Airbending shares Waterbending's defensive nature and peaceful philosophies. However, it's versatility in practice and application makes Airbending the most dynamic of the Bending Arts. Airbending allows one person to defend against multiple attackers from different disciplines - ideal for Air Nomads traveling in foreign lands. An Airbender defends with blasts of wind, and then using a variety of wind-based counterattacks, knocks his opponent off his feet [15].
Airbenders are faster and more mobile than any other Benders. To confuse his enemy, an Airbender constantly circles him, rapidly changing direction to cleverly evade attacks. If an Airbender is struck, he absorbs the force by blowing his body back like a feather. While Airbenders cannot fly like Peter Pan, they use wind to enhance all of their normal movements. They can run faster [2] by decerasing air resistance; jump higher and farther by creating wind gusts that lift them and allow them to float for a few seconds; slow a long decent by forming a wind cushion; and run up walls and trees by generating a current of wind [6]. A high level attack involves creating a fierce air vortex that sucks in an opponent, rapidly spins him around, and then spits him back out onto the ground [14].
An Airbender's signature tool is his staff. Like all objects in Avatar, the staff does not posses any magical properties. However, it mechanically transforms into a small glider. To propel the glider, an Airbender controls air currents to sustain flight over limited distances [4]. In addition, small propeller blades extend from the top of the staff. Depending on the glider's oreintation, it rockets forward or hovers vertically like a helicopter when an Airbender thrusts wind at its blades. In its untransformed state, an Airbender uses his staff as a weapon to enhance the amouont and power of his attacks and defenses.
While Airbending is the most dynamic of the Bending Arts, it lacks a deadly finishing move. This fact reflects principles of the Air Nomads, which teach that all life is precious and conflict should be avoided whenever possible.
[1] Avoidance Tactic |
[2] Move Rapidly |
[3] Spin at an Incredible Rate |
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[4] Fly Using Staff |
[5] Stop/Suspend Items |
[6] Jump/Fall Great Distances |
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Coming Soon! ^_^ |
[7] Air Storm |
[8] Air Travel |
[9] Air Lance |
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| [10] Mini-Cyclone | [11] Air Ball | [12] Life-Size Cyclone |
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| [13] Break Boulders | [14] Air Vortex | [15] Push/Knock Opponents |
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World of Avatar Additional Info:
Due to the peaceful philisophies of the Airbenders, most will typically
avoid attacks by moving rapidly out of the way [1] or deflecting the attacks
by suspending the item [5] or shifting it aside using an air ball [11].
If they do not have the staff at hand, they can create a ball of air that
they can sit on and move [8] but generally, they rely on their staff for
traveling long distances [4].
When used at great force, Airbending can breaks boulders [13] and offers a variety of attack methods if applied in a different scale. One such example is the Life-Size Cyclone [12] which demands the full use of the Airbenders body to manipulate the air and move giant objects with the same idea scaled down to a Mini-Cyclone [10] which just needs the shifting of the hands to control and move smaller objects.
An Airbender can create a torrent of wind gusts that can blow surrounding people and objects away if strong enough [7]. If used in a desert, an Airbender can use the resulting sandstorm as a cover and retreat or at least demobilize the enemy.
Airbending Games:
One of the games Airbenders play is called Air Ball. The court is made up
of varying heights of logs which is used for standing on and moving the
ball from one area of the court to another by having it hit and bounce off
of it. At each end are sqaure boards that each player stands before. In
the center of the board is a moving circular middle which acts a sort of
"hoop". Each player must prevent the ball from going through the
hoop. The player with the most points wins the game.
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Everyday Application:
Airbending is actually used to fluff the icing on cakes - well, at least
for Monk Gyatso's recipe, Aang's Airbending teacher. It probably makes the
topping into a whipped cream consistency and gives it that oh-so-scrumptuos-looking
swirl [1]. Airbending is also a pretty good skill to pull off some practical
jokes... [3] ^_^
| [1] Swirling the Topping | [2] Practical Joke - Before | ... And After |
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The proud, strong spirit of the Earth Kingdom embodies Earthbending, which uses the ground as a weapon against an opponent. Exceptionally muscular [1], Earthbenders use their strength to overpower opponents. To throw an enemy off balance, an Earthbender physically strikes the ground with this hands or feet, causing localized earthquakes. To dodge an attack, an Earthbender uses the earth as a catapult to buck his body high into the air.
Additional moves include creating fissures as traps for enemies to fall in, and raising slabs of stone for defense and offense [5, 6, 10]. An Earthbender attacks by levitating stones and then propelling them at his enemy [2, 3, 10, 12]. Earthbenders also posses the ability to "magnitize" their limbs to stone, allowing them to scale shear walls and cliffs. A high level maneuver reduces solid ground to quicksand [7], providing a pitfall for approaching enemies.
Earthbending's most significant weakness is its inability to manipulate man altered metals. Firebenders exploit this weakness by smelting metal to remove its natural impurities, and then using it to construct their armor, ships, and forts.
| [1] King Bumi - Over 100 Years Old | [2] Levitation (Typical) | [3] Levitation (Advanced) |
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| [4] Moving - Riding Rocks (Advanced) | [5] Slab (Advanced) | [6] Slab (Typical) |
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| [7] Solid Ground to Quicksand | [8] Breaking the Ground | [9] Splitting a Rock in Two (Advanced) |
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| [10] Group - Slab/Levitation (Advanced) | [11] Group - Levitation (Advanced) | [12] Group - Solidifying Rock |
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| [13] Moving - "Melting" into Ground and Re-emerging at Another Place | ||
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World of Avatar Additional Info:
Earthbenders tend to be in good shape, even for old timers like King Bumi
who is over one hundred years old [1]! Most Earthbender soldiers are bulky
in size with civilian Earthbenders being slightly less built. This may be
due to them taking hits from rocks and the bending of earth to be more physically
intensive than the other elements.
The average Earthbender can levitate boulder-sized rocks [2], create jagged slabs of earth [6] quite easily but it takes much more ability for a lone Earthbender to hold up a humongous boulder [3] or to create a clean cut piece of slab [5]. It also takes a very skilled Earthbender to "ride" rocks [4] and split a large in-coming rock into two pieces [9]. Average Earthbenders can manipulate the ground by creating a shockwave-like attack, unsettling the earth or making rocks jut out [8].
Groups of Earthbenders can band together and shift greater quantities of earth than normally able on their own such as a bigger Leviation/Slab move [10, 11] or to concatenate loose pieces of rock into one solid form [12].
Another high-level moving maneuver was done by King Bumi. Basically, he uses a combination of the "sand" attack where he melts down into the earth, move underground, and re-emerge at another location [13].
One interesting fact about Earthbenders is that in some cases, they are barefooted. I suspect they may do this so they can "feel" the earth and be more "in tune" with it, possibly giving them more of an advantage during combat.
Everday Application:
Earthbending is used in their daily life such as mining and in more advanced
purposes, as gates, doors, and even for mail delivery system. The City of
Omashu, for example, uses Eartbending to open the gates to their city [1,
2, 3] plus in a smaller scale, for moving around the Palace from room to room
[6].
| [1] Entrance of Omashu Closed | [2] Entrance of Omashu Opening | [3] Entrance of Omashu Fully Open |
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| [4] Packages Going Down Slides | [5] Earthbending Packages Up and Over | |
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| [6] Earthbending Doors Open | ||
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Firebending's aggressive, vicious, and direct moves mirror fire's all-consuming nature. Like a predatory animal, a Firebender tracks his prey until it exposes a weakness, then charges in for the kill. In a fight, a Firebender makes up for his lack of defensive moves by overhwleming his opponent with a barrage of blows in a variety of shapes.
A quick kick or jab produces a short-range burst of flame [1], whirlwind kicks generate blazing arcs [2, 3], punches throw compact fireballs, and a series of spinning kicks results in rings of fire exploding outwards in all directions. When several Firebenders combine their energy and attack as one, they are able to shoot missiles of flame at long range [9].
As a fighting style, Firebending focuses on annihilating the opposition, much like the Fire Nation's political aim.
[1] Stream of Fire |
[2] Fire Arcs (Foot) |
[3] Fire Arc (Hand) |
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| [4] Breaking a Fire Attack | [5] Breathing Fire | [6] Bending Fire from Afar |
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| [7] Burning Tapestry Binding Him | [8] Fire Daggers | [9] Group - Stream of Fire |
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| [A] Avatar Roku Bending Group Stream | of Fire and Releasing it Back as Great Big | Wave of Fire |
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World of Avatar Additional Info:
Firebending is usually seem emited from the hand or foot [1, 2, 3] but it
can also come from the mouth [5] or from the body in general [6]. Fire does
not have to be in close range of the body to be manipulated [6] and is actually
bended by using one's breath. Normally, fire flickers wildly but it can be
channeled to create a "solid" piece such as Zuko's fire daggers
[8].
If one Firebender fights another, they can easily bend oncoming attacks by splitting it in two [4], avoiding it, or throwing their arm out and dispelling it. When a group of Firebenders combine their attack, a more intense move is achieved [9] but a Master Firebender can counter such as move as seen in [A]. Here, we see Avatar Roku taking the group attack, bending it around him, and redirecting it back as one giant wave of fire.
Firebender Duel: Agni Kai
Agni Kai is a traditional duel between two Firebenders. Each duelist crouches
on one foot and face their end of the arena [A]. When they are ready to combat,
they rise and turn to face their opponent. The shawl falls off and the duel
begins. The attire for the duel is comprised of just pants and two armbands
[B]. The battle ensues until one is defeated.
Meaning of "Agni Kai":
Agni is the Indian Vedic god of fire. According to Pantheon.org,
"He is the god of fire, the messenger of the gods, the acceptor of sacrifice.
Agni is in everyone's hearth; he is the vital spark of life, and so a part
of him is in all living things; he is the fire which consumes food in peoples'
stomachs, as well as the fire which consumes the offerings to the gods. He
is the fire of the sun, in the lightening bolt, and in the smoke column which
holds up the heavens. The stars are sparks from his flame. He was so important
to the ancient Indians that 200 hymns in the Rig Veda are addressed to him,
and eight of its ten books begin with praises dedicated to him."
Kai, in Japanese, means various things depending on the kanji form (i.e. the Chinese symbols adopted by the Japanese). One of the more likely meanings in the context of a Firebendender Duel is " time, round". If put together, Agni Kai would literally mean "fire time" or "round of fire".
| [A] Agni Kai Uniform w/Shawl | [B] Agni Kai Uniform w/o Shawl |
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Firebending 101:
"Power and Firebending comes from the breath - NOT the muscle.
The breath becomes energy in the body. The energy extends past your limbs
- and becomes fire!"
- General Iroh
(Episode 1, The Boy in the Iceburg)
Like the moon controlling the tides, Waterbenders use their chi to control the gravitational effect on water [4]. In contrast to Fire and Earthbending, Waterbending's strength is its defensive capabilities. Waterbenders redirect the energy from an opponents's attack and use it against him. But Waterbending's intent is to control opponents, not to harm them. The style is evolved from ancient healing practices where the healer redirects energy paths in the body to cure an ailment.
A Waterbender's control of water in liquid, solid, and gas form offers him many defensive maneuvers. He may stop an attacker by encasing his feet in ice, or escape by creating a screen of steam for cover. In a fight, a Waterbender suspends a body of water around his fighting stance, and then lashes out with water whips [3] and powerful waves [2].
If there's no water at the scene of a fight, a Watebender collects all the available moisture from the air the ground around him and concentrates it into an amount suitable to attack and defend. As a backup, a Waterbender always carries a skin of water. While reliance on a water source is a significant weakness of the style, Waterbending at its highest skill level contains the most powerful technique among all the Bending Arts.
At close ranges, an expert Waterbender uses an opponent's body to control an opponent like a puppet master. The tendencies to control rather than destroy, and to heal rather than harm, embody the humane and noble characteristics of the Water Tribes.
[1] Streaming the Water |
[2] Wave |
[3] Water Whip |
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| [4] Moving the Water (Tide) | [5] Freezing | [6] Whirlpools |
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Coming Soon! ^^ |
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| [7] Water Funnel | ||
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World Avatar Additional Info:
Waterbending is the most versatile of the bending with the ability to manipulate
liquid, ice, snow, and fog. It is also the most difficult if there is no source
of water at hand such as in deserts. They can manipulate water that is unseen,
such as sources of water underground or those within a person who has swallowed
too much water (i.e. drowning). An advanced Waterbender may create a funnel
of water to carry him or herself upwards to solid ground [7] or could even
use it to attack groups of enemies and even ships.
Everyday Application:
Aside from treating people medically such as getting water out of a drowning
persons' system, Waterbending may also be used to capture fish by suspending
them within the water.
| [1] Catching Fish | [2] Saving a Drowning Victim | |
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Coming Soon! |