Sozin's Comet


 * This article is about the celestial phenomenon. For other similar uses, see Sozin's Comet (disambiguation).



Sozin's Comet, formerly known as the Great Comet, was a comet that passed close to the World of Avatar every hundred years, just skimming the surface of the upper atmosphere. When the comet was this close, firebenders were able to harness its energy, greatly increasing their powers. They were thus able to deliver huge, super-charged attacks over much longer distances than normal. Fire Lord Ozai claimed it gave firebenders "the power of a hundred suns", though it's possible that this was simply hyperbole.

History
Soon after Aang disappeared a hundred years prior to the series, the comet flew near the planet's orbit. Fire Lord Sozin took advantage of its passage to drastically raise his firebending army's power and deliver a deadly first strike that would plunge the world into the darkness of an all-out war of world conquest. This first assault resulted in the extinction of the Air Nomads, the sole exception being Aang. The Fire Nation later renamed the comet "Sozin's Comet" in honor of the Fire Lord's great victory.

One hundred years later, Avatar Roku's spirit warned Aang of the comet's return at the end of the summer. With its passing, Fire Lord Ozai would gain all the power he needs to finish the war once and for all. This gave Aang less than a year to practice waterbending, earthbending and firebending, because if Ozai were to succeed, not even the Avatar could restore balance to the world.



When Sozin's Comet arrived at the end of the summer as predicted, it increased the firebenders' power one-hundred fold, giving them the power required to eradicate the remaining Earth Kingdom rebellions. Fire Lord Ozai planned to use this opportunity to personally lead a fleet of airships to burn the Earth Kingdom to the ground with his enhanced powers. Team Avatar and the Order of the White Lotus were the only ones that still stood in his way and launched a counter attack. The Order of the White Lotus took it upon themselves to liberate Ba Sing Se from the Fire Nation's oppression, while Katara and Zuko faced Azula at the Fire Nation Capital and Sokka, Suki and Toph were responsible for the destruction of Ozai's airship fleet. Aang challenged Ozai at Wulong Forest in an attempt to end his world conquest.

Due to the fact that all firebenders draw power from the comet, some firebenders used their enhanced skills for the benefit of others. Masters Jeong Jeong and Iroh of the Order of the White Lotus used them to liberate Ba Sing Se, while Zuko kept his sister at bay, whose increasing mental instability hindered her battle prowess, but also made her all the more dangerous. Finally, Aang used these powers combined with his mastery over the other elements to confront the Fire Lord, whose skills easily matched and surpassed his own abilities. However, master benders of other elements were not completely outclassed by the firebenders' power boost, because despite their enhanced bending, Ozai and his allies knew defeat by the hands of the Avatar and his supporters, respectively. In the end, Aang used energybending to strip Ozai of his firebending, rendering him powerless.

By the time Sozin's Comet left the world's atmosphere again, the Earth Kingdom had been liberated and the War was finally over. Aang had fulfilled his destiny to save the world from the tyranny of the Fire Nation.

Known firebenders who drew power from the comet



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

Trivia

 * Due to comets being comprised mostly 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 Avatar Roku's dragon Fang gave Aang the comet appeared to be on fire and during the events of Sozin's Comet it was revealed that the Comet passed extremely close to the planet. When it arrived, it brushed against the upper atmosphere, possibly even entering it, causing nearby clouds to break apart and float away (though if it did enter the atmosphere it would have crashed into the planet; it likely skimmed the upper atmosphere, but the heat and force of the comet could be felt in the lower atmosphere causing the clouds to break apart from its force and heat), and so the comet and its tail do indeed catch fire providing a powerful heat source.
 * The real-world phenomenon that best fits this description is the Earth-grazing fireball, a small space body that enters the upper atmosphere and leaves. However, as an Earth grazer passes through the atmosphere, its mass and velocity are changed, so that when it re-enters space it can be on a new orbit then before it passed and therefore cannot be periodical.
 * Avatar Roku warned Aang that the power of the Comet would make the Fire Lord and his forces stronger than he can even imagine, and so he should act before the comet could arrive. However, even with the power of the comet Ozai fought Aang on a mostly level footing, until Aang's reluctance to kill Ozai granted the Fire Lord a chance to seize the upper hand. However, not even enhanced firebending skills proved to be enough to give Ozai a fighting chance against Aang in a continuous Avatar State. He did, however, last far longer than anyone else who had been faced with the Avatar State before.
 * This could mean that Roku thought that Aang would be able to master all four elements by summer's end but not the Avatar State as well, since it required a great deal of spiritual discipline and so Aang's best chance to beat Ozai would be before the Comet arrived.
 * Roku also stated that even a fully realized Avatar would be unable to defeat the Fire Lord on the day of the comet. However, in the event of the comet, an Avatar's firebending would also be boosted by the Comet's power.
 * It should be noted that Roku never explicitly stated the Comet would enhance Ozai's powers to the point that Aang would be utterly outmatched, for it seems that the Avatar (being a firebender) received the same power boost from the comet as any other firebender. Hence Roku's warning, that the comet would grant Ozai and his forces the power to end the War, may have been intended to alert Aang to the danger posed by the comet and to impress upon him how important it was for him to master all the elements and, eventually, the Avatar State.
 * In the opening sequence, when Fire Nation soldiers appear firebending, the sky is red, which might indicate that this scene is from the beginning of the War, when Fire Lord Sozin uses the power of the comet to attack the Air Nomads.
 * It should be noted that when Sozin had a flashback of the beginning of the War, it shows the Fire Nation Armies in the same position as the opening sequence, including the red sky.
 * Sozin lived an above average lifespan of 102 because of the comet's power. However, Fire Lord Zuko drew power from the comet when he was 16 and was reported to have died as of "The Last Airbender: Legend of Korra", set 70 years after Sozin's Comet's return.
 * The power of the comet is also known to enable firebenders to create fire strong enough to make them levitate and even fly on the day of the comet, without having to even fully concentrate on the fire. This allows them to attack 'while' flying. This ability was demonstrated by Jeong Jeong and Ozai.
 * In, the significance of Sozin's Comet was changed; instead of enhancing the firebenders' power, the Comet's passing will enable them to use their own chi to create fire, a feat otherwise only achievable by a true master firebender.
 * Fire lord Sozin harnessed this power against Avatar Roku warning him not to. Shortly afterwards,he renamed the comet.