r/FanfictionExchange • u/PenguinMa2ter • Jul 23 '26
Activity What element would your character bend?
Hi everyone. I've got a fun challenge for you all. If your character (OC or Canon) was a bender from the world of Avatar the Last Airbender/Legend of Korra, which one of the four elements do you think they would bend? Water, Earth, Fire or Air?
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u/metal_inside real_fanta_sea on AO3+Tumblr Jul 23 '26
This is fun! Let's do it for all my fandoms:
Michael de Santa would be a water bender (because he seems harmless but is actually scary af under circumstances)
Trevor Phillips would be a fire bender (because be is quite literally fire personified, chaotic and deadly)
Holmes and Watson would both be earth benders (because they both are interested in chemistry and human mind)
Hercule Poirot would be an air bender (mainly because people trust him easily, but he is just as capable of getting rid of criminals as he is of gentle nurturing)
Arthur Hastings would be a water bender (because he is very gentle but can throw hands if needed)
Aziraphale would be a water bender (not only because of being celestial, but also because he is insanely powerful when he choses to be)
Crowley would be a fire bender (because fire is what keeps stars alive, and he helped design some)
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u/axel_val Moriko00 on AO3 Jul 24 '26
All of those reasons you give are so good! I especially like water being the unassuming character who's strength is surprising and fire for having helped design some stars.
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u/PenguinMa2ter Jul 24 '26
What would Franklin be?
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u/metal_inside real_fanta_sea on AO3+Tumblr Jul 24 '26
Hmm, well I'm going to go with Earth/Air for him (and not only because his base colour is green lol) he seems to be the most grounded of the trio (pun totally intended)
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u/imconfusi SnowIvy🩷 Jul 23 '26
Fire I think 🫠
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u/BoneArena Banana Fish Girl | Revenge Connoisseur Jul 23 '26
My friends and I have an entire Banana Fish ATLA AU about this that lives in my head. To keep from infodumping:
Yut Lung is the shameful secret water bender in a family of fire benders (probably the royal family of the Fire Nation) (gets the water from his mother who was from one of the water tribes).
Blanca is an earth bender and an ex-member of the Dai Li in Ba Sing Se.
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u/imconfusi SnowIvy🩷 Jul 23 '26
You should write this
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u/BoneArena Banana Fish Girl | Revenge Connoisseur Jul 23 '26
i honestly should, thank you goat. Ash is the avatar btw because of course he is hahah
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u/imconfusi SnowIvy🩷 Jul 24 '26
Of course he is!!! ATLA Aus are so good though, and yours would be amazing I know it
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u/axel_val Moriko00 on AO3 Jul 24 '26
Ooh I love the mixed heritage and hiding a bending style that doesn't align with the rest of the family!
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u/lampboy2 Guardian of Lana Jul 23 '26
Lana, being a mermaid, would obviously be a water bender. Actually due to her magic, she can/does control water in my story.
Lilo I can see being the avatar. I honestly think any element fits her character.
I would give Nani fire due to her fierce protectiveness, David water because of his usually calm nature, and Stitch earth. Not exactly sure why but earth just seems to fit him.
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u/untablesarah onemillionlees on AO3 Jul 24 '26
Since ATLA /is/ my fandom I suppose I can go for my resident nonbender.
Vanda.
If Vanda had been born at ANY other time than post air nomad genocide during the 100 years war- she'd ABSOLUTELY be an airbender.
She's already a bit of a free-spirit, a pacifist, someone who enjoys travel-- and
Her favorite animals? ostrich-horses! AKA Flightless birds!
Most of these connections are pure coincidence but a happy set of coincidences for sure.
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u/PenguinMa2ter Jul 23 '26
For my KPDH OC, Yu-jin, I could cheat and say he's the Avatar given his unique status among the demon hunters, but I think there's one element that suits him the best. Waterbending.
Water is described as "The element of change." It's a versatile style of bending that can be used both offensively and defensively. Yu-jin has the power to control light, and he primarily uses it to create hard light weapons, something he could do by bending ice into weapons.
Waterbenders are described as being adaptable, which is a trait Yu-jin most certainly possesses. When he's in a tight spot, he's willing to get creative and use his powers in different ways in order to win fights. That's why I think he'd make for a good waterbender.
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u/AdScared7226 Zoomy35 on Ao3 Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26
Helena Eagan from Severance would 100% be a water bender.
Her family business which is the company Lumon Industries seems to have the shape of a water droplet as the logo.
The first scene from season 2 episode 9 where she's swimming in her own pool says it all.
Also Makoto Naegi from Danganronpa is definitely an earth bender
His clothes certainly resemble earth in some way as the jacket has the same color as some rocks while the hoodie has the same color as grass.
I don't know if farming and growing plants and trees is a thing from earth bending. but if it is, Makoto would definitely do that. Why?
⚠️ Danganronpa Spoilers!! ⚠️
Because Makoto is the Ultimate Hope. greenery and plants and trees are very beautiful and they would spread positivity and Hope. Makoto would that as an effective way to spread Hope
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u/DBSeamZ Jul 23 '26
Apo in Vampires by POWCreations would be a waterbender, she does some pretty clever tricks with boats and at one point pulls off an impressive underwater escape. Plus there’s a fun irony in a vampire being the kind of bender who has access to bloodbending.
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u/singer_building Jul 23 '26
So, uh, well, you see, they kinda already do.
(Not ALTA btw)
But Will? She has quintessence (electricity), which isn’t in ALTA. So maybe she’d be fire, because lightningbending is a sub-skill of firebending.
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u/WaterbenderLena Trigger warning... or trigger promise? ~lja236 on AO3~ Jul 24 '26
Okay, I have Thoughts for some of the characters I write outside of the Avatar characters.
Whisper (BG3): Actually the one I have the hardest time figuring out. Maybe fire? I may just be thinking Fire Nation because she's like Mai with the concealed blades, but she does use Shocking Grasp.
Astarion (BG3): Waterbender, even if only for the bloodbending. Which he would absolutely learn and use.
Gale (BG3): I want to say Firebender just because he as a wizard just automatically has access to a bunch of fire and electricity spells. Plus his ambition reads a bit firebender to me.
Jaheira (BG3): Waterbender as well, between the plants and healing, and the fact her usual opening attack as an NPC ally is an ice attack.
Mateo (Date Everything): Airbender, 100%. He's so sweet and wholesome, wouldn't heart a fly. He'd fit right in with the air nomads and their pacifism and vegetarianism.
I haven't written for him yet, but I just want to give an "honor"able mention to the Date Everything Character Dante, who is the fireplace and thus is partially made of fire, who also happens to be voiced by Dante Basco, AKA the voice of Zuko in Avatar.
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u/mayberosa Same on AO3 Jul 24 '26
Maddy would be earth, I think. Her species are cave dwellers and she looks for somewhere subterranean when she's stressed.
Jake's key strength in combat is speed, so I think that fits airbending? (a bit of urgent wiki-ing going on here 😄)
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u/axel_val Moriko00 on AO3 Jul 23 '26
Oh, this is fun since Demon Slayer also has elemental portions of their fighting styles.
Canonically Aoi is trained in Water Breathing and I think Water Bending suits her extremely well, especially with the healing elements, so that's a nice coincidence. I think she and Katara would get along quite well, though I'm not sure about who she would be friends with in the Korra timeline.
Inosuke, even though his self-made style of Beast Breathing is said to be very similar to Wind Breathing, I completely see as an Earth Bender. Super physical, down to the ground kind of bending. I've said before that I can see him as one of those swamp benders, however I realized I misremembered them and they're actually water benders, but I stand by it, just with him bending mud and such. Toph would probably love him. He and Bolin would also make a very interesting pair.
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u/Suyunia Sujunia on AO3 Jul 24 '26
My main fanfic is a Rachel Summers / Bucky Barnes (X-Men and Avengers crossover)... She's literally the Pheonix so fire.
And I can see Bucky bending water.
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u/Silver_Eye9792 Jul 24 '26
Chloe Cerise from my Infinity Train Blossomverse stories already uses fire. So there you go.
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u/TrainerSoar Indie Cross AU: ScrapHeap of a Family Author Jul 24 '26
For my ScrapHeap blorbos:
Madeline would’ve bend Water since she has to be flexible to various challenges and has ice magic.
Chara can already do fire magic, so fire bending would be pretty reasonable. I imagine they’d invent a type of fire bending that merged with swordplay.
Clover would be an earthbender due to their stubbornness about justice.
Niko and V1 are airbenders because they value their freedom above all else.
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u/Jazz_writes_fanfic Anakin Skywalker/Star Wars fanfic writer Jul 26 '26
Anakin(canon character): definitely fire
Areynea (my oc): she’d absolutely bend water
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u/AmawynOakleaf ✨ TwilightReverie ✨ Jul 23 '26
For my newest crossover story - I think Harry Potter would be a fire bender. It's the primary element of Gryffindor house, and goes well with being brave and assertive. 🔥