The Fire Nation was originally ruled by the Fire Sages, with the Fire Lord at their head. However, the Fire Lord eventually gained more power and split off from the Fire Sages, becoming its own position. From that moment on, the Fire Lord and his or her family ruled the nation. Meanwhile, Aang defeated Ozai by stripping him of his firebending through the use of energybending. Finally, the Order of the White Lotus managed to liberate Ba Sing Se, ending the war.