"Avatar: The Last Airbender/Legend of Korra"

[Personamanx]

He probably referred to it as the English Dub to specify it against the Spanish dub that was leaked a few weeks before the show premiered in English

[Crimson Knight]

He probably referred to it as the English Dub to specify it against the Spanish dub that was leaked a few weeks before the show premiered in English

Oh, alright, I didn't realise that. Thanks.

[Basara]

How is it that this thread has gone on this long before anyone mentioned that Magma Glaive created by Ghazan?

Come on! It's a Magma Glaive! How cool is that?

The glaive from Krull was one of the coolest B movie weapons ever created and we have now an earth bender that can create one infused with magma. My inner child squealed when I saw it.

I also loved the conversation between Eska and Zuko about their past failed attempts to kill the Avatar. That was hilarious.

[Vakanai]

How is it that this thread has gone on this long before anyone mentioned that Magma Glaive created by Ghazan?

Come on! It's a Magma Glaive! How cool is that?

The glaive from Krull was one of the coolest B movie weapons ever created and we have now an earth bender that can create one infused with magma. My inner child squealed when I saw it.

I also loved the conversation between Eska and Zuko about their past failed attempts to kill the Avatar. That was hilarious.

How did he do that anyways? I could understand if it started out as magma, but I didn't know earthbenders could make rock into magma. That's like, I don't know, ripping off firebending, hard. I mean it's cool, but seriously? Earthbending's already got metalbending, mix that magma making whatever to the mix and suddenly earth's like the second most powerful bending (nothing trumps water's bloodbending though).

[sunofdarkchild]

I think it was just from spinning it so fast it created a lot of friction. I didn't see it as magma, but maybe I missed something.

[Deadxman]

How did he do that anyways? I could understand if it started out as magma, but I didn't know earthbenders could make rock into magma. That's like, I don't know, ripping off firebending, hard. I mean it's cool, but seriously? Earthbending's already got metalbending, mix that magma making whatever to the mix and suddenly earth's like the second most powerful bending (nothing trumps water's bloodbending though).

Magma is just super heated liquid earth. He just doing what Toh did in with Mud. But to THE EXTREME!!!!!!!!!!

[Charmed]

Only 4 more days till the next episode
I get the weird feeling that the firebender (did they give her a name yet?) will end up being related to Azula somehow. Or Combustion Man.

[Totoro Man]

Only 4 more days till the next episode
I get the weird feeling that the firebender (did they give her a name yet?) will end up being related to Azula somehow. Or Combustion Man.

I remember Zuko said her name was "Pli" or "P'Li" or something like that.

I think it has to be a learned technique. the third eye appears to be painted on the forehead... and I don't imagine it was there at birth. and the markings on her head differ slightly from Combustion Man's markings.

look at blood bending: it's just a really advanced application of water-bending. I figure the Combustion technique is another highly specialized application of fire bending that has to be cultivated. sure, I suppose heredity might play some role in who is able to use it-- but I'm thinking that it's something anybody could do if they went through the proper training and learned the technique.

it looked like Combustion Man was willing to sacrifice his other forms of fire bending to use this technique. (I can't remember him ever using normal fire bending). unless proven otherwise, it seems that the user has to sacrifice normal fire creation abilities in exchange for the combustion attack.

I figure there's a few possible explanations.

A: maybe Combustion Man created the ability, then wrote down his technique, and P'Li discovered it for herself.

B: it's a cultivated ability where people are groomed for the ability which manifests at a later time. let's say some secret society picks their best fighter and gives them the ability... maybe the Fire Sages?

C: maybe it's an ancient and forbidden Sun Warrior technique?

Combustion Man is probably too old to be anything less than the grandfather of P'Li. I'm inclined to think that they're not related. in Korra Season 2, for example, there was speculation that the female shaman at the fire temple that helped heal Korra might be Azula or Mai-- but I don't think that ever got addressed, and is safe to say the character was a neither.

[Basara]

I think it has to be a learned technique. the third eye appears to be painted on the forehead... and I don't imagine it was there at birth. and the markings on her head differ slightly from Combustion Man's markings.

It's both a mutation and a learned technique. The mutation is the ability to create fire with your mind, but one still has to master the technique. It's like when Amon and Tarrlok had to master their mutations under Yakone's teaching in season one.

look at blood bending: it's just a really advanced application of water-bending. I figure the Combustion technique is another highly specialized application of fire bending that has to be cultivated. sure, I suppose heredity might play some role in who is able to use it-- but I'm thinking that it's something anybody could do if they went through the proper training and learned the technique.

No it isn't. Amon and Tarrlok inherited their ability to blood bend at any time of the month from their father, Yakone. It's a gift only few water benders ever possess and cannot be learned. Normal blood bending can be learned by those strong enough, but without the mutation, no water bender can blood bend without a full moon.

it looked like Combustion Man was willing to sacrifice his other forms of fire bending to use this technique. (I can't remember him ever using normal fire bending). unless proven otherwise, it seems that the user has to sacrifice normal fire creation abilities in exchange for the combustion attack.

That could be the case. Combustion Man was defeated by trying to fire bend with his mind after being hit by Sokka's boomerang. He already knew what could happen as he had already once experienced the backlash effect, so maybe it is possible that he could not attack any other way. That doesn't mean this restriction is on P'Li though. We'll just have to wait and see.

[The Cool Thatguy]

No it isn't. Amon and Tarrlok inherited their ability to blood bend at any time of the month from their father, Yakone. It's a gift only few water benders ever possess and cannot be learned. Normal blood bending can be learned by those strong enough, but without the mutation, no water bender can blood bend without a full moon.

We don't know that for sure, though. After all, it took Amon and Tarrlock months of training to be able to bloodbend without a full moon. It could be that water bending is like a muscle, and work outs build up strength.

[Punisher007]

How did he do that anyways? I could understand if it started out as magma, but I didn't know earthbenders could make rock into magma. That's like, I don't know, ripping off firebending, hard. I mean it's cool, but seriously? Earthbending's already got metalbending, mix that magma making whatever to the mix and suddenly earth's like the second most powerful bending (nothing trumps water's bloodbending though).

Magma is just essentially super-heated Earth. He spun the rocks around fast enough that the friction made them super-hot.

[Basara]

We don't know that for sure, though. After all, it took Amon and Tarrlock months of training to be able to bloodbend without a full moon. It could be that water bending is like a muscle, and work outs build up strength.

The whole idea of bending mutations was introduced in season 1 of Legend of Korra by Sokka. I rather like this idea, as this is already a world where a select few possess the power of bending and no one can just learn to bend on their own without possessing the talent (barring lion turtles and harmonic convergences granting abilities, that is). I can see the confusion though in trying to figure out why metal bending and lightning generation can become fairly common while combustion and blood bending is not.

I attribute it the same as musical talent. Some can learn, but others just have a gift that no others can match no matter how much they practice.

I also rather like the idea of P'Li being a descendant of both Azula and Combustion Man. Such a child or grandchild would have plenty of reason to hate the Avatar as both were defeated by Aang's friends. She'd also have major beefs with Zuko and Katara. I'd like to see both old masters in action showing what new tricks they have mastered over the years.

[Totoro Man]

until we get concrete evidence that P'Li is related to Combustion Man I think the only logical theory is that the technique is acquired through study. just like conventional blood-bending.

I don't remember Sokka even hinting at mutations during his speech at Yakone's trial. I thought his main point was that just because people think it's impossible doesn't mean it's beyond the realm of possibility. metal bending was considered impossible until Toph learned how to do it. Combustion Man's techniques were so outrageous and strange that they had to be seen to be believed. the main point I think Sokka was making is that Yakone's lawyer mere assertion that something was impossible was an insufficient defense in light of numerous testimonials sto the contrary.

if Sokka was really talking about mutations at the trial wouldn't that imply that metal-bending is also an inherited mutation? this doesn't match up with dozens of people using metal bending techniques who are unrelated to Toph. it is the fact that Sokka specifically mentions metal-bending and the combustion technique together that I believe undercuts the mutation argument. metal bending is so common that it punctures the argument for me.

I'm curious to see what the explanation is. it could actually be an inherited ability-- but I don't think there's enough evidence to assume that based on what I've seen thus far. (if you've watched the leaked episodes dubbed in Spanish, then you would obvioiusly have more info than I do)

[Punisher007]

I took Sokka's point to be that some people are just different/special. They can do things that the vast majority of the population cannot. This happens to be true in real life as well.

[Jeremi]

Only 4 more days till the next episode
I get the weird feeling that the firebender (did they give her a name yet?) will end up being related to Azula somehow. Or Combustion Man.

She's going to be Mako's and Bolin's mother.