Avatar: The Last Airbender (TV Series)

The Library (2006)

Hector Elizondo: Wan Shi Tong

Photos 

Quotes 

• Wan Shi Tong : [to Katara]  Your Waterbending won't do you much good here. I've studied Northern Water style, Southern Water style, even Foggy Swamp style.

  Sokka : [drops from the ceiling and knocks him out with a heavy book]  That's called Sokka style. Learn it!

• Wan Shi Tong : I'll let you peruse my vast collection on one condition. To prove your worth as scholars, you have to contribute some worthwhile knowledge.

  Professor Zei : [Kneels on the ground, offering a thick book]  Please accept this tome as a donation to your library.

  Wan Shi Tong : First edition, very nice.

  Katara : [Katara comes forward]  I have an authentic Waterbending scroll.

  Wan Shi Tong : Ooh, these illustrations are quite stylish.

  Aang : [Thinking about what to give]  Uh, oh, I know! Ha!

  [pulls a scroll from his shirt and presents it, revealing it to be a Fire Nation wanted poster for the Avatar] 

  Wan Shi Tong : I suppose that counts.

  Sokka : Oh, great spirit, check this out.

  [quickly ties the string into a butterfly shaped knot and holds it out] 

  Sokka : Ta da!

  [Wan Shi Tong stares in silence] 

  Sokka : It's a special knot! That counts as knowledge!

  Wan Shi Tong : You're not very bright, are you?

• Wan Shi Tong : You betrayed my trust. From the beginning, you intended to 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 their war was justified? Countless others before you have come here, seeking weapons, weaknesses or battle strategies!

  Aang : We had no choice. Please, we're just desperate to protect the people we love!

  Wan Shi Tong : And now I'm going to protect what I love.

  [the library starts to shake] 

  Aang : What are you doing?

  Wan Shi Tong : I'm taking my knowledge back. No one will ever abuse it again!

• Wan Shi Tong : [to Sokka]  If you're going to lie to an all-knowing spirit being, you should at least put some effort into it.

• Professor Zei : Hello! I'm Professor Zei, head of anthropology at Ba Sing Se University.

  Wan Shi Tong : You should leave the way you came. Unless you want to become a stuffed head of anthropology.

  [the camera quickly pans to the left to show three stuffed animal heads hanging from a pillar]