She has Zuko imprisoned, whereupon he meets Katara for the first time outside of his attempts to capture Aang, and the two discover they share a lot in common. Zuko remembers his childhood, including Azula's psychopathic behavior and his own perseverance. Together with Katara, Sokka, Momo, and Appa, he journeys across the Earth Kingdom in search of an Earthbending mentor. Elsewhere, Iroh reveals a mysterious association with some form of secret society when he uses a White Lotus tile as an opening in a match of Pai Sho, his favorite game. Aang recalls the events that led to Chin the Great's death; a conqueror, he was confronted by Avatar Kyoshi and died from a fall when he refused to back away from a chasm Kyoshi formed to protect a people he had been trying to subjugate. Xin Fu kidnaps Aang and Toph thinking he was cheated. They are reunited and attacked by a swamp monster who turns out to be a wise man from a tribe of swamp waterbenders who use the moisture inside the swamp's plants to manipulate the plants and hide their identities.
Meanwhile, still convinced that Iroh and Zuko may be from the Fire Nation, Jet decides to take matters into his own hands and do whatever it takes to get the refugees to reveal their true nature. However, in the process, they are seen and recognized by the same mercenaries who are searching for Toph, and the bounty hunters plan to capture Iroh and Zuko, who are valuable prisoner in both the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation. At an oasis, the group encounters a professor who tells them about a hidden Spirit Library in the desert. Inside, Sokka discovers a crucial weakness to the Fire Nation that could end the war: the date of the upcoming solar eclipse which will temporarily prevent the bender of the Fire Nation from firebending for its duration. Elsewhere, Jet repeatedly tries and fails to gather evidence that Zuko and Iroh are firebenders, and his allies in the Freedom Fighters begin to believe he is losing his steel. Launching into an offensive, Iroh delays Azula, Zuko, and the Dai Li long enough to allow Katara to escape along with the gravely injured Aang, and then surrenders, being taken prisoner as a traitor to the Fire Nation.
The title refers to the : water, earth, fire, and air, and the story of learning under the tutelage of is a primary focus during this season. Will Toph escape, and will Aang finally master the Avatar State? Toph reveals her power by defeating Fu's gang, but her parents become even more restrictive. The lack of sleep makes everyone irritable, and causes a quarrel between Katara and Toph. Can Aang learn earthbending or did the world get an avatar who cannot master the four elements? The library is guarded by the knowledge spirit, Wan Shi Tong, who doesn't welcome humans into his library, because he believes they only seek information for evil purposes. Along the way, he confronts Princess Azula, treacherous daughter of Firelord Ozai and sister to Prince Zuko. As they do so, the gang meet Jet again, although he does not behave as they would expect. Sokka gets himself in a jam while befriending what was, moments before, his next meal, and Iroh and Zuko begin training utilizing new philosophies and methods that originate from the other elements.
They find Smellerbee and Longshot and realize Jet was brainwashed by the Dai Li. As Zuko defends the family against abusive Earth Kingdom soldiers, he reveals his identity as the Fire Prince at the battle's end, and the boy, his family, and the townspeople reject him because of it. However, several new characters appear: Jessie Flower voices , voices , voices Mai, voices Ty Lee, and voices Long Feng. Meanwhile, wishes to recruit Zuko for his Freedom Fighters, but then learns that Zuko and Iroh are firebenders after deducing that Iroh used firebending to warm up a lukewarm cup of tea. Upon hearing that Appa was muzzled, Aang becomes so angry and upset that he enters the Avatar State, almost wiping out the sandbenders, but is eventually calmed by Katara. Aang attempts to trade him for King Bumi, but Princess , calls off the trade; she is now backed up by her friends Mai and Ty Lee, recently re-recruited because each is a skilled fighter.
Their journey leads to , the capital of the , where they uncover great internal government corruption. Meanwhile, Zuko and Iroh, assuming identities as Earth Kingdom refugees, are also on their way to start a new life in the Earth Kingdom capital, and encounter Jet and some of the Freedom Fighters, with whom Zuko starts to bond. Toph's parents, believing Aang has kidnapped her, promise Xin Fu and Master Yu a chest of gold if they bring her back. Note: This episode won a Humane Society award for its portrayal of the mistreatment of animals. Zuko finds companionship in an unlikely source.
Toph blames Appa for the chase and the group realize that she is correct: they are being tracked because Appa is shedding. Finally he recalls his mother's last words and the announcement that his grandfather died and his mother has suddenly disappeared. The kids soon realize that the Dai Li are doing their best to thwart the kids efforts to find Appa. Meanwhile, Uncle Iroh is offered his own tea shop in the upper ring, and Zuko discovers the Avatar is in the city. The villagers blame Avatar Kyoshi, one of Aang's previous incarnations in the avatar cycle of reincarnation, for killing their leader, Chin the Great. His friends, joined by momentarily by and his uncle, arrive to take Azula down together, but she injures and utilizes the ensuing chaos to escape.
Toph is captured by Xin Fu and Master Yu, who attempt to transport her back to her parents; they lock her in an iron enclosure to negate her powerful earthbending, but the experience leads Toph to an epiphany when she realizes that there are tiny bits of earthen material within the metal, which she can use to manipulate it; Toph tears open the enclosure, creating a new form of earthbending in the process: metal bending. Long Feng is tricked into a deal with Azula where he will exchange Aang for assistance in regaining control of the Dai Li and consolidating their power over the Earth Kingdom throne, which will then act as a proxy government for the Fire Kingdom. During their search, the kid's meet up with Jet, whom they are understandably reluctant to trust. From the swamps of the South to the Earth King's palace, Avatar: Book 2 is an adventure like no other. But after a series of events they have to take a deadly route called the serpent's pass with the help of an old friend, Suki.
Meanwhile Iroh gets a lethal rash so Zuko and Iroh head to a small Earth Kingdom town for help, hoping their real identities will not be discovered. Archived from on May 27, 2011. Looking to clear the Avatar's good name, Katara and Sokka venture back to a familiar place to gather evidence and discover the truth. Meanwhile, due to their actions at the North Pole, and are declared enemies of the Fire Nation and desert their country, becoming fugitives in the Earth Kingdom. And who are the strange benders who are trying to kidnap Appa? In the meantime, and are visited by Zuko's sister, , who has come bearing a message from the Fire Lord, requesting their return home. Will Aang manage to convince Toph, or will he be left without an earthbending teacher? They meet a resistance movement, and help the city's entire population escape by faking an epidemic. Like , the creative forces behind the show have tapped into that basic, generation spanning storytelling that will live long after the series' youngest fans are old and bitter.
Note: Iroh's tale was dedicated to his voice actor , who had just died 7 days after Chapters 10 and 11 initially aired. Meanwhile, Appa is kidnapped by sandbenders when Toph, much closer to being truly blind than normal, is unable to stop them. His last attempt, challenging Zuko to a sword fight, ends in his own arrest and being brainwashed by the Dai Li into believing there is no war in the city. They confront it, but Azula emerges and attacks and they are forced to run again. The boxset was released on July 20, 2009.
The season's executive producers and co-creators are Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, who worked alongside episode director and co-producer Aaron Ehasz. Almost at the point of true enlightenment, Aang sees a vision of impending danger for Katara and retreats from disattachment, instantly deciding to return to her and protect her at all costs, even though Guru Pathik warns that this may leave Aang's final chakra inaccessible, compromising his ability to safely and reliably access the Avatar State at all. In the United Kingdom, only the season boxset was released without being released in four volumes first. The move functions as some sort of message to his opponent, who then helps protect Iroh and Zuko from a Fire Nation search. Meanwhile, Zuko succumbs to an illness which Iroh believes is a manifestation of the deep internal conflict within his nephew, as he attempts to grapple with the gulf between his inner self and his image of what he thinks is required of him as a prince of the Fire Nation. However, with encouragement from his uncle, Zuko decides to free the sky-bison and give up the Blue Spirit alter-ego forever. Archived from on 15 September 2008.