Avatar: The Last Airbender always had more magic than its elemental martial arts. Beyond the human world was the Spirit World, and when either crossed over into the other, the show and its spinoffs and sequels conveyed some of their most fantastical stories. What makes such fantasy impactful, however, is the reality attached to it -- and when it came to spirits in Avatar, nothing proved more fascinating than their relationship to the human world.

As far back as the history of Avatar's world goes, there was a conflict between humans and spirits. In the time of Avatar Wan, human civilization dotted the world on the backs of giant Lion Turtles, but Wan's settlement would periodically venture into the dangerous Spirit Wilds to hunt for food. Unfamiliar with the environment, and perceiving all spirits they came across as a terrifying threat, the relationship between the two groups consisted almost entirely of animosity and antagonism. It was not until Wan began to live with the spirits and learn their ways that cooperation began to take seed.

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Avatar Wan bending Earth, Water, Air, and Fire

Unfortunately there was only so much Wan could do, and by releasing the dueling spirits Raava and Vaatu from their eternal struggle, Wan enabled Vaatu's dark influence to spread to spirits around the world. With Raava's help, he became the first Avatar and sealed Vaatu away for millennia, but his dark influence lingered and it was clear there were irreparable wounds between the humans and the spirits they warred with. Wan sent the spirits to the Spirit World and closed them off from the material realm, and for thousands of years the two worlds remained apart.

This did not mean that crossing over from one to the other was entirely impossible, however, and conflict still often brewed. Avatars before Aang had their own struggles against the spirits, with Avatar Yangchen doing battle with General Old Iron before establishing the Yangchen Festival as a diplomatic way to appease him. Yangchen's predecessor Kuruk proved to also have a contentious relationship with spirits, angering Koh the Face Stealer, who stole the love of Kuruk's life away, Ummi. Even by Aang's time, Kuruk continued searching the Spirit World for Ummi, and Aang himself saw Ummi's face in his encounter with Koh.

Aang proved a diplomatic force overall, easing the angered spirit Hei Bai when the monstrous force raged over the loss of its forest to war. The Moon Spirit and the Ocean Spirit were integral to Aang's time with the Northern Water Tribe. When Admiral Zhao became Zhao the Moon Slayer upon destroying the Moon Spirit, it was Aang's friend Yue who sacrificed her life to rejuvenate it. The spirits even proved present even on a more local level, as Katara posed as the Painted Lady to liberate a Fire Nation fishing village from a local factory before the Painted Lady herself appeared to Katara to thank her.

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Ultimately, Aang's relationship to the Spirit World proved to be one of diplomacy, adequately fulfilling the Avatar's role as the Bridge Between Worlds. Revolutionary change would come in his successive life, when Avatar Korra questioned why there needed to be a bridge at all. Upon learning the story of Avatar Wan and fighting angered spirits at the South Pole, Korra realized that it was unity between the spirits and humans that the world truly needed. She opened the spirit portals between the two, and the history of the world was forever changed.

Harmonic Convergence restored a balance to the world thought irretrievable, revitalizing the Air Nation when it was nearly extinguished. Republic City, the home of the spirit vines and a portal to the Spirit World, stood at the forefront of proving that humans and spirits could live in harmony. The relationship proved rocky, but as of the latest Korra comics, it appears that both worlds are learning to adapt. While the upcoming novel The Shadow of Kyoshi will delve further into the past relationship between humans and spirits, their future together never looked brighter.

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