This is a discussion thread to try and make sense of how by bloodbending, Amon was able to "take away bending".

To me, it just doesn't make any sense. When LoK first came out, I suspected Amon was an energybender and removing bending. When that seemed false, I speculated that he blocked their chakra and they needed to unblock it in order to bend again. Made the most sense. But the creators threw a screwball and said that Amon was bloodbending to remove bending.

Now, how does that make sense? To me, it doesn't at all.

One person I spoke with, CPK, suggested that perhaps it was the change of blood flow in the brain that caused this. It sounds plausible, but how could such a change be permanent? And how could energybending restore bending? That just doesn't seem to add up to me.

So, how do you think this bloodbending technique worked?

Maybe somehow the flow of blood is intertwined with the flow of chakra? I'm honestly at a loss here. It's just my best guess.

That's what I'm saying. What LoK gave us for what Amon was doing just doesn't seem to make any sense. Even if the blood flow could be related to that chakra, couldn't people just attempt to get rid of the block so the chakra could flow like normal?

Quote :

Guru Pathik began by explaining that the greatest illusion of the world was the one of separation; things thought to be separate and different were in fact one and the same. Aang instantly connected this concept with the four nations, and Pathik told him that every individual was part of one collective people, yet lived as if divided. Aang realized that Pathik was saying that everyone was connected, thus making divisions meaningless. Pathik continued to explain that even the separation of the four elements was an illusion, as they are four parts of the same whole. He then continued by stating that even metal was simply refined and purified earth, concurrent with Toph's discovery of metalbending elsewhere.

This makes sense. Plus, Amon places his thumb on the forehead when "removing bending". The illusion of "having their bending taken away" could really block their ability to bend. If this were removed, they could bend again.

The only other plausible explanation that I could think of goes along with what you said, Chikami. It just wouldn't make sense because energybending restored the bending, not unblocking chakra....

You made me think of something. The way you're talking about bending is that there's a whole to it within four parts. Even though one may be an Earth Bender, there's Water, Air, and Fire that go along with the flow of activation, so to speak. Maybe with Bloodbending and somehow manipulating the Water element, it stops the ability to bend since one of the four parts is missing.

Which part could be missing?

Bloodbending is a form of Waterbending, so stopping that one fourth part of bending may be how he stops the entire process from happening. Think of each element as four walls holding up a roof. When one is taken away, the structure collapses. Best way for me to put it, even if that's now how a structure collapses. xD

I can see it, sort of. Except, obviously, each bender is equipped with their one element. So that's where you lose me. x.x

Well, from what you quoted, it seems you were saying All is One, One is All. All the elements are intertwined, even when you can only bend one element. You have to have all to have one, so if something is missing, the one is missing.

Ah that makes sense! And I was quoting what was said in ATLA. But I'd have to watch to confirm exact quotes.

It really does make sense. And then energybending could be used to restore that missing piece, so-to-speak.

Interesting.

(Everyone, still feel free to chime in and share your own thoughts)

i totally believe your theory, chikami. i always thought that waterbending itself was a more mysterious element, and perhaps the fact that it was the only art of bending not from an animal it has less human-like qualities, therefore giving certain water-benders the ability to transcend that plane and be able to sever the intrinsic connection between benders and their elements.

also, the positive aspect of bloodbending (i.e. healing), enables them to, in retrospect, remove bending abilities.

Chikami wrote:

Well, from what you quoted, it seems you were saying All is One, One is All. All the elements are intertwined, even when you can only bend one element. You have to have all to have one, so if something is missing, the one is missing.

Definitely a plausible theory.

Here's how I see it. If anyone has ever watched the series "Heroes" then you know that Sylar had the ability to open up someone's brain and look at it to see how that ability worked. However, never took their ability away from them(as seen when he did this to Claire, someone that could regenerate, and he actually made her ability stronger somehow making her unable to feel pain), but this showed that there was a part of the brain that controlled their ability. Stopping the blood flow to that one part of the brain would cancel their ability. Of course, I'm pretty sure it would cancel a lot more as well. But, this is how I believe bloodbending was able to stop their bending. I don't believe, however, that this would ever have been permanent to anyone, because everything that has blood flowing through it can heal, thanks to our lovely white blood cells.

Also, water has a healing property I'm pretty sure that it can do the opposite as well, it just makes sense. Which is probably why they created someone that was able to bloodbend.

Now as far as healing it with energy bending, I have no idea... I'd have to think about it for a little while longer. haha.