Transportation in the World of Avatar

Methods of transportation in the Avatar World vary largely from nation to nation. They vary from motorized transportation, like Tank Trains, to animal-based transportation, like Flying Bison.

Air Nomads and the Water Tribe rely exclusively on unpowered transportation methods, whereas the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation make use of more advanced methods.

Air Nomads


The Air Nomads' use of Airbending extends to transportation. Without any external means of transportation, Air Nomads can run great distances at great speeds. However, for longer journeys or for some applications, the Air Nomads make use of Flying Bison and Gliders.

List of Transportation Methods

 * Flying Bison - This was the primary long-range transportation used by Air Nomads. Flying Bison use Airbending to fly, and are probably the fastest means of transportation in the world.
 * Gliders - Air Nomads possessed staffs to aid their bending. They open their staffs into gliders to fly.
 * Wind Surfing - Aang made a makeshift wind surfboard out of his glider and driftwood. It can be used for short distance travel over water. It is unknown whether any other Airbenders used this mode of travel.

Water Tribe


The people of the Water Tribe always live around water. Thus, their methods of transportation are mostly water based, with a small variety of boats and larger ships used.

List of Transportation Methods

 * Cutter Sailing Ships - They are used by Southern Water Tribe warriors as transport ships for their small force of warriors.
 * Catamarans - Catamarans are used by the Northern Water Tribe as the primary means of seaborne transport.
 * Barges - These smaller boats are commonly used for transport around the Northern Water Tribe.
 * Swamp Skiff - The Foggy Swamp Tribe uses these small, canoe-like crafts for travelling around the Foggy Swamp. The swamp folks use Waterbending to propel the skiffs and long poles to guide them through the waterways of the swamp.
 * Buffalo Yak - These animals are used by the Northern Water Tribe.
 * Canoe - A boat that is used in fishing in the Southern Water Tribe.

Earth Kingdom


The Earth Kingdom is vast and thus has a large variety of transportation for every need. Various methods emphasize speed, agility, or luxury.

List of Transportation Methods

 * Ostrich Horse - Ostrich Horses are a popular method of transportation in rural areas of the Earth Kingdom, as they are versatile and resilient.
 * Badgermoles - Badgermoles can be useful for transportation underground if you play music. They are also domesticated for heavy labor purposes in other parts of the Kingdom.
 * Ferry - Ferries are used to cross bodies of water, for example to Ba Sing Se.
 * Monorail - The Monorail is a very fast method of transportation available to citizens of Ba Sing Se, who otherwise would require three days to travel from one side of their city to another.
 * Carriage - Animal-drawn carriages are used by the wealthy for transportation.
 * Palanquin - The Earth King uses a palanquin, an ultimate status symbol.
 * Eel Hound - Eel Hounds are the fastest creatures on land or on water, and are thus very useful for purposes of pursuit or interception.
 * Giant Beetle - Giant Beetles are used in the Si Wong Desert by the Beetle-Head Merchants as pack animals and for transport.
 * Sand-sailors - Used by the Sandbenders to get around the Si Wong Desert.
 * Shirshu - Used by June to pursue bounties. Can track scents across continents and travel across land incredibly quickly.

Fire Nation


The industrialized Fire Nation has many transportation methods. Some of them are some of the fastest in the world, driven by steam. Others are more traditional, such as the palanquin.

List of Transportation Methods

 * Ship - One of the fastest methods of transportation in the world, sea-going ships are used widely in the Fire Nation.
 * Tank Train - Azula uses a Tank Train as a means to quickly track Aang.
 * Barge - Azula, Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee go for a vacation on Ember Island on a small wooden luxury vessel built for use by Fire Nation nobles. This small vessel possesses no engines, and is pulled by one Sea Lion.
 * Carriage - Animal-drawn carriages are used by the wealthy for transportation.
 * Palanquin - Royalty and the nobility use palanquins, an ultimate status symbol.
 * Gondola - Used in the Boiling Rock as a method of transportation across the boiling lake. It uses long, strong metal cables.
 * Mongoose Lizard - These lizards are large animals that are basically ridden like a horse.
 * Dragon Moose - Carriage-pulling creatures.
 * Dragon - Before their near extinction, dragons could be used as transport.
 * Komodo Rhino - used in the war as cavalry, specifically by the Rough Rhinos, but also by others, like Zuko.
 * Airship - Used by the Fire Nation Air Force to transport troops and attack enemy targets from the air. At least 16 of these airships were constructed, and all but one were destroyed at the Battle at Wulong Forest.
 * Hot Air Balloon - Small two-man balloons that were used by the Fire Nation Air Force to attack ground units along side Airships.

Transportation Not Exclusive to Nations

 * Automobiles - In The Last Airbender: Legend of Korra, Republic City is said to contain modes of transportation such as motorcycles and cars, which are of a more recent and advanced degree of technology.