Best Bending Counters

What do you feel is the best bending counter against each bending element?

I know this does not work like Pokemon or something, and that there are many variables like the skill and mastery of the bender, motives, circumstances, etc. But what in general do you think is best bending vs bending/sub-bending styles?

For example;

• Lightning redirection > Lighting generation
• Lava > Earth

Technically speaking, Water > Fire.

First off: it is much easier for water to extinguish fire than it is for fire to evaporate water.

Second, waterbending is all about flow and turning offence into defence. Firebending is mostly about pure offence.

I wouldn't put Earth and Air as above/below the other. They aren't opposites.

@geekryan:

In 'Bitter Work' Katara has this conversation with Aang;

Katara: Aang, if fire and water are opposites, then what's the opposite of air?

Aang: I guess it's earth.

Katara: That's why it's so hard for you to get this. You're working with your natural opposite. But you'll figure it out. I know you will...

Not sure if that changes your view though, just thought I'd mention it.

Air > Metalbending

Air > Lavabending

Air > Seismic Sense

Lava > Earth

Combustion > Earth

Combustion > Water

Fire Negation > Firebending

Those are what come to mind immediately for me.

I think this is true in an abstract sense - but the thing is, the vast majority of high end earthbenders in the series depend on either metal (Kuvira, Lin, Suyin), seismic sense (Toph) or lava (Ghazan, Bolin) and air is a great counter to all of those. Only King Bumi and Earth Aang are really immune to that, but they've generally got far fewer feats (Bumi) or just aren't used much (Aang).

Bloodbending > All Else... ?

Bloodbending can counter anything :)

@geekryan: I don't think water is such a good counter to fire in Avatar, because without Plot conviniences can a firebender always directly attack, while the waterbender needs to get lucky or has a drawing time.

And then there is also lightning.

yeah, but just a touch of lightning is a great counter to water

Ok so,

For the main forms i believe these are the best counters for each :

Waterbending - Earth

Air - Fire

Fire - Water

Earth - Air

For sub bending techniques :

Waterbending - Sub Bending forms : Blood Bending / Healing / Spirit Bending

Earthbending - Sub Bending forms : Lavabending / Metalbending / Seismic Sense

Firebending - Sub Bending forms : Combustion Bending / Lightning Bending / Lightning Redirection

Airbending - Flight / Spiritual Projection

My counters for each sub bending form :

Blood Bending - Lightning

Outside of Aang we have only seen one counter from a Non-Bloodbending and this was Mako using lightning.

Lavabending - Air / Water

Aang has showcased how Air can stop Lava. Enough Water can also stop this, but we are talking a lot of water.

Metalbending - Air / Earth

Metalbending being such a physical form can be countered by its base form which is Earth. Air has also worked well against metal bending.

Seismic Sense - Air

Aang has showcased against toph the unique ability for Air to negate Seismic Sense. Zaheer also would be able to avoid this as he could fly.

Combustion Bending - Earth / Air / Metal Bending

Sparky Sparky Boom man was briefly subdued from an Earth Strike, Aang has also showcased Air being able to stop/contain the blast at point blank range. P'Li was also killed using from Metal bending.

Lightning / Lightning Redirection - Water

Lightning has been briefly stopped by water as shown by Katara during Sozin's Comet. Amon against Lightning Bolt Zolt however that was more a physical feat of dodging the attack with a redirection of Lightning Bolt Zolts strike not an actual head on counter.

However the main defense for Lightning is Lightning Redirection so they go hand in hand really.

Flight - Nothing & Everything

Even though there is no specific counter for Flight, it can still be stopped by any form of bending. Depending on how well the bender has mastered this technique and uses it in combat, it really comes down to if the bender gets hit or not.

@djudgment:

Lightning / Lightning Redirection - Water

Lightning has been briefly stopped by water as shown by Katara during Sozin's Comet. Amon against Lightning Bolt Zolt however that was more a physical feat of dodging the attack with a redirection of Lightning Bolt Zolts strike not an actual head on counter.

Uhm especially Ming showed why lightning is actually a much better counter to water than the other way around, many waterbending techniques are simply connected to the body(or even surrounding parts of the body) and the lightning in the finale actually vaporized the water(sure it allowed Katara to survive to put the water in between them but fire also isn't actually a counter to all elements + metal just cause Azula deflected all that once with her fire sphere shield). Amon on the other hand is a special case and could counter pretty much everything with that.

Absolutely agree,

The reason i put water was literally due to the fact i couldn't think of anything else, Lightning has been the most op form since the beginning and has no real counter apart from redirection, which still is using lighting.

Katara showed a brief block to the attack, that is all. There wasnt actually a counter, i should probably have given a better phrase for it. Instead of saying just Water.

(but fire also isn't actually a counter to all elements + metal just cause Azula deflected all that once with her fire sphere shield)

I'm unsure on what you mean ?

Avatar State counters everything

Bloodbending counters everything

Energy Bending counters everything

Water counters Fire

Fire counters Water

Air counters Earth

Earth counters Air

Earth is good vs water and air imo because you need a lot more power in the air and water attack to break through earth than compared to fire.

air I feel is good Vs water and fire because You can rather easily blow away their element

fire>earth Because earth benders tend to hide behind earth shields abd I’ve seen earth shields be blasted away by fire too often where the earth bender is then thrown down or off balance and the fire bender gains the advantage, like aang is a good example of this

water i Feel is the “weakest” element in the sense that it’s the one thats most dependent on the environment. Fire and air can Pretty much always use their bending and theres almost always earth around. Water, not so much. That said, when there is a huge source of water available, waterbending can be absolutely devastating. Fire benders would mostly get demolished vs waterbenders of the same level of skill/power if there’s a huge water source

I think the only counter to Bloodbending is being a more powerful bloodbender (like Katara vs Hama or Noatak vs Tarrlok) that and the Avatar State (Aang vs Yakone).

Lavabending, sandbending, and seismic sense all counter earthbending. Lavabending and sandbending can turn an earthbender's attack against them; seismic sense allows the user to sense the attacks of, and finesse enemy earthbenders.

Interesting. I'll get back to this. I think the biggest play here surrounds the sub techniques of the elements, the higher level ones in particular.

Bloodbending >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>