Lightning generation

"fire"

- There is energy all around us. The energy is both yin and yang; positive energy and negative energy. Only a select few firebenders can separate these energies. This creates an imbalance. The energy wants to restore balance and in a moment the positive and negative energy come crashing back together. You provide release and guidance, creating lightning.



Lightning Generation is a sub-technique within Firebending, with which Firebenders are able to produce and direct a bolt of lightning from their fingertips. The generation of lightning was first shown by Princess Azula, during Book 2: Earth season premiere "The Avatar State", while she was being overseen by Lo and Li.

Method


Generating lightning involves a circular motion with the arms. Mentally, it involves a complete absence of emotion and peace of mind, and physically it requires separating the energies of yin and yang (also an interpretation of positive and negative electric charge). When the yin and yang collide together to become whole again, lightning is created, and the bender only guides, rather than controls, the lightning's direction. Because of this complexity, a lightning attack usually takes much longer to initiate than standard fire attacks, though skilled benders, like Ozai, have been shown to generate lightning much faster than others.

Effects
Based on the events of "The Crossroads of Destiny" and its aftermath, it appears that if it is not blocked or redirected in some way, a lightning blast will be fatal to any human being. The generation technique cannot be used to defend against lightning- knowledge of a separate technique is required.

Zuko and Aang have both survived Azula's lightning strikes due to Katara's healing abilities. Aang was fatally wounded but fortunately he was resurrected by the spirit water. Zuko had to be healed after redirecting a lightning bolt Azula fired at Katara. While he was successful in redirecting it, his state afterwards suggests that because of the unexpected target and the unusual position in which he was, Zuko forgot or had no time to make the stomach detour (although he may have done so but not had time to finish the move resulting in some of the energy remaining in his body), which left him incapacitated and unable to keep fighting Azula.

Even in cases where a person survives a strike it seems they will still be critically wounded: Aang's wound was still raw, to the point it still bled, and debilitating over a month after he sustained it, and had not completely healed by series end. Zuko's was apparently still raw and painful by the time of his coronation, even though Katara had healed him shortly after he sustained the wound.

History
Lightning, also known as the "cold-blooded fire", is very dangerous, even among Firebenders, and only a few powerful Firebenders are capable of generating it; so far the only Firebenders in the series who have demonstrated the ability to actively generate lightning are Azula, Iroh and Fire Lord Ozai. Zuko expressed a desire to learn these abilities, but his emotional turmoil prevented him from successfully creating lightning. Although he has now overcome his inner turmoil, he has not been seen to generate lightning. Creating lightning was first demonstrated by Azula in "The Avatar State", though the redirection technique had been previously used by Iroh in "The Storm". Lightning looks visually similar to, but is distinct from, the blue fire that Azula uses in combat.



During the Invasion of the Fire Nation on the Day of Black Sun, Fire Lord Ozai, being an extremely powerful Firebender, was able to generate the most powerful lightning seen in the series up until the moment with great speed, proving not only that lightning can be generated very quickly, but also that it can be sustained, or be shot in a continuous bolt of lightning and held until the user stops producing it. It is unclear what his capabilities with lightning were at normal times given all instances of Ozai generating lightning took place either in the closing moments of the eclipse, where his powers may have been reduced from their normal capacity, or while the Comet was present, which granted him a large boost to his power.

Despite Iroh's initial claim that generating lightning requires peace of mind, Azula was still somehow able to conjure it during "Avatar Aang" in her frenzy, suggesting that she may still be able to due to her expertise in using it or the presence of Sozin's Comet allowed her to do it. Although it could be argued she was still single minded on killing Zuko allowing her a certain clarity of mind.

As shown during his performances in "The Day of Black Sun, Part 2: The Eclipse" and "Sozin's Comet, Part 3: Into The Inferno", Ozai was able to generate lightning faster than any other Firebender.

Trivia

 * The only Firebenders known to generate lightning are part of the Fire Nation royal family.