The hit 2005 animated series,Avatar: The Last Airbenderdazzled the world with its beauty and brilliance, showing off awe-inspiring displays of power. Earth, water, fire, and air bend to the will of those gifted with these powers, allowing them to stand out in their communities and personal lives.
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However, in this richly woven tapestry of bending, it’s equally important to acknowledge the flip side of the coin; those benders whose abilities aren’t the best. While benders are meant to represent the best of the best, these ten manage to steal the scenes by being their best selves. From The Boulder to the Swamp Benders,these characters' charm and witmake up for their lack of skill.
The focus will be solely on the original Nickelodeon series and not the comics orKorra. And, onlyhuman characters who at least play a notable role in the storywill be included.
6Chit Sang
While at the Boiling Rock Prison, Sokka and Zuko run into the wrongfully imprisoned Chit Sang, a rebellious Firebender who eventually aided Sokka and Zuko in their escape. Chit and the group escape in an airship after an intense firefight with Fire Nation soldiers, and Princess Azula.
Compared to Prince Zuko andseveral other Firebendersin the series, Chit Sang’s bending could have been better, maybe due to lack of training or some other consequence. During the breakout, Chit had a chance to shine and showcase his bending, but he relied more on his physical strength. However, it was just enough to matter, allowing for their escape.
5Ghashiun
A Sand Bender of the Si Wong Desert, Ghashiun had developed a habit of stealing things from travelers moving across the desert. Using his Sand-sailers, Ghashiun and a few others had stolen Appa, the Avatar’s Bison, resulting in some of the most emotional episodes ofAvatar: The Last Airbender.
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Toph had been distracted by keeping Wa Shin Tong’s temple above the ground, keeping the Avatar and her friends from being buried alive. While Sandbending is an impressive offshoot of Earthbending, in the face of other Earthbending experts like Toph or an angry Aang in the Avatar state, Ghashiun buckled and admitted to selling the Bison, his bending useless against them.
4The Boulder
This wrestling-themed Earthbender manages to hold his own against other Earthbenders at his level, defeating several other benders with his brutal style and strength alone. The Boulder keeps his style simple, preferring to take down his opponents by simply striking them head-on.
His straightforward style of attack instantly falls apart in the face of a foe who is only slightly more skilled than him. Once faced withthe Blind Bandit, Toph Beifongmade short work of him in two moves, embarrassing The Boulder, and showing that he still has much to learn.
Now, The Boulder outlasted quite a few other Earthbenders in the tournament, so he is quite formidable; however, except for one weaker character who will be mentioned later, the rest of the competitors are not highlighted by the show.
3The Foggy Swamp Tribe
Descending from the southern water tribe, the Swamp Tribe was a group of water benders who had come down to the swampy regions of the Earth Kingdom and cultivated a life in the area due to the abundance of water. With a strong connection to their environment, the Swampbenders can sense disturbances in the swamp, setting them up for great potential.
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After crashing into the swamp due to a tornado, the Avatar and his friends clashed with the swamp tribe. Their unique style of bending, using Swamp water and vines, made them quite the force to handle, but considering how niched their style has become, a Swampbender outside the swamp would lose to a mediocre Waterbender. After the misunderstanding was quelled, the Swamp Tribe would return to aid the Avatar in the final battle against the Fire Lord.
The large Earthbender faced off against The Boulder in the Earth Bending Wrestling Tournament, and while the Boulder did eventually defeat him, The Big Bad Hippo was the toughest of all the opponents that The Boulder faced, save for Toph. His large size makes for a tank-like physique, allowing him to take a direct shot from the boulder to the face and shake it off like it was nothing.
Using his large size, he could cause tremors on the stage; eating a rock that was shot at his face, setting him up as a worthy opponent. In the end, the sheer strength of the Boulder was enough to take him out, lifting the earth out from under him, and throwing him out of the stage.
1The Terra Team
The Terra Team is a force to be reckoned with, standing as the first line of defense against the fire nation during the attack on Ba Sing Se. They managed to put up a valiant attempt, slowing and stopping some of the tundra tanks, which the fire nation looked to use offensively. Their coordination and technique paid off, allowing them to slow down the Fire Nation.
However, when it came to hand-to-hand combat, the Terra Team was easily dispatched, taken down byPrincess Azula’s cohorts, Mai and Ty Lee in moments. While their bending can be used offensively, it’s too slow against the fast-moving Firebenders.
