This article is about the method of discovering the Avatar. For the comic, see Relics.

The Avatar relics are four ancient toys utilized in identifying Air Nomad^{[nb 1]} Avatars at a young age. The four toys, consisting of a clay turtle, a pull-string propeller, a wooden monkey, and a wooden hand drum, represent the four nations and all were once the toys of previous Air Nomad Avatars.

After the death of an Avatar, permitting that the previous one was originally a firebender, newborn Air Nomad infants are presented with thousands of toys, four of which are the relics. If the infant chooses to play with only these four toys, it is a strong sign that he or she might be the reincarnated Avatar, as the real Avatar is believed to subconsciously choose the four toys most familiar to him or her.^[2]

History Edit

After Avatar Roku's death, Air Nomad children were presented with these four toys among thousands of others. When they were presented to Aang, he correctly chose the four objects that were the Avatar relics.

When the Council of Elders informed Aang that he was the new Avatar, the young airbender doubted his destiny, so Monk Tashi showed him the relics. Upon seeing his childhood toys, Aang stated that he had simply chosen them because they seemed fun, contradicting Monk Tashi's statement that he had chosen them subconsciously among thousands of toys because they were familiar to his past lives.^[1]

Connection Edit

This method of identifying the new Avatar is based on the real-world method of identifying the next reincarnation of Tulku Lama in Tibetan Buddhism.

Notes Edit

1. ↑ The Lost Scrolls: Air, or page 232 of The Lost Scrolls Collection, states that the toys used to belong to Air Nomad Avatars, strongly suggesting that this method is only employed on other Air Nomad Avatars.

References Edit

See also Edit

• Four elements test from The Last Airbender