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Indeed, I am Wan Shi Tong, "He Who Knows Ten Thousand Things." And you are obviously humans, which, by the way, are no longer permitted in my study.
~ Wan Shi Tong's introductions to the Team Avatar.
Mortals are so predictable...and such terrible liars.
~ Wan Shi Tong after discovering Sokka betrayed his trust
Wan Shi Tong: You betrayed my trust. From the beginning you intended of misuse this knowledge for evil purposes.
Sokka: You don't understand! If anyone's evil it's the Fire Nation! You saw what they did to your library, they're destructive and dangerous! We need this information!
Wan Shi Tong: You think you're the first person to believe that their war was justified? Countless others before you have come here, seeking weapons or weaknesses or battle strategies.
~ Wan Shi Tong, when Team Avatar learns they could use a Solar Eclipse to defeat the Fire Nation.

Wan Shi Tong, which is translated as He Who Knows Ten Thousand Things, is the Spirit of Knowledge and an influential figure in the world of Avatar: the Last Airbender. He is the main antagonist of the Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2 episode "The Library" and a supporting antagonist in The Legend of Korra Season 2 episode "A New Spiritual Age". Despite his noble position, he is cynical, xenophobic, and hostile towards the Avatar and their allies, thus making him a villain, despite his honest desire to preserve the knowledge he has accumulated and protect it from those who abuses his knowledge for their own purposes.

He was voiced by Hector Elizondo, who portrayed Mr. Grey in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three and voiced Bane in the animated film Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman.

Biography[]

Avatar: The Last Airbender[]

Wan Shi Tong first appears in the second season Avatar: The Last Airbender in the episode "The Library". He oversees perhaps the greatest library in the world, but does not allow humans to enter based on the cynical belief that all humans who seek knowledge simply do so to gain some kind of advantage over an enemy. Though Aang and his friends are initially able to convince him otherwise, Sokka goes out of his way to locate a means to stop the Fire Nation, which enrages Wan Shi Tong. Despite Aang and his friend's pleas that the Fire Nation must be stopped, Wan Shi Tong tells them that countless humans before them came to his library, seeking knowledge or weapons to defeat their enemies, while believing that their wars were "justified". Fed up with being lied to, he decides to finish burying his library under the desert sands "so that no one will abuse his knowledge again". 

Wan Shi Tong attacking

Wan Shi Tong attacking Aang and his friends.

He also attempts to kill Team Avatar on the grounds that they "know too much". Fortunately though, Aang and his friends manages to escape in time, but Professor Zei, who had spent his entire life looking for the library, chooses to stay.

Legend of Korra[]

Wan Shi Tong appears later in The Legend of Korra. His library now located in the Spirit World.

Wan Shi Tong with Unalaq

Wan Shi Tong selling Jinora out to Unalaq.

He is leery of a visiting Jinora when she shows up asking for information on the Spirit Portals and swiftly sells her out to Unalaq after finding out she's both the granddaughter of Avatar Aang, and friends with the next Avatar Korra, implying that he still bears a grudge against the Avatar for abusing the knowledge in his library. He has also come to believe that Unalaq is more of a "true" ally to the Spirits than the Avatar. Jinora protested, proclaiming that Vaatu could destroy the world, but Unalaq denied this and kidnapped Jinora, with the help of her spirit friend "Furry Foot", who had turned dark. Wan Shi Tong was later shocked when Unalaq revealed his true plans, as he had not anticipated the extent of the imbalance Unalaq sought to inflict upon the world, and he most likely regretted his decision in trusting Unalaq.

After Harmonic Convergence, the spirits were free to wander the world. Wan Shi Tong began to reexamine his beliefs about humans, since Avatar Korra allowed the spirits to enter the human world. Despite still being wary about humans, he opened his library again and humans were allowed to enter.

Power and Abilities[]

Wan Shi Tong is known as the Spirit of Knowledge, making him debatably one of the most intelligent beings of all times. And being a spirit makes him immortal. He can fly, and has razor sharp talons and beak. He also has some signs of shape-shifting, as seen when he's attacking Aang and his friends. His neck is elongated, gains feathers shaped like horns, and his body becomes longer and more sleek, making it easier for him to maneuver in tight corners.

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • The reason why Wan Shi Tong hates humans from entering his library is most likely explained in the episode "The Siege of the North, Part 1". Years ago, Wan Shi Tong let Zhao in his library, resulting in him learning about the location water and moon spirits; Tui and La and burning part of his library. At the very least, he uses this as an example to illustrate his point.

Navigation[]

           Avatar The Last Airbender logo Villains

Fire Nation
Royal Family
Fire Lord Ozai (The Last Airbender | Netflix) | Fire Lord Azulon | Fire Lord Sozin (Netflix) | Prince Zuko (The Last Airbender | Netflix) | Princess Azula (The Last Airbender | Netflix)

Military
Admiral Zhao (The Last Airbender | Netflix) | War Minister Qin | Bujing (Netflix) | Mung | Lieutenant Jee (Netflix) | Lieutenant Dang | Southern Raiders (Yon Rha (Netflix)) | Offshore Prison Warden | Boiling Rock Warden | Rough Rhinos (Colonel Mongke) | New Ozai Society (Ukano) | Yuyan Archers | Royal Procession

Other members
Combustion Man | Ty Lee (Netflix) | Mai (Netflix) | Vachir | Chaejin | Loban | Lo and Li | Circus Trainer | Jailer | Great Sage (Netflix) | Keung

Earth Kingdom
Rulers
Earth Queen Hou-Ting | Chin the Conqueror

Dai Li
Long Feng | Dai Li Sergeant

Freedom Fighters
Jet (Netflix)

Sandbenders
Ghashiun

Earth Empire
General Kuvira | Baatar Jr. | Commander Guan | Dr. Sheng

Other members
Liling | Ru | Yaling | Jianzhu | Yun | Mayor Tong | Biyu | Ganbat | June (Netflix) | General Fong | Xin Fu | Master Yu | Gow | Earthbender Consul

Water Tribes
Northern Water Tribe
Tarrlok | Noatak | Yakone | Chief Unalaq | Eska and Desna | Judge Hotah

Southern Water Tribe
Hama | Varrick | Zhu Li | Gilak | Thod | Lirin | Thod's disciples

Air Nomads
Jesa | Afiko

United Republic of Nations
President Raiko | Wonyong Keum | Jargala Omo | Tahno

Triple Threat Triad
Tokuga | Lightning Bolt Zolt | Shady Shin | Viper | Two-Toed Ping | Zhen

Equalists
Amon | Lieutenant | Hiroshi Sato

Red Lotus
Zaheer | Ghazan | Ming-Hua | P'Li | Aiwei

Daofei
Xu Ping An | Mok | Wai | Jesa | Four Shadows Guan

Spirits
Vaatu | Dark Spirits | Hei Bai | Wan Shi Tong | Koh (Netflix) | Kemurikage | Old Iron | Father Glowworm

Other Groups
Yellow Necks | Saowan Clan | Pirates | Fifth Nation | Agni Kai Triad | Chou Family

Individuals
Tagaka | Lian | Hundun

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