Air Bending Guide

one of the four elemental bending arts, is the aerokinetic ability to control and manipulate currents of air. The peaceful Air Nomads utilized this type of bending in their everyday lives.

Air is the element of freedom. The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly problems and concerns; finding peace and freedom was the key to solving their difficulties in life. Airbenders continually sought spiritual enlightenment, and, as a result, all children born into the Air Nomads were benders. The first airbenders learned their art from the flying bison.

The key to airbending is flexibility and finding and following the path of least resistance. Airbending is notable for being almost purely defensive, as well as the most dynamic of the four bending arts. Airbenders can overwhelm many opponents at once with large and powerful attacks that could prove fatal; however, due to the pacifist nature of the Air Nomads, such attacks are rarely used. Due to their aforementioned spirituality, they often adapt to the situation surrounding them and prefer evasive maneuvers as opposed to direct confrontation.


'''Air ball''': An airbender can create a compressed ball of air by moving their hands together in a circular motion. This technique has many applications such as levitating small objects or tripping opponents.

'''Air blast''': A more offensive move involving a direct pulse or jet of strong wind from the hands, feet, or mouth. The force of the attack is generated more from the bender's own power, rather than assisted by momentum. The blast can reach further distances with greater accuracy and is used to inflict greater damage; Aang once used an air blast to completely shatter one of the Fire Navy's projectile rocks in mid-air with a single powerful kick, and was also able to use two air blasts at once to defend against Combustion Man's unique firebending ability.

'''Air bomb''': A technique which creates a powerful, outward-moving air current in all directions around the bender. Usually performed after landing on the ground from above, this airbending form has great concussive force, and the capacity to completely blow away anything within its radius.

'''Air bullets''': A technique used by Aang. He caused two or more marbles to spin in a circle between his hands. It could be used to shoot small objects, like marbles, at very high speeds, similar to bullets, but Aang used the move to impress rather than to attack.

'''Air funnel''': Similar to an air vortex but on a smaller scale, Aang inventively used this technique as a cannon by creating a small air funnel through which small rock projectiles could be loaded and fired out of the opposite end.

'''Air manipulation''': By using circular, evasive movements, airbenders build up massive momentum; this buildup of energy is released as massive power. It also allows for wind-based counter-attacks that knock opponents off-balance, mimicking the sudden directional shifts of air currents. Attacks vary from simple gusts of wind to miniature tornadoes and cyclones, maintaining the circular theme. Even a simple movement can create an air gust, and airbenders increase the power of their moves by performing larger sweeps and spins, using the momentum of their movement to simulate larger gusts. This is also demonstrated with their use of staffs or fans to increase or create precision within the air currents.

'''Air punch/kick''': Another more offensive move than is typical of airbending discipline, air punches or air kicks are small, compressed formations of air that can be fired off the fists or feet of an airbender. This is similar to many firebending abilities and the air blast, in the sense that it involves the firing of compressed or solidified air at an enemy in a disjunctive fashion i.e. the bender does not create a single great stream of air. This move was seen when Aang produced several air punches in rapid succession toward a practice Fire Lord dummy. Avatar Korra was able to use two pairs of air punches in rapid succession and an air kick to knock Amon off his feet.  Korra used the air punch technique on the ground, spewing the bent air within a radius.

'''Air shield''': The most common defensive tactic, though less powerful than the air barrier, it involves circling enemies, suddenly changing direction when attacked and evading by physical movement rather than bending. However, an airbender can still deflect as needed by throwing up gusts of air close to their bodies as a shield. This is rarely to stop attacks directly and more often pushes the attack aside and away, conserving energy and allowing them to turn the movement into an attack at the same moment. Since air can affect almost all physical objects, it can also be used to enforce the momentum of thrown objects or manipulate other objects (though requiring a higher degree of precision).

'''Air suction''': A technique used to bring people or things toward the airbender. It was used by Aang many times, such as when he pulled Professor Zei out of harm's way in Wan Shi Tong's Library, and when he took up the fans dropped on the ground to fight Zuko on Kyoshi Island. Appa used this technique to steal cabbages from an Circus trainer animal trainer while his back was turned.

'''Air swipe''': The air swipe is both a defensive and offensive technique in which an airbender conjures a crescent-shaped structure of compressed air capable of deflecting colossal projectiles, such as the catapulted flaming rocks often used by the Military of the Fire Nation Navy, and sending them off course. In some instances, such as when Aang and his group were traveling on the Serpent's Pass together, these projectiles can be redirected back at the attacker. Aang also fired smaller versions of the air swipe as a weapon, shown for example as he chased Azula during the Day of Black Sun.

'''Air wheel''': This is a modified version of the air ball. Air is rapidly spun around the airbender and carries the person as inside a wheel. It was shown to be able to cut through solid objects. This ability was used by Tenzin during the battle at the Equalist factory.

'''Breath of wind''': Very similar to the standard air jet, but created from the mouth and lungs. It requires extremely good breath control to employ effectively. Size and focus is more easily controlled, from narrow jets that can strike targets as small as insects, to large gale force gusts capable of cooling magma into solidified rock. This has been exhibited by both Aang and Roku. By using this technique, the airbender can also magnify the sound waves generated by a whistle or another instrument. Aang demonstrated this technique while he was trying to lead a number of animals to the Ba Sing Se Agrarian Zone. As he used airbending to blow his bison whistle, he sent massive sound waves throughout the city to call all the animals.

'''Enhanced agility''': Air movements can also be used as a levitation aid. Airbenders jump high and far by riding on strong gusts of wind and can slow or deflect falls by creating cushions of air. The constant movement required by this art makes airbenders naturally flexible and agile. Even without bending they can easily maneuver around an opponent by ducking, jumping, and side stepping, appearing to flow around their opponents without expending any energy at all, letting the opponent tire themselves out and thus creating exploitable openings.

'''Enhanced speed''': Airbenders enhance their movement in battle; they can run swiftly by decreasing air resistance around them and even sprint across or run up vertical surfaces by generating a wind current behind themselves to propel them forward. Aang has been shown using this to run many times faster than an average human and maintain this for very long periods, allowing him to travel long distances without gliding or jumping. When used by a skilled airbender, this technique can enable the airbender using it to travel at a speed almost too swift for the naked eye to be able to see properly. A master airbender can use this technique to briefly run across water.

'''Multiple target attacks''': An airbender can send large, wide-spanning waves of air toward multiple enemies with one long, sweeping motion from an airbending staff or from the bender's limbs. Aang used the move extensively, often completely blowing opponents away.


'''Air blades''': A more offensive move than its typical of airbending principle, this involves a focus; slicing air current that can cut through stone or timber with relative ease. This is frequently conjured with a staff rather than the body, using the narrow profile of the object to create a more focused and precise air movement. This move could prove fatal if used on an individual.

'''Air grapple:''' Air is used to pull an object or a person to the bender's direction. This was demonstrated by Tenzin when he tried save Saikhan from a mecha tank outfitted with a magnet.

'''Air spout''': Similar to the waterspout, master airbenders are able to rotate and control the direction of an air spout enough to levitate themselves off the ground and remain in the air for as long as they wish to or can maintain it. The first known use of this technique was by Avatar Wan during the battle in the Spirit Wilds, when he generated an air spout shortly after fusing with Raava in an attempt to mediate the escalating conflict. Avatar Wan would later use the technique to mediate the warring human factions after Harmonic Convergence by rising himself into the air while bending the other three elements. Avatar Roku used this technique in order to speak face-to-face with Fire Lord Sozin, who was suspended in the air by an earth column. In 100 AG, an enraged Aang used the air spout while in the Avatar State, destroying General Fong's fortress in the process. An air spout was later performed by Tenzin when he fought several Equalists who tried to abduct him at City Hall during the battle for Republic City. Avatar Korra later used this technique while in the Avatar State at the South Pole.

'''Air vortex''': A spinning funnel of air of varying size, the air vortex can be used to trap or disorient opponents as well as to deflect any objects thrown at it. Aang used this technique to form an air column during his duel with King Bumi to throw aside a large boulder. In the Avatar State, an air vortex can reach winds of up to 125 miles per hour.

'''Air wake''': By running in a circle and instantly building massive momentum, a master airbender can shoot a blast of highly compressed air shaped like the user's body at a target. This move seems to have extremely high concussive force. It was first used by Aang in the Crystal Catacombs against Zuko.

'''Flight''': In the same way flying bison can fly and stay aloft for extended periods of time, a master airbender can achieve this same feat by generating and controlling air currents to form a 'cloud' like board under their feet and surfing through the air, thereby emulating flight.

'''Mini-tornado''': This is a smaller scaled version of the air vortex which airbending masters can use as a means of both combat and transport. By encircling themselves in a spiraling air current, masters can travel at high speeds and even ascend near-vertical drops as shown by Aang during the battle of Wulong Forest, where he narrowly avoided a lightning blast from Fire Lord Ozai by creating a mini-tornado and moving to the top of a rock column. Aang was also seen wielding this maneuver on the offensive against Combustion Man at the Western Air Temple, where he summoned the tornado with a kick in mid-air to conjure a powerful ranged attack.


'''Air sphere''': Aang was initially able only to hover for extended periods of time while in the Avatar State, but while fighting Fire Lord Ozai, Aang utilized this technique for flight. The Avatar flies at high-speeds while inside the air sphere, which also acts as a barrier to protect the bender during impacts, strong enough to withstand a high velocity impact with rock. Roku used a variation of this technique when defending his island from the volcano, and Wan and Korra both used it to restrain Vaatu in their respective battles against him.

'''Augmented airbending moves''': While in the Avatar State, all of the previously discussed airbending moves are generally augmented making them far more powerful in an Avatar than even a bending master. This ability of the Avatar State to increase the power of an Avatar's bending technique is not restricted, of course, to airbending; in fact an Avatar's power increases with all the bending styles once they have entered the Avatar State.

'''Strong wind''': It is possible for the Avatar to unleash extremely powerful winds. During the battle at Wulong Forest, while extinguishing three enormous fire whips, Aang unleashed a straightforward wind attack at Ozai. Ozai was shaken, but he apparently did not take much damage from the hit. However, the same attack did great damage to a nearby rock pillar, causing the thick pillar to crumble in a matter of seconds and causing it to collapse.

'''Tornadoes/hurricanes''': In addition to very large and powerful air movements, an Avatar level airbender can create massive tornadoes and hurricanes at will. Yangchen demonstrated this as part of showing the power the Avatar State had.