Talk:Bending arts/@comment-201.42.190.193-20120318125254/@comment-4888161-20120401052321

No. If you were decended from the fire Nation you could not be an earthbender. Your family must be decended from that nation. The reason why I know this, is that Republic City is technically in the Earth Kingdom. But there are other types of benders that were no doubt born there. This proves that it isn't where you were born, but where your ancestors were born.

The thing I think you are missing is that the four nations are technically four separate races. They are mostly based on Asian culture, but they are different races. So you must be of the Watertribe (or decended from it) to be a watebender. It doesn't mean you will be, just that you can be if decended from it.