Lion turtle

"neutral"

- The true mind can weather all the lies and illusions without being lost. The true heart can touch the poison of hatred without being harmed. Since beginning-less time, darkness thrives in the void, but always yields to purifying light.

The Lion Turtle is a very large turtle with the head of a lion and lion-like, clawed feet. The Lion Turtles have existed since the world began and predate even the Avatar. The Lion Turtle possesses timeless wisdom and powerful spiritual energy, retaining knowledge of the ancient art of Energybending. Not all Avatars have met the Lion Turtle; Aang is the first in many ages.

Because the Lion Turtle is so old, an overgrown forest has sprouted on his back. He prefers to stay hidden from the world because, when submerged, he appears like an ordinary island.

They are possibly the original Energybenders, as shown when the Lion Turtle touches Aang's head with one claw and his heart with another, a green light illuminates them, thus granting Aang the ability to Energybend. Aang touched Ozai the same way before Energybending.

History


The Lion Turtle was first seen in "Sozin's Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King" as a small, dome-shaped island that appeared just off the coast of Ember Island at night. Aang, feeling conflicted over the seemingly impossible realization he must kill Ozai, sleepwalks there with Momo. By the following morning, the island is gone, and with it, Aang and Momo.

While the others are searching for him, Aang wakes up the next day to see that the island is now adrift in the middle of the sea. In the episode, "Sozin's Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters", after exploring a little, he finds himself at the centre of the island, where he finds a hexagonal piece of a unknown material (part of the Lion Turtle's shell). He then decides to meditate there, and calls on his previous incarnations for guidance; starting with Roku, then Kyoshi, Kuruk and finally Yangchen. After listening to their advice, he realizes he has no choice but to kill Ozai.

Eventually, the island starts moving, and Aang jumps off it and dives below, where he discovers it is in fact a creature. After approaching the head, he realizes it is a Lion Turtle.

Aang then asks the turtle for guidance, and the Lion Turtle says: "The true mind can weather all the lies and illusions without being lost. The true heart can touch the poison of hatred without being harmed. Since beginning-less time, darkness thrives in the void, but always yields to purifying light." He also teaches Aang Energybending after he imparts Aang with his wisdom. He then leaves Aang and Momo on the Earth Kingdom shore to wait for the Fire Nation Airship fleet and Phoenix King Ozai saying "Wait for him, he will come."

The Lion Turtle is seen again whilst Aang is Energybending against Ozai. He is seen in a flashback and speaks the words: "In the era before the Avatar, we bended not the elements, but the energy within ourselves..." Aang then realizes what this means, and begins to bend Ozai's energy. The final time the Lion Turtle is heard he speaks the words: "To bend another's energy, your own spirit must be unbendable... or you will be corrupted... and destroyed...". During this time, Aang manages to take away Ozai's ability to bend. The Lion Turtle is never heard from again.

Connection
The Lion Turtle, as its name suggests, has the body of a turtle and the head and 'paws' of a lion. It appears to be able to communicate telepathically. It is also the largest animal in the Avatar universe, as Aang first mistakes it for an island and has a forest atop of its shell.

The Lion Turtle taught Aang energybending, an ability currently only known by the Avatar, though very few past Avatars have learned Energybending and used it. The wisdom of the four previous Avatars urged Aang to kill Ozai; only the wisdom of the Lion Turtle taught Aang the alternative way to defeat Ozai that he had been searching for.

Trivia

 * While appearing only during the season three finale, the Lion Turtle was referenced several times:
 * It is seen in a scroll in Wan Shi Tong's Library.
 * A fountain at the Northern Air Temple had the shape of a Lion Turtle.
 * Piandao compares Sokka's courage and heart to a Lion Turtle. Also many Lion Turtle statues can be seen in his palace.
 * Its face somewhat resembles the oni mask Zuko wears when in the guise of The Blue Spirit.
 * General Fong and General Sung both have shoulder protection representing the head of a Lion Turtle.
 * The Lion Turtle in "Sozin's Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters" is voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson, who also voices Tyro.
 * The chanting that can be heard when The Island/Lion Turtle calls to Aang, in Sozin's Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King, causing him to sleepwalk/swim to him is a Buddhist chant, "Na Mo A Mi Tuo Fo Shin Di" (spellings vary). This chanting was first heard in "Winter Solstice Part 2: Avatar Roku" when the Firebenders were assuming their stances in front of the Door to the Fire Temple Sanctuary. It was heard again in "The Siege of the North, Part 2" right before Aang stepped into the Spirit Oasis to fuse with La. Na Mo A Mi Tuo Fo" (南無阿彌陀佛) is from Da Bei Chan Fa (大悲懺法), and translates as "Blessed be Amitabha Buddha".
 * A giant turtle-like being with an island (or the entire world) growing from his shell is quite popular in several mythologies.
 * It is most likely that Lion Turtles were able to energybend, seeing as the Lion Turtle met during the series said that "In the era before the Avatar, we bent not the elements, but the energy within ourselves." Since the Lion Turtle used the word "we" it was most likely including itself.
 * Nyla was unable to find Aang while he was on the Lion Turtle due to the fact that the Lion Turtle is so old and it travels all over the world accumulating a number of smells, making it smell like the earth itself, thus masking Aang's smell.
 * The Lion Turtle was well received by critics of the Sozin's Comet special. However, some critics claim the Lion Turtle teaching Aang energybending to defeat Ozai without killing him was a deus ex machina (god out of a machine, the sudden appearance of a higher power who makes everything right or gives the hero a way to do it themselves), and that his voice was too difficult to understand.