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Metalbending

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Toph metalbending.
ThailogAdded by Thailog

Metalbending is a special subset of techniques within earthbending that allows an earthbender to ferrokinetically bend processed metals much as they would bend regular earth. It was first developed by Toph when Xin Fu and Master Yu captured her and transported her in a metal cage. She then bent the cage, setting herself free.[1]

During a lecture on chakras, Guru Pathik explained to Aang that metal is merely earth that has been purified and refined. Using her unique ability to "see" through earthbending, Toph is able to perceive the trace amount of "un-purified" crude earth still present in the metal, target it, and utilize it to bend the purified metal itself.[1]

The idea of metalbending was first hinted at by Aang when he sarcastically stated "What I'd give to be a metalbender", as he tried to carve a notch in the hull of the drill with waterbending.[2]

Contents

History Edit

Toph discovering metalbending.
ThailogAdded by Thailog

Most earthbenders are unable to manipulate processed metals with their bending. This inability was first demonstrated by earthbender prisoners, taken captive by the Fire Nation, who were brought to a completely metal rig in the middle of the ocean to exploit this weakness. The earthbenders' helplessness due to their situation was stressed several times.[3] Earthbenders' inability to bend metal was also expressed when Xin Fu and the other Earth Rumble VI fighters captured Toph and Aang in metal cages suspended in the air. Toph only escaped this cage by means of a ransom, and Aang was released when his cage fell to the ground, where Sokka and Katara broke it open.[4]

Toph was later captured in a metal cage by Xin Fu and her former teacher, Master Yu, again when they lured her away from the group with a false letter from her mother.[5] While she was transported back to Gaoling by her two captors, she tried desperately to break the cage until Xin Fu chided that even if she was the best earthbender alive, it was impossible to bend the metal. At this point, Toph realized that metal was only purified earth, just as Guru Pathik was explaining this to Aang many miles away at the Eastern Air Temple. Toph started to meditate in her cage until she was able to feel the vibrations of the trace amounts of earth in the metal. By using these remaining fragments, Toph used metalbending for the first time, tearing a hole in her cage so that she could escape.[1]

Lin Beifong using metalbending to control the spools of metal cables on her back.
Lady LostrisAdded by Lady Lostris

After the Hundred Year War, Toph established a metalbending academy. And by 170 ASC, metalbending was being used by Republic City's police force. Led by Lin Beifong, the police uses metal cables contained in cylindrical spool devices on their backs to subdue criminals.[6]

Limits Edit

Toph's metalbending seems to be restricted to close-range manipulation; in almost all cases she had to be standing close to or in direct contact with the metal she intended to bend. Toph had "scrunched" and otherwise deformed sheets of metal, but had never caused it to freely reshape itself the way she had with earth. This limit also became apparent when Toph could not escape from a wooden prison cell, despite there being a metal cell directly adjacent to it. In addition, she appeared unable to bend her and Katara's gold jewelery to escape their wooden cage, so it may be that not all metals can be manipulated by metalbending, as precious metals like gold naturally contain less impurities, although it's possible they just didn't think about it at the time.[7] However, when she was able to make direct contact with a metal cell door, she was able to blast it off its hinges with such force that it ricocheted four times around the inside of the prison corridor before coming to rest.[8]

Toph in metal armor.
ThailogAdded by Thailog

Toph was able to greatly increase the range of her metalbending, as she knocked Fire Nation guards off the group's ship from several meters away, simply by grabbing a piece of the ship she was on and crunching the metal with her hands to produce the effect (this technique is similar to the earth fissure). It also seems that she can now "see" through metal just the same as on regular earth, possibly even with greater clarity as metal would conduct vibrations far better.[9]

Other moments when Toph was shown using metalbending include blasting another door to free Hama's prisoners,[10] opening a big hole in the Fire Lord's secret underground bunker to grant Aang, Sokka, and herself passage, and trapping a Dai Li agent in a metal column.[11]

Toph seemed to have furthered her ability to control metal by the time she, Sokka, and Suki set out to destroy Ozai's airship fleet, now controlling it more fluidly. She used the metal of the door she knocked out of its hinges to make a suit of armor in the same manner as the more traditional earth armor technique. She also was able to manipulate the metal plating in the command bay of the airship from a short distance (as opposed to direct contact needed previously) to pin her opponents to the walls. Furthermore, she also was able to metalbend the ship's floor upward to block a comet-charged fire blast just as a traditional earthbender would block attacks through earthbending up a rock barrier, despite lacking direct contact because of her metal armor. She then climbed upside-down across a pipe in the airship, probably by achieving a magnetic effect.[12]

Toph metalbending the rudder of an airship.
RenatablsAdded by Renatabls

Toph later bent the rudder of an airship causing it to spiral and hit the other ships. Even with this, she took more time and concentration than she would have if she had been required to do so with the more easily attainable forms of earthbending.[13]

In more modern forms of metalbending, however, Lin Beifong and the Metalbending Police Force can metalbend without direct contact with the metal. For example, Lin was able to unlock Korra's handcuffs with just a flick of her hand.[6] Lin was also able to remote metalbend from the roof by slamming her hand into the metal roof forcing a neighboring truss to split and eject the two chi blockers.

References Edit

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "The Guru". Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko (writers) & Giancarlo Volpe (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. December 1, 2006. No. 19, Book 2: Earth
  2. "The Drill". Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko (writers) & Giancarlo Volpe (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. September 15, 2006. No. 13, Book 2: Earth
  3. "Imprisoned". Matthew Hubbard (writer) & Dave Filoni (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. March 25, 2005. No. 6, Book 1: Water
  4. "The Blind Bandit". Michael Dante DiMartino (writer) & Ethan Spaulding (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. May 5, 2006. No. 6, Book 2: Earth
  5. "The Earth King". John O'Bryan (writer) & Ethan Spaulding (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. November 17, 2006. No. 18, Book 2: Earth
  6. 6.0 6.1 "Welcome to Republic City". Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko (writers) & Joaquim Dos Santos, Ki Hyun Ryu (directors). The Legend of Korra. Nickelodeon. April 14, 2012. No. 1, Book 1: Air
  7. "The Runaway". Joshua Hamilton (writer) & Giancarlo Volpe (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. November 2, 2007. No. 7, Book 3: Fire
  8. "The Crossroads of Destiny". Aaron Ehasz (writer) & Michael Dante DiMartino (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. December 1, 2006. No. 20, Book 2: Earth
  9. "The Awakening". Aaron Ehasz (writer) & Giancarlo Volpe (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. September 21, 2007. No. 1, Book 3: Fire
  10. "The Puppetmaster". Tim Hedrick (writer) & Joaquim Dos Santos (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. November 9, 2007. No. 8, Book 3: Fire
  11. "The Day of Black Sun, Part 2: The Eclipse". Aaron Ehasz (writer) & Joaquim Dos Santos (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. November 30, 2007. No. 11, Book 3: Fire
  12. "Sozin's Comet, Part 3: Into the Inferno". Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko (writers) & Joaquim Dos Santos (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. July 19, 2008. No. 20, Book 3: Fire
  13. "Sozin's Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang". Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko (writers) & Joaquim Dos Santos (director). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. July 19, 2008. No. 21, Book 3: Fire

See also Edit

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209 comments

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  • I wonder if Aang learned metalbending at some point in his life. Toph did teach him her seismic sense, she could have taken it further by teaching him metalbending.

    by Kiddojono
  • Anyone else get the idea that maybe Amon is this Yakone person. If he was a bender and Aang took his bending away it could be interesting if he was Would also explain why he hides his face, because i think we all don't really believe he had his face burned by a firebender.

  • There's iron in blood, and there are other traces of metal in the human body. I wonder why metal benders can't manipulate that.

    • It's probably not enough for them to 'grab' it.

    • they probably have not thought about it do they even know theres iron in the body this sound like advance form of metalbending i think beifong could do it her metal bending is advance.

  • Since metal is supposedly refined earth, it stands to reason that earthbenders can bend metal without the impurities.

  • no the dai li did'nt and yes toph did discover metalbending

  • didnt the dai li use metalbending to capture the 5 ba sing se generals?

  • When you metalbend, do you have to actually make physical contact with the metal?

    • This is an educated guess, but since there's less actual earth, you probably have to be much closer to the earth particles.

    • Toph did ok during Sozins Comet part 3 in the airship. She bended metal that was a metre or two away while bending her metal armor.

      Then the metalbender cops bend their whip things quite easily without direct contact too. One thing though is the "rope" actually rope, so they only bend the metal tips, or is it also metal and they bend the whole lot.

  • Wow its kind of crazy because Toph is the original metalbender. Before, all the other originals were either animals or the Moon.

    • same goes for lightning or bloodbending or healing really

    • That's not really crazy. Metalbending is merely a subset of Earthbending, not an entirely new bending art. The roots of Metalbending are the roots of Earthbending.

  • @Annonomouse Contributer, how do know that Tophs been Earthbending for 6 years?

  • I watch the whole series and they mention metal bending a few times way before Toph was able too. Which seems really odd to me. I get it was a joke but seems like someone should of been able to do it before Toph.

  • Book 4.1: Chuck Norris

  • Book 4: light/energy/power bending

    ftw im pro get me a jobs @ nick so i can tell them right

  • Book 3: lightning

  • downloaded the first episode of The Legend of Korra and the police are using metalbending, it looks ok, but liked Toph better. Anyways I wonder if we'll see some bad ppl using blood bending? oh and the second seasond will probably be "Book Two: Metal"

    • by the way it's free and in HD in PSN (ps3).

    • I don't think there would be another bloodbender because Katara hated bloodbending and Hama probably couldn't use bending anymore because they might have chained her up or put her in a dark cell where there is no light.

    • The second book will most likely be 'Book Two: Avatar State", because they wouldn't make it such a big thing, so much so that it'd be another book; Korra needs to master the spiritual side of bending as well, so they will probably focus a whole book on her developing the Avatar State.

      The bad people would probably be energy benders, and chi blockers, the reason I say energy benders is because I think Amon can do it from some sections of the promos on YouTube. I don't think bloodbending will be a thing.

  • I think metalbending will become a style far beyond "controlling impurities". Remember that "metal is refined earth", as the satanist guru said, so maybe benders will be capable of controlling the actual metal instead of just the impurities in it.

  • Toph was limited to bending the metal cage adjacent to her wooden one because she is BLIND.

    She sees with her feet, and since the cage she was in was wooden, had no idea there was a freaking slab of metal in front of her!

    by Lawngnome
    • Well, she technically knew it was there, but she couldn't do anything with it since she couldn't "see" it.

  • Its nice how there became metalbending cops. I would have expected metalbenders to be criminals

  • Fridge Logic: As time passes on and the way metal is produced changes, will the art of metalbending also change or even become impossible? I mean, metalbending is really only bending the remaining fragments of earth in the metal, and eventually the way metal is produced may make those fragments so small no one can see or bend them.

  • i hope we see more ppl do metalbending in the legend of korra and the promise. becuase we saw toph doing it a few times in the series.

  • i feel toph was so stupid when she was captured in that cage... she could have just bended the earth outside the cage to hit the drivers or something but the point is she could have bended the earth outside the metal box to help escape!

    • She can't bend the earth if she can't feel it with her feet! She is not stupid...

    • The only reason Bumi was still able to bend the earth outside of his cage was, by his own admission, because "they didn't cover my {Bumi's] face". Toph, on the other hand, was completely enclosed in metal (her head included), and so she really had no way of bending the Earth outside of the cage while the metal barrier (which was already established in "Imprisonment" as an Earthbender's main weakness) stood between her and her element. What she ended up doing to solve that problem was actually highly creative, and indicative of intelligence on her part, not stupidity.

    • Metal: Her head doesn't matter, but her feet do.  : )

    • I would be prone to disagree in a friendly manner, Mysteria. Toph has shown (in "Tales of Ba Sing Se" and in "The Runaway") that she's able to bend with just her face; even if she can't see the ground with her feet, she would have at least a vague idea where it is and might have been able to bend her way out (say, by smashing columns of rock from below-around her into the sides of the cage) without inventing the new style for which this article was made. As we obviously don't have proof one way or the other on this, I'd be willing to agree with you if you're able to combat my points on this.

    • Where in those episodes are you referring to?

      (I must leave for a moment and cannot address your comment immediately.)

    • Here in "Tales of Ba Sing Se", and when she was gambling in "The Runaway", in the following sequence:

      http://piandao.org/screencaps/ep47/ep47-628.png http://piandao.org/screencaps/ep47/ep47-629.png http://piandao.org/screencaps/ep47/ep47-631.png http://piandao.org/screencaps/ep47/ep47-632.png http://piandao.org/screencaps/ep47/ep47-633.png http://piandao.org/screencaps/ep47/ep47-634.png

    • The Tales of Ba Sing Se: She's still touching it, and that technique would hardly work for bending earth on the outside of a metal box that keeps her from feeling the earth in any way, preferrably her feet.

      The Runaway: Again, still touching the earth with her feet. If she couldn't "see" it, she wouldn't be able to do that correctly.

      So if she were in Bumi's situation and did not have metalbending, she would still be unable to do anything because she doesn't see with her head. Bumi can both see and bend with his head, but Toph needs to actually touch earth in some way. Yes, she can use her head to control earth. No, having only her head free would not help. However, if for whatever reason the only part of her not in the cage was her feet and her feet could touch the ground, even with a covered head she'd be just fine, whereas a normal earthbender would be lost without sight.

    • Nods. I would have granted that she'd wouldn't be anywhere near as accurate without her feet touching the ground, though I'm still going to say there's not an absolute difference between her and other Earthbenders on that subject (they do have a limited, natural degree of Seismic Sense simply by training themselves in neutral jing - or Bumi does, anyways - and Toph has shown at times that she can estimate where something is even when she can't see it). Nevertheless, you are right on the whole, and I must back down. Either way, though, she was highly creative and not at all stupid in the situation she was actually put in.

    • Yes, the fact that Toph is ingenious needs no arguing.

    • shes not stupid if toph never learned metal bending it would ruin the whole story

    • Even if she hit the drivers she wouldn't really have had a way out. She would've been trapped in a box with no one to get her out.

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