Talk:Airbending/@comment-110.33.12.96-20111218141713/@comment-110.32.229.165-20120206112317

Sorry, but let me make this as plain to you as possible. I now have NO doubt in my mind that the flaming boulder was exactly that, a flaming BOULDER. Solid rock. Didn’t you notice, when you re-watched some episodes just to prove me wrong, that the boulders were smothered in a thick, tar/oil like substance, before being lit? That black ooze is fuel for the flames! Those uneven clumps that you think resemble several smaller rocks and mud, is just that burning fuel. You actually see a boulder covered in the fuel in either ‘Winter Solstice Part 2’ or ‘the Awakening’ (recheck that for me), then it’s lit by a masked firebender and off it goes! So, now that that’s cleared up let’s get back on topic. Aang delivered a blow that completely ruptured and blew apart a rock so large that it completely dwarfed him by comparison (look at that shot where the camera is positioned behind Aang as he nears the boulder). That is solid (pun intended) proof that airbending has enough offensive power to rival that of earthbending! Could a breeze do that? Oh yes, and in ‘Return to Omashu’ what happens when Aang saves Mai and her family from assassination? He swings his staff and the airbending attack, once again, annihilates the rocks tearing a path down the stone chute. The rocks could have just been blown away, but listen to the sound effect and look at the scene and you can see the rocks blasted to dust … yet again! Now, why use giant rocks against Earthbenders? I’m not the show creator, so I can’t answer that fully. Just think for a moment though, did they even fire those boulders onto Earth Kingdom territory in the show? Sure, they could have off screen, but don’t forget that not ALL members of the Earth Kingdom were earthbenders. The Fire Nation used those giant projectiles and hoped for the best, really. By your logic, why did earthbender guards use “surface-to-air rocks” against the Avatar and Toph in ‘the Earth King’? You tell me. I should have said before that if those giant flaming boulders (not mudballs) were indeed mudballs, then the ball would not have been deflected by Aang’s near-solid wind shield, but splattered everywhere. And just listen to the crashing sound effect when Aang swipes at the boulder in ‘the Serpent’s Path’! It sounds like a solid impact, not the typical ‘whoosh’. Another hint, right there! Now, why didn’t Aang use this solid wind against Bumi? Well, think at how early on that fight occurred in the series. The creators/writers had not established the solid side of airbending yet and so were still probably trying to ease into the world of Avatar … but that’s just my theory. Who knows why Aang fights the way he fights and when and where he does so? That is not our department of discussion here. The point is, the solid wind thing is possible – as I’ve been striving to help you understand. The same thing applies to the Dai Li fights (which are pretty scarce anyway). THIS is what I meant before about making a fight look interesting. The buzzard-wasp was NOT, I repeat NOT cleaved in two! I guarantee you that it was just injured, and fell to the ground in a heap. If anything looked like the wasp was severed to you, it was a result of some unclear animation. Are you sure you weren’t looking at the point between the thorax and abdomen of that creature? And anyway, Aang would not go so far as to kill the buzzard wasp (no matter how angry) and then have hypocritical, conflicted feelings about killing Fire Lord Ozai in the third season. He was taught to value ALL life, remember? I never said that airbending could slice through metal as well as waterbending, I know that waterbending has more accurate and defined slicing capability than air-blades (as so far revealed), but that is not what I’m saying. The impact created from airbending blasts can do things waterbending hasn’t even been able to do! Like blow up giant flaming rocks for instance. In ‘the Desert’, Aang even used airbending to create small explosions that literally blew up several sandbender sailors. More offensive capability there! As for the telekinesis thing, I “bothered” to bring that up because Aang could just as easily lift a rock and smash it into something as an earthbender could. I know it isn’t the force of the air that is causing the destruction in that case, but it is still an airbending move capable of creating huge amounts of damage. I mentioned it as an aside, really, so if I confused you, just forget it for now. That Azula chase was an enormous, gaping plot-hole! Okay, he couldn’t pin her down because she was just too good with her acrobatics (somehow managing to dodge attack after attack without even looking behind her). Well Aang, try speeding up a bit! You’ve been shown to do that, right? Now would be a good time to do it again! But no, he didn’t. Don’t get me wrong, obviously I love the show but that was a small and convenient plot-hole used to allow Azula a more interesting exit from the show later on. Had she been captured then, it would have seemed a little anti-climactic. Once again, this is show-creator territory so don’t over think it. So, could you please explain to me just how it is conjecture, to use the show itself as proof of airbending’s highly powerful offensive capabilities? These scenes I have referred to, you know, when I actually used the words “cut a bunch of vines at one time”, are not something you can just discount because of what is written on some website, no matter how official it is. The show offers its own exposition and if it contradicts what that website says, than why should anyone care? The show is the most reliable source of information regarding all things Avatar. I follow the rules about the Avatar world as depicted in the television show – the PRIMARY source! This wiki does the same thing, scroll up to the airbending moves section and you’ll see that the air attacks are described as near-solid and therefore, extremely powerful. What you have said is conjecture. You say that the offensive power of airbending is not equal to the offensive power of earthbending, firebending and waterbending. But I have just given you proof that airbending can blow the bejeezus out of a rock, slice through thick planks of wood and even cause explosions! Are you referring to a scale of damage that one can use to quantitatively measure the damage created by the bending arts? What is your proof? I agree with you on one thing, it does make sense that airbending have a weakness, and so the creators of the show failed to indicate a specific sub-skill of airbending. Something that each of the other bending arts have! ERGO, if airbending lacks that which all other styles have, then there is the weakness! Nothing else constitutes one. The creators of the show must have realised that once they added scenes the likes of which include Aang stunning/knocking out (not slaughtering) the buzzard-wasp, injuring the Serpent and Wan Shi Tong, blowing up sandbender sailors, slicing fruits, thick clumps of vines and several planks of wood into pieces; the idea of airbending just blowing gaseous, non-impact wind went down the drain. So, it makes sense that airbending should lack a sub-skill: something which all other bending styles have in common – NOT to repeat myself or anything. Finally, if you’re going to quote me, do it properly. Not this paraphrasing in speech-marks thing you’re doing. Now, let me say that this is the last time I’m continuing this redundant conversation, I have presented my evidence and am really tired of arguing my points to someone who blatantly refuses to accept proven facts. I hope that at least some of the other Avatar fans reading my comments have been able to glean more from them than you have. Buh-bye!