Bloodbending. A vicious form of Waterbending, that all benders can do. Think not? Here’s how!
Introduced by Hama in episode eight of season 3, “The Puppetmaster,” this type of bending gives the bender complete control over many aspects of any lifeform.
Humans are mere puppets to those controlling them via Bloodbending, making it both a dangerous and vital skill for all Waterbenders to master.
How can Firebenders, Earthbenders, Airbenders, and Energybenders all equate to Bloodbending? We’ll take you through step-by-step and explain the nuances of this possibility.
Firebenders
Firebenders can Bloodbend because of the electrical currents used to move muscles on nerve impulses.
It was demonstrated many times in the original series that Firebenders can manipulate all forms of electricity. Who’s to say that this couldn’t include muscle reactions?
Lightningbending seems more common in The Legend of Korra, as we see Mako working in a factory with many other workers, using lightning as means of giving a machine energy. If it is discovered that that many Firebenders can Bloodbend, the results could be disastrous.
Earthbenders
The human body contains minerals, which are also contained in “Earth” material.
One of these minerals is Iron. Iron is a type of metal, which is proved to be covered under Earthbending thanks to Toph’s discovery in her metal cage in season 2, episode 19 “The Guru.”
Although the Bloodbending version of Waterbending already sounds painful, the Earthbending version, in which hard physical particles are manipulated within the human body, would be excruciating.
Airbenders
In order to use Bloodbending as an Airbender, one need only manipulate the air currents around the chosen target.
Although we’ve seen this done by Airbenders on smaller scales in ATLA and The Legend of Korra, no one has taken it to the extremes of “Bloodbending.”
This is perhaps the simplest and least original of all theories of Bloodbending. Control the air currents around someone, control the person.
Sounds easy enough, right?
Energybenders
The most mysterious form of bending remains Energybending, but we can presume that its own form of Bloodbending would be inherent.
From what we’ve seen, Energybending can both take away and give back a bender’s abilities.
We’ve also seen that Energybenders can connect with the spirits of the Avatar world. It’s only a matter of time before an Energybender (which, for all we’ve seen, are only the Avatar and that giant Turtle spirit) figures their own Bloodbending out.
Do you agree that all benders can ‘Bloodbend’?
The Legend of Korra season 2 premieres this Friday, Sept. 1 at 7 pm on Nickelodeon.