Poll: If you could bend one element, what would it be?

[Jovlo]

You can fly with firebending as well. And you'd never be affected by the freezing temperatures at high altitudes. And, if you wear some kind of super awesome flying suit, you could go even faster since the G forces wouldn't kill you as your body would be protected.

Well flying with fire requires huge jets of flame behind you, and in that case, someone suing you because you burnt down their house in the progress. And since you're making such a deal about only a few water benders being able to heal, isn't being able to fly also very rare for a fire bender? (Now don't go seeing this as a personal attack, it isn't. Seen you reacting rather touchy to other posts so I thought I'd mention this.)

PS: and even in dry, dry LA, there's plenty of water. It's just hidden very well but there's a massive amount of it in the soil. If there's plant life, there has got to be water in the soil.

 

[Aardvark Soup]

Uranium, which actually is a real element (unlike the chemical compound water, a chemcial reaction with oxygen called fire, the variety of different molecules you can find in the earth or the movement of air known as wind). I have no idea what kind of powers it would give me but it would probably be awesome.

 

[Eipok Kruden]

You can fly with firebending as well. And you'd never be affected by the freezing temperatures at high altitudes. And, if you wear some kind of super awesome flying suit, you could go even faster since the G forces wouldn't kill you as your body would be protected.

Well flying with fire requires huge jets of flame behind you, and in that case, someone suing you because you burnt down their house in the progress. And since you're making such a deal about only a few water benders being able to heal, isn't being able to fly also very rare for a fire bender? (Now don't go seeing this as a personal attack, it isn't. Seen you reacting rather touchy to other posts so I thought I'd mention this.)

PS: and even in dry, dry LA, there's plenty of water. It's just hidden very well but there's a massive amount of it in the soil. If there's plant life, there has got to be water in the soil.

Well, the flaw in your argument is that only a few waterbenders can heal. Not every waterbender can heal, not even with an entire lifetime of training. It's something you're born with. Flying, on the other hand, just requires lots of practice. Firelord Ozai (among others) was able to fly because he had spent his entire life becoming that powerful. So, any firebender, given enough time, can fly. Only a few waterbenders can heal.

Also, it wouldn't require "huge" jets of flames. Look at Iron Man (or fighter jets). The size of the flame doesn't matter, what matters is the force created. A good enough firebender would be able to fire a concentrated jet of flames with enough force to make him fly. Sure, it would melt or vaporize whatever is underneath it, but it wouldn't be big enough to destroy someone's house. And I doubt anyone would ever take off in their house anyway. They'd go out onto stone or concrete to lift off.

Uranium, which actually is a real element (unlike the chemical compound water, a chemcial reaction with oxygen called fire, the variety of different molecules you can find in the earth or the movement of air known as wind). I have no idea what kind of powers it would give me but it would probably be awesome.

You've failed to answer the question... Watch the four videos in my first post and then answer the question correctly.

Seriously, enough with people choosing actual elements. That's not what I mean by "elements."

 

[landon13]

imagine what you could do with water!!

you could walk on water

you could make make a giant water best in the shape of neptune to mess with people

you could increase your own strenght bye manipulating you body

you could heal rapidly

you could stop water molecules from moving and make them freeze(the slower a molecule is the colder it is so if it stops its now at absalute zero the point EVERYTHING freezes)

you could rub water molecules to gether to create static electricity or lightning!

you would never nead to drink or shower

you could wak under water

as far as fighting youd be unstoppable

you could create absalte zero ice that could freeze any thing it touches

you could drown people withought imersing them in water

you could tear them appart

make huge towering figures that could destroy all like a hurrican

make hurricans

make huge storms

you could harden water to an extent that you could ride it

this iss why i love water and why it is the most powerfull did i convince you yet?

 

[puppydogvaan]

Fire for pure badassery. Also, you'd be able to draw little pictures in the air at night like you can with sparklers.

That's honestly what i want it for.

 

[Pwnies]

Earth you cud just cover your body with rock armour n bullets wudnt get you thats if you want to kill people.

but the reason id choose earth is cause you get to fly with it aswell just lift a big peice of rock up from underneither you n lift in into the air while ure still stood on it + id make new islands and sell the extra land like lex luther off super man returns exept for mine would be made of earth n i wouldnt destroy america by doing it either

 

[Deadpoolsbrain]

You could use fire to fly I'm sure.

 

[Sark]

Water all the way.

And people, fire is the exothermic reaction of oxygen. So Air > Fire. But water is just too awesome to pass up.

 

[Cody211282]

Earth so i could summon a huge ass sand storm like in Dune

 

[Jinx_Dragon]

Metal!

What, I use the eastern table of elemental energies...

tempted to put out my theory: Which states a mistranslation, deliberate maybe cause alchemists where secretive for a range of reasons, has made too many people putting a link between the periodic table and the way alchemists used elements. I feel what alchemists where talking about where energy types and not solid mater such as what is found in the periodic tables. I believe this to the point I no longer longer able to use the word element to describe the periodic tables.

Now if only I could find out how they created these types of energy... well I could be rich!
At least until all that fission created gold gives me cancer.

 

[TankCopter]

Screw elements, I wanna be able to bend food. Self-throwing pies, anyone?

 

[Dorian Cornelius Jasper]

tempted to put out my theory: Which states a mistranslation, deliberate maybe cause alchemists where secretive for a range of reasons, has made too many people putting a link between the periodic table and the way alchemists used elements. I feel what alchemists where talking about where energy types and not solid mater such as what is found in the periodic tables. I believe this to the point I no longer longer able to use the word element to describe the periodic tables.

It's actually well known that the four classic elements, Earth, Water, Air, and Fire all refer to physical states of matter. (And, in one case, energy.) Earth corresponds to the physical state of solids, Water to liquids, Air to gases, and Fire to plasma. In Avatar, the source the OP draws upon, the elements are taken literally. But historically, as well as alchemically, these elements were more often than not metaphorical. They were a way to describe what were the closest thing to scientific observations on the physical world around them.

(Amusing that the original thread OP openly discouraged overthinking when, in fact, overthinking is part of the fun! No point getting touchy over thinking outside the box.)

 

[CMon]

Although fire would undoubtedly look the most badass, water is possibly the most practical. You could:

- Manipulate an entire ocean, possibly flooding entire cities or even countries.
- Dehydrate any desired object, including living things.
- Give life and take life as you please; water is the source of most life.

...and of course, kick fire's ass any day.

 

[The Salty Vulcan]

Earthbending would be, undoubtedly, the most powerful and dangerous of the four.

I have every intent on answering your original question but this really bugged me. Technically there is no one all powerful element. Each element was created by the shows creators to be on an equal footing. What seperates the lethality and power between the elements are the benders themselves. The most powerful benders are therefore the most experienced and most creative. An example: How the four elements could each be used in order to hurt someone.

Air: Gusts and buffets of thickly compressed air aimed at the midsection could easily break ribs. Of course as you mentioned an airbender could easily deprive a victim of oxygen from thier lungs. Believe it or not but Airbenders can also manipulate sound through their art and are thusly able to deafen someone. Airbending is the most defensive style.

Water: Ice Weapons and water whips are obvious but as you said, Waterbenders can also bend the water content within the body. It would then be posible to dehydrate someone in a matter of seconds. Waterbenders are also able to bend plantlife using the same principles as bloodbending. A lone, experienced waterbender in the forest would be just as effective as a group of novice waterbenders near the ocean.

Earth: You pretty much said everything before but only really experienced Earthbenders can bend metal. Its possible ofcourse but due to the highly refined nature of the Earth many Earthbenders assume its impossible.

Fire: Firebenders are not only able to bend fire but lightning and magma as well. Fire is the most offensive.

It is also interesting to note that all the bending styles are capable of limited flight.

there you go.

I would be an airbender.

 

[Eipok Kruden]

Earthbending would be, undoubtedly, the most powerful and dangerous of the four.

I have every intent on answering your original question but this really bugged me. Technically there is no one all powerful element. Each element was created by the shows creators to be on an equal footing. What seperates the lethality and power between the elements are the benders themselves. The most powerful benders are therefore the most experienced and most creative. An example: How the four elements could each be used in order to hurt someone.

Air: Gusts and buffets of thickly compressed air aimed at the midsection could easily break ribs. Of course as you mentioned an airbender could easily deprive a victim of oxygen from thier lungs. Believe it or not but Airbenders can also manipulate sound through their art and are thusly able to deafen someone. Airbending is the most defensive style.

Water: Ice Weapons and water whips are obvious but as you said, Waterbenders can also bend the water content within the body. It would then be posible to dehydrate someone in a matter of seconds. Waterbenders are also able to bend plantlife using the same principles as bloodbending. A lone, experienced waterbender in the forest would be just as effective as a group of novice waterbenders near the ocean.

Earth: You pretty much said everything before but only really experienced Earthbenders can bend metal. Its possible ofcourse but due to the highly refined nature of the Earth many Earthbenders assume its impossible.

Fire: Firebenders are not only able to bend fire but lightning and magma as well. Fire is the most offensive.

It is also interesting to note that all the bending styles are capable of limited flight.

there you go.

I would be an airbender.

Well, what I meant by my statement was that Earthbending can be used for both offense and defense, and is very good at both.

Earthbending could be used to turn the enemies' cover against them. They wouldn't be able to hide behind metal, concrete, sandbags, stone, or bricks and you won't find conveniently placed plexiglass shields in many places. You could also use it to collapse entire buildings, which means that snipers wouldn't be much trouble in urban environments.

Vehicles would also be practically useless against you, even tanks. As long as something is on the ground, near the ground, or near something made of something from the ground, it'd be totally vulnerable to your wrath.

Also, the ability to burrow underground easily and quickly would be tons of help, especially because you'd be able to know exactly where they are as long as they're standing on solid ground.

I'm not saying that Earthbending is the best, mind you (seeing as how I picked Fire as my favorite), I'm just saying that it'd be the most useful, versatile, and powerful when it comes to combat since it'd be equally suited to just about any combat situation imaginable, while the other elements would be very good in some and very bad in others.

Water all the way.

And people, fire is the exothermic reaction of oxygen. So Air > Fire. But water is just too awesome to pass up.

So what if Airbenders could prevent Firebenders from bending if there aren't any Airbenders? This isn't a poll in which everyone can bend a certain element. Let me put it this way: If you were the only person on the planet who could bend one of the four elements, which element would you choose?

 

[Squedee]

Water, it makes up a large percentage of the earth and is easy to create.

Water, if it rains, you're pracically invincible, plus humans are what, 80-90% water, you could just suck that out of them, easy kills.

or drown them in a tidal wave
that works too

 

[Hunter Dowprince]

I myself would pick earth because rather than winning a battle it controls the battle field (if made of rock or metal) which you can change the surroundings to your advantage and earth is more of a defensive mechanism if you will and will protect you from most forms of attack and while your opponent is hammering at your defensive walls (or whatever you have made to protect yourself) he/she is wasting their energy when it is clear that the earth bender is sitting back and relaxing then when the opponent is weak you sink them in earth or shoot rock shards at them whatever floats ur boat then you can finish them off and sure my theory's ARE debatable that is how i see earth bending as the clear winning element plus if you are being bullied or something you can just create a body armor of rock and they'll just punch that and break their hands lol so i hope other people an see it my way

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

Water, because people are like 70% Water or some such shit. So I will make you do the hokey cokey.