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Avatar Roku bending the four elements in Avatar: The Last Airbender

In the show Avatar: The Last Airbender, an award-winning animated television series that aired on Nickelodeon, bending is a form of elemental mysticism, where a person is able to control and manipulate a certain element. In the world of Avatar, the four elements that can be used for Bending are water, earth, fire, and air. Each element is associated with a different type of bending: Waterbending, Earthbending, Firebending, and Airbending, respectively. Furthermore, each type of bending is based on a different type of martial arts, and each type of bending has its own associated culture and technique in the show. If one is a bender, one can only bend their native element, except for the Avatar who can bend all four elements.

Waterbending

Katara waterbending the water in the Serpent's Pass

Waterbenders originally learned waterbending from the Moon. The ancestors of the Water Tribe noticed the push and pull effect the Moon has on the tides of the ocean. Eventually, these first waterbenders learned how to manipulate water themselves. Waterbending is the only bending art without a spiritual animal teacher, as the waterbenders learned the art of pushing and pulling water from the gravitational push and pull of the Moon. ¹

Waterbending is based on Tai Chi, a Chinese martial art that features slow movements and elegant forms that evoke the feel of flowing water.² Waterbending's strongest asset lies within its defensive capabilities. Unlike some other bending disciplines, waterbending focuses on turning an opponent's own strength against themselves, rather than direct strikes. Since water can exist in different physical states, waterbenders can freeze, melt, evaporate, sublimate or condense water at will.³ The ability to alter the physical state of water gives Waterbenders an array of defensive, evasive and offensive techniques in battle such as encasing an opponent in ice, hiding behind a wall of mist, surfing on bodies of water on a platform of ice, and battering enemies with lashing whips and waves. Waterbenders can also manipulate the molecular cohesion of water for cutting and grabbing objects or running on water. While a bender's victory in battle is usually based on skill and technique, a Waterbender gains a notable advantage or disadvantage over other bending arts depending on the amount of water in their vicinity.

Waterbenders are more powerful at night than during the day due to their spiritual connection with the Moon. Waterbenders are at their most powerful during the Full Moon, and are powerless during a lunar eclipse or when the Moon Spirit is in danger.⁴

Specialized Waterbending techniques

Healing
Certain Waterbenders are born with the ability to heal wounds and relieve sickness by redirecting chi paths throughout the body, using water as a catalyst.³ In the Northern Water Tribe, due to the traditionally patriarchal culture of the tribe, healing is the only aspect of Waterbending taught to female waterbenders, with classes assigned for young girls held in huts towards the development of the ability. In rare cases, a waterbender is shown to naturally have this ability like Katara discovered she had.
Plant Bending
A member of the Foggy Swamp Tribe, Hu, has illustrated that waterbenders can manipulate the vines and roots of plants by bending the ample amount of water within them.⁵

While travelling Waterbenders carry water skins full of water to bend, a skilled waterbender is able to extract the water from plants for more effective utilization, albeit leaving behind withered, desiccated remains of the former plant life.⁶ Waterbenders can also use the water from the air, their sweat or the water underground to waterbend.

Bloodbending
Bloodbending is the ultimate Waterbending technique that allows Waterbenders to bend the water within living creatures, giving a waterbender complete control over it. This can only be done during a Full Moon, when a Waterbender is at his/her full potential. ⁶

Freezing/Evaporation

Waterbenders have the ability to utilize water in its various forms, enabling them to freeze water into ice, immobilizing enemies, and to evaporate it into steam, given them stealth. Skilled waterbenders can freeze water using their breath, as Katara demonstrated in Avatar Aang.

Earthbending

The Hung Gar Style of Earthbending as demonstrated by King Bumi.

Humans first learned earthbending by observing and imitating the Badgermoles, large subterranean creatures that use earthbending to see and interact with the world. The first people to learn earthbending were two lovers from warring villages who used the art to meet in secret beneath the mountain that separated their people.⁷

Earthbending is generally based on the Hung Gar style of Kung Fu, which features heavily rooted stances and strong kicks and punches. The martial art is based on the movements of animals, among them the Tiger and the Crane. The Tiger represents Hard Power, while the crane embodies Soft Power.⁸ There are exceptions to this facet, as the blind earthbender, Toph, uses a style based on Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu.⁹ Unlike other bending disciplines, earthbending stresses the aspect of neutral jing, which involves listening and waiting for the right moment to attack.¹⁰ Toph uses this discipline having learned it directly from Badgermoles, and teaches this form to Aang.This discipline also allows Toph and Aang to feel minute vibrations in the earth when in direct contact and use these vibrations as a kind of radar, allowing them to detect other people's positions, movements, and even heartbeats. Toph also uses this sense for lie detection ¹¹.

Earthbenders are known to stand their ground. More skilled earthbenders absorb and intercept attacks before overwhelming the opponent with superior force. Some can tunnel through the earth to out-maneuver their foes.³ Earthbenders have been shown to use objects to augment their bending.¹²¹³

While a bender's victory in battle is usually based on skill and technique, an Earthbender gains a notable advantage or disadvantage over other bending arts depending on the amount of earth in their vicinity. However, Earthbending is not limited to rock or soil alone. An earthbender additionally can manipulate other earth-based substances; these include mud, slurry, sand, meteors, crystals, coal, and even metal. ^{14 15}.

Specialized Earthbending techniques

Metalbending
Although it is possible, the only earthbender shown to bend metal is Toph, who metalbends by focusing onto and bending the fragments of unrefined earth within the metal. Toph apparently invented this technique, and in the series, she is the only one shown capable of performing the technique.

Sandbending
A race of desert dwelling earthbenders have developed a specialized form of Earthbending that focuses on sand. They use this skill in a variety of unique ways, including combat and travel. ¹⁴

Firebending

Fire Nation soldiers firebending.

While the Sun is the origin and inspiration for firebending, the Dragons were the firebenders that taught man how to firebend. The philosophy of firebending from when it was first created differs radically from that of the present-day Fire Nation. Originally representing warmth, energy and life, the Fire Nation's is fueled by rage and anger.¹⁶ Firebending in itself is not totally devoted to unleashing the power of fire on opponents. In actuality, the focus is placed upon balance. Firebending hinges on mental stability such as inner calm, discipline, emotional stability and physical stability such as a firm balanced form, breath control and general good health.¹⁷ Firebenders are more powerful during the day than the night due to solar sympathy.¹ Firebenders lose their power to bend during a solar eclipse.¹⁸ But, when a Comet is near, a firebender's power is increased unimaginably, as if they were in the presence of 100 suns. This gives them the ability to fly, produce pillars of fire, and gigantic fire blasts. Sozin first used the comet to wipe out all the Air Nomads, and thus beginning the war. Ozai then attempted to use it to wipe out everyone in the Earth Kingdom with it, but he was stopped by Aang and his allies.¹⁹

Firebending moves are based mainly on the style of Northern Shaolin.²⁰ Northern Shaolin Kung Fu features quick, successive and flamboyant attacks, making firebending the most aggressive of the four bending arts. Breath control is one of the first things taught to young firebenders because without control of breath, they are more prone to lose control of the fire they are creating or controlling, leading to disastrous results.²¹

Special Firebending techniques

Creating/Redirecting Lightning
Another type of firebending used in the show is lightning. Mentally, it involves a complete absence of emotion and peace of mind. Physically it requires separating the energies of yin and yang.²² When the forces collide, the bender only guides, rather than controls, the lightning's direction.²² By studying the techniques of waterbenders, Iroh developed a counter to lightning attacks. When attacked, it is possible to redirect the lightning through and out of the body. However, this technique is not without risk. It is important to route the lightning through the stomach to avoid shocking the heart and die. Azula and Ozai greatly feared this technique since they themselves don't know how to use it. ²³

Flight
Some skilled Firebenders are able to project flames out of their feet, resulting in short boosts that enable them to jump much higher. During Sozin's Comet, when a Firebender is most powerful, this ability is greatly enhanced and they are able to sustain full flight for an unlimited amount of time. ²⁴

Combustion
Combustion Man²⁵ (or "Sparky Sparky Boom Man") displayed a very unique form of Firebending, the ability to superheat air into a thin beam which results in large explosions. No other character has displayed this ability and it is unlikely that any other can, as the power appears to be connected to the eye-shaped tattoo on his forehead.

Breathing Fire
The reason for Iroh's nickcame. Iroh can breath fire like a dragon with this skill.

Blue Flames
Azula has the ability to bend blue fire, which has a much more intense heat. She is the only firebender that has shown this ability, not even Iroh, Ozai, or the Avatar has been shown to bend blue fire. This could argue that the only difference of blue fire is just the color. This was demonstrated when Zuko was able to deflect Azula's blast just as easily as regular fire. In the finale, Zuko had the upper hand in their duel, despite Azula's mental instability.

Airbending

Airbenders learned their bending art from the Sky Bison who airbend using their tail and mouth.¹⁶²⁶ These light blue, full body tattoos symbolize a person's mastery of the airbending discipline.²⁷

Aang projects a dome of focused air to protect himself and deflect arrows

Airbending is based on the Ba Gua style of martial arts.²⁸ Ba Gua is known for its constantly circular movements, which makes it difficult for opponents to attack directly. The practitioner uses his own momentum as a weapon, constantly building up inertia for explosive counterattacks that evoke the unpredictabile nature and explosive force of the wind. While being the most dynamic of the bending arts, the style lacks fatal finishing moves, being an almost entirely defensive art.²⁸

Airbenders have the ability to enhance their movements during battle. They can take giant leaps into the air, move at high speeds, run on water and vertical surfaces, glide on air currents to slow their descent and even spin around like a tornado to move quicker and confuse opponents. They can also create cushions of air to soften and blunt the falls of heavy objects. Airbenders can project powerful gusts of wind from their mouths.²⁹

Master Airbenders can create vortices to disorient opponents³⁰ and tornadoes to attack opponents. ³¹ Avatar-level Airbenders can generate the mighty winds of a hurricane that can affect entire landscapes and sustain flight by surrounding themselves in spheres of air.³²³³ Airbenders are also capable of projecting solidified constructs of air to knock an opponent off balance or to provide defense from projectile weapons.¹⁵

Specialized Airbending techniques

Super Speed
Aang uses his airbending to run at super fast speeds which he used many times throughout the seasons.

Flight
Skilled airbenders such as Roku could fly with a tornado like structure below them. Unlike Firebenders, it seems that airbenders can sustain their flight indefinitely.

Air Scooter
This Technique Is Created By Aang, which uses airbending a ball of air and balancing it like a "top". It is used by Aang many times throughout the seasons and this is the technique which makes Aang a master Airbender

Energybending

Energybending as shown in the series finale.

Energybending³⁴, the bending of energy, is the oldest of the bending arts and predates the Avatar, the Four Nations and other bending arts. Before the era of the Avatar, people didn't bend the elements, but instead, people bent the energy within themselves. This led to the creation of the bending arts. At the time of Sozin's Comet, the Avatar is the only known person who can do this. On the eve of Sozin's Comet, a giant Lion Turtle revealed to Aang this truth. In order to bend another person's energy, the bender's spirit must be "unbendable." If the bender's spirit is "bendable", and they attempt to bend another's energy, they will be corrupted by the other's energy and be destroyed. Aang uses this technique to defeat Fire Lord Ozai without killing him, by permanently removing his Firebending abilities and successfully ended the century-long war. ³⁵

References