Avatar: The Legend of Korra

**Elcura** · 2013-11-05 16:56

Originally Posted by Serra

Spoiler: show

Edit:

Spoiler: show

Can we stop spoilering since we're talking about old episode stuff now?

Spoiler: show

Seems more than possible to me, whether it's likely is another issue.

**Serra** · 2013-11-05 17:44

Yeah, I'm good with that.. It's been 2 weeks, if you're not caught up, deal with it >.>;

But my point is that they show us Wan having multiple powers bent into him without Raava -- Fire and Water. One thing I have wondered since the original series ended, since Aang learned energy bending from the Lion Turtle, does that mean he could have given someone bending like he took away Ozai's -- this became even more relevant when we learned that everyone gained the power to bend from the Lion Turtles. If so, he should have given Sokka bending. I'm sure it would have been incredible~

This discussion has got me thinking about some other things though, but it's long, and boring, so gonna spoiler it..

Spoiler: show

Based on the show, people pass on bending to their children, but so far, only can pass on one element. But, we haven't seen enough one way or another to say if elements can be dormant or even dominant over each other.

Based on Katara, Aang, and their children, if bending is passed on like classical genetics (B for bending b for non-benders), anyone who had a B would be a bender. We don't know about Aang's parents, but we know Katara came from a bender and non bender (so at best, Katara would be B/b). If nonbending is the recessive trait, then Bumi would be b/b (meaning that Aang had one non-bender parent), Kya would be B/b, and Tenzen would be B/b. The question becomes though, what happens when B can be Bwater, Bfire, Bair, or Bearth. Then, potentially, Kya or Tenzen could be Bw/Ba. We don't know if Kya has any children, but if Tenzen were Bw/Ba, probabilistically we would think at least one of his kids would be a water bender, but probabilities aren't definitive and I'm looking at him having four kids and technically one of them has never bent, so take that for what it's worth.
TLDR: possible for one of Tenzen or Kya's children to have the other element, but we haven't seen it yet, so no reason to think one element is dominant over the other.

Now perhaps it's the other way, where bending is the recessive trait, and non-bending is dominant. Then both Aang and Katara would have to be b/b. The problem with that idea is that Aang and Katara's children don't work with this idea. How could Bumi be a nonbender? Well, maybe it's because you have to have both traits from the same lineage -- but then Kya and Tenzen couldn't possess their bending abilities.
TLDR: if bending is like classical genetics, bending must be the dominant trait over non-bending.

Now, the interesting thing to consider is that Tenzen (Ba/?) is married to Pema, a nonbender (b/b). His three children must be Ba/b which is only a .125 probability (.0625 that their baby is also a bender, which Katara suggested). So another possible explanation is that air is dominant over water, but a bender can only pass on the element they know -- So Tenzen is Ba/Bw, but the Bw is overwritten by his Ba.

So, in conclusion, we have no idea what happens when a person receives multiple elements from their parents, because we just haven't seen it. And bending might not follow classical genetics, meaning that I just was wasting time instead of figuring out eigenvectors..

Wasn't that fun~
(I couldn't remember if you have to use the / or not.. it's been a few years since I studied genetics..)

**Sunrider** · 2013-11-05 17:51

Originally Posted by Serra

But my point is that they show us Wan having multiple powers bent into him without Raava -- Fire and Water. One thing I have wondered since the original series ended, since Aang learned energy bending from the Lion Turtle, does that mean he could have given someone bending like he took away Ozai's

I automatically assumed this was the case, and at the end of TLA, and assumed that this was how Aang'd restore Airbenders to the world.

Imagine my disappointment.

**Silenka** · 2013-11-05 19:36

I was thinking of the genetics argument about bending too. I hope the baby ends up being a waterbender for the lulz. Unless it's really not passed that way and having an airbender dad/nonbender mom locks you into either airbending or nonbending.

**Elcura** · 2013-11-05 20:08

Originally Posted by Serra

Yeah, I'm good with that.. It's been 2 weeks, if you're not caught up, deal with it >.>;

But my point is that they show us Wan having multiple powers bent into him without Raava -- Fire and Water. One thing I have wondered since the original series ended, since Aang learned energy bending from the Lion Turtle, does that mean he could have given someone bending like he took away Ozai's -- this became even more relevant when we learned that everyone gained the power to bend from the Lion Turtles. If so, he should have given Sokka bending. I'm sure it would have been incredible~

This discussion has got me thinking about some other things though, but it's long, and boring, so gonna spoiler it..

Spoiler: show

Based on the show, people pass on bending to their children, but so far, only can pass on one element. But, we haven't seen enough one way or another to say if elements can be dormant or even dominant over each other.

Based on Katara, Aang, and their children, if bending is passed on like classical genetics (B for bending b for non-benders), anyone who had a B would be a bender. We don't know about Aang's parents, but we know Katara came from a bender and non bender (so at best, Katara would be B/b). If nonbending is the recessive trait, then Bumi would be b/b (meaning that Aang had one non-bender parent), Kya would be B/b, and Tenzen would be B/b. The question becomes though, what happens when B can be Bwater, Bfire, Bair, or Bearth. Then, potentially, Kya or Tenzen could be Bw/Ba. We don't know if Kya has any children, but if Tenzen were Bw/Ba, probabilistically we would think at least one of his kids would be a water bender, but probabilities aren't definitive and I'm looking at him having four kids and technically one of them has never bent, so take that for what it's worth.
TLDR: possible for one of Tenzen or Kya's children to have the other element, but we haven't seen it yet, so no reason to think one element is dominant over the other.

Now perhaps it's the other way, where bending is the recessive trait, and non-bending is dominant. Then both Aang and Katara would have to be b/b. The problem with that idea is that Aang and Katara's children don't work with this idea. How could Bumi be a nonbender? Well, maybe it's because you have to have both traits from the same lineage -- but then Kya and Tenzen couldn't possess their bending abilities.
TLDR: if bending is like classical genetics, bending must be the dominant trait over non-bending.

Now, the interesting thing to consider is that Tenzen (Ba/?) is married to Pema, a nonbender (b/b). His three children must be Ba/b which is only a .125 probability (.0625 that their baby is also a bender, which Katara suggested). So another possible explanation is that air is dominant over water, but a bender can only pass on the element they know -- So Tenzen is Ba/Bw, but the Bw is overwritten by his Ba.

So, in conclusion, we have no idea what happens when a person receives multiple elements from their parents, because we just haven't seen it. And bending might not follow classical genetics, meaning that I just was wasting time instead of figuring out eigenvectors..

Wasn't that fun~
(I couldn't remember if you have to use the / or not.. it's been a few years since I studied genetics..)

I'm not suggesting you NEED a spirit in order to learn multiple elements, only to retain and hold more than 1. Since by the rules of the old world, people weren't restricting by Lion Turtles cause of a limitation of bending but just because the world was designed to keep humanity separate and safe due to hostile spirits. It stands to reason that any other human could train and master all 4 elements (whether that would be easy or quick idk) but I'm convinced without a spirit they wouldn't be able to handle all 4. Raava not being around for water/earth/fire isn't due to it being unnecessary, it's just the way it was portrayed and animated because they already established that a spirit was needed to switch between elements which suggests that Raava is holding all elements that aren't active in Wan. When they fuse, Wan was able to use all 4 elements together but apart Wan could only use 1.

And I don't think Aang could give bending to non-benders, that would seem like a game changer (but it does make sense to give a bender back their bending) since you would be creating something from nothing? But yeah, avatar genetics seem a bit complicated but there is a lot of potential there for something interesting.

**Aristio** · 2013-11-05 20:30

Originally Posted by Elcura

I'm not suggesting you NEED a spirit in order to learn multiple elements, only to retain and hold more than 1. Since by the rules of the old world, people weren't restricting by Lion Turtles cause of a limitation of bending but just because the world was designed to keep humanity separate and safe due to hostile spirits. It stands to reason that any other human could train and master all 4 elements (whether that would be easy or quick idk) but I'm convinced without a spirit they wouldn't be able to handle all 4. Raava not being around for water/earth/fire isn't due to it being unnecessary, it's just the way it was portrayed and animated because they already established that a spirit was needed to switch between elements which suggests that Raava is holding all elements that aren't active in Wan. When they fuse, Wan was able to use all 4 elements together but apart Wan could only use 1.

I was under the impression that Raava was holding the other elements for Wan as well. If you notice when Wan meets his old buddies in the forest and they get attacked by the Spirits, he could only use Air Bending. He only deflected the Fire Bending because he just kind of blew it away with his Air Bending. It was only when Raava merged with Wan when he could use all 4. Also, when Raava and Wan were training, she would pass through him to change elements.

**Avinor** · 2013-11-05 20:53

I got the impression that any human can still only ever control one element, and Wan getting additional elements was conditional on Raava being with him. And I think we have to assume that Aang's energy bending powers can't instill an element into someone, or else he probably would have used it on some acolytes to shore up the supply of airbenders. But maybe he could have, and Korra can too, in which case her first task will be giving firebending to Pabu. He's a fire ferret, come on.

One more bit of cannon to consider regarding bending genetics - in one episode (I think the fortune teller?) they specifically showed a pair of twins, apparently identical, of whom only 1 was an earthbender. I assume that was deliberate to try and confound this exact discussion.

**Uzor** · 2013-11-06 02:21

I don't think inheriting bending has anything to do with genetics. Otherwise the Lion Turtles would have changed people's DNA when they gave people powers, and an Avatar would be able to pass on several elements as he'd have several elements in his DNA, unless avatar Gamete split in to 4 different instead of 2 different like it does for normal humans, which would effectively kill every single Avatar child as they wouldn't be able to handle more than one element.

No, it's probably just a magical thing that the creators of Avatar didn't think about.

**Corrderio** · 2013-11-08 20:30

This is getting good.

Spoiler: show

**Akiyama** · 2013-11-08 20:34

Originally Posted by Corrderio

This is getting good.

Spoiler: show

**Serra** · 2013-11-08 20:58

Next two episodes are hour long, right?

Spoiler: show

**Silenka** · 2013-11-08 23:27

Good episode!

Spoiler: show

**Iono** · 2013-11-09 02:51

Well it was a lifetime ago since we saw him last.

**Adajer** · 2013-11-09 15:49

I think Iroh is dead tbh.

**Serra** · 2013-11-09 16:19

Spoiler: show

**Scythiroth** · 2013-11-09 18:41

Spoiler: show

Can't wait for the next 2 weeks, both weeks having hour long/double episodes is going to be great.

**Serra** · 2013-11-09 19:29

Originally Posted by Scythiroth

Spoiler: show

Can't wait for the next 2 weeks, both weeks having hour long/double episodes is going to be great.

Spoiler: show

**Jinn** · 2013-11-09 20:53

AMG, I must be living in a box, under a rock, stuck in a blackhole... I had no idea this was on up until last night. Marathoned up until the most recent episode :D

Seeing the first Avatar story unfold was great, the world they lived in back then was nuts. I wouldn't mind seeing more of that honestly.

**Scythiroth** · 2013-11-09 21:56

Originally Posted by Serra

Spoiler: show

**Qeomash** · 2013-11-10 00:37

Spoiler: show

Thread: Avatar: The Legend of Korra

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