Summary
The main bending elements ofAvatar: The Last Airbenderhave been well explored. Sub-elemental bending art forms, however, have yet to be utilized as the primary bending form of any Avatar or team Avatar members. Sandbending could offer fans the chance to enjoy and learn more about one of the rarest forms of elemental bending.
Earthbending has many sub-bending forms, including metal, lava, glass, and sandbending. Glassbending has yet to be shown onscreen, but it can be produced from bending sand into glass with enough friction. Lava bending and metal bending have appeared in both entries of the franchise, with a larger presence inThe Legend of Korra. Sandbending, unfortunately, was only briefly seen in a few episodes ofAvatar: The Last Airbender.
Sandbending In Avatar: The Last Airbender
Sandbending is a sub-form of earthbending inAvatar: The Last Airbender. It isn’t known how this bending art came into practice. Known by the indigenous practitioners of the indigenous peoples of the Earth Kingdom’s Si Wong Desert, sandbending is the ability to manipulate grains of earth rather than larger-sized solid pieces of earth (stones, boulders, etc.). These sandbenders were adept at manipulating sand in a way that mimicked airbending and waterbending techniques. They could create sand spouts to surf the dunes with their sand-sailers, or harden the sand around their feet to reinforce stability.
Sandbending is fundamentally different fromearthbending as a fighting style. Due to the sandbenders' unique culture as both nomads and trading-raiders, sandbending as a style falls between airbending and waterbending. Unlike earthbenders who wait and “listen” before striking, sandbenders tend to evade direct conflict and use their bending for survival. Although any earthbenders can technically bend sand to some degree, they don’t necessarily have the same level of mastery and skill to perform sandbending techniques. Not even Toph, the self-proclaimed greatest earthbender, could master sandbending as quickly as she did metalbending.
What Happened To The Sandbenders After The Last Airbender?
Sandbenders have a complex history inAvatar: The Last Airbender. Because of the hazardous terrain which they had adapted to, they were left to govern themselves in the desert. The sandbenders’ brief appearances in the series leave viewers with more questions. It’s unknown whether the indigenous people are still in the Si Wong Desert, or if their sandbending art and culture has survived due to the technological advancements inThe Legend of Korra. Though they were nomads and raiders, it is not uncommon for indigenous cultures to become extinct as industrialized nations progress.
The indigenous tribal sandbenders of the Si Wong Desert once had a positive relationship with the knowledge spirit, Wan Shi Tong, who housed his growing library in the desert. The sandbenders would trade with the spirit and keep his library from sinking into the sand. Despite their survival tactics, the Si Wong tribes were relatively peaceful and hospitable, as they often escorted people through the desert.
Besides being seen briefly inThe Legend of Korra, the status of the desert tribes and sandbending is largely unknown. It’s possible they relocated out of the desert into other Earth Kingdom cities. Unfortunately, if that’s true, then it may mean they are no longer sandbending. Sand armor, sandstorms, and psychic sandbending are all hypothetical techniques left to speculation due to the underrepresentation of the Si Wong tribes. As the next potential Avatar may be an earthbender if directly following Korra, this may be a great opportunity for the franchise to further explore the rare bending art. This could be done by reincarnating the Avatar as one of the last practicing sandbenders of the Si Wong tribes.
Why The Next Avatar Should Be The Last Sandbender
Positioning the next Avatar as “the last sandbender” is more than a spin-off going full circle. It could be less about genocide and more about the assimilation of Si Wong tribe members into modern society. These changes lead to the extinction of their culture and sandbending as an art form, as they instead choose to practice earth or metalbending. The persistent unanswered question thatAvatar Aang and Korrastruggled to resolve is how to live in harmony amid societal progress, which has presented just as many challenges as it has solutions.
Aang and Korra believed living in harmony with nature and spirits would pave a path towards peace. The next potential sandbending Avatar may agree, but that may also mean sacrificing their cultural practices and identity for the sake of progress. How would sandbending, as a cultural tradition, survive if the indigenous tribes gave up their way of life in the desert? An even worse potential conflict could ensue if the Earth Kingdom finally seizes control over the Si Wong Desert, and evicts the Si Wong tribes from their homeland.
Aside from being a great addition to any future Avatar games, it could be exciting to illustrate a sandbending Avatar wrapped in traditional cloth and goggles of their tribe, while carrying around a sack of their sand to bend in the same way Katara always carried a sack of water. Even though this would be a statement to assert their cultural identity and refusal to conform, this same Si Wong tribe member may find it difficult to resist the convenience and allure of modernization, not unlike Aang. Seeing, however, these same privileges of modernity as a part of disparities, conflict, and violence may also deter the Avatar from enjoying them.
Just as Avatar Aang once refused to firebend, the next Avatar could also potentially struggle to use other bending forms, wanting to to proudly showcase sandbending to a world who couldn’t care less. Restoring their people’s connection to their indigenous culture and sandbending could be the next Avatar’s motivation for their journey. One way could be to find the great spirit, Wan Shi Tong, and get him to relocate his library to the Si Wong Desert to give their tribe a purpose in protecting it. That would also reaffirm their identity and celebrate their way of life as sandbenders inAvatar: The Last Airbender.
