Avatar The Last Airbender Way Of Water
Osman Briseno
WaterbendingGeneral informationSourceThe Moon and Ocean SpiritsLearned fromThe Moon[2]Alternate styles
- Bloodbending[3]
- Healing[4]
Water is the element of change.[1] The moon is the source of power in waterbending, and the original waterbenders learned to bend by observing how the moon pushed and pulled the tides.[2] The Water Tribes are the only people who did not learn to bend from an animal, though the Moon and Ocean Spirits took the form of koi fish in the mortal world near the beginning of the Avatar world.
The fighting style of waterbending is mostly fluid and graceful, acting in concert with the environment. Waterbenders deal with the flow of energy; they let their defense become their offense, turning their opponents' own forces against them. Even when waterbenders do take an attack stance, their moves always appear to flow from one to the other, mimicking the flow of the water they bend. Foggy Swamp style waterbending, however, is more rigid and straight, allowing for more direct bursts instead of long flowing streams of water.[5]
During the era of Raava, the power of water was first granted by the water lion turtle, who would temporarily provide it as protection to those venturing into the Spirit Wilds. However, after the lion turtles renounced their roles as protectors of mankind during the era of the Avatar, the turtles refused to give people the power anymore. The descendants of the people living atop the water lion turtle eventually learned to waterbend by observing how the moon pushed and pulled the tides of the ocean; they learned how to simulate the effect themselves.[2] As such, they have a strong spiritual connection to the Moon and its counterpart, the Ocean. In fact, waterbending is the only bending art to originate from spirits instead of animals, and additionally, any adverse effect on these spirits detrimentally affects waterbenders.
Waterbending's strength is its great versatility. Rather than supporting a separate set of offensive methods, waterbending employs defensive techniques that can be transformed into attacks and counters, defense into offense. Instead of simply deflecting an attack, waterbending's defensive maneuvers focus on control, achieved through turning an opponent's own strength against them, rather than directly harming the opponent.
Breath of ice: A waterbender can use the water vapor in their breath to rapidly freeze objects or opponents. For a more advanced version of the technique, the user takes a deep breath and exhales the air as a cloud of freezing mist. Katara used this technique to freeze Jet to a tree,[6] to save Sokka from Huu,[5] and to stop a warship from sinking by temporarily freezing a hole in the ship's hull. Avatar Aang also used this ability to break the chain when Bumi was being lifted by a crane.[7]
Creeping ice[8]: A waterbender can send a ray of ice on the ground, speeding at an opponent to freeze them. This technique freezes a trail of water beginning with the waterbender performing the move and ending with their targets freezing. Katara accidentally froze Sokka's feet to the ship and later three Fire Nation soldiers with this technique,[9] before getting better control and utilizing it on Zuko[2] and a Fire Nation engineer.[10] Master Pakku also used this against several firebenders during the Siege of the North,[11] and Kya employed it against Zaheer.[12]
Ice blade: Waterbenders can create a sword-like blade of ice. Ming-Hua used this technique to threaten a delivery truck driver in order to smuggle her and her companions out of Republic City[13] and again during her battle with Kya at the Northern Air Temple in an attempt to skewer the other woman.[14] Tonraq also used this in his battle with Zaheer on Laghima's Peak.[15]
Ice claws: Shown by Hama, using ice claws involves the bender drawing water around their fingers and freezing it. They can also be sent forward, shooting them at an opponent.[3] A waterbender can also use this as an advantage; being small and unnoticeable, they can hide them in their sleeves just like Mai's weapons. Additionally, this technique uses little water and thus can be performed quickly using the condensation technique.
Ice column: Similar to the earth column technique used by earthbenders, a waterbender can shoot a pillar of ice up from the ground to knock their opponent off their feet. Unalaq used this technique during his duel with his brother, Tonraq.[16]
Ice disc: A waterbender can create a cylindrical column of ice and proceed to slice razor-sharp sections of it off and send them at an opponent. Katara used this technique against Master Pakku, employing discs that were sharp around the edges but also thin, as Master Pakku was able to break them with his wrists.[17]
Ice hook: Waterbenders, if creative enough, may form a hook out of ice which they can use to climb vertical surfaces. Ming-Hua bent ice hooks to climb up the walls of P'Li's prison while carrying her.[19] She also used an ice hook to take out a White Lotus sentry when breaking out of her prison.[20]
Ice line: Waterbenders can create lines of twisting ice columns to knock out their opponents. Unalaq, while in the Dark Avatar State, used an enhanced version of this technique to knock out Mako and Bolin during Harmonic Convergence.[21]
Ice projectiles: Waterbenders are able to rapidly shoot projectiles of ice at their opponents. The Northern Water Tribe Water Warriors used this to defend their tribe,[11] Katara while training with Aang, and Noa while attacking Gilak and the Southern Water Tribe nationalists.[22] Tarrlok did the same in his duel with Avatar Korra,[23] and Unalaq used the technique against Korra,[21] while Desna and Eska used it against Ming-Hua in the North Pole.[19] Tonraq,[19] Kya,[12] and Ming-Hua also have utilized this ability in combats.[24]
Ice wall/ice shield: Waterbenders are able to freeze water in front of them, creating a shield or even a large wall of ice. Katara performed this technique on numerous occasions during the Hundred Year War, while Malina did it later to protect herself and her brother from Gilak's forces.[22] Korra later made use of it to protect herself from a metalbending police officer who chased after her during her first time in Republic City,[25] as well as during her fight with the Dark Avatar.[21] The Northern Water Tribe Army created large ice walls to cover the Southern Water Tribe as well to they created ice barriers to push the civilians out of their way.[26] Unalaq also used this technique in his duel with Tonraq,[16] while Tonraq used it to protect himself from P'Li's combustion beams.[19] Kya also employed this move to defend herself and her brother Bumi from rocks launched by Ghazan during their battle at the Northern Air Temple.[14]
Ice spear: The ice spear is a waterbending move that involves freezing a stream of water into a spike and firing it at the intended target. This move was used by Pakku in his duel with Katara[17] and she later did it when she was about to strike down Yon Rha.[27] Korra also used this technique when she faced Amon.[28]
Iceberg spike: Waterbenders can shoot small shards of ice at their opponent, or cause a giant spike to protrude from a body of water. The Northern Water Tribe employs these as a primary defense of their homeland when enemy ships are sighted, and Hama and the Southern Water Tribe waterbenders immobilized a Fire Nation vessel by creating a large iceberg spike beneath it.[3] Katara also used this to freeze Sangok and later Zuko,[2] while Desna and Eska performed numerous iceberg spikes during their duel with Ming-Hua.[19] Korra also employed this technique to slow down Kuvira's enormous mecha suit.[29]
Phase change: Waterbenders also possess the ability to alter the physical state of the water they manipulate, between liquid, solid and gas, at will. Changing the phase of water allows for multiple techniques in the course of a battle, from encasing an opponent in ice to hiding behind a wall of mist. Ice and steam/fog can also be molded in a diverse range of shapes. Ice provides a degree of hard lethality since it can be molded into spikes or blades to pin down or impale opponents. Steam or mist can obscure a battlefield and mask movement. Waterbenders also possess the ability to breathe an icy mist that freezes water and other substances. Pakku used this technique in his duel with Katara.[17] Katara also used the technique to enhance her performance as the Painted Lady,[30] as well as with the waterbenders at the Foggy Swamp.[31] The move was later performed by one of the Red Monsoon Triad members.[32]
Rings of water: Skilled waterbenders can create one, two, or three rotating rings of water, in the sky, around their bodies.[34] This has both defensive and offensive capabilities, such as being used as a cannon. Siku and Sura demonstrated this technique as an aesthetic display of their waterbending abilities,[35] while Kya used this during her fight with Zaheer on Air Temple Island.[12]
Snowball: Waterbenders can create a snowball capable of fighting. The shape, size, and length are all determined by the waterbender's control, while more powerful benders can create larger balls. Sangok used this technique in his match with Katara, though she was able to redirect it back at him and freeze him.[2] Noa and Kam also used this technique against Katara, though she was able to redirect it back at them.[22] Siku and Sura also used this technique in the South Pole,[35] and a group of Southern Water Tribe kids as well against the Northern Water Tribe Army, and then against Korra, though she was able to block it.[26]
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