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At its core, earthbending is the geokinetic ability to move earth and rock in all of their natural forms. It is one of the more diverse types of bending as many use the rigid yet traditional style, but there are many other styles that derive from self-taught individuals. Fans of the franchise have met a number of strong and talented earthbenders, but some are simply stronger than others.
8 Bolin
Bolin is Mako’s loveable younger brother, and when he originally debuted in The Legend of Korra, he was part of the Fire Ferrets pro-bending team. Bolin’s earthbending style is fairly different because it focuses more on agility. His style is also less reliant on the standard rooted to the ground approach used by most earthbenders.
If given the chance, Bolin can topple a building and erect large walls. He can take on multiple benders at once thanks to his impressive aim. Bolin is also capable of lavabending, a very rare form of earthbending. He discovered this ability completely on accident, but he became quite proficient with it.
7 Ghazan
Ghazan became an international criminal when he and his Red Lotus companions attempted to kidnap Avatar Korra. Luckily their plan was thwarted, and Ghazan spent the next 13 years stuck in a wooden prison in the middle of the ocean.
He was a gifted earthbending master who could easily redirect earth-based projectiles with effective aim. He was able to defeat the Earth Kingdom’s Dai Li agents, and he bested Fire Lord Zuko with a series of attacks. He was a lavabending master too, and with it, he was able to destroy Ba Sing Se’s inner walls and the Northern Air Temple. He could even liquify any earth fired at him.
6 Lin Beifong
Lin Beifong may not be the best older sister, but she loves her family, and in terms of earthbending, she inherited a lot of her mother’s skills. She is Toph’s eldest daughter, and she mastered earthbending to a similar degree by becoming proficient in both the Hung Gar and Chu Gar Praying Mantis styles of earthbending.
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Like her mother, Lin could detect vibrations through the ground with seismic sense. This allows her to identify objects, people, and underground facilities. She is a skilled metalbender as well. Her ability to use retractable metal cables was second to none, and she could tear apart a metal airship singlehandedly.
5 Suyin Beifong
Suyin is Toph’s youngest daughter, and like her older sister, she learned two earthbending styles. She can move through a barrage of earth projectiles with ease, and her seismic sense is more fine-tuned. She is a true metalbending master, which is why she can be considered one of the strongest characters in The Legend of Korra.
She was able to construct an entire city out of metal, and she can manipulate liquid metal that she can’t even see. In combat, her skills are exceptional. She can redirect metal projectiles and she can use metal plates as body armor. Suyin can seamlessly alternate between earthbending and metalbending, and she can do both simultaneously.
4 Kuvira
Kuvira is by far one of the Avatar franchise’s best villains. She was taken in by Suyin, and she went on to become the captain of Zaofu’s city guard. Under Suyin’s tutelage, she became an earthbending and metalbending master.
When the Earth Kingdom fell into chaos after the Queen’s death, Kuvira re-established order, but she became a dictator in the process. Her goal was to protect and unify her people, so in a sense, her actions were justifiable. She was able to defeat Suyin, and she could subdue multiple people with metal strips. She could shape metal into any form she wished, and she was able to hold her own against Avatar Korra.
3 Bumi
When Bumi was a child, he befriended Avatar Aang, and he was still alive 100 years later when Aang emerged from the iceberg. He may have been an old man, but Bumi was still considered to be one of, if not the strongest earthbending masters in the world.
His earthbending style was conservative but very effective. he could dislodge and move multiple buildings at once, create large fissures in the ground with a single kick, tunnel through the ground, and create quicksand from dirt. He could even perform earthbending while completely restrained by using just his face.
2 Toph Beifong
Toph was born blind, but when she discovered badgermoles, who are blind animals capable of earthbending, she learned how to make earthbending an extension of her senses. She became one of the most skilled and powerful earthbenders of her time, and she became Avatar Aang’s teacher.
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She developed her own style, which is known for being more natural and unpredictable. Unlike most earthbenders who trained to manipulate earth, she developed a deep connection with the earth, which gave her a huge advantage. She created metalbending, one of the strongest specialized bending techniques, and her seismic sense allowed her to anticipate enemy attacks.
1 Avatar Kyoshi
Kyoshi was the Avatar before Roku, but she did not know her identity until she was 16. The Avatar is supposed to master all four elements in order to keep the peace between the nations, which means that they are meant to be the strongest bender in the world.
During her lifetime, Kiyoshi stopped a large-scale Earth Kingdom rebellion, and she later reformed the Earth Kingdom into a monarchy. She stopped Fire Lord Zoryu from wiping out the Saowon clan of Ma’inka Island. She also stopped Chin the Conqueror from taking over the Earth Kingdom. Kiyoshi could lavabend, and she was strong enough to create islands.
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