Waterbender

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Waterbender is a collective term for an order of people in the fictional universe of the Nickelodeon animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. A moiety of the Water Tribe, they are heirs to the mystical martial art of waterbending, the hydrokinetic ability to control water, steam and ice, and to heal physical wounds as well as spiritual wounds (having to deal with energies and pressure points) using a technique that appears to be based on the Chinese Medicine theory of Meridians.

Contents 1 Origin 2 Fighting style 2.1 Forms 3 Healing 4 Weaknesses 5 Other Waterbending 6 Elemental Symbol 7 Spirituality and Waterbending 8 Notable Waterbenders 9 See also 10 References

[edit] Origin

The people of the Water Tribe first learned Waterbending by observing how the moon pushed and pulled the tides of the ocean.^[1]

According to the episode "The Waterbending Scroll," the word 'waterbending' is written in Chinese as 截水神功, which is best translated as "The Divine Ability to Halt Water".'

[edit] Fighting style

Waterbending is based on the style of Tai Chi, which is a martial art that features slow movements and elegant forms that evoke the feel of flowing water.^[2] Waterbending's strength is its defensive capabilities. Unlike some other bending disciplines, Waterbending's defensive maneuvers focus on control through turning an opponent's own strength against him, rather than directly harming the opponent. There are three known styles of Waterbending that have been shown in the series to date: Northern, Southern, and Foggy Swamp style.^[3] Others may be revealed as the series progresses.

According to Iroh, water is the element of change. Waterbending provides a versatility of experience. The extent of the Waterbenders' power ranges from creating small, lashing whips and waves to massive tsunamis and walls of water. Waterbenders also possess thermokinetic abilities regarding their element, meaning that they can freeze, melt, evaporate or condense the water they manipulate at will.^[4] Changing the phase state of water allows for multiple techniques in the course of a battle, from encasing an opponent in ice to hiding behind a wall of mist. Waterbenders are also able to manipulate water pressure, allowing for techniques such as grabbing things and cutting through objects.^[5] One high-level move suitable for a powerful Waterbender involves engendering and riding within a whirlpool-like pillar of water, nicknamed the "Water Snake", in accordance to the water spout's constantly shifting and coiling movements.

Waterbending is the opposing bending art to Firebending. Like all the bending arts, Waterbending is balanced out as to not be more or less powerful than the other arts. The series has repeatedly illustrated that it's the skill and prowess of the user that determines victory.

[edit] Forms

Named forms within waterbending include the Octopus form, the Single Water Whip, the Water Drill, and Streaming the Water (developed by Katara).

A member of the Foggy Swamp Tribe, Huu, has illustrated that Waterbenders can manipulate the vines and roots of plants by bending the ample amount of water within them. ^[6]

[edit] Healing

See also: Qigong

Each of the four bending disciplines contain a special sub-skill unique only to certain members of each element. Waterbenders in particular possess the ability to heal wounds by redirecting energy paths (or chi) throughout the body, using water as a catalyst.^[4] Physically, this draws on the restorative properties of water to organisms such as human beings that are primarily composed of it. Though powerful, Waterbending healing cannot heal every ailment---for example, Jet's wound in "Lake Laogai" or the complications associated with Princess Yue's birth. In the Northern Water Tribe, this ability is the only aspect of Waterbending taught to female Waterbenders, due to the traditionally patriarchal culture of the tribe. It is not known to what extent the Northern Water Tribe teaches healing to men; no male Waterbender has been shown using this ability in the series so far. In rare cases, a waterbender may develop this ability without training.

[edit] Weaknesses

A Waterbender's primary weakness is his or her need for an external source of water, though a skilled Waterbender can condense the natural moisture in the air or on the ground into a usable form.^[7] As a result, travelling Waterbenders carry a water skin with them at all times. A second vulnerability, however, lies within the use of one's arms as a primary means of Waterbending. This leaves the Waterbender vulnerable when he or she is bound at the hands or has had the flow of chi blocked in the arms. As of yet, there have been few instances in the series where waterbending was performed with the lower body — such as when Katara anchored her feet in ice during her fight with Master Pakku^[8], or when she created a piece of ice to use as a surfboard when fighting a giant sea serpent — but another lower body technique is outlined on the waterbending scroll stolen by Katara, from which both she and Aang learned a technique named the Water Whip. However, Katara used her feet when she fought the guards Earthbenders, in the Royal Palace, in the episode The Earth King, performing a larger than normal water whip.

A Waterbender's power comes from the internal life energy chi. Due to this, a Waterbender's power is connected to his or her present emotional state.^[4] If an inexperienced Waterbender were to lose his or her temper, their waterbending force is intensified, but in turn, control is lost. This was demonstrated twice by Katara, the first occasion ironically serving as the catalyst of the series.^[8] Although this has the potential to be quite dangerous, it also serves as a boon to a bender with proper training and experience, as well as balance over their emotions.

Another waterbending weakness is its dependence on the moon (see below). Although Waterbenders gain power from the moon (with Waterbending at its zenith during full moons), the moons absence, such as that of a lunar eclipse, results in a complete loss of Waterbending ability (As seen in the Siege of the North).

[edit] Other Waterbending

Waterbending at its highest skill contains the most powerful technique among all the Bending Arts. At close range, expert Waterbenders literally uses an opponents body against them by harnessing the ample amount of water within the human body to control their opponent like a puppet master.^[7]

So far, the only times a weapon has been used with Waterbending is when Avatar Kyoshi uses her fans to create a wave in "Avatar Day," and in "The Earth King," when Aang used his staff to freeze water. It has been stated that, given their almost "Samurai-like" cutting techniques, a katana or a cane sword would be the best weapon suited for a Waterbender. ^[9]

[edit] Elemental Symbol

The symbol for water and waterbending is a circle comprised of a stylized rightward-facing ocean wave, with three spiral crests, breaking over three wavy diagonal lines representing water. It also shows how the moon and water spirit work together. The symbol is featured in connection with Northern Water Tribe spirituality, and on the pendant worn by Katara, originally carved by a Waterbender named Master Pakku for her grandmother as an engagement present.^[8]

[edit] Spirituality and Waterbending

The legends say the moon was the first Waterbender. Our ancestors saw how it pushed and pulled the tides and learned how to do it themselves... Our strength comes from the Spirit of the Moon, our life comes from the Spirit of the Ocean. They work together to keep balance. ^[10]

Like the moon controlling the tides, Waterbenders move water using their qi to mimic gravitational pull by choosing how to direct their energy utilizing two jings, which in turn work to push and pull the water being controlled. ^[4] Because of this lunar sympathy, a Waterbender's power is stronger at night, at their absolute zenith during a full moon, and lost during a lunar eclipse. A Waterbender's power is also enhanced during the rain. This is most likely due to the fact that rainwater is nothing more than moisture from the Ocean that has condense into the clouds and precipitates back to the earth.^[11] Futhermore, a Waterbender's power is strongest when he or she is situated in colder climates, during the winter, or near their native polar homelands.^[4]

Legend further elaborates that Tui (meaning "push") the Moon Spirit, and its symbiotic partner La (meaning "pull"), the Ocean Spirit, gave up their immortality to be a part of the mortal world. In fact, these spirits exist in the physical forms of two koi fish eternally circling one another in a pond, in the highly spiritual oasis, in the capital city of the Northern Water Tribe.

The "push and pull" relationship between the moon's gravity and the water's inertia is represented by Yin and yang. The Moon Spirit koi is white, with a black forehead marking, and the Ocean Spirit koi is black, with a white forehead marking, mimicking the two primal forces.

Without the equilibrium of these two spiritual aspects, Waterbenders lose their powers. This was illustrated when Tui's mortal form was killed by Admiral Zhao during the Fire Nation's siege of the North Pole in "The Siege of the North, Part II". The moon disappeared from the sky, the balance of the world was upset, and the Waterbenders defending the North Pole were rendered powerless.

The Fire Nation's invading fleet was subsequently defeated when the Avatar, Aang, acted as a literal avatar of La and combined to form a gigantic water creature that swept the Fire Nation forces out to sea. Balance was restored when Princess Yue, who had received a part of Tui's life force at birth to prevent her immediate death, returned that force and sacrificed herself so that Tui might live.^[1]

[edit] Notable Waterbenders

• Avatar Aang
• Katara
• Master Pakku
• Tho, Due, and Huu
• Avatar Roku
• Avatar Kyoshi
• Avatar Kuruk

[edit] See also

• Water Tribe
• Earthbender
• Firebender
• Airbender

[edit] References

Avatar: The Last Airbender v • d • e
Franchise
Episodes · Media information · Trading cards · Video game
Universe
Water Tribe · Earth Kingdom · Fire Nation · Air Nomads · Spirit World Waterbender · Earthbender · Firebender · Airbender · Chakra
Characters
Aang · Katara · Sokka · Appa · Toph · Zuko · Iroh · Azula Major secondary characters · Minor secondary characters · Creatures