Roku tells Aang about Sozin's Comet.
"You wish to speak to Avatar Roku. I can take you to him."
— Shyu
Aang and company have to travel to the Fire Temple to receive the message from Avatar Roku on the Winter Solstice. They are chased by Zuko and attacked by a Fire Nation blockade led by Zhao on the way there. When Aang gets to the temple, he is shocked to learn that the five Fire Sages there are no longer the Avatar's allies. However, a friendly sage helps Aang get to the sanctuary where he can talk to Roku. Avatar Roku informs Aang about "Sozin's Comet," which will return in just under a year and give the Fire Nation the power to finish the war. When Aang leaves the sanctuary, he is attacked by Zhao and the Sages. Aang defeats them when he manifests the spirit of Roku, who destroys the temple.
Tropes in this episode include:
- Batman Gambit: Shyu gives a speech to Zuko about how it's still the Fire Sages' duty to serve the Avatar, and right on cue, Zhao appears to arrest all of them. Shyu laments the Sages' disgraceful abandonment of their sacred charge, so he said all this to set himself and his fellow sages up as a way of punishing them for it.
- Collapsing Lair: To drive off the Fire Navy Forces and give the Gaang time to escape, and also partly because of his fury at the Fire Sages for betraying their oaths to the Avatar in favor of the Fire Lord, Roku collapses the Fire Temple.
- Comet of Doom: Roku summoned Aang to the Fire Temple so that he could warn Aang about Sozin's Comet. This quickly came under questioning from older fans, as comets are made of ice, dirt, and gas — that is, every element except fire — before it was clarified that the comet has supernatural properties (as comets in our world were once rumored to have) that simply strengthen Firebenders, as opposed to the Fire Nation bending the comet itself, like a missile. Comets aren't that punctual either, and normally stay in the sky for weeks. Hence, this is an earth-grazing fireball
that the characters call a comet. - Convection, Schmonvection: The notorious first example in the show of characters just strolling through magma-filled secret passageways without breaking a sweat. Two characters are firebenders (or at least one is a potential firebender). The others have no excuse.
- Cool Old Guy:
- Roku is very nice to Aang, and helps him and his friends to escape from the temple.
- Shyu is this as well, considering that he's the only one of the Fire Sages to assist the Gaang.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Roku vs Zhao and troops. Considering this was a fully realized Avatar they were up against, this was to be expected.
- Death Glare: When Roku is fighting Zhao and his men, he glances over at the Fire Sages. They take one look at him and run away in terror, knowing he is furious at them for their betrayal to their oaths.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: The whole "Aang can only talk with Roku on the Winter Solstice" dilemma comes across as very strange given Aang can just meditate his way into the Spirit World as early as "The Siege of the North, Part 1."
- Funny Background Event: When Zuko questions the townsfolk at the start of the episode, Iroh can be seen in the background still wearing nothing but a loincloth.
- Idea Bulb: Sokka gets an idea and the camera pulls back to reveal a lamp above his head. Accompanied by an Idea Ding.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: After Roku burns off Zuko's chains, Zuko doesn't even bother trying to fight him, just immediately bolts.
- Lava Adds Awesome: The Fire Temple is placed on a lava island. Justified since we are heading to the home of the Fire Sages.
- Mid-Season Twist: The series jumps from "Let's find teachers for Aang so he can learn the four elements and then he can do something about the war" to "Aang must learn all four elements and stop Ozai within a year or the Fire Nation wins."
- Morton's Fork: Zuko did NOT expect the Avatar to enter his homeland, which poses a problem since he's not allowed to return without the Avatar in his hands; if Zuko doesn't pursue Aang into the Fire Nation, the Fire Lord's forces will just capture him before Zuko does, denying him any chance to return home. If Zuko continues his pursuit, he will be caught and brought before his own father. It turns out that Zhao let Zuko pass so he can lead him to the Avatar— he wanted to see what reason the Avatar had for coming to the Fire Nation before capturing them both.
- Mr. Exposition: Shyu provides background information for the audience.
- Naval Blockade: The Gaang has to get to a temple inside the Fire Nation, the border of which is blockaded by the Fire Navy.
- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Shyu is the only sage truly loyal to the Avatar, and actively helps Aang to get in touch with Roku. When the group escapes, he is arrested by Zhao for treason and handed over to Ozai (while Shyu's fellow sages suffer as well for failing to stop Aang). Even worse, we never see him again. Fortunately, he reappears in the comics series. He was released from prison after Zuko was crowned as Fire Lord, and became the new Grand Sage of the Fire Sages.
- Oh, Crap!:
- Aang is obviously less than thrilled when Roku tells him that he has less than a year to master the elements and defeat the Fire Lord.
- Zhao and the sages' reaction when Roku appears. Considering how pissed off he is, it was the most logical reaction.
- Old Master: Roku defeats Zhao and his soldiers and destroys the temple on his own. It's the first time we see what an Avatar can do with firebending.
- Ominous Latin Chanting: Chinese chanting, rather, shortly before the sanctuary doors open to reveal Avatar Roku. The words are part of an actual Buddhist mantra and translate to "Hail the Amida Buddha who resides in the West."
- Pose of Supplication: The loyal sage Shyu kneels before Aang and friends to show that he is not going to attack them.
- Rain of Arrows: There's a rain of bombs from the Naval Blockade going down on our heroes.
- Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: With the exception of Shyu, the Fire Sages abandoned their duty to the Avatar in order to serve the Fire Lord. At the end of the episode, Zhao has all of the Fire Sages arrested in frustration over not capturing his quarry. In addition, Roku, while possessing Aang, has also destroyed the very temple that the Fire Sages had tried to capture Aang in, leaving them with no work.
- Riding into the Sunset: The Gaang rides into a Gigantic Moon at the end.
- Running the Blockade: Aang pulls Appa into a steep dive to build speed and then rushes past the Fire Navy, dodging fireballs the whole way. Zuko, following Aang wherever he goes, is about to perform a more traditional run, but Zhao decides to let him through and follow after.
- Sarcastic Clapping: Zhao when finding our heroes. With good reason, because as far as he's concerned, all his enemies are in one place and in his grasp.
- Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Shyu spends the episode helping Aang and his friends get into the Sanctuary while evading the rest of the Fire Sages. Originally, the Sages were meant to serve the Avatar, but since Aang was gone for a century, the current Sages are under Ozai's orders to capture the Avatar at any cost. Naturally, Shyu is the only one who wants to help Aang stop Ozai, even if it means betraying his nation.
- Sore Loser: Zhao has no problem firing at Aang and his friends even when Zuko's ship could get caught in the crossfire, dismissing Zuko as a "traitor". It is confirmed in DVD commentary that Zhao was just still bitter that Zuko beat him in an Agni Kai and used the opportunity as an excuse to potentially get him killed.
- Token Enemy Minority: Shyu and Roku are the first Fire Nation characters we meet who are against the war and supportive and friendly to Aang. Rather than being angry and aggressive, they embody the positive qualities of fire, being warm and comforting.
- Tranquil Fury: Roku is not exactly happy about the sages betraying his reincarnation. He doesn't shout or make any expressions beyond a glare. Just... tears the island apart with some lava bending.
- Traveling at the Speed of Plot: Zuko and his ship can keep up with Appa's flying speed so both arrive at the Naval Blockade at the same time.
- Two-Keyed Lock: Five simultaneous fire blasts are needed to open the sanctuary doors. A fully realized Avatar can produce all five on his own; otherwise the doors can only be opened by five cooperating firebenders.
- The Unfettered: Even with his ship bombarded, on fire, and in need of repairs, Zuko refuses to stop chasing Aang.
- Voice of the Legion: This is the first time we hear Aang's Avatar Voice, if only for two words. Still packs quite the dramatic punch.
- Wham Episode: Roku warns Aang of a comet that can give Fire Lord Ozai the power to win the war in the Fire Nation's favor, as it's the very same one that Fire Lord Sozin used to start the war nearly a century ago. Aang is now tasked with mastering the four elements and defeating Ozai before the comet arrives at the end of this summer.
- Wham Shot: The doors to the chamber containing Roku's chamber open, with only Aang's glowing eyes visible. Zhao and troops blast him, and he bends the fireballs into a ring around him, revealing himself to have taken the form of Avatar Roku. Needless to say, they realize instantly how screwed they are.
