Highlights

• Earthbending is a diverse form of bending with various styles and strengths seen in powerful characters like Lin Beifong and Bumi.
• Characters like Toph and Suyin Beifong mastered metalbending, showing advanced skills in manipulating metal to their advantage.
• The franchise includes characters like Bolin and Ghazan who can lavabend, giving them unique and powerful abilities in earthbending.

Nickelodeon is known for its kid-friendly content, but in 2005, the channel debuted a new series that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Avatar: The Last Airbender is known for its surprisingly mature storytelling, which explains why it was given a sequel series and two live-action adaptations. The franchise is known for its action sequences, which usually involve people who can manipulate, or bend a specific element.

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 many other styles derive from self-taught individuals. Fans of the franchise have met several strong and talented earthbenders, but some are simply stronger than others.

Updated February 25, 2024 by George Vourtiritsas: Earthbending seems to be the most common form of bending in the Avatar universe. When an earthbender fights, they typically endure their enemy's attacks to launch a counterattack of their own. Most earthbenders can move small or medium-sized pieces of earth, but others are capable of bending metal and moving small mountains.

With the release of Netflix's live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, it seems like a perfect time to revisit some of the franchise's strongest earthbenders. Most Avatar fans know who the strongest earthbenders are, but other earthbenders deserve to be recognized because of their skills.

1 The Boulder

A Professional Wrestler With Simple & Powerful Earthbending

The Boulder was an earthbending professional wrestler who competed in the Earth Rumble tournaments. He also participated in the invasion of the Fire Nation when the solar eclipse weakened the firebenders. His pro wrestling persona did not seem all that bright, but he was smarter than he appeared.

His style of earthbending was very simple, but it was powerful and effective. The Boulder was one of the best earthbending fighters in the Earth Rumble VI tournament. Indeed, he did not stand a chance against Toph, but he was able to beat most of the other fighters with ease.

2 Xin Fu

A Former Earthbending Wrestler With A Direct & Impactful Bending Style

Xin Fu was a stubborn and greedy wrestling promoter who ran the Earth Rumble Tournament. He was also hired to retrieve Toph Beifong - an Earthbending prodigy who ran away from home to join Avatar Aang. Xin Fu may have been a promoter, but he used to compete as well.

He was a capable earthbender who used a direct and forceful style of bending. Xin Fu could produce a barrage of rocks with great speed, and he possessed impressive physical strength. He could lift two grown men at the same time, and still fight others off with just his feet.

3 Haru

A Capable Earthbender & Rebel

Team Avatar helped Haru liberate his Earth Kingdom village in the final years of the Hundred Year War. He joined his father's militia and fought alongside the Western Earth Kingdom's anti-Fire Nation rebels. He also took part in the Fire Nation invasion during the solar eclipse.

Haru was a skilled earthbender despite having minimal training, and he preferred to earthbend with his hands instead of with his feet. He discovered that his bending worked better when he coordinated with others, but he could still bend on his own. Haru could manipulate multiple boulders, and create walls that were capable of withstanding blasts from several firebenders.

4 Oma & Shu

Recognized As The First Human Earthbenders

Oma and Shu met on top of the mountain that divided their respective villages. It was love at first sight, but their tribes were enemies, so it was forbidden for them to see each other. Their love was too strong though, and they found ways to keep meeting.

It is believed that Oma and Shu are the first two humans who learned how to earthbend from the badgermoles, and they created elaborate tunnels underground so that they could meet in secret. One day, their villages had a conflict, and Shu died. Oma was heartbroken and used her earthbending to end the war. This led to the creation of Omashu, the city that Bumi ruled over as king.

5 Wei & Wing

Skilled Earthbending Siblings Who Are Stronger As A Team

Wei and Wing are twin brothers, and they are Suyin's sons. This means that they are also Toph's grandsons. They come from a line of powerful earthbenders, so it is not surprising that they have inherited a decent level of skill.

Both Wei and Wing are capable of lifting and hurling large rocks in quick succession. That being said, their power seems to double when they work together. As a team, they can lift larger rocks and erect durable defensive walls. They can also bend metal cables, pipes, and meteorites without difficulty.

6 The Dai Li

A Group Of Elite Earthbenders Who Protect Ba Sing Se

The Dai Li are the elite secret police force of Ba Sing Se. Their main duties include the capture, interrogation, and imprisonment of political dissidents. They are also tasked with protecting the Earth Monarch. To execute these duties effectively, each Dai Li officer needs to be a master earthbender.

The original Dai Li were trained by Avatar Kyoshi. She taught them the art of precision and stealth, and this unique fighting style has been passed down over the centuries. The Dai Li can cling to walls and ceilings with their feet, and they can slide along the ground. A few Dai Li had the power to give powerful benders like Toph and Aang a good amount of trouble.

7 Long Feng

Arguably The Strongest Airbender In Ba Sing Se During The Hundred Year War

Long Feng was the leader of the Dai Li when Aang visited the city in Book Two. He was also the Earth King's closest personal advisor, but in the final years of the Hundred Year War, he was the Earth Kingdom's de facto dictator.

As the leader of the Dai Li, Long Feng was arguably the strongest earthbender in Ba Sing Se at the time. He used his earthbending to capture Appa by overturning a massive slab of ground, and he was able to mortally wound Jet with a single rock after dodging one of his swords.

8 Bolin

A Skilled & Agile Earthbender Who Can Also Lavabend

Bolin is Mako's loveable younger brother. 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 by accident, but he became quite proficient with it.

9 Ghazan

A Lavabending Master Who Could Melt Any Type Of Earth

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 liquefy any earth fired at him.

10 Chin The Conqueror

A Powerful Earthbender Who Nearly Conquered The Entire Earth Kingdom

Chin was an Earth Kingdom warlord who lived more than 300 years ago. His goal was to overthrow the 46th Earth King and take the throne, and he would have succeeded if he had not died while standing up to Avatar Kyoshi.

Chin was an extremely stubborn and proud man. The full extent of Chin's abilities is not known, but when he was alive, he was considered one of the strongest earthbenders in the world. If he was not strong, he would have never been able to seize most of the Earth Kingdom with an army that numbered in the thousands.

11 Lin Beifong

Has Mastered Various Earthbending Styles & Metalbending

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.

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.

12 Suyin Beifong

A Master Earth & Metalbender Who Can Use Both Bending Styles Simultaneously

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 could manipulate liquid metal that she couldn'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.

13 Kuvira

An Exceptional Metalbender Who Could Challenge The Avatar

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.

14 Bumi

Recognized As One Of The Strongest Earthbenders In History

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.

15 Toph Beifong

A Blind Earthbending Master Who Discovered Seismic Sense & Metalbending

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.

She developed her own style, which is known for being more natural and unpredictable. Unlike most earthbenders who trained to manipulate the earth, she developed a deep connection with it, 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.

16 Avatar Kyoshi

Reformed The Earth Kingdom

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 to keep the peace between the nations, which means that they are meant to be the strongest bender in the world.

During her lifetime, Kyoshi 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. Kyoshi could also lavabend, and she was strong enough to create islands.