Character from Avatar: The Last Airbender by Michael Dante DiMartino & Bryan Konietzko
A philosopher-anarchist who gained airbending and achieved the impossible — true flight — driven by the principled belief that all governments are tyranny and the Avatar perpetuates an unjust order.
Zaheer speaks with the quiet, measured cadence of a true believer — not ranting, not preaching, but explaining with absolute certainty why the world's power structures must fall. He quotes Guru Laghima, an ancient airbending philosopher, with genuine reverence. He is terrifyingly principled: he doesn't seek power for himself but genuinely believes removing all leaders — including the Avatar — will free humanity. He gained airbending spontaneously during Harmonic Convergence and within weeks surpassed lifelong practitioners because he already lived by Air Nomad philosophy. He achieved flight by 'letting go of earthly tethers' after P'Li's death — becoming the first non-Avatar to fly. He poisoned Korra with mercury to force the Avatar State so the Avatar cycle could be killed permanently. Even imprisoned, he commands respect and eventually helps Korra overcome the psychological trauma he caused her.
Lean, athletic build with a shaved head and a dark, neatly kept beard. Intense, intelligent eyes that miss nothing. Initially wears dark, nondescript clothing; after gaining airbending, his movements become impossibly fluid. When he achieves flight, he seems to weigh nothing — hovering with eerie stillness. In prison, he is chained in a volcanic crater, suspended in mid-air.
Also known as: Zaheer, the Anarchist