Top 10 Most Epic Bending Moments in Avatar
#10: Toph Defeats the Boulder “The Blind Bandit”
Top 10 Best Toph Moments on Avatar & The Legend of Korra
Sometimes a new character can take a few episodes to really find their feet, but this was never the case with Toph. From the moment she first appears on screen, you can tell she’s going to be a rock-solid fan favorite. Fighting in an underground earthbending ring under the name “The Blind Bandit,” Toph compensates for her lack of sight by sensing vibrations in the ground with her feet. Between that and her incredible earthbending skills, she quickly wipes out the competition, including one burly contestant known as “The Boulder.” Watching her reduce him to gravel while slinging insults was the perfect way to show the audience what Toph was going to be all about - tough talk and even tougher bending!
#9: Zuko vs. Azula “Sozin’s Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang”
Top 10 Epic Zuko Moments in Avatar: The Last Airbender
Aang taking on the Fire Lord might have been the main event in “Avatar’s” grand finale, but it had one heck of an undercard: Zuko and Azula finally bringing their sibling rivalry to its explosive conclusion. This was one of the many fights Zuko had with members of his family throughout the series with the young prince usually coming off worse. But as the royal siblings threw down for one final Agni Kai, it was clear that they were much better matched this time around. Watching them go head to head is one of the most satisfying moments in the finale as two fearsome firebenders give it their all while their powers are maxed out by the passing comet.
#8: Aang vs. the Navy “The Siege of the North, Part 2”
While Aang is hugely powerful, his compassionate nature and non-violent philosophy mean that he rarely shows off the full extent of his abilities in battle. But there are a few key moments where he is backed into a corner and has no choice but to flex his full Avatar might - such as when the Fire Nation Navy threatens to destroy the Northern Water Tribe. Combining his own Avatar State with the performance-enhancing powers of the Ocean Spirit, Aang becomes a towering behemoth with tidal waves at his fingertips, slicing through the enemy fleet with ease. It’s visually spectacular, as well as being a hugely important moment in Aang’s story - both showing off his true power and re-affirming his desire to avoid violence whenever possible.
#7: Katara Freezes Azula “Sozin’s Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang”
Top 10 Badass Katara Moments on Avatar: The Last Airbender
Katara and Azula are natural opposites, just like the elements they command. Katara spends the entire “Avatar” journey trying to look after those around her, healing their wounds and protecting them from danger, while Azula gradually becomes a force of pure destruction - driving away everyone close to her and falling completely out of balance with herself. So, it makes sense that Katara could turn the tables on Azula with the sort of ingenious, non-lethal move that she would never see coming. She wins the fight spectacularly and without having to become as brutal as her enemy.
#6: Azula Bends Lightning “The Avatar State”
Top 10 Best Azula Moments on Avatar: The Last Airbender
The way any character in “Avatar” uses their bending powers can tell us a lot about them. Toph is as stubborn and unflinching as the boulders she routinely crushes, Zuko is filled with anger and insecurity which threatens to flare out at any moment, and Aang is practically lighter than air. So, when we first see Azula hurling lightning from her fingertips - an ability which had never even been hinted at before - we immediately understand who we’re dealing with. Someone who wields a huge amount of destructive power and who does so with great precision and no small amount of malice. But we also have to wonder - can a force that chaotic ever really be controlled?
#5: Combustion Man Does Some Combusting “The Beach”
Combustion Man is one of the wildest characters in “Avatar” because we never really find out that much about him. Even the name “Combustion Man” is just something Sokka makes up, and only after “Sparky Sparky Boom Man” fails to catch on. Whatever his real name is, he shows up with a couple of metal limbs and a “third eye” tattoo on the middle of his forehead, which he uses to create explosions. It’s a totally new form of fire bending which takes Team Avatar by surprise and leads to some really inventive fight scenes as they try to work out how to best this mysterious new foe.
#4: Uncle Iroh Redirects Lightning “The Storm”
Uncle Iroh first appears as a genial older fella who is primarily interested in good tea and Pai Sho. However, he slowly reveals himself to be not only a wise philosopher with a deep connection to the Spirit World, but also something of a badass warrior. Our first glimpse of his true power comes during a mighty storm when he redirects a lightning bolt to protect the ship he and his nephew are sailing on. He later uses this same technique to defend Zuko against Azula. Iroh created this technique himself by learning from waterbenders - in a world full of violent division, he becomes stronger by trying to bring people and cultures together.
#3: Katara Learns About Blood Bending “The Puppetmaster”
Top 10 Katara & Aang Moments on Avatar: The Last Airbender
We could debate forever about what the coolest or most powerful form of bending is, but bloodbending is by far the creepiest. Katara learns about this ability - which involves bending the water inside another person’s body to control them like a puppet - from a very scary old woman named Hama, who developed the technique after the Fire Nation imprisoned her entire village and who now uses it to take revenge by abducting random Fire Nation citizens. The whole episode is “Avatar” at its best - using this frightening new form of bending to ask difficult questions about how we should wield the power we have in a deeply imperfect world.
#2: Toph Invents Metal Bending “The Guru”
Although it constantly found ingenious new ways to deploy the four main types of bending, “Avatar” was clever about only rarely introducing entirely new powers. Problems in the “Avatar” world are usually solved through cleverness, co-operation, and good honest work rather than by spontaneously developing a new power to put things right. This makes things all the more exciting when Toph - trapped in a metal container with seemingly no way to escape - suddenly discovers that she can bend the minerals in the metal. Like all good twists, it makes total sense once you think about it and it paved the way for all kinds of awesome Toph scenes to come. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Katara Heals Aang, “The Crossroads of Destiny” After a Brutal Battle, Katara Saves Aang’s Life Using the Spirit Oasis Water Katara’s Revenge, “The Southern Raiders” A Sharp Reminder That Katara’s Powers Go Far Beyond Healing Aang’s Crystal Armor, “The Crossroads of Destiny” We’d Seen Aang’s Earthbending Armor Before, But It Never Looked This Good Aang & Zuko Meet the Dragons, “The Firebending Masters” Who Better to Learn Firebending from Than an Actual Dragon? Katara vs. Sexism, “The Waterbending Master” Patronizing Katara Is a Very, Very Bad Idea
#1: Aang Qi-Bends the Fire Lord “Sozin’s Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang”
Avatar Aang vs Avatar Korra
The final battle between Fire Lord Ozai and Aang is a visual feast, as the Avatar harnesses all four elements to help him square off against a super-powered firebender. The fight is full of inventive bits of bending as both fighters try to use the environment to their advantage - like when Aang shoots a rapid-fire barrage of rocks at Ozai, combining earthbending powers with Air Nomad cunning. But the most important moment comes when Aang finally has Ozai overpowered - refusing to compromise his values and become a killer, he bends the Fire Lord’s very life force and takes away his bending powers. The perfect ending to a story that always balanced its awesome fight scenes with a true belief in peaceful conflict resolution.
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