Avatar feats, power & lore discussion thread

The badgermoles are powerful creatures that live underground who can naturally use earthbending. One of them breaks through a wall of the cavern, sending large boulders flying and shaking the ground.

The badgermoles use earthbending to trap Sokka and the wandering nomads (note they move their hands).


The earliest earthbenders (ignoring those who borrowed the power of bending from the lionturtles in pre-Avatar ages) originally learned bending from the badgermoles. According to legend, one of these first earthbenders (Oma) almost singlehandedly wiped out both sides of a war with her earthbending (which is how the city of Omashu was said to be founded).

Aang: It must be the two lovers from the legend; that's who's buried here.
Katara: These pictures tell their story. They met on top of the mountain that divided their two villages... The villages were enemies, so they could not be together...but their love was strong and they found a way. The two lovers learned earthbending from the badgermoles; they became the first earthbenders. They built elaborate tunnels, so they could meet secretly. Anyone who tried to follow them would be forever in the labyrinth. But, one day, the man didn't come - he'd died in the war between the two villages. Devastated, the woman unleashed a terrible display of her earthbending power - she could have destroyed them all... But, instead, she declared the war over. Both villages helped her build a new city where they would live together in peace. The woman's name was Oma and the man's name was Shu. The great city was named Omashu as a monument to their love.

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When the Badgermoles return underground, they close up the tunnels they came through.

(From Book Two: Episode 2)

Badgermoles were the first earthbenders, using their bending to make tunnels and travel underground; they use the ground to 'see' as they are blind. A little know fact is that badgermoles love music, and using music one can control them.

Creature: Badgermoles​

These giant animals are a cross between a badger and a mole. Badgermoles use Earthbending to make tunnels and travel underground, where they hunt for prey and live. Badgermoles were the first Earthbenders – they are blind but they use their Earthbending to feel the ground and “see”. A little known fact about the Badgermoles is their love for music – if the right music is played, you can get a badger mole to do just about anything.

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(Originally from the Avatar Encyclopedia from the old Nickelodean website)

After humans left the cities on the lionturtles backs, earthbenders learned to bend from the badgermoles.

Certain people can manipulate one of four elements. This abilityis called bending, and its origins go back to when humans built cities on the backs of the lion-turtles thousands of years ago (page 16). After humans left the lion-turtle cities for good, legend says that they learned bending from animals like the earthbending badger-moles, firebending dragons, airbending sky bison, and in the case of Waterbenders, the spirits of the moon and ocean.

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(Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game, page 28)

At the centre of the Cave of Two Lovers is the Tomb of Two Lovers, where two ancient earthbenders are buried.

Location: The Cave of Two Lovers​

Located near Omashu in the Earth Kingdom, The Cave of Two Lovers is a secret tunnel that passes through a section of the Kolau mountain range. The tunnel is actually a giant underground labyrinth full of dangerous animals including Wolfbats and Badgermoles. In the center of the labyrinth is the Tomb of Two Lovers. The tomb is a large room with two sarcophaguses in the middle- in the sarcophaguses are the bodies of the two lovers- this is their final resting place. The walls of the tomb are decorated with pictures and pictograms telling the story of the two lovers.

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(Originally from the Avatar Encyclopedia from the old Nickelodean website)

Avatar Kyoshi takes control of Aang to admit to killing Chin the Conqueror; when manifesting, she summons shadows to the horizon (a storm perhaps?).

Avatar Kyoshi splits the peninsula from the continent, forming Kyoshi Island (which not only moves away from the mainland at great speeds, but we see lava being brought up too, meaning she would have separated the island all the way down through the crusts themselves).

Kyoshi: When they came to the neck of the peninsula where we lived, he demanded our immediate surrender. I warned him that I would not sit passively while he took our home. But he did not back down. On that day, we split from the mainland. I created Kyoshi Island so my people could be safe from invaders.

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Appa is able to fly from Chin Village to Kyoshi Island in less than a day (Avatar Day and Kyoshi day are both on the same day, as that was when Emperor Chin was killed and when Kyoshi Island was formed).

Tong: This is the crime scene. This is the footprint of the killer, Kyoshi. It was at sunset, 370 years ago today, that she emerged from the temple, and struck down Chin the Great. After that tragic day, we built this statue to immortalize our great leader.

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Oyaji: This piece is called "The Birth of Kyoshi". It was painted at sunrise on this day this island was founded. Why, it was today in fact, three hundred and seventy years ago.
Sokka: Three hundred and seventy years? Wait, are you sure it was today?
Oyaji: Oh, seeing how it's Kyoshi Day, yes, I'm sure.
Sokka: This ceremony didn't take place at sunrise. It took place at sunset. Look at the shadows.
Katara: They point east. So the sun must have been in the west.
Oyaji: So what?
Sokka: If Kyoshi was in the ceremony at sunset, she couldn't have been in Chin committing the crime. She has an alibi!

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(From Book Two: Episode 5)

Kyoshi splitting her village from the mainland is confirmed on the old Avatar website.

Location: Chin Village​

This small Earth Kingdom village is located at the Southwestern most tip of the Earth Kingdom. Along the coasts of the Chin Village are large cliffs, created hundreds of years ago after Avatar Kyoshi separated her village from the mainland. Chin village was named for Chin the great, an old village leader who was killed by Avatar Kyoshi. Even to this day, the people of Chin village honor their fallen leader when they celebrate what they call “Avatar Day”- a day that celebrates their hatred for the Avatar. This town is a wacky place with unusual laws and traditions.

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(Originally from the Avatar Encyclopedia from the old Nickelodean website)

Avatar Legends further confirms this.

Before Avatar Kyoshi (page 32) faced off against Chin the Conqueror, Kyoshi Island was physically part of the Yokoya Peninsula. Kyoshi had long guarded the independence and self-sufficiency of her homeland. She founded an all-female military order known as the Kyoshi Warriors, who evolved from a self-defense organization for local women to elite protectors of the isolated region. When Chin the Conqueror attempted to take the peninsula by force, she tore it from the continent, creating the island it is today.

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(Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game, page 23)

A Fire Nation soldier of the Rough Rhinors cuts a statue apart.

This statue is noted to be made of stone, and has withstood the weather for almost 370 years.

Tong: This is the crime scene. This is the footprint of the killer, Kyoshi. It was at sunset, 370 years ago today, that she emerged from the temple, and struck down Chin the Great. After that tragic day, we built this statue to immortalize our great leader.

Sokka: This temple and this statue were cut from the same stone. And we know that the statue was built after Chin died.

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(From Book Two: Episode 5)

The banyan-grove tree is a colossal tree that spans the entire foggy swamp, with roots that spread for miles.

Location: The Swamp​

This vast, mysterious wetland covers a very large area of the Southwest Earth Kingdom. At its center stands an enormous, ancient banyan-grove tree whose roots spread out over miles. The whole swamp is actually made of this one tree. It’s branches spread, then take root, then spread some more. It’s one big, living organism.

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(Originally from the Avatar Encyclopedia from the old Nickelodean website)

A mysterious force within the Swamp (perhaps the banyan-grove tree, or maybe the swamp itself) creates a cyclone to bring the Gaang to the Swamp (likely so that Aang can be guided to find Toph and learn lessons on balance).

The cyclone is able to keep up with Appa, tearing out many trees as it goes; Aang is temporarily able to hold back the cyclone, but is eventually overwhelmed.


The Gaang create a large dustcloud as they crash through the jungle canopy.

This tornado wasn't sent by any of the swamp people.

Sokka: That's Avatar stuff, that doesn't count. The only thing I can't figure out is how you made that tornado that sucked us down.
Huu: I can't do anything like that. I just bend the water in the plants.
Sokka: Well, no accounting for weather. Still, there's absolutely nothing mysterious about the swamp.

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Huu says that everything is connected (not just in the Swamp, but the whole world), and that time and death are illusions, thus it is possible to see lost ones in the Swamp (and in Aangs case, people he's yet to even meet but needs to, such as Toph); this philosophy will become important again with the Gurus teachings.

Huu: See this whole swamp is actually just one tree spread out over miles. Branches spread and sink, take root, and spread some more. One big, living organism. Just like the entire world.
Aang: I get how the tree is one big thing, but the whole world?
Huu: Sure. You think you're any different from me or your friends or this tree? If you listen hard enough, you can hear every living thing breathing together. You can feel everything growing. We're all living together, even if most folks don't act like it. We all have the same roots and we are all branches of the same tree.
Katara: But what did our visions mean?
Huu: In the swamp, we see visions of people we've lost, people we loved, folks we think are gone. But the swamp tells us they're not. We're still connected to them. Time is an illusion and so is death.
Aang: But what about my vision? It was someone I had never met.
Huu: You're the Avatar. You tell me.
Aang: Time is an illusion. So, it's someone I will meet.
Sokka: Sorry to interrupt the lesson, but we still need to find Appa and Momo.
Aang: I think I know how to find them. Eerything is connected. Come on! We've got to hurry!

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Aang is able to find the location of Appa and Momo via connecting to the banyan-grove tree.



A vine smacks the screeching dodo for being annoying.

(From Book Two: Episode 4)

There is going to be a Triple AAA Avatar RPG, with the player playing as a new never before seen Avatar, set thousands of years before The Last Airbender or The Legend of Korra.

Xin Fu launches a large boulder bigger than several people with enough force to break stone.

The Big Bad Hippo his smashes with a boulder by the Boulder, but is unphased, and breaks up a rock by chewing it.

The Hippo shakes the entire arena, almost knocking the Boulder out of the ring; the Boulder however, picks up a slab of stone and throws it at the Hippo, before bending the ground up under his foe and sending them flying out of the arena.



The Boulder sends Fire Nation Man flying into a boulder with enough force to break it by creating a huge pillar to jump off and jumping off it (this boulder is sturdy enough to damage the stone seating; Fire Nation Man survives this).


A badgermole is used to clean up the debris, pushing boulders out of the way.

Toph feels the vibration in the ground to sense where the Boulder is and what their next move will be, and waits until the opportune moment to knock him off balance and strike (we also see Aang watching in slow motion, to imply this all happens really fast).




Toph can 'see' where everything is by using her feet, right down to nearby ants crawling around.

Toph: Relax. Look, I'm sorry about dinner. Let's call a truce, okay? Even though I was born blind, I've never had a problem seeing. I see with earthbending. It's kind of like seeing with my feet. I feel the vibrations in the Earth, and I can see where everything is. You, that tree..even those ants.

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(From Book Two: Episode 6)

Toph is one of the best Earthbenders in the world, and is highly attuned to the vibrations in the Earth.

Character: Toph​

Toph is a tiny, 12-year-old girl who is the daughter of one of the richest families in the Earth Kingdom the Beifong family. She has been sheltered her whole life- living within the walls of the estates, never allowed to leave. At first glance, Toph seems like a helpless little blind girl, but unbeknownst to her family (and most everybody), Toph is one of the best Earthbenders in the world. She is nicknamed the “Blind Bandit” and no Earthbender can beat her.

Although Toph is an Earthbender, her fighting style is different from the Earthbenders we’ve seen previously. Because of her blindness, Toph is highly attuned to the vibrations in the Earth.

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(Originally from the Avatar Encyclopedia from the old Nickelodean website)

Zuko deflects several rocks flung at him by an Earthbender; although he gets wounded and pushed back and eventually overwhelmed (or at least until he starts fire bending), he is able to deflect said rocks (some of which are almost as big as he is).


(From Book Two: Episode 7)

Toph raises a massive rock wall so as to stop Azula, Mai and Ty Lee from reaching them, which Azula uses her lightning to blast through.

Mai throws her throwing arrows with enough force to embed into rock.

(From Book Two: Episode 8)

Aang lifts a big boulder as part of his earthbending training (this is before he even learns to earthbend).

Aang uses Sokka's club to shatter a small stone pillar (this is also a durability feat for Sokka's club).

Toph raises two walls of stone, then covers herself in stone to form an armour, then rushes towards Aang in this armour at high speeds, with Aangs training to be to push Toph back past the line (which Aang succeeds at).


(From Book Two: Episode 9)

There are thousands of miles between the Great Divide and Ba Sing Se.

Gan Jin tribesman: You wouldn't be so calm if the Fire Nation destroyed your home and forced you to flee! My whole tribe has to walk thousands of miles to the capital city of Ba Sing Se.

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(From Book One: Episode 11)

Toph is able to temporarily halt Wan Shi Tong's great library as it burrows into the sands (and as it returns to the Spirit World).


When Toph stops to try and save Appa, the Library's tower descends at an even fast rate.

(From Book Two: Episode 10)

Katara creates a casing of ice around the serpent, which the sea monster in turn shatters (whilst surfing across the water with her own surfboard made of ice).

The serpent smashes the ground.

Working together, Aang and Katara create a huge whirlpool that sends the serpent spinning until its head smashes into a cliff face with enough force to shatter stone (the serpent survives this and swims away).
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(From Book Two: Episode 12)

Despite it's massive size (being over 100 feet long, or 30.48m), the serpent can sneak up quietly on potential prey, and sometimes even attacks ships.

Creature: The Serpent​

This giant, amphibious reptile lives in the waters near the Serpent’s Pass. The serpent is able to move through the water undetected - this helps him to get close to his prey before attacking. At over 100 feet long, this scaly creature is just as ferocious as it looks and it is known to let out an extremely loud, blood-curdling scream just before it attacks. The serpent lives mostly on fish and other water creatures but it will attack and eat just about anything - it has even been known to attack ships when looking for a meal.

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(Originally from the Avatar Encyclopedia from the old Nickelodean website)

The Fire Nation drill is so big that it's bigger than some villages. It chews up earth and rock and turns it into slurry.

Gear: Fire Nation drill​

Originally designed by the Mechanist at the Northern Air Temple, this metal drill was created for the sole purpose of penetrating Ba Sing Se. It took Fire Nation laborers over two years to construct.

The drill is larger than some villages. It’s so big that it actually houses an entire brigade of Fire Nation engineers, who are needed to make repairs and clean out the pipelines. Several metal support beams connect the protective outer shell of the drill to its engine inside. As the drill digs into an earthen structure, the rock is chewed up and turned into SLURRY- a disgusting mixture of rock and water that is dispensed into pipes and dumped out of the rear of the drill.

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(Originally from the Avatar Encyclopedia from the old Nickelodean website)

The Lion Turtle is foreshadowed in the Library.

Aang: Hey, look at these weird lion turtle things.

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(From Book Two: Episode 10)

Mai's throwing knives embed into stone. Shortly after, Tai Lee jumps dozens of meters through the air to fight the Earthbenders (she also falls the last 10 meters or so onto the hard dry ground; it's possible that the Earthbender launched her, but even as such she still lands just fine after being sent flying dozens of meters).



Azula kicks away several rocks sent her way by Aang (each rock is about the size of her head).

(From Book Two: Episode 13)

Aang blows into his sky bison whistle with great force and sends shockwaves out over a large swathe of inner Ba Sing Se.

The Ba Sing Se guards open the towering stone gates of Ba Sing Se with earthbending.

(From Book Two: Episode 15)

Longshot's arrow shatters a stone fist of the Dai Lee, and the Jet blocks multiple other stone fists & destroys them with his hook swords.

Jet throws one of his hook swords with enough force to embed into a brick wall (which Long Feng dodges)

(From Book Two: Episode 17)

Guru Pathik had a vision many years ago in which he aided Avatar Aang at the Eastern Air Temple, and seems to be able to feel Appa's emotions (and to clear his chakras).

Pathik: Oh, dear. You've been through so much recently. Hurt and betrayed. So twisted up inside. You're still full of love. Ah. But fear has moved in where trust should be. I've been expecting you and the young Avatar for quite a long time. I had a vision many years ago of helping him. That's why I came to the Eastern Air Temple. Oh, your emotions are so turbulent. Like swirling storm clouds. Let the clouds in your mind be gentle, peaceful ones.

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(From Book Two: Episode 16)

Mai throws her throwing knives at Toph with enough force to break stone.

(From Book Two: Episode 20)