Avatar (The Last Airbender)

Avatar: The Last Airbender takes place in a fantasy world that is home to humans, fantastic animals, and spirits. Human civilization is divided into four nations: the Air Nomads, the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, and the Fire Nation. In addition, there exists a Spirit World. Each nation has its own natural element, on which it bases its society. Within each nation exists an order called "Benders" who have the ability to manipulate the eponymous element of their nation, either Waterbending, Earthbending, Firebending, or Airbending. The show's creators assigned each Bending art its own style of martial arts, causing them to inherit the advantages and weaknesses of that martial art.[1]

Each generation fields one person who is capable of Bending all four elements, the Avatar, the spirit of the planet manifested in human form. When an Avatar dies, he is reincarnated into the next nation in the Avatar Cycle. The Avatar Cycle parallels the seasons: autumn for the Air Nomads, winter for the Water Tribe, spring for the Earth Kingdom and summer for the Fire Nation.[2] Legend holds the Avatar must master each bending art in order, starting with his native element. For the Avatar, learning to bend the element opposite his native element can be extremely difficult because opposing Bending arts are based on opposing fighting styles and disciplines. Firebending and Waterbending are opposites, as are Earthbending and Airbending.