Summary
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 Airbenderis known for its surprisingly mature storytelling, which explains why it was given a sequel series and twolive-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 August 01, 2025 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.
Alive
Mick Foley
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. Hispro wrestlingpersona 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.
Marc Graue
Xin Fu was a stubborn and greedy wrestling promoter who ran the Earth Rumble Tournament. He was also hired to retrieve Toph Beifong - anEarthbending prodigywho 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.
Michael Dow
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.
Deceased
None
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 thatBumi ruled over as king.
Marcus Toji
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.
Active
Various Voice Actors
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 givepowerful benders like Toph and Aanga good amount of trouble.
Clancy Brown
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.
P. J. Byrne
Bolin is Mako’sloveable younger brother. When he originally debuted inThe 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.
Peter Giles
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.
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.
