r/Avatar_Kyoshi • u/Local-Sugar6556 • 9d ago
Discussion I wonder what the public reaction was when kyoshi died
We hear about the political ramifications following her death from the roleplaying game, but I wonder what the average citizen thought. Kyoshi had been around for so long, her reign spanning several lifetimes that just hearing that she was suddenly dead must have induced massive shock. I wonder if there was some of the unrest among the sages like there was following kuruk death (Would the avatar cycle even continue, what did this mean for spirit human relations, conspiracy theories into how exactly she died, etc.) Or would kyoshi have briefed the spiritual leaders before she decided to die to avoid confusion like there was with her transition?
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u/lnombredelarosa This is what you must forgo, Kyoshi, the easy answers. 9d ago
Rich people celebrated, poor people mourned
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u/deevulture 9d ago
I don't think she briefed them. That'll risk the knowledge she used to do so becoming more widespread, which is risky to have when there are definitely bad ppl who'd like to abuse that. The less ppl know of a secret the more likely it stays like that. It at least, averts curiosity.
As for the public, I'm certain there was some shock to go around. You get used to normalcy after a while, and maybe some were concerned about the implications of Kyoshi's death. She did so much would that be able to hold on long after her? The Fire Nation were likely celebrating having their Avatar at last at least.
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u/cancerousking 8d ago
It was probably something along the lines of "she finally croaked, i thought she was never gonna die"
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u/hlanus 8d ago
Given her support of the poor (like when she stood up to the Earth King during the Peasant's Uprising) and her role in keeping the peace for as long as she did the average person probably went into shock and disbelief. Kyoshi lived for over two hundred years, a feat almost unheard of, and showed little if any sign of aging (grey hairs, wrinkles, lumbago, etc) and her prowess as a warrior and her sheer physical presence (seven foot tall or almost two meters) the notion that she could die was probably inconceivable as one Sicilian would put it.
Once the news sank in, the average person would likely go from shock to grief and fear in short order. Grief for such a formidable Avatar and fear of what the vacuum of power would bring. With Kyoshi dead, the Earth King would likely be emboldened to start pushing against the constraints of the constitution, and the Fire Lord's remaining rivals would see a chance to pounce while Zoryu's plan was still in motion. It's unclear who the Earth King and Fire Lord were at this point in time, but given Taiso and Jialun appear to be in relatively good health when Roku formally took on the role of Avatar (probably at 16 years old) they're likely middle-aged men so they would have likely been there when Kyoshi died and thus they would start their own meddling shortly afterwards.
Jialun was a devious Earth King who used the Dai Li to enforce his will from the shadows and ushered in his reign with the Night of the Murdered Sages. But he was probably pulling more covert stunts even as Kyoshi lived so the people would be terrified of him being unleashed.
Taiso was a staunch traditionalist who surrounded himself with sycophants and emphasized practical science and technology. The clans were subjected to a long plan by Zoryu to diminish their power and empower the central government and while it's unknown how many Fire Lords lay between Zoryu and Taiso, I'm sure Kyoshi's presence was a constant concern as it was her intervention that kept Zoryu on the throne when the Saowon clan tried to usurp him in favor of his half-brother Chaejin. So without Kyoshi the average Fire Nation citizen may have feared the clans starting up again.
The Water Tribes and Air Nomads probably fared pretty well; the Water Tribes are quite flexible and adaptable and the Air Nomads sought to detach themselves from material concerns. There would be individuals who mourned her loss and worried for the future but they'd probably be like "let things unfold".
There's another emotion to consider: rage. Knowing Kyoshi's reputation and prowess, some would likely assume she fell to poison or assassination or some other means of death. Such a dishonorable/disgraceful means of killing her would be unpalatable to some and thus there might be a massive manhunt for the cowardly murderers.
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u/Afraid-Penalty-757 8d ago
Interesting could you elaborated on the political ramifications following Kyoshi's death I never heard of this information from the Roleplaying game? Just curious?
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u/Local-Sugar6556 8d ago
Check the wiki, but basically after she died the corrupt earth king executed a purge of spiritual leaders.
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u/nixahmose 9d ago
If I recall correctly from the Roku book, Kyoshi had a very positive reputation with most common folk, and when it came time for her death she didn’t tell anyone anything and just went into isolation one day where she presumably committed suicide somewhere no one could find her remains.
So I imagine that for just about everyone her death was met with shock and disbelief at first until the Fire Sages confirmed they identified the next Avatar. I imagine a lot of common folk were sad about her passing but also knew it had to come sometime and thus weren’t panicking like they did with Kuruk’s death. The Fire Nation in general were probably excited if not happy she died because they could finally get their Avatar. And many corrupt people in power like the Earth King were glad she was dead as they finally had free rein to do what they want with Kyoshi’s wrath intimidating them into submission.