You're right, Shijin. If anyone could be a bender, then Katara wouldn't have been the only bender in the South Pole, naturally. Others would have bended as well. But, no, it was just her. You have to be born a bender in order to bend. If you're not, then you're not.

Also, after reading your argument, I'd like to add this:

I believe that you can only bend the element of the Nation that you're born into. Aang can bend other things because he's the Avatar. For instance, Katara would never, even before she began Waterbending, be able to do anything but Waterbending. If you're from the Water Tribe, you can't learn Earthbending, and so on and so forth...

I have to dissagree, I think its based what kind of benders their parents were.

If you remember the episode with the psychic, the twins. Only one was a bender, you would think that out of jealousy the other would try to learn earthbending. I think that its genetic. You can't learn to bend. If you could, then why would everyone who wants to be a bender but arn't, just learn too? Because they can't.

Same thing, Shijin, considering in Avatar, as far as we know there are no bi-racial people.

But come on this show was made for kids and how do you stimulate their imagination by making them believe that they can bend by being taught how to bend; I mean this show might not be popular if little kids believed that bending was impossible it is the idea of being able to bend that might get kids to watch it. So sorry but I still believe that anyone can bend if they try and are tought, if it is genetic than that means Katara's mom was a bender so Sokka wouldn't have looked badly at bending.

That's not what I meant, Shio. What I meant was it's in Katara's blood as she's from the Watertribe, that's why she was a bender. It's still basically inherited, as it's common in their society.

Well I guess you guys are right because of all the crap that you guys have stated so I guess my mindset has switched

Geez I feel like Zuko, instead its with bending not going home

Boy must I look stupid ahahahahaha (jk)


but still argueing is somewhat enjoyable if it accomplishes something and still fails to hurt anyone so yeah

i think it can be taught but it would be easier to be born a bender. I think going through the training would take years to get good at where as your born with it so you wouldnt have to go through as much training.

I was thinking of this Bending thing the other day and Karena has answered my question! Okay, so now I know why...

no. U have to be born a bender but lets say ur parents are banished firebenders and they to live in an Earth nation tribe and then u were born then u'd be a firbender not an earthbender.

I have to agree with Sinjin, they have to be born benders. Good job Shio for agreeing, I couldn't do that often. (hehe)

I believe that anyone can do it after all remember in the northern water tribe princes yue said that the very first water benders learned by watching the moon, and in todays episode in the legend the lovers learned earth bending from the animals so I believe there is a way to learn without being born a bender

probably in the very beggining but once the people learned to accept nature bending was possible.

Ooh...I thought anyone (even an ordinary human) could practise the bending arts without being the Avatar. So you have to be born a bender to practise it...

I don't think so but it seems that most people believe that you have to be born a bender but if people from the past were able to learn bending without there being benders before them then so should any other non-bender

It said on Nick.com that Sokka isn't upset because he can't bend. That must mean they have to be born. Besides, they were taught earthbending by a huge animal, not other humans.

but the first waterbenders learned from the spirits and that's different.

Etsuko that is what I thought because in many of the episodes they talk about how people were taught bending by something, spirits, animals, ect...