Do you know that feeling when you rewatch a beloved show from your childhood? MeinMMO editor Jasmin rewatched Avatar: The Last Airbender after 20 years and realized that she actually watches the anime
just for the cheeky remarks of one character.
Avatar: The Last Airbender is not an anime in the traditional sense since the series comes from the USA. Originally, the series aired in Germany starting in 2006. Out of nostalgia, I made it a point to rewatch the entire series today, 20 years later.
In the series, the 4 elements of water, earth, fire, and air form the basis of the story and the nations.
Each nation masters one of these 4 elements and can use them for practical purposes as well as in battle. There is only ever one person who can master all 4 elements at the same time, and that is the Avatar.
The titular animated series follows twelve-year-old Aang, who slept in an iceberg for one hundred years. He is freed by the waterbender Katara and her warrior brother Sokka. Together, they embark on a journey to stop the Fire Lord, who wants to conquer the entire world.
However, in the 2nd season, a new character joins the group. I only just realized how much this character actually carried the show. During the current rewatch, I found myself watching the animated series just to not miss any of her jokes.
Toph is the strongest bender, prove me wrong!
In the 2nd season, Aang has to learn earthbending. For that, he looks for an earthbending teacher. At first, he thinks of King Bumi, but unfortunately, he has been captured by the Fire Nation. In the end, he lands with an underground fighter named Toph Beifong, who is actually the daughter of one of the richest families in the world.
The girl is blind and is therefore extremely protected by her parents. She is treated like a fragile porcelain doll. However, she masters earthbending like no one else. She is the undisputed champion of the earthbending tournament and operates as the Blind Bandit without her parents knowing.
Although Toph looks like a small and innocent girl, she is arguably the most powerful earthbender in the world. The reason for this is her seismic sense. Instead of viewing her blindness as a weakness, she has turned it into her greatest strength. She feels the vibrations in the earth through her feet and can “see” in that way. This allows her to perceive opponents and other dangers from a distance or to spot structures invisible to others.
Her fighting style also differs from others. She initially waits for her opponent’s action and then responds with overwhelming force. In combat, she uses the neutral Jing, which consists of the initial waiting and the subsequent strike.
Toph is even the first bender to invent metalbending in a crisis. From then on, she can free herself and her friends from prisons and shape metal with her will. She is indeed one of the most powerful benders in the series.
This is reflected in every battle in Avatar. Toph is basically the one who constantly rescues the group from trouble. If she is in danger herself, it’s only because opponents have exploited her blindness and ambushed her. She strikes precisely, deflects even air projectiles, and protects her comrades from death.
It’s always impressive for me to see, when she can lift the entire landscape from the ground. The earth masses she moves are immense, and that demonstrates what a formidable earthbender she is.
It’s always fun to see her take apart her opponents as an overpowered fighter. They could have really just pitted her against the Fire Lord, or what do you think?
Heart of Stone with Golden Humor
But Toph is more than just her fighting style. She is an interesting person regarding her character traits. She often makes sarcastic remarks that annoy her friends but make me laugh as a viewer because they take the seriousness out of the situation.
She is also brutally honest and speaks her mind. She often dares to say what others would rather keep silent about. Toph is so honest that she even pokes fun at herself, occasionally even for her blindness.
For example, she made a joke in a desert that she finally found the library the group had been searching for for hours, pointing into the distance with her finger. However, at that moment, the group is on the back of the flying bison Appa. It would be impossible for her to touch the ground and see the library in the distance. This is also noticed by the others.
There are also other situations, such as when she hangs up a missing poster for Appa upside down or tells a mean group of girls how beautiful they look with their makeup. Toph has a quick remark ready for every situation and doesn’t take herself too seriously. I wish I could be like her in that regard.
Over the many episodes, numerous legendary quotes have emerged from Toph. During my rewatch, I couldn’t wait for the earthbender to deliver her next joke. I had to laugh way too often!
Did you know that a new series about Avatar is supposed to start soon? After The Legend of Korra, this time it continues with an earthbender as Avatar. You can see here what the new Avatar looks like and what animal he will be accompanied by: The creators of Avatar explain that the new series should be like your favorite childhood animes
