One of the biggest questions at the end of Avatar: The Last Airbender centered around the whereabouts of Zuko’s mom, Ursa. Although not a main character in the general Avatar franchise, Zuko’s mom or her absence inadvertently shaped Zuko’s character. With the Nickelodeon animated series kick-starting the franchise, Prince Zuko was initially believed to have lost his mother as a child.
Although the animated and live-action series and films haven’t talked much about Zuko’s mom, her backstory is available in the comics. The three-part 2013 sequel comic Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Search centers around Fire Lord Zuko’s search for his presumably deceased mother. Here’s everything to know about Zuko’s mom and the mystery surrounding her disappearance.
Ursa’s Life Before Becoming A Fire Princess
Ursa was born around 64 AG (after the Air Nomad Genocide) in the small Fire Nation town of Hira’a. She spent all of her growing years in Hira’a. Ursa was Jinzuk and Rina’s daughter. Ursa’s maternal grandparents were Avatar Roku and Ta Min. Besides being the granddaughter of the great Avatar Roku, Ursa lived a very normal life in Hira’a. Like any normal child, Ursa grew up with Ikem, who became a close childhood friend. As they grew older, they began developing romantic feelings for one another.
Ursa has an interest in acting. At age 21, she answered a casting call for a local production of Love amongst the Dragons by auditioning to be cast as the Dragon Empress. Ikem, too, had been cast in the play, with both of their characters sharing a kiss scene. While they rehearsed the scene, Ikem proposed to Ursa. Although initially confused, Ursa gladly accepted, sharing a kiss to signal the start of their love life. At the end of the rehearsals, Ursa returned home at night, excited to share the news with her mother.
Ursa met her mother crying, informing Ursa to meet her father and his visitors in the greenhouse. Fire Lord Azulon and his son, Prince Ozai, had come seeking Ursa’s hand in marriage. One of the Fire Sages’ prophecies had foretold that a powerful lineage would be born from the martial union between the Fire Lord’s bloodline and a descendant of Avatar Roku. A heartbroken Ursa is left with no choice but to accept the proposal and bring honor to her family. When Ikem tries to stop the carriage procession as Ursa leaves Hira’a, a heartbroken Ursa tells him off to save Ikem from the wrath of Prince Ozai.
Ursa’s Life As A Fire Princess
During Ursa and Prince Ozai’s wedding, Ozai made it clear he had no intentions of letting Ursa stay connected to her past. Alone in the city, Ursa focused on her duties as a Fire Princess. Although alone, her brother-in-law, Crown Prince Iroh, showed Ursa great respect and care. Ursa’s first bundle of joy came with the birth of her son, Prince Zuko. Two years later, she gave birth to Princess Azula. However, Azula quickly became a child prodigy when she showed firebending and controlling abilities. While this made her father, Prince Ozai, extremely proud, Ursa worried Azula’s powers could be exploited.
Ursa shared a close relationship with Zuko. Unlike Azula, who grew cruel and cold, Ursa tried to ensure Zuko maintained the soft, compassionate personality he had. At some point, Ursa tried writing and sending letters to her parents in Hira’a with the help of a trusted palace servant, Elua. However, Elua stayed loyal to Prince Ozai, who intercepted all the letters. To confirm her suspicion that Prince Ozai was intercepting and reading the letters, Ursa wrote in one of them, addressed to Ikem, that Prince Zuko was Ikem’s biological son. Although this was a lie, Prince Ozai eventually confronted Ursa. Although Ozai was aware it was a lie, he angrily told Ursa he would begin treating Zuko as though he wasn’t his son.
Ursa Murdered Fire Lord Azulon To Save Zuko
Crown Prince Iroh and his son were at a battle in Ba Sing Se. News came to the palace that Prince Iroh’s son had been killed in battle. An emotionally wrecked Iroh chose to abandon the campaign. Later, Ursa finds out Prince Ozai has inadvertently put Zuko’s life in danger because of his callous request to his father, Fire Lord Azulon. Prince Ozai had requested the birthright to the throne be passed from his older brother, Crown Prince Iroh, to him since Iroh had lost his only heir in the Ba Sing Se battle.
As punishment for his insolence, a visibly infuriated Fire Lord Azulon commanded Prince Ozai to kill his only son, Zuko, to feel the anguish of losing a firstborn. Ursa immediately confronted her husband, Prince Ozai. Feeling no remorse, Ozai stated he was hellbent on proving he was worthy of being heir to the throne. Having learned to be an apothecary from her mother, Ursa made a deal with Prince Ozai that would spare the life of her son, Zuko. Since the only way to disobey the order to kill Zuko was to eliminate Fire Lord Azulon, Ursa made an odorless, colorless, and untraceable poison.
However, Prince Ozai, fearing the same fate could befall him in the future, informed Ursa she would have to leave the palace. As collateral, their children, Zuko and Azula, will remain with Prince Ozai. With the plan set in motion, Ursa prepared the poison for Ozai to administer to his father. She bade farewell to Zuko and Azula, leaving the palace to return to Hira’a. After successfully assuming the throne and ensuring Ursa never returned, Fire Lord Ozai exiled Ursa for treason.
Ursa’s New Life In Hira’a
Arriving at Hira’a at night and heading to her parent’s home, Ursa is informed her parents had died several years earlier. A distraught Ursa goes to the theater stage, the only familiar place in Hira’a. There, she meets with Noren, who mistook her presence for an audition. Realizing her pain, he invites Ursa home and later reveals he’s Ikem. Heartbroken after Ursa’s marriage to Prince Ozai, Ikem left Hira’a and headed to the Forgetful Valley. There, he encountered the Mother of Faces, who gave him a new face and look.
Seeing an opportunity to be together again, Noren (Ikem) convinces Ursa to meet with the Mother of Faces. After months of waiting, the Mother of Faces arrived and gave Ursa a new face. However, sensing her grief and trauma, the Mother of Faces also offered to give Ursa a new mind so she wouldn’t be able to remember her past. A now-transformed Ursa chose to live life with the name “Noriko.” She married Noren as Noriko on the theater stage and later had a daughter, Kiyi. Noriko (Ursa) and her new family continued to live in Hira’a until the disguised Team Avatar arrived years later in search of her. While screen audiences await Zuko’s mom’s story arc in the animated/live-action series and films, there are several notable differences between Avatar: The Last Airbender live-action and animated series.
Watch Avatar: The Last Airbender Animated Series on Apple TV+
Follow Us
