Here is everything you need to know
about the most explosive element in the world: fire.
First, we have to go back, over 10,000 years back.
Before people lived in the four nations,
they lived on the backs of giant lion turtles.
These animals were so massive,
human beings set up entire civilizations on their backs.
Not only are they large enough to live on,
each turtle possessed an ancient ability.
Great guardian of our city.
We are venturing into the Spirit World to bring back food for our people.
Please, grant us the power of fire.
The power is yours to keep
until your return.
You're first, kid.
Stealing the element led to severe consequences.
And that is exactly what happened to a young man named Wan.
[screaming]
What did you do?
You can't steal from the lion turtle.
Really? Because I just did.
After stealing fire from the lion turtle,
he organized a raid on the Chous Palace.
Grab as much food as you can!
By doing so, he committed the forbidden act of using fire
as a weapon against humans.
Wan?
Never again may you return to this city.
But I will allow you to keep the power of the element.
Bet he doesn't last til morning.
For two years, Wan roam the wilds.
At the beginning of his exile,
he was all alone with an ability he did not fully understand.
But he wasn't alone for very long.
I saw you save the cat deer from those hunters.
I've never seen such an act of selflessness from a human before.
He met spirits of all shapes and sizes.
Among the spirits lived the dragons.
Wan studied the movements of the dragons.
By doing so, he made fire an extension of his body.
This was the beginning of his journey to become the first Avatar.
This was firebending.
[grunting]
Word of Wan's firebending travel fast.
Having been inspired by Wan's accomplishment,
more and more humans kept the element
and ventured out into the wild.
Chanters!
The first cluster of firebenders were the Sun Warriors,
a civilization dedicated to pure firebending.
Their mission was to preserve the teachings of the original
firebending masters, the dragons.
Over the course of the next ten thousand years,
firebending began to evolve,
and benders began to tap into the full potential.
The results were explosive.
So what did they learn about firebending?
With enough power, firebenders can propel themselves
into the air like a rocket.
Another discovery was the art of combustion bending.
Sokka, watch out!
It's sparky-sparky boom man!
You know, I'm starting to think that name doesn't quite fit.
An incredibly rare form of firebending
that allows users to bend the element with their minds.
[screaming]
This skill may be rare, but combustion vendors can be
some of the most formidable opponents in the four nations.
Now that's shocking.
Known as the cold blooded fire, lightning is an advanced technique
that not every fire bender can pull off.
Instead of lightening, it keeps exploding in my face,
like everything always does.
This technique requires a special kind of precision
because one mistake can be fatal.
Almost isn't good enough.
But it can be mastered, just asked Uncle Iroh.
Iroh can generate and redirect lightening.
There is energy all around us.
The energy is both in ying and yang,
positive energy and negative energy.
Only a select few firebenders can separate these energies.
This creates an imbalance.
The energy wants to restore balance, and in the moment,
the positive and negative energy come crashing back together,
you provide release and guidance, creating lightning.
Between lightning, combustion and flight,
fire became a truly fearsome element.
And its power reaching an apex when a comet arrived.
Fire Lord Sozin discovered that he could draw power
from an extraterrestrial body.
This space rock enhanced his firebending to unmeasurable limits,
using this insane form of firebending, Sozin's army rained towering fire
down on the Air Nomads, almost completely wiping them out.
That's a lot of fire, isn't it?
Fire Lord Sozin also began to hunt the dragons for sport,
and one by one, they were slaughtered.
Firebending would never be the same again.
Water brings healing and life,
but fire brings only destruction and pain.
It forces those of us burdened with its care
to walk a razor's edge between humanity and savagery.
Eventually, we are torn apart.
[screaming]
For one hundred years, This was the new firebending norm.
But to Iroh, that wasn't the true meaning of the element.
Power in firebending comes from the breath, not the muscles.
The breath becomes energy in the body.
The energy extends past your limbs and becomes fire.
Iroh taught Zuko everything he knew,
from the basics of firebending to redirecting lightning.
You must create a pathway from your fingertips
up your arm to your shoulder, then down into your stomach.
The stomach is the source of energy in your body.
It is called the Sea of Chi.
Only in my case, it is more like a vast ocean.
[laughing]
Meanwhile, Team Avatar set out to learn more
about firebending themselves.
What they found was the weakness
that would change the course of the war.
The sun is behind the moon.
It's a solar eclipse.
Firebenders lose their bending during a solar eclipse.
Firebenders were the reason Aang was the last airbender.
They were also responsible for the death of Katara and Sokka's mother.
And with the next eclipse coming soon,
they saw a perfect opportunity to strike.
When this is finished, the Avatar will have defeated the Fire Lord.
We will have control of the Fire Nation capital
and this war will be over.
What followed was one of the biggest battles
in the four nation's history, benders from all over the world united
for one huge surprise attack on the Fire Nation.
Retreat! Everyone move to the secondary defensive position! Retreat!
But fire Lord Ozai knew the eclipse was coming
and was prepared for the attack.
No, no, no, Fire Lord Ozai,
where are you?
But just when all hope seemed lost, Team Avatar acquired a new member.
Hello, Zuko here.
Zuko's mission was to help Aang defeat Ozai by teaching him
- how to bend fire. - More ferocious.
There was just one problem.
That one kind of felt hot.
Don't patronize me.
You know what is supposed to look like?
Sorry, Sifu Hotman.
And stop calling me that.
Zuko's firebending was fading and no one understood why.
Zuko needs to go back to whatever the original source of firebending is.
So is it jumping into a volcano?
He and Avatar Aang decided to travel to the ruins of the ancient Sun Warriors,
where they hoped to find the true meaning of firebending.
I know my people have distorted the ways of firebending
to be fueled by anger and rage.
But now I want to learn the true way, the original way.
If you wish to learn the ways of the Sun,
you must learn them from the masters Ran and Shaw.
Aang and Zuko faced the Masters and performed the Dancing Dragon,
the same technique that was first taught to Wan
ten thousand years prior.
Judgement time.
[moaning]
[screaming]
I understand.
All this time, I thought firebending was destruction.
Since I hurt Katara, I've been too afraid and hesitant.
But now we know what it really is.
It's energy and life.
That's why my firebending was so weak before.
Because for so many years, hunting you was my drive.
It was my purpose.
So when I joined you, I lost sight of my inner fire.
But now I have a new drive.
I have to help you defeat my father and restore balance to the world.
That wraps up everything you need to know about firebending.
Which element do you want to learn more about next?
Let us know in the comments
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Now that you have learned the secrets and you know
about our tribe's existence, we have no choice
but to imprison you here forever.
Just kidding.
But seriously, don't tell anyone.