Lava

[air4ever]

If u think about, it each type of bender course bends that element, but also each element hasa special form of bending that only the most powerful benders/masters can do.
Water: Blood
Earth: Metal
Fire: Lightning
Air: Unknown, since we dont know much about the air nation.

And before the bending of the four elements, there was energy bending, which each element branched off of. Thus each element is connected somehow. So maybe bending lava is what connects earthbending and firebending. Maybe bending clouds is between water and air. Mud maybe between water and earth. And idk maybe steam could be between air and fire.

[Musemelpomene]

:O

What if.. it takes.. TWO BENDERS?! Never thought of that.

[trailerman]

I was under the impression that both earthbenders and firebenders could bend lava if they were powerful enough.

None of firebenders could bend lava. Sozin could just extract vapors.

I still don't see how an earthbender could bend lava. If metal is melted down to liquid form then can an earthbender bend it? I believe that a firebender could, but not idk if an earthbender could. Just bc the element has changed so much from the extreme heat.

If water is in a form of ice, doesn't mean waterbenders can't bend it.

[johnpmadrigal]

I did not say waterbenders couldn't bend ice. We saw that in the show so we know for a fact that they can. What makes this discussion so hard is we only have seen avatars bend lava. I see what you are saying tman, but Toph had trouble bending metal so I just don't think they could bend it in liquid form.

[trailerman]

I see what you are saying tman, but Toph had trouble bending metal so I just don't think they could bend it in liquid form.

Toph indeed had trouble at first, but she mastered it in the end. Depends on how skilled the bender is.

[Mindbender]

In the season 3 episode, The Runaway, Katara and Toph got in a fight in which they both mudbent. I think Lava can be bent by both earthbenders and firebenders, mud by both earthbenders and waterbenders. Maybe clouds by both waterbenders and airbenders.

[TheCabbageMerchant]

In Bitter Work, Iroh discusses the nature of the elements and their nations:
"Fire is the element of power. The people of the fire nation have desire and will, and the energy and drive to achieve what they want.
Earth is the element of substance. The people of the Earth Kingdom are diverse and strong, they are persistent and enduring."

For me, lava fits the description of fire bending more than that of earth bending. Lava's nature seems closer to that of fire than of earth, even though it is in fact earth.
Lava has power and energy, but not substance the way earth does.

[SmallFrog]

i say both.
BUT i dont think fire benders can bend lava persay(the liquid or solid rock), but can use it as a sauce of fire
where as earth benders MAY be able to bend the the liquid or solid rock. Liquid rock i would think is abit more like metal bending looking for little bits of Impurities (or w/e it was )

[vanja1995]

I've contemplated over this before... maybe, its really Liquidbending, Solidbending, Gasbending and Plasmabending.

Liquid might pass, because most things have some water in them, and it seems to fit the nature of the bending, because really, if its about the moon making tides, that'd work on any liquid

Solid NO, apparently, because we know Toph couldn't bend wood. However, what exactly fits the description of Earth? the "ground" and rock? Metal contains parts of "the ground". Maybe its Rocksandmineralsbending.

Gas, sure, it just seems to fit the nature, again.

Plasma, YES, we know fire AND lightning can be, so thats pretty much all of it.
_____________

If its like that^ than only Earthbenders can bend lava, because there's no plasma. However, Firebenders could probably use it to create fire. And in the movie, where they need a source, it might work as a source.

Clouds would be able to be bent by Water and Air: water could actually bend the particles, air could also push them around.

Mud would make sense for Earth and Water, because its probably about equal parts of both.

Whats left, Earth and Air: sandbending, same as clouds. Fire and Air: ???. Fire and Water: ???.
_____________

Sigh, if only it were so simple... someone should write a fictional scientific explanation for bending.

[air4ever]

Whats left, Earth and Air: sandbending, same as clouds. Fire and Air: ???. Fire and Water: ???.

I never thought about earth and air being connected, but it makes sense with sandbending i guess. hmm...fire and air maybe steam. but then again maybe fire and water is steam...