Sozin's Comet


 * This article is about the object, for the episodes with a similar name, see Sozin's Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King, Sozin's Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters, Sozin's Comet, Part 3: Into The Inferno and Sozin's Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang



Description
Sozin's Comet is a comet that seems to pass close to the world of the Avatar every hundred or so years. The comet passes close enough that Firebenders are able to draw power from it as they normally do the sun, greatly increasing their powers.

History


Soon after Aang disappears a hundred years prior to the series, the comet flew near the planet. Fire Lord Sozin used the comet to drastically raise his nation's power and deliver a crippling first strike in the Fire Nation's war of world conquest. This first strike resulted in the presumed extinction of the Air Nomads. Sozin was the first to try to use it for his benefit, thus the name Sozin's Comet.

In the episode "Winter Solstice Part 2: Avatar Roku", Avatar Roku warns Aang of the comet's return in the next summer. With its passing, the Fire Nation would easily finish their world conquest. This gives Aang less than a year to learn Waterbending, Earthbending, and Firebending, as the Fire Lord's power at the comet's passing could match a fully realized Avatar, much less the partial knowledge and experience Aang possesses. There is also the fact that with the comet, the Fire Nation could finish the war, and once the war was over, the Avatar would have no chance in restoring balance.

Sozin's Comet finally arrived at the end of the summer as predicted. It increased the Firebenders' power by a hundred times, giving them the power required to exterminate the Fire Nation's enemies. Fire Lord Ozai planned to use these enhanced powers and his personal army of Airships to burn the Earth Kingdom to the ground. In response to this plan, Avatar Aang and his allies launched their attack, with Aang facing the Fire Lord while his friends attacked Princess Azula and the Fire Nation invaders.

During the battle, the power of Aang and his allied firebenders' powers also increased, giving them an advantage on the battlefield as well. Masters Jeong Jeong and Iroh of the Order of the White Lotus used these powers to liberate Ba Sing Se. Zuko used them to battle with his sister Azula, whose mental instability hindered her battlefield prowess, but also made her all the more dangerous. Finally, Aang used these powers to attack Fire Lord Ozai, whose skills with firebending were superior to his own. Despite their enhanced strength, Ozai and his allies lost to the Avatar and his group. Azula was finally defeated and Ozai's armies were forced to retreat. Aang used Energybending to strip Ozai of his firebending, rendering him powerless.

By the time Sozin's Comet disappeared into space, the Earth Kingdom was liberated and the War was finally over. Aang fulfilled his destiny to save the world from the tyranny of the Fire Nation.

Known Firebenders Who Have Drawn Power From The Comet

 * Sozin
 * Ozai
 * Aang
 * Zuko
 * Azula
 * Iroh
 * Jeong Jeong
 * Fire Nation Armies

Trivia
Due to comets being comprised most of various frozen gases and dust, many fans wondered how it was possible for the comet to provide power to Firebenders. However in the vision Fang gave Aang in "Winter Solstice Part 1: The Spirit World" the comet appeared to be on fire, and during the events of Sozin's Comet it was revealed that the comet passes extremely close to the planet, possibly entering or brushing against the upper atmosphere, and so it and its tail do indeed catch fire.

In Winter Solstice Part 2: Avatar Roku, Avatar Roku said that the power of the comet would make the Firelord stronger than the Avatar. However, Ozai along with the power of the comet was no match against Aang in the Avatar State. This could mean that Roku thought that Aang was able to master all four elements by summer's end but not the Avatar State as well since it required a lot of spiritual disipline.