Weaponry in the World of Avatar

Weapons in the world of Avatar are distinctly unique from each other, depending on the cultures of each of the four nations. Metal is the principal element of most of the weapons' structures.

The Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom are the two nations with the highest quality and variety of weapons; however, the Water Tribe also has a good quantity of weaponry, which are often comprised of sharpened metals and animal skins.

Air Nomads



 * Air Nomad glider - The Air Nomads did not have many weapons because of their peaceful nature; however, gliders could be used as weapons. Aang has used his staff for airbending, waterbending and earthbending.


 * Wind sword - Aside from their staffs, the Air Nomads may have pioneered another weapon, the "wind sword". It is supposedly a sword hilt without the blade that one bends air through, to form a blade, in order to fight. Aang mentioned it while in a weapon emporium in the Fire Nation.

Water Tribes



 * Boomerang - A small, L-shaped weapon made of metal. It is a thrown projectile that travels in a curved path and returns to its point of origin when thrown correctly. It is the most important and treasured weapon among Sokka's weapons.


 * Battle club - A weapon used in the Southern Water Tribe. The base is carved from a polar bear femur and has some blue paint design on both sides of the blade. There is a heavy ball on the end for power and a notch for hooking opponent's weapons. The leather strap is for grip. Another weapon used by Sokka.Club is a blunt instrument which Sokka used to club people. It appeared that Sokka has obtained this weapon while in the Southern Water Tribe. Using his club, Sokka defended his village during a Fire Nation raid. The Rough Rhinos saw this club when they went through the belongings that the gang had left behind.[1] Sokka managed to retrieve it, as he used it several times later. Sokka eventually lost it again to the sandbenders.[2] His bone club served as a replacement. This club was carved from a polar bear femur. The battle club has a notch for hooking opponent's weapons, a heavy solid ball on end, and a leather strap wrapped for grip.


 * Machete - A long cleaver-like cutting weapon.


 * Spear - A weapon used in the Southern and Northern Water Tribes. Used by warriors in battle and for hunting animals for food. The handle is made of wood and the spearhead of bone.


 * Pike - A pole weapon; a very long thrusting spear (two-handed)


 * Jaw blade - A hunting tool primarily. Made by sharpening the jawbone and teeth of a large arctic wolf. There is a blade side that is used for hunting and scraping skins clean. The other side is rigid and is used as a saw. Sokka uses this to shave the sides and back of his head. While Sokka is assisting Jet, it is shown to be able to amplify vibrations in the environment, allowing the user to accurately detect intruders. The handle is wrapped in leather for grip. It is normally carried in a small pouch.




 * Whale's tooth scimitar - A weapon made from the tooth of a whale dolphin, used by tribesmen.


 * Axe - An average-sized axe with a blue and white blade and a medium-length white handle.


 * Water Tribe knife - It's a long knife with four molars on the bottom of the blade and a leather wrapped handle.


 * Tangle mines - Weapons made with a bamboo frame and covered with dried animal skin filled with skunkfish and seaweed. These mines float in the water and detonate upon contact with a ship. This was invented by Hakoda, who called it the "Stink and Sink".


 * Wolf armor - Protective battle gear including a wolf-like helmet.

Earth Kingdom

 * Hook swords - Three weapons in one: a long pole with a hook at the end, an arced blade above the fist, and a spearhead beneath the handle. An experienced user can hook the ends together to double the reach of the weapons. Hook swords are Jet's primary weapon.




 * Bow - An archery weapon that uses elasticity to propel arrows. It is used by Longshot and the Yu Yan Archers.


 * Shanzi - Shanzi, or fans, are often made of iron and used in martial arts. They can be used for defense, and can be thrown. These shanzi are the primary weaponry of the Kyoshi Warriors, and is usually used first when fighting.


 * Rock gloves - These gloves are the favored weapons of the Dai Li. Agents wear the rock gloves on their hands and can use them in battle by earthbending.


 * Wooden club - A weapon made of wood used by Pipsqueak. Simple yet effective when used by someone of great strength.




 * Dual dao swords - It is a category of single-edge swords primarily used for slashing and chopping (sabres), often called a broadsword. Mainly used by Zuko, who employed three pairs during the length of the series: (1) his own, from his personal collection, used first in The Blue Spirit, presumably lost when his ship was totaled by pirates during The Waterbending Master, (2) a pair he stole from an Earth Kingdom swordsman who mistreated him and his uncle in "The Swamp", and (3) a pair he momentarily "borrows" from a Ba Sing Se guard when attacked by Jet in City of Walls and Secrets. He is seen wielding yet another pair of broadswords (presumably new ones) when confronting Ozai during The Day of Black Sun, Part 2: The Eclipse.


 * Pearl-handled dagger - Given to Iroh by a defeated general in the Siege of Ba Sing Se, and passed on to Zuko. Has an inscription saying "Made in Earth Kingdom.




 * Lochaber axe - A weapon of war, consisting of a pole armed with an axhead at its end. The axe itself is similar to tools used with crops, such as the scythe, which is designed for reaping. The point on the back of the blade is styled after the hook found on the original Scottish Lochaber Axes, in which the hook can be used for catching/hooking and dragging clothing, skin, weapons, etc.;, not unlike the hook sword.


 * Bisento - A kind of Japanese pole weapon. It consists of a thick curved blade mounted atop a long wooden pole.


 * Polearm - A large two-handed edged weapon, usually in the form of a long metal or wood pole a bit taller than a person, with an axe-like head. It has a scythe-like blade attached to a long wooden pole.




 * Katana - A type of Japanese sword. It is a curved, slender, single edged blade, circular guard (although it is shown with a rectangular guard during the Kyoshi Warriors' fight with Azula, much like a ninjatō's square guard and straight blade), and long grip to accommodate two hands. It is used by the Kyoshi Warriors, and is one of the most effective means of cutting through organic material.


 * Shield - It is a protective device, meant to intercept attacks.


 * Crossbow - A weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles. It is used by the pirates.


 * Nunchaku - It is a weapon that consists of two sticks connected at their ends with a short chain or rope. They take some skill to use, since the inexperienced often wind up hitting themselves with it.


 * Meteor hammer - It is a weapon that consists in two weights connected by a rope or chain. The meteor hammer could be easily concealed as a defensive or surprise weapon, being of a flexible construction.




 * Twin war hammer - Similar to a sledgehammer in construction and appearance, it is used to augment the potency of earthbending attacks. A rogue Earth Kingdom soldier, Gow, is seen using it to great effect in combination with his earthbending.


 * Butterfly sword - It is a short dao, or single-edged blade, also known as Wu Dip Dao or Hu Deh Dao. The top of the knife/sword hilt is turned up so that the fighter can flip the knife around their thumb.


 * Smoke pellets - Explosive weapon. Exploding on impact, they created large smokescreens to confuse and distract their enemy/victim, giving the advantage to either attack or escape.


 * Kama - Traditional farming implements similar to a sickle used for reaping crops and also employed as a weapon.


 * Qian kun ri yue dao - A shear weapon used by the pirates. The blade ends are semicircular; one resembles the sun while the other denotes the moon.


 * Naginata - It is a pole weapon. It consists of a wood shaft with a curved blade on the end. It has a thick, slightly curved katana-like blade connected to a long wooden pole.


 * Ice torpedo - These are a warheads full of blasting jelly with a lit fuse inside. Invented by the Mechanist. Waterbenders are able to propel them because of the surrounding ice.


 * Peanut sauce bombs - Explosive weapons invented by the Mechanist (are not yet fully functional).


 * Large earth coins - These people-sized round coins are used as weapons by earthbenders.




 * Surface-to-air rocks - Large earthen sphere. These projectiles are the primary weapons of the Royal Earthbender Guards.


 * Military armor - Yellow and green armor with conical helmets.


 * Khukri - A curved Nepalese knife used as both a tool and a weapon. Smellerbee is the only one known to wield this weapon.

Fire Nation



 * Stilettos - Small arrow-like darts used by Mai.


 * Dadao - Large, one edged broadswords used by some Fire Nation soldiers. The two soldiers who spotted Aang in "The Beach" carried these.


 * Sai - Dagger-shaped truncheon, with two curved prongs.


 * Trebuchet - Artillery used to hurl projectiles (most commonly rocks, often flaming) great distances.


 * Poison knife - A dagger with a compartment for poison in its handle. Jet "found" this on a Fire Nation senior citizen to incriminate him.




 * Ballista - Weapon that ejects heavy harpoons or explosive shells.


 * Hammer - A medium-sized sledge hammer that can be used for work or battle. The hammer can also be connected to an iron chain, making it a powerful medium-distance weapon.


 * Chain - Weapon made of a heavy object attached to a chain with a handle. Used by Ogodei. It can be used to thrash buildings or tie foes up.


 * Bow - An archery weapon that uses elasticity to propel arrows. Used by the Yu Yan Archers. Also used with flaming arrows by Vachir.


 * Jii - A halberd-spear with a crescent moon-shaped blade on one or both sides. Useful against both ground infantry and cavalry.


 * Kanabo - A long club weapon. Large and heavy, they have either metal studs or spikes running in vertical rows along the length of the weapon, and have enough power to easily smash bones, even if the target uses a shield.


 * Fire Nation Sword - The standard long-bladed sword used by Fire Nation soldiers.


 * Cannon - A primitive cannon used to launch bombs has been shown mounted on Fire Nation airships.




 * Catapult - Any one of a number of non-handheld mechanical devices used to throw a projectile a great distance without the aid of an explosive. Multiple trebuchet-type catapults can be found on each Fire Navy ship, especially those that guard the nation's borders. These detailed catapults have a large dragon head statue at the top of each pillar.


 * Spear - Mainly used by guards that are not firebenders. The handle is made of wood. Other types of spears have a red tuft near the base of the spearhead, both to distract opponents and to prevent blood from running down the shaft.


 * Jian sword - A kind of straight sword wielded by Piandao and Sokka. In the hands of a master it can be far more versatile and dangerous than it appears. It is usually made of high quality steel, but Sokka's sword was forged from a meteorite. This equine sword can cut over a foot of solid metal or rock.


 * Guan Dao - The Kwan/Guan Dao is a type of Chinese pole weapon. It is large and heavy. Used by Kahchi of the Rough Rhinos.


 * Military armor - Red and black armor accompanied by helmets, differing according to a wearer's status or bending ability.