I wasn't quite sure where I was going with the whole 'feeling the earth' concept. If benders reach out with their consciousness' in order to bend, then what would happen if they reached out to water - or to fire? Would there be some sort of block? I simply wonder if the heat from the lava would affect the apparent mental/spiritual connection between earth benders and rock...in this case mollten rock.

I guess the only way to really know would be to ask the creators.

I have the distinct feeling they're making it up as they go along. -_____-

Well, maybe they have a master plan of sorts hidden in their studios. But... nevermind.

In any case, there's the matter of Bumi's metal cage. I mean, he could bend in it - but he had to have his head vaguely outside the cage, and he had to be looking at the rock. Or could he bend while inside the thing, but he just didn't bother? The episode was sort of ambiguous about that.

I have to agree that I also imagine they're sort of rolling with the punches...
They might have put some thought into lava bending, but there's only so much time they have for brainstorming the little ideas. We're probably getting rather technical here, and as said before - it is a show, meant to entertain and so most of the decisions made are made for art purposes. What is aesthetically pleasing? I sort of doubt they take a whole lot of time to think through every little aspect of the Avatar world...though I'm sure they know it well by now.

Its the fans' job to debate the intricacies. If we went to them with our questions they'd probably just go "Well...I just thought Avatar Roku would look cool blowing up a volcano. You guys are crazy!" ;D

I've said it before but I'll go ahead and throw it down again:

I think lavabending is strictly an earth-bender thing. Lava is, after all, molten earth. Not only do I think firebenders would be incapable of controlling it, but I don't think firebenders could achieve a state of calefaction capable of actually turning rock molten. In other words, I'm siding with earthbenders 100%.

There really is no reason for someone to assume that firebenders could direct lava other than the lust for a broader horizon of combat capabilities for their earthbending character.

And that's my two cents.

I definitely think, earthbenders as well. Lava is not fire, the only similar aspect is the fact that there is alot of heat in the lava. Apart from that it's not really fire, and it is rock, hot or not.
However I also agree that it s just a show, no one really knows for sure and until someone brings it up in rp, I don't think that it's a hugly critical issue.

BTW love ur avatar, I hate Fargoth too!

Yeah, seriously, what the hell man? I walk out of the Census and Excise office after being carried by a freaking Imperial Legion carriage and ship for like a month, and the FIRST thing that happens when I'm released is a f'ing bosmer comes up to me and asks me about my new healing ring? I mean what the hell man? Seriously. And he jacked Hrisskar's cash! Why doesn't Hrisskar kick his arse?

But I digress - I'm glad you agree with my 'lavabending' opinion.

My take on the whole thing goes into the stances used for each of the bending forms. Air bending, from what I see, is based a whole lot on movement and speed, and is short and straightforward.

Water bending is based on the flow, as Iro described, turning your defense into your offense, and uses more long flowing movements that many times go circular.

Earth bending is about being stubborn and strong minded. The movements are simple, determined, and powerful.

Fire bending uses a kind of mix of the stances from water and earth bending. In both earth and fire bending, the legs are shoulder width apart, while fire bending tends to use more flowing movements (EX: When Zuko launched the meteor type thing at Aang in book 2 chapter 20, or Azula's lightning, both of which use long circular movements.)

Now if you want to know which element was bended in your episode (The Avatar State) you can go look yourself.

Okay, here is another take on it, because my oppinion changes like the weather. ;D
Okay, I thinjk we are thinking a bit too practical and inside the box here. Earth=lava from what alot of you guys say. Alright, but what about fire=lightening? Or water=healing? Where is the logic in all this? This is Avatar! This is based on philosphies and concepts of different culturals that don't work as we see. Science has little place in the world of avatar, and don't get technical with my words, 'But its science that makes the machines go' and all that stuff. You people should know what I mean, cause people cannot make fire explode from their hands! Now I like how Deng thought it as. That was something like poetry in this whole discussion. I ahve been on this site for a good long while, and I have heard some crazy things, like waterbending the body (Which I say is not possible! Because if you talk to a biologist, they say most of the body is made of water but its not purified water! DON'T MAKE THEM ANY MORE POWERFUL! FIGHT THE MUNCHKINS!!!!!). Now that line of gibberish is done, back to the matter at hand. The way Deng pointed out says alot to me. That she isn't thinking in the terms that many here are thinking, but she is thinking in the Avatar terms. So I say BRAVO!!! And viva gibberish and ranting!

And yeah, firebending is Lava!

So which one is this discussion, approaching the idea of lavabending from a purely scientific (ignoring the fact that people are bending elements with martial arts) standpoint or more from a "what style is the show using for it" standpoint?

From pure science, yeah, I'd say that lava falls under the earthbending category, but odds are it is an Avatar only ability, considering the strength that it takes to make a freaking volcano erupt.

From an Avatar show standpoint, I would say they were putting it closer to the firebending discipline. Like I said earlier in this thread (I'm pretty sure I did), the only times we've seen a bender use lava in some form has been from the spirit of Avatar Roku inhabiting Aang (the Winter Solstice, Part II), and the flashback to a previous firebending centric Avatar in the Avatar State. Both of these Avatars are born of the Fire Nation, and are identified as firebenders first (much like people identify Aang as an airbender first). In the flashback we see Avatar Yang Chen using the Avatar State to enhance her airbending, Avatar Kyoshi to enhance her earthbending, Avatar Kuruk to enhance his waterbending...going from that idea, why would they show this firebender Avatar launching a volcano if they were designating it as an earthbender technique? That's just repitition for earthbending and doesn't make sense given what they were showing us.

What they seem to make clear is making lava flow, or bend, takes such strength and expertise that you need to be an Avatar, possibly using the Avatar State to make it more powerful. No regular firebender could go sending streams of lava at people, but in terms of the show, they're considering it firebending.

This really isn't the first time they ignore true science in favor of mythical flavor and artistic liscense.

For some clarification, the earthbending discipline is based on Hung Gar (while Toph's is a Southern Praying Mantis style), waterbending is based in Tai Chi, airbending is based on Ba Gua, and firebending is based on Northern Shaolin Kung Fu. Each of them have their own disctinct movements, techniques, and variation on stances. Earthbenders will have shorter horse stances and direct and powerful strikes while a firebender has long stances with fast and offensive strikes. I will have to go back sometime and watch what Avatar Roku and the other Avatar use to cause the volcanic eruptions, see if I recognize any of the movements. From what I remember, it really didn't look like any standard earthbending movements.

So, in conclusion: science says earthbender. Show seems to say firebender based Avatar-only. Say, maybe this way everyone wins?

In all due respect, Ai Lin, I don't think firebenders could control lava directly, but perhaps since the avatar should have so much talent firebending, his or her's influence over heat allows him/her to cause a volcanic eruption. However, an eruption has nothing to do with lava. When a volcano erupts, lava doesn't geyser out of it, fire and ash does. Lava oozes out after. Lava doesn't seem to be involved at the instant where the volcanoes erupt - Just an immense amount of heat and power, it being a symbolic scene.

It's not as though you need to control lava to make the volcanoes erupt anyways.

Also a note, just about every time I have seen earthbending done on the show, the bender was in contact with the earth. For an earthbender to bend metal, he has to feel for the bits of earth in the metal that were not purified. I think the same goes for lava. This would make bending it hard for an earthbender.

I think Lavabending is Firebender turf, for one Lava is Liquid, as think and molten as it is, Earthbenders don't do Non-Solid well, besides, to control lava within 20 feet of yourself means you would have to be able to stand tempatures above 120 F, and thats the light end of it.

I however don't think they can freely toss lava around like a fireball, but rather Manipulate the heat in the Lava cooling parts by moving the heat the direction they want the lava to flow.

The Firebender never moves the rock, but he can move the heat inside the rock, and freely combust flame if he wishes, so he could possably make a stream of lava by superheating earth, and control its direction by making a path of "Scorched Earth", now say lava came at a Firebender, if they where good enough I bet they could push the heat away from themselves as the lava came turning it back into rock.

Well I think it's Earth benders only, for most of the reasons everyone said, but I wouldn't think it would be too hard for earth benders to bend the lava just because it's not solid. I think it's one of those Avatar scenarios when, you can bend a certain element form based on what your used to living around, like the sand benders, and that water bender from the swamp how he can bend the water in vines.