Basic Info: Age: Teenager; probably 14-16 Gender: Male Nation: Earth Kingdom Specialty: Earthbending Level of skill: Moderately well Eye color: Olive green Hair color: Medium-dark brown Personality: Reserved, slightly rebellious Lives with: His mother and father Siblings: None are mentioned Home: A coal mining village Appeared in: ep 1x06, THQ video game, "School Time Shipping" short

Personality

Whether by nature or the firebenders' oppression, Haru is a rather reserved young man. He isn't the type to run headfirst into battle, but he is loyal and can be depended on when needed most. He respects his family, and especially holds his father in high regard. He's willing to help others, although the oppressive environment he lived in for 5 years makes him a little hesitant before putting himself in danger. But it's nothing a little coaxing can fix. Haru is reaching the age where he's becoming more independent, and more openly showing his rebellious attitude towards the firebenders and other such "thugs". Because Haru is typically a nice guy, his temper is surprisingly fierce. He respects people with courage, and responds well with people whose personalities mesh with his.

Future

Although it is uncertain if Haru will ever return in a future episode, you can bet that if he does, he will have grown up a lot since we last saw him in Imprisoned. Katara's courage and inspiration left quite the impression on him, combined with his father's courage that he already respected, it can be sure that Haru himself will have become a lot more courageous in his actions. And if he keeps up his training, which he probably will, his earthbending skills will also have become a lot stronger and more developed. Haru's personality may also shine a bit brighter, or be more outwardly rebellious, because of the Imprisoned events and the proceeding fight to reclaim their villages. And because of Katara's impact on him, the writers might even add more to the HaruxKatara ship should he meet up with her again.

Backstory

Haru has lived with his mother and father in their mining village near the sea for probably his whole life. Together they lived on the countryside on some farmland, growing crops and selling it in the marketplace. Growing up, Haru learned how to control his earthbending from his father, and he respected him very much. Everything was going well... until they came along.

Five years ago, a portion of the Fire Nation invaded the village and attempted to control it. Tyro, Haru's father and formidable earthbender, and many of the village's other earthbenders fought against the invading firebenders. However they were outnumbered 10 to 1, and they eventually lost. Tyro and the other earthbenders were taken away, and haven't been heard from since. Haru was crushed.

With the earthbenders out of the way, the firebenders moved in and proceeded to take over. They taxed the people and used the coal from their mines to fuel their ships. But most notably, they outlawed earthbending. Anyone caught earthbending was immediately taken away. However, this didn't stop Haru from practicing his skills. Haru missed his father, and earthbending was all he really had left of him. So he would travel deep into the nearby forest and practice his earthbending inside a gorge. No one suspected a thing, and he still managed to help his mother with the chores. And so for five years that's how things went down, all the while Haru's hatred for the firebenders growing deeper.

Until one morning, when things took a cataclysmic turn. Haru was in the gorge practicing his earthbending when out of nowhere he was greeted by three strangers, namely Katara, Aang, and Sokka. Fearing the retaliation if word got out, Haru fled the scene and later denied he was ever there when they followed him to his shop in the village. However, Haru's not exactly a good liar and ended up getting scolded by his mother for being so careless. After the traveling trio got caught up on the village's situation, they were able to stay with Haru and his mom for the night. Haru and Katara talked while taking a sunset stroll, and discovered they had a lot in common in terms of what it was like to lose someone they love. On the way back they came across an old man who was trapped under a collapsed mine tunnel entrance. They tried to pull him out, but it wasn't enough. It took some coaxing from Katara before Haru finally used his earthbending to send the dirt back, saving the man from being crushed.

However, that old man was short on compassion and gratitude, and reported him to the local firebender enforcement. In the middle of the night the firebenders came and they took Haru away. By the time Katara and the others found out about it, it was too late to follow. Feeling responsible for what happened, Katara concocted a plan to get herself captured so she could find out where they took Haru and rescue him. The plan worked, and by night's fall she was on the rig where all of the village's earthbenders had been enslaved. Haru was reunited with his father, but other than that things weren't looking up. Most of the earthbenders had lost hope on escaping, and even Katara's moving speech did little to stir them. But she kept pushing it, never giving up on them. With the help of Sokka and Aang, the following morning Katara was able to get a mass of coal onto the shipyard deck for the earthbenders to use.

After another of Katara's rousing speeches, Haru was the first to step forward but his father held him back. When all seemed lost and the firebenders had once again won, Haru surprised everyone by being the first to attack. The Warden and the other firebenders retaliated, and Tyro put up a coal shield for Haru. By then the other earthbenders were ready and the battle broke out. Haru, Tyro, and one other earthbender worked together which increased the strength of their attacks. Despite not seeing each other for five years, Haru and Tyro worked together flawlessly and in harmony. After the firebenders were disposed of, the earthbenders along with Katara, Aang, and Sokka escaped on the ships.

With the earthbenders' courage and spirit renewed, they vowed to take back their village and all the other villages as well. Haru asked Katara to come with them, but she declined. She was needed more in the mission to help Aang get to the North Pole. And... that's the last we see of Haru, Tyro, and the other earthbenders.
For now, at least.