this post was submitted on 04 Dec 2024
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Avatar: The Last Airbender
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My understanding was that lightning redirection could have been done by anyone, as long as they knew how to control their chi. The way Iroh describes it sounds more like a water bending technique, redirecting the flow. Instead of trying to stop it head-on like an earthbender, or dissipate it like a firebender. My head-canon was always that Iroh was a master of all four elements, (he pulled inspiration from all four elements, and used aspects of each of them in his bending) and he used his knowledge of waterbending to develop the lightning redirection.
I always understood it as guiding the lightning through your body in a path that doesn't kill you. I assume it has to be converted into an energy that doesn't cook you along the way. The energy can't just be absorbed or directly pass through sensitive points such as the heart, so it must sent back out, converting it back to lightning in the process.
I believe the energy conversion step is limited to a fire bender. If anyone tried this, they'd just fry themselves.
That's how I think of it, no idea what cannon is.