Avatar



The Avatar is the spirit of the planet incarnate in human form, and the only physical being with the ability to practice all four bending disciplines. It is considered the Avatar's duty to master the four elemental disciplines, and use such power to keep balance amongst the four nations of the world. With the death of the Avatar, the spirit is reborn into the following nation, dictated by the cyclic order; Water, Earth, Fire, Air. Coincidentally, the cycle of reincarnation corresponds to the cycle of the seasons; each of which is affiliated with a particular nation and element; Water and Winter, Earth and Spring, Fire and Summer, Air and Autumn. The cycle is also the traditional order in which any one Avatar is to master the elements, beginning at which ever element they were born into. The cycle can only be broken if the Avatar is killed while using the Avatar State.

The Avatar possesses an innate connection to the Spirit World, and uses it as a bridge by which to reconcile the two worlds and ensure harmony. The Avatar is also capable of using this ability to contact the spirits of previous Avatars, and harness their combined energy to perform feats of bending beyond that of any other bender. Throughout the ages, countless incarnations of the Avatar have served to maintain harmony in the world.

Each nation has a method of recognizing the new Avatar. Among the Air Nomads, this involved presenting all infants with a selection of toys to play with, and watching for a child that selected four specific toys that had belonged to past Avatars, called the Four Avatar Relics. Traditionally, the child is told of their identity as the Avatar on their sixteenth birthday (although, Avatar Aang was told much earlier than this because of Fire Nation aggression).

Avatars also possess the ability to bend energy, though very few Avatars learned this technique, and even fewer have used it. Avatar Aang learned this technique from a Giant Lion Turtle and used it to remove Phoenix King Ozai's Firebending during "Sozin's Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang".

When the Avatar masters the Four Elements, namely Air, Water, Earth and Fire, and also gains control of the Avatar State, he or she is commonly said to be a 'Fully Realized Avatar'.

Avatar Cycle
The reincarnations of the Avatar are controlled by the Avatar Cycle of the elements: Water, Earth, Fire, Air. The cycle is based of the passage of the four seasons (water is winter, earth is spring, fire is summer and air is autumn).

When an Avatar dies, the next Avatar will be born into the next nation in the Avatar Cycle (for example, Avatar Yangchen from the Air Nomads was followed by Avatar Kuruk from the Northern Water Tribe, who was followed by Avatar Kyoshi from the Earth Kingdom, who was followed by Avatar Roku from the Fire Nation, who was followed by Avatar Aang from the Air Nomads. Once Aang dies, the Avatar will be reincarnated as Korra born of the Southern Water Tribe). The new Avatar will be born within approximately a week of the previous Avatar's death, hence the collective Spirit bonds with a baby close to birth rather than being reincarnated into a totally new body in the traditional sense. It is unknown if there is a pattern in the re-incarnation cycle that determines whether a particular Avatar will be male or female, although visions seen by Aang displaying previous Avatars seem to suggest there is not. (Interestingly, the last four Avatars followed the pattern female-male-female-male, though Aang breaks this pattern)

The Avatar Cycle also determines the order in which each Avatar must learn the four bending disciplines. The Avatar begins by mastery of his or her native elements (so an Avatar born into the Water Tribe would first learn Waterbending). The Avatar then goes on to learn the three remaining bending disciplines in the order of the cycle (the Water Tribe Avatar would learn first Waterbending, then Earthbending, then Firebending, and finally Airbending, in that order). Avatar Aang, however, due to his unique situation, tries to learn Firebending as his second element (with Jeong Jeong) but ends up learning Firebending later after some advice from Jeong Jeong to master water and earth first.

Known Avatars
The most recent Avatars (in the order of current to oldest) are: 152 ASC - Unknown 12 BSC - 152 ASC 82 BSC - 12 BSC 312 BSC - 82 BSC Unknown - 312 BSC Years unknown Years unknown
 * Avatar Korra (Water Tribe, Southern Water Tribe)
 * Avatar Aang (Air Nomads, Southern Air Temple)
 * Avatar Roku (Fire Nation, Roku's Island)
 * Avatar Kyoshi (Earth Kingdom, now Kyoshi Island)
 * Avatar Kuruk (Water Tribe, Northern Water Tribe)
 * Avatar Yangchen (Air Nomads, Western Air Temple)
 * Unnamed Fire Avatar (Fire Nation)

Simultaneous Bending


The Avatar is capable of bending more than one element at the same time. Aang first demonstrated this ability while in Ba Sing Se when he used his Earthbending to make a zoo while traveling on the Air Scooter made by his Airbending.

Aang may also have used this ability on his way to Roku's Island to provide cloud cover for Appa using a combination of Airbending and Waterbending, though he may also have been using only Airbending.

During his battle with Ozai, Aang used all four elements while in the Avatar State to make himself nearly invincible and used these elements in a highly destructive attack. This consisted of him first bending air into a spherical shield around himself like he normally does while in the Avatar State, but then using Firebending to create flames and then compressing the flames into a ring around the Air Shield. Next, Aang broke incredibly big chunks of earth using Earthbending and compressed these boulders into small rocks and suspended them lined up in a ring around him. Finally he used Waterbending and compressed water into the final ring around him. The compression of the elements provided Aang with materials for bending all four elements without sacrificing too much size and speed thus making this an extremely dangerous attack, both defensively and offensively.

Avatar State


The most powerful ability that an Avatar can invoke is the Avatar State. This allows an Avatar to channel immense cosmic energies and knowledge of all previous Avatars, enabling them to perform epic acts of bending. Avatars yet to fully realize their power may unconsciously enter such a state in response to perception of mortal danger (a "defense mechanism" as Avatar Roku puts it) or emotional distress. During this state, an incompletely trained Avatar has access to bending techniques they themselves have yet to learn, but has no conscious control and likely causes great collateral damage. Fully realized Avatars have full conscious control over the state, and can enter and exit the state at will. It was by entering the Avatar State that Aang was able to freeze himself and Appa into an iceberg for 100 years, by using a combination of Airbending and Waterbending.

While in the Avatar State, the Avatar's eyes glow - as do any body markings following Chi paths (such as Air Nomad body markings), although if the body has received an injury deeper than the tattoo then that spot will not glow in the state. It is not known if re-tattooing the area (once the injury has healed) would enable it to glow again. The glow is the combination of all the past lives, focusing their energy through the body. When Aang speaks in the Avatar State, his voice sounds like a combination of several different voices at once, his and what is presumed to be past Avatars, whose voices seem to reverberate.

It is unknown if any other type of tattoo may glow on an Avatar in the State; however, it has been stated by series creators that Air Nomad tattoos glow when in the Avatar State because they follow chi lines in the body. Thus, if a tattoo is not near a chi line or point, it is unlikely it would glow. Curiously, several Air Nomad Avatars were shown with only their eyes glowing. It is most likely this was an error (as each time Aang used the State his tattoos glowed) or because this was in a vision in Aang's mind.



It is possible for an Avatar to control the Avatar State, as Aang, Roku, Kyoshi, Kuruk, Yangchen, and the unknown Fire Nation Avatar have demonstrated in numerous flashbacks, but this requires great spiritual discipline and concentration (Guru Pathik attempted to teach Aang to control the Avatar State by helping him clear his chakras but Aang could not let go of Katara in exchange for cosmic power ). More often, however, the Avatar State is activated by danger or emotional turmoil. Aang inadvertently enters the Avatar State when he discovers that his friend and teacher, Monk Gyatso, was killed by Fire Nation soldiers. Aang entered the Avatar State when General Fong placed Katara in danger by pulling her into the ground with Earthbending. When an Avatar is in complete control of the Avatar State, their eyes glow momentarily, not constantly. However during most of Aang's fight with Ozai, Aang's eyes and tattoos glowed continuously. Arguably, this may be because of how he was using the state at the time, or an indication he hadn't completely mastered the State until he stopped himself from killing Ozai, as when he puts out the fires in Wulong Forest the glow is only momentary.



It is possible for an Avatar to channel a specific previous incarnation while in the Avatar State. When this happens, the Avatar briefly takes on the appearance and voice of that previous incarnation. Aang has done this on several occasions, channeling Roku on two occasions, Kyoshi , and the four Avatars before him. The appearance of these incarnations seems to vary as Roku always appears as an old man while all the other avatar incarnations appear youthful and in their prime. While it is possible that the ages they appear to be represent their ages at death, it is unlikely since Avatar Kyoshi lived for 230 years and would not have kept the same appearance all that time. It is equally possible that those in the Spirit World manifest visually as they see themselves and not as they currently are. Aang sees himself garbed in Air Nomad attire and with a shaved head within the Spirit World, even when he was wearing different clothes in the physical world, and had hair.

Ways the Avatar State Works
There seems to be two distinct ways to how the Avatar State works:

Continuous
When the State works continuously, the Avatar's eyes, and tattoos (in the case of an Air Nomad Avatar) glow constantly, and the Spirits of the past Avatars actively channel their energy, skills and knowledge through the body of the current Avatar, granting him/her great amounts of power.

The State has been seen to work this way almost exclusively as instinctive unconscious reaction, as the 'defense mechanism' Roku described the State as, when an Avatar (who has yet to master the State) is confronted with a threat beyond that they can deal with, or when their emotions (specifically rage and sorrow) reach a breaking point. So it may perhaps be more accurate to describe the state being used this way as 'reflexively' rather then 'continuously'. When the State is triggered this way the combined spirits of the past Avatars seem to take control of the Avatar's body, thus the current Avatar has little to no control over his/her actions and retains little to no memory of what he/she did.

Aang appeared to use the State this way against Fire Lord Ozai, after the scar was forced against a rock unlocking his final Chakra. However, it is unclear if he was in control of his actions at the time or if it was being used reflexively before he gained control by sheer force of will. Thus, it is not clear if an Avatar who has mastered the Avatar State can trigger the State this way, or if they could control their actions if they did.

Unlike previous times where Aang entered the state, he wasn't physically exhausted and he obviously had knowledge of what was going on, which may indicate he was indeed in control. However his exiting of the state prior to killing Ozai and verbal refusal to kill Ozai may indicate that he was more aware of his actions then before, possibly due to unlocking all but the last Chakra, and regained control from the collective spirit.

Non-continuous
When the State is used non-continuously, the Avatar's eyes and tattoos (in the case of an Air Nomad Avatar) glow only for a second, and during that time the current Avatar stores the knowledge and energy needed within him/herself so that he or she can release it once he exits the state, taking only the power needed for a specific task. This reduces the danger of being killed in the Avatar State and enables a more willful, controlled use of the Avatar State's power. This can only be done by an Avatar who has mastered the State as it is a conscious use rather than an instinctual response. Mastery of this technique is part of what distinguishes an Avatar as "Fully Realized".

Spiritual Link-up
The Avatar State also allows an Avatar to join with certain spirits. This was demonstrated when Aang enters the Avatar State in order to aid the frantic Ocean Spirit. Both Aang in his Avatar State and the Ocean Spirit combine their abilities to defend the Northern Water Tribe after all Waterbenders are rendered defenseless.

Weakness of the Avatar State
While Aang, or any other Avatar, is all but invincible in the Avatar State, having millions of bending experiences which can surpass an army of benders, there is one grave weakness - in effect, every Avatar, that is, the entity of the earth's spirit, is present in the physical world while the current Avatar is in the Avatar State. If the Avatar were to be killed while in the Avatar State, every Avatar would die with him. This would break the cycle permanently and the Avatar would cease to exist. Presumably, without an Avatar to maintain the balance, the entire world would soon follow.



Aang was fatally wounded by a lightning strike from Azula while entering the Avatar State. As a result, his connection with the Avatar Spirit was jeopardized, resulting in the Avatar Spirit to fall from the plane of existence. Fortunately, Aang was not killed outright by Azula's attack, giving Katara time to use the Spirit Water she received from Pakku to heal Aang, reviving Aang and consequently the Avatar Spirit. The strain of the revival caused Aang to slip into a coma for several weeks, and during that time, he managed to secure his connection to the Avatar State in the Escape from the Spirit World online comic, by meeting with the four Avatar incarnations before him. However, it took longer for his connection to his past lives to be completely restored.

Another downside to the Avatar State is the considerable mental strain it can cause to less experienced Avatars and the long-term effects that its repeated use can cause in more experienced Avatars. Prior to his tutelage under the guru Pathik, Aang would often leave the Avatar State feeling horrified at what he'd done under its influence. Further the use of the state, at least in extraordinary circumstances, can place such a large physical strain on an Avatar's body that their life-span can be affected, as the series creators have stated that Aang's 100 years in the iceberg contributes greatly to his eventual death in his late 60s or early 70s (biologically).

On the other end of the spectrum, repeated use of the Avatar State has a tendency to cause apathy on the part of the Avatar, as the increased awareness about the sheer size of time and space makes everything seem small and insignificant. This may have contributed to Avatar Kuruk's negligence in his duties, which caused the malevolent spirit Koh to take his beloved Ummi away from him. Similarly, the Avatar Kyoshi used her powers to split her village off from the mainland, in the process killing Chin. Though she viewed this as a small price to pay for peace, her actions angered Chin's people and created ill will that Aang was forced to redress four centuries later.

Known Times the Avatar State Was Used

 * One hundred years preceding the series, Aang used it to save himself and Appa from their fall into the ocean. Both were sealed into an ice encrusted air pocket that eventually froze into an iceberg. Aang would remain in the State until he was released from the iceberg around 100 years later, this gives a hint to the incredible power available to the Avatar.
 * However this lengthy use of the state is ascribed to be a major factor to Aang's eventual death in his (physical) late 60s or early 70s.
 * Aang used it to escape another fall into the ocean and to stop Zuko. He Waterbends a water spout in the form of a twister.
 * Aang later falls into the State after witnessing the skeleton of his former mentor and foster father Monk Gyatso. In his anguished-induced state, he generated hurricane-force winds. In this event, it is shown that depictions of previous Avatars (such as sculptures or murals) react to the Avatar state, even when far away, glowing in the same manner that the Avatar in the image would.
 * Aang meets Avatar Roku in the fire temple. Roku helped him and friends escape by directly taking over Aang's body and activating the volcano underneath the temple.
 * Aang almost enters into the Avatar State while telling Katara that Monk Gyatso and he were to be separated.
 * Aang enters the state after saving Sokka and a fisherman, rounding up everyone that fell into the ocean and pulling them out of the water into the calmness of the storm's eye.
 * During the Siege of the North, Aang combines power with the spirit of the Ocean, La, after all Waterbenders are rendered powerless, and proceeds to lay waste to the Fire Nation fleet besieging the city.
 * Aang enters the Avatar State when General Fong uses Earthbending to bury Katara underground to force Aang into the Avatar State. He uses Airbending to knock the general to the floor, rises into the air on a tornado, and crashes down to the earth, releasing a powerful Earthbending attack on the general, his guards, and his fortress. A small air sphere surrounds Aang before the spirit of Avatar Roku takes him to the Spirit World to explain to him about the true nature of the Avatar State. In several flashbacks, we can see Avatar Kyoshi, Avatar Kuruk, Avatar Yangchen, and an unnamed fire Avatar in the Avatar State.
 * We later see Avatar Kyoshi enter the Avatar State in a flashback. In the Avatar State, Kyoshi splits her home land from the mainland creating Kyoshi Island.
 * Aang enters the Avatar State when infuriated at Appa's kidnappers (a group of Sandbenders). A large air sphere surrounds him, lifting him up into the air, but is brought down by Katara, who grabs his arm and embraces him.
 * While battling in Ba Sing Se, Aang finally is willing to give up Katara to open the last chakra and willingly go into the Avatar State, but he is soon struck by lightning from Princess Azula.
 * The Avatar State is used many times by Avatar Roku. In flashbacks, Avatar Roku uses the Avatar State twice, first in a battle with Fire Lord Sozin, then as an attempt to stop a volcanic eruption.
 * Aang suffers a blow to the back while fighting Ozai in the same spot where Azula struck him with lightning, reopening his chakra and enabling him to effectively use the Avatar State. He collects all four elements and compresses them in a sphere around him, moving at incredible speed, plowing straight through obstacles whereas his opponent Ozai had to dodge said obstacles. The sphere can be used both for offense and defense. Since the sphere contains all four elements, it allowed Aang to Earthbend and Waterbend while away from a source. It is unclear if Aang had complete control of the Avatar State during the fight, as his eyes and tattoos glowed continuously, as opposed to other known Avatars, whose eyes glowed only for a moment when using the Avatar State. After the fight was over, Aang used it once again; pulling in the ocean to put out the fire at Wulong Forest, before lowering the tide back again, this time entering a momentary glow with realized control.

Meditation


Aang does not enter the Avatar State during meditation and harmony with the spirits around him, but his tattoos and eyes glow in the same way. In this method, he visits the spirit world with his own spirit, leaving his body a defenseless shell in the real world. An example of this was seen at the North Pole.

Known Times Aang Used Meditation to Enter the Spirit World

 * Aang meditates into the spirit world to find a way to save the North Pole.
 * Aang later meditates at the center of the Swamp, and locates Appa and Momo by connecting with the whole swamp.
 * Aang meditates on Avatar Roku's home Island to meet him in the Spirit World. Curiously when Aang is shown from a non-Spiritual World perspective after crossing over, his tattoos aren't glowing, which differs from previous occasions when his tattoos remained glowing.

Trivia

 * While the Avatar's eyes, and tattoos in the case of an Air Nomad Avatar, usually glow white with a tinge of blue in the Avatar State there are times when it has been white. It is possible that the intensity of the color could be affected by the intensity of emotions.
 * The glow while in the Avatar State was influenced from the anime FLCL, of which the creators are fans.
 * In Sanskrit/Hindi, Avatara means "descent" in verb form and "incarnation" in noun form.
 * In "The Southern Air Temple" with "Avatar Extras" bonus commentary, one of the commentary bubbles stated that the next Avatar will be decided by the season that they are born in and the cycle, so technically if the next Avatar is born just as the previous one dies, then you could predict the season that Avatar will die in.
 * Avatar Extras note a recurring joke regarding those who battle fully realized Avatars as ending up "looking stupid", as shown when Chin the Conqueror challenged Avatar Kyoshi, and ended up having all his clothes blown off, leaving him standing in front of his army in his undergarments. When Fire Lord Sozin fought Avatar Roku, Sozin was left hanging from a stone pillar by the back of his robe. In the series finale when Fire Lord Ozai battled Avatar Aang, he was left powerless and could barely move, being insulted by Toph, Sokka, and Suki.
 * Aang goes into the "continuous" Avatar State nine times in the whole series, but only once in the "non-continuous".
 * Strangely, the biological parents of the known Avatars are never mentioned.

Goofs

 * While Aang is in the Southern Air Temple, looking at the statue of his past life, Avatar Roku, you can see the Avatar to the left should be Avatar Kyoshi, but instead there can be seen an unnamed male Earthbender.