Mai Avatar: Mai is an antagonist in Avatar: The Last Airbender. She later becomes a supporting character in the popular TV series by Nickelodeon . Mai is the daughter of a rich Fire Nation politician who is the former governor of New Ozai. Her mother is Michi.
Mai is friends with Ty Lee, Zuko, and Azula. She does not like boredom, so she decides to become a part of Princess Azula’s team.
Azula is one of the primary foes of Team Avatar. Mai is one of the most prominent members of the Fire Nation. She went to Royal Fire Academy for Girls, where she befriended Princess Azula and Ty Lee. They were all young when they met for the first time and stayed together through the teenage.
Mai does evil stuff that makes her stand out in her team. She performs bad things during the entire series. Mai only falls behind Ozai in being the worst in the team. Although Azula is on the bad side, Mai later switched to the good side.
Biography
Mai is 17 years old in Avatar. Her age is referenced in ‘The Beach’ episode. She discusses her childhood with Ty Lee near the fire. The latter speaks about her that she was 15 years when her brother Tom Tom was born. Tom Tom is now 2 years old. So, that makes Mai 17 years old. Mai is 5’9″ tall and has smoky gold eyes. Her hair color is black.
Mai is in a romantic relationship with Zuko, the Fire Lord. Although the two are not the central characters, they become a couple at the end of the television series.
Mai Avatar – Skills
Mai is an incredibly talented and skillful person. She has a complete grip on throwing stilettos that she learned by herself. She keeps them under her robe along with stiletto holsters. Mai even has the ability to use various benders simultaneously. That is remarkable because she is not a bender. Ty Lee and Mai became a part of Team Azula to capture the princess’ brother, uncle, the Avatar, and friends.
In terms of appearance, Mai is an emotionless and droopy young girl. Her personality resulted from her father’s care and attention as he failed to provide those due to his political career. She used to receive whatever she wanted from her father and mother. However, she had to be speechless, smooth, and well-behaved to get that.
That shaped her personality, and we saw the reflection of all of that throughout the series. She would show those through her actions and behavior as she would display little to no signs of emotions. The only time she showed her feelings was when she was with Zuko due to her romantic relationship with him.
Due to this connection with Zuko, she saved him from Princess Azula at the Boiling Rock. She faced Azula and told her that Zuko was vital to her than her possible enmity with Azula. So, that makes Azula imprison her, along with Ty Lee. The latter stops Azula’s attack using her Chi.
Mai was set free later when Zuko came out victorious against Azula to become the new Fire Lord. They kiss each other to show their love towards each other. That is a far cry because Mai breaks up with Zuko only one year after this event. She did that as Zuko loved his secrets more than Mai.
Mai Avatar – History
Mai came into the world in the Fire Nation. She was the older daughter of her parents and was the only child for fifteen years. Her parents bestowed her with everything as long as she was well-mannered. Mai’s parents were not so loving as they required her to stay silent and behave in a particular way. That is what shaped her personality in the later years.
She did not like being in the Fire Nation. So, she would play with knives and throw them at walls in her leisure time with nothing much else to do. That helped her sharpen her fighting capabilities and taught her how to deal with weapons. Once she grew older, she attended the Royal Fire Academy for Girls. There, she met with Princess Azula and Ty Lee and befriended them.
When Mai was ten years old, she was resting under a tree looking at Azula and Ty Lee, who did cartwheels. She seemed immovable as her friends had fun together. That was the time she first saw Zuko, who later became her love interest. Zuko was walking with his mother as Mai had a look at him, so she flushed and turned away as she couldn’t look at him anymore.
As all of this unfolded, Azula noticed Mai and Zuko’s mutual interest in each other. She tells that to both of them later to humiliate them. Azula asks Mai to balance an apple on her head and alights it. She asks Zuko to hit it off as a challenge. As he proceeds to do so, they both fall into a fountain. That was the source of happiness for Ty Lee and Azula.
Mai Avatar – Becoming a part of Azula’s team
Mai lived with her parents and brother named Tom Tom in Omashu that Princess Azula later captured. Her father was a politician in the Fire Nation who had a great aspiration for her career. Mai complained to her mother about living in Omashu. She found it incredibly dull to stay there. Similarly, she found it equally uninteresting when she returned to the Fire Nation.
Mai proceeds to attack at the Omashu resistance’s collapse when they try to kill her and her family by pressing them under a big rock. She had an idea that it was due to Aang and his friends. So, she follows them as the resistance helps them get out of the place and become safe.
Failed Prisoner Swap and The Fight
After this event, Azula and Ty Lee come to the city to persuade Mai to join them as they proceed to go on a mission. That is an opportunity for Mai to leave Omashu, and she goes along with Azula and Ty Lee. However, they do not tell Mai about the details of the mission. Before setting off, Azula gives Mai a task to oversee the prisoner swap.
It is between King Bumi and Tom Tom, who is her infant brother. He became a prisoner of the resistance. When he strolled out of the city as the people flee in the wake of the attack. As Mai was about to consummate the trade, Azula interferes. She points out that swapping a might earthbender king with an infant is not the best option.
That makes Mai think about the deal and calls it off after brief thought. As a result, a fight starts between team Azula and the Avatars. She begins to lose initially during the onslaught as Katara’s waterbending skills are too strong for her. However, Ty Lee saves her by guarding the powerful chi. Then, Mai proceeds to beat Katara, but Sokka comes in the way by hitting her weapon away with his boomerang.
Once the fight is over, Mai, Ty Lee, and Azula proceed to exit the city. Mai tells them that they planned to hunt Zuko and Iroh. However, she was excited at the thought of Zuko as she would come face-to-face with him one more time. At that time, Azula points out that they were also looking for Aang.
Confrontation With Team Avatar
Mai went along with Ty Lee and Azula and proceeded to follow Aang and his team. She was successful to corner him while dividing his companionship with Sokka and Katara. On the other hand, she asks Ty Lee and Azula to hunt Sokka and Katara.
They come out victorious against the duo with little effort. It was possible, thanks to the fact that the siblings could not have a proper sleep. Appa used the air blast skill to dump them in the river.
Later, as a Fire Nation drill was going to Ba Sing Se, Mai shows her lack of activity while handling a shuriken in her hands. During the activity, a bunch of might earthbenders tries to halt the drill. So, Azula asks Mai and Ty Lee to fight them off. Mai acknowledges doing so as she was anticipating it anyways.
Mai and Ty Lee find Katara and Sokka as they were in the process of disrupting the drill. However, Mai decides not to hunt them down into the slurry pipeline. She said that she would not go inside even knowing that Azula might unleash a huge amount of lightning as a result.
That is because Azula might not appreciate it and will get angry for not fulfilling her orders. It showed that Mai didn’t pay heed to the princess’ instructions and didn’t care about her disapproval.
Aang then makes the drill collapse by destroying the slurry pipeline. Doing that affects everything that is in the surrounding areas. As a result, Mai comes out of a flap and tells Azula and Ty Lee that they had lost. Both of them were soaked in the sledge at that time.
Mai Avatar – The Takeover Of Ba Sing Se
Mai, Ty Lee, and Azula then attack Suki and the companions saying that she didn’t feel well looking at the latter’s colorful makeup and uniforms. They emerge victorious in the confrontation against the Kyoshi warriors and wear the uniforms of the fallen ones to enter Ba Sing Se.
Azula instructs Mai and Ty Lee on purpose as they speak up about their Fire Nation origins openly. They take Dai Li, who was tracking them, into the fold to let that know to Long Feng.
Next, they moved to the Earth King’s throne room. Katara then comes in running with the information about Iroh and Zuko as Mai, Azula, and Ty Lee were there.
Azula spoke about her intention to let the Earth King know about them. However, Katara found out about their origin, thanks to Azula’s Amber eye color. Ty Lee de-capacitates Katara by her chi skill as she was about to escape. The three then move ahead to get hold of the waterbender.
As the situation in Ba Sing Se unfolds, Mai and Ty Lee sat in the throne room. Azula asks them to protect the Earth King’s pet bear named Bosco. However, they didn’t try to stop Toph, Sokka, and Earth King Kuei from capturing the bear.
The entire event took place as she was least interested in stopping Sokka, Toph, and Kuei from taking the pet along with them. She told them that they could go away with the bear.
Renewed Love Between Mai And Zuko
Azula sets up a dinner date between Mai and Zuko, knowing that they both like each other since childhood. She intends to convince the prince to get back home. Instead, Mai and Zuko roam around in Ba Sing Se, against Azula’s plan. They come into contact with Jin that remembers Lee and asks him about the friend he was with.
Zuko quickly realizes that. So, he tells that Mai was a companion from the circus who was skillful in throwing knives. To prove it, Mai becomes a part of the display and shows her skills to them. She then asks Zuko to come in front of a fountain as a fish from a seafood stand is put on his head.
They had earlier moved to pass the stand. Mai then throws an icicle with pin-point accuracy to slice the fish to the amusement of those nearby.
Mai asks Jin to do the same. However, Zuko hardly avoids getting speared by the ice. During the entire process, he falls into the fountain and soaks into the water. Mai then inclines to Zuko and shyly tells him that they had settled scores.
Zuko then follows Mai down an alley. He tells her that what she did could have killed him. However, Mai takes it lightly and laughs at it. Zuko suggests to her that she looked happy. He told her that he would have loved to see her joy in the earlier years.
Mai claimed that things were much more different than before when she used to play with him. She said that, however, not all of it changed. So, she proceeded to kiss him. They later reach the ship to go to the Fire Nation the next day.
Mai Avatar – On Their Way To The Fire Nation
Mai and Zuko take the ship to proceed to the Fire Nation. They appear having a romantic time together. The latter tells her that the situation would be different than it is now. He also expresses his concern about whether the citizens would accept him with open arms.
She becomes amused by his comments and brushed off his concern by kissing him as they move on.
Princess Azula had a look at Zuko sulking. She said that he behaved the same way as Mai. However, she further exclaimed that Mai was happier than before. Later, Mai and Zuko spend their time together near the Oceanside cliff and see a beautiful orange sunset.
Mai told him that she did not like the color. But he took her comments lightly and mentioned that he liked her beauty when she expressed her despise for the world.
Mai stated that she appreciated him and got the same reply from him and they kiss. Azula then interrupts the private moment and asked to talk to Zuko separately. At first, both of them do not heed to what Azula says, but she tells Mai to assist Ty Lee.
The latter is in the process of untangling her bride and needs a hand. Mai did what she was asked to and had a brief look at Azula as she passed away.
Escape at Ember Island
Mai and Zuko saw issues in their relationship when they went for a vacation to Ember Island. Zuko started becoming more unpredictable as he would get angry quickly and gauche when together. He did not like the fact that she showed little to no emotions as he showed shiny shells or gave her ice cream. Zuko unintentionally dribbed the ice cream on her thigh.
He was not impressed that Ruon-Jian showed his likeness to her. He pushed Ruon-Jian through the room. That resulted in destroying a vase, so Mai chastised him for not being calm and angry. He commented that she was uninterested in the stuff he was doing and she did not matter much to him.
Mai was offended by that and she told him that they were not in a relationship anymore. She then saw Zuko leave the place quickly.
Note: You can read our review on Dragon’s Dogma 2 .