Non-Bending Warriors of Avatar Universe:
We have seen so many benders in the World of Avatar. They can control the elements and manipulate the world around them! But what about the non-benders!! There are so many of them in the show and some of them are just as good as the most powerful Benders Avatar has to offer.
10. Guru Pathik
Guru Pathik was not much of a fighter, to begin with. While we might never know he had any bending skill or not, he never bothered to use them. Instead of focusing on the physical aspect of things, Guru Pathik focused on the spiritual side. He understood the inner workings of the Spirit World and gathered a vast amount of knowledge on the extra-dimensional realm. Guru Pathik developed the art of Chi Sensing. He could see the Chakras of an individual and dissect his emotional state and well-being based on the color and texture of the Chi emanating from a person. Using his ability to sense energy, Pathik could use an advanced ability called Chi Tracking which he could use to locate people across vast distances. He also has increased longevity thanks to his meditation techniques.
9. Piandao
Pinadao was a master swordsman. Once serving the Fire Nation, he soon realized the error of his ways and left the Fire Nation Army. Piandao is not just a master swordsman but also a capable blacksmith. He is known to incorporate the teachings and knowledge from bending arts into his sword making and sword handling techniques. Piandao is so fast and swift he could defeat a hundred Fire Nation elite soldiers on his own without them even being able to move a muscle. Sokka could not even track his movements when Piandao challenged him to a one on one duel. His prowess was renowned throughout the Avatar World and it was the reason he became a member of the Order of the White Lotus.
8. Sokka
Sokka already had some truly amazing skills as a combat specialist when the series began. Unlike his sister Katara, he had no talent in water bending. Sokka trained with his trusted boomerang. He could throw it with incredible accuracy. Using just his boomerang for the most part of the first half of the series, Sokka knocked out many capable fighters. He also has some really awesome physical attributes. His reflexes were so quick he could deflect arrows mid-air. He has a keen and tactical mindset which has come in handy on more than one occasion. The reason he did not score higher on this list is that his abilities as a warrior were never truly tapped into. Sokka could have blossomed into something greater than how his journey ended in the series.
7. Jet
Jet was one of the most wanted fugitives on the Fire Nation’s most wanted list. His signature weapons were the Hook Swords, which he used to great effect in battle. The Hook Swords were versatile enough to be used both for hack and slash offensive techniques as well as to dodge and getaway. Jet was the leader of the Freedom Fighters. He was great at using the environment to his advantage. In his fight with Aang, he could move around better than the air bender, who is known for his dodging skills. Jet also fought Zuko, a master swordsman who was trained from birth in the art of swordsmanship by the great Fire Nation Sword-smith Piandao. Jet is self-taught on how to fight. And he does not disappoint.
6. Vachir
Vachir is a former member of the elite Yu Yan Archers within the Fire Nation Army. They are basically top-notch assassins of the Avatar Universe. Yu Yan Archers are deadly hit-men that use stealth and stick to the shadows to do their bidding. They are used for sabotage, espionage, infiltration, information gathering, and of course assassination. Vachir was so skilled in archery that he was personally contacted by Prince Ozai to undertake a dirty mission behind enemy lines. Vachir failed to complete the mission and he was then dishonorably discharged from the Yu Yan Archer Sect. Vachir may be a disgraced archer but he was talented enough to be given a personal mission by Fire Lord Ozai him-self. That is saying something.
5. June
June is the world’s greatest bounty hunter. She is like the Mandalorian of the Avatar Universe. And one incredible fact about her is that she does not have any bending skills. Yet June is tasked with hunting down benders as well, a relatively easy task for her. And why is a non-bender able to hunt down benders regularly? Doesn’t it defy logic? Turns out, June is incredibly strong. Her physical attributes of strength, speed, stamina, endurance, and durability are off the charts. Her Shirshu Nyla was capable of ripping apart metal armor. It could also be used to paralyze enemies with a single lash of her tongue. June did not even know the tenets of Chi Blocking and yet she could stand toe to toe against most benders in the Avatar Universe.
4. Mai
Mai was one of the most privileged children in the History of the world. She taught herself the art of marksmanship out of boredom. And she was exceptionally good at it. Mai is very good at throwing Stilettos with incredible precision and accuracy. She hides small knives and shuriken under her robes. Using deception and stealth, Mai uses the standard technique of taking benders by surprise and then either neutralizing them or mercilessly dispatching them for good. She is also exceptionally quick, being able to leap across walls and slide under doors and gates. She could easily incapacitate multiple guards using her amazing markswoman skills.
3. Suki
While Ty Lee is the one most associated with Chi Blocking, it was Suki of the Kyoshi Warriors group that truly turned it into an all-encompassing art form. Before Ty Lee taught her Chi Blocking, Suki was already a seasoned veteran. She did not know how to use bending skills. But she was a nimble and fast combatant. She could easily scale up walls and has acrobatic skills, not even an Air Bender could boast of. After she incorporated Chi Blocking into her martial art form, Suki was a force to be reckoned with. Suki has fought Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee, only to push them back multiple times. The fact that she had a brush-up with Azula and escaped unscathed speaks volumes about her combat talent. She is also good at armed combat. When she uses her War Fans and sword and shield, she is basically the Angel of Death.
2. Asami
Asami was taught self-defense skills when she was a kid. She took those lessons to heart and turned them into a fighting style that focused on offensive strikes that overwhelm an opponent with their sheer ferocity. But the true icing on the cake was when he got her hands on the Taser Gloves. The Legend of Korra showed us that technology and innovation had a huge role to play in the future. Non Benders now had a way of leveling the odds using superior gear and tech. Asami was one of the greatest examples. She could use her Taser Gloves that she got after the failed Non-Bender Revolution of the Equalists to take down any powerful bender. She has also fought Korra using this piece of tech.
1. Ty Lee
Every Bender in the world of Avatar uses Chi to manipulate the elements and perform bending. But what if there was a way to block a bender’s Chi flow and essentially take away his or her bending in a fight? In the world of Avatar, that technique is called Chi Blocking and Ty Lee is the absolute master of it. While Bending is a huge advantage in battle, it is also a bender’s greatest weakness. Take away their ability to bend and a bender has got nothing. Ty Lee uses certain Chi Points on the body, blocking them with quick taps and nudges. With the Chi Flow blocked, the bender suffers catastrophic damage that takes away his or her bending temporarily. Ty Lee has also used it to paralyze opponents, another useful ability Chi Blocking grants in a fight.
