Poll: Last airbender

[emeraldrafael]

earth, because there's more earth on earth than any other element, so there more resources to utilise

Isnt water something like 70-75% of the planet, plus whatever moisture you get in the air,a nd its something like 90% of the human body?

With that, I'd say water, because you get control of ice, can pull the moisture out of a human (or anything really), control the rains and clouds and can purify/contaminate water. And you can control blood. If you got really good, and really focused, and didnt mine killing some things to practice, you wouldnt need the full moon to use blood bending.

 

[revenge6000]

Air. I don't care how powerful the element is or isn't. I just want to fly.

Water, I could blood bend and I could heal people.

Although earth would also be awesome.

From what I understand being able to do those is rare.

Blood bending is pretty rare, only the most powerful water benders can do it, and even then only during a full moon. The healing is much more common, in fact its almost considered a lower form of bending. The water tribes relegate the role of healer to the women, while the men get to do the fun ice fighting.

My God I am a nerd.

 

[natster43]

Fire. I always wanted to be a pyro. Also lighting.

 

[theguitarhero6]

Wow, that poll couldn't be any closer.
Personally, I'd pick Earth because I do a lot of hiking and certain terrrain would be more accessable with the ability to mold my own stone staricase.

 

[Flackster]

I'm going with air. For the mobility and if it came down to a fight I could toss them like a rag doll, or just remove all the air from there lungs.

 

[Jaeriko]

Air, mostly because its combat bending style looks almost exclusively non-lethal.

But being able to control my body temperature with breathing techniques (as Aang apparently does in the poles) would be useful as hell living in Canada. Increased speed and flying would be cool too.

 

[The Sandvich]

Uh, most of the earth is covered in water.
Just saying.

Well...yeah, but water covers EARTH. Meaning that it's still there, just under the water. Even in an ocean, you'd have the ability to use Earth

I'd say Air. It's the most practical, it's the least dangerous, and you can fly with it

 

[ThatLankyBastard]

Earth, definitely... I mean, everything nowadays is made of metal, and metal is just an extension of Earth!

...that and Toph is amazing!

 

[crudus]

Blood bending is pretty rare, only the most powerful water benders can do it, and even then only during a full moon. The healing is much more common, in fact its almost considered a lower form of bending. The water tribes relegate the role of healer to the women, while the men get to do the fun ice fighting.

My God I am a nerd.

Well, I just noticed how little people were in that healing class. I personally would call it "uncommon" judging from what Jaun-Jaun says and the fact that only females in the north hone it. It is really hard to judge how common it is. Bloodbending: significantly more rare.

p.s. I am probably a bigger nerd than you. I have gone through most of the wiki articles involved in this topic -_-

Earth, definitely... I mean, everything nowadays is made of metal, and metal is just an extension of Earth!

...that and Toph is amazing!

From what I gather that is starting to go away now. Things are starting to be made out of plastic(biodegradable ones at that). Also, you need earthsense to bend metal.

 

[Jaime_Wolf]

earth, because there's more earth on earth than any other element, so there more resources to utilise

I believe you are mistaken because if you watch the show, there is only one character who ever learns to bend metal and even then, she has to have physical contact with it.
OT: air, because if I get good with it, I can just suffocate everyone who pisses me off. Also I get a bo staff, and the ability to fly with said staff.

the one character thing is irrelevant. Its not because shes special , its because she thought about it and concentrated. Similar to the other unique styles of bending such as plant bending, lightning and blood bending. Its thinking of new ways to use your ability.

Good argument, but she also was slightly special, because they already made a point in previous episodes that the best way to contain earth bender was to but them in medal cages, or, for example, prison ships. The whole idea was pretty much any other earthbender would have been completely helpless in the cage they put her in, but she spent the long ride using her ability to finally do what no other bender had ever been able to and escape.

I never got the impression that she was "special" so much as skilled and dedicated. Perhaps special in her level of devotion and understanding, but not in any way that others couldn't emulate. Learning to sense the metal in the earth seemed to be a crucial part, but she learned to do that due to being blind, it wasn't some magical "you're blind, now you can sense the earth" ability and presumably others could learn to do it too.

OT: I chose water. After the bloodbending (which I would have far fewer qualms over) episode, it's clear that there are very few situations where some water won't be available if you have some ingenuity. It also seems the most versatile, offering solid, liquid, and gas manipulation. Air just gets gas, fire just gets gas (plasma), and earth just gets solid. I also think the Tai Chi for waterbending looks the best (in terms of integration with the effects produced) aside from Toph's ideosyncratic Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu.

I'm actually surprised by the results - they're in the exact opposite order, thus far, of what I'd choose. Airbending always seemed the most boring part of the show to me and fire seemed to be pretty lacking in utilitarian applications (when all you've got is a hammer...). Earthbending barely loses out to waterbending in my mind due to the phasic versatility and better-integrated martial art aspect of waterbending.

are our natural abilities and aptitudes we are born with not what makes us different than others? Did you ever consider Batman special, even though his only abilities are ones he gained through study and concentration? and what if bending is like the force in star wars and you in fact, are only born with a certain affinity for it? That would explain why the avatar is the only one who can master all four of them.

(in fact, if its a choice, I'd like to change my answer to, "I would want to be the avatar so I don't have to choose")

A fair point I suppose. I was refering specifically to special bending ability, not to the actual nature of intelligence and determination. Clearly the Avatar involves an innate difference and it's sort of suggested that the ability to bend at all is a genetic one, but I don't think it's ever clear on whether one's ability to bend has a genetic factor of some sort involving the power of the bender. The best benders in the series are intelligent, hard-working, and well-trained for the most part (with the exception of Toph, though she makes up for it with the first and especially second qualities) and it's suggested several times that other benders could be just as powerful with similar intelligence, work, and training. Take the "most powerful" form of each thing aside from metalbending: people who can bend lightning are just people with training in how to bend lightning and people who can bloodbend are just people who were taught to bloodbend. It's never suggested that certain people are born with or without the ability to do either.

And I have no idea what you're talking about with regard to being born with affinity for the force. Midichlorians? That never happened in a Star Wars movie.

 

[StevenSuffern]

earth, because there's more earth on earth than any other element, so there more resources to utilise

Uh, most of the earth is covered in water.
Just saying.

Actually, consider what the water rests upon: Rock, massive plates of rock, which float on flowing semi-solid rock, which in turn encase molten rock. That's a shite ton of Earth.

An Earthbender of godlike power could literally take the planet apart, making all others irrelevant.

That being said: Fire, cause it's pretty

 

[Pants_On_Head_Retard]

water easily as you could do all kinds of mischief

 

[Argtee]

Spoiler: I am putting this in spoiler box because it's pretty large.

Air. I don't care how powerful the element is or isn't. I just want to fly.

Well, yeah, I guess you would have to think about that.

Good point.

Unless you are in a hot desert there is water everywhere. Chances are you could even pull water out of the earth the earthbender is throwing at you.

Hmm, I didn't think of that.

earth, because there's more earth on earth than any other element, so there more resources to utilise

Uh, most of the earth is covered in water.
Just saying.

Anyways: I guess fire.
It would really hurt if someone got hit with it. That's always good!

Don't forget air! Fuckloads and fuckloads of air! ;P

Yeah, I guess you could just take a whole bunch of air and shoot someone into a wall!

Uh, most of the earth is covered in water.
Just saying.

Well...yeah, but water covers EARTH. Meaning that it's still there, just under the water. Even in an ocean, you'd have the ability to use Earth

...I didn't think of that either.

I guess Earth could be more useful than water, but like "crudus" said above when I quoted him...

"Unless you are in a hot desert there is water everywhere. Chances are you could even pull water out of the earth the earthbender is throwing at you."

So, either way, you could use water on the surface and Earth in the ocean.

EDIT: Adding this in because it kind of goes with what "crudus" said.

earth, because there's more earth on earth than any other element, so there more resources to utilise

Uh, most of the earth is covered in water.
Just saying.

Actually, consider what the water rests upon: Rock, massive plates of rock, which float on flowing semi-solid rock, which in turn encase molten rock. That's a shite ton of Earth.

An Earthbender of godlike power could literally take the planet apart, making all others irrelevant.

That being said: Fire, cause it's pretty

 

[Mr.Squishy]

Pyros of the world, ignite!

 

[Drejer43]

I think it is cool that the poll is pretty much divided 25%,25%,25%,25%

EDIT: with full moon, water-benders would be the most powerful, as long as they used blood-bending, so yeah bring it on!

 

[robodukky]

I'd pick air, because not only can you fly on an awesome ball thing, but with air you could just propel rocks and water anyway. It wouldn't be as effective as actual water/earth bending but would still work.

 

[DarkRyter]

Wow, that poll is alot more even than I expected.

I'd go with fire, but only for the lightning.

Lightning is awesome.

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

I'd go with fire because it's awesome, and it's even more awesome since you can control lightning.

Oh, the fun that can be had.

 

[bak00777]

wow they are all pretty much tied. Personally i want to control Fire. Superheroes that control Fire tend to be some of my favorites. I would love to be able to light people on fire, or save energy on heating, or be able to re-heat food by holding it in my hands. Plus ya Lightning is pretty badass.

 

[cainx10a]

Most likely Ground. Always awesome to watch Toph fight.

Just discovered this show (been living in the anime hut, sort of). Are there any other american show with a story so deep and characters so well developed?

Edit: 2nd pick would be water/blood bending, for obvious reasons.