Highlights

The Fire Nation is the main antagonist in Avatar: The Last Airbender , led by the Fire Lord and his armies. It has a complicated reputation and detailed history.
The Fire Nation started as a group of people who received the element of fire from lion turtles. They settled in the Fire Islands and eventually became a powerful and influential country through internal conflicts and imperialism.
During the series, the Fire Nation is militarized and industrialized, indoctrinating its citizens with political propaganda. Fire Lord Ozai becomes the main villain, but is defeated by Aang. Zuko takes over as Fire Lord, bringing peace and cooperation to the world.

The Four Nations in Avatar: The Last Airbender are the central cornerstones of the worldbuilding in the series. Each nation has its own unique customs and culture, as well as a storied history behind how each one came to be. The Nations all represent one of the four elements, as benders who hail from that Nation will be able to have control over that element. Through Aang's journey, the viewer is able to travel through each of the Nations and learn about each one along the way.

The Fire Nation is the main antagonistic force in Avatar: The Last Airbender (or, it might be more fitting to say that the Fire Lord and his armies are the main antagonists rather than the Nation as a whole). Several major characters in the series are citizens of the Fire Nation, including Zuko, Azula, Iroh, Mai, and Ty Lee. The Fire Nation has a complicated reputation, as well as a detailed history, especially regarding its relationship with the other Nations.

Avatar: The Last Airbender's Earth Kingdom, Explained

How did the Earth Kingdom come to be, and what's up with Ba Sing Se?

How Was The Fire Nation Created?

In the early days of the world's history, the people who would eventually become the residents of the Fire Nation received the element of fire from the lion turtles that granted all the Nations their elements through energybending. They used this ability when they went into the Spirit Wilds, to gather resources while being protected from the hostile spirits that lived there. Eventually, these people banded together as the Fire Nation. They left the lion turtle cities to create settlements in the west along the equator.

When Avatar Wan, the first Avatar, closed the spirit portals, the humans began to wage war among themselves, which spread into an archipelago known as the Fire Islands. The Sun Warriors were one group that lived on the Fire Islands, and they were known for learning their firebending techniques from dragons. Their influence is obvious on later Fire Nation culture. The Islands experienced a lot of infighting between the warlords that ruled over different areas, but eventually they unified, becoming one of the most powerful and influential countries in the world. They often experienced internal conflict due to warring clans and the absolute power of the Fire Lord, the monarch who ruled over the whole Nation.

The Fire Nation grew in reach, becoming a huge imperial power. After the time of Avatar Kyoshi, there was a boom in industrialization, leading to the Fire Nation becoming the most technologically advanced of all the Nations. They built their army and created new equipment and weapons. Fire Lord Sozin led the charge on the Fire Nations imperialism, as he was greedy for power. He launched an attack on the Air Temples with the intention of destroying the next Avatar (Aang), but even after wiping out the Air Nomads, the Avatar was not found and disappeared for 100 years.

What Is The State of the Fire Nation During Avatar: The Last Airbender?

With the Avatar no longer an active threat, Sozin turned his attention to the Earth Kingdom, conquering a large swath of their land. As the years went on, the Fire Nation continued to grow in power and began making sure its citizens were patriotic and indoctrinating children in schools with political propaganda. The rampant militarization and industrialization of the Fire Nation continued through its line of Fire Lords, culminating with Fire Lord Ozai — the main villain of Avatar: The Last Airbender. There were significant strides made in technology during his reign, and the Fire Nation managed to take over the Earth Kingdom.

Fire Lords were known for their need for absolute power. Ozai took this to the extreme with his pursuit of becoming the Phoenix King, a title he created for when he would rule over the entire world when the Fire Nation was victorious in the Hundred Year War. This, fortunately, was prevented by Avatar Aang, who reappeared after 100 years and defeated Ozai. This brought an end to the Fire Nation's reign of terror, as Ozai's son Zuko took over as Fire Lord and brought peace and cooperation to the Nations of the world. He declared his intentions to rule differently than his father in a speech he made in Book 3 of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Today, this war is finally over! I promised my Uncle that I would restore the honor of the Fire Nation, and I will. [...] A hundred years of fighting has left the world scarred and divided. But with the Avatar's help, we can get it back on the right path, and begin a new era of love and peace.

What Is The Culture of the Fire Nation Like?

The dress and official symbols of the Fire Nation are based on its elemental color (like all the Nations). In this case, that color is red.
Gender equality is an important tradition in the Fire Nation. Women have full access to higher education and just as many job opportunities as men, making them equal in the eyes of the law.
The nuclear family is generally the dominant familial style, usually including two parents and a few children. It's common for both parents to be a part of the workforce.
Fire Nation food tends to be heavy on the spice, as chili can help firebenders draw out their powers.
Theater is important to the culture, and plays are attended by higher and lower class citizens alike. This artistic inclination is on full display in the Book 3 episode "The Ember Island Players."
Each nation is influenced by a specific season, and the Fire Nation's is summer. The rise in temperature helps to enhance a firebender's powers, and many firebenders are born in the summer.

The Fire Nation is a big believer in respect and honor, particularly towards those in power and elders. It is polite to bow when coming in contact with one of these superiors as a sign of reverence. The Fire Nation believes that unity and strict order are the only traits that can ensure the Nation's prosperity, and their culture revolves around respect and patriotism. The Fire Nation oath is a recitation taught to and repeated by students in schools, and was created by Fire Lord Sozin at the beginning of the War. The Fire Nation doesn't restrict creativity and self-expression, but children only learn those skills after being taught about how they can improve the Nation with their actions, and how this will bring honor to them and their families.