this post was submitted on 04 Dec 2024
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Avatar: The Last Airbender

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[–] Dr_Box@lemmy.world 27 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)
[–] sag@lemm.ee 20 points 3 weeks ago

Worry not it was only used by Avatar Kyoshi to stop aging herself. She can't bone bend others(It was limitation).

[–] inlandempire@jlai.lu 12 points 3 weeks ago

Blood bending was already scary enough

[–] Sludgeyy@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] FenrirIII@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It's funny, but not at all realistic. To pull his skeleton out it would need to have an opposing force pulling on his skin and muscles. That's why the comics showed Magneto turning his adamantium to a plasma state and (quite painfully) ripping it out through the pores of his skin.

[–] Sludgeyy@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

Couldn't he just change the skeleton to be sharp at the front and then pull forcefully?

Adamantium gets really sharp.

Magneto could easily pull a razor blade through a pineapple and not have the pineapple move.

It would be like the razor blade starting in the pineapple

Enough force and sharpness, wolverine's body wouldn't move at all. Slice through everything like jello.

Imagine a baseball going through a jello cube. At some speed (since you can't change the mass of the baseball) the baseball would theoretically clear out a perfect baseball size hole and leave the jello cube perfectly stationary.

It could be like shooting a bullet through it. There's not much disturbance of the entire jello cube.

A blunt skeleton would theoretically just throw out big chunks of skin ahead of the skeleton. Kind of like picture.

The real question is how much force can magneto create

Magneto slowly pushes a coin into Shaw's head. Low speed = less force. Coin small and blunt. Magneto has to be able to create a ton of force.

[–] Shawdow194@fedia.io 18 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Zuko proved firebenders can also temperature regulate

[–] Shawdow194@fedia.io 12 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I also never thought about sound bending

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[–] janNatan@lemmy.ml 10 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Are there examples of sound, glass, plasma, and shaman chi healing in the official lore?

[–] helpImTrappedOnline@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Sound is from Yangchen, although I believe it was more of a technique to make loud noise with air. That being said, technically any bender can use their element to make a loud noise.

[–] janNatan@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

That's kinda what I was thinking. "All the bendings make noise."

[–] FenrirIII@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

The noise my back makes when bending is the loudest

[–] sag@lemm.ee 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

All are in officia lore. Shaman chi was used by Fire Temple Protector on Korra in S2 of Lok

[–] janNatan@lemmy.ml 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Wow, really? I do not remember that at all. Thanks.

[–] sag@lemm.ee 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)
[–] janNatan@lemmy.ml 2 points 3 weeks ago

Huh, I do remember her. I guess I didn't realize she was sensing the chi with firebending. I just kinda thought her fire was for show, like candles at a spa. Neat.

[–] Feathercrown@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago

Iirc in one of the comics Kyoshi bends glass

[–] kata1yst@sh.itjust.works 7 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Isn't spirit bending part of air bending, not water bending?

[–] sag@lemm.ee 16 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

? Well, In LOK it was only done by Water Bender that's why Korra start learning spirit bending from Unalaq not Tenzen in S2. So, It's part of water bending.

[–] kata1yst@sh.itjust.works 3 points 3 weeks ago

Ah, that's the bending we're talking about. Thanks for clarifying I was confused lol.

[–] helpImTrappedOnline@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

Alright let's go over these 1 by 1. My commentary is looking at this chart (and many like it) as a list of different bending styles. If was just a chart of different techniques, it'd be fine.

It has been a while since I've read the books, and I hasn't read Roku yet, so my book knowloage and overall memory isn't 100%

I may be entirely wrong here and there or forgot something that could change/add to my quick analysis of everything from memory.

Also not questioning the existence of any thing (cough spirit bending cough), just deciding if they are a separate form of bending or just a technique/skill within the main form.

Air

(This is the most negative)

  • flight - to me that's just an advanced air bender technique. The "unlock" is dubious as best, specifically how Zaher was able to unlock it pretty quick after ...events.
  • Temperature - earth benders are the only ones without an obvious method to do this. Ignoring that, Any air bender seemed to be able to it, putting it under the technique category.
  • spirit projection - sprit stuff does not equal air. Yes air benders are the most spiritual in culture, but nothing is stopping an earth bender from pulling this off.
  • sound - as described in the book, Yangchen just used airbending to make loud noise. While it is a specific technique, any bender can do that with their element.
  • vacuum - a vacuum has no air. You can't bend nothing. I believe this refers to the technique where the air is removed from a space, but that's just air bending.

Water

I modified the order to group a few of these together.

  • Healing and Spirit - no complaints here. These are both unique enough to consider them separate from water bending. (Unlike projection, sprit actually uses water as the medium to accomplish the task, so its still water)

  • Blood and Plant - technically they are just bending the water inside something else, but if we count metal and blood, then plant should be included too. The control and finese required sperate these from mud.

  • mud - I though about including it with blood and water, but no. If picking up a fish with water is called water bending, so is picking up a rock. I will accept it is more difficult to bend, perhaps feeling heavier to bend.

  • Ice and Steam - these are phase changes. While a more advance technique, the questions is do they stay? I think if we consider lava bending as changing the phase of Earth to liquid, then it stands to reason both ice and steam can stay. However, from a bending cultural perspective, these should be lumped into mainstream water bendebendeing.

Earth

  • Metal and Glass - no complaints.
  • Sand - technically just tiny rocks, however the bending style is different enough I consider is its own thing
  • Crystal - I think Aang, a novice earth bender (s2 finale), being able to ustlize it without thinking twice shows its not really different from earth bending.
  • Seismic - a unique technique for sure, but to count as an entirely separate form of bending is questionable.
  • Bone - a thought more horrifying than blood. Yes, its own thing.
  • Lava - to me this is Earth bending, but in a super hot liquid form. I think by nature the technique and bending is different enough to count it. (Which forces ice and steam into their own spot)
  • Mud - see water

Fire

  • Lightning - yes
  • Redirection - I consider lighting redirection to be lighting bending. Who cares if you generated it or not, earth benders don't make rocks, but its still earth bending.
  • Combustion - unique enough to count.
  • Dragon Fire - I'll equate this to sand bending, and consider it separate a bending style.
  • Heat Redirection - no. That's a technique of fire bending.
  • Plasma - I don't recall when this was shown, so no comment.
  • "shaman" chi bending - I equate it to water bender healing.
[–] PM_Your_Nudes_Please@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

My understanding was that lightning redirection could have been done by anyone, as long as they knew how to control their chi. The way Iroh describes it sounds more like a water bending technique, redirecting the flow. Instead of trying to stop it head-on like an earthbender, or dissipate it like a firebender. My head-canon was always that Iroh was a master of all four elements, (he pulled inspiration from all four elements, and used aspects of each of them in his bending) and he used his knowledge of waterbending to develop the lightning redirection.

[–] helpImTrappedOnline@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

I always understood it as guiding the lightning through your body in a path that doesn't kill you. I assume it has to be converted into an energy that doesn't cook you along the way. The energy can't just be absorbed or directly pass through sensitive points such as the heart, so it must sent back out, converting it back to lightning in the process.

I believe the energy conversion step is limited to a fire bender. If anyone tried this, they'd just fry themselves.

That's how I think of it, no idea what cannon is.

[–] sag@lemm.ee 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Bone bending is only possible on own body not others. It was used to Stop Aging.

[–] helpImTrappedOnline@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

True, but still a horrifying thought if someone does figure out how to weaponize it.

[–] I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Is lightning redirection a fire bending move? I always thought it was a martial arts move that anyone could do, even non-benders.

[–] sag@lemm.ee 5 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

We only see Firebender doing it until now so it's not sure.

[–] Qkall@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

I thought iroh said something about it being something he he developed with water bending in mind?

[–] sag@lemm.ee 13 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Yeah, He learned it from studying Water Bending. But in shows no one else does it other than Firebenders.

[–] hellofriend@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

It's an application of waterbending principles to firebending practice. Wisdom from many places.

[–] Zozano@lemy.lol 6 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)
[–] sag@lemm.ee 8 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

I am gonna bleach my eyes.

[–] wildcardology@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] sag@lemm.ee 9 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

OK if Bloodbending is possible then Cu......

Nevermind I am not gonna end the joke.

[–] swab148@lemm.ee 2 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Earthbenders literally pulling the shit out of you

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[–] Mandy@sh.itjust.works 5 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Every form of fanmade bending sounds closer.
Several of these we haver never seen used or mentioned.
Are some of these from the books? Cause things like plasma or shaman if I recall correctly aren't a thing?

[–] helpImTrappedOnline@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Unsure where plasma came from.

"Shaman", I believe is in reference to Korra; when she was beaten at sea and rescued by the fire benders. The old lady did some kind of fire bending healing, similar to water healing.

[–] sag@lemm.ee 2 points 3 weeks ago

"Shaman", I believe is in reference to Korra; when she was beaten at sea and rescued by the fire benders. The old lady did some kind of fire bending healing, similar to water healing.

Yes, you are right. Plasma bending was in some other Avatar novels(Not Sure).

[–] hellofriend@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

Tbf lightning is just plasma. Electric charge builds, ionizes the air.

[–] xc2215x@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago

A nice graph of bending.

[–] Notyou@sopuli.xyz 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

If a fire bender can redirect heat, that means they can freeze you by removing all your heat. Does that mean you should add ice under the fire sign?

[–] DebatableRaccoon@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

No because by the time it's ice, there's nothing left for thr firebender to redirect.

[–] mattd@programming.dev 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] DebatableRaccoon@lemmy.ca 3 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

A fair point but I'm not sure how deep Avatar would go into the true science of things in that regard.

[–] rayquetzalcoatl@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

Temperature Regulation Bending lol

[–] Feathercrown@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Spirit bending being waterbending makes no sense. If you really need it to be a normal bending type it should've been air. Same with lavabending being earth, that'a some BS

[–] sag@lemm.ee 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Well, In LOK it was only done by Water Bender that's why Korra start learning spirit bending from Unalaq not Tenzen in S2. So, It's part of water bending.

[–] Feathercrown@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

Yeah, I'm not saying the chart is wrong, the show clearly showed it being waterbending. I'm saying the show is kinda dumb for doing that

[–] obstbert@feddit.org 1 points 3 weeks ago

Does plasma bending happen in one of the shows?

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