I got the point they were going for but always thought the special types required a certain level of skill/bending mastery to achieve.

For example toff was the only person who could metal bend because she was such a good earth bender, they mention that only one earth bender in 100 is supposed to be able to do it (although its only a rumor). And who's going to stay around and be a police officer when you can go and live in metal bending eutopia

I guess you could make a case for lighting bending as it seems to depend more on an emotional state and could potentially be taught to someone who isn't proficient in fire bending yet? (doubtful)

Yea,but that was generations ago...

I feel like lightning bending back then can be taught to all fire benders, it just wasn't because it was labeled as high society/social standard for the royals
And when Zuko became fire lord, he allowed everyone to learn it to, to advance the society in general

This post was edited by Uguu on Aug 27 2014 08:56am

Yes, that's exactly how I saw it. It's the same with metal bending, it's probably more a question of your personality and mental state, but on top of it until Toph, it was rare enough to see someone figure it out that it was considered impossible.

Think of Bolin, he's not though and unyielding like Toph, he's more of a burning temperament, so lava bending, which is probably requiring a flexibility and adaptability that most earth benders don't have, is far better suited to him.

I'm guessing this wrong obsession with power and talent as a prerequisite is part of the reason these were so rare.

So wtf happened to Aiwei? Nigga was thrown into fog of lost souls but his body is still in the inn?

Probably

Prob left in a hospital when inn keeper checked in on the place and diagnosed as a coma patient

Book 4 confirmed for Oct 3rd

its coming out on oct 3rd? wtf so early usually its a year wait for the next book