#i can earthbend

[wileycap]

Okay, so I had a thought (and I'm about 300% sure I'm not the first one, but I was too lazy to check, I also don't know if canon has adressed this already):

When Wan Shi Tong was dragging the library into the Sprit World, how was Toph able to hold it?

Because Toph learned from the badgermoles.

Let's back up a little. The Ocean and The Moon are explicitly spirits. Fang, Roku's dragon, is able to traverse the Spirit World (and on the Solstice, even the physical world) freely, even though Roku isn't. Appa is spiritually connected to Aang and able to perceive it (with help) and follow the connection to Ba Sing Se.

I think all of the original benders are either spirits, or animals that crossed over from the Spirit World. And all of the bending styles we've seen have distanced themselves from the original sources of bending - even Airbending, because Aang and the historical benders don't fly freely, like Appa. Firebending is fueled by rage, that's explicitly stated, I don't have anything good for Waterbending so the source is firmly trust me bro, and in Earthbending, Toph's moves are based on a different martial arts style (Zhujia/Chugar family kung fu rather than the Hung Gar style used by other earthbenders*) than the other earthbenders we see - there is explicitly something different about learning from the original source. I also think all of the original benders, when crossing over, used their bending to anchor themselves into the physical world. For dragons, fire was life and the sun, for Tui and La, their eternal dance was their life and power, etc.

That's a long paragraph to say that no other earthbender could have held up the library. Toph learned her bending from the badgermoles, not as a fighting style, but as a way of interacting with the environment - the same way they do. I don't think she's necessarily aware of it, but I think that, because badgermoles are spirits that crossed over a long time ago, as Toph learned, she also unconsciously learned a style of bending that is much more spiritual than human-taught bending.

This also weaves nicely into the show's themes of destiny. Aang was destined to find Toph (he saw her in a vision, after all), and Toph was destined to teach Aang. But not only that, Toph was the only person who could have held up the library. She wasn't just holding up a big rock. She anchored it into our world.

And I think that's beautiful.

*BUT NOT WING CHUN THO THAT INFORMATION WAS LITERALLY ONE GOOGLE SEARCH AWAY ALL THIS TIME I THOUGHT IT WAS WING CHUN I SWEAR I HEARD IT SOMEWHERE AND INCORPORATED IT INTO MY BELIEF SYSTEM FOREVER thank you dear person in the tags i don't know if it's polite to @ you considering it was in the tags but thank you srs

#atla spoilers #atla #toph beifong #atla toph #toph #earthbending #fan theories #fan theory #avatar toph #avatar the last airbender #spirit world #i really like that #i really like that you can make up fan theories for this show without breaking canon at all #it shows a depth of writing and worldbuilding

[spiterunsmylife]

It really would be the funniest thing in the world for Zutara to be live action endgame

#avatar the last airbender #atla #zutara #listen #things can be so much more enjoyable when you detach them from the original #like? lots of changes I hate when I know the animated one and all the beauty #but if I think of this as an AU? like oh this universe sokka doesn’t need his misogyny humbled in order to respect suki? #sure! the first earthbenders here are lesbians? AWESOME #and like if zutara happens? imagine what Korra is like in that universe man #this way both sides have their wins too

[pumpkinrootbeer]

i do think it is legitimately very funny whenever someone tries to make the claim that lavabending is inherently a very slow subbending and therefore not good in a fight. specifically when using that argument against Bolin's skill as a bender.

Sure, I feel like in very specific instances with Ghazan that could be a fair argument to make. It takes him a moment to destabilize the Ba Sing Se wall and for him to kick up enough lava to destroy the airbending temple. (to the point I would argue that if Bolin had been versed in lavabending like he was in s4 he would have swept the ground with Ghazan), but in moments where he's actually in a fight his lava is incredibly quick.

Just the lava frisbee on its own is an incredibly quick move

But making that argument with Bolin in particular is absolutely batshit when outside of lavabending he is an incredibly quick fighter. I would say it is one of, if not the, most defining things about his fighting style. He moves very, very quickly and uncharacteristically agile for a earthbender. This is a known thing. Like

I am not the first person to say this but no other earthbender does backflips like he does. And THEN with lavabending he is just as quick if not more so

Bolin since season 1 has had an uncanny knack for bending incredibly fast, and his lavabending is no exception to that rule. It's honestly something that haunts my brain all the time because how quick he is with it low-key breaks the balancing? a little?? Like earthbending was always shown to be very strong but in turn it was slower than other types of bending, but with Bolin that doesn't really seem to be a hangup he has.

#:v #bolin #legend of korra #NO ONE IS DOING IT LIKE HIM.... #the way people will sit down and try to convince me with their whole chest that mako is a better bender is wild. #Like mako has a lot of other strengths but I would not say he stands out as this uniquely strong firebender #honestly except for azula most of the firebenders we see are talented for sure but none of them like Otherworldly strong when in bending #Again not saying he is weak but if you want the Strong bender of the lok group it's Bolin hands down 🤷 #obvs Korra is strong but she's the avatar she's going to be strong #Bolin is just a guy he's a kid for the majority of it a child who has had zero formal training #and I would argue could beat the majority of the beifongs #with the exception of toph but even then it's not gonna be this easy toph sweep #sure toph can metal bend and is an incredibly skilled earthbender but also Bolin is also very skilled and has Hot Rocks #tho tbf I hate comparing those two can't they just both be good? #anyway Bolin solos su and the chief in a real fight I will die on that hill Specifically #s4 Bolin I mean it's the lava diff #god I sound like a powerscaler put me down now guys #anyway. Bolin 🔛🔝

[gusuday]

damian should be a nonbender warrior in an atla au and i will die on that hill

#he can qi block like ty lee ! #though i absolutely love the ideia of earthbender damian #i think nonbender damian would make more sense with his character #atla au #dc comics #damian wayne #and since im a jondami shipper first and a human being second jon would be the avatar

[lightningidle]

made an Earth Kingdom courier because I feel like the Avatar world is ready for the concept of unicycles

DO NOT EDIT OR REPOST

#my art #Avatar #A:TLA #I got rejected from Avatar Academy (predictably) so I guess I can share this now #earthbending #earthbender #avatar the last airbender

[questioningdragons]

Also, can we talk about how it took years for Hama to invent bloodbending, but Katara figured it out in a single evening, just by becoming aware it was possible and seeing a brief demonstration?

#Avatar #Atla #I know these kids are all scary strong benders for the drama #But I wonder how that would be justifiable in universe #There's obviously different levels of bending (see Azula and her blue flame and lightning) #Is Aang a particularly strong Airbender? Or just a really quick learner for an Avatar? #Considering Roku took 12 years to master the other three elements and Aang had a few months he's obviously the latter #And then Toph is obviously a very strong earthbender #I don't know that any other benders could use it as an extra sense #(Ooh but now I headcanon that a sufficiently strong Airbender could) #So yes different levels of bending #But does the show ever explain why that is? #It seems to be more than study and instruction method #Zuko and Azula were presumably trained the same #(At least in the beginning) #And as far as I can tell Zuko is an average firebender #So is it just innate talent? #Also I think we need to talk about the fact that of the three scary strong bending girls only Azula actually had formal training #(Or rather Toph learned the basics from a master but had to teach herself the rest and Katara's skills were only refined by Paku) #(That is not spelled right...) #What would Toph and Katara have been like if they'd had actual training? #What would Azula have been like if she'd been as isolated as they were?

[transboysokka]

now that’s just fucking rude

#sorry bumi I can think of 4 better earthbenders than u off the top off my head #and 4 better fire benders than Ozai too tbfh #katara and Aang u can stay #atla

[octoagentmiles]

octonauts ATLA au 🤲

Barnacles is an EXTREMELY powerful waterbender from the North Pole, with a strong love for icebending—he defaults to it most of the time. He can use all subforms of waterbending, but they're a bit harder.

Kwazii's the Avatar, but he's still a pirate AND he's a natural firebender, so he still has that "scary and dangerous" reputation. He's afraid of using his firebending, because he hates it. Barnacles is teaching him waterbending, and he's pretty good at it. So far he sucks at earthbending, and his airbending is okay, but if he gets worked up it can accidentally come out as fire... which, yeah.

Peso is an airbender, and the first one in his family. He's not very skilled at bending, and he can't fly very well, and sometimes wishes he was a waterbender, like Barnacles. That way he'd be "stronger", and could utilize its healing abilities. He has an epiphany later on in the middle of S3 that makes him realize how powerful he really is, and he learns to fly :)

Tweak is an earthbender, which she inherited from her dad (maybe*). Like Barnacles, she has a love and preference for a specific subtype—in her case it's metalbending. She's very good at it. It's how she builds GUPs so fast.

Shellington is a waterbender. He doesn't use it very much, mainly because he's Not Great at controlling it—so you'll either end up getting lightly spit on or completely drenched in a tsunami by accident.

Dashi is a non-bender (with water tribe ancestry), which puts her at a disadvantage during some missions. However! She has all of her skills from the Canon Universe, plus the extra adaptiveness seen in non-benders in ATLA (Sokka, Suki, etc).

Inkling is also a non-bender, but he has studied the elements and different bending techniques his whole life. He's Kwazii's Monk Gyatso but with less dying.

Octoagents! 👇

Calico Jack is Kwazii's Uncle Iroh. I needn't explain further. His main goal is to teach Kwazii to be less afraid of his firebending.

Natquik is a waterbender, who taught Barnacles everything he knows. He got his penchant for icebending from him. He pretty much invented it. He survived Antarctica by ✨ Becoming One With The Ice™ ✨. He doesn't just study icequakes, he can make them. He can probably spiritbend.

*I'm TORN between making Marsh be an earthbender or a waterbender. If he's an earthbender, then he can't metalbend like Tweak can, but he's still very strong. Like, scarily strong 👀. IF HE'S A WATERBENDER, then he's a swampbender, full stop.

Tracker is an airbender, mainly because of how he's clearly paralleling Peso's arc in AnB. He was the only airbender in his Polar Scouts troop, and he got picked on for it a bit—but Barnacles thought it was cool as heck, and that's how they became friends.

Do I need to explain Paani being a waterbender? No I do not. He's probably VERY powerful, but very chillax about it. He successfully freaks out everyone who witnesses him bend every time. He can part the seas like freaking Moses.

Pearl is a waterbender like Shellington; she's not super strong, but she has a LOT more control over it than he does. Peri will be a waterbender as well, but he hasn't unlocked it yet. He's trying very hard because he wants to be like his mum and uncle SO badly.

Min could easily be a bender of any kind and it would make sense, but I kinda wanna say she's a non-bender. Just cuz ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

Earthbender Ryla. That's all. It makes it a lot easier to get out of caves when she's stuck. She's very casual about it. So casual, that most people either forget or don't even realize she's a bender until it comes up. Then they're like "oh yeah." as she literally moves mountains.

Airbender Pinto, who has no clue how to control it. Whenever he gets frustrated with himself, he accidentally creates small tornadoes. He can also fly! He likes to brag about it. a lot. mainly to Peso.

Waterbender Koshi, who hasn't discovered that about herself yet. She's in for a fun time when she figures it out. Remember how happy she was when she got her Octowatch? Yeah :) 10x that. I also imagine their family is full of late bloomers, but because of Dashi she has pretty low expectations for herself right now.

#can you guess what im rewatching ? ✨ xD #👀👀 what if 👉👈 someone drew this 😳 haha jk........... unless 😳 #octonauts #marsh being an earthbender is mainly because this entire post was inspired by watching the feuding tribes episode of atla #and the tour guide reminding me of marsh. #anyway rip to the dashi fans but sokka and uncle bumi are my favs so i promise my decision for her was made with love 🫶🤣 #avatar kwazii avatar kwazii Avatar Kwazii AVATAR KWAZII #i am right #ty for your time #octonauts au #self indulgent post time #ps worldbuilding stuff: #most birds descend from the air temples‚ but penguins are weird so they're usually waterbenders if they're benders at all– #which is why peso is an airbender‚ plus the first one in his family to bend at all #pinto came right after him‚ but since peso would've been off being an octonaut he didn't have anyone around to mentor him #also pirates have mixed ancestry from every nation. but the majority of pirates Don't Like the avatar so uh yeah rip kwazii iykwim– #he might be the first avatar to be a pirate in history just bc i think that'd be neat for the ✨ story ✨ #also bianca and hugo would both be waterbenders too btw #one of the cubs is a non-bender but idk who. maybe orson. #ALSO the airbenders were never wiped out in this au #the War™ never really happened but firebenders are still Scary bc of the whole Fire Is Destruction thing #idrk what the Story of this au is except for like— kwazii is the avatar. he was abandoned by his family. he joins the octonauts to help-- #--bring peace to the world + nature etc. so basically the canon plot of the og show but with magic ✨ /hj #long post #surprised i haven't hit the tag limit yet #ok byebye end post

[vroomian]

Ollie's an absolute heartthrob. Especially with the short hair. And super built, I am swooning! She popular in Hell?

oh there were a few moments in the beginning where she had to fend off Val's offers for a job. Unfortunately for him, Ollie is a homebody who stays in her workshop, and has her maid/assistant Thea do her outside errands.

(I'm thinking despite her appearance Ollie is actually a very gifted technomancer/artificer. She can fix or create just about anything with enough time. which is how Alastor and her meet at first!

someone's gotta fix his microphone after all!)

Ollie's actually very intimidating to most demons, just from her size and build. But yeah she is verrrry popular, especially with the ladies lol.

#she was a mechanic and engineer in her life #plus she was somehow sent to the wrong universe's after life??? she's pretty sure??? everyone's got four fingers not five??? #also toying with making her something of an earthbender #but she's got crazy strength and hella defense and she can make the ground swallow you whole #so you can see why i was going hmmm mary sue??? but then i stopped caring because competency is sexy #also why would alastor be interested in someone who /couldn't/ crush the v tower with a single motion???? #i am. tired. of the weak little prey animal oc for pairing with him unfortunately. #you've got questions we've got answers #any listening animal

[anghraine]

I was just thinking of how fun it is when female characters are allowed to really viscerally enjoy power.

I'm thinking especially of cases when the character's power doesn't come from some MacGuffin, or a malevolent, psychologically damaging power like the Dark Side, or even an external source at all. I just really like the trope of female characters who are powerful because they're both talented and have put work into refining talent into skill, and who clearly enjoy using their very legitimate skill for their own ends, whatever the ends may be.

I was thinking of examples, and the first ones to come to mind were Korra and Kuvira from Legend of Korra, who I love both individually and as a ship. But part of the reason I enjoy both characters so much, hero and villain, is how much they enjoy being world-class benders.

Lots of people in that show are rightly confident about their power or abilities. But there's confidence and then there's the sheer enjoyment they have at being powerful benders who can and will wipe the earth with their foes, and it's just super enjoyable in this specific way I don't often see.

#toph and azula were also like that but ngl i enjoy it more from adult women #and a lot of times women who have power are grim and burdened about it or oppressed or it's illegitimately gained #but whatever else kuvira may be or have done—she got her metalbending/earthbending skills fair and square #and korra similarly has a natural flair for bending (esp metalbending actually) but is willing to put the work in #to be as good as she can #and it's a really fun dynamic layered in with the way kuvira represents korra's shadow-self and culminates in life rather than death #i.e. the first victory resulted in two very damaged men choosing to commit/accept murder-suicide as the solution #the final victory is korra risking the thing she's valued most about herself to save the life of her villainous double who also likes power #anyway #i wrote this at 6:30 am without tea so ... #anghraine babbles #anghraine's tropes #avatar #avatar: the legend of korra #korra #kuvira #otp: i see myself in you

[leviiackrman]

SHEN / SAKIYA - Avatar: The Last Airbender [full colour]

#my art* #oc: shen #atla oc #the last airbender oc #earthbender oc #my oc #digital art #artists on tumblr #illustration #character concept #character design #and there’s the finished baby! #I know I said I’d keep y’all updated #but I ended up power working last night and got this finished! #my bestie said the fabric looks like she can feel it and I’ve never been more complimented I #in my life!! #parts of this I’m still like ? do I actually like that? #but Yknow what my style is evolving #will draw her in the cartoon style eventually! #chuckhansen #simonxriley #queennymeria #florbelles #indorilnerevarine #confidentandgood #risingsh0t #unholymilf #arklay #marivenah #sstewyhosseini

[zincbot]

earthbending is just... the best

#look ever since my earliest baby days of fandom. renting ninjago dvd from the library. #earth has been the coolest element to have control over (to me) #it just feels so primal and connected to the body in such a powerful sick way #and when i watched atla as a kid obviously i wanted to be an earthbender so so bad #the scene where toph invents metalbending by grabbing and PULLING the cage open and it warps under her fingers #that's the physicality in an elemental control power that i crave #so bolin being my favourite character in lok was a given but i love watching him bend so much esp cause his style is pretty unique #for an earthbender #he's very light on his feet and not nearly as grounded but WHEN HE BENDS LAVA OUGH that's physical as hell #especially the scene where he first learns he can do it it's one of my favourite scenes in korra #ANYWAY. shoutout to the geokinesis guide i secretly printed out as a kid cause i thought i could learn to move rocks with my mind #if i really applied myself-

[hella1975]

sometimes i forget that kanut literally punched fong in the fucking face and every time i remember i go 'oh yeah :)'

#kanut is the only character ever btw #hakoda was like 'let's be diplomatic' and kanut was like these HANDS are diplomatic #local earthbender gets his shit rocked by one (1) angry healer #if i had a shot for everytime kanut had a 'im a healer but-' moment then id be trollied #he's just so funny i love him #AND NOT ONLY DID HE PUNCH FONG BUT HE WAS SUCH A MENACE TO HIM IN THE LIBRARY #you cannot tell me kanut wasn't feeling himself then #literally threatened to beat fong with BOOKS lmfaooo #he was MAD mad #hakoda can be the reasonable and loving father figure but kanut is the feral overprotective uncle figure ALWAYS #taob #kanut

[allurasrealm]

i joined the air nomad channel by the official Netflix's avatar series but then I joined the others too because I'm nosy and want to see what's going on in the other nations

#realistically they'll probably oost the same content in all the channels so #it's also interesting sinfe we can see how many ppl are in the channels #so far there are more waterbenders than anything else #followed by firebenders #and then air nomads #earthbenders come last #it seems to be the least popular element #i thought it would air and then fire #atla la

[novaae]

so today while getting my hair cut the barber just rubbed my head a lot for idk reasons and my lovesick ass just closed his eyes and imagined bumi rubbing his head.

so technically bumi gave me headpats today

#rei rambles #i hope in the future i do not cringe at these posts #rather- i look at them proudly before my wife gets into her bumi cosplay so that we can have sex #and my beautiful babygirl (named bhumi) practices skipping rocks to defeat earthbenders with me #bumi ii

[stankhead]

was daydreaming about an avatar prequel series (between the events of Avatar Wan and the events of atla) and accidentally created a three season arc thats really fucking good and now I'm going insane because it'll never exist why did I do this to myself ..

#not my fault I have good storytelling ideas... #GOD LITERALLY. YOU DONT UNDERSTAND. IT'LL ALL FIT SO PERFECTLY IN UNIVERSE AND MY CHARACTER IDEAS ARE GOOD TOO #I know the next avatar series is gonna take place after Korra so it'll be an earthbender... hey avatar studios when ur done with that hit me #up please god hit me up you dont understand... the origins of the white lotus and ba sing se and combustion bending I have it all #I thought it all up while walking in circles in my room for an hour PLEASE ... oh well I can always just write fanfic I guess #and by write fanfic I mean. post some sketches of ocs and maybe some fake screencaps. #ignore this ! critical autism moment #I can write political intrigue better than Yang can I PROMISE you can trust me with a comic series I PROMISE...