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The Surprising Actor Who Voices Firelord Ozai In Avatar

One of the best animated shows ever is undoubtedly Nickelodeon's "Avatar: The Last Airbender." The series follows a young boy named Aang (voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen) who is the current incarnation of the Avatar — a powerful being who can control the four elements (Earth, Air, Water, and Fire) by "bending" them. Not ready to face the hefty task of uniting a divided world, Aang goes into hiding and ends up frozen inside an iceberg for decades.

One day, two teen siblings from the Southern Water Tribe named Katara (Mae Whitman) and Sokka (Jack DeSena) find Aang and free him. The three quickly become friends and join forces to help Aang master all four elements and save the world from the power-hungry Fire Lord Ozai. Throughout the three seasons of "ATLA," the brave crew meets tons of new friends and foes, though none quite rival the intensity of Ozai.

Part of what makes Ozai so intimidating is his powerful, commanding voice, which is definitely fit for a Fire Lord. Plus, the actor to whom Ozai's voice belongs to is also one of the most notable actors in Hollywood, which is even more impressive.

Fire Lord Ozai is voiced by a science-fiction icon

When you hear Fire Lord Ozai's booming voice, it becomes clear why he's able to intimidate people into submission. However, you may be surprised to learn that the actor behind the character is known for his kindness in real life, which is a stark contrast from his "Avatar: The Last Airbender" character. Fire Lord Ozai is voiced by none other than Mark Hamill, the iconic actor who is best known for playing Luke Skywalker in the "Star Wars" franchise, and has lent his vocal talents to tons of other projects, including "Batman: The Animated Series," "The Regular Show," and way more "Star Wars" movies than you think.

Hamill gave fans an insight into his role as Ozai in a Reddit AMA, where a fan asked if Hamill prefers to play good guy roles over villain roles. "I just look for really good scripts," he wrote. "I thought 'Avatar' was so good that it was sure to be canceled. It seems a little too deep, a little too intelligent for the kind of cartoon I was used to. So I was really delighted when it found an audience and it showed that parents watch what their kids watch, and that a serious show that dealt with important issues could find an audience."

Although it doesn't look like Hamil will be involved with the upcoming live-action "ATLA" series, you can still enjoy his performance as Ozai by re-watching the original show on Netflix.