What will happen in the Avatar Universe?

[jordan179]

I got thinking about this because of kc_anathema's journal, into which this appeared in modified form as a comment.

Comments

[stokerbramwell]

Don't even forget the implications, both good and bad, of Kitara's bloodbending.

Nasty Implications of Bending Techniques

[jordan179]

Don't even forget the implications, both good and bad, of Kitara's bloodbending.

Kitara could, for instance, learn to kill someone with a trivial energy expenditure, by simply stopping or even interfering with blood flow in the heart or to the brain. This probably wouldn't even need a full moon. Fortunately, Kitara doesn't spend a lot of time thinking how to kill people quickly and untraceably, but we know from the episode in which Kitara learns bloodbending that not everyone from the Water Tribes is as nice as Kitara.

Human bone is calcium carbonate, essentially a mineral. The Avatar world does not yet grasp this, but when an Earthbender grasps this the potential will exist for bonebending -- which could not only be used to kill or injure someone, but worse still to warp them. The Earth Kingdom, whose culture is modeled on medieval China, presumably has plenty of alchemists, so this discovery is probably only a century or two away. Or even sooner, given the way that the war spurred technological progress

Re: Nasty Implications of Bending Techniques

[operations]

In the series finale, when he when full on Avatar state, I could only think of the quote when the Manhattan Project tested the atomic bomb: "I am become death, the destroyer of worlds."

Re: Nasty Implications of Bending Techniques

[jordan179]

Indeed -- and Ozai hit three classic villain high notes:

(1) Drunk With His Own Power - When the comet appeared and Ozai poured forth fire from every extremity including his mouth, then began flamethrowing the Earth Kingdom. This was especially well done because he didn't do a Supervillain Rant at that point. He was getting down to business, and his relative silence was much more terrifying than would have been steady ranting.

(2) Overconfidence - Ozai was beating Aang in the first part of the fight, when Aang didn't want to enter the Avatar state because he feared losing control and killing Ozai. At that point Ozai began boasting, not bothering to consider the implications of the fact that he was failing to kill Aang even though Ozai had the power of the Comet and Aang hadn't yet summoned the power of the Avatar.

(3) Evil Cannot Understand Good - When Aang, in the Avatar state, completely demolished Ozai despite the power of the Comet, Aang summons a tremendous combined needle of all four elements which, clearly, would have

Re: Nasty Implications of Bending Techniques

[sianmink]

A great thing about the Avatar show is that it is genre savvy. Just check tvtropes. It has averted or lampshaded so many tropes I'm sure it must have set a record or two.

It really is the best example of western animation and writing (and it's some smart writing!)

Re: Nasty Implications of Bending Techniques

[jordan179]

Very good writing, and managed to work its way smoothly around lots of Western TV censorship based on ideas of what's appropriate for a "children's" show (for instance, Aang's Code Against Killing fits naturally and smoothly into his overall culture and character, rather than seeming forced to please Standards and Practices). Also, you can tell that a lot of people are getting killed in the war, just off-camera (note for example the fate of Iroh's son).

Re: Nasty Implications of Bending Techniques

[sianmink]

And things like Sokka's growth from comic relief to Badass Normal and Leader of Men.

Re: Nasty Implications of Bending Techniques

[shadowfox24]

Also, you can tell that a lot of people are getting killed in the war, just off-camera

It was something I could fully grasp at the time but that I'm rather appreciative of now from Robotech. It came out in the mid-80s yet it didn't do the "nobody really dies" thing. It was a giant war and it made to qualms about the fact people were dying everywhere. Not just red shirts either but main characters who'd been around since the start. They didn't die in the "I'm closing my eyes and going to sleep and won't wake up" way either. They died screaming as their mechs were riddled with bullets or as they got caught in explosions. In 'Force of Arms' a solider and a little girl get annihilated on screen when the Zentradi bombarded Earth.

Re: Nasty Implications of Bending Techniques

[operations]

I loved Robotech. I wanted one of the transforming Veritech toys when I was a kid. Actually, I wanted a real one.