Avatar Yangchen

A past Avatar who guided Aang through spiritual crisis and conflict over sacred land.

Avatar Yangchen appears in 'The Rift' trilogy as a pivotal spiritual figure from the past who guides Avatar Aang. In 'The Rift Part One,' Aang meets her while trying to celebrate Yangchen's festival, a sacred Air Nomad holiday that had not been observed in 100 years because of the destruction wrought by the Fire Nation.

Quick Facts

Role: Past Avatar (Air Nomad)
Affiliation: Air Nomads
Status: Deceased (Past Life)

Lore & Background

In 'The Rift Part One,' Aang meets with Avatar Yangchen to learn about a festival named in her honor. This event was one of the most sacred Air Nomad holidays, which Aang never learned much about because he and Monk Gyatso were flying kites instead. The festival had not been celebrated for 100 years due to the Air Nomad genocide. Yangchen informs Aang that a jointly owned Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom factory is being built on Air Nomad sacred land, creating a conflict between industrial progress and spiritual tradition.

Reader's Guide

Avatar Aang must rely on Yangchen's guidance to resolve the crisis involving General Old Iron. After Aang fights and defeats the spirit in 'The Rift Part Three,' he meets Lady Tienhai in the Spirit World. This experience leads Aang to recognize that spirits deserve to live with human civilization in peace. Consequently, Aang creates the 'Spirits Friendship Festival' as a new tradition, replacing the lost Yangchen's festival and establishing a lasting peace between the spirit world and humanity.