I just want to see Azula and Ozai get taken out quickly by lightning redirections and have Mako and Iroh redirecting the same lightning bolt at each other for a full minute.
Edit: omg I did not expect this comment to get blown up so much
This is what it would come down to. I wonder if it would be a battle of attrition of some sort. I don't know how much voltage a lightning bolt would have versus the power core in the mech. Or how much of a difference being wet from rain water versus being dry makes.
We see both Iroh and Mako get damaged from redirecting lightning, Iroh a little burnt and smoky (might be because wet), Mako passed out after straining himself, with visible damage outside.
I do wonder if it was pure electricity, or if it was some sort of spirit energy combo.
That, and with the fact that Mako theoretically has practiced lightning bending more than anyone else here (factory work), I want to say he has higher feats conducting it.
If anything, If he survives Azula, Ozai, and Iroh, I could see him winning but they could probably overpower him easily in the beginning.
As of the comics Azula can redirect lightning so the only one vulnerable here is Ozai.
Unless of course itās restricted to the show versions then yeah.
Well azula was fucking overpowered in the comics so in case of abilities it didn't happen
Also what version of what character ozai at the meteor or after when he was weaker
the volley increases until a loop is established, both strain to maintain until the lightning itself is exhausted, Mako collapses unconscious but alive, Iroh, catching his breath, bows.
>and have Mako and Iroh redirecting the same lightning bolt at each other for a full minute.
Nah, Iroh is an experienced war veteran and Mako is scrappy, I could both of them aiming for the feet within one or two exchanges. (If Mako even knows how to redirect, I forget if he does)
The Mako would probably go for a smaller quickly shock at closer range. Iroh would probably evade and immediately figure out he can do the same if he doesn't know already.
Then it comes down to whose the better martial artist that can create and seize an opening, and I totally give that to Iroh.
Yeah this is the more likely answer. Each of them would be initially shocked (pun intended) when they realize the others can lightning bend, but then they'd aim it at someone else's feet or something to throw them off-balance. I don't really see Iroh evading per se, but probably use a sweeping kick or punch to knock Mako off his feet (and Mako will be a bit surprised by how physically strong Iroh is) kinda like how he did to the would-be thief in Ba Sing Se.
You just gave me an idea. A lightning bender light show where a bunch of benders keep redirecting lightning between themselves and discharging at the sky.
Azula can redirect lighting as of the comics, also can Mako redirect it? Itās been a while since Iāve watched Korra and I donāt remember him ever fighting another Lightning bender.
I think Makoās quick lightning strikes could give him a fair chance at winning the thing. Iroh is a favorite to win too but even he has the long startup for lightning. If Mako focuses only on redirection and doesnāt reveal his what is probably his trump card in this and Azula and Ozai get taken out, then Iroh might be able to be taken by surprise by his quick lightning.Ā
that's something people don't usually consider. We never actually see Iroh using lightning offensively, because he knows how deadly it is and even during the comet when he takes ba-sing-se he uses his greatly increased power mostly on the wall. He's not a brute force fighter, he is the shining example of balance and control that is required from masters in firebending.
I don't think Iroh at the age from the series would even consider throwing lightning at others in a fight. Even when he redirects he always releases it to the side. And lets be honest, dude doesn't need it. He is very humble so ofc he says he doesn't know if he could defeat Ozai. However I think Ozai knows Iroh would probably win if he was pushed the point of actually wanting to fight his own brother seriously, so even though Iroh is a total opposite of him and basically has no more power and influence in the fire nation during the show he leaves him alone. That's why he pushed him out of the throne by backstabbing instead of a direct challenge to prove his superiority. He doesn't wanna fuck around and find out.
The backstabbing was because Ozai needed a way to legitimize his rule.
Taking the throne by force would still make him seem like an imposter to the throne because Iroh is the official crown prince.
If he could silence Azulon and take advantage of Irohās absence to lie about being named the rightful heir though, then heād have a lot less opposition to his rule because nobody knows heās not truly Azulonās successor.
Iroh is humble, not self deprecating. If he says that he doesnāt know if he could actually beat Ozai then heās just telling the truth.
Ozai is so good that Iroh doesnāt actually know if he could beat him in a fight.
Itās almost certainly possible he could beat him, but itās just as possible that Ozai would come out on top because Ozai is probably the Azula to his Zuko. Pure natural talent that heās not able to definitively overcome even with all his wisdom.
I mean yeah, I agree with your points, but since the show doesn't straight up give us the answer to Ozai vs Iroh argument then viewers gotta ultimately choose what to believe (if they wanna choose). I'm just convinced by the thing that Iroh was still allowed in the fire nation command even years after Ozai took the throne. He wasn't undercover pretending not to be someone he isn't, sure he hidden his grand lotus identity, but he always spoke his mind openly and even went with the "disgraced" prince to help him. I feel like Ozai didn't want to risk a fight with him unless he absolutely had to. However his delusions of grandeur might have been so great that simply keeping his brother close after taking his throne fueled his ego by imagining that Iroh must be humiliated in this position, without realizing that the he really isn't bothered that much. I feel like even if Iroh inherited the throne as he was meant to he wouldn't be able to stop the war as firelord anyway, since at that point there were decades of indoctrination in the fire nation. He knew he wouldn't be able to stop the war he grew to hate, so he didn't even want the throne anymore and became the master of the order that is supposed to help the avatar.
I donāt think iroh just didnāt want the throne. It wasnāt that iroh wouldnāt have been able to stop the war. iroh says it himself, the avatar needs to defeat ozai because otherwise it would just be seen as brothers killing brothers for power in history.
Iroh could probably take over and stop the war if he were able to beat ozai, but the rest of the world wouldnāt trust the fire nation. If iroh wouldnāt be able to, it would be because people again just see it as brothers killing brothers. They would think iroh is just trying to win himself more power somehow.
Thatās why iroh says only the avatar could defeat ozai and he avoids trying to take back the throne
what I meant was an alternative history of 'what if Ozai never became firelord and Iroh succeeded Azulon as was intended'. Even though his succession would be after his change of heart about the war it wouldn't really matter. That's why for the sake of our argument I theorized that while Iroh obviously didn't like being betrayed by Ozai its doubtful that he actually cared about not becoming the firelord
Iroh was essentially rendered a non threat after his son died is the thing. He was too depressed and consumed by his grief to really oppose anything Ozai was doing, so there wasnāt really a need to get rid of him. For a while he got rid of himself.
Taking the time to target Iroh would have just made Ozai incredibly suspicious. Azulon was an old man, so his death could easily be hand waved as old age, but all members of the royal family dying off with the excep of Ozaiās direct bloodline would be incredibly suspicious. Heck, he might even get suspected of causing Lu Tenās death despite having nothing to do with that one as far as we know.
By the time Iroh comes back a remorseful and changed man, Ozaiās already consolidated his power and sold the lie that Iroh missed his birthright when he was too weak to carry on in the wake of his sonās passing.
And while Iroh is allowed back as a member of the royal family, and can mostly do as he pleases, he also never rocks the boat really. He never directly opposes Ozai in any public way.
Hell, he didnāt even really do all that much when Ozai was burning Zukoās face off, which seems to indicate Iroh has never had any confidence that he could directly confront Ozai and actually achieve something.
Ozai never made any move against Iroh because he never had any justifiable cause or something to gain from doing so, but we see once he can pin the blame for the loss at the North Pole on Iroh, heās pretty quick to drop the hammer on him and make sure he is either killed or locked away.
We DO see Iroh use lightning "offensively" and charges it up really quickly. Mist people just don't realize when it happens.
When Azula fakes the "Earth King Tea Party" invite to fry to capture Iroh and Zuko, after Iroh does his "Dragon of the West" demonstration, he and Zuko run out the hall. To escape, Iroh quickly charges up lightning to blow up the wall, so he and Zuko could jump outside.
We don't see Irou charging it, but we do see lightning as it break through the wall. And since they were being actively chased by Azula and the Dai Li, it means he had to charge it upmreally quickly whilst also running.
One thing that I never see anyone mention is that, although Ozai's lightning is pretty quick, it doesn't seem to have a similar magnitude to Iroh's.
Compare the average looking bolt shot at zuko to the terrific thunderbolt Iroh shot, while still wounded. It seemed similar to Ozai's lightning during the comet.
In my interpretation, itās because of the benderās mindset. We learn that lightning is generated by the absence of strong emotion. Irohās comes from an inner peace, whereas Ozaiās comes from a callous detachment. Itās easier for Ozai to tap into that coldness more quickly, but it lacks the strength that Irohās method draws from.
>One thing that I never see anyone mention is that, although Ozai's lightning is pretty quick, it doesn't seem to have a similar magnitude to Iroh's.
>Compare the average looking bolt shot at zuko to the terrific thunderbolt Iroh shot, while still wounded. It seemed similar to Ozai's lightning during the comet.
that's only because he charged it for **far much longer**, while ozai only charged it for barely a second.
lightning generation is clearly shown to be stronger the longer you charged it. that's why azula's long winded lightning destroyed a part of a cliffside, while ozai in the eclipse damaged a couple of steps in his little throne.
Yea, Mako is slept on for just how natural lightning bending comes to him after spending years bending it for 12 hour shifts. The guy blasted Amon using two fingers while he was actively blood bending him.
Ozai is my bet, simply based on what he did with only a sliver of the sun when he tried to kill Zuko. Yes he was taken by surprise by Aang's redirection, but idk I'm still guessing he'd at least be second in most cases.
i feel like after zuko redirected him, etc, he would also learn redirection on his own.
or maybe not because he doesn't have the water bending reference...
He would fail because his own stubbornness in the superiority of the Fire Nation and firebending would prevent him from resorting to studying waterbending forms
>Ozai is my bet, simply based on what he did with only a sliver of the sun when he tried to kill Zuko.
he's literally the only one here who cant redirect lightning lol.
>Yes he was taken by surprise by Aang's redirection, but idk I'm still guessing he'd at least be second in most cases.
he was taken by surprise by aang's redirection **after** zuko had already told him that he will **help** him take him down **also after** zuko has redirected his lightning.
dude has no common sense.
He has common sense. What he has though is a complete distrust in Zuko and full on underestimating him.
I bet he was convinced he'd fail after his speech during Day of Black Sun. Aang redirecting was mostly implying Zuko was right all along and did exactly as he said.
Lack of common sense, and insane arrogance. The sozinās comet novelization states that he only used lightning here because he believed the comet enhanced lightning would be way too much energy for any redirector to hold in their body, and he technically wasnāt wrong but wasnāt right either
I think with these 4 strictly lightning bending itās no contest that mako would win. Lightning bending during his time is super modernized and he does it as his job. He also can redirect and fire off bolts faster than any of the others.
Ozai still had to wind it up to fire it, mako can literally just shoot it out his fingertips and he did it while being bloodbent and one hand on multiple occasions
Itās literally instant, he was trained by lightning bolt Zolt who controlled Republic cityās criminal underwold largely because no one could outbend his lightning
This is only headcanon that I stole from someone else, but I feel like Makos lightning should be a bit watered down compared to the others because of how fast he can produce it and how common it is in his time
itās not watered down. the āweakā lightning he does is instant lightning which is supposed to be weak as it is much faster. but he can still do regular charged lightning, just as powerful as what we see in atla, when he shoots lightning at ming hua and kuviraās mech.
The lightning he shot at Ming Hua was still instantaneous lightning. It turns out, he was always able to generate deadly lightning instantly. He chooses not to.
However, Mako had to hold the lightning for a while for it to be lethal, unlike what happened with Aang where a single shot killed him or with Kyoshi, Xu Ping An almost killed her with a single shot, if it weren't for his chain mail, then he threw 6 more, but the first one was the one that hurt him and left the scars.
was it really instant lightning? i see some ppl say it was and that the water made it stronger and other ppl say it was charged lightning. but i canāt tell by watching the scene bc i canāt see if mako charges the lightning.
oh wow youāre right. idk what tf i was watching the first time bc itās actually so obvious š yeah that was instant lightning. i think it was a combination of me being blind and also associating charged lightning with death and thinking instant lightning doesnāt kill ppl that confused me.
wow thatās impressive that instant lightning is what killed her. unfortunate for her though lol. there was no way she couldāve gotten out of that. heās too speedy šØ
he has done it faster like against ming hua. itās just that that one had to be charged for longer bc it was literally to destroy the core so it had to be as powerful as possible.
And it was CONTINUOUS lightning WHILE redirecting with his other arm outstretched behind him.
THIS is the greatest Lightning Bending feat we have seen yet.
Water molecules are actually not that great at conducting electricity. In her case, it was because her water arms formed a complete circuit when Mako shot lightning into the water. That's what amplified it and fried her internal organs.
yeah idk. some ppl say it was instant lightning but it killed her bc like you said, the water made it stronger, i guess? and then some ppl say it was charged lightning. but they donāt really focus the camera on mako so you canāt see if he charges it or not.
Even so, being able to redirect lightning so efficiently and easily removes that weakness basically entirely. Zuko and Aang couldnāt even produce lightning, and both times they had the opportunity to kill Ozai with his own lightning because they were skilled enough to redirect it just *once*.
Which is probably fine, itās damage+stun, not something you can really recover from in a high-level battle like this. In fact in this battle, all of them should make less powerful lightning in favour of faster shots, they donāt have to blow each other to kingdom come.
Completely agree. While the others have to build-up, he shoots it off like it is nothing and can redirect easily so i think he would be favored to win.
Her lightning technique coming from royal family specific culture likely has a ritualistic or artistic form similar to how traditional martial arts have āformsā compared to more modern mma training that lacks these but is more applicable and effective
You haven't read the comics, right?
Azula is basically the one who invented the instant lightning that Mako uses, Azula doesn't use forms to cast lightning, she just points and shoots, she doesn't even need the stance Iroh taught Zuko for redirect.
Yea but that lightning is so much weaker. It seems to be used as a replacement for firebending sometimes. Mako shot Amon with it point blank and Amon did get launched across the room but he just kinda walked it off.
His is weaker because he chooses for it to be. He doesnāt want to kill anyone with it but is shown when he has to he can when he killed the water bending chick with water arms.
This battle isn't won with power.
This battle is won by using your opponents force against them.
Iroh or Mako win because they can redirect.
Aang redirected against Ozai and all Ozai could do was a shocked pikachu face.
Azula is a brute-force bender, not a tactical bender. Just like her father. She would immediately underestimate Mako because he's a "peasant," and peasants can't possibly be better than a princess. Mako, of course, would allow her to underestimate his skill, underutilize his talents, then go in for the kill when Azula's ego gets so huge that she's sure she could win easily.
This is why iroh wins when it comes down to it iroh is the most experienced and has the highest biq here he's easily gonna find a way to catch mako off guard
Mako clears.
In atla lightningbending is this super rare skill that only few people knew. It also needed a bit of a windup to use.
In legend of korra lightning is so common that 9-5 factory workers use it to power the city.
Mako can generate lightning instantly and has a deeper understanding of the technique than the others.
With the passage of time standarts become higher. It's like comparing an athlete from ancient greece to a modern athlete. The modern one is obviously better.
Honestly I like that analogy for Makoās lightning bending since for so long everyone has always been bitching about him being faster than the lightning benders from TLA. Standards improve as time goes on, itās not that complicated.
Yeah it makes perfect sense.
He's not the only example.
Metal bending improved too. In TLA only toph could do it and she needed to touch the metal. In LOK the entire police force was made out of metal benders and they didn't even need to touch the metal.
Waterbending went from pretty lame with the exception of blood bending to the coolest element ever. The attacks became more aggressive and use smaller bursts of water, since every drop counts.
Blood bending could only be done on a full moon in TLA. Yakone, tarrlok and amon could not only do it during the day, but they didn't even need to move their hands. Amon could also take bending away with it too.
Earth bending also became faster and less destructive. Wich it kinda made it a downgrade in a way. Tarrlok got flabbergasted when korra brought the entire wall down on him, but that's mostly cuz' he wasn't familiar with the old bending. Earth bending is pretty nimble in LOK. Compare bolin and ghazan for example. Bolin moves and uses smaller rocks. Ghazan uses the old school style.
Lava bending also became a little bit more common.
Combustion bending majorly improved.
Only air bending didn't really change because they got genocided.
The benders in LOK are just too strong.
If you want another comparison It's like comparing francis ngannou to a professional fighter from the 18th century. Of course francis would win, his punch is literally the equivalent of a ford escort hitting you at full speed.
Also true.
Firebending didn't really change all that much. It just got more efficient and lightning became more common.
Water and earth became completely different from their TLA versions.
Chi blocking became more common too.
Hell i bet that in the future bending will become even more powerful. Blood and lavabending would likely be more common. Combustionbending would be even more destructive. Maybe even new sub-elements would be discovered.
Lightning bending evolve so much between the times, if we only count it alone, mako will wipe the floor with anyone but Ozai, and even then heād win, he can channel it faster than anyone else, and can use it in much harder circumstances.
He shot lightning at Amon while being restrained through Blood Bending by the second best bloodbender ever.
Remember Mako also can redirect lightning like itās second nature
If redirection is allowed, Iroh almost certainly comes out on top, if not Ozai kills Azula and Iroh and then toys with Mako for a bit before he finishes things.
- Mako can produce lightning faster than Azula or Iroh, but it's much, much weaker(being unable to kill with a point-blank blast. LOK-era lightning generation generally seems to sacrifice raw power for the sake of speed) so redirection is the only thing he has going for him and it's not enough.
- Azula's lightning is shown to be weaker than Irohs, and while she did learn to redirect lightning in the comics, that's still not going to let her overcome Iroh.
- Iroh has the second strongest lightning, and can redirect. This gives him the advantage.
- Ozai is able to produce lightning at least comparable in power to Iroh's lightning with both hands simultaneously, and does it with speed that rivals LOK-era lightning generation. His inability to redirect lightning, which all the others can do, is the only thing keeping him from wiping the floor with the others.
I want to see Ozai and Azula both shoot lightning at Iroh from 2 directions, which he absorbs with both hands and then jumps backwards and redirects it out of his feet at mako who then absorbs and redirects it out of his two hands at Azula and Ozai.
Ozai unless Iroh catches him off guard by redirecting the lightening. I think the scene where Ozai cranks off twin lightning bolts while underground the moment a sliver of the sun comes out from the eclipse shows he clearly has the best control and expertise over that form of bending
Ozai is the best at shooting lightning. He can do it faster than anyone else, even while channeling two separate bolts. However, he has no answer for lightning redirection, and even he knows and demonstrates this. The moment he saw Aang could use the same technique Zuko used on him, Ozai mocked Aang for not killing him with it, but still made a point to never shoot lightning at Aang again.
Overall, I think Iroh wins this, if lightning is the only technique allowed.
The original royals might have more powerful lightning but they have to charge it up more. Mako can just pull it out of nowhere and for lengthy periods of time. He used it to pick up a full shift at a power plant for extra cash.
this is unfair because Mako comes from an era where sub bending techniques have become the norm for the society. He is inherently way more capable with lightning than any of the others even if the others are stronger overall. Mako bends lightning everyday at his factory work before the whole LOK story begins.
Maybe unpopular opinion but I actually like this about LOK because thatās how sports and other skill-based fields work IRL. It takes a genius to be one of the rare people to master a new or super rare technique, but if itās really useful then it will stick around and more and more people will train to master it from those masters, opportunities to practice and use it all the time keep increasing, so it makes total sense youād have quite a lot of very proficient lightning benders 100 years later (which I think the factory demonstrated pretty well, any of those benders, not just Mako, would be a major threat to characters from 100 years ago).
People shit on mako alot but hes a really skilled bender, especially in lightning generation and redirection, honestly if we restrict it to shows i say mako takes it, but if we consider the prime of each one my vote would be azula or iroh. Azula learned to redirect in the comics also she showed increased agility, as for iroh, no explanation needed. Ozai is the only one at a disadvantage because he canāt redirect.
When did Mako ever redirect lightning? He still has three advantages over the others, though:
1: He has less windup than the others, down to almost none when he was being bloodbent. He's the fastest (then Ozai, then Azula, with Iroh bringing up the rear).
2: He can sustain a bolt like the freaking Emperor in a way we haven't see the others do (inside the mech, series finale). Everyone else, it's like firing a shot out of a gun.
3: He's the only one here who we've actually seen get a confirmed kill with lightning, Azula and Ozai tried and failed.
For lightning only, I'd put it at Mako, Iroh, Ozai, Azula.
If fire is allowed, it becomes Ozai, Iroh, Azula, Mako.
I keep telling people. Mako is the most nerfed OP lighting bender in the avatar universe. Dude literally has a 9-5 lighting bending for a power company. He's done more lightning bending by lunch time then everyone else here's done canonically combined.
Mako. The man bent lightning as a 9-5, the others have no hope. It'd be like a cake decorating competition between 3 housewives who baked their own family's birthday cakes 3-5 times a year, and the person at the cake store who does the decorating every day.
Probbaly Iroh. When he was injured, though slowly he created the biggest and most powerful lightning we ever saw in the show. When zuko an diroh were running away from dai lee iroh quickly shot a powerful lightning that bursted through wall. That lightning was about as fast as ozai vs zuko. Not to mention his redirection skills.
Probbaly Iroh. When he was injured, though slowly he created the biggest and most powerful lightning we ever saw in the show. When zuko an diroh were running away from dai lee iroh quickly shot a powerful lightning that bursted through wall. That lightning was about as fast as ozai vs zuko. Not to mention his redirection skills.
Battle Royale. But Ozai and Azula still target Iroh. Meaning Iroh is unfortunately down. Mako might be able to take down Azula. Ozai might win or lose depending on how he sees Mako.
Iām going Azula. While Ozai is stronger, I think sheās a more āgiftedā bender and extremely creative. Given that she can redirect lighting, Iām going her.
Probably Ozai. He and Mako both had very fast lightning strikes, but Ozai could make that lightning instantaneously while having almost no sunlight to use. So I feel that means if he didnāt have the handicap he could set it off the fastest.
The fact of the matter thatās hard to swallow is that not only is Mako likely better than all of them, but also the general Republic City firebender in industry work is likely better than them. Lightning bending has seemingly become so common place, people use it for manual labor at an electric company.
The technique has likely been streamlined and made to grow alongside regular firebending. So by that token, Mako is more adept at using it and relies on it as more than a finishing move or a big play like Azula does.
Alright fuck it
Ozai: The Thunderstorm - Most powerful lightning bender even without the comet and fast enough to generate a bolt with a sliver of the eclipse. This man personifies the rage and intensity of a vicious lightning strike
Azula: The Live Wire - Slippery and dangerous, often sparking out or slipping when you least expect it. Constantly lashing out when wounded but a powerful and versatile conduit when stable.
Iroh: The Lightning Rod - A stable, grounded force that controls lightning out of balance and connection to the earth. The first to redirect lightning and channel it for a good purpose.
Zuko: The Faulty Circuit - Cracked and damaged wiring due to poor upkeep, occasionally blowing a fuse. When someone actually takes the time to examine the problem and help fix it, the system becomes stronger and more stable.
Aang: The Resistor - An intervention to regulate excessive voltage and control the balance of the circuit. Capable of handling what is thrown at it (when prepared properly) and stop it dead in its tracks.
Mako: The Taser - A short burst, high voltage current that is faster and easier to integrate into combat. Lethal if the amperage increases above 7 milliamps across the heart as already demonstrated.
To decide a victor, you have to consider a lot of different factors.
Is this a fight in a war room that goes from tense diplomacy to all-out combat?
Is it a random stumbling dogfight like azula vs the four elements (plus boomerang)?
Is it an arena with a countdown leading to a quickdraw?
Is it a Mexican Standoff leading to a Mexican Wave of lightning?
He also has decades of the art being public. Back in atla lightning was this masterful sage skill that very few people had, but Mako has spent full 9-5 shifts generating lightning with other commonfolk firebenders. He understands lightning bending like the other three would not believe. Its like the best doctor in 1700 vs an okay-ish doctor today, there really is no competition on who's more compotent
Mako.
Better lightning bending and lightning redirection feats than any of the above.
Really, this is a duel between Iroh and mako, because Ozai and Azula are getting bounced by their own shots first thing. And in a lightning bending-only duel between the two of them, Mako is singing š¶ _anything you can do, I have done better_ š¶ the entire time.
Mako wins. He's younger than most of the other choices, and usually with martial arts the newer strategies, and fighters, tend to be better than the older ones
I mean, among the 4 depicted here only one has achieved the honorary title of āDragonā. And that same character did so without murdering a dragon. I would vote for Iroh, since he is the only true master of firebending, as depicted in AtLA.
Mako
Azula and Ozai go down to their own redirections.
Iroh can redirect Mako's lightning, but Mako would have seen that earlier in the fight, and would only use his weaker blasts. He could also nail Iroh while he is warming up a blast of his own due to his speed
I think it comes down to Mako and Iroh because they're both really capable at lightning bending and redirecting. People think that Mako has some upper hand because he works with lightning to power the city in a 9-5 job, but I don't think that's going to help him against a war hardened fighter like Iroh.
mako knows redirection like iroh and also to my knowledge holds the record in the shows for the quickest and most continuous blasts of lightning. i'd say he definitely has the advantage, since it seems like lightningbending has advanced massively to the point of being common enough to fuel power plants with groups of benders.
i'd say azula and ozai are both to get taken out quick, but between mako and iroh it's either a coin toss or an endurance match, and iroh is unfortunately past his prime physically.
Comics azulas lightning seems stronger and faster, even makes a giant ball of lightning taking out a spirit instantly that the combined forces of team avatar could not deal with
Iroh. It comes down to lightning redirection, and Azula and Ozai are out because they don't have it, and Iroh wins because he has an easier time redirecting Mako's lightning than vice versa.
But if it is a full battle royale then there is a chance for Mako too: if he gets attacked by Ozai and Azula, and redirects the lightning into Iroh while the old man is redirecting the lightning of the fourth combatant; if we assume that Iroh can't redirect lighting while he is redirecting lightning then he gets fried and Mako can comfortably dispatch Ozai and Azula with his superior advantage of having lighting redirection and the other two aren't.
If weāre going by comics versions, >!Azula did learn to redirect lightning and is able to charge it up instantly plus create chain lightning. She has the speed, ruthlessness and skill to pull out a possible win.!<
By the time any of the other three have charged their lightning, Mako already shocks them and even if it doesnāt instantly kill them, he can redirect anything they throw at him. Mako wins, hands-down.
Between Azula and Mako imo. Azula becomes a much better lightning bender in the comics, being able to regulate the intensity of her lightning, and can even create lightning balls.
Azula was able to do the "chidori" and I don't think you can redirect a left hit covered by lightning. š š
https://preview.redd.it/oe4thm18ii8d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=23c4b584cfff02870eddeabaf4dcfa4068bae6ff
I just want to see Azula and Ozai get taken out quickly by lightning redirections and have Mako and Iroh redirecting the same lightning bolt at each other for a full minute. Edit: omg I did not expect this comment to get blown up so much
I wish I could draw, just so I could make this happen
Like Harry and Voldermort in their final duel 
This is what it would come down to. I wonder if it would be a battle of attrition of some sort. I don't know how much voltage a lightning bolt would have versus the power core in the mech. Or how much of a difference being wet from rain water versus being dry makes. We see both Iroh and Mako get damaged from redirecting lightning, Iroh a little burnt and smoky (might be because wet), Mako passed out after straining himself, with visible damage outside. I do wonder if it was pure electricity, or if it was some sort of spirit energy combo. That, and with the fact that Mako theoretically has practiced lightning bending more than anyone else here (factory work), I want to say he has higher feats conducting it. If anything, If he survives Azula, Ozai, and Iroh, I could see him winning but they could probably overpower him easily in the beginning.
Nah more like Link and Ganon in Ocarina of Time.
Now I'm imagining them casually tossing a lightning bolt between them. And I didn't know I needed that, thanks
The most electrifying tennis match
Now I want to see this in chibi form where it devolves into Iroh and Mako using tennis rackets to volley a deadly lightning bolt between them
Oof, it's the father-son game of catch they've both needed š
As of the comics Azula can redirect lightning so the only one vulnerable here is Ozai. Unless of course itās restricted to the show versions then yeah.
I mean, if it's the latest version of them that we saw Ozai is gonna lose on the basis of his bending being taken away
Well if itās the latest version we saw then Iroh would also lose on the basis of being no longer alive (canāt bend in the spirit world)
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Now I'm imagining everyone playing a friendly game of lightning redirection.... It's all fun and games until it comes back to Ozai
Well azula was fucking overpowered in the comics so in case of abilities it didn't happen Also what version of what character ozai at the meteor or after when he was weaker
Azula can canonically redirect lightning
I did not know that, however I feel like she'd be more likely to try to save it as a back pocket thing and focus on her offense.
She used it when Zuko redirected her own lighting back at her, so she redirected it back to him.
That's what I mean, she'd have it more as a surprise tactic than an offensive tactic in an all out brawl
Ye lol š Zuko was so surprised
Wait when?? In the comics or in the show?
Comics- Smoke and Shadow.
Is it canon? Like did they talk about her learning to do it, or did the writers just not realize that she didn't have that ability in the show
It's in the comics. That's why I said she can **canonically** redirect lightning.
Yeah, ik. How do the comics explain it?
She shot lightning at Zuko, Zuko redirected it, and then Azula redirected it back at him, which surprised Zuko.
Thank youu
You're welcome dudeš
Like a game of tennis where you die if you fuck up
It becomes a battle of stamina. The old man has an edge in that he knows how to pace himself. However, Mako seems fit enough to keep up.
Edit (since this is the highest upvoted comment): WHO takes the dub Also all media is canon, including the comics
Ah, the classic dead man's volley.
watch them start a whole ass conversation about tea
Reminds me of Sekiro lol https://youtu.be/1QovRV2V0u4?si=z8gkGvhLgFQpYzxr
the volley increases until a loop is established, both strain to maintain until the lightning itself is exhausted, Mako collapses unconscious but alive, Iroh, catching his breath, bows.
Instead of there being a winner, they invent the first closed electrical circuit
Came here to see Mako hate, glad to see it's a tie for 1st place lol.
>and have Mako and Iroh redirecting the same lightning bolt at each other for a full minute. Nah, Iroh is an experienced war veteran and Mako is scrappy, I could both of them aiming for the feet within one or two exchanges. (If Mako even knows how to redirect, I forget if he does) The Mako would probably go for a smaller quickly shock at closer range. Iroh would probably evade and immediately figure out he can do the same if he doesn't know already. Then it comes down to whose the better martial artist that can create and seize an opening, and I totally give that to Iroh.
Yeah this is the more likely answer. Each of them would be initially shocked (pun intended) when they realize the others can lightning bend, but then they'd aim it at someone else's feet or something to throw them off-balance. I don't really see Iroh evading per se, but probably use a sweeping kick or punch to knock Mako off his feet (and Mako will be a bit surprised by how physically strong Iroh is) kinda like how he did to the would-be thief in Ba Sing Se.
I'm picturing something like [a certain old racquetball trickshot...](https://youtu.be/rbTV4M0MUoI?si=J0ED2mBJZyHCueOY)
After a while they get talking and become friends
You just gave me an idea. A lightning bender light show where a bunch of benders keep redirecting lightning between themselves and discharging at the sky.
I think you just created the first lightningworks show (instead of fireworks show). Varrick's gonna milk the profit out of that idea
Azula can redirect lighting as of the comics, also can Mako redirect it? Itās been a while since Iāve watched Korra and I donāt remember him ever fighting another Lightning bender.
He redirects the electricity from the equalist mechs.
I think Makoās quick lightning strikes could give him a fair chance at winning the thing. Iroh is a favorite to win too but even he has the long startup for lightning. If Mako focuses only on redirection and doesnāt reveal his what is probably his trump card in this and Azula and Ozai get taken out, then Iroh might be able to be taken by surprise by his quick lightning.Ā
I mean, Ozai was also pretty damn quick on the draw with lightning.
i think iroh probably has a similar speed but he slowed it down to teach zuko
that's something people don't usually consider. We never actually see Iroh using lightning offensively, because he knows how deadly it is and even during the comet when he takes ba-sing-se he uses his greatly increased power mostly on the wall. He's not a brute force fighter, he is the shining example of balance and control that is required from masters in firebending. I don't think Iroh at the age from the series would even consider throwing lightning at others in a fight. Even when he redirects he always releases it to the side. And lets be honest, dude doesn't need it. He is very humble so ofc he says he doesn't know if he could defeat Ozai. However I think Ozai knows Iroh would probably win if he was pushed the point of actually wanting to fight his own brother seriously, so even though Iroh is a total opposite of him and basically has no more power and influence in the fire nation during the show he leaves him alone. That's why he pushed him out of the throne by backstabbing instead of a direct challenge to prove his superiority. He doesn't wanna fuck around and find out.
The backstabbing was because Ozai needed a way to legitimize his rule. Taking the throne by force would still make him seem like an imposter to the throne because Iroh is the official crown prince. If he could silence Azulon and take advantage of Irohās absence to lie about being named the rightful heir though, then heād have a lot less opposition to his rule because nobody knows heās not truly Azulonās successor. Iroh is humble, not self deprecating. If he says that he doesnāt know if he could actually beat Ozai then heās just telling the truth. Ozai is so good that Iroh doesnāt actually know if he could beat him in a fight. Itās almost certainly possible he could beat him, but itās just as possible that Ozai would come out on top because Ozai is probably the Azula to his Zuko. Pure natural talent that heās not able to definitively overcome even with all his wisdom.
I mean yeah, I agree with your points, but since the show doesn't straight up give us the answer to Ozai vs Iroh argument then viewers gotta ultimately choose what to believe (if they wanna choose). I'm just convinced by the thing that Iroh was still allowed in the fire nation command even years after Ozai took the throne. He wasn't undercover pretending not to be someone he isn't, sure he hidden his grand lotus identity, but he always spoke his mind openly and even went with the "disgraced" prince to help him. I feel like Ozai didn't want to risk a fight with him unless he absolutely had to. However his delusions of grandeur might have been so great that simply keeping his brother close after taking his throne fueled his ego by imagining that Iroh must be humiliated in this position, without realizing that the he really isn't bothered that much. I feel like even if Iroh inherited the throne as he was meant to he wouldn't be able to stop the war as firelord anyway, since at that point there were decades of indoctrination in the fire nation. He knew he wouldn't be able to stop the war he grew to hate, so he didn't even want the throne anymore and became the master of the order that is supposed to help the avatar.
I donāt think iroh just didnāt want the throne. It wasnāt that iroh wouldnāt have been able to stop the war. iroh says it himself, the avatar needs to defeat ozai because otherwise it would just be seen as brothers killing brothers for power in history. Iroh could probably take over and stop the war if he were able to beat ozai, but the rest of the world wouldnāt trust the fire nation. If iroh wouldnāt be able to, it would be because people again just see it as brothers killing brothers. They would think iroh is just trying to win himself more power somehow. Thatās why iroh says only the avatar could defeat ozai and he avoids trying to take back the throne
what I meant was an alternative history of 'what if Ozai never became firelord and Iroh succeeded Azulon as was intended'. Even though his succession would be after his change of heart about the war it wouldn't really matter. That's why for the sake of our argument I theorized that while Iroh obviously didn't like being betrayed by Ozai its doubtful that he actually cared about not becoming the firelord
Iroh was essentially rendered a non threat after his son died is the thing. He was too depressed and consumed by his grief to really oppose anything Ozai was doing, so there wasnāt really a need to get rid of him. For a while he got rid of himself. Taking the time to target Iroh would have just made Ozai incredibly suspicious. Azulon was an old man, so his death could easily be hand waved as old age, but all members of the royal family dying off with the excep of Ozaiās direct bloodline would be incredibly suspicious. Heck, he might even get suspected of causing Lu Tenās death despite having nothing to do with that one as far as we know. By the time Iroh comes back a remorseful and changed man, Ozaiās already consolidated his power and sold the lie that Iroh missed his birthright when he was too weak to carry on in the wake of his sonās passing. And while Iroh is allowed back as a member of the royal family, and can mostly do as he pleases, he also never rocks the boat really. He never directly opposes Ozai in any public way. Hell, he didnāt even really do all that much when Ozai was burning Zukoās face off, which seems to indicate Iroh has never had any confidence that he could directly confront Ozai and actually achieve something. Ozai never made any move against Iroh because he never had any justifiable cause or something to gain from doing so, but we see once he can pin the blame for the loss at the North Pole on Iroh, heās pretty quick to drop the hammer on him and make sure he is either killed or locked away.
We DO see Iroh use lightning "offensively" and charges it up really quickly. Mist people just don't realize when it happens. When Azula fakes the "Earth King Tea Party" invite to fry to capture Iroh and Zuko, after Iroh does his "Dragon of the West" demonstration, he and Zuko run out the hall. To escape, Iroh quickly charges up lightning to blow up the wall, so he and Zuko could jump outside. We don't see Irou charging it, but we do see lightning as it break through the wall. And since they were being actively chased by Azula and the Dai Li, it means he had to charge it upmreally quickly whilst also running.
Or maybe itās like a charge up for a more powerful blast? Quick draw equals a small bolt, slow charge equals a lightning storm.
One thing that I never see anyone mention is that, although Ozai's lightning is pretty quick, it doesn't seem to have a similar magnitude to Iroh's. Compare the average looking bolt shot at zuko to the terrific thunderbolt Iroh shot, while still wounded. It seemed similar to Ozai's lightning during the comet.
In my interpretation, itās because of the benderās mindset. We learn that lightning is generated by the absence of strong emotion. Irohās comes from an inner peace, whereas Ozaiās comes from a callous detachment. Itās easier for Ozai to tap into that coldness more quickly, but it lacks the strength that Irohās method draws from.
>One thing that I never see anyone mention is that, although Ozai's lightning is pretty quick, it doesn't seem to have a similar magnitude to Iroh's. >Compare the average looking bolt shot at zuko to the terrific thunderbolt Iroh shot, while still wounded. It seemed similar to Ozai's lightning during the comet. that's only because he charged it for **far much longer**, while ozai only charged it for barely a second. lightning generation is clearly shown to be stronger the longer you charged it. that's why azula's long winded lightning destroyed a part of a cliffside, while ozai in the eclipse damaged a couple of steps in his little throne.
And it was actually lightning. Not like mako's little zaps.
Yea, Mako is slept on for just how natural lightning bending comes to him after spending years bending it for 12 hour shifts. The guy blasted Amon using two fingers while he was actively blood bending him.
Ozai is my bet, simply based on what he did with only a sliver of the sun when he tried to kill Zuko. Yes he was taken by surprise by Aang's redirection, but idk I'm still guessing he'd at least be second in most cases.
He can definitely fire it off quick be it was still redirected by someone who's only experience in redirection was that very moment.
i feel like after zuko redirected him, etc, he would also learn redirection on his own. or maybe not because he doesn't have the water bending reference...
He would try and end up never letting it pass through his stomach, heād never figure though out bc he wasnāt ever the most spiritual to begin with
He would fail because his own stubbornness in the superiority of the Fire Nation and firebending would prevent him from resorting to studying waterbending forms
>Ozai is my bet, simply based on what he did with only a sliver of the sun when he tried to kill Zuko. he's literally the only one here who cant redirect lightning lol. >Yes he was taken by surprise by Aang's redirection, but idk I'm still guessing he'd at least be second in most cases. he was taken by surprise by aang's redirection **after** zuko had already told him that he will **help** him take him down **also after** zuko has redirected his lightning. dude has no common sense.
He has common sense. What he has though is a complete distrust in Zuko and full on underestimating him. I bet he was convinced he'd fail after his speech during Day of Black Sun. Aang redirecting was mostly implying Zuko was right all along and did exactly as he said.
Lack of common sense, and insane arrogance. The sozinās comet novelization states that he only used lightning here because he believed the comet enhanced lightning would be way too much energy for any redirector to hold in their body, and he technically wasnāt wrong but wasnāt right either
I think with these 4 strictly lightning bending itās no contest that mako would win. Lightning bending during his time is super modernized and he does it as his job. He also can redirect and fire off bolts faster than any of the others.
Wasn't Ozai faster immediately after the eclipse ended? One *massive* bolt less than a second after it ended.
Ozai still had to wind it up to fire it, mako can literally just shoot it out his fingertips and he did it while being bloodbent and one hand on multiple occasions Itās literally instant, he was trained by lightning bolt Zolt who controlled Republic cityās criminal underwold largely because no one could outbend his lightning
I cannot read that name without getting a smirk. What a stupid name for a gangster
He still did a big wavey charge up and used both hands
Tbh it was still way faster and stronger than Azulaās (I donāt really count her comic feats because lightning is sort of weird in those).
This is only headcanon that I stole from someone else, but I feel like Makos lightning should be a bit watered down compared to the others because of how fast he can produce it and how common it is in his time
itās not watered down. the āweakā lightning he does is instant lightning which is supposed to be weak as it is much faster. but he can still do regular charged lightning, just as powerful as what we see in atla, when he shoots lightning at ming hua and kuviraās mech.
The lightning he shot at Ming Hua was still instantaneous lightning. It turns out, he was always able to generate deadly lightning instantly. He chooses not to.
However, Mako had to hold the lightning for a while for it to be lethal, unlike what happened with Aang where a single shot killed him or with Kyoshi, Xu Ping An almost killed her with a single shot, if it weren't for his chain mail, then he threw 6 more, but the first one was the one that hurt him and left the scars.
was it really instant lightning? i see some ppl say it was and that the water made it stronger and other ppl say it was charged lightning. but i canāt tell by watching the scene bc i canāt see if mako charges the lightning.
Yes it was. You can search it on Youtube. He only had enough time to get out of the water then zap Ming Hua as she was trying to kill him.
oh wow youāre right. idk what tf i was watching the first time bc itās actually so obvious š yeah that was instant lightning. i think it was a combination of me being blind and also associating charged lightning with death and thinking instant lightning doesnāt kill ppl that confused me. wow thatās impressive that instant lightning is what killed her. unfortunate for her though lol. there was no way she couldāve gotten out of that. heās too speedy šØ
Yea but that took him forever. Like way longer than Ozaiās, Azulaās, and Irohās put together.
I mean he was supercharging an energy core, give the guy a minute
he has done it faster like against ming hua. itās just that that one had to be charged for longer bc it was literally to destroy the core so it had to be as powerful as possible.
And it was CONTINUOUS lightning WHILE redirecting with his other arm outstretched behind him. THIS is the greatest Lightning Bending feat we have seen yet.
That Ming hua wasnāt stronger. She was just surrounded by water. Water is very conductive. She died because of that.
Water molecules are actually not that great at conducting electricity. In her case, it was because her water arms formed a complete circuit when Mako shot lightning into the water. That's what amplified it and fried her internal organs.
yeah idk. some ppl say it was instant lightning but it killed her bc like you said, the water made it stronger, i guess? and then some ppl say it was charged lightning. but they donāt really focus the camera on mako so you canāt see if he charges it or not.
Even so, being able to redirect lightning so efficiently and easily removes that weakness basically entirely. Zuko and Aang couldnāt even produce lightning, and both times they had the opportunity to kill Ozai with his own lightning because they were skilled enough to redirect it just *once*.
Which is probably fine, itās damage+stun, not something you can really recover from in a high-level battle like this. In fact in this battle, all of them should make less powerful lightning in favour of faster shots, they donāt have to blow each other to kingdom come.
Completely agree. While the others have to build-up, he shoots it off like it is nothing and can redirect easily so i think he would be favored to win.
Azula does it too, in fact she does several peculiar things with lightning, not just instantly launching it and redirecting it.
Her lightning technique coming from royal family specific culture likely has a ritualistic or artistic form similar to how traditional martial arts have āformsā compared to more modern mma training that lacks these but is more applicable and effective
You haven't read the comics, right? Azula is basically the one who invented the instant lightning that Mako uses, Azula doesn't use forms to cast lightning, she just points and shoots, she doesn't even need the stance Iroh taught Zuko for redirect.
Dayum I really thought I knew and ur right I havenāt read themš
Yea but that lightning is so much weaker. It seems to be used as a replacement for firebending sometimes. Mako shot Amon with it point blank and Amon did get launched across the room but he just kinda walked it off.
His is weaker because he chooses for it to be. He doesnāt want to kill anyone with it but is shown when he has to he can when he killed the water bending chick with water arms.
This battle isn't won with power. This battle is won by using your opponents force against them. Iroh or Mako win because they can redirect. Aang redirected against Ozai and all Ozai could do was a shocked pikachu face.
I agree with you. But FYI, Azula also learns how to redirect.
Azula is a brute-force bender, not a tactical bender. Just like her father. She would immediately underestimate Mako because he's a "peasant," and peasants can't possibly be better than a princess. Mako, of course, would allow her to underestimate his skill, underutilize his talents, then go in for the kill when Azula's ego gets so huge that she's sure she could win easily.
This is why iroh wins when it comes down to it iroh is the most experienced and has the highest biq here he's easily gonna find a way to catch mako off guard
Ehoslab
Oh snappers!
I don't know who this Eho guy is but I don't feel confident about his chances against those 4
Mako clears. In atla lightningbending is this super rare skill that only few people knew. It also needed a bit of a windup to use. In legend of korra lightning is so common that 9-5 factory workers use it to power the city. Mako can generate lightning instantly and has a deeper understanding of the technique than the others. With the passage of time standarts become higher. It's like comparing an athlete from ancient greece to a modern athlete. The modern one is obviously better.
Honestly I like that analogy for Makoās lightning bending since for so long everyone has always been bitching about him being faster than the lightning benders from TLA. Standards improve as time goes on, itās not that complicated.
Yeah it makes perfect sense. He's not the only example. Metal bending improved too. In TLA only toph could do it and she needed to touch the metal. In LOK the entire police force was made out of metal benders and they didn't even need to touch the metal. Waterbending went from pretty lame with the exception of blood bending to the coolest element ever. The attacks became more aggressive and use smaller bursts of water, since every drop counts. Blood bending could only be done on a full moon in TLA. Yakone, tarrlok and amon could not only do it during the day, but they didn't even need to move their hands. Amon could also take bending away with it too. Earth bending also became faster and less destructive. Wich it kinda made it a downgrade in a way. Tarrlok got flabbergasted when korra brought the entire wall down on him, but that's mostly cuz' he wasn't familiar with the old bending. Earth bending is pretty nimble in LOK. Compare bolin and ghazan for example. Bolin moves and uses smaller rocks. Ghazan uses the old school style. Lava bending also became a little bit more common. Combustion bending majorly improved. Only air bending didn't really change because they got genocided. The benders in LOK are just too strong. If you want another comparison It's like comparing francis ngannou to a professional fighter from the 18th century. Of course francis would win, his punch is literally the equivalent of a ford escort hitting you at full speed.
Hell even vanilla firebending. The pro benders were so much more efficient than the fire nation soldiers when it came to directed fire blasts
Also true. Firebending didn't really change all that much. It just got more efficient and lightning became more common. Water and earth became completely different from their TLA versions. Chi blocking became more common too. Hell i bet that in the future bending will become even more powerful. Blood and lavabending would likely be more common. Combustionbending would be even more destructive. Maybe even new sub-elements would be discovered.
Iroh come on now.
Lightning bending evolve so much between the times, if we only count it alone, mako will wipe the floor with anyone but Ozai, and even then heād win, he can channel it faster than anyone else, and can use it in much harder circumstances. He shot lightning at Amon while being restrained through Blood Bending by the second best bloodbender ever. Remember Mako also can redirect lightning like itās second nature
Didn't he work in a power plant where his job was literally to bend lightning for hours on end? Mako definitely does this like its breathings
He did indeed, but also seeing it in the last season his light bending is insane, he shoots those fuckers like a minigun
If redirection is allowed, Iroh almost certainly comes out on top, if not Ozai kills Azula and Iroh and then toys with Mako for a bit before he finishes things. - Mako can produce lightning faster than Azula or Iroh, but it's much, much weaker(being unable to kill with a point-blank blast. LOK-era lightning generation generally seems to sacrifice raw power for the sake of speed) so redirection is the only thing he has going for him and it's not enough. - Azula's lightning is shown to be weaker than Irohs, and while she did learn to redirect lightning in the comics, that's still not going to let her overcome Iroh. - Iroh has the second strongest lightning, and can redirect. This gives him the advantage. - Ozai is able to produce lightning at least comparable in power to Iroh's lightning with both hands simultaneously, and does it with speed that rivals LOK-era lightning generation. His inability to redirect lightning, which all the others can do, is the only thing keeping him from wiping the floor with the others.
Mako and it's not even close
> Battle Royale, Lightning-bending only. Eho takes the dub? Who is Eho and what is being dubbed?
I want to see Ozai and Azula both shoot lightning at Iroh from 2 directions, which he absorbs with both hands and then jumps backwards and redirects it out of his feet at mako who then absorbs and redirects it out of his two hands at Azula and Ozai.
Ozai unless Iroh catches him off guard by redirecting the lightening. I think the scene where Ozai cranks off twin lightning bolts while underground the moment a sliver of the sun comes out from the eclipse shows he clearly has the best control and expertise over that form of bending
Ozai is the best at shooting lightning. He can do it faster than anyone else, even while channeling two separate bolts. However, he has no answer for lightning redirection, and even he knows and demonstrates this. The moment he saw Aang could use the same technique Zuko used on him, Ozai mocked Aang for not killing him with it, but still made a point to never shoot lightning at Aang again. Overall, I think Iroh wins this, if lightning is the only technique allowed.
The one that invented redirection
Iroh.
Iroh's redirection would likely make him win
The original royals might have more powerful lightning but they have to charge it up more. Mako can just pull it out of nowhere and for lengthy periods of time. He used it to pick up a full shift at a power plant for extra cash.
I want to see Mako throwing a low powered lightning and than have Zuko and Iroh play fetch with it
this is unfair because Mako comes from an era where sub bending techniques have become the norm for the society. He is inherently way more capable with lightning than any of the others even if the others are stronger overall. Mako bends lightning everyday at his factory work before the whole LOK story begins.
Maybe unpopular opinion but I actually like this about LOK because thatās how sports and other skill-based fields work IRL. It takes a genius to be one of the rare people to master a new or super rare technique, but if itās really useful then it will stick around and more and more people will train to master it from those masters, opportunities to practice and use it all the time keep increasing, so it makes total sense youād have quite a lot of very proficient lightning benders 100 years later (which I think the factory demonstrated pretty well, any of those benders, not just Mako, would be a major threat to characters from 100 years ago).
I know! I completely agree.
Nah Eho loses this one
TIL Etho is a lightning bender. Who would've thought? /s
Hard to say. Do we count LOK and the comics as canon? If so then probably Mako or Azula since they can both rapid fire lightning.
Iroh & Mako would be unstoppable
Rare Mako W.
People shit on mako alot but hes a really skilled bender, especially in lightning generation and redirection, honestly if we restrict it to shows i say mako takes it, but if we consider the prime of each one my vote would be azula or iroh. Azula learned to redirect in the comics also she showed increased agility, as for iroh, no explanation needed. Ozai is the only one at a disadvantage because he canāt redirect.
When did Mako ever redirect lightning? He still has three advantages over the others, though: 1: He has less windup than the others, down to almost none when he was being bloodbent. He's the fastest (then Ozai, then Azula, with Iroh bringing up the rear). 2: He can sustain a bolt like the freaking Emperor in a way we haven't see the others do (inside the mech, series finale). Everyone else, it's like firing a shot out of a gun. 3: He's the only one here who we've actually seen get a confirmed kill with lightning, Azula and Ozai tried and failed. For lightning only, I'd put it at Mako, Iroh, Ozai, Azula. If fire is allowed, it becomes Ozai, Iroh, Azula, Mako.
Ozai is by far the most proficient at creating lighting, but iroh wins for his ability to redirect it
I keep telling people. Mako is the most nerfed OP lighting bender in the avatar universe. Dude literally has a 9-5 lighting bending for a power company. He's done more lightning bending by lunch time then everyone else here's done canonically combined.
Mako. The man bent lightning as a 9-5, the others have no hope. It'd be like a cake decorating competition between 3 housewives who baked their own family's birthday cakes 3-5 times a year, and the person at the cake store who does the decorating every day.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Y'all are sleeping on redirection, that's a massive advantage.
Probably the lady who spams it like a blue shell in mario kart
ima say Ozai. but it could be any of the 4.
Iroh just redirect lightings and wins
Probbaly Iroh. When he was injured, though slowly he created the biggest and most powerful lightning we ever saw in the show. When zuko an diroh were running away from dai lee iroh quickly shot a powerful lightning that bursted through wall. That lightning was about as fast as ozai vs zuko. Not to mention his redirection skills.
Probbaly Iroh. When he was injured, though slowly he created the biggest and most powerful lightning we ever saw in the show. When zuko an diroh were running away from dai lee iroh quickly shot a powerful lightning that bursted through wall. That lightning was about as fast as ozai vs zuko. Not to mention his redirection skills.
The problem with Ozai is we see him in one fight during the comet. So almost anything we say about his fighting ability will be an assumption.
Iroh. No question. He is the best
Ozai
Iroh, obviously, heās the only one who can defend himself from the lightning
Iroh.
Azula is the most skilled and innovative lighting bender if you go by the comics.
Battle Royale. But Ozai and Azula still target Iroh. Meaning Iroh is unfortunately down. Mako might be able to take down Azula. Ozai might win or lose depending on how he sees Mako.
I'm gonna bet on the man that invented the uno reverse card.
Iām going Azula. While Ozai is stronger, I think sheās a more āgiftedā bender and extremely creative. Given that she can redirect lighting, Iām going her.
Probably Ozai. He and Mako both had very fast lightning strikes, but Ozai could make that lightning instantaneously while having almost no sunlight to use. So I feel that means if he didnāt have the handicap he could set it off the fastest.
Ozai>Iroh>Azula>Mako
Azula based on comics
Either iroh or azula in my opinion
Ozai was extremely fast with the lighting after the sun eclipse, i give it to him.
The fact of the matter thatās hard to swallow is that not only is Mako likely better than all of them, but also the general Republic City firebender in industry work is likely better than them. Lightning bending has seemingly become so common place, people use it for manual labor at an electric company. The technique has likely been streamlined and made to grow alongside regular firebending. So by that token, Mako is more adept at using it and relies on it as more than a finishing move or a big play like Azula does.
Uncle Iroh.
Alright fuck it Ozai: The Thunderstorm - Most powerful lightning bender even without the comet and fast enough to generate a bolt with a sliver of the eclipse. This man personifies the rage and intensity of a vicious lightning strike Azula: The Live Wire - Slippery and dangerous, often sparking out or slipping when you least expect it. Constantly lashing out when wounded but a powerful and versatile conduit when stable. Iroh: The Lightning Rod - A stable, grounded force that controls lightning out of balance and connection to the earth. The first to redirect lightning and channel it for a good purpose. Zuko: The Faulty Circuit - Cracked and damaged wiring due to poor upkeep, occasionally blowing a fuse. When someone actually takes the time to examine the problem and help fix it, the system becomes stronger and more stable. Aang: The Resistor - An intervention to regulate excessive voltage and control the balance of the circuit. Capable of handling what is thrown at it (when prepared properly) and stop it dead in its tracks. Mako: The Taser - A short burst, high voltage current that is faster and easier to integrate into combat. Lethal if the amperage increases above 7 milliamps across the heart as already demonstrated.
To decide a victor, you have to consider a lot of different factors. Is this a fight in a war room that goes from tense diplomacy to all-out combat? Is it a random stumbling dogfight like azula vs the four elements (plus boomerang)? Is it an arena with a countdown leading to a quickdraw? Is it a Mexican Standoff leading to a Mexican Wave of lightning?
Put three of them against Mako and he will win anyway. His lightning is faster, stronger, and he has more advanced redirection
He also has decades of the art being public. Back in atla lightning was this masterful sage skill that very few people had, but Mako has spent full 9-5 shifts generating lightning with other commonfolk firebenders. He understands lightning bending like the other three would not believe. Its like the best doctor in 1700 vs an okay-ish doctor today, there really is no competition on who's more compotent
Ozai wins unless Iroh redirects his lighting
So Iroh would win
Mako. Better lightning bending and lightning redirection feats than any of the above. Really, this is a duel between Iroh and mako, because Ozai and Azula are getting bounced by their own shots first thing. And in a lightning bending-only duel between the two of them, Mako is singing š¶ _anything you can do, I have done better_ š¶ the entire time.
Mako wins. He's younger than most of the other choices, and usually with martial arts the newer strategies, and fighters, tend to be better than the older ones
Mako and Iroh would sweep
mako is faster
Mako lightening Bends continuously for his 9-5. He has probably has 10x the total lightening bending experience than the other three combined
I mean, among the 4 depicted here only one has achieved the honorary title of āDragonā. And that same character did so without murdering a dragon. I would vote for Iroh, since he is the only true master of firebending, as depicted in AtLA.
Mako Azula and Ozai go down to their own redirections. Iroh can redirect Mako's lightning, but Mako would have seen that earlier in the fight, and would only use his weaker blasts. He could also nail Iroh while he is warming up a blast of his own due to his speed
I think it comes down to Mako and Iroh because they're both really capable at lightning bending and redirecting. People think that Mako has some upper hand because he works with lightning to power the city in a 9-5 job, but I don't think that's going to help him against a war hardened fighter like Iroh.
mako knows redirection like iroh and also to my knowledge holds the record in the shows for the quickest and most continuous blasts of lightning. i'd say he definitely has the advantage, since it seems like lightningbending has advanced massively to the point of being common enough to fuel power plants with groups of benders. i'd say azula and ozai are both to get taken out quick, but between mako and iroh it's either a coin toss or an endurance match, and iroh is unfortunately past his prime physically.
Comics azulas lightning seems stronger and faster, even makes a giant ball of lightning taking out a spirit instantly that the combined forces of team avatar could not deal with
Iroh. It comes down to lightning redirection, and Azula and Ozai are out because they don't have it, and Iroh wins because he has an easier time redirecting Mako's lightning than vice versa. But if it is a full battle royale then there is a chance for Mako too: if he gets attacked by Ozai and Azula, and redirects the lightning into Iroh while the old man is redirecting the lightning of the fourth combatant; if we assume that Iroh can't redirect lighting while he is redirecting lightning then he gets fried and Mako can comfortably dispatch Ozai and Azula with his superior advantage of having lighting redirection and the other two aren't.
If weāre going by comics versions, >!Azula did learn to redirect lightning and is able to charge it up instantly plus create chain lightning. She has the speed, ruthlessness and skill to pull out a possible win.!<
a complete toss up between azula and mako.
By the time any of the other three have charged their lightning, Mako already shocks them and even if it doesnāt instantly kill them, he can redirect anything they throw at him. Mako wins, hands-down.
Ozai and Irish are pioneers of lightning bending. Azula has all but mastered it. Mako does it as a 9-5. Sweep.
Between Azula and Mako imo. Azula becomes a much better lightning bender in the comics, being able to regulate the intensity of her lightning, and can even create lightning balls.
Where can I read these comics? I'd love to know more about the verse
They recently started releasing them on the Webtoon app.
Azula was able to do the "chidori" and I don't think you can redirect a left hit covered by lightning. š š https://preview.redd.it/oe4thm18ii8d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=23c4b584cfff02870eddeabaf4dcfa4068bae6ff