Avatar: The Last Airbender (2003–2008): Season 1, Episode 16 - The Deserter - full transcript

When he meets an outcast from the Fire Nation, Aang is impatient to skip ahead in his training.

KATARA: Water...

Earth...

Fire...

Air.

Long ago, the four nations
lived together in harmony.

Then everything changed
when the Fire Nation attacked.

Only the Avatar,
master of all four elements,

could stop them.

But when the world needed him most,

he vanished.

100 years passed, and my brother
and I discovered the new Avatar,



an airbender named Aang.

And although his
airbending skills are great,

he has a lot to learn
before he's ready to save anyone.

AANG: Oof.

But I believe Aang can save the world.

[COOING]

This should give us a good idea
of what's around here.

See if you can find a menu.

I'm starving.

I bet we'll find something
to eat here...

The Fire Days Festival.

Fire Nation cultural exhibits,

jugglers, benders, magicians...

This would be a great place for me
to study some real firebenders.



You might want to rethink that.

Look at this.

AANG: Hey, a poster of me!

A wanted poster.

This is bad.

I think we better keep moving.

I have to learn firebending
at some point,

and this could be my only chance
to watch some masters up close.

I guess we could go check it out.

What?

You want to walk into
a Fire Nation town

when they're all fired up
with all their, you know, fire?

We'll wear disguises.

And if it looks like trouble,
we'll leave.

Yeah.

Because we always leave
before we get into trouble.

[GROWLING]

You guys stay out of sight here
while we go to the festival.

[COOING]

Ready disguises.

It's like you're a whole
different person.

Let's go!

Ha ha ha ha!

KATARA: I think we need
some new disguises.

Where are we gonna get
masks like that?

Get your genuine
Fire-Festival masks here!

That was surprisingly easy.

Hey, there's some food.

Finally!

What do you have?

Flaming fire flakes.

Best in town.

I'll take 'em.

Mmm! Mmm!

[SCREAMING]

Oh, hot, hot!

Flaming fire flakes, hot.

What do you know?

Hey, look at this!

Don't worry, loyal citizens,

no one can surprise the Fire Lord!

-Oh, no!
-Look out!

[CHEERING]

KATARA: Aang, hold on.

Where are we going?

I don't know...

But there's a big crowd,
so it must be good.

SOKKA: Knowing the Fire Nation,

it's probably an execution.

[APPLAUSE]

I gotta learn that trick.

Thank you!

For my next trick,

I need a volunteer from the audience.

Ooh, ooh! Me! me!

What do you think you're doing?

I want to get a closer look.

It's better that we don't attract
any attention to ourselves.

How about you, little lady?

Uh...

Aw, she's shy.

Let's give her some
encouragement, folks.

[CHEERING]

Aw, that could have been me.

This next trick is called
Taming the Dragon!

You will be my captured princess.

Don't worry, young maiden!

I will tame this fiery beast!

It's too strong!

I can't hold it!

We gotta help her!

No, we don't want to make a scene.

The rope... It's breaking!

[SCREAMS]

Hey, you trying to upstage me, kid?

[BOOING]

MAN: Hey! That kid's the Avatar!

I think it's time to go.

MAN: Follow me!

I can get you out of here!

GUARD: There they are!

Over there!

I'm calling Appa.

SOKKA: I hope he can really hear
that bison whistle!

MAN: This way!

OK, not this way.

[MEN COUGHING]

Huh?

[GROWLS]

AANG: Appa, down here!

[GROWLS]

[CHEERING]

Beautiful!

[LAUGHTER]

Nice touch setting off the fireworks.

You seem to really know
your explosives.

I'm familiar.

You're a Fire Nation soldier.

Was.

My name's Chey.

CHEY: I serve a man...

More than a man, really,

he's a myth...

But he's real, a living legend...

Jeong Jeong the Deserter.

He was a Fire Nation general.

Or wait... Was he an admiral?

He was very highly ranked. We get it.

Yeah! Way up there!

But he couldn't take
the madness anymore.

He's the first person ever
to leave the army and live.

I'm the second, but you don't
get to be a legend for that.

It's OK, though.

Jeong Jeong's a firebending genius.

Some say he's mad,

but he's not.

He's enlightened.

You mean there's a firebender out here

who's not with the Fire Lord?

We've gotta go see him!

He can train me!

We're not gonna go find
some crazy firebender.

CHEY: He's not crazy!

He's a genius!

And he's the perfect person
to train the Avatar.

That's why I followed you
into the festival.

Look, thanks for the help,

but we're leaving for the North Pole
in the morning.

Sokka, this could be my only chance
to meet a firebending master

who would actually be willing
to teach me.

It can't hurt just to talk to him.

That's what you said about
going to the festival!

Why doesn't anyone ever listen to me?

[GASPS]

Aagh!

[GASPS]

Don't move.

[LOWING]

Jeong Jeong told you
not to look for Avatar.

Hold on. You know these guys?

Oh, yeah.

Lin Ye's an old buddy.

Right, Lin Ye?

Shut up. Keep moving.

[COOING]

LIN YE: Go on. He sees you only.

Oh, that's OK.

We can chat later.

Is that where Jeong Jeong is?

I need to talk to him right away.

No. You wait there.

Go, now!

Don't worry. Everything will be fine.

He's a great man.

A great man!

ZHAO: So, the Avatar was here

and you let him slip away?

Yes, sir.

But other than that,
the festival went off without a hitch.

[GRUNTS]

No fights. Theft was way down.

I don't care
about your local crime rates!

Which way did they go?

They headed into the forest.

Up the river, I suspect.

Ready the riverboats.

We're going after the Avatar.

What happened?
Can I see Jeong Jeong now?

He won't see you.

He's very angry
that I brought you here.

He wants you to leave immediately.

Finally! Let's hit the road.

Why won't he see me?

He says you're not ready.

Says you haven't mastered
waterbending and earthbending yet.

Wait, how does he know that?

He saw the way you walked into camp.

He can tell.

I'm going in anyway.

[INHALES]

Get out!

Master, I need to learn firebending.

Only a fool seeks his own destruction.

I am the Avatar.

-It's my destiny to...
-Destiny?

What would a boy know of destiny?

If a fish lives its whole life
in this river,

does he know the river's destiny?

No!

Only that it runs on and on
out of his control.

He may follow where it flows,

but he cannot see the end.

He cannot imagine the ocean.

OK...

But it's the Avatar's duty

to master all of
the bending disciplines.

To master the bending disciplines,

you must first master
discipline itself.

But you have no interest in this,

so I have no interest in you.

Now, get out.

Please, I have to learn.

This could be my only chance.

Are you deaf?

How can I teach you
if you refuse to listen?

Before learning firebending,

you must learn water and earth.

Water is cool and soothing.

Earth is steady and stable.

But fire...

Fire is alive.

It breathes, it grows.

Without the bender,
a rock will not throw itself.

But fire will spread

and destroy everything in its path

if one does not have
the will to control it!

That is its destiny.

You are not ready!

You are too weak!

You think I am weak?

Avatar Roku!

No, no!

I did not mean that.

I have mastered the elements

a thousand times
in a thousand lifetimes.

Now, I must do it once again.

You will teach the Avatar firebending.

Yes, yes.

I will teach you.

AANG: Really?

That's great!

[GROANS]

Widen your stance.

Wider!

Bend your knees.

Now, concentrate.

Good. Good!

Wait. What do I do now?

Silence! Talking is not concentrating.

Look at your friend. Is she talking?

Even that oaf knows to concentrate
on what he's doing.

SOKKA: Hey!

But what am I concentrating on?

Feel the heat of the sun.

It is the greatest source of fire,

yet it is in complete balance
with nature.

So, when do I get to make some fire?

Concentrate!

[SIGHS]

[LAUGHTER]

Are we coming up here
so I don't burn anything

with my fire blasts?

No fire yet.

What?

Power in firebending
comes from the breath.

That is why you must master
proper breath control.

You brought me up here to breathe?

Assume your stance.

Wider.

-You're not even look...
-Wider!

Now, inhale through the nose
and exhale through the mouth...

Without talking.

[INHALES]

[EXHALES]

Good. Keep going.

[INHALES]

[EXHALES]

[INHALES]

[EXHALES]

JEONG JEONG: What are you doing here?

I did not tell you to stop!

I've been breathing for hours.

You want to stop breathing?

I want you to stop wasting my time.

I already know
how to squat and breathe

and feel the sun.

I want to know how to shoot fire
out of my fingertips.

[SIGHS]

I had a pupil once

who had no interest
in learning discipline.

He was only concerned
with the power of fire...

How he could use it
to destroy his opponents

and wipe out the obstacles
in his path,

but fire is a horrible burden to bear.

Its nature is to consume,

and without control,
it destroys everything around it.

[GRUNTS]

JEONG JEONG: Learn restraint,

or risk destroying yourself
and everything you love.

I thought about what you said.

I promise I'll be more patient.

We're going to work with fire now.

Oh, yeah!

I mean...

Let us begin.

Concentrate on the fire.

I want you to keep this flame
from reaching the edges of the leaf

for as long as you can.

[GROANS]

GUARD: Master, there is trouble!

What's going on?!

Concentrate on your leaf.

This is the worst
firebending instruction ever.

All he does
is leave me alone for hours

to concentrate or breathe.

I'm sure there's a good reason.

But I'm ready to do so much more.

[EXHALES]

[INHALES]

[EXHALES]

I did it. I made fire!

Aang, that's great.

But you should take it slow.

-Whoa!
-Careful!

Aagh!

Now, that's firebending.

Aang, you'll hurt yourself.

I wonder how that juggler did it.

[SCREAMS]

Katara!

I'm so sorry!

[WEEPING]

Katara, what's wrong?

What did you do?

It was an accident!

I was... Uh! Katara, I'm so...

[GRUNTS]

I told you we shouldn't
mess around with this!

Look what you did!

You burned my sister!

[SOBBING]

You burned my sister!

This is all your fault!

I know! Now, pack your things.

You must leave immediately.

I'm sorry.

I didn't...

I'm sorry!

[WEEPING]

[GRUNTING]

JEONG JEONG:
You have healing abilities.

The great benders of the Water Tribes
sometimes have this ability.

I've always wished
I were blessed like you...

Free from this burning curse.

But you're a great master.

You have powers I'll never know.

Water brings healing and life.

But fire brings only destruction
and pain.

It forces those of us
burdened with its care

to walk a razor's edge
between humanity and savagery.

Eventually we're torn apart.

Go get your friends and flee!

Do not come back here
or you will all be destroyed!

Hurry!

Don't worry, men.

My old teacher gave up fighting
a long time ago...

Haven't you, Master Jeong Jeong?

Katara, are you all right?

I'm fine.

We've gotta get out of here.

Where's Aang?

Jeong Jeong tried to tell me
that I wasn't ready.

I wouldn't listen.

I'm never gonna firebend again.

KATARA: You'll have to eventually.

No, never again.

It's OK, Aang. I'm healed.

What? How?

I'll explain later.

But, right now,
we have to get out of here.

Zhao and his soldiers are attacking.

Where?

By the river.

They captured Jeong Jeong.

I have to help him!

ZHAO: Look at you.

You were once so great.

I can't believe my former master

has become nothing more
than a simple savage.

It is you who have embraced
savagery, Zhao.

It's Admiral Zhao now.

That title will not help you
against the Avatar.

Do not try to fight him.

You are no match.

I think I can handle a child.

I have never seen such raw power.

[GROWLS]

AANG: Jeong Jeong!

We'll see.

Men, take The Deserter.

ZHAO: It's a trick!

He's run off into the woods.

Find him!

Let's find out what my old master
has taught you.

You were Jeong Jeong's student?

Until I got bored.

[GRUNTING]

[GASPS]

I see he taught you
how to duck and run like a coward,

but I doubt he showed you
what a firebender is truly capable of!

[GROWLS]

Whoa! Wild shot!

I'll show you wild! [GRUNTS]

No self-control.

ZHAO: Stand and fight, Avatar!

Oh, were we fighting?

I thought you were
just getting warmed up.

I was.

Is that all you got?

Man, they'll make anyone
an admiral these days.

[GROWLING]

Ahoy!

I'm Admiral Zhao.

[GROWLS]

I don't know why, but I thought
you'd be better than Zuko.

Aagh!

Sloppy.

-Very sloppy.
-[GRUNTS]

Nowhere to run now,

you little smart mouth.

You've lost this battle.

Are you crazy?

You haven't thrown a single blow.

No, but you have.

Jeong Jeong said you had no restraint.

[SCREAMS]

Have a nice walk home!

SOKKA: Aang, come on!

Let's go!

Wait! Where's Jeong Jeong?

He disappeared.

They all did.

Hey, where'd everybody go?

Very funny, guys!

[LOWING]

Aang, you're burned.

Let me help you.

[INHALES]

[EXHALES]

Wow! That's good water.

When did you learn how to do that?

I guess I always knew.

Oh. Well, then,

thanks for all the first aid
over the years...

Like, when I fell into
the greaseberry bramble,

and that time I had two fishhooks
in my thumb!

Two?

He tried to get the first fishhook out
with another fishhook.

SOKKA: Oh, and the time
that mink snake bit me.

Thanks for healing that up.

That's great. Really helpful.

[MEN CHANTING RHYTHMICALLY]