Highlights

  • Bending refers to the ability to manipulate the elements of water, fire, earth, and air, and those who possess this ability are known as Benders.
  • Combustion Man is a powerful firebender who specializes in combustion bending, but has a weakness in his third eye.
  • Aang, the Avatar, is the strongest bender as he can master all four elements and use energybending.

Bending is the ability to manipulate the many elements that exist in the world of Avatar, and mainly pertains to the manipulation of water, fire, earth, and air. Those who possess the ability to manipulate these elements are known as Benders and they are quite common in this world.

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In Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans have seen quite a lot of powerful benders, and while all of them are excellent in their own ways, only a select few can be considered to be the very best.

8 Combustion Man

A User of An Advanced Form Of Fire Bending

combustion man

Combustion Man is a powerful antagonist that Zuko asks to track and kill the Avatar. He is an incredibly powerful firebender who has specialized in combustion bending. Essentially, he can telekinetically fire bend and cause explosions by superheating the surroundings around him.

Combustion bending is incredibly powerful and every single time Combustion Man fought against Aang's group, it was quite clear that he was dominant for the vast majority of it. That said, however, he has a glaring weakness and that is the third eye on his forehead. Even a small pebble hitting this eye can lead him to be defeated.

7 Bumi

The Master Of Earthbending

Avatars King Bumi

Also known as the mad genius, Bumi is one of the most powerful earthbenders that fans have seen in Avatar. His strength as an earthbender is incredible but that isn't his only strength in battle. It is his incredible mind that powers his bending even further and he knows when to strike and when to bide his time.

Bumi's skill with earthbending is nothing short of extraordinary and very few earthbenders are better than him in the story.

6 Toph

The Best Earthbender Around

Toph

Toph is one of the strongest earthbenders that fans have seen in Avatar. Despite her small stature, she is a terrific earthbender and she learned this skill from badger moles. Toph may be blind, however, she uses her feet to perceive her surroundings and even the slightest of movements around her.

In some ways, this makes her even better than those with eyes. Her skill as an earthbender is immense and she also has the power to metalbend, which is an advanced art that only a handful know.

5 Azula

User of Blue Flames

Avatar The Last Airbender Azula in the Throne Room

Azula is one of the most talented firebenders to have ever lived in the world of Avatar. She has the power to manipulate blue flames, which are known to be hotter than regular flames. Azula can also lightningbend, which is an advanced technique that not many in the Avatar world know.

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She has, on many occasions, fought and overpowered Aang and she is also significantly stronger than the vast majority of the characters in the series.

4 Katara

Master Waterbender With Many Advanced Arts

atla katara

Katara is a waterbender from the southern water tribe and her skills with waterbending are nothing short of extraordinary. It can be said that she's the best waterbender in Avatar: The Last Airbender, and her skills extend from just waterbending to advanced arts, such as healing, to even bloodbending.

If Katara makes use of bloodbending, then she's nearly unstoppable. It is quite clear for the fans to see that her strength is absolutely magnificent and she showed this in her many fights during the run of the three books in the story and in many fights, such as when she fought Azula.

3 Iroh

Master Firebender And The Dragon of The West

uncle iroh playing a game and drinking tea

Known as the Dragon of the West, Iroh is one of the strongest benders to have ever lived. He is a powerful firebender who only makes use of his bending when necessary. Iroh is a pacifist, which means that he doesn't fight unless he has no option left. In terms of firebending, he is incredibly efficient and can even bend lightning.

He's also one of the very few people who know how to redirect lightning and this is something he learned by studying waterbenders. In his prime, he would have been an absolute monster.

2 Ozai

A Worthy Final Villain

Phoenix King Ozai

When it comes to firebenders, Fire Lord Ozai is certainly the strongest and his firebending is nothing short of extraordinary, as seen during his many fights in the story.

Ozai is extraordinary and only a handful can stand up against him in combat. In fact, he could even match up to Aang to a certain level and that just goes to show that his status as the Fire Lord isn't all for show.

1 Aang

The Avatar Himself

Aang

Undoubtedly, the Avatar that fans see in The Last Airbender series is the strongest bender. Aang is a master of all four elements and, when entering the Avatar state, he can bring out the very best of his powers.

Aang is utterly unstoppable and if manipulating the four elements wasn't enough, he can also use energybending, using which he can take away other people's bending.

Avatar_ The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Last Airbender
9.3/10
Animation
Action
Adventure

Creator
Michael Dante DiMartino
Number of Episodes
61

MORE: Avatar: The Last Airbender – Of The Weakest Benders, Ranked