Avatar: The Last Airbender followed the adventures of Aang and his friends as they tried to defeat the Fire Lord Ozai and stop the expansionist Fire Nation. As the Avatar, Aang was responsible for maintaining the balance of the world, and over the course of his adventures, a secret society called the Order of the White Lotus worked to help him and, later, his successor in The Legend of Korra.
Here's everything you need to know about the Avatar franchise's Order of the White Lotus.
The Origins of the Order of the White Lotus
While it's not clear exactly how long the Order of the White Lotus has been around, the group did exist at the time of Avatar Kuruk, who was around hundreds of years before Aang. The Order of the White Lotus started out as a club where ancient masters came to challenge themselves in Pai Sho, a tile-based game created by the spirits far back in history. The name of the society was derived from the white lotus tile used in Pai Sho. Each of the members could communicate their membership by placing the Pai Sho tiles in a manner that forms a bloomed lotus bud with the lotus chip at the center. Prospective recruits were generally invited by older White Lotus members via Pai Sho.
Over time, the Order of the White Lotus became known for sharing ancient knowledge and pursuing the truth, all while protecting and steering the Avatar in secret.
The White Lotus During Avatar and Korra
When Avatar: The Last Airbender begins in earnest, Iroh is the Grand Lotus of the Order of the White Lotus, and the order counted renowned masters from across the four great nations among its members, including Earthbender King Bumi, Waterbender Pakku, Firebender Jeong Jeong, swordsman Piandao and many, many more, with even more characters in the Avatar universe rumored or speculated to have been members of the White Lotus. As such, the White Lotus intervenes at several key moments in the series' story, directing events from the shadows.
The major turning point for the order was the passing of Sozin's Comet during the finale of The Last Airbender. Iroh summoned all of the White Lotus to help in the fight against Firelord Ozai, helping Sokka, Suki and Toph reach the villain's airship fleet and liberating Ba Sing Se. However, this also caused something of a schism in the organization. At the Hundred Year War's end, Xai Bau deserted the Order of the White Lotus believing the society had lost its true purpose by coming out to openly serve the Avatar. This led to Xai Bau's creation of the Red Lotus society, a more militant version of the White Lotus. Iroh was unable to heal this schism in his lifetime.
Before the death of Aang, the Avatar requested the society to find, protect and train all his reincarnates. Thus, in The Legend of Korra, the White Lotus searched for Korra so as to protect and train her. White Lotus sentries guarded the Avatar closely, as well as prisoners such as Zaheer and Kuvira. The group also played a key role in the defense of Republic City when the Equalists attacked. The White Lotus, while no longer as much of a secret as it was in The Last Airbender, has continued to play a background role in the various Legend of Korra tie-in comics.
