Talk:Bending arts/@comment-201.42.190.193-20120318125254/@comment-71.8.67.138-20120331205417

Bending is a talent. There is no 'inheritance' with bending,the creators have said as much. Bending is pretty much a spiritual thing. Before the elemental bending arts took over everyone bent the energy within themselves. Then people were taught the elemental bending arts by various animals and spirits.The differences between the elements are an illusion based on culture and dogma. Bending is not passed down through lineage or inheritance. The creators have spoken on that and that seems to be a taboo for them. Consequently because bending is not genetic then the logical conclusion is that you can't 'inherit' your bending element from your parents. At least not in a genetic sense.

Which is why people who state "You can only bend the element of the nation you are born into" as if the element you can bend is somehow some racial trait or some kind of genetic thing are wrong.

Theoretically if someone like zuko was snatched from his fire nation prince crib and raised in the earth nation with earth nation values and culture then he would either:

A.) Be a earth bender.

B.)Not be a bender at all