While Avatar: The Last Airbender started by following the growth of young Benders as they mastered their craft, the more the world grew the more the audience saw the old masters that defined the upper ends of what Bending could do. Many of the original series' best Benders turned out to be part of the same secret society, the White Lotus, and they proved to be a valuable asset to restoring balance to the world.

But not everybody wanted the world this way and, by the start of The Legend of Korraa new group, the Red Lotus, split off from their predecessors. Dedicated to the fall of the Four Nations and the Avatar that defends them, the Red Lotus proved to be some of the greatest fighters of their own era, each with unique abilities unseen before. But just how would their abilities stack up against their predecessors? Is it order or chaos that would ultimately prevail were the White Lotus to meet the Red Lotus in battle?

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Pakku vs. Ming-Hua

The first to square off are the waterbenders: Master Pakku of the White Lotus and the tentacle-armed Ming-Hua of the Red Lotus. In terms of raw strength, Pakku was one of the most powerful Waterbenders seen in the series, single-handedly fighting off Fire Nation tanks and slicing them in half. Even during Sozin's Comet, he could make ice walls that fended off amped Firebender blasts. It's no wonder Katara grew to such heights under his tutelage.

But when it comes to Ming-Hua, raw power isn't the name of the game. Ming-Hua's showings against Desna, Eska, and Kya show that she won't settle for a struggle of brute force, but instead dance around and redirect attacks with agility. Throwing water at Ming-Hua only gives her more arms to attack you with and even Pakku's skills might not be enough to keep up with her.

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Bumi vs. Ghazan

Bringing to bear his own astonishing Earthbending power, Bumi liberated his kingdom of Omashu all on his own, tossing entire buildings and felling enormous statues. The ancient madman could turn the floor beneath Aang to sand or burrow through the earth itself with ease, and he was known for his patience and ability to improvise.

But some problems you just can't improvise around. Ghazan was singular for his ability to Lavabend, and it was only Bolin's miraculous development of the same talent that allowed him to compete. Before then, every earth attack Bolin threw at Ghazan was turned to lava and thrown right back at him, and it's hard to imagine what Bumi could possibly do to counter the attack. But, then again, knowing Bumi, he'd certainly have something up his sleeve.

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Jeong Jeong vs. P'Li

There seems to be a theme of the White Lotus offering considerable power and skill where the Red Lotus present unique Bending abilities. The same holds true for this pairing, as Jeong Jeong is among one of the most powerful Firebenders in either series and P'Li is one of only 2 people known to "Combustion Bend," a technique where a bender produces a stream of explosives from their forehead. Even then, P'Li's abilities are unique in that she can curve her combustions mid-air, and wasn't afraid to use her more straightforward Firebending.

But, on top of his gargantuan power, Jeong Jeong maintained an expert level of control. During Sozin's Comet, he demonstrated the ability to produce massive walls of fire he could maintain in place, all while hovering in the air more precisely than any Firebender before or since. Even without Sozin's Comet, he could produce and control massive walls of fire and disappear in a puff of smoke. Against that kind of skill, P'Li simply can't compare.

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Iroh vs. Zaheer

It's inevitable that a showdown between the two groups would come down to the leaders, and Iroh and Zaheer have more in common than many might think. Both men were highly spiritual, capable of entering the Spirit World on command and spending extended periods of time there. They also both appreciated the wisdom of other nations, as the Firebending Iroh applied Waterbending philosophies to develop lightning redirection, while Zaheer studied the Air Nation long before developing Airbending himself.

Zaheer's relative inexperience with Airbending makes it hard for him to gain an upper hand compared to Iroh. Although Zaheer's air shields and dodging could be effective against Iroh's more conventional attacks, it's easy to forget that Iroh can produce lightning as well as redirect it. There's just no shielding against the pure electricity and, even with his unique ability to fly or his suffocation techniques, it'd only be a matter of time before Zaheer was struck down.

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Final Showdown

Realistically, it's hard to imagine that these battles would proceed in convenient 1-on-1 showdowns, and in the final analysis, it's important to look at how the teams work together to defeat their opponents. Both groups proved to be highly effective units, with the White Lotus liberating Ba Sing Se against an army enhanced by Sozin's Comet and the Red Lotus infiltrating the city of Zaofu during their second attempt to kidnap Korra.

The interplay between the different elements is ultimately what decides the match. Iroh's lightning would be instantly deadly to Ming-Hua, Ghazan's defenses just aren't as effective when he can't turn his opponent's weapons against them and P'Li presents a devastating weakness in that, if her tattoo were struck at any point, she would become an active danger to her teammates. Were Bumi or Pakku to encase her head mid-blast, the results could even prove fatal.

The White Lotus have far too much power, skill, and coordination to lose a contest between the two teams. Individually, the Red Lotus could gain the foothold they needed, and indeed, if their tactics leaned toward separating the opposition they might stand a chance. But as is, the White Lotus just have far too big an arsenal, meaning balance wins the day.

NEXT: Avatar: The History of Flight in the World of Bending