Who Were The Order Of The White Lotus In Avatar: The Last Airbender?

Avatar: The Last Airbender takes you into a world thrown off balance, one mired in the Hundred Year War begun by Fire Lord Sozin. While the newly awakened Avatar Aang travels about to learn all four elements for his showdown with Ozai, a covert organization has been secretly helping Aang without much of his knowledge throughout the show.

The Order of the White Lotus has existed for centuries, but its purpose was never more important than during the Fire Nation’s conquest. Although it wasn’t so secret anymore during Avatar Korra’s time, the Order has a storied history and an even more lofty purpose that aligns with the Avatar’s goals. So, if you’re keen to learn more about the Order of the White Lotus, this article is for you.

The Origins Of The White Lotus

Originally, the Order of the White Lotus started as an exclusive club of well-educated intellectuals who all shared the same vision of the future. They would play Pai Sho together and, through such an activity, swap information or share their perspectives on the world. At some point, the club was transformed into an actual organization that worked in the shadows, officially named the Order of the White Lotus after a Pai Sho tile.

The White Lotus’ main goal was to preserve and share the histories, cultures, and knowledge of the world. As a result, the show describes them as existing beyond the interests of any one nation, committed to discovering and passing on the truth. The organization is headed by a Grand Master (also known as the Grand Lotus), with a select circle of high-ranking members, along with agents scattered all over the world.

Initially, the White Lotus’ goals didn’t involve the Avatar. But after Avatar Kuruk’s death, and even more so during Aang’s lifetime and after, their mission included keeping an eye out for the birth of the next Avatar and mentoring them to fulfill their destiny to preserve or restore balance to the world.

The History Of The White Lotus

Avatar Yangchen

Although it is unknown when exactly the White Lotus came to be, they were already in operation by the time Yangchen was discovered to be the Avatar. Since the White Lotus’ peaceful ideals were aligned with the Air Nomads’ principles, some Air Nomads were members of the Order.

As a result, they were able to identify Yangchen as the next Avatar. Unlike other Avatars we know of, Yangchen had a stronger link to her past lives, to the point where she’d end up confusing events of the past with the present. Yangchen was able to sift through the memories of a past Avatar who was heavily involved with the White Lotus and demonstrated to the Order codes only a high-ranking member would know.

The White Lotus followed Yangchen when she dealt with the Unanimity project, an attempt to use the first combustionbenders to break free of the established governments and rule the world. A member of the White Lotus, Ayunerak, assists Yangchen with her investigation, though they part ways after the Unanimity project is dealt with.

Avatar Kyoshi

Due to Avatar Kyoshi being both homeless and an orphan in her childhood, the White Lotus had a difficult time finding and identifying her as the Avatar. As a result, Kyoshi’s close friend Yun was deemed the Avatar, and the mistake was not made known until Kyoshi was discovered when she was 16.

The White Lotus continued to operate in secrecy at this time, with a member of the organization named Jinpa becoming Kyoshi’s secretary without ever revealing who he was. Jinpa’s advice was geared towards helping her fulfill her Avatar duties and ensuring they were in line with the White Lotus’ interests.

Avatar Aang

During the Hundred Year War, the White Lotus was headed by Iroh, with numerous other prominent figures like King Bumi as members. Throughout the story, they secretly pass on information about the war without ever being found out. They were also assisting Aang and his friends in their own ways, but when the time came to liberate Ba Sing Se the White Lotus went against their usual mode of secrecy and revealed their existence to the world.

The Order began to work and serve the Avatar openly, though this would sow the seeds for dissent within the organization. The White Lotus became a force of great influence on the ruling powers of the Four Nations, and they began to go down a direction that a certain member, named Xai Bau, disagreed with.

Ultimately, Xai Bau left the organization and founded the Order of the Red Lotus, which we see more prominently in the Legend of Korra.

Avatar Korra

Now operating in the open, the White Lotus is seen in the very first scene of Legend of Korra actively looking for the next Avatar after Aang’s death. They take in Aang’s successor, Korra, and begin training her in all four elements and keeping her safe from external threats until she is a fully realized Avatar.

The White Lotus not only has a base at the South Pole but some of its members are stationed on Air Temple Island, a small isle that belongs to the Air Nation. During Korra’s rift with Amon and his Equalists, the island was attacked and the White Lotus members residing there took a stand to defend the island. Although they were overwhelmed and momentarily captured, Korra helped restore the members’ bending after Amon’s defeat.

However, it is revealed that the White Lotus has been keeping watch over their rival organization, the Red Lotus, where its members — led by Zaheer — were jailed in the White Lotus prisons. Zaheer escaped his cell and freed his fellow Red Lotus members, but they were defeated and returned to prison.

Known White Lotus Members

Iroh

The Grand Lotus of the organization, Iroh joined the White Lotus not long after the death of his son, Lu Ten. He realized the Fire Nation was in the wrong, and after some soul-searching, his perspective changed to align with the White Lotus’ and the Avatar’s cause. He accompanies his nephew Zuko and attempts to influence him to take the righteous path.

Along the way, we see subtle hints of Iroh’s status as the Grand Lotus, especially in ‘The Desert’ episode in Book Two. Although the White Lotus is a secret organization, Iroh and the rest of the high-ranking members have no choice but to reveal their existence when they reconquer Ba Sing Se from the Fire Nation.

Bumi

The King of Omashu and Aang’s childhood friend, Bumi, does not reveal his association with the White Lotus until he meets Aang’s friends again before the final battle. Based on first impressions, Bumi may seem beyond eccentric, but there is a method to his madness.

Bumi advised Aang to continue searching for an earthbending master to teach him the element, which led Aang to find Toph. A master earthbender, Bumi singlehandedly retook Omashu from the Fire Nation in a single day. He then joined his fellow White Lotus members outside of Ba Sing Se.

Pakku

Pakku is a master waterbender who lives in the Northern Water Tribe. Although he was hesitant to teach Katara due to her gender, Katara was persistent, and her determination to excel was enough to win him over. His tutelage helped Katara improve her waterbending immensely, to the point where she could continue training Aang in waterbending once Team Avatar left the North Pole.

It is later revealed that Pakku was betrothed to Katara’s grandmother, Kanna, but his misogyny and strict adherence to old customs alienated her. Thanks to Katara, Pakku has a change of heart and eventually reunites and marries Kanna.

Piandao

A citizen of the Fire Nation and an accomplished swordsman, Piandao was also an expert bladesmith. He used to be a soldier in the Fire Army but deserted due to his growing discontent with the Fire Nation’s actions. Thanks to his skills with the blade, he could fend off the Fire Army’s attempt to punish him for desertion, defeating 100 men in a legendary battle.

Eventually, he encounters Team Avatar when Sokka comes knocking, asking Piandao for instruction in the art of sword-fighting. Like his fellow White Lotus members, he doesn’t reveal his association with them, but he leaves clues around his mansion and even gives Sokka a Pai Sho tile of a White Lotus when he departs.

Jeong Jeong

Like Piandao, Jeong Jeong was once part of the Fire Army and was considered one of the greatest firebenders in the country. He rose high in the Fire Army and became an admiral, but his traumatic experiences during the war turned him against the Fire Lord’s cause, and he deserted.

Interestingly, Jeong Jeong was the firebending teacher to Admiral Zhao, the man who launched an invasion of the Northern Water Tribe in Book One. Although he viewed firebending as a force of destruction, he was persuaded to teach Aang firebending by Avatar Roku. We didn’t see him much after he disappeared when Zhao and his men came along, and he reappeared in the finale for the reconquering of Ba Sing Se.