leap for you

[teabreath]

Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
Iroh takes after his grandfather Sozin rather than his father. He's short and very heavily built. As he's aged he's gained some paunch, but underneath you can see how muscular he must have been before. He's chubby and round with a pot belly.

2. How old is he?
The internets say 64, but I would say that's a rather high estimate. If Zuko was 13 when his father burnt his face, it was a year before that when Lu Ten died so Zuko would have been 12. If Lu Ten was in his early twenties, say 20 for the math, when he died, and Iroh was in his mid-twenties when Lu Ten was born, we can say Iroh was 45 when Lu Ten died. This seems to make sense according to the brief image we have of him attacking Ba Sing Se, as old enough to have wrinkles but his hair is still brown. Main canon of ATLA happens when Zuko is 16, so four years after Lu Ten died, so Uncle would be 49. This might be a little low so I would rather estimate that they designed his character to be in his early 50s.

3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch?
Despite his advancing age and poor physical fitness, Iroh tends to carry himself with the same well-practised straight posture you'd expect from a martial artist. He isn't stiff, but you'll never catch him slouching. Which isn't to say he doesn't make himself comfortable wherever he's sitting or standing, but he could go into a fighting stance without any drastic changes in posture. He is one of those people who seems taller than they actually are by virtue of their physical presence.

4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
Although he's physically out of shape he's still very healthy for a man his age. The men of the Fire Lord's family tend to live a very long time. He is quite fat, though, and there's no getting away from the fact that it slows him down and gets in the way once in a while. He's getting old and he can't do as much as he used to.

5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
Iroh has learnt from all the four elements of bending, but his fundamental forms are all fire, which focuses on intensity and speed. Every movement has emphasis and purpose. It is slightly more fluid than most of his peers, though, and at the same time he always has a firm and rooted stance. Most of his movements are purposeful, but that isn't to say that sometimes he doesn't drop things or spit out his tea in surprise. He's not always graceful! But he will give most people a run for their money.

6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror?
Uncle is handsome, for an older wrinkled gentleman with a lot of facial hair. I mean, you wouldn't expect him to be considered handsome, but he isn't ugly and he knows how to carry himself. When he looks at himself in the mirror he only sees the years he's wearing, any actual efforts he puts into making himself physically presentable are merely habit. He knows how to make himself look good by Fire Nation standards, but he doesn't see himself as particular attractive and he's certainly not vain.

7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
He has the eastern asian complexion of the rest of the Fire Nation, more tanned than some of the upper class, but still lighter than some of the lower class. He's very heavily wrinkled on his face, but not scarred.

8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style.
His hair has long since gone grey and he is bald on the top of his head, but the rest is very thick and wiry. He wears it long down his back and while living in Ba Sing Se ties it in a thick braid. When he is with the fire nation, he wears it in the traditional topknot.

His facial hair goes through varying levels of grooming, but usually in the three-pointed style with one long goatee in front and two spikes to the side. Sometimes it is just a full beard, though.

9. What color are his eyes?
Bronze. Darker than Zuko and Azula's gold, but still on the yellow side of brown.

10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
He has surprisingly large hands.

11. What are his chief tension centers?
His back, judging by how much he loves back massages. Also his forehead because that's where all the anger happens.

12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does he have six of the same suit?
Despite the fact that he likes buying lots of useless things, Iroh spends remarkably little time on his appearance. He buys fine clothes when he can afford it, but even then leans towards the simple. He is one person who appreciates that wealth and taste is not expressed in extravagance, but rather subtlety.

In Season 1 when he is still nominally with the Fire Nation he wears a layered kimono-style outfit with a typical fitted breastplate on top all in shades of red and gold. In Season 2, when he and Zuko are more officially exiled as traitors and travelling the Earth Kingdom as refugees he starts wearing cheap single-layer clothes like any other peasant and then yukata-style robes. In Ba Sing Se when he gets his own tea shop and enters a higher social sphere he tends towards traditional Earth colours of shades of green and gold with simple patterns and embellishments in something like the traditional Chinese changshan style.

For the most part he'll wear the same thing every day, keeping them clean and tidy as possible.

13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them?
He always looks comfortable in his clothes and despite the fact that he is a rather large man his clothes are still cut to fit, if loosely. His robes don't bellow, but they flow.

14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences?
Iroh is always on the job! But really, when he is actually working he wears an apron over some nice clothes and a silly little hat. When he's at home he drops the apron, but wears much the same thing. Comfort as well as image are both important no matter where you are.

15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?
Nothing~ at~ all~

Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
His voice is a low baritone. His voice is somewhat hoarse but not unpleasantly so.

2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate?
Uncle talks fluidly, but thoughtfully and slowly. He usually keeps an even, easygoing tone of voice unless he's really seriously roused to anger and then he shouts.

3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
He has an accent you would typically associate with an old Japanese-American man who knows English very well but it's not his first language. His VA is Mako Iwamatsu who was Japanese-American. It is hard to identify since I don't have any real linguistics training, but a certain kind of over-enuciation.

4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency?
Since ATLA universe only operates on one language, I'm going to assume it's that one. The written language is Classical Chinese, which he would know quite well, but the Fire Nation is more based on Japan than China.

5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
Not as such.

6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words?
Uncle always has a good line or two up his sleeve. He always thinks very carefully about every word he says, but this is what makes him a great speaker. He always knows what to say.

7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
He is always eloquent, even in his silences. Even heartbroken or furious he manages to make his point precisely and eloquently. There are no wasted words.

Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart?
He's a very smart man, but although he has respect for academics he's not one himself. He prizes useful knowledge, but his idea of what might be useful tends to go outside the norm. He can do enough math to take care of his finances, he knows enough language to talk to people and write poetry, he knows war strategy and pai sho strategy, he knows how people work and why they do what they do, he knows a lot of botany and a lot about tea, he knows the geography of the world and lots of songs from all over.

2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate?
It seems as though Iroh might have been a bit like his nephew in his younger days, jumping in before thinking, but he still has that calculating aspect that makes him so much like the rest of his family. He's very, very fast to come with a winning strategy in any situation, which is often belayed by the fact that he's a fat old man.

3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
Iroh cuts to the point and goes for it. Like a real life chess grandmaster he sees all the openings and weaknesses all the possible moves that anyone could take and then picks the quickest point from A to B to Win. It is logical to begin with, but he is old enough that what used to be drilled and studied has been turned into instinct. Despite this fighting instinct to go for the jugular, he tempers that with a tendency to soften his blows as much as possible when he can. He believes in the goodness of people on the whole and so sometimes he is more generous than he should be. He heavily optimistic, taking joy in every moment and never fearing the future. This is both idealistic and eminantly practical. If he has enough food and a place to sleep, he's happy, but he also hopes that tomorrow will be better.

4. What kind of education has the character had?
As the Crown Prince, Iroh would have been favoured with all the best tutors as a child. He's also learnt from his father and the other Admirals and Generals who were around when he was younger. He would have learnt from practical military experience, but always from a safe distance. He's learnt from life. He's also been taught the true firebending by the two original masters, the two last dragons, Ran and Sha. It is also easy to imagine that the many members of the White Lotus Club traded information and techniques on a regular basis.

5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about?
Firebending is his first area of expertise. He is a master firebender and possibly even stronger than Ozai because of his knowledge learnt from the dragons. He is always looking to refine his techniques with knowlege gleaned from other bending styles.

Tea is his second area of expertise. It's impossible to know how he got started on tea in the first place, but he is a connoisseur and ends up becoming famous in Ba Sing Se for his tea.

Pai Sho and War are his third area of expertise. The two tie together, because Pai Sho is a strategy game, very much a cross between Go and Shogi. Players use tiles to capture other player's pieces and positions on the board. As a general, Iroh defeated the great wall of Ba Sing Se, although he lost his son in the bargain. As a player, he has become a grandmaster in a game that is not just a game.

6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert?
Iroh is extroverted all the way. He will talk to anyone and have them baring their soul within minutes.

7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?
Generally, Iroh is very easygoing and even-tempered. He doesn't change his mood for just anything. But, as you would expect from someone in the Fire Lord's family, when he does get angry he gets very angry very fast. He's not faking when he's cheerful, but underneath that is still a deep sadness.

8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
Iroh is friendly to everyone he meets, he's the kind of person who goes up to people in the street and helps them with their problems and they immediately trust him. He won't force himself on anyone, but he knows how to handle people without making them feel like they're being handled and exhibit genuine caring for people he doesn't even know. Which isn't to say he's not careful, when he needs to be, he's always conscious of his situation.

9. Is he more likely to act, or to react?
He does not hesitate when it is required for him to act, but when it comes to fighting at this point in his life he is always reacting. He doesn't want to strike the first blow and be mistaken.

10. Which is his default: fight or flight?
Whatever is most advantageous for the situation, but at this point in his life so long as it is just his life that is in danger he'll take flight. Why? Because he doesn't want to hurt the other guy too badly~

11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
Iroh has a great sense of humour and finds something to laugh about in many situations. He likes clever jokes and puns, lyrical humour, the sort of thing with a little puzzle attached. But that doesn't mean he doesn't like slapstick as well, so long as it's all in good fun. He makes himself a comic figure by exaggerating his senility and weakness.

12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them?
Considering his family, it's kind of strange to be able to say he's probably one of the most mentally healthy people you'll ever meet. Sure, he's gone through a lot, but he's dealt with it. He has a fully realized sense of self, about as close to zen as you're going to find in the Fire Nation.

13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person?
Going off to hunt the dragons and instead learning from them. Journeying to the Spirit World, although we can only speculate what happened there. Either he always had it, or it gave him the ability to see things from the Spirit World in the real world.

Becoming a General in the war against the Earth Kingdom meant leading the most successful ever siege against Ba Sing Se and breaking through the outer wall, and at the same time losing his beloved son, Lu Ten. This is the most pivotal moment in his life, and forced him to question his entire fundamental beliefs about his place in the world and the nature of the war he was fighting. This is what made him into the Iroh that would join the Avatar instead of becoming Fire Lord after his father died.

The day Zuko was challenged to an Agni Kai by Ozai. This meant leaving with Zuko into banishment. And then, finally giving up on the Fire Nation after Azula brands them traitors and beginning their life as refugees in the Earth Kingdom. This is a kind of freedom that Iroh relishes and thrives in. To be a poor, homeless, refugee living off of the kindness of others is like the perfect life for him. A penance for the wrong he's done and just a life much better suited to his personality.

His life is very tied up with that of Zuko's, and so Zuko's choice to Be Good makes all the difference in Iroh's world.

14. What does he fear?
He fears losing the only thing he really loves in this world: Zuko. Anything else can and has been taken from him before, and he is not afraid of death.

15. What are his hopes or aspirations?
He just wants Zuko to live a safe and happy life, true to himself. Owning his own tea-shop has always been a private dream of his.

16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him?
That he could actually kill someone as quick as looking at them? I imagine that would make people a little more uneasy around him...

Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents.
I think it would be easiest to say: he has none. His father obviously prizes him as a thing, but not as a person. He doesn't have a close relationship with either of his parents, they're just figureheads who sit at the front of the room.

2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?
Um, friendly rivalry? Hahaha ;;;; Iroh's younger brother is Ozai, aka Fire Lord Ozai, who backstabbed his older brother in his moment of weakness and had their father killed to take the throne. They're nothing alike, except in the parts of them that are very alike. Both have fierce tempers and the drive to take what they want, but where Iroh strives to keep the peace and balance, Ozai will just do anything to raise his own position. Iroh speaks wisdom, Ozai speaks sugared lies. Unlike Zuko, though, Iroh has never had any misconceptions about his brother's socipathic tendencies.

3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand?
Iroh is close with Zuko and that is about it for the Fire Nation's first family. Their relationship is one of father and son, as Iroh thinks of Zuko as his own after the death of Lu Ten. He's done his very best to bring Zuko up right, away from the influence of his crazy family, and guide him into seeing the truth about the world. He cares about Zuko more than anyone else, including himself.

Azula is on the opposite end of the spectrum, because Iroh can see she is even worse than her father. Even more clever, even more dangerous. He doesn't relish the idea of taking down his own young niece, but it's like putting down a rabid dog. There's no curing what ails her.

4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them?
To a certain extent, he also takes the GAang under his wing, although they don't have long enough to get to know each other to make them family. He met Toph and liked her quite a bit before he even found out she was with the Avatar, and he has immense respect for Aang and will do anything to help him win the war.

5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?
Iroh doesn't have a best friend :( He makes friends with everyone he meets, but I suppose you can say the only "old friends who don't want to attack me" are the members of the White Lotus secret society.

6. Does he have other close friends?
Nope! You'd think he'd be lonely, but he is quite solid within himself and doesn't need anyone else to rely on, so instead he acts as a pillar of support for other people.

7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people?
He can charm the ladies, help the men, and cheer up the children. He gets along with almost everyone.

8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends?
He would argue friends, because those are the people you chose to have around you and love because you want to love them. Family is important, it involves obligation and respect and love, but it's not the same. Especially not his family. The kind of family that the GAang makes up is perfect in his mind.

9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he been married more than once?
Iroh has presumably been married because nobody would let a Crown Prince have a true son out of wedlock, but we never even see his wife and she is never mentioned. So either she died or they were living amicably separated lives, because Iroh never mourns her and seems to have brought Lu Ten up by himself.

He's single now, but he's quite popular with the laydeez~

10. Is he currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?
Nope, although he wouldn't say no to a few women.

11. Who was his first crush? Who is his latest?
Who knows?

12. What does he look for in a romantic partner?
A sense of fun and adventure, an appreciation for tea and quiet mornings, fondness for music. Someone to laugh at his jokes and pour his tea and let him live the quiet, tea shop owner life he's always wanted. But, barring that, he'll flirt with any woman he can get something from or who looks like a good time.

13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any?
He has one real son, Lu Ten, who was in his mid-twenties (est.) when he died in the war against Ba Sing Se. Iroh and Lu Ten were very close, and Iroh was devastated by his loss. Lu Ten is someone that is always on his mind.

Zuko is his adopted son, and their relationship can be a bit rocky at times. Iroh does his best to counterpoint Zuko's inner rage and turmoil, but often that just makes Zuko more angry. It takes a while for Zuko to realize that his Uncle Iroh is not just the "old fuddy-duddy" that Azula and his father always said he was. Once he developed a bit more respect for his uncle, they got along much better. Iroh is his firebending teacher and mentor in the best sense of the word. They only rarely discuss how much they mean to each other, but they do love each other very much. Zuko comes to see him in the end as his father too.

14. Does he have any rivals or enemies?
His brother is his greatest rival and since Iroh considers Ozai the greatest enemy to balance in the world he is his greatest enemy as well. A battle between the two of them would go down in legend if there was anyone who saw it, both firebending masters of two very different schools of thought.

15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does he fall on the Kinsey scale?
I would give him a 1. He's only shown interest in women but this is a cartoon written for under-14s in the United States, there would never be homosexual undertones. Sex doesn't get mentioned, ever. But as far as canon takes us and in character headcanon goes, I would say the vast majority of his partners would be female, but he might try sex with a guy to just try it and find that it wasn't for him.

16. How does he feel about sex? How important is it to him?
He gets by fine without it, bearing in mind he's travelling with his poor naive nephew who has probably never seen a naked lady. I can imagine he might slip off for a night alone once in a while, though. Sex isn't critical to survival, but tea isn't critical to survival either, for most people. He likes nice things, things that make him happy, and sex falls into that category.

17. What are his turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?
People are going to hate me for getting into this with his character haha >>; He likes aggressive women who could top him in bed. He has a bit of a fetish for whips and chains, although he's not actually sadomasochistic. Turnoffs would be causing actual pain. He likes to do it luxuriously, lots of time spent in foreplay and not taking things too seriously.

Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he fit type?
I don't know his birthday at all, but if I were to guess assuming astrology is accurate I would put him into Leo in western zodiac, as a fire sign based on the Sun and involving qualities of both leadership and generosity, although it could also very easily apply to Zuko. Because the ATLA universe is so based on Chinese mythology and spirituality it would be too superficial for me to try to say something about him that way.

2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life?
Iroh takes spirituality very seriously. He is a martial artist to begin with, one who works with the flow of chi in the body and the world. For the modern world this would be considered spiritual, but for his world it is merely a useful and accurate metaphor for reality, like most physics.

The next layer up is his appreciation for the spiritual world as it exists in the Avatar universe. Spirits do exist, and can interact with the real world. He has a deep respect for the spirits and has more than normal sensitivity to them. He doesn't believe in spirits, he knows they exist. In addition, as a young man he had a vision about the future, conquering Ba Sing Se. Even before he was a wise old man he had this connection to the supernatural.

The next layer is his sense of self and place in the world. He is a bit of a hedonist and a bit of a utilitarian in the JS Mill sense. His spirituality is tied to a sense of self-satisfaction and self-understanding which then frees up all this troubled energy to spend on just appreciating the pleasures that life gives you and not mourning any lack. This philosophy of his is a realization he came to on his own and has nothing to do with any religion or spiritual teachings. His only axiom is that people should find their own happiness so long as it does not impinge upon someone else's happiness.

Iroh spends a lot of time in contemplation, about the world and about himself. His sense of spirituality is just a natural extension of this, in combination with a natural tendency for seeing beyond the surface of things.

3. Does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it?
Although the Fire Nation culture is very much one of honour and shame, it is a rather hollow morality. Iroh didn't come to realize what was really good or bad until he stepped out side of his social constructs and saw the world from his enemy's perspective. Now, he believes that you should always help anyone who needs or wants help, and second that if there needs to be judgement it should be well-thought out, fair and resolute. He believes that all the four elements and positive and negative energies need to remain balanced for the world to live peacefully and prosperously. He believes that the Avatar is meant to bring this balance. He never compromises his beliefs. This doesn't make him a saint, however, (or Katara). He'll lie, cheat, and steal on a small scale where it isn't likely to hurt anyone, or on a large scale when it's necessary as a means to an end. If he didn't believe that Aang defeating Ozai was the most optimal solution, he would have no qualms about killing his brother.

4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?
Iroh is tolerant, to a point. People are allowed ignorance and different beliefs so long as they don't infringe upon the well-being of others. He will never try to convince someone who doesn't want to be convinced unless it's someone he cares deeply about, like Zuko. He appreciates diversity and likes learning about other cultures.

5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them?
Although he used to carry all the usual prejudices of the Fire Nation having grown up with all that imperialistic brainwashing, he has come to realize that all of them are false. He's as open-minded as anyone can be expected to be.

Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?
He goes through some pretty big swings in finances over the course of three seasons, but right now he's flush with money, opening and running his new tea shop.

2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him?
He goes from a wealthy former General held in good esteem to a beggar to a successful shop-owner, to a prisoner in three seasons. These changes have not altered his personality one iota. His change from crown prince and heir to the throne to dishonoured has-been was a bit effecting, though. After all, he realized that everything he believed was a lie and his only son died.

3. Where does he live? House, apartment, trailer? Is his home his castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does he share it with others?
Iroh goes out of his way to make his living space presentable and clean, but he can live without extravagance. In the years after Zuko's banishment he lived on the single ship they comandeered while looking for the Avatar. When they became refugees in the Earth Kingdom they slept outdoors or borrowed some charitable person's house. Once they got to Ba Sing Se, Uncle found them jobs with an apartment and from there he was headhunted and offered a new apartment and his own tea shop. His new place is quite spacious but very sparsely furnished. It is here that they return when the war is over. For a while he lives in a cell in the Capital City, and then gathers up all the old men of the White Lotus. For most of his travels he lives only with Zuko and such servants and military men that are around, while the latter part of his journey is spent alone or with the old friends who don't want to attack him.

4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on?
Everything! Perfume, flowers, decorations, knick-knacks, clothes, antiques, artwork, musical instruments, whatever catches his eye and he can afford.

5. What does he do for a living? Is he good at it? Does he enjoy it, or would he rather be doing something else?
"For a living" he mentors Zuko in firebending and sometimes acts in his former position as a military general. What he would rather spend his life working at is making and serving tea. He is very good at it, the best in Ba Sing Se, and that is saying something. He puts a lot of time, skill, experience, and love into his craft. He would be happy to do that for the rest of his life.

6. What are his interests or hobbies? How does he spend his free time?
His main hobby is playing Pai Sho, whether seriously or just as a gambling game. He is also very good at this, although presumably the rest of the White Lotus could give him a run for his money. He also really enjoys music, singing or playing. He can play a few instruments although prefers the horn and although he's not a very... melodious singer, he makes up for it in enthusiasm.

7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?
Uncle loves food! Lots of it. Good food is just one of life's pleasures that he relishes. He does have a big belly for a reason. The better quality the food, the happier he is. He is never shown drinking alcohol, but this is a kids' show. If he does drink it, it's out of pleasure for the flavour, not to get drunk.

Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is his favorite:

1. Color? Gold
2. Smell? Jasmine tea
3. Time of day? Last afternoon
4. Season? Fall
5. Book? He doesn't spend much time reading, actually. I associate him with Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore. Irreverence and wisdom.
6. Music? Epic romantic ballads.
7. Place? His tea shop in Ba Sing Se
8. Substance? Fire
9. Plant? Jasmine!
10. Animal? I... couldn't tell you.

END
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