Iroh Quotes

Iroh (narration): It's amazing how far we'll go to hide our true selves from the world. Perhaps it's because we don't want people to know how much they really mean to us which is funny because the truth is, we would do anything for them. We'd travel incredible distances. Risk our lives. Even fight monsters. But I suppose it can be scary to admit you need people. Some might see that as a weakness, a liability. After all, what greater pain is there than losing someone you love? Or worse finding out someone you love has left you behind. I guess that's why we feel the need to hide away and protect ourselves. So we put on a mask. It's not hard to understand why. What's hard is knowing that sometimes... the mask is who you really are.

(Iroh explained to the crew that by being assigned on Prince Zuko's mission, they've been saved from certain death in a battle. Zuko speak up for them and got punished for it by his father...)

Iroh: I'm not going to ask you where you went, but in the future, nephew, I would appreciate it if you let me know whether or not you're still alive. There actually are a few of us who care about... about such things.

Lieutenant Jee: Attention! Our prince... has returned.

(Zuko soldiers welcome him with respect...)

Zuko: What's going on?

Iroh: They must've missed you at music night.

(After Ozai burned Zuko's face as punishment...)

Iroh: Now is not a good time.

Ozai: I wish to speak with my son.

Iroh: He's hurt.

Ozai: He'll recover.

Iroh: But he'll never heal.

(After Ozai burned Zuko's face as punishment...)

Iroh (to Zuko): The doctor is creating a special herbal balm just for you. And the good news is, he says your vision will be fine, which means you have the good fortune of continuing to bask in my beauty.

(Iroh pays June for catching Aang)

Iroh: Feel free to count it.

June: I trust you. You know why?

Iroh: Because if there's any missing, you'll come after us?

June: Because you're so cute.

Iroh (narration): We spend so much time hiding who we really are, making sure no one sees the person we truly want to be. So it's hard to remember there was a time when we were truly excited to show the world our true face.

Iroh: We were at war. I was a soldier.

Earth Kingdom soldier: You were a butcher! You know... I can still smell smoke when I go to sleep at night. It never really goes away.

Iroh: War pushes us to the edge. Some of us don't like what we find there.

Earth Kingdom soldier: Is that your pitiful way of saying you're sorry for what you did?

Iroh: I wasn't talking about me.