Out of all the other bending styles featured in Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, Waterbending is the most versatile. It can be used to inflict devastating damage on enemy forces, but can also restrain targets without harming them. And they’re the only benders who can heal others with their powers!
There are a whole slew of techniques that Waterbenders can learn to make themselves a challenge even to the mightest Earthbender, but these are the ones every Waterbender should want in their arsenal.
Phase Change
While Waterbenders mostly deal with water in its liquid form, they have no difficulty manipulating water as a solid or gas, and they can even change water’s state of matter on a whim. They can instantly freeze it, turning it into a sharp weapon with just a chilled breath, or they can conjure up a cloud of mist to conceal their position.
Water Whip
The Water Whip was one of the first advanced Waterbending techniques Katara learned. It consists of creating a tendril of water that can be used to smack an opponent, stinging them much like an actual whip would.
Stronger Waterbenders have endowed their whips with so much power that they’ve managed to slice through metal, making the Water Whip a technique that’s best not to be on the other end of. It’s based on a move from Chen style Tai Chi Chuan, making it even cooler.
Water Cloak
Many Waterbenders across both series have used a Water Cloak to coat their bodies in long tendrils of water that can shield them from incoming attacks, expand their reach, and improve their navigation on the battlefield. Katara used this powerful technique to block Azula and Zuko’s flames during a relentless assault that would bring even Aang down.
Most notably, Ming-Hua used this technique to provide herself with arms, proving just how innovative Waterbenders can be as they continue to discover new purposes for their techniques.
Ice Prison
After Prince Zuko was rendered incapable of fighting after taking a direct hit from Azula’s lightning strike, Katara stepped up to the plate to take Azula down herself. Just when Azula prepared to deliver the final blow, Katara was able to trap both of them in water that she froze in a split-second. While Azula found herself unable to move, Katara was able to melt the ice just around herself. She handcuffed Azula with ease, a feat that she could’ve never pulled off had Azula not been imprisoned in ice.
This technique was also used several other times in The Legend of Korra by other powerful Waterbenders like Tonraq (Korra’s father), Unalaq (her uncle), and Ming-Hua. These Waterbenders all used this technique on other Waterbenders, proving that the Ice Prison can not only restrain those who can’t manipulate ice themselves but those who can as well.
Ice Spears
After tracking down the decrepit former Firebender commander Yon Rha, Katara generated countless ice spears that she intended to drive through his body. Although she never used this move to take his life, it’s not hard to imagine that these frozen spears were probably as sharp as knives.
Tarrlok later used a similar move against Korra, making it impossible for her to get close to him despite her mastery over water.
Water Running
A major benefit of being a bender comes with the ability to move across battlefields and terrains in ways that normal people can’t. Airbenders can take to the skies with the help of their gliders, While Earthbenders can surf on rocks like water. Since Waterbenders can naturally manipulate water in all its forms, it makes sense that they can also run on water.
Powerful Waterbenders like Korra, Desna, and Eska can encase their feet in ice to skate across the surface of the water at high speeds. It’s a pretty effective way to get around, and there’s no doubt that it cuts on travel costs!
Spiritbending
Spiritbending wasn’t introduced until The Legend of Korra, although Avatar: The Last Airbender had already shown that the Water Tribe has a deep connection to the spirits (the Moon Spirit and Ocean Spirit in particular). When spirits began to run amok in the Southern Water Tribe, Unalaq developed a powerful technique that used water to purify a spirit’s negative energy.
It seemed to be the only thing that could quell these evil spirits when brute force alone wasn’t enough to get the job done. Unalaq later displayed the ability to use this same technique to destroy human souls, and although he failed to destroy Korra’s, the fact that he could made him extremely dangerous.
Healing
Certain Waterbenders who’ve been trained in the art of healing can actually use their powers to heal some pretty grave injuries. Katara discovered this ability after her hands were burned from Aang’s first experience bending fire.
With special water from the Northern Water Tribe’s Spirit Oasis, Katara was able to use her healing abilities to bring Aang back to life after he’d been killed by Azula’s lightning strike. Any team without a Waterbender on their side is just destined to lose.
Bloodbending
Throughout Avatar: The Last Airbender, Waterbenders were always regarded as peaceful people. While their techniques could be lethal, they would never employ them unless they were provoked. In Book 3, Avatar: The Last Airbender fans met Hama, a Waterbender living in the Fire Nation who’d developed the art of Bloodbending. This dark Waterbending skill takes control of the fluid inside another person’s body. With this ability, Waterbenders could bend people!
Once ensnared by this technique, only the Avatar State is enough to break its hold. In The Legend of Korra, fans were introduced to several powerful Bloodbenders like Yakone, Tarrlok, and Amon, with Yakone and Amon able to perform the technique without using their hands. Amon took the technique a step further, using his Bloodbending to take away the bending from others, something that previously only the Avatar was able to do.
Tidal Wave
While water is the universal solvent that gives life to all living things, it can also take life in an instant. Perhaps the strongest, most powerful Waterbending technique we’ve seen next to Bloodbending has been a Waterbender’s ability to create massive tidal waves.
We first saw this technique utilized by the last Water Tribe Avatar before Korra, Avatar Kuruk, who was shown creating a tidal wave that pushed his boat forward. Aang also used this technique in conjunction with Princess Yue (the new Moon Spirit) in order to create a wave that was powerful enough to wash him onto the shore of Crescent Island.
If every Waterbender knew how to create such massive waves, something tells us the Hundred Year War would’ve been a lot shorter.
