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Aang

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Aang
File:Avatar-book 1 Chapters 1 And 2 0003.jpg
Voiced byMitchell Musso (Pilot only)
Zach Tyler Eisen (onwards)
In-universe information
GenderMale
PositionAvatar,
Airbending Master,
Waterbender,
Earthbender,
Firebender
NationalityAir Nomads (Southern Air Temple)

Aang is the titular fictional character in the Nickelodeon animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender. He is voiced by Zach Tyler Eisen, but was voiced by Mitchel Musso in the unaired pilot episode. Aang is a 112-year-old monk of the Air Nomads and the current reincarnation of the Avatar. Although he is 112 years old, 100 of those years were spent in suspended animation. Therefore, his biological age is only twelve years old throughout the series. With his friends Katara, Sokka, Toph (who appears in the second season), and his two pets, Momo and Appa, Aang journeys on a quest to master the elements, defeat the Fire Lord, and bring peace to the war-torn nations.

Aang's shaved head is a symbol of his status as a monk of the Air Nomads and the blue, arrow-shaped tattoos mark him as an Airbending Master. He comes from the Southern Air Temple where his guardian was Monk Gyatso. All of his kind died after he ran away, having overheard that he would have to be separated from his guardian. However, after his new friends Katara and Sokka, members of the Southern Water Tribe, broke him out of a massive ball of ice, which he remained in for the 100 years he was in suspended animation, he quickly learns about the war going on between the Fire Nation and the other three nations.

After leaving the South Pole to save the tribe from being destroyed by Prince Zuko, a banished Fire Nation prince, he is accompanied by Katara and Sokka on a long journey to the North Pole where he will be able to master Waterbending, the ability to manipulate water. He encounters many side trips, but finally succeeds by getting to his destination, from which he left to learn Earthbending, the ability to manipulate earth.

Personality

File:The Avatar Is Back 01.jpg
Aang in the beginning of Season 3.

Aang is fun-loving, naïve, and adventurous. He possesses a deep respect for life and freedom; he does not eat meat[2] and is often reluctant to fight.[3] He craves the stimulation of new people and places; in short, he is the consummate tourist. His frequent off-course detours frustrate both allies and pursuers alike.[4] Yet Aang has always prided himself on a complex social network of friends extending over all four nations, and war will not stand in his way. [5] In addition, he looks forward to playing with all the exotic fauna in each place he visits. [6] Whether it's penguins,[5] hog-monkeys or gigantic eels, [4] no fit animal Aang sees goes un-ridden.

Aang feels a terrible guilt and burden in his duties as Avatar. Very much the reluctant hero, he wishes he had been there to help his people a century ago, but he had still rather live a child's carefree life.[7] This initially caused him to conceal his true identity from friends,[6] and he still has a tendency to slack off in his studies of the Bending Arts,[8] even though he naturally excels at it.[9]

Being the last Airbender and having no living peers (with the exception of the aged King Bumi and Guru Pathik), Aang cares deeply for those close to him, even to the point of deceiving and hurting others to keep the group together. In "Bato of the Water Tribe," Aang heard that Katara and Sokka might leave the group to visit their father, so Aang hid the map showing his whereabouts and lied about ever having it in the first place.[10]

Recent events in the Earth Kingdom, however, have begun to take a toll on his care-free personality. Aang's attitude changed dramatically when Appa was captured. He became visibly enraged and hostile, particularly toward Toph, who was "keeping an eye on" Appa while they were gone.[11] Despite attempts by Katara to calm Aang down, his anger continued to grow until finally he flew off to search for Appa alone. Eventually Aang returned to the group, but was still visibly upset. He violated the principles of Airbending when Momo was snatched up by a Buzzard-Wasp. He followed the creature and rescued Momo, but then unnecessarily struck it down with his staff. After Aang returned with Momo the group was confronted by the Sandbenders who had taken Appa. When one of the Benders revealed that they had sold the bison, Aang lashed out and smashed all their sand boats in a matter of moments. He then turned his sights on the Sandbenders and entered the Avatar State. Aang's rage was only stopped when Katara grabbed hold of him and held him in an embrace until he finally calmed down and returned to his normal state.[12]

Avatar

Bending

The Avatars from Aang, Roku, Kyoshi, Kuruk, Yangchen and beyond

As the incarnation of the Avatar, Aang possesses the ability to manipulate all four elements. He is already an Airbending master, so incredibly skilled that he's able to invent new techniques, like his "Air Scooter", a propelled sphere of air currents he can ride.[7] Though he is able to master techniques with more ease than his young Waterbender friend Katara,[9] his lack of focus has allowed her to surpass him.[8]Now he must learn from her, as their teacher Master Pakku deemed her a master.[13] He is an extremely skilled Waterbender, and in the episode "Bitter Work," Katara tells Aang he has the reflexes of a Waterbending Master.[14]

The Earthbending style is the opposing style to his natural Airbending, and as such conflicts with his natural personality. At first, Aang's Earthbending abilities appeared stunted, as he has difficulty learning simple skills from Toph in Bitter Work as it was easier for Aang to simply avoid the obstacles physically. However, when he confronted with a need for direct opposition, rather than avoidance, he took his first step and successfully stood his ground to defend Sokka, who couldn't defend himself, and now Aang was able to assume the position of an Earthbender.[14] By the time of "The Drill," his skills have improved dramatically, when he comfortably uses Earthbending in combat against Azula. [15] He appears to have achieved mastery in Earthbending by the time of "The Tales of Ba Sing Se," creating a giant zoo with his bending,[16] and by fending off hundreds of Earthbenders in "The Earth King."[17] Later, he incorporates his Airbender's staff into his Earthbending, much like Avatar Kyoshi incorporates her fans into her bending.[18] It is possible for Aang to bend two elements at the same time, as demonstrated in "The Tales of Ba Sing Se."[16] He has little skill with fire, but has received a rudimentary object lesson in breath control and Firebending. When he was briefly instructed by the fugitive Firebending master Jeong Jeong, he ignored warnings to restrain himself and accidentally burned Katara (leading inadvertently to the discovery of her healing powers).[19] Newly respectful of fire's destructive power, he has not used Firebending since, and has even vowed to never firebend again, although, as Guru Pathik said in "The Guru," he will eventually have to, as he is the Avatar, therefore he is a Firebender. [20]

As the Avatar, Aang is quite possibly the most powerful Bender in the world; he once used his Airbending skills to halt a massive lava flow without entering the Avatar State.[21] Additionally, Aang has exceptional natural talent towards all bending, performing Waterbending on his first try when Katara took several months to learn the same move,[9] and assuming a perfect Earthbending stance on his first try.[14] However, Aang is loathe to use his skills in battle, preferring to solve problems non-violently. Even when forced into combat, Aang typically holds back, fighting defensively and trying to subdue opponents without seriously hurting them, even if they are not human. [3] This attitude was apparently common among Airbenders, who were all vegetarians and taught that all living things are precious.

The only exception to Aang's pacifism is when his friends are threatened; in which case, he gets very angry and relentlessly attacks his opponents, sometimes even entering the Avatar State.[18]

In The Deserter, Jeong Jeong says that to master firebending, Aang, as the Avatar, will need to first master the other Bending Arts in order and not to deviate from their natural order--Air, Water, Earth and Fire--hinting that the disciplines of one Bending Art will support the disciplines of the next Bending Art in order--'evade and avoid' - 'redirect and turn against the opponent' - 'standing ones ground and enduring' and 'preemptive first strike'. In Bitter Work, Iroh comments "It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If we take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale. Understanding others, the other elements, and the other nations will help you become whole...It is the combination of the four elements in one person that makes the Avatar so powerful," as he reveals how a waterbender's technique of redirecting energy enabled him to develop his own technique to redirect a bolt of lightning--proving that the disciplines and principles of one Bending Art support the disciplines and principles of another Bending Art.

Spirit

File:AS ep20 electric screwdriver.png
Aang's tattoos and eyes glowing while in the Avatar State.

Aang is the newest incarnation of the spirit of the planet, which has been continually reincarnated since time immemorial. In life-threatening situations or instances of extreme emotional stress, Aang involuntarily channels the power of all his past lives, entering the powerful Avatar State. His tattoos, eyes and mouth glow white, and he either uses bending as an immediate means of self-preservation, or lapses into a dangerous fit of elemental volatility until he is calmed down.[18]

This spiritual state is the manifestation of all the Avatar's previous incarnations, which allows Aang to tap into the sum total of their power. When in this state the Avatar is at his most powerful, but also his most vulnerable. If the Avatar dies while in the Avatar State, the previous incarnations of the Avatar will die along with him, and the cycle of reincarnation will be permanently broken.[18]

Aang often receives advice and guidance from Avatar Roku, the previous Avatar incarnation. Born into the Fire Nation in life, Roku is a benign force in spirit, serving as Aang's advisor and protector. On the Winter Solstice, after informing Aang of the impending return of Sozin's Comet, he manifested himself to defeat a group of Firebenders holding Aang's friends hostage. (When Roku manifests, his voice can be heard behind Aang's when he speaks.) [22] He has guided Aang several times since, appearing to Jeong Jeong to persuade him to teach Aang,[19] offering critical wisdom in the ways of the Spirit World during "The Siege of the North",[13] and most recently, revealing to Aang the nature of the Avatar State.[18]

After receiving a letter from Guru Pathik in "The Earth King",[17] Aang journeys to the Eastern Air Temple to learn to control the Avatar State. Guru Pathik reveals that the secret of entering, controlling, and leaving the Avatar State by free will lay in the 'releasing' of seven chakras. Aang has little trouble with the first six, but struggles with the seventh - earthly attachments, namely, love. Aang's love for Katara, accompanied by a vision of her in dire need of help, captured in Ba Sing Se, causes him to leave the Guru and return to Ba Sing Se. Guru Pathik states that Aang's refusal to let Katara go has 'locked the final chakra' and disallowed him to enter the Avatar State at all. .[20] Later, in "The Crossroads of Destiny", however, Aang begins to open the Seventh Chakra and enter the Avatar State by doing just as he had been told - letting go of his attachment to Katara. However, moments after entering the Avatar State, the process is interrupted as he is struck from behind by Azula, fatally wounding and removing him from the State. He was at the brink of death until Katara saved him.[23]

Medium

The Avatar also has the capacity to act as an medium, a bridge between mortal world and the Spirit World, the plane of existence where the universe's disembodied spirits dwell. Through inducing a deep meditative state, Aang can separate from his body and travel the physical world's astral plane in astral form,[3] or, with the help of a gateway, travel completely to the Spirit World. Once in the Spirit World, Aang can travel freely and communicate with beings such as Avatar Roku or Koh the Face Stealer. This position as intermediary also allows him to channel other spirits while in the Avatar State. He once acted as the Avatar of the Ocean Spirit to defeat the Fire Nation during the siege of the North Pole.[13] He has also channeled the spirits of previous Avatars, namely Roku[22], and Kyoshi [24].

Relationship with Katara

The first face Aang sees upon waking from suspended animation is the young Waterbender, Katara, who was his liberator from the iceberg. [5] Aang fell in love with her; Guru Pathik later explained that Aang's love for her was the reincarnation of the love of his extinct people. The episode, "The Cave of Two Lovers," has an ambiguous scene where Katara and Aang lean in to kiss, not long after Katara suggested that they kiss to escape the cave they are trapped in. The scene then goes black until the two are seen, with their hands locked, looking up at the glowing crystals on the cave ceiling. When asked how they got out of the cave, Aang said that they "let love lead the way." As they prepare to depart, Aang gives Katara a sidelong glance, and she blushes.[25] Katara is known to have kissed Aang on the cheek at the end of the episode "Bato of the Water Tribe"[10], near the end of "The Earth King"[17], and at the end of "The Headband"[26].

Katara is Aang's only teacher so far to use positive reinforcement as a teaching method. Aang responds well to this method, most likely due to the generally free-spirited nature of Airbenders. In addition, as of the events in "The Desert," Katara remains the only person able to calm Aang down from the Avatar State. Also, as has seen from events in "The Serpent's Pass," Katara is able to renew emotions and believes in Aang where others were unable. While others had tried to renew Aang's optimism and hope, only Katara was successful.

This love for Katara put Aang in an unforeseen position as he goes to the Eastern Air Temple in "The Guru" to learn to control the Avatar State from Guru Pathik. Pathik tells Aang that the control of the Avatar State involves the releasing of various emotions in the seven chakras spread throughout the body, including earthly attachment. In order to open the seventh chakra, Aang is told that he must let go of his earthly attachment to Katara. He is reluctant but starts to do so, when he has a vision that Katara is in danger. Aang breaks his meditation and leaves to save her, despite Guru Pathik's warning that it would lock his inner chakra and he would never be able to enter the Avatar state at all.

At the end of "The Crossroads of Destiny," Aang and Katara face overwhelming odds against Azula, Zuko, and the Dai Li. Believing that entering the Avatar State is their only hope, Aang isolates himself and meditates, hoping to let go of his attachment to Katara and unlock the seventh chakra. Though Aang began to release the chakra and entered the Avatar State, according to Nick.com's description of the "Celestial Avatar Spirit Aang," he is unable to complete the process due to the interruption caused by Azula's lightning bolt strike. Consequently, Aang was prevented from clearing the seventh chakra and mastering the Avatar State, leaving his attachment to Katara intact.

In "The Headband", the group tries to blend in. After stealing some Fire Nation cloths, Aang sees how Katara looks and is shocked at how beautiful she looks. When Aang decides to hold a dance party for the kids in his class, he asks Katara to dance. The two dance brilliantly and after flying away, Katara kisses Aang on the cheek.

Notes and references

  1. ^ http://www.avatarspiritmedia.net/images/nickmag2/nickmag2_cover.jpg
  2. ^ "The King of Omashu". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1 (Book 1). Episode 5. 2005-03-18. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ a b c "The Spirit World (Winter Solstice, Part 1)". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1 (Book 1). Episode 7. 2005-04-08. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ a b "The Warriors of Kyoshi". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1 (Book 1). Episode 4. 2005-03-04. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ a b c "The Boy In The Iceberg". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1 (Book 1). Episode 1. 2006-02-21. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ a b "The Avatar Returns". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1 (Book 1). Episode 2. 2006-02-21. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ a b "The Storm". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1 (Book 1). Episode 12. 2006-06-03. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help) Cite error: The named reference "The Storm" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  8. ^ a b "The Siege of the North, Part 1". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1 (Book 1). Episode 19. 2005-12-02. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help) Cite error: The named reference "The Siege of the North Part 1" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  9. ^ a b c "The Waterbending Scroll". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1 (Book 1). Episode 09. 2005-04-29. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ a b "Bato of the Water Tribe". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1 (Book 1). Episode 15. 2006-10-07. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help) Cite error: The named reference "Bato of the Water Tribe" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  11. ^ "The Library". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2 (Book 2). Episode 10. 2006-07-14. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ "The Desert". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2 (Book 2). Episode 11. 2006-07-14. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ a b c "The Siege of the North, Part 2". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1 (Book 1). Episode 20. 2005-12-02. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ a b c "Bitter Work". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2 (Book 2). Episode 9. 2006-06-02. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ "The Drill". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2 (Book 2). Episode 13. 2006-09-14. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ a b "The Tales of Ba Sing Se". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2 (Book 2). Episode 15. 2006-09-29. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  17. ^ a b c "The Earth King". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2 (Book 2). Episode 18. 2006-11-17. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  18. ^ a b c d e "The Avatar State". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2 (Book 2). Episode 1. 2006-03-17. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ a b "The Deserter". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1 (Book 1). Episode 16. 2005-10-21. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  20. ^ a b "The Guru". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2 (Book 2). Episode 20. 2006-12-01. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  21. ^ "The Fortuneteller". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1 (Book 1). Episode 14. 2005-09-25. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ a b "Avatar Roku (Winter Solstice, Part 2)". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 1 (Book 1). Episode 8. 2005-04-15. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  23. ^ "The Crossroads of Destiny". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2 (Book 2). Episode 20. 2006-12-01. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  24. ^ "Avatar Day". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2 (Book 2). Episode 5. 2006-04-28. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  25. ^ "The Cave of Two Lovers". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 2 (Book 2). Episode 02. 2006-03-24. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
  26. ^ "The Earth King". Avatar: The Last Airbender. Season 3 (Book 3). Episode 02. 2007-09-28. Nickelodeon. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help)
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