Spirit World


 * This article is about the place. For the episode with a similar name, see "Winter Solstice Part 1: The Spirit World". For the online game, see Escape from the Spirit World.

The Spirit World is a parallel plane of reality that coexists alongside the World of Avatar, and is home to the spirits, immortal supernatural entities which often embody different aspects of life and nature. All the past lives of the Avatar reside in the Spirit World.

It is difficult, and therefore extremely rare, for a human to pass into the Spirit World; conversely, only a handful of spirits are able to exist physically in the mortal world and they must give up their immortality to do so. The Spirit World and the physical world are closest together during the solstices, which makes it possible for spirits to manifest in the mortal world and for humans to pass into the Spirit World. There are also certain locations in the physical world which act as bridges to the Spirit World; these locations are often revered by the cultures living near them, such as the Spirit Oasis in the North Pole. The Avatar acts as a spiritual bridge between both worlds and can travel between them freely, though bending has no effect in the Spirit World.

There are few known ways for a mortal to enter into the Spirit World. Probably the most common way is to be carried there by a spirit as the spirit shifts between planes. The Avatar is able to pass fully into the Spirit World at times when and locations where the barrier separating the two realities is unusually weak, such as at Avatar Temples on a winter solstice or at the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole.

Overview
Very little is known about the Spirit World, particularly its geography. However in certain places, the landscape of the Spirit World seems to conform closely to an area of the physical world, to the extent where a mortal making the transition might not immediately take notice of the difference. In other places, such as the North Pole, the geography of the Spirit World seems to have no relation to the physical world and the two settings vary considerably.

Koh's realm


The realm of the spirit Koh, the Face Stealer, exists below a gigantic, twisted tree. The land surrounding his lair is barren, dark, and scarcely inhabited, except for Koh's faceless victims and at least one gargantuan wolf-like animal. For anyone who enters his lair it is advisable to remain emotionless, as Koh steals the face of anyone who expresses their emotions in front of him.

Solstices
A solstice is an astronomical event that occurs twice a year. During these solstices, the Spirit World and the physical world are significantly closer to each other compared to the rest of the year. Therefore, during one of the solstices, it is somewhat easier for one to cross into the Spirit World. Aang took advantage of this during the winter solstice to talk to Avatar Roku about Sozin's Comet. Avatar Roku also used the winter solstice sun to aid him in entering the Avatar State.

The Avatar
The Avatar is the natural bridge between the Spirit World and the physical world. The Avatar can use meditation to enter the Spirit World. When doing so, the spirit of the Avatar leaves his or her physical body defenseless.

Spirit Oasis


The Spirit Oasis is a verdant oasis located in the Northern Water Tribe at the base of a waterfall behind the chief's temple. It is the center of all the spiritual energy in the entire North Pole and, unlike the rest of the region, has a warmer climate able to facilitate the growth of vegetation. Two koi fish swim in a central pool of the oasis and are the mortal forms of Tui and La, the Moon and the Ocean Spirits. Under normal circumstances, if one sets foot in the pool it acts normal. However, sometimes it can open as a portal to the Spirit World, and even be used to drag people nearby it to the Spirit World.

Known spirits

 * Koh, the Face Stealer: He is an ancient, malicious spirit who steals the face of anyone who shows emotion in his presence. As one of the oldest spirits in existence, he is extremely knowledgeable and possesses the ability to predict future events. Avatar Kuruk holds a grudge against him and attempted to kill him for stealing his loved one, Ummi.
 * Tui and La, the Moon and Ocean Spirits: Near the beginning of the world's creation, the Moon and Ocean Spirits departed for the mortal world and manifested themselves as two koi fish in the sacred Spirit Oasis of the North Pole. Tui and La were the original waterbenders with La being the source and Tui being the originator.
 * Princess Yue, the second Moon Spirit: After Tui was killed by Admiral Zhao, Princess Yue sacrificed her life to become the second Moon Spirit, consequently gaining waterbending abilities. Because of her father's bargain with Tui, she has become the reincarnation of the original Moon Spirit.
 * Hei Bai, a Forest Spirit: Typically taking the form of a panda bear, he can manifest himself as a ferocious monster with multiple arms. A spirit of a dense forest near Senlin Village, Hei Bai attacked the village when the Fire Nation destroyed his home. He later aided Aang during his journey in the Spirit World.
 * Wan Shi Tong, the Knowledge Spirit: Wan Shi Tong brought his immense library of knowledge into the mortal world in the hopes of bettering mankind with wisdom. With the use of fox-like animals known as Knowledge Seekers, he seeks out valuable sources of knowledge, varying from scrolls to ancient tomes. The library, located in the Si Wong Desert, was freely available to all until mortals used the knowledge to further warfare, prompting Wan Shi Tong to bury the library beneath the sand and making the library impossible to find. He typically takes the shape of a gigantic black-and-white barn owl, but when angered becomes a wyvern-like creature.
 * Painted Lady: She is the spirit of the Jang Hui River, located in the Fire Nation, where villagers worship and build statues of her in her honor. She expressed her gratitude to Katara for fulfilling her duties after she fled the village because of the river's pollution. The Painted Lady is known to possess healing and spiritual abilities.
 * Odd monkey spirit: He is a cranky monkey-like spirit that spends his time meditating. He believes that humans are a waste of time, as proven by his treatment of Aang.
 * Avatar Aang: He is the Air Nomad Avatar before Avatar Korra. He was tasked with the duty of defeating the Fire Lord and restoring balance to the war-stricken world. After his spectacular victory over Fire Lord Ozai, he began a romantic relationship with his close friend, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe eventually leading to their marriage and culminating with the birth of their three children, Kya, Bumi, and Tenzin. Aang eventually passed away of old age.
 * Avatar Roku: He is the Fire Nation Avatar that acted as a guide and mentor to Aang throughout his journeys. He was once the best friend of Sozin; however, they became enemies after Sozin began to seek world domination, and Sozin later left his friend to die from the poisonous gases of a volcanic eruption. Roku's sparing of Sozin during a conflict in the Earth Kingdom colonies was a major cause of the Hundred Year War. Roku was a friend of Monk Gyatso, Aang's former guardian, and the husband of Ta Min.
 * Avatar Kyoshi: She is an Earth Kingdom Avatar, hailing from Kyoshi Island, and was a tough and "by any means necessary" type of Avatar. She founded the Dai Li to ensure the protection of Ba Sing Se's cultural heritage. She dealt with the likes of the 46th Earth King and Chin the Great.
 * Avatar Kuruk: He is a Water Tribe Avatar from the Northern Water Tribe in constant pursuit of Koh. He was a laid-back and easy-going Avatar who flirted with girls and liked to show off his bending prowess. This eventually led to his downfall in life when his true love was stolen by Koh as punishment for his carefree attitude.
 * Avatar Yangchen: She is a female Air Nomad Avatar from the Western Air Temple who advised Aang in defeating Fire Lord Ozai. A devout Avatar, she was willing to forsake her spiritual customs to ensure peace and safety in the world.
 * Unnamed fire Avatar: He is an anonymous fire Avatar that was shown erupting volcanoes while in the Avatar State.
 * Fang: He is Roku's dragon who died along with Roku during the volcanic eruption that destroyed his village. He can now communicate telepathically with people from the mortal world and give them insight on the Spirit World. As a spirit, Fang is intangible and invisible.
 * Unnamed spirit: This spirit will encounter Avatar Korra. It resides in the icy tundra deep beneath the South Pole, and has displayed the ability to manipulate fire.
 * The Dark Spirit
 * Dragon Spirit : This spirit helped Aang to beat the Fire Nation when they were attacking the Southern Water Tribe. To date, he has only appeared in the live-action film.

Known visitors

 * Unnamed fire Avatar
 * Avatar Yangchen
 * Avatar Kuruk
 * Avatar Kyoshi
 * Avatar Roku
 * Avatar Aang
 * Ummi, the betrothed of Avatar Kuruk
 * Sokka
 * Three villagers from Senlin Village
 * Iroh
 * Zei

Trivia

 * There are no bathrooms in the Spirit World.
 * To date, it remains unknown as to whether or not The Spirit World is in fact, the Afterlife . Or indeed if the two are connected at all.