"The way of the sword doesn't belong to any one nation. Knowledge of the arts belongs to us all."

— Piandao to Sokka.[1]

Piandao was a Fire Nation bladesmith, swordmaster, and calligrapher. A former member of the Fire Nation Army, he was also a high-ranking member of the Order of the White Lotus and participated in the liberation of Ba Sing Se. Piandao was considered the greatest swordmaster and maker in Fire Nation history and taught both Zuko and Sokka in the art of swordsmanship.[2][3]

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History

Early life

Piandao was born to two firebenders, both of whom were considered prodigies in their art. Ashamed that their only son was not a bender, his parents left him on the doorsteps of an orphanage. Growing up, Piandao was a nervous and agitated child, but he showed interest in the arts and enjoyed painting and calligraphy, which helped him relax and focus his mind.

At the age of ten, Piandao attended a Fire Nation boys' camp where his natural talent with the sword was recognized. He furthered his studies in the army, where he developed a vicious and fearsome sword fighting style. Piandao fought many battles for the Fire Nation and won them all. However, after several years of fighting, Piandao lost his taste for war and sought to become a more enlightened person. He felt increasingly conflicted about the Fire Nation's role in the Hundred Year War, and so he deserted the army and traveled the world for many years, studying under a variety of benders, warriors, and artisans.[2]

After some time, he returned to the Fire Nation and settled in the town of Shu Jing. The Fire Nation Army came to arrest him for deserting the military. In a legendary battle, Piandao defeated all one hundred soldiers. The Fire Nation Army never bothered him again.[2] From far and wide people came seeking his tutelage in the art of sword fighting, though Piandao became known for turning potential students down as he had met several students claiming to be the best in their village and thus deserving of his instruction.[1] However, at some point, he agreed to train the young Prince Zuko to wield dual broadswords.[4]

Meeting Team Avatar

After Sokka concluded that he did not openly contribute to the group, he sought out Piandao and traveled to the swordmaster's castle. During the interview, Sokka humbly admitted his own unworthiness to the master, much to Piandao's surprise. Having grown accustomed to potential students bragging about their own worth, Piandao found Sokka's humility not only refreshing but exactly what he was looking for. He decided to properly train Sokka. He was set about to do tasks such as landscape painting, rock gardening, and calligraphy, as well as practicing against one of the master's underlings. Piandao believed him to be worthy enough to choose a steel to make his sword. Sokka made a sword out of a meteorite.

When Piandao gave Sokka the sword, Sokka initially refused the blade and confessed the truth about actually being from the Southern Water Tribe. The master attacked him, and they engaged in a duel. As the duel between Sokka and his master transitioned outside, Sokka used the techniques he had learned to get the upper hand, something the master pointed out several times.

However, the swordmaster finally gained the upper hand but sheathed his sword before delivering the final blow. He subsequently revealed that he had known Sokka was from the Water Tribe all along just from his name, and also noted that Aang was the Avatar. Nonetheless, he claimed that the art of the sword did not belong to any one nation, and gave Sokka his sword back. When the group left, they were given a bag with a Pai Sho piece, the white lotus tile.[1]

Liberation of Ba Sing Se

Several months later, when the group went to find Iroh, they ran into Piandao. They found him near the destroyed Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se, along with Master Pakku, Jeong Jeong, and King Bumi. It turned out that they were all members of the Order of the White Lotus, and were summoned there by a Grand Lotus, Iroh. The masters took the group to their camp, and Piandao showed Iroh's tent to Zuko. Piandao took part in the fight to reclaim Ba Sing Se in the name of the Earth Kingdom, along with the rest of the Order.[5]

Abilities

Swordsmanship

Piandao was a master swordsman who incorporated techniques of benders, warriors, and artisans into his swordsmanship; though retired from conflict, he was still considered the greatest swordsman in Fire Nation history.[2][3] His prowess was best renowned from having never lost a single battle and defeating a hundred Fire Nation soldiers so decisively that he was left in peace afterward. He was incredibly swift and agile; when testing Sokka, he was fast enough to move in front of Sokka before the latter realized it. He had an acute sense of hearing and, while temporarily blinded, was able to ascertain Sokka's position by hearing him step on a twig, subsequently disarming the young swordsman. Piandao is very aware of his surroundings, able to remember the layout and his current location to better handle the situation at hand. He is able to catch a thrown sheath perfectly on his sword even when blinded. In the battle of Ba Sing Se, he disabled several soldiers with the aid of Pakku. He was one of the most powerful and skilled nonbenders in the world.[4]

Other skills

In additional to his undeniable prowess in wielding a sword, Piandao was equally renowned for his skill in forging and repairing them with high quality and great artistic design. Many of his works became regarded as prized possessions of high price value. His skill could effectively use any form of material to create his swords, even a meteorite. Piandao was also a masterful artist, primarily in calligraphy, which further refined his precision and dexterity for swordsmanship.

Known apprentices

Appearances

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Book Three: Fire (火)

Avatar comics

Book Three: Fire (火)

Graphic novels

The Promise trilogy (vision, no lines)

Trivia