Ursa, Azula leaves to kill her, with Zuko and Sokka
following her.

Having granted her customary one request, the Mother of Faces prepares to depart, despite
Misu and Aang's efforts to have her grant a second favor. Angered at their perceived ingratitude,
the Mother of Faces summons the animal spirits of Forgetful Valley in an attempt to force them
to leave. In the chaos, Rafa's mask is knocked off, revealing that Rafa's face was not disfigured
but instead taken by Koh the Face Stealer, whom the Mother of Faces reveals to be her son.
Repentant, the spirit restores Rafa's face and agrees to help Aang repair the relationship
between Ursa and her children.

Having used a shortcut pointed out by Misu, Zuko and Sokka arrive at Noren and Noriko's before
Azula. Zuko goes inside to see the couple, where he divulges his true identity and Ursa's. Noren
acknowledges this, revealing himself to be Ikem, but Ursa does not remember Zuko. Ikem
explains that the Mother of Faces had learned of Ursa's memories of her life with Ozai, including
those concerning Zuko and Azula, and offered to remove them after seeing the pain they caused
Ursa. With no way of liberating her children and being unwilling to live without knowing what was
happening to them, Ursa agreed to the offer. Azula and Sokka then crash through the roof as
they battle, and Azula then focuses her attention on Ursa, and in her psychosis accuses her
mother of trying to overpower her since she was born. Noriko/Ursa apologizes, saying she must
not have loved Azula enough, bringing the former princess to the edge of tears. Zuko then
intervenes and fights off Azula. He states that he has accepted his destiny as Fire Lord, and that
although he and Azula may never have a good relationship, she is still his sister. Unable to
handle the fact that someone does love her, Azula flees towards Forgetful Valley, despite Zuko's
pleas that he wants to help her, leaving the incriminating letter behind.

Aang arrives with Katara shortly after, with the Mother of Faces following close behind. When
the Mother of Faces asks Ursa if she wants her memories back, Ursa agrees, and the spirit
restores them as well as her original face. Though Katara also fears Azula will return, both Aang
and Zuko believe that her act in leaving the letter with Zuko is the beginning of a change for the
better in Azula, though Sokka vehemently disagrees. Zuko then meets with his mother, who
apologizes to Zuko as well, believing that no loving mother would willingly forget her children.
She also tells him that the letter was a lie: Zuko is indeed Ozai's son. Ursa wrote the letter to see
if her husband was intercepting her letters to Ikem and to hurt him in response for his cruel
behavior. She also explains Ozai's abuse of Zuko; upon hearing Ursa's wish that Zuko wasn't his
son, Ozai told her that he would treat him as such, vindictively claiming to be simply fulfilling a
mother's wish. The figures are revealed to be Zuko and Ursa and he asks her how it all began, to
which she agrees, ending the story.

Development
DiMartino and Konietzko initially pitched The Search to Nickelodeon as a 90-minute animated
movie. The channel declined, choosing to expand the Avatar: The Last Airbender sequel series
The Legend of Korra to a full 26-episode season instead.[4] This allowed the development of The
Search as a graphic novel.

References

1. "Dark Horse Schedules "Avatar: The Last

Airbender—The Search," CLAMP and More"
(https://web.archive.org/web/2020122617
4656/https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-
news/2012/10/12-1/dark-horse-schedules-
 avatar-the-last-airbenderthe-search-clamp-a
nd-more) . Crunchyroll. 13 October 2012.
Archived from the original (http://www.crun
chyroll.com/anime-news/2012/10/12-1/dar
k-horse-schedules-avatar-the-last-airbender
the-search-clamp-and-more) on 26
December 2020. Retrieved 18 October
2012.

2. "Avatar: The Last Airbender--The Search

Part 3 TPB :: Profile :: Dark Horse Comics"
(http://www.darkhorse.com/Books/21-710/
Avatar-The-Last-Airbender-The-Search-part-
3-TPB) . Retrieved 4 April 2016.

3. "EXCLUSIVE: Yang Continues "Avatar: The

Last Airbender" in "The Search" " (http://ww
w.comicbookresources.com/?page=article
 &id=39354) . Comic Book Resources.
Retrieved 4 April 2016.

4. " 'Avatar: The Search' was pitched as a

movie by Mike DiMartino, but Nick opted for
'Korra' Book 2" (http://www.hypable.com/20
13/03/25/the-search-was-going-to-be-mad
e-into-an-animated-movie-but-nickelodeon-
went-with-book-2-of-the-legend-of-korra-inst
ead/) . Hypable. 25 March 2013. Retrieved
26 March 2013.

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