Avatar: Here’s How Azula Was Able To Bend Lightning Even Though She Is Unable To Generate It!

Netflix’s live-action adaptation of the popular Avatar: The Last Airbender animated series is finally here, and we on Fiction Horizon are going to be covering the series, explaining all the changes from the original animated series, as well as some crucial story elements that you might be wondering about. This article will be dedicated to Azula, a very interesting character from the lore who received a lot more attention in the first season of the live-action series than she did in the early episodes of the original animated series. In this article, we are going to explain how Azula was able to use the Lightning Generation ability, although it seemed that she was unable to do so.

Lightning Generation is a Firebending technique

As far as Lightning Generation is concerned, fans of the series will probably know that it is a powerful and effective sub-skill of Firebending, which allows the user to create lightning and fire it from their hands. As there is no “Lightningbending” in the series, this ability is actually related to Firebending, which makes some sense. In this section, we are going to explain how it actually works.

Lightning Generation requires moving the arms in a circle. This is a mental practice that necessitates total calmness; literally, it involves the division of positive and negative yin and yang forces. A lightning bolt is formed when Yin and Yang reunite to join; the master of this bolt can only direct it, not control it. Without the necessary emotional control, trying to call forth lightning can end in a massive fire explosion. Although skilled masters like Ozai were able to perform lightning attacks more swiftly than others, they often took longer due to their complexity.

On the other hand, Mako was vulnerable to Amon’s Bloodbending and was able to dispatch him with a lightning bolt without drawing much attention to himself. Because the technique is so straining on the chi reserved of a Firebender, power plant jobs are highly sought after for young males. Lightning can be kept or fired continuously until the user stops with its production, even though it is often fired in a single shot. Lightning might be carried away during this period to cause extensive harm.

How Azula mastered it was never explained, but there are theories…

Now, Azula is one of the best-known Lightning Generation users in the series, and while she definitely had the necessary skills to use it, a lot of fans are wondering how she was able to do it, seeing how her mind was everything but calm. Now, the series has not explained it properly, but Quora user Simon Jameson has provided us with a solid theory that we would like to show you:

Uncle Iroh is the one explaining lightening to us. I’ll try and go in on this a bit deeper.

In his words, the world is filled with yin and yang energy. When this energy gets manipulated and split up, the world naturally looks for balance and when the energies come crashing together they create lightning.

It’s never in depth explained how this works, but here are some ideas. Each element seems to have their own strengths and characteristics. Earth is strong and unmoving, water is ever changing and adapting and air is free. But fire is a special one. Fire is alive and has power on its own. Basically, fire is the only element that has its own energy, this makes fire ending more than just that, it makes that it’s a control over energy.

We also know that firebenders are the only benders that can create their element. Water, earth and air all need bendable material, but fire comes from within. What does this mean? Basically we can conclude that firebenders use their own energy to be manifested outwards. This usually manifests in a heating of air, burning it like a flame.

Now let’s take that principle one step further. We already know that firebenders can create flame by manipulating energy. Now with what Iroh told us, we know there’s an infinite possibility for energy just floating around. A firebenders could, in theory, take this energy that’s already there and manipulate it.

Sending ones own energy outward is easy, though. You deal with energy your body knows. But to disturb a balance that’s always there and to guide it, there’s more discipline needed. Zuko has great inner turmoil. The energy he controls is unstable as is. Whenever he tried to nfluence stable energy, it overpowered him and reacted volatile. Basically,the balance outside was stronger than his own energy and he couldn’t split the positive and negative energy.

Now look at the lightning benders we know of. All of them have a perfect balance within themselves and all of them know exactly who they are and what they want. This isn’t always a good thing. We see that the fire lord and Azula both have this ability. They know their place and have a deep control of their energy. On the other side, the same goes for Iroh. He isn’t emotionless like the other two mentions, but he is at peace. He experienced a lot and learned a lot and he’s at peace with all of it.

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And we actually think that this makes a lot of sense. This is a very solid explanation and it takes into account that Azula probably learned the technique early on, when she was more at peace with herself, which also makes a lot of sense.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!

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