Actually from the look of things, she wasn't bending metal; but the earth inside. Looking back in history, there was a time when smelting wasn't all that reliable because not all the impurities left, and the structure would weaken over time.

Adding weight to that claim? Notice how when she "sees" the metal cage, there's those little shapes glowing brighter than the rest. That's a sign that the metal is *not* very high quality at all, and those were likely the bendable impurities within it. And since it's part of the metal, with enough strength one could conceivably use it to "push" or "pull" the rest of the metal.

Also, I have a feeling that the reason it worked also has a lot to do with where exactly the metal was made: the Earth Kingdom. Just based on the general construction of the forts, cities, etcetera; they don't seem to put an emphasis on making anything out of metal. At all. The Fire Nation on the other hand, puts a HUGE emphasis on it. Naturally, there's a significant chance that the metal cage/box and the door in the dungeon was of laughably inferior quality, with far more of the aforementioned impurities that allowed Toph to "bend" the metal.

Oh, and fireprodigy?



The North and South water tribes. Sit down, remove your foot from your mouth, and at least pretend to be a civil human being.

When I think about it metal is not completely purified(it costs too much and takes way too much effort to be economical), so thus most metals have impurities in them..Which could be a reason to why toph was able to do so.

Well if you think of it that way, no metal is completely pure. But metal IS earth heated up to a degree and formed into a separate shape. Either way, it's cool seeing Toph metalbend on the show.

Weren't you already beaten over the head for making that same bogus claim?

Fire =/= plasma, end of bloody story. If you don't believe me, one of the defining characteristics of plasma is that it can only be contained via electromagnetic fields. When's the last time that worked with fire?

As for claiming electricity is plasma, you're dead wrong. Especially by your definition of "electrons stripped away by extreme heat."

Electricity is nothing BUT electrons travelling through some sort of conductor (which is why it's defined with the term "electron flow").

So, for it to be considered "plasma" under your own false definition, there couldn't be any electricity, as that would mean the electrons are still there.

This has gone completely off topic. We went straight from Metalbending to Lightningbending. Stay on topic or one of the mods/admin will come and delete or lock the topic. End the argument and continue with your lives.

Actually, the debate over lightning and fire and so on, so forth, is relative to this topic. It's stating that if Lightning and Fire arn't the same and Firebenders can bend both of them as if they are in fact fire, then there's no reason Earthbenders can't bend Earth and Metal, even if Metal might not be considered Earth.

well, lets see. Almost every single bending element has a second, Water-Ice, Fire-Lightning,Earth-Metal, and Air has no second but the benders can do alot more than just move air. So yeah I think Earthbenders can bend metal, but only really good ones, like masters, or like Toph.

American Heritage Dictionary of Culrural Literacy, Third Addition

"Plasma-
A state of matter in which some or all of the electrons have been torn from thier parent atoms. the negatively charged electrons and positively charged ions move independently."

It is the fourth state of matter. I don't know about needing a magnetic field to manipulate one, as such a field is only advanced enough in science fiction as to my knowledge. We can barely levitate toads as it is, let alone a substance of world destroying power. But I DO know that the means to manipulate a substance is not usually a standard property. Liquids are usualy manipulated by solid containers, but not glass, which is an incredably viscus liquid. In addition lighting is 5 times hotter than the sun, but only fires for a short time before the electons and protons balance. the last fact is pointless but i"m on a roll.

We are off topic, but this was started as an announcement, so it should probably be closed anyway.

Oh wow.

Did someone delete their posts in between, because this arguement doesn't make any sense. Who said plasma was a material. And how did we suddenly start on about diamagnetism (levitating frogs)?

*attempts to save thread*

So any thoughts if Bumi can bend metal. He is known (more publically) as the most powerful earth bender, and he's good at opening his brain.

It would be cool if Toph and Bumi encountered each other. Then Toph would try to show off and challenge Bumi.

Whoa that would be the coolest earthbending battle!

I did. It's funny this way. And the frog comment was because he thought that plasma could only be controled by electromagnetic fields, but our technology level isn't high enough to do that.

Actually, you'd be wrong there with electromagnetic fields. They are being used and are easy to create. Take about ten blocks of iron and stick wires connected to electricity to them. Anything that comes within about two inches gets repelled or attracted depending on the flow of electricity and if magnetism applies to the object.

I don't feel like looking that up, despite the fact I'm on the internet AKA the single easisest to use and nearly result guarenteed research tool ever, so I will accept you're words as truth. I DID mention our mad frog levitating skills in this brach of technology, however.

EDIT: I meant I wouldn't tust a man-made field with the "movie" plasma Mokoto Kiryama was talking about. By "movie" plasma I mean similarly to how some people think that acid is a mystery substance that eats through anything, when there are varying degrees. Not all plasmas are massively kinetically charge world vaporizing super plot devices.

Or hey, here's a novel thought, you could stop acting like a prick and implying I'm stupid and think for a second: plasma has an electrical CHARGE to it, which would mean it could always be contained via electromagnetic means.

Electromagnetic fields can occur naturally, or be produced with a little effort by someone with access to the right materials. Just because you don't want to admit you're wrong doesn't mean you get a free pass to start belittling me. And I sent you a PM with a link to an article on electromagnetic fields, so don't act like it's too much of a bother for you to look it up. Don't act like a spoiled kid and assume everyone else is clearly misled or stupid just because they don't take every stupid thing that comes out of your mouth at face-value.

The next time you want to have fun and imply I'm stupid enough to just get all my info from movies, contact me over AIM or some other IM service rather than take thinly veiled potshots at me in a public forum.

I'm sorry but, this has really gotten off topic. ;D If you would like to start a huge discussion about plasma and fire can you please create a new thread? I really wanted to see people's reactions and thought on Metal Bending. I'm not trying to be rude, just stating that it has gotten quite annoying to come and see what people think about metal bending and see stuff about plasma and fire and how the conversation really spawned from something that was once on topic but the point has completely been lost... ^_^

Mmm...true. I see so many topics go off topic this way. Somebody start posting about METAL bending...not firebending...either way, there is already another thread on metalbending, so this thread's pointless.

She can metal bend, a fact that is shown in the next episode where Azula, with Zuko, takes over Ba Sing Se. The Earth King, Sokka, and Toph were imprisoned. Toph waited until the Dai Li (please forgive any mispelling. I act, not write.) wasn't around, put her hand on the door, and blew it right off the hinges. It was crumpled up slightly as well.

Also, Wikipedia, a great source of knowledge when you've got a paper due in three hours, says, and I quote, "s of the episode "The Guru," Toph is the first known character with the ability to bend metal. Metal is derived from ore, which is found in the earth. In the episode, while Toph is seen concentrating in her iron prison, Guru Pathik explains in a parallel scene that "Metal is just a part of Earth that has been purified and refined." Because of Toph's ability to feel the vibrations in earth, she is able to locate the small fragments of earth in metal and manipulate them to 'bend' the metal portion. As of the end of Book Two, Toph is the only known Earthbender with the ability to bend metal."

While Wikipedia is by no means infallable, I agree with most of the information. One of the arguements that are already being made, and you just repeated, against metalbending is the fact that she manipulated the rock particles in the metal and that Fire Nation metal has these purified out. Yet no one considers the Guru's words, which are also listed there. "Metal is just a part of Earth that has been purified and refined." If the Guru is right, and I don't see why they would make him spew falsehoods in the show, then metal is earth and thus can be bended. While Toph might have only used the rocks in the metal at first, I'm sure it would be possible for her to eventually reilize she can bend purified metals too.

I think that she came to realize this later since it was much easier to bend the second time than it was the first time. When she was trapped she had a ard tiem concentrating on it and was only able to make a dent, bending the bit of purified earth, but later she could easily pull it together and then, as stated above, knock a door off of it's hinges.