Highlights
- The spin-off series, The Legend of Korra, introduces a different origin story for bending, contradicting the original Nickelodeon series.
- In The Legend of Korra, it is revealed that humans received the ability to bend the elements from ancient lion turtles, through a process called energybending.
- The question of whether bending is inherent to all humans or a talent gifted by nature or genetics remains unanswered in both series of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
There are two origin stories for bending in the Avatar: The Last Airbender franchise. There's one featured in the original Nickelodeon series and one in its spin-off, The Legend of Korra. In an effort to expound upon the lore of bending, the spin-off may have contradicted the original's origin for bending.
Avatar: The Last Airbender illustrates many forms of bending. It was initially foretold that the ability to bend the elements by humans was learned from the animals. This implied that the capacity for bending was an inherent trait among some humans. These early gifted people learned to earthbend from badgermoles, firebend from dragons, and airbend from sky bisons. The waterbenders are unique in this pursuit as their ancestors learned the art of pushing and pulling water from the moon pushing and pulling the tides. While the humans learned to bend from animals, it has not been detailed how animals learned to bend. The main point of contention, however, is that The Legend of Korra tells a different story of how humans learned to bend the elements.
Avatar The Last Airbender: Korra's Actions Could Create New Bending Techniques
The Avatars' constant attempt to restore balance to the world may have doomed it with Korra’s incarnation if these two bending art forms are learned.
How The Legend Of Korra’s Bending Origin Differs
Lion turtles are giant ancient turtle-like species whose history was further detailed in The Legend of Korra. Their backs used to be the home of primitive humans and a place of refuge when the Spirit Wilds and Human World were connected. The last remaining lion turtle told Avatar Aang of the time before humans learned to bend the elements.
"Since beginningless time, darkness thrives in the void, but always yields to purifying light. In the era before the Avatar, we bend not the elements, but the energy within ourselves.”
The "we" that the lion turtle refers to was at one point assumed to include humans. But, The Legend of Korra clarifies that the "we" referred to the ancient lion turtles who protected humans and gifted them the ability to bend the elements. Through energybending, the lion turtles would also take away the ability to bend. In those days, elemental bending was used for protection by humans who would leave their homes on the lion turtles in search of food or supplies in the Spirit Wilds. Once they returned, the lion turtles would take away the power.
The Age of the Avatar, however, prompted the lion turtles to abandon their role as protectors of humanity after they had gifted many humans the ability to bend the elements. But, this rendition of bending origins seems to contradict what was conveyed in Avatar: The Last Airbender. It also raises the question concerning whether bending was within every human's capacity due to their inherent chi, or if it is a talent gifted by Nature or genetics since the lion turtles stopped granting humans the ability long before the beginning of the series.
Which Avatar The Last Airbender Bending Origin Story Is True?
It's possible that both stories could be true if it is assumed that humans never needed the lion turtles to learn to bend the elements. During Avatar Wan's time, bending was prohibited in the cities on the lion turtles' back. This means a few things.
- Learning to bend is also a skill that takes time to master.
- Even if the people could bend or learn to bend, they didn't have the right, nor the need, to bend while in the city.
- The lion turtles didn't just grant the ability to bend an element, they also instantly taught the early benders how to wield the power.
After the lion turtles stopped granting this ability and knowledge, other humans could have learned from the animal benders, or the moon, which led to the developed bending art forms and cultures around these abilities. Though, it would seem energybending is the most natural bending art form for humans in Avatar: The Last Airbender since it only involves manipulating their chi instead of the additional element. Unfortunately, energybending has a high barrier for entry to learn. As the lion turtle also tells Aang:
"The true mind can weather all lies and illusions without being lost. The heart can touch the poison of hatred without being harmed… To bend another's energy, your own spirit must be unbendable, or you will be corrupted and destroyed.”
Therefore, bending the elements becomes a more accessible bending art form for humans. To add another layer of mystery, Avatar: The Last Airbender has not explained bending affinities manifest. It doesn't explain whether it's a condition of Nature or genetics as to why Southern Water Tribe's Katara can waterbend but her brother Sokka cannot; or, why Mako can firebend but his brother Bolin can earthbend and lavabend, yet not metalbend. Add the sudden gift of non-benders being able to airbend and it becomes more elusive.
Tenzin could airbend since he was young while his brother Bumi didn't manifest the ability until after the Harmonic Convergence. Just like the possibility of both bending origin stories can be true if some assumptions are inferred, it is possible that elemental affinity can be both genetically inherited and influenced by Nature. Like benders and non-benders, multiple truths can coexist in the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender if only someone would bridge gap.
