bending information.

[EMMA THE ADMIN]

BENDING

I've created this thread to give our members a better understanding of bending, which is the manipulation of an element, and the bending types, moves, and styles that can be incorporated in roleplay. The posts go in order like so: Water, Earth, Fire, Air, and Energy bending.

The original sources can be found here:
Water Bending
Earth Bending
Fire Bending
Air Bending
Energy Bending

[EMMA THE ADMIN]

WATER BENDING

Waterbending is one of the four elemental Bending Arts, and is the hydrokinetic ability to control water, as well as all its many forms. The people of the Water Tribe utilize this type of bending. In turn, the Water Tribes are divided up in to the Southern Water Tribe, the Northern Water Tribe, and the lesser known Foggy Swamp Tribe.

Water is the element of change. The moon is the source of power in waterbending, and the first waterbenders learnt from the moon by observing how the moon pushed and pulled the tides.The Water Tribes are the only people to not learn Bending from an animal. The fighting style of Waterbending is mostly flowing and graceful; acting in concert with their environment. Waterbenders deal with the flow of energy, they let their defense become their offense, turning their opponents own forces against them.

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• Avatar Yangchen
  
• Avatar Kyoshi
  
• Avatar Kuruk
  
• Avatar Roku
  
• Avatar Aang
  
• Master Paku
  
• Sifu Katara
  
• Princess Yue

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ORIGIN[/u][/COLOR]
The people of the Water Tribe first learned Waterbending by observing how the moon pushed and pulled the tides of the ocean. They then learned how to simulate the effect themselves. As such, they have a strong spiritual connection to the Moon (and its counterpart the Ocean), and any adverse effects on these mediums can affect them too.

According to the episode "The Waterbending Scroll," the word 'waterbending' is written in Chinese as B…_Œ÷, which can be translated as "The Divine Ability to Halt Water".'

FIGHTING STYLE[/u][/COLOR]
Waterbending is based on the style of Tai Chi, which is a Chinese martial art that features slow movements and elegant forms that evoke the feel of flowing water. Waterbending's strength is its defensive capabilities which, rather than supporting a separate set of offensive methods, are transformed into attacks and counters - defense into offense. Rather than simply stopping to deflect an attack, Waterbending's defensive maneuvers focus on control, achieved through turning an opponent's own strength against him, instead of directly harming the opponent. According to Iroh, water is the element of change. Waterbending provides a versatility of experience.

WATERBENDING POWERS

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Water Manipulation: Almost all forms of Waterbending involve moving and shaping a body of water to the user's desire. By simply levitating a large mass of water, Waterbenders can move water anywhere they wish, even parting it under the surface of a lake or sea, allowing them to walk along the bottom of a basin without the need to swim. These large bodies can also be used as weapons, either by shaping them into gigantic whips, swung repeatedly at a target as a snake-like body, or simply dropped onto an opponent to smother them or put out a fire. On the sea or ocean, Waterbending can be used to create giant maelstroms. Aang and Katara used this to see off a giant sea serpent in "The Serpent's Pass".

Snow manipulation: A move that pushes and levitates snow for attack, shielding and defense. Living on the poles of the Earth, Waterbenders are accustomed to living in the snow. The snow is used as the first source when waterbending. They are able to compress the snow together, in order to slice through objects, even metal. Masters like Pakku can bend the snow to make a snow spout, that can carry the bender around and they can still attack and dodge at the same time. This has been seen being done by many waterbenders but mostly in "The Siege of the North, Part 1" and "The Siege of the North, Part 2".


Aang streaming the water.Streaming the Water: Named by Katara, it is a move that draws water from a source that waterbenders move around their bodies. A more advanced version demonstrated by Aang apparently involves "sinking and floating". This move is thought to be used for basic training so that beginning waterbenders can get a "feel" for water, but it is in all actuality a very useful move preformed by waterbenders of every skill level.


A Water Whip.Water Whips: The most frequently seen move involves creating a lashing tendril of water to swipe at an opponent. The shape, size, and length are all determined by a Waterbender's control. More powerful benders can create larger whips or ones of greater finesse. Due to water being incompressible, a whip can be sharpened into a blade that can even slice through metal with relative ease. Katara has shown the ability to create water whips with her feet with great finesse as shown in The Earth King within Book 2.

Water Jets: High pressure jets can be used to force opponents back or even blast clean through a target if focused enough. Water jets are primarily used if the user has intent of severely hurting their opponents. Seen being preformed by Katara in "The Waterbending Scroll".

Waves: By moving a large mass of water without separating it from its original source, water benders can create waves of nearly any size. They do this by using an upward movement and after raising the source, they send away in their desired direction. This can be used to sweep opponents away or even as a form of transport, with the bender surfing on the crest of the wave. This same process can be used to propel waterborne crafts.

Water Bullet: The Water Bullet is a move where a Waterbender bends a large amount of water and sends it in a forceful blow towards their target. It is similar to a Water Jet, but its more for a quick use since the jet takes more concentration. It is seen numerous times throughout the series and is basic yet useful because it takes little time to perform and has a significant effect on the target.


Katara using a water shield.Water Walls/Water Shields: Water can be molded into any shape and can by used to deflect an attack, trap opponents in a viscous body, reshaped and propelled at attackers before they can recover, or solidified into a shield of ice. This diversity and ability to swiftly change to suit the situation is what makes the waterbender's defense so adaptable. Although it is protecting, the shield needs some type of compression or else the shield won't be effective. This is shown when Katara is fighting Zuko in The Siege of the North, Part 1 and the quickly-made shield couldn't block the fire blast.

Water Thermokinesis: Waterbenders also possess thermokinetic abilities regarding their element, meaning that they can alter the physical state of the water they manipulate (between liquid, solid and gas) at will. Changing the phase of water allows for multiple techniques in the course of a battle, from encasing an opponent in ice to hiding behind a wall of mist. Ice and steam/fog can also be molded in a diverse range of shapes. Ice provides a degree of hard lethality since it can be molded into spikes or blades to pin down or impale opponents. Steam or mist can obscure a battlefield and mask movement. Katara made good use of this to enhance her performance as the Painted Lady.

Water Pressure Manipulation: Waterbenders are also able to manipulate water pressure, allowing their techniques to grasp other objects or cutting through without simply parting around them. Since water is incompressible, it can be used as a semi-solid while being able to move and flow like a liquid. Water can be compressed to the level it can slice through metal.

Ice Spikes: Waterbenders can shoot small shards of ice at their opponent, or cause a giant spike to protrude from a body of water. The Northern Water Tribe employs these as a primary defense at their homeland when enemy ships are sighted.


Hama and her Ice Claws.Ice Claws: Shown by Hama, Ice Claws is a move where the bender draws water around their fingers and freeze it. They can also be sent forward, shooting them at an opponent. A Waterbender can also use this as an advantage, being small and unnoticeable, they can hide them in their sleeves just like Mai's Weapons. It can also be assumed that they can also create ice gloves and be used just like the Rock Gloves used by the Dai Li.

Ice Spear: The Ice Spear is a Waterbending move shown to have been used by Southern Waterbenders. It involves freezing a stream of water and then sending the frozen result flying at the target. This move was used by Katara in The Southern Raiders when she is about to strike down Yon Rha, it has also been seen in Avatar games as well as the Avatar TCG.

Ice Creeper: A Waterbender can send a ray of ice on the ground, speeding at an opponent to freeze them. This technique freezes a trail of water beginning with the waterbender performing the move and ending with their targets freezing. This technique was first preformed by Katara in "The Avatar Returns" when she accidentally froze Sokka's feet to the ship.

Ice Shield: A Waterbender can freeze an amount of water in front of them, creating a shield of ice. This technique has been seen many times in the series being preformed by Aang and Katara.

Ice Discs: A Waterbender can create a cylindrical column of ice and proceed to slice razor-sharp sections of it off and send them at an opponent. They are sharp around the edges but all very thin, since Master Pakku was able to break them with his wrists.

Breath of Ice: A Waterbender can use their breath to rapidly freeze objects, such as metallic chains, or an opponent. For a more advanced version of the technique, the user takes a deep breath and exhales the air as a cloud of freezing mist. Katara used this technique in "Jet" to freeze Jet to a tree and in "The Awakening" where she stopped the warship from sinking by temporarily freezing a hole in the ships hull. Aang and Roku have used this technique before (possibly combined with airbending) to freeze lava.

Water Knife: The ability to compress water, allowing for the sharp edge of a knife. It enables a Waterbender to effortlessly cut through metal, wood and stone. This technique has been used numerous times throughout the series but it is most notable used was by Katara in "The Runaway".

Water Cloak: A Waterbender can use their water as armor with tentacles-like arms the bender can use these arms to grab objects, whip enemies, blast enemies with water and freeze them. if a waterbender wants to save water he/she can just make the arms instead of the whole cloak. this technique was first shown by Katara in the episode "The Crossroads of Destiny". [/BLOCKQUOTE]

MASTER LEVEL[/u][/COLOR]
The mark of a master Waterbender is the ability to swiftly change from one state of water to another and rapidly switch techniques during combat, keeping the opponent off guard while constantly adapting to the enemy as demonstrated by Master Pakku. For example, he deflected a stream of water away from himself, froze it, and used it to slide behind Katara and counterattacked.

Bubble: When in need to cross large bodies of water, capable Waterbenders are able to create a bubble around themselves, keeping an air supply for them and for others. It was used by Aang and Katara in "The Serpent's Pass" and by Katara twice so that she and Appa could submerge, during "The Day of Black Sun, Part 1: The Invasion" and "The Southern Raiders".

Water Drill: A high-pressure, rotating column of water. Capable of exerting a significant amount of pressure upon a solid surface, that allows the action of a drill. The move takes mastery of Waterbending since the motions to create a constantly twisting body of water takes bending skill. This technique was first seen being preformed by Avatar Roku's waterbending teacher in "The Avatar and the Fire Lord".

Water Spout: This high-level technique involves controlling a whirlpool-like pillar of water as a weapon, rotating it and directing its movements at the same time. Another form exists, which is nicknamed the "Water Snake", in accordance to the waterspout's constantly shifting and coiling movements. Forms a giant snake of water around the lower body, elevating them from the ground. First shown by Aang in "The Avatar Returns", Master Pakku has been seen preforming this technique, as well as a minor version preformed by Katara in the episode "The Crossroads of Destiny" to bring Aang up and out of the catacombs.

Octopus form: A body of water formed around the user into 8 or so whip-like limbs which can be used to grasp or strike an opponent or to intercept and seize incoming attacks. It is assumed that this requires a great deal of concentration. This technique was first shown in "The Cave of Two Lovers" by Aang when training with Katara. It was seen a second time in "The Crossroads of Destiny" when Katara was fighting the Dai Li.

Ice Dome: A highly advanced technique, as demonstrated by Katara in The Siege of the North Part 1, a Waterbender may surround a foe in a viscous sphere of water and then freeze it, trapping their opponent inside.

Ice Floor: With a sufficient amount of water a master can cover a large area of the ground with ice, trapping enemies' feet in ice and allowing the waterbender to slide around. Pakku performed this during the Order of the White Lotus invasion of Ba Sing Se.

Ice Prison: This technique covers an opponent in a prison made of ice. By finely controlling the position of the person within, this technique can restrict the motions of a Waterbender's hands, thus rendering them powerless.

Katara and Aang making a whirlpool.Maelstrom: In a large body of water, a Waterbender can create a gigantic whirlpool. This technique is executed by Aang and Katara during the "Serpent's Pass" while fighting the serpent.

Mass Freeze: A Waterbender can freeze multiple targets at once. Making them slow down or even surrounding them with ice first shown by Katara in "The Avatar Returns".

Water Dome: A master Waterbender can collect water from the rain, forming a dome which can be used for both offense and defense. Katara used this in "The Southern Raiders".

Ice Ramp: Waterbenders can manipulate ice as a mean of short transportation, as seen by Katara in "The Runaway" when training with Aang and Toph.

Razor Rings: An experienced Waterbender can create multiple simultaneous water rings capable of cutting. Katara used this in "The Swamp" against Huu.

SPECIAL TECHNIQUES

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Cloudbending: In, "The Fortuneteller", it's shown that (because clouds are made with water and air), a skilled Waterbender or Airbender can manipulate them easily to create various shapes (used in that instance to provide a message to nearby villagers). It was later used as a defense by Aang and his friends to disguise their flights on Appa while moving about the Fire Nation. It is unknown if a Waterbender can perform this technique without an Airbender and vice versa.

Sweat Manipulation: First shown by Katara ("The Runaway"), resourceful Waterbenders can bend their own sweat to be used as a makeshift weapon or tool in the case of being separated from other sources of water.

Condensation: Not only can skilled Waterbenders condense clouds into a usable source of water when they are within close range of one ("The Desert"), but they also can condense invisible water vapor right out of the air ("The Puppetmaster"). Although, due to the limited quantities of water present in the air (1% at most of the earth's atmosphere is vapor) the amount of water extracted from the air is quite minute.

Plantbending: A member of the Foggy Swamp Tribe, Huu, has illustrated that talented Waterbenders can manipulate plant life--from the highly water-saturated vines and roots found within the swamp lands and seaweed from the ocean floor--they can even rapidly regenerate the plant mass of the plants they bend (since the cell tissues of a plant is more versatile than the cell tissues of an animal--and why Bloodbending can only be achieved on the nights of the full moon; see below), all by bending the ample amount of water within them just as they can with watery mud.


Hama bending water from Fire liliesGoing further, a skilled Waterbender is able to separate and completely extract the water from plants for more effective utilization just as they are able to separate the water from mud, sand, and even polluted river systems, etc. In the case of plant life, this process will then leave behind the withered remains of all the affected plant life or even making them collapse in the case of large trees.

Bloodbending: Bloodbending is introduced in the episode "The Puppetmaster". Since the human body is roughly 70% water, Bloodbending does not necessarily bend blood, but the fluids in onefs body, allowing the user to manipulate a body's muscles to move as they wish or to stop movement completely. Potentially, a Bloodbender could stop a victim's heart or crush his/her internal organs, though this has not been stated. Bloodbending can only be performed at night during the full moon. Though some people believe Katara used Bloodbending without a full moon in the Southern Raiders, this is incorrect, due to the moon being full during the episode, which barely spanned three days, while moon phases last a week.

Only two people, Katara and Hama, have been shown to mastered this technique. Despite having lived in the Fire Nation now, Hama originated from the Southern Water Tribe. She discovered this technique during her long imprisonment by the Fire Nation. She first figured out how to preform the technique by bending the water inside the prison rats when her power was enhanced during a full moon. She then manipulated the prison guards forcing them to open her cage and prevent them from following her. Hama later used it to kidnap Fire Nation civilians, making them literally walk into her clutches and imprison them, but she was later found and arrested.

Bloodbending is considered to be quite a sinister art since it forces the bender's will over the victim's will. Katara was forced by Hama to learn this technique in order to stop her from making Sokka kill Aang, which she found quite upsetting when she realised she learnt it. In "The Southern Raiders", Katara used Bloodbending to subdue the leader of the Southern Raiders, allowing Zuko to properly interrogate him. Once she realized he was not the man who killed her mother, she released him from her control.

Solutions: It has been shown that Waterbenders can bend any liquid that is partially water, or anything that contains water. In "Bato of the Water Tribe", Katara bent the contents of the abbey's perfume vats. She has also been seen to use Waterbending to stir and ladle stew into bowls, and has bent mud as well. In "The Drill", Katara halted the flow of the slurry on the back of the drill to prevent Ty Lee from following her. Later on, with Toph's aid, they were able to push the slurry back into the drill. Katara was also seen to bend mud when she and Toph ended up fighting when they were supposed to be training Aang in "The Runaway". In the same episode, Katara bends soup right into Appa's mouth from a pot. In "The Southern Raiders", Katara bended ink to make a Fire Nation official leave the room so she and Zuko could search through the files about the current location of the Southern Raiders. In "Sozin's Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King," Aang thinks of using "gluebending" to defeat Ozai, suggesting that a Waterbender can bend glue.

Water Run: This is a technique in which Waterbenders would use all four limbs to run on water at very high speeds, in addition to riding on foreign objects with the same purpose. This technique is first used in "The Serpent's Pass", when Katara forms an ice surfboard and increases her speed in order to effectively freeze the Serpent's midsection without being hit; unfortunately the Serpent broke out. Katara used it a second time in "The Painted Lady" to cross the lake to the village, and Aang did a variation of this by freezing blocks of ice to use as stepping stones. Katara also used this technique in "Sozin's Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King" when the Gang was having a "beach party". She used a surfboard made of ice to move effortlessly across the water much like wakeboarding or surfing (regardless of the fact that the water was calm). Lastly, Aang uses this against Ozai in "Sozin's Comet, Part 3: Into The Inferno" to run from Ozai's attacks after being knocked off a cliff.

Steam Manipulation: A technique that allows waterbenders to manipulate steam. They can produce it from any water source. It can be used to freeze people or objects. It can also be used for cover. Katara made good use of the technique in "The Awakening" when she used steam to cover the ship for safety and in "The Painted Lady", when she surrounded herself in steam to create an eerie atmosphere.

Waterbenders can sometimes use a unique sub-skill: the ability to heal wounds by redirecting energy paths (or chi) throughout the body, using water as a catalyst. Waterbenders can use their abilities to heal by surrounding a sick or injured person with water, which then glows with a brilliant, silver-colored light.
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WEAKNESSES[/u][/COLOR]
External Water Source: A Waterbender gains a significant advantage or disadvantage over other benders depending on the amount of water in the vicinity. Enemies are able to take advantage of this by driving them away from water sources. As a result, traveling waterbenders often carry a water skin with them at all times. Master waterbenders are able to extract water from plants (ultimately killing the plant), sweat and even out of thin air. Both the latter and the former of course, cannot yield very large quantities of water particularly in the case of water vapour use, which depends on weather conditions.

Binding: Waterbending is almost entirely dependent on the movement of the bender's arms, quite the opposite to earthbending which mostly uses the lower body. This leaves the Waterbender vulnerable when he or she is bound at the hands or has had the flow of chi blocked in the arms. Few instances in the series have been seen where Waterbending was performed with the lower body, such as when Katara anchored her feet in ice during her fight with Master Pakku, or when she created a piece of ice to use as a surfboard when fighting a giant sea serpent. Another lower body technique is outlined on the Waterbending scroll stolen by Katara, from which both she and Aang learned a technique named the Water Whip. However, Katara used her feet when she fought the guard Earthbenders, in the Royal Palace, in the episode "The Earth King", performing a larger than normal water whip. In The Puppetmaster, Hama briefly tells Katara how the Fire Nation prison guards bound the waterbenders' arms each time they were given water to drink, emphasising their helplessness.

Emotional State: A Waterbender's power comes from the internal life energy chi. Due to this, a Waterbender's power is connected to his or her present emotional state. If an inexperienced Waterbender were to lose his or her temper, their Waterbending force is intensified, but in turn, control is lost. This was demonstrated twice by Katara, the first occasion ironically serving as the catalyst of the series. Although this has the potential to be quite dangerous, it also serves as a boon to a bender with proper training and experience, as well as balance over his or her emotions, as shown by Katara in "The Southern Raiders", where even with a full moon, her Waterbending seemed stronger than usual, being able to turn her anger into focus.


Lunar eclipse caused when Admiral Zhao captured and later killed the Moon Spirit.Lunar Eclipse: Another Waterbending weakness is its dependence on the moon (see below). Although Waterbenders gain power from the moon (with Waterbending at its zenith during full moons), the moon's absence during an eclipse results in a complete loss of Waterbending ability (as seen in The Siege of the North, Part 2).

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[EMMA THE ADMIN]

EARTH BENDING

Earthbending is one of the four elemental Bending Arts, the geokinetic ability to manipulate earth and rock, in all its various forms. It is used by people of the Earth Kingdom.

Earth is the element of substance, making Earthbenders and their people in general proud, persistent and enduring. The first Earthbenders, Oma and Shu, learned their art from the Badgermoles.
The key to Earthbending is neutral jing, which involves waiting and listening for the right moment to strike, and when that moment comes, acting decisively. In other words Earthbenders generally endure their enemies' attacks until the right opportunity to counterattack reveals itself, then strike with unyielding force.

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• Avatar Aang
  
• Toph BeiFong
  
• Long Feng
  
• The Dai Li
  
• Badger Moles
  
• Haru

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ORIGIN[/U]
Humans first learned Earthbending by observing and imitating the geokinetic powers of Badgermoles that naturally inhabit the mountains in what is now Earth Kingdom territory. According to legend, known widely as "The Legend of the Two Lovers," two star-crossed lovers named Oma and Shu (¨¤ la Romeo and Juliet
remove this...if themes page created, move there
), who came from separate villages that were at war against one another, learned the art to meet within the mountain that divided them. To make sure that no one could ever find them, they used their new abilities, in which they learned from the badgermoles, to create a labyrinth of tunnels inside this mountain where they knew they could only find their way to one another. One day, after many meetings in the series of passageways, the man did not come to see his lover, as he had died; a casualty of the villages' quarrel. His lover showcased a devastating assault of her powers and ultimately proclaimed the feud over. Then, the villages collaborated to construct a city, Omashu, in their honor. The pathways they made by Earthbending became known as "The Cave of Two Lovers."
'Earthbending' is written as ß\ÍÁÐg which in literal terms actually means 'move earth art' in Chinese.


Earthbending is generally based on the Hung Gar style of Kung Fu, which features heavily rooted stances and strong kicks and punches that evoke the mass and power of earth. The martial art is based on the movements of animals, including the tiger, which is utilized when initiating hard blows, and the crane, which is used to land gently back on the Earth. There are exceptions to this rule - the blind Earthbender, Toph's, style is based on Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu (using its precise stepping to maintain contact with the ground for her to "see"). Earthbenders typically go barefoot, to increase their connection with the earth.

Earthbending differs from the other bending arts in that it maintains a distinct balance between offensive and defensive capabilities (though water involves a more refined version by channeling defense into offense). Earthbending uses a balance of strength and defense to overwhelm opponents.

The principle of Jing is the essence of battle strategy, with a total of 85 possible actions. Positive Jing occurs when one chooses to fight while negative Jing is when one chooses to evade. The Earthbending discipline stresses Neutral Jing, which involves listening, waiting, and attacking at the right moment. King Bumi stresses this in his tactics against the Fire Nation.

According to Iroh, earth is the element of substance.

ABILITIES

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Haru Earthbending.Earth & Stone Levitation: The most common attack, involves levitating nearby earth and stone of numerous sizes (more powerful benders can move larger masses), and propelling them at foes by punching or kicking motions.


Rock Shield.Rock Shield: A levitated slab of rock can also double as a shield when positioned in front of a Bender. This can also be performed as a slab or sheet of bedrock thrust out of the earths surface. The shield can be hurled at the oppenent for a more offensive move.


Master Yu sinking a man in earth.Earth Sinking: More advanced Earthbenders, such as the Boulder, Master Yu, and General Fong, can forcibly sink their opponents into the ground, imprisoning them or even suffocating them in earth.


Toph creating a fissure.Earthquakes/Fissures: Striking the ground with feet, fists, or hammers creates localized earthquakes or fissures to throw opponents off-balance. This same process can be used to sculpture a landmass or to slice large chunks of rock clean of a surface to create avalanches or rockfalls. More advanced Earthbenders can make very narrow fissures for precise attacks.


Dai Li agents raising blocks of earth.Earth Block: Earthbenders can bring up blocks of earth, and launch them at their enemies.


The Earth Gauntlet.Earth Gauntlet: A much less advanced version of Earth armor that can be used to throw back opponents with hard solid force. Aang used this technique when fighting against Azula in The Drill.

Quicksand: By turning the ground to quicksand to immobilize an enemy, or catapult into the air and soften the earth to ensure a safe landing. They can also do the reverse of this, compacting sand together to create harder projectiles or a firmer grip on the ground.

Rock Slide: If an Earthbender is near a cliff or mountain, he or she can cause many rocks of a multitude of sizes to fall down on his or her opponent. The Canyon Guide demonstrated that it would be possible to redirect the path of a rock slide. This is shown when he protects his "customers" from getting crushed.


Toph raises an Earth Column.Earth Column: A more powerful version of rock projectiles, involving forcing columns of rock out of the ground. Using a similar principle an Earthbender can shoot a stream of small ruts and protrusions from underground at their opponent. This can also be used to enhance the benders jumps. It is however limited to the ground and does not have the same range as a rock projectile.

Earth Wall: Earthbenders can create walls of earth, which can be used for both defense and offense, and practical things, like construction.

Earth Line: As an offensive attack, Earthbenders can create a line of twisted columns and propel it forward.

Earth Material Manipulation: Earthbending is not limited to rock or soil alone. An Earthbender can also manipulate coal, gems, crystals, and other earth-based material, like meteorites.

Rock Hanging: Earthbenders also possess limited magnetic capabilities, allowing them to grasp vertical surfaces and cling unsupported to earthen structures. The Dai Li are the only ones that have demonstrated this ability, although it may be that they are using their earth gloves to cling on the surfaces.

Earth Launch: While Earthbenders like being rooted to the ground (some like Toph can't see in the air), they can quickly move rock beneath them and launch several tens of feet into the air, whether to catch airbourne opponents or to travel faster. Both Toph and Bumi do this in "Sozin's Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters" and "Sozin's Comet, Part 3: Into The Inferno".

Earth Compression: It is possible for Earthbenders to compress large chunks of rock into smaller, denser chunks, or to compress several smaller chunks into one big piece of rock. In "Imprisoned", Haru and his father Tyro used this technique, compressing several small pieces of coal into one big coal boulder. The fact two Earthbenders were required to perform it suggests that this technique is quite hard, possibly causing too much strain if used by a single Earthbender. [/BLOCKQUOTE]

MASTER LEVEL[/U]
Aang in crystal armor.Earth Tunneling: Earthbenders can move through the earth to out-maneuver their foes either by opening tunnels or by pulling the earth past them, literally swimming through the ground.

Earth Armor: Earthbenders can bring rocks, dusts, pebbles or crystals around them and mold them to fit their body and create something similar to armor. They can also hide inside the earth by bending the rock around them as a shell. Later, it is demonstrated by Toph that metal can be used as armor as well. Aang used this technique with crystals against Azula in "The Crossroads of Destiny", and again with normal rocks against Ozai in "Sozin's Comet, Part 3: Into The Inferno".


Earth Wave.Earth Wave: Earthbenders create a wave of earth that they ride on and use as a form of transportation, as Aang and Toph have both done in "The Crossroads of Destiny" as well as Roku and Sud in "The Avatar and the Fire Lord". They can also force a wave of earth outwards, and use it as an extremely powerful offensive attack, as Aang was seen doing in "The Avatar State".

Earth Bomb: By sending a rock towards the ground, Earthbenders can cause massive damage as well as throw their opponents off their feet. Aang used it in "The Crossroads of Destiny" against Zuko, almost gaining the upper hand of the battle before the Dai Li intervened.

Remote Earthbending: If an Earthbender is suspended from the ground, but is aware that there is earth somewhere near, the Earthbender can focus his energies and bend that earth out of his physical reach out of sheer concentration. This was shown in a flashback in "Sozin's Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters", when Bumi tells Team Avatar (sans Aang) how he freed himself during the eclipse. Bumi managed to summon some roof tiles and pieces of walls to rip open the front of his metal coffin. In "Sozin's Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang", Aang uses this technique to summon rocks for his Elemental Sphere while in the Avatar State.

VARIATIONS

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Metalbending is a ferrokinetic sub-skill of Earthbending developed by Toph. Most Earthbenders are unable to affect processed metals. Usually, the trace amount of earth still present in metal is so minute that it goes undetected even to the best Earthbenders. However, due to her ability to "see" earth, Toph is able to locate the small fragments of earth in metal, target them, and utilize them to "bend" the metal portion, although, in the beginning, she was not able to bend metal with the same power or ease seen in normal Earthbending. However, by the time of the return of Sozin's Comet she seems to have overcome that problem.

Sandbending: Sandbenders are Earthbenders who have adapted to live in the Si Wong Desert. They use Earthbending in a specialized style, which emphasizes the manipulation of sand. They move quickly in the desert on specialized wooden catamaran sailers that are propelled by bending miniature, localized sandstorms behind their sails. Because sand is sediment which travels in flows, their style resembles Air and Waterbending more than Earthbending. It is displayed that most, if not all, Earthbenders are capable of easily bending sand, but because of the loose shifty nature of sand it is not an easy transition for the average Earthbender. The Sandbenders of the Desert are especially proficient with it due to their particular habitat. After the events at Si Wong Desert, Toph practiced her Sandbending, achieving a mastery over it that allowed her to create an extremely detailed sand version of Ba Sing Se in "Sozin's Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King".

Mudbending: It has been seen that Earthbenders can bend earth in mud as well. In The Drill, Katara halted the flow of the slurry on the back of the drill to prevent Ty Lee from following her. Later on with Toph's aid, they were able to push the slurry back into the drill. Also seen when Katara and Toph end up fighting when they were supposed to be training Aang in The Runaway.

Rock Gloves: The Dai Li have mastered a rock glove technique. Similar to Earth Armor, they cover their hands in small rocks then project them at a target as bullets or compacted fists to blugden the opponent. A more refined and favored method however is to use them as detachable hands, maintaining the hand shape and literally grabbing and restraining the opponent from a distance.


Toph "seeing" with Earthbending.Seismic Sense: A technique originally used by the blind badgermoles, skilled Earthbenders are able to sense vibrations through the ground, "seeing" by sensing their surroundings and making a mental image of it. It allows for 360 degree "vision", outside of normal line-of-sight. To operate, the user needs direct contact with the ground, preferably without something like shoes in between. It only works on earth-based material, including metal- practicioners cannot use the ability on non-earth grounding like ice. Being blind, Toph constantly uses this technique to navigate the world; she describes it as "kind of like seeing with my feet". During his training with Toph, Aang also developed this ability; they are the only known humans to use this technique. Aang used this during a three-way training section with Toph and Katara, and again during his fight against Ozai. Due to Toph's extensive use of the technique, she has discovered other applications of it. She is capable of identifying people by the way they walk, and can almost always tell if someone is lying by sensing his or her physical reactions, such as breathing and heart rate. It is also the basis of her unique ability of Metalbending.
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[EMMA THE ADMIN]

FIRE BENDING

Firebending is one of the four elemental Bending Arts, which utilizes the pyrokinetic ability to create and control fire. The people of the Fire Nation, and the lesser known Sun Warrior Tribe practice this type of bending.

Fire is the element of power, overpowering force tempered by unflinching will to accomplish tasks and desires; however, the recently militaristic Fire Nation have twisted this into Firebending being fueled by rage and anger. Firebending draws its power from the sun, and the first Firebenders learned their techniques from the dragons.

Firebending is notable for its intensive attacking style, and general lack of adequate defense moves, although some notable Firebenders can create defensive moves. For example; Jeong Jeong can create fire walls, and Zuko can easily block and shoot down incoming objects.

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• Avatar Aang
  
• Avatar Roku
  
• Firelord Zuko
  
• Princess Azula
  
• Combustion Man

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ORIGIN[/U]
It has been revealed that Firebenders learned Firebending from the sacred dragons that had once populated their land. They discovered that Firebending represents harmony and life, not rage and anger as the modern Fire Nation would have its citizens believe.

Firebenders draw their powers from the sun and other solar objects. A solar eclipse has the potential to completely negate a Firebender's power, revealing a direct connection between the sun and Firebending. Additionally, after defeating Katara at the rise of the sun, during The Siege of the North, Zuko stated that "you rise with the moon, I rise with the sun", further emphasizing and demonstrating the sun's importance to Firebending.

Based on the Chinese text of Jeong Jeong's wanted poster, the word "Firebending" is written as §‰ÎžQ, roughly translated as "the method of controlling fire".

ABILITIES

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Fireballs: a basic ability; jabs and punches produce miniature fireballs and missiles of flame. These can be charged up (refer to Charged Attacks) to create larger slower bursts, or swift repetitive strikes to keep opponents off balance.


Aang and Zuko creating large streams of fireFire Streams: another basic firebending ability, Firebenders can shoot continuous streams of fire from their fingertips, fists, palms, or legs. These streams can be widened to create flame-thrower like techniques. Fire Nation soldiers are often seen using this technique to damage or destroy villages or towns.

Blazing Rings & Arcs: Spinning kicks or sweeping arm movements create rings and arcs to slice larger, more widely spaced, or evasive targets.

Fire Bomb: A more short range attack, a Firebender can create a flame at the end of a limb, and thrust the flame down in a explosive burst. Zuko was seen doing this in "The Chase" and both Zuko and Aang are seen doing this at the beginning of their routine in "The Ember Island Players." Ozai uses an extremely powerful version of this to break through Aang's Earth Shield.

Fire Daggers: Creating blowtorch-like jets from the fist or fingertips to use as close range sword-like attacks. These lack the ability to actually block physical objects though.

Fire Whip: An extension of a fire stream, this continuous stream of flame can be used as a whip. Zuko uses a larger version of this in his fight in Ba Sing Se, creating streams of great length for continuous mid-range combat.

Fire Blade: A more advanced version of a blazing arc, Firebenders can narrow their fire arcs to create thin blades of fire that they can launch at their opponents. Azula uses this technique in "The Chase" when she cuts apart a wall. Zuko uses this in "The Crossroads of Destiny" to free Azula from Katara's water whips.

Fire Lashes: An even further extension of the Fire Whip/Stream, Firebenders can create a long lash of Fire, and bring them down on their enemies, like Azula did to Aang in "The Chase", or create smaller, multiple lashes and envelop an area with fire, like Zuko did in "Sozin's Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King".


Sun Warriors creating Fire Circles, for use in their ritualFire Circle: A technique demonstrated by the Sun Warriors. They create a circle of fire, and suspend it in the air for an extended period of time. The only time they are seen, these circles were made with the Original Flame. It may be that this technique is exclusively used in the Sun Warriors' religious rituals, and has no use in combat, as it's never seen anywhere else.

Shield of Fire: Creates a protective fire shield around the front of, or the whole body of, a Firebender that can deflect attacks and explosions. May be a less powerful version of the Wall of Flames.

Heat Control: Certain advanced Firebenders appear to have the ability to control heat. Using this technique, Firebenders can heat liquids, like water or tea, heat metal to scalding temperatures, or melt ice. Controlling heat may be related to Sozin's Heat Absorption technique.


Zuko blocking Azula's fire attackBlocking Fire: A skilled Firebender can diffuse and extinguish an oncoming fire blast from another Firebender with a swift kick, jab, or defensive movements, allowing them to stop attacks.

The Dancing Dragon: This Firebending form was learned from the sacred statues that were hidden atop the ancient civilization of the Sun Warriors. It involves a more fluid and natural form of firebending. It is a simple yet, possibly, very powerful Firebending form, as it also brings advantages for more skilled Firebenders; upon integrating it into his own style Zuko's abilities increased to the point that he was able to duel evenly with Azula, successfully dispelling her attacks instead of overcoming it or trying to endure them. It is also one of the few to employ defensive capabilities. There is a circular nature to the technique, which somehow communicates with actual dragons.
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MASTER LEVEL[/U]
Fire Disks: A whirling disk of flame, used at long range. Only Azula has shown the ability to create these. In "The Earth Kingdom Chronicles: The Tale of Azula", she calls this her "pinwheel attack".

Charged Attacks: Certain Firebenders have been shown charging their attacks before releasing them, allowing them to create enormous blasts of fire. Zuko and Iroh used a combined charged attack against Aang, in "The Avatar Returns". Zhao may have charged some of his attacks before releasing them when he fought Aang in "The Deserter". Azula used this skill in "The Drill" against Aang. Zuko was shown using this technique in "The Crossroads of Destiny" against both Aang and Katara. Iroh also used a charged fire blast against Dai Li agents in the same episode. In "Sozin's Comet, Part 3: Into The Inferno", Fire Lord Ozai used a charged fire blast from his airship to begin his assault on the Earth Kingdom. Fire Lord Sozin may have used a charged blast against Avatar Roku when he unleashed a wave of fire against him in "The Avatar and the Fire Lord"


Jeong Jeong creating a fire wallWall of Flames: One of Firebending's few defensive abilities, either a situated explosion or controlled inferno, this wall concentrated flames acts as a barrier to incoming attacks. It may be a more powerful version of a Fire Shield. It not only protects against attacks, but when used right, can be used to stealthily escape from foes. Azula once used it to deflect four simultaneous attacks from all four elements to provide herself a stealthy escape. Zuko used it to stop a combustion attack (although he was still being pushed back by the force). Master Jeong Jeong also used this method to stop a group of Fire Navy patrol boats; so precise was his control he could allow the flames to burn on water. He later created another wall/shield to deflect four Firebending attacks, and escaped from Zhao. Later in "Sozin's Comet, Part 3: Into The Inferno", Jeong Jeong used the technique to push back several Fire Nation tanks, which shows that it can also be an offensive move. It should be noted that at that instance, Firebending was being powered by Sozin's Comet.


Sozin redirects heatHeat Redirection: Only seen performed by Fire Lord Sozin, maybe unique to him or simply an advanced technique. Heat absorption allows for the absorption of heat from one hand and passing through one's body and out the other hand. Used to cool down the lava during the eruption that destroyed Avatar Roku's town. It appears to operate on a similar principle to Iroh's redirection of lightning technique.


Zuko augmenting fireFire Augmentation: Firebenders can also control the size and intensity of any nearby flames and can draw them in and manipulate them at will. Avatar Roku used this method to protect himself and counter an attack by Zhao and his soldiers while his spirit was channeled by Aang. In "The Deserter", Jeong Jeong augments the fire in his candles while he is discouraging Aang. When Azula scared Chan in The Beach, it can be seen that the torch behind Azula also fell under her Firebending, as it burned bright blue. Zuko augmented a fire in the same episode, while he was confronting his anger issues. A simpler example is when Fire Lords are in the throne. As shown in "The Storm" and "Zuko Alone", when Ozai and Azulon got angry, the flames rose up higher and burned more rapidly. The prime example is shown in "Sozin's Comet, Part 3: Into The Inferno" when Azula is on the throne, all the flames around her, and in the room are all burning bright blue.


Azula propelling herselfJet Propulsion: Skilled Firebending masters are able to conjure huge amounts of flame to propel themselves at high speeds on the ground or through the air. It was first demonstrated by Azula during her battle with Aang in "The Crossroads of Destiny". During the fight, Azula releases the flames she used to propel herself horizontally, which blasted Aang backwards. In the "The Boiling Rock, Part 2" Azula uses this skill to propel herself through the air, as she is pursuing Zuko, Sokka, and Suki when they are escaping the prison. In "The Southern Raiders" when Azula is knocked off an airship, she uses a smaller burst of fire to propel herself on to a cliff, saving herself from falling to her death. In the series finale, Ozai and Jeong Jeong are shown to also be capable of utilizing this skill with much more proficiency than Azula has ever shown, though this is possibly due to the arrival of Sozin's Comet enhancing their abilities. Azula and Zuko both executed this technique while powered by the comet during their Agni Kai.

WEAKNESSES

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Poor Breath Control: It is said that true Firebending power comes not from physical size nor strength, but rather from the very control of one's breath. Firebender discipline stresses self-restraint and breath control as a means of directing and containing the fire manifested. Poor breath control means dangerously poor control of any fire generated. For this reason, breathing exercises are one of the most critical first steps for beginning Firebenders.

Though anger and rage or other intense emotions can amplify the power of Firebending, it can lead to dangerous explosions or wildfires and cause any nearby flames to burn out of control. The enlightened Firebending master Jeong Jeong repeatedly stressed this importance during his instruction of Aang, who accidentally burned Katara when he refused to listen.

Lack of Defense: The major combat weakness behind the applied art of Firebending is its confrontational nature. Due to its aggressiveness and pursuit of continuous assault, it traditionally lacks basic defensive techniques, which can leave a unexperienced bender considerably vulnerable to enemy counterattacks, though masters such as Jeong Jeong can effectively use Firebending for defense. It also consumes a vast amount of energy leaving the bender at a considerable disadvantage in a prolonged battle. A common mark of a Firebending master is the ability to sustain attacks for long periods.


Zuko's Firebending was briefly weakened when he joined Team Avatar, due to losing his previous drive to capture AangLack of Drive: In order to Firebend properly, one must have 'inner fire', his or her drive, without which one's Firebending becomes weak. After joining the Avatar, Zuko's Firebending became noticeably weaker, because for three years, hunting the Avatar was his drive. Aang, being traumatized by his first experience with Firebending, was too afraid to "give it some juice", as said by Zuko. Both overcame their problems after meeting with the masters Ran and Shao, who taught them the true meaning of Firebending, restoring their drives.

Solar Eclipse: Its connection to the sun results in a lessening of strength during the night and a complete loss of Firebending during a solar eclipse (see below).

Extreme Cold: As seen in The Boiling Rock, Part 1 and The Boiling Rock, Part 2, cold temperatures reduce a Firebender's abilities; the prison on the Boiling Rock uses insulated chambers (the coolers) and piped in cold air as a punishment for those prisoners who use Firebending. While in disguise, Sokka is told by a guard that Chit Sang "he won't be Firebending in there". However, this can be overcome, as Zuko is shown using his breath of fire to stay warm while he detaches the cooler as part of Sokka's escape plan.

Other Circumstances: A Firebender's power may decrease in any situation which might extinguish their flames, such as being underwater or caught in the rain. Zuko overcame this while underwater in the North pole by melting ice by heating it with direct contact.
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[EMMA THE ADMIN]

AIR BENDING

Airbending is one of the four elemental bending arts, the aerokinetic ability to control and manipulate currents of air. The peaceful Air Nomads utilized this type of bending in their everyday lives.

Air is the element of freedom. Airbenders continually sought spiritual enlightment, the result being that all Air Nomads are benders. The first Airbenders learned from the Sky Bison.

The key to Airbending is flexibility, finding and following the path of least resistance. Airbending is notable for being almost entirely defensive, however it is reputed to be the most dynamic of the four bending arts. Airbenders can overwhelm many opponents at once with large and powerful attacks that could prove fatal; however due to the pacifist nature of the Air Nomads such attacks are forbidden.

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• Avatar Aang
  
• Appa
  
• Momo

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ORIGIN[/U]
It is said that Airbenders first learned their bending from the Flying Bison, a sacred creature in the Air Nomads' culture. The Bison typically use their massive beaver-like tail to create gusts of wind, and as the name suggests, can fly without any visible means of propulsion. It is also said that the Airbenders had borrowed the arrow mark from the Flying Bison for their tattoos. These tattoos symbolize a person's mastery of the Airbending art, and are given to a practitioner once their training is complete. Unlike other nations, all Air Nomads are born Airbenders, do to the high amount of spirituality infused in the culture.

On Aang's wanted poster in The Blue Spirit and Sozin's scroll in The Avatar and the Firelord, the word Airbending is written as ½ØšâÉñ¹¦ (ji¨¦ q¨¬ sh¨¦n g¨­ng) which translates as "The Divine Ability to Halt Air", while the word Airbender is written as ïLÃ{¹¦ŽŸ (f¨¥ng xi¨¦ g¨­ng sh¨©) which translates as "Wind-Coercing Master".

ABILITIES

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Air Manipulation: By using circular, evasive movements, Airbenders build up massive inertia; this buildup of energy is released as massive power. It also allows for wind-based counterattacks that knock opponents off-balance, mimicking the sudden directional shifts of air currents. Attacks vary from simple gusts of wind to miniature tornadoes and cyclones, maintaining the circular theme. Even a simple movement can create a air gust, and Airbenders increase the power of their moves by performing larger sweeps and spins, using the momentum of their movement to simulate larger gusts. This is also demonstrated with their use of staffs or fans to increase or create precision within the air currents.


An Air Shield.Air Shields: The most common defensive tactic involves circling enemies, suddenly changing direction when attacked and evading by physical movement rather than bending. However, an Airbender can still deflect as needed by throwing up gusts of air close to their bodies as a shield. This is rarely to stop attacks directly and more often pushes the attack aside and away, conserving energy and allowing them to turn the movement into an attack at the same moment. Since air can affect almost all physical objects, it can also be used to enforce the momentum of thrown objects or manipulate other objects (though requiring a higher degree of precision).

Air Barrier: This is a more powerful defensive technique where the entire body is surrounded by a dome of air that deflects attacks from all directions.

Air Marbles: A useless technique used by Aang. He causes two or more marbles to spin in a circle between his hands in an attempt to impress people. He rarely does it.

Air Blast: A more offensive move involving a direct pulse or jet of almost solid wind from the hands or feet. The force of the attack is generated more from the bender's own power rather than assisted by momentum. This direct blast can reach further with greater accuracy and is used to inflict greater damage. Aang once used the air blast to completely shatter one of the Fire Navy's projectile rocks in mid-air with a single powerful kick.

Air Punch/Kick: Another more offensive move than is typical of airbending discipline, air punches or air kicks are small, compressed formations of air that can be fired off the fists or feet of an airbender. This is similar to the air blast yet in the sense that it involves the firing of compressed or solidified air at an enemy in a non-continuous fashion i.e. the bender does not create a single great stream of air. This move is seen in the episode "Nightmares and Daydreams" when Aang produces several air punches in rapid succession towards a practice-Firelord dummy.


Air Swipe.Air Swipe: The air swipe is a dual defensive and offensive technique in which an airbender conjures a crescent-moon shaped construct of solidified air capable of deflecting collosal projectiles; (such as the catapulted flaming rocks often used by the Fire Navy ships) and sending them off-course. In some instances, such as when Aang and his group are travelling on the The Serpent's Pass together, these projectiles can be redirected back at the attacker. Aang has also been shown firing smaller versions of the air swipe as a weapon, shown for example in his chase of Azula in The Day of Black Sun, Part 2: The Eclipse.

Air Funnel: Similar to an Air vortex but to a smaller scale, Aang inventively used this technique as a cannon by creating a small air funnel through which small rock projectiles could be entered through the top and could be fired out of the opposite end.

Air Suction: A technique used to bring people or things towards the airbender. It is used by Aang in many episodes, like "The Boy in the Iceberg" and "The Library", when he pulled Professor Zei out of harm's way.

Breath of Wind: Very similar to standard air jet but created from the mouth and lungs. It requires extremely good breath control to employ effectively. Size and focus is more easily controlled, including narrow jets that can strike targets as small as insects, to large gale force gusts capable of cooling magma into solidified rock. This has been exhibited by Aang and Roku.

Enhanced Speed: Airbenders enhance their movement in battle; they can run swiftly by decreasing air resistance around them and even sprint across or run up vertical surfaces by generating a wind current behind themselves to propel them along. Aang has been shown using this to run many times faster than an average human and maintain this for very long periods, allowing him to travel long distances even without gliding or jumping. A master Airbender can use this technique to briefly run across water, as shown by Aang in "The Warriors of Kyoshi".

Enhanced Agility: Air movements can also be used as a levitation aid. Airbenders jump high and far by riding on strong gusts of wind and can slow or deflect falls by creating cushions of air. The constant movement required by this art makes airbenders naturally flexible and agile. Even without actually bending they can easily maneuver around an opponent by ducking, jumping, and side stepping, appearing to flow around their opponents without expending any energy at all, letting the opponent tire themselves out and create exploitable openings. This conservation of energy combined with high stamina gives them an advantage in prolonged combat.

Multiple Target Attacks: An airbender can send large, wide-spanning waves of air towards multiple enemies with one long, sweeping motion from an airbending staff or from the bender's limbs. Aang has been shown to use these moves countless times throughout the series often completely blowing opponents away.
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MASTER LEVEL[/U]
Air Vortex: A spinning funnel of air of various sizes. This can be used to trap and disorient opponents or as a potent defense since it will deflect and repel any objects and can even throw them back at an opponent (as demonstrated by Aang in his duel with Bumi, the air column easily throwing aside a boulder the size of a bus).

Air Wake: First shown by Aang in "The Crossroads of Destiny", by running in a circle and instantly building huge inertia, a master Airbender can shoot a blast of compressed air shaped like the user's body at a target. This move seems to have great concussive force.

Air Blades: A more offensive move than is typical of Airbending principle, this involves a focus slicing air current that can cut through stone or timber with relative ease. This is frequently conjured with a staff rather than the body, using the narrow profile of the object to create a more focused and precise air movement. This move could prove fatal if used on an individual.


Avatar Roku using Air Spout.Air Spout: Similar to the Water Spout, master Airbenders are able to rotate and control the direction of the Air Spout enough to levitate them off the ground and remain in the air for as long as they wish to or can maintain it. First shown by Aang in "The Avatar State", when Aang, enraged and in the Avatar State, rose into the air to destroy General Fong's base with a wave of earth. Avatar Roku also demonstrated it by using it to get to eye level with Fire Lord Sozin (who was suspended in the air with only an earth column to keep him from falling to his death) and deliver a final warning in "The Avatar and the Fire Lord".

Air Concussor: The air concussor is a highly destructive move (atypical for Air Nomad principle) in which an airbender creates (with use of a staff) a thin wave of air that travels quickly along the ground, releasing a near-explosive power when coming into contact with anything in its path. Aang used this move several times in "The Desert" to utterly annihilate the Sand-sailors of a group of Sandbenders, sending pieces of shattered wood and torn sails in all directions. Prior to this event, Aang also used this move on a Buzzard-Wasp, greatly injuring or possibly killing it after it had flown off with Momo. The air concussor is even able to run along water before destroying its target as seen in "The Swamp" when Aang used it to destroy a Swampbender canoe.

Mini-Tornado: This is a smaller scaled version of the air vortex which airbending masters can use as a means of both combat and transport. By encircling themselves in a spiralling air current, masters can travel at high speeds and even ascend near-verticle drops as shown by Aang during the battle of Wulong Forest where he narrowly avoids a lightening blast from Firelord Ozai by creating a mini-tornado and moving to the top of a rock column. Although not featured on the show, the mini-tornado could potentially be used as a weapon in a similar fashion to the air vortex.

WEAKNESSES

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Airbender Principles regarding Fatal Moves: Though deemed the most dynamic of the Bending Arts, the most controversial aspect of Airbending is its supposed lack of fatal moves, being a more defense-inclined art. This aspect in itself is a reflection of the principles held by the Air Nomads, which preaches the preciousness of all life and avoidance of violence whenever possible. But on the issue of principles, there are instances where an Airbender has resorted to lethal force during a conflict. Such examples include, Aang striking down a buzzard-wasp snatching Momo as seen in The Desert. Even Avatar Yangchen herself confesses to deeds that were in direct violation of her Air Nomad teachings, even though for the greater good ("Sozin's Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters"). Nevertheless, when applied correctly, Airbending can be as lethal as any other Bending art. Airbending moves such as the air blade and air blast could prove particularly fatal against living creatures seeing as they can cut through stone/timber and break entire rock-columns in half respectively. Another example of airbending lethality is Monk Gyatso's off-screen battle with the Fire Nation's invasion of the Southern Air Temple. Although elderly, Gyatso's powerful airbending enabled him to eliminate many Fire Nation invaders before succumbing to fatigue or injury and ultimately, death.

Enclosed Spaces: Though rarely exhibited, an Airbender would be significantly disadvantaged in an enclosed space, restricting their movement and ability to dodge attacks. Though it is difficult to separate an Airbender from their element, if one was submerged under water, for example, their ability to bend would likely be compromised.
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[EMMA THE ADMIN]

ENERGY BENDING

Energybending is the ability to bend life energy. It predates the main four bending arts, as well as the arrival of the Avatar and the formation of the Four Nations.

Before the arrival of the Avatar into the world, and the separation of the four elements, people bent the energy within themselves. They discovered the other four bending arts, and over time knowledge of Energybending was almost completely lost. The last known keeper of the art was an ancient Lion Turtle, who later passed it down to Avatar Aang, who used it to remove Ozai's Firebending forever.

The capabilities of Energybending are not well understood; what is known is that bending a person's life energy can impart them with knowledge instantly or remove one's bending completely. This bending art is dissimilar to the others because it is so perilous to the user, which is why so few have ever used it.

HISTORY

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After discovering that the mysterious island on which he consulted his past lives was in fact a Lion Turtle, Aang sought the advice of the ancient creature, on what he should do about Ozai, as Aang couldn't bear the thought of killing someone. He asks for wisdom on how to stop the Fire Lord without taking his life.


The Lion Turtle touches Aang's chest and forehead, imparting him with the knowledge of EnergybendingThe Lion Turtle answered, "The true mind can weather all the lies and illusions without being lost. The true heart can touch the poison of hatred without being harmed. Since beginning-less time, darkness thrives in the void, but always yields to purifying light". The Lion-Turtle brought up a paw, his two claws touching Aang's chest and forehead, causing a green light to illuminate. Thus granting Aang the ability to Energybend.

Aang didn't understand at first, but was comforted by this wisdom. During the battle with Ozai, Aang was in the Avatar State, and with the combined powers of the past Avatars and all four elements, the Avatar was ready to deal the final blow. At the last second, Aang regains control and exits from the Avatar State, hoping not to end the Fire Lord's life. Ozai mocked that even though he has all the power in the world, he is still weak and attempted to attack Aang, who sensed the attack with Toph's Earthbending-detection technique, and pins Ozai down again. In this moment, he realizes the meaning of the advice of the Lion Turtle, and he decides to act on it.

The Lion Turtle told him that in the era before the Avatar existed, the benders did not bend the elements, but the energy within themselves. In order to bend another's life energy, their own spirit must be unbendable, or they would be corrupted and destroyed.

It is Aang's "true heart" and "true mind", tested in the heat of battle at the moment of striking down Ozai, that allowed him to harness the wisdom of the Lion Turtle and successfully Energybend Ozai.

As this was happening, Aang's entire body was glowing white and blue, while Ozai's body shined orange and red, showing that life energy itself. At first Ozai's spirit nearly enveloped Aang, almost completely,-but at the last moment, Aang's spirit took over. Eventually, Ozai's body was enveloped by Aang's shining spirit, and Ozai lost his bending ability. This was Aang's revelation; if he truly believed he had no right to take life, he would have to risk his own to defeat his enemy without killing him. In doing so, he was able to remain true to his beliefs, and secured his final victory over the Fire Nation. [/BLOCKQUOTE]

DANGERS[/COLOR]
Energybending is an extremely powerful and potentially dangerous technique. If the bender's spirit is even slightly weak (bendable), then they will be infected by the spirit of the one they are bending. As a result the bender can be corrupted and even killed.
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