In the fantasy world of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, benders are magically endowed people who can manipulate the four classical Greek elements. Among them are the water benders, who hail from the north and south poles. Living around water and ice, they can bend these elements with a flexible and graceful bending style. Katara, Korra, Unalaq, Tarrlok, and more showed us what water can do.

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Characters like these are ripe for cosplay, and some cosplayers know how to take their costumes to the next level. Let's visit a gallery of water bender cosplays so convincing, you'll swear you just stepped through the Northern Water tribe's front gates.

Update July 25th, 2020 by Louis Kemner: The return of Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix was a boon for the franchise, and countless new fans got on board and veteran fans could enjoy their favorite animated series once again. Season 1 is called "Book One: Water," and depicts Aang's quest to master waterbending at the Northern Water Tribe. Let's check out five more cosplayers who really know how to make waterbending look cool.

15 A little practice

We start the list with one of the most iconic benders of water: Katara of the southern water tribe. Her bending was the first we ever saw, and with some training, she became a bender who really took the fight to the Fire Nation. She also has the honor of being the young Avatar's first water bender teacher.

Katara takes any chance to practice bending, and any stream or pond will do just fine. @mauscosplay has captured a typical scene of the Aang gang's travels, when they stop for rest and Katara perfects her moves. And how did they make that water effect? It's so convincing! We need an umbrella.

14 Not your typical surfer dude

Okay, this might not be a particular character from the Avatar world, but his cosplay is so good, we couldn't help it. It seems this guy didn't come here for the sandcastles. Instead, he chose a sunny, warm beach to show off his moves, and we're impressed.

Not only are the crashing waves and excellent backdrop for this photo, but the outfit looks like an authentic water bender outfit, and it's sleeveless for max flexiblity. The water effect is outstanding, and his look of calm concentration is just right.

13 The Fog Benders

Katara and the gang were in for a surprise when they visited the Great Swamp in the Earth Kingdom. They met the Foggy Swamp Tribe, a group of waterbenders who now call the Earth Kingdom home and bend water in unique ways.

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They are primitive and eccentric in Katara's eyes, but their skills are real, and they soon became allies in the coalition to take down the Fire Nation. This cosplayer perfectly emulates their low-tech style, from a unique posture to the leaf hat and swamp-colored background.

12 Painted Lady in the evening

Who doesn't love a good folk tale? The story of Avatar: The Last Airbender takes the time to flesh out the world as it goes, and that includes a fishing town that Aang's group discovers in the Fire Nation. This town suffers greatly from the pollution of a nearby refinery, making all fishing useless.

But there is hope in the people's hearts: their guardian spirit, the Painted Lady. Sokka dismisses it as a folk tale, but Katara is determined to help. She even disguises herself as that figure, and soon, the real one appears. In this cosplay, the evening light and silhouette make the perfect aura of mystery and awe, like we really did just meet a supernatural being. It's a once in a lifetime event!

11 Learning the trade

Katara isn't the only water-slinger around here. Being the Avatar, Aang must learn the four elements, and that start with water, a natural ally of air. He learned the basics from Katara, and mastered this element in the Northern Water Tribe. He was a quick learner, too.

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Aang enjoys water bending, and this cosplay shows it. We get a pretty convincing Aang who casually happens by, and he's got some water to show off. Look how far he's come! That bending effect is really something. Did they use strings to hold it up?

10 Game of Avatar Thrones

Who's up for a little crossover action? Fans love to experiment with different combinations of their favorite fandoms, and this time, some of the heroes of Game of Thrones get an Avatar remake. Arya Stark has become Avatar Korra in full Water Tribe regalia, complete with a staff.

Daenerys Targaryen is now a fire bender, and she's looking good! It's fascinating how the Fire Nation style fits her so seamlessly. Finally, a Water Tribe edition of Jon Snow rounds out the group, and why not? He's Jon Snow!

9 Always a Water Tribe Girl

Back to Katara. In the first half of season 3 of Avatar: the Last Airbender, team Avatar goes underground, since the Fire Nation has effectively won the war. But hope survives, and Katara and the others disguise themselves as Fire Nation natives.

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This cosplayer has captured every detail of Katara's Fire Nation disguise, and better yet, she chose a stunning backdrop for her water bender pose. It's safer to bend like that away from the prying eyes of the towns and cities! And the water bending effects are fantastic, too.

8 Bending under the moon

Benders of water and ice have every reason to practice (or fight) under the watchful eye of the moon. Each element has an original bender, and for water, it is the moon, forever controlling the ocean's tides.

As we see in the season 1 finale of Avatar, the full moon really brings out the power of water benders, and even the Fire Nation invaders had to back off. And Hama, the rogue blood bender, can only unlock that insidious power with the full moon to guide her. This cosplay captured it nicely, and we like the secluded feel of it all. Sometimes, the very moon is your best friend.

7 The Councilman

Not all water benders are trying to save the world. In the first season of The Legend of Korra, we meet Tarrlok of the Republic City council, and he's got some serious ambition! Korra had a bad feeling about him from the start, and indeed, he schemed to rule the entire city, carrying on his mobster father's ambitions!

Now, this cosplayer shows off not only Tarrlok's trendy and modern outfit, but also his confident and proud look. Most of the time, he doesn't even have to bend a single water drop to further his plans, but don't corner him! You'll get icicles in the face!

6 Lazy day

We continue the list with Avatar Korra on one of her off days. She's a busy Avatar, and each villain in The Legend of Korra is a real monster. Still, there's going to be some downtime, and Korra doesn't mind taking it easy. She's earned a break.

All of the details of this cosplayer are top notch, and that outfit looks authentic enough for a movie set. The stone wall and forest backdrop are charming and rustic, and we like Korra's relaxed and happy look as she bends a little water for fun.

5 The Spirit Princess

Meet Princes Yue of the Northern Water Tribe, who is not only the apple of Sokka's eye but the child of the moon spirit. She was born mute until the spirits blessed her, and now she has white hair and a connection to all things spiritual.

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Princess Yue is looking fantastic here, from the highly detailed and warm-looking outfit she has on to the abstract, arctic-colored background and stunning blue eyes to match her warm smile. She is the very vision of a wise and noble princess.

4 Winter Practice

Even if water is frozen solid, waterbenders can control it just fine. In fact, their best defenses come from creating ice barriers and blocks that can deter an enemy's attacks. Most Water Tribe buildings are constructed via bending.

This cosplayer depicts Katara practicing the finer points of ice bending with a tree branch. It worked, as she melted the ice right off, and she can now control the flow of water freely.

3 Noatak Becomes Amon

The first season of The Legend of Korra introduced viewers to the first waterbender villain: Amon. His powers were a total mystery, and he claimed to be blessed by the spirits. But in reality, he was a bloodbender like councilman Tarrlok was.

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With his prodigious bloodbending, Amon can tweak a victim's brain to block their own bending, which is what this terrifying cosplayer is doing to this hapless firebender. That firebender won't be able to conjure a single ember ever again.

2 Bender Squad

Katara is the lone bender in the Southern Water Tribe, and she was delighted to meet many more waterbenders up north in the Northern Water Tribe. They accomplished things with water and ice that Katara could only imagine.

This team of waterbenders clearly means business, and they are stationed on that rock to watch the tides for any sign of a Fire Nation attack. They are tense and poised for combat, and they have plenty of water on hand for when the fighting starts.

1 Total Mastery

Avatar Korra appears once again, and like Katara, she doesn't mind taking a little time to practice with her native element. Korra is an especially aggressive bender, and even when using water, she's more like a firebender.

This cosplayer shows a lone Korra running through her bending routine, striking a cool pose as she conjures an impressive jet of water. She could knock anyone flat with an aquatic attack like that one.

NEXT: The Legend of Korra: 5 Times Mako Was the Cooler Brother (& 5 Times it Was Bolin)