Sokka, look! I caught one!
How did a young Waterbender, who could barely catch a fish...
Hey! Hah!
turn into this aquatic authority?
Ugh!
Let’s take a deep dive to see how Katara went from turtle-duck to sea serpent!
[screeching]
To breakdown the evolution of Katara’s skills, we’re going to explore these
subdivisions of Waterbending.
Functional, Combative, Healing, and Bloodbending.
I don’t know if I want that kind of power.
Now, let’s start back at the very beginning.
Katara was the only individual in the Southern Water Tribe who had the gift.
Because of that, she was forced to teach herself the basics.
Her skills were, admittedly, clumsy and unrefined.
Her brother Sokka was often a victim to the backfire.
Why is it that everytime you play with magic water I get soaked?
[sighing]
It’s not magic! It’s Waterbending. And it’s…
Yeah, yeah! An ancient art, unique to our culture. Blah blah blah!
But even if it was unrefined, Katara certainly had great power.
Power that, at least here in the beginning, would be influenced by her...
emotions.
Okay. You’ve gone from weird to freakish, Katara!
It was that emotional outburst that would release the Avatar.
Ow!
Setting off an epic chain of events to save the world from the Fire Nation.
- Uncle, do you realize what this means? - I won’t get to finish my game?
It means my search, It’s about to come to an end.
And actually, while we’re on the topic of emotional outbursts, you might say
Katara’s fear was the first thing that triggered her combative potential.
Hah!
Living in the southernmost corner of the planet, it’s no surprise that she had a
natural inclination to Icebend.
[moaning]
In fact, trapping foes in ice would become a mainstay of her techniques.
But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Depending on the exact state of her emotions, Katara’s bending could suffer.
- Oh, I’m glad you know. - I’m glad you’re glad.
- Good! - Fine!
Frustration may have impaired her skills. But love had Katara bending fast and with
surgical accuracy!
[coughing]
This was the first time we’d watch Katara Waterbend something
she couldn’t actually see.
Don’t ride Unagi. Not fun.
You could also say this hinted to her future as a healer.
Katara’s relationship with Aang would drive her practice in education moving forward.
If you want, I can try and teach you some of the stuff I know.
You’d do that?
Of course, she only knew to teach the very basics of functional Waterbending.
This is a pretty basic move but it still took me months to perfect.
That is until Team Avatar made a Titanic discovery!
[gasping]
Look at this, Aang! It’s a Waterbending scroll!
That scroll and the mutual help from Aang, would begin building
her combative tool box.
Hey! You did the water whip!
I couldn’t have done it without your help!
The water whip became Katara’s first learned attack.
As opposed to the defensive instincts witnessed earlier.
Around this time, Katara and Aang also began to learn the power of
collaborative bending.
It would come in handy for directing large objects.
And manipulating natural resources.
Yes!
In a new milestone, it was a collaboration with Aang in which Katara first performed
Cloudbending!
[gasping]
Oh my!
An abstract art that managed to warn a village about pending calamity.
As time passed, Katara’s understanding of functional bending would build.
Where she could barely create a wave…
she would soon do so without second guessing.
With Katara’s functional skills rising, even feeding her potential in combat,
she’d step away from both and take a dive into one of her most important gifts.
Healing.
[sighing]
You have healing abilities.
The great benders of the Water Tribe sometimes have this ability.
Water brings healing and life.
Healing came to Katara organically. And good thing too.
Without it, who knows what shape Team Avatar would've been in.
Wow! That’s good water.
- When did you learn how to do that? - I guess I always knew.
Learning to heal would be a major milestone for Katara.
And another, finding herself a Waterbending teacher.
Though, that wouldn’t come as easily.
I’ve waited for this day my whole life! I finally get to learn from a real
Waterbending Master!
- Good morning, Master Pakku! - No, please, march right in!
- I’m not concentrating or anything. - Uh, this is my friend, Katara.
In our tribe it is forbidden for women to learn Waterbending.
Despite raining on her parade, Katara refused to take no for an answer!
Fine! You want to learn to fight so bad… study closely!
Well, I’m impressed. You are an excellent Waterbender.
- But you still won’t teach me, will you? - No!
Her frustration to an impressive outburst.
But that’s not what persuaded Master Pakku.
- Come back here! I’m not finished yet! - Yes, you are.
- This is my necklace. - No it’s not. It’s mine! Give it back!
I made this 60 years ago.
For the love of my life. For Karla.
My gran gran was supposed to marry you?
Just like Katara had spent so long managing her own emotions, Master Pakku
gave into his and agreed to train this determined, young, woman.
Katara, you’ve advanced more quickly than any student I’ve ever trained.
You have proven that with fierce determination, passion, and hard work,
you can accomplish anything.
Katara mastered the Northern Tribe’s teachings.
Just in time for her first major test, protecting Aang against Prince Zuko.
Hah!
[grunting]
Ahh oh!
[grunting]
I see you’ve learned a new trick. But I didn’t come this far to lose to you.
[grunting]
She was successful under the guidance of the moon.
But once the sun fueled Zuko’s flame, Katara was in hot water.
[breathing]
[moaning]
[grunting]
Still… she had more to learn.
After the incident in the North, Katara would continue to train with Aang.
And refine her combative skills… for better or for worse.
How are you gonna fight without your bending?
Well, in addition to her bending powers, Katara would begin showcasing
her unique strategic problem solving.
- How’d you get them to tell you? - Oh, a girl has her ways.
Whether it was strong arming and formance, or even biblically parting the seas,
Katara’s functional skills would get Team Avatar past many roadblocks.
And as for combat, we’d soon see one of her most distinct and versatile weapons.
Bending water as a literal extension of her arms.
This was especially useful in her next major test.
A battle alongside Aang against Prince Zuko and his merciless sister, Azula
[grunting]
Katara’s aqua arms will be key in keeping Zuko at bay!
But when Aang went down after being hit by a bolt of lightning.
She went from fight to flight for the sake of her friend!
Thankfully her healing skills coupled with some special water
from the Northern Tribe’s spirit oasis...
The water has unique properties. Don’t lose it.
Well, that was enough to wake up Aang, but not heal him completely.
Katara’s gift, no matter how strong, wasn’t enough to restore Aang’s connection
to his past selves.
And by this point, the war against the Fire Nation was in full force.
But, so was Katara’s mastery of Waterbending.
In combat, she was vital in keeping ships afloat and escaping enemy capture!
She was learning new skills too.
We would eventually see Katara Mudbend for the first time.
Uh guys, I thought we were supposed to be training me.
And in a pinch, Katara discovered that she could use her own sweat
for strategic gain.
Katara, you’re a genius!
But, it was one spooky night in a Fire Nation forest that lead Katara to an
ominous new mentor.
Sorry to frighten you. My name is Hama.
Hama was secretly a Waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe.
Hiding in a Fire Nation forest,
she had spent her whole life fighting for survival.
And because of that, Hama was able to teach Katara many valuable lessons.
Like how to pull water from thin air and from the surrounding vegetation.
That was incredible!
It’s a shame about the lilies though.
Hama’s disregard for life and hunger for survival lead to an unthinkable
new technique.
Bloodbending. Controlling the water in another body.
Enforcing your own will over theirs.
Katara initially refused to learn the dark art until Hama retaliated.
She turned Aang and Sokka into human puppets.
Huh?
[screaming]
No!!
[sighing]
Like in the past,
Katara’s love for others guided her to an incredible leap in ability.
Congratulations Katara, you’re a Bloodbender.
Katara would Bloodbend one other time,
when pursuing the man responsible for her mother’s death.
What’s…
[grunting]
happening to me?
As grim as it was,
this quest would demonstrate just how far Katara had come
from her strategic functional bending...
We need to be stealthy and make sure no one spots us.
to her dynamic combat skills.
Ow!
And even when the old man was in her crosshairs.
She had enough emotional control to know right from wrong.
I did a bad thing. I know I did. And you deserve revenge.
So, why don’t you take my mother? That would be fair.
I always wondered what kind of person could do such a thing.
But now that I see you, I think I understand.
There’s just nothing inside you. Nothing at all.
You’re pathetic and sad and empty!
Please spare me.
Sozin’s Comet, the Fire Nation’s source of superpowered bending
would arrive soon after. Thus, marking the climax of our heroes journey.
- We can take Azula. - I’m not worried about her.
Katara faced the threat of extinction with a masterful grace.
[grunting]
Katara put an end to Azula by trapping the madwoman in ice.
A powerful parallel of the very first combative move we saw from her long ago.
[gasping]
[grunting]
She also used her healing powers to save an enemy turned ally, Zuko.
Showcasing the most important quality of her power.
Water brings healing and life.
The comet passed and in its wake we were left with a fully realized hero.
A Waterbender, Master in functional and combative bending.
A gifted healer and shockingly, a reserved Bloodbender.
As an adult, Katara would lead an effort to outlaw Bloodbending all together.
She would also supervise Avatar Kora’s training
and assist in times of medical need.
But as with every great bender, Katara had her limitations.
I’ve tried everything in my power but, I cannot restore Kora’s bending.
But you are the best healer in the world. You have to keep trying.
I’m sorry, there’s nothing else I can do.
Like with Avatar Aang’s spiritual blockage, she was not always able to heal
Avatar Kora. Nonetheless,
Katara would go down in history as one of the greatest Waterbenders we’ve ever seen.
No matter the age, she demonstrated passion, determination, hard work,
and the power of emotions. Had she not stood up for herself on that fateful day,
the world of Avatar would be a much different place.
You mean I did that?
Now tell us. What was your favorite Katara moment?
What other Bender do you want us to break down?
Comment below and keep watching for everything you need to know
about all things Avatar.