Poll: Avatar: Bending discussion

[SuperSamio64]

I voted for earthbending, I'd love to be able to sandbend.

 

[JediMB]

I think waterbending has the most utility, although earthbending isn't far behind. I considered airbending for flight, but I imagine mastering the element to that level might prove too difficult.

Healing, extracting clean water from all kinds of sources, keeping the rain from getting you wet, getting the snow out of your way during the winter, etc.. If it can be used to manipulate water's temperature, it's also a viable heat source (alongside firebending).

I'd stay away from the bloodbending, though. I get the feeling that it would be a lot more harmful in reality than in the show. (And only a prodigy would be able to utilize it without a full moon, anyway.)

 

[Matt King]

it depends, do i also get the advanced form (E.G metal bending) of whatever i choose
if i do then earth because metal bending would be the best
if not i'd have to go for air because, flying

 

[Lunar Templar]

I guess lightening is pushing it a bit in relation to fire, but it's not completely out there.

Lightning would make more sense with air, actually. Since it's basically an electric discharge, and there's always free electricity in the air.

That would leave fire hanging then, of course.

True, but I always thought of the relation between fire and lightening is that they are both pretty much pure energy. What we see as fire is the energy released from a chemical reaction, and what we see as lightening is pure energy from an electrical discharge.

as some one whom has seen nether Avatar shows, i can say that lightning dose seem to fit better with air, but i disagree about it it leaving fire hanging to moving lightning over.

its kinda far out there, but 'compression' would work, basically, compressing the flame thrower into a laser beam (hey, they do in in City of Heroes, Fire Blast, Blazing Bolt if you wanna look it up) you'd have to be pretty much a grand master to pull that off like I'm thinking though

anyway, i picked fire, cause >.> well i like fire more then the other elements

 

[Shadowcreed]

I'd be an earth bender no doubt.
I don't have enough finesse or agility to bend air or water, and I don't have the control to bend fire.

I'm mostly stubborn and solution oriented, that spells Earthbender to me.

But I think I'd be able to bend blood though, I'm reminded of a scene from the third X men movie where Magnito sucks all the iron out of that cop's blood. I'd practice until I figured out how to do that.

As far as a special attack for Airbenders I don't think they need one. There's always air. always. They can fly (Even though Iroh Firebent himself into a jet and flew around like Iron Man) they can bend air in a way that will let them throw other stuff around, If they were determined enough they could bend the air right out of people's lungs and let the suffocate.

Airbenders have a huge advantage already.

Pew Pew lightning seems quite overpowered to me really, I'd like airbenders to have some special thing of their own since while I do love the movement and fights they engage upon, seeing them puff out some air pockets every time seems a little dull.

Some of you suggest bending the weather as a subcategory.. I don't see that viable at all. Clouds are made of water -> waterbenders can use it, Katara did it when she went to face her mother's killer - she bended the rain falling down. Summoning a storm? yeah I see firebenders use that for zappy powers. Sound makes sense I suppose though I don't see that too be particular useful [seems kinda lame too xD].
The idea of time manipulation I had would be justified by the fast-movement airbenders can use - a master of air bending may be able to manipulate molecules around the area to slow down a location. I see some sort of connection to time though it is a little vague isn't it xD.

 

[CODE-D]

Its never shown in the show because airbenders are a peaceful bunch but they could be the most deadly of benders. Basically they could bend all the air/gases out of someone or create a carbon dioxide head bubble or a vortex to snuff out all air entirely and let you suffocate or fly you thousands of feet in the air and drop you or...

I believe their extra ability is flight.

 

[PureChaos]

fire...water...air...earth....DON'T MAKE ME CHOOSE!

 

[spartan231490]

I would want to be an airbender. It's one of the two elements that can't be taken away(along with fire) and it has a lot of versatility from fast movement to flying. However, I imagine my personality would make me an earth bender, though the argument could be made for me to be any of the elements, I am stubborn as all hell, so I'd probably get stuck with earth(my least favorite) Though, metal bending is pretty badass.

 

[snagli]

Airbenders can be really, really fast. Plus, flying, air scooters, making non-bendable things float, tornadoes, stuff like that. Hell, you can probably rip the air straight out of a man's lungs if you want to.

So yeah, of course I'm going to firebend. Stupid overpowered airbenders.

 

[nekoali]

I picked Earthbending because Toph and Lin are my favorites. And of course, Metalbending. Especially in a modern society, metalbending would be incredibly powerful.

On the the other hand though, I love Tai Chi, and waterbending in it's style really more fits my personality. The softness, the healing ability, the flow of it just suits me more.

 

[Legomaniac91_v1legacy]

I'm a pretty calm person, so the flowing style of waterbending would suit me well. Plus, being a Minnesota native, I'd never have a season where I didn't have a source of water: Wet springs/autumns, humid summers, and plenty of snow in the winter.

 

[spartan231490]

...metal bending is for one exceptionally gifted...

In the new series metal bending has become much more common. The entire police force use it. They have metal cables that retract in to coils on their back which they use to whip and capture people. Toph was supposed to have started teaching people the technique since she was appointed head of police when they established Republic City.

In one of Aang's fights he spends the whole fight just avoiding and evading what the other guy is throwing it him and the other guy mocks him by saying "not even going to fight back eh? Typical airbender"

Isn't that when he fights King Bumi?

The first half of his fight with Bumi is like that, but he also has a fight with Zhou where he just jumps around so Zhou lights his own ships on fire, and there's a fight with Zuko where Aang just keeps stepping so he is always directly behind Zuko. I think he does that twice actually. It's basically how Aang fights for the entire first book.

 

[Navvan]

I'd be an earth bender no doubt.
I don't have enough finesse or agility to bend air or water, and I don't have the control to bend fire.

I'm mostly stubborn and solution oriented, that spells Earthbender to me.

But I think I'd be able to bend blood though, I'm reminded of a scene from the third X men movie where Magnito sucks all the iron out of that cop's blood. I'd practice until I figured out how to do that.

As far as a special attack for Airbenders I don't think they need one. There's always air. always. They can fly (Even though Iroh Firebent himself into a jet and flew around like Iron Man) they can bend air in a way that will let them throw other stuff around, If they were determined enough they could bend the air right out of people's lungs and let the suffocate.

Airbenders have a huge advantage already.

Pew Pew lightning seems quite overpowered to me really, I'd like airbenders to have some special thing of their own since while I do love the movement and fights they engage upon, seeing them puff out some air pockets every time seems a little dull.

Some of you suggest bending the weather as a subcategory.. I don't see that viable at all. Clouds are made of water -> waterbenders can use it, Katara did it when she went to face her mother's killer - she bended the rain falling down. Summoning a storm? yeah I see firebenders use that for zappy powers. Sound makes sense I suppose though I don't see that too be particular useful [seems kinda lame too xD].
The idea of time manipulation I had would be justified by the fast-movement airbenders can use - a master of air bending may be able to manipulate molecules around the area to slow down a location. I see some sort of connection to time though it is a little vague isn't it xD.

There is no logic behind that. At best they could slow down or stop the air and not the other person which as stated several times would just suffocate the person. Time just has nothing to do with air. It would be like an earth bender suddenly becoming invulnerable because rocks tend to be hard, or a water bender able to shape shift because water's form is fluid. The ability may have some characteristics that the bending form has, but it has nothing to do with the element itself.

As opposed to

Bloodbending - Blood contains a good deal of water which is what they are actually bending
Metal Bending - Is bending the earth impurities within metal which is why even Lin couldn't bend ultra pure metal.
Fire Bending - Is actually the bending of physical (life) energy as described by Iroh in the original series and thus includes lightning.

They all directly involve bending the element in a creative way and not pulling a random trick out of a hat.

Also Air bending has some of the coolest techniques. Air slices, cyclone cycles, tornadoes, increased speed, flight, the list [http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Airbending] goes on. Sound bending may be of particular interest to you. Aang's air scooter is also a unique ability that he developed and what earned him his Air bending master tattoos at such a young age. Air bending is by its nature and those who practice it predominately passive. You're not going to see some sort of uber offensive ability like lightning or blood bending. Defensively they have plenty of awesome stuff going for them. Also those who practice the skill are of a much more limited pool since they were wiped out which means less people to come up with new things to do with it.

 

[DragonStorm247]

Subcategory for air is either Soundbending or Lightbending.

I'd be a firebender, I'm very passion driven, but also often reserved and logical (yay lightning). I also adopt very aggro strategies in games, so that fits as well.

 

[emeraldrafael]

Im pretty sure your bending is determined by both parents and the month youre born in. And I think it goes someting like:
spring = earth
summer = fire
fall = air
winter = water

so Id be an earthbender by month, but by choice I dont know, its a toss up between earth and water. You can do more with them and i thinkt hey'd be more applicable in the real world than either of the other two.

EDITED cause someone pointed out to me I had made a mistake.

 

[DragonStorm247]

Im pretty sure your bending is determined by both parents and the month youre born in. And I think it goes someting like:
spring = air
summer = fire
fall = earth
winter = water

so Id be an airbender by month, but by choice I dont know, its a toss up between earth and water. You can do more with them than air for the most part.

Actually, spring is earth and autumn is air.

 

[Shock and Awe]

I'd say Firebending, because of how useful it actually is considering what Firebenders are actually controlling. Firebenders don't control fire, they control heat, or to be scientific, the vibration of atoms and molecules. Literal fire is the simplest because all you're doing is exciting molecules in the air, if you have control over this you can excite more precisely. Lighting is an extension of this because it is a plasma, which is basically gas that is REALLY excited.

If one takes these facts to the logical conclusion, a exceptionally gifted Firebender could not just bend fire and lighting, but heat itself. This would make it far and away the most powerful as one could snap freeze or ignite enemies and instantly win any fight.

 

[Mikeyfell]

I'd be an earth bender no doubt.
I don't have enough finesse or agility to bend air or water, and I don't have the control to bend fire.

I'm mostly stubborn and solution oriented, that spells Earthbender to me.

But I think I'd be able to bend blood though, I'm reminded of a scene from the third X men movie where Magnito sucks all the iron out of that cop's blood. I'd practice until I figured out how to do that.

As far as a special attack for Airbenders I don't think they need one. There's always air. always. They can fly (Even though Iroh Firebent himself into a jet and flew around like Iron Man) they can bend air in a way that will let them throw other stuff around, If they were determined enough they could bend the air right out of people's lungs and let the suffocate.

Airbenders have a huge advantage already.

Pew Pew lightning seems quite overpowered to me really, I'd like airbenders to have some special thing of their own since while I do love the movement and fights they engage upon, seeing them puff out some air pockets every time seems a little dull.

Some of you suggest bending the weather as a subcategory.. I don't see that viable at all. Clouds are made of water -> waterbenders can use it, Katara did it when she went to face her mother's killer - she bended the rain falling down. Summoning a storm? yeah I see firebenders use that for zappy powers. Sound makes sense I suppose though I don't see that too be particular useful [seems kinda lame too xD].
The idea of time manipulation I had would be justified by the fast-movement airbenders can use - a master of air bending may be able to manipulate molecules around the area to slow down a location. I see some sort of connection to time though it is a little vague isn't it xD.

Aang could use Airbending to run super fast too.
Not sure how Time bending would work though.

You know it seems like fire should be an extension of air and lightning should be it's own element.
Or lightning should be an extension of air. I just don't see the whole lightning/fire connection they're making.
It makes a symbolic sort of sense in TLA The fire nation were the bad guys and bad guys use lightning. but beyond that it doesn't click for me

 

[Fiad]

Water bending is what I would pick. Water is pretty much everywhere, so I can always bend. The healing thing would come in very useful. Plus it is pretty powerful just by itself.

 

[Frozen Donkey Wheel2]

I'm thinking I'd like airbending. It's not contextual like water and earth (unless you're in space, I guess) and it's not as dangerous as firebending. Plus, I do always try to find get around my problems in the cleverest way possible, which is kind of an airbender-type attitude to have.

As for the subcategory....I'm thinking weather-bending is a good one. Besides, it's not all that more powerful then bloodbending. Though on reflection, does air really NEED a subcategory? We've already got increased speed by removing friction from the air around you, increased acrobatics by lifting yourself around with airbending, various air-shapes (spheres, cannons/funnels, wheels, blades, etc.) and probably a million other applications. That's kinda the point of airbending: It's very versatile as it is.