Zuko lives in where the human population consists of four nations: the Earth Kingdom, Water Tribes, Air Nomads, and Fire Nation. Some individuals can telekinetically manipulate one of the four classical elements: water, earth, fire, or air; the art of controlling and manipulating an element is called "bending." The Avatar is the only individual who can bend all four elements. 100 years before the beginning of the narrative, Fire Lord Sozin, then the ruler of the Fire Nation, carried out a genocide of the Air Nomads as part of his plan to conquer the world for the Fire Nation.