Bending is a martial art — "martial" refers to war and combat, whereas "art" signifies a deeper philosophical meaning. People don't become good benders just because they're good at the fighting aspect; it's essential to understand the metaphysical undercurrents of each element in order to achieve total mastery.Iroh proves this by learning Waterbending movements and customizing them for Firebending, thereby creating Lightning Redirection, a hitherto non-existent technique. A great bender respects themselves, their bodies, their talents, as well as their neighbors. Most importantly, they are individuals who value the sanctity of spiritual balance above all else.
11 Zuko Eventually Comes To Terms With The Life-Affirming Aspects Of Firebending
Zuko's Firebending powers don't shine for a very long time; in fact, Ozai threatens to have him killed as a toddler because he hadn't displayed a single ounce of potential at that point.
Moreover, Zuko remains a distant second to his sister until he discovers that the heart of Firebending isn't anger, but stability. His interactions with the dragons Ren & Shaw help him come to terms with the life-affirming aspects of Firebending, explaining why he's able to keep Azula on her toes in their Agni Kai battle.
10 Katara Is One Of The Greatest Waterbenders Of Her Era
Katara has always been a skilled Waterbender — the only problem is the total lack of Waterbenders in the Southern Water Tribe. After meeting Aang, Katara agrees to travel to the North Pole, where the Avatar would find a Waterbending Master for himself.
Despite Pakku's hesitation in training a woman, he eventually takes Katara under his wing due to his prior relationship with her grandmother. Katara later picks up the art of environmental bending as well as Bloodbending, making her one of the greatest Waterbenders of her era.
9 Jeong Jeong's Wields Fire Like An Extension Of His Own Body
Jeong Jeong is an infamously brilliant Firebender who abandons the Fire Lord's quest for world domination in favor of a peaceful life. He showcases his enormous strength during the Liberation of Ba Sing Se, where he generates gigantic blockades of flames capable of effortlessly toppling dozens of armored tanks.
Further, Jeong Jeong recognizes the dangers of unchecked Firebending, which is why he refuses to use his abilities for anything other than defense. His flames exert ridiculous amounts of force without actually burning or melting his targets.
8 Pakku's Mastery Over Waterbending Is Extremely Advanced
Master Pakku overwhelms the young Katara like she's a little more than a minor nuisance, casting torrents of ice and water with incredible speed and efficiency. Pakku can control individual dollops of water and manipulate them independently of each other, demonstrating an advanced level of competence.
Although initially arrogant, Pakku acknowledges that Katara possesses the gift and forges her into a formidable combatant. Pakku doesn't rely only on his Waterbending, as illustrated by his physical attacks and evasive maneuvers in the midst of a heated battle.
7 Combustion Man's Vigor, Tenacity, And Bending Skills Make For An Explosive Combination
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Combustion Man might be a villain, but there's no denying that he's among the most accomplished benders in Avatar. He employs a rare subset of Firebending known as Combustionbending, allowing him to emit telekinetic explosions through the third eye on his forehead.
Combustion Man exhibits exceptional breath control, an essential feature of any martial art, and his aim rarely misses the mark. His best assets, however, are his vigor and his tenacity: nothing can stop him from tracking down and trying to assassinate Aang.
5 Bumi Lives And Breathes The Core Tenets Of Earthbending
King Bumi appears spry for his age, but his muscular stature shatters the illusion that he's a feeble old man. He advertises himself as such simply because it tickles his whimsical fancy. Bumi's Earthbending skills are practically peerless. He lives and breathes the core tenets of his elemental art: patience and restraint.
Bumi's capabilities are nothing short of extraordinary, from flipping entire buildings to producing sizeable cracks in the ground and everything in between. Toph even challenges Bumi for the honor of being the strongest Earthbender in the graphic novels, something she wouldn't have bothered doing with anyone else.
4 Toph Fine-Tunes Her Earthbending Talents And Creates Metalbending At A Young Age
Many have called Toph Beifong one of the most important Earthbenders to be born since the inception of the Avatar Cycle, and for good reason. She develops her talents long before she can walk, gleaning the nuances of Earthbending directly from the Badger Moles.
As a result, Toph's expertise significantly outweighs nearly all of her opponents. If that's not enough, Toph constructs the hitherto inaccessible art of Metalbending from scratch. This feat alone etches her name in the annals of history.
3 Iroh Is Not Called The Dragon Of The West For Nothing
Iroh rarely involves himself in battle, but he's not referred to as the Dragon of the West for nothing. While Iroh's spiritual epiphany doesn't take place until he's well past the prime fighting age, his transformation from belligerent war general to sagely guide is extremely crucial to the narrative.
Iroh is definitively superior to his younger brother when it comes to Firebending, given that Zuko requests his uncle to tackle the Father Lord if Aang should prove incapable. Iroh's insight, perception, and overall knowledge of bending help cement his prodigious reputation.
2 The Avatar Can Perform All The Bending Arts And Enter The Avatar State For An Extra Power Boost
The Avatars — Korra, Aang, Roku, Kyoshi, and countless others before them — are naturally expected to be the most powerful benders in their respective eras. They can not only perform all four types of bending with equal skill and precision, but they also have access to the Avatar State, a dominating force of nature channeling the light of Raava herself.
The Avatar is blessed with exorbitant strength because they are expected to restore balance whenever the world happens to go out of whack. Although Avatars can be killed like anyone else, they linger behind as spiritual mentors for their successors.
1 The Lion Turtles Have Somehow Always Been Capable Of Energybending
It is difficult to imagine an entity greater at bending than the Lion Turtles, the Ancient Ones who bring bending into the world in the first place. The four elemental Lion Turtles offer their gifts to Wan, who proceeds to usher in a new age as the first Avatar.
However, the Lion Turtle who meets Aang provides him the knowledge of Energybending, the fundamental technique underlying every bending form known to humankind. This suggests that the Lion Turtles have somehow always known how to control the energy within a living being.