• Idreamofcheesy@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    edit-2
    5 months ago

    That the exotic bending we see if due to mixing races.

    Lava bending is earth bending and fire bending. That’s why Bolin can lava bend, but his earth bending isn’t pure enough for him to metal bend.

    Explosion bending is air and fire. Sand bending is earth and air.

      • janNatan@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        5 months ago

        What? No, it’s never mentioned in the series at all.

        Edit: after some reading, it seems that lava bending was originally only possible for avatars to do, as it required both fire and earth bending. It was later ret-conned into an earth sub-bending. One reason proposed for why Bolin can lava bend is that he is a very laid-back person compared to most earth benders. This would explain why he could never master the rigidity of metal bending and why flowing lava came more naturally to him.

        • ChonkyOwlbear@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          5 months ago

          My theory is that avatars can’t lava-bend. They can use earth and fire bending to move already existing lava or use air bending to cool lava, but they can’t create lava from cold stone like lavabenders can or freeze lava back into stone

        • Idreamofcheesy@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          0
          ·
          5 months ago

          That’s another possible explanation. I still like mine more, but still cool.

          The retcon makes it seem like lava bending should be more common though. Like, you would think King Boomy would be able to lava bend, with his chill demeanor and philosophy.

          • janNatan@lemmy.ml
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            5 months ago

            There have been 3 non-avatars to do it, if you include the comics. Maybe, due to how dangerous it is, lava benders have a tendency to… remove themselves from history… the first time that they lava bend.

          • VindictiveJudge@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            5 months ago

            It also takes a bending style more like waterbending. Bumi probably had the personality for it, but Bolin was also already trained for fluid motions and a looser stance.