Feb 10, 2009 6:08:31 GMT -6
Post by A Long Display Name Here on Feb 10, 2009 6:08:31 GMT -6
Well, this was actually brought up in a different, non-ATLA forum, and I figured that you guys would actually be able to provide more insight. [The other forum's thread is a 'chat', and is full of n00bs saying ZOMG I LUV AVATAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1one!!!!11].
The question posed was this - did airbending ever achieve a 'secondary' stage, that wasn't an obvious derivative of that element? For example, we have:
Firebending >> Lightning bending
Waterbending >> Bloodbending
Earthbending >> Metalbending
My response was:
There were some speculations that the Combustion Man was a long-lost airbender [these speculations were tossed out by Mike and Bryan], due to his unique firebending style, which appeared to many to be highly pressurized air.
Forgetting Combustion Man a moment, it's entirely possible that the air nomads could've developed some sort of technique to use pressurized air as a highly defensive move. The only issue I have with that theory is that pressurized air can be very destructive, and I'm uncertain if the Air Nomads would've found this to be a helpful, peaceful technique. Also, if powerful waterbenders can bloodbend, airbenders might be able to control a person's ability to breathe..in theory.
What are your thoughts? What might air's "ultimate" form be? Why do you think it might be this?
kaitokatashi
Feb 10, 2009 11:16:55 GMT -6
Post by kaitokatashi on Feb 10, 2009 11:16:55 GMT -6
Unfortunately, as the Air Nomads' culture and bending was never covered in depth, this would be purely speculation.
The idea that a highly-skilled Airbender could control a person's breath is an interesting one, but is counter-intuitive to the pacifist nature of the Nomads. There has been speculation that Airbenders could create a vacuum, but as bending disciplines seem to follow the same metaphysical laws that their counterpart substances here on earth, a vacuum would only be able to be created in an airtight environment; otherwise, more air would just rush in to fill the gap and the bender would only succeed in creating a temporary source of low pressure.
Along those lines, and with what I know about meteorology (still assuming that the weather works the same there as it does here), a skilled Airbender could have a significant effect on the weather by creating surfaces of low and high pressure at different altitudes; however, as I haven't seen a meteorologist in the A:tLA universe, this seems unlikely. (I will note, however, that Katara and Aang both showed a hint of meteorological knowledge when they surmised that both of them could shape clouds because they were "water and air")
If one is to speculate as to what the "ultimate form of Airbending" is, one must break down what Airbending actually is; aerokinesis, or the ability to manipulate air with one's mind or, in the case of A:tLA, by channeling and manipulating the "chi" of the air in some way. Now, to consider what could be done as far as "ultimate Airbending," one must take into account that, while we know a lot about how air and wind work, the people in the Avatar universe might not; so, it is entirely possible that the "ultimate form of Airbending" could have something to do with highly compressed air.
Keep in mind that Aang is a unique case because he's the Avatar, so unless another Airbender springs into existence (which won't happen), we'll be stuck in the perpetual cycle of speculation.
raikou
Feb 11, 2009 16:41:07 GMT -6
Post by raikou on Feb 11, 2009 16:41:07 GMT -6
I agree with kai on many of the points.
However, I don't believe there to be an ultimate air bending form. Airbending in and of itself is complicated and more powerful than the other bending forms. How they could have lost if they could compress air, create vaccumes, et cetra, is completly beyond me, even if Sozen's Comet was to come. Fire needs air, creating a vaccume would dissipate the flames before the firebenders could harm them. Creating a high pressured barrier between themselves and their opponent would also put out the flames due to too much oxygen surrounding the fire. Remember that the firebenders wiped them out, so it only stands to reason airbenders wouldn't have been able to stand up to them with the comet's advanced power and would do anything to survive... even kill. Controlling the enemie's breath might be plausable... but then again, it would also be too powerful if the airbenders could do it. Shoving air down a person's throat and killing them that way is probably much more effective than stealing the air from them and letting them suffocate.
I believe that this discussion is a neverending speculation as kai said because the Avatar spends his time mastering all four elements rather than go into one in so much depth they reach the advanced form of the bending arts that no one would be able to study the airbending in so much depth that they reach that 'next level'... even if they were born to a certain nation.
However, what I'm wondering is what the next Avatar after Aang would do to learn airbending! Since there aren't any airbenders left, he would have to rely on himself to rediscover the ancient art as well as the avatars before him. That might actually be a good plot for when we finish the Canon Plot! ^^ (just an idea XD)
Feb 11, 2009 16:46:12 GMT -6
Post by Gia on Feb 11, 2009 16:46:12 GMT -6
I agree with Raikou. It seems to go against what the Airbenders were. They were peaceful pacifists, as everyone has said. It stands to reason that they would not have an attack that would harm another person, since they valued all lives, including those of their enemies. This is, essentially, why they lost in the end. Raikou brought up a good point - the Fire Nation did destroy them, which stands to reason that, as he said, they did NOT have an ultimate technique. It would be interesting to speculate about "what could have been" but I simply do not believe that they would have. In fact, I read somewhere (can't remember where now, but some Avatar related thing) that said that Airbending had no finishing move, despite it's power, because of the Airbender's pacifist nature.