List of Avatars (A:BTV) (2024)

The List of Avatars refers to the complete list of people who have been named as the Avatar, a powerful being who is able to control the four elements of the world. The Avatar is unique due to a reincarnation that allows the Avatar to never truly die, but to also be reborn as another person in the next corresponding group of benders.

The Avatar Cycle was created by the fusion of the human Wan and the primordial spirit Raava during the Harmonic Convergence that occurred on the final day of the Last Era of Raava, while in the midst of the battle between Wan and the dark primordial spirit Vaatu. With the mergence of the souls and bending abilities of Wan and Raava, the Avatar was created.

With the defeat of Vaatu and locking him within the Tree of Time, The Avatar has existed for more than 10,000 years, reincarnating accordingly with another who has the next of the four bending ability originally leant by Wan (Fire, Air, Water, Earth, and so forth). The gender ratio of reincarnation is also in a cycle going: Boy, Boy, Girl, Boy, Girl, Boy, Boy, Girl, etc.

In 100 AG, a fifth element was added to the cycle: Energy. Avatar Aang was given the ability by a Lion turtle in order to combat Firelord Ozai without having to kill the firebender after defeating him, but to instead be able to take his bending away to thus end his plans of extermination.

In 102 AG, a sixth element was also gained during Avatar Aang's time. Aang acquired Void when he attempted to use energybending to restore the bending of Ithar, whom had become a victim of bloodbending. But during the process, the energy backfired and instead stole Ithar's bending and transferred it into Aang, giving him the ability to bend void.

During the next Harmonic Convergence after the creation of the Avatar, the cycle was temporarily broken when Vaatu, having merged with Chief Unalaq of the Northern Water Tribe and the uncle to the current Avatar Korra, merged to form the Dark Avatar and separated Korra and Raava, before managing to completely destroy Raava and sever the Avatar from her past lives. Though after a lengthily battle and reemergence, the Dark Avatar was destroyed and the Avatar Cycle has been reconnected.

So far there have been 21 cycles spanning over 10,000 years. The current Avatar (as of 174 AG) is the 83rd Avatar, Korra of the Southern Water Tribe, the successor to the 82nd Avatar, Aang of the Southern Air Temple.

Reincarnation is one of the most unique abilities of the Avatar Cycle; when one Avatar dies, the spirit is reincarnated into a being of the next nation in the cycle. But the chosen birth places are not as random as many would believe to think;

The pattern of reincarnation is far from random, with the Avatar Spirit deliberately reincarnating in specific geographical locations from the previous Avatar of the same elemental stage. When the nation began to settle into the landmasses following centuries of conflict for dominance, then the Avatar Cycle started taking an organized reincarnation pattern between the states of each elemental nations:

With the creation of the United Republic of Nations, and the gathering of benders of all nations, certain rules have now been put in place as the migrations have been affected;

key: Isl. = Island, Penin. = Peninsula, EK = Earth Kingdom, FN = Fire Nation, URN = United Republic of Nations

-*Wan was born in 9849 BG, becoming the Avatar at the age of twenty.

-**Despite most contemporary sources, Avatar Yangchen was born in the Eastern Air Temple, and was later raised more predominantly at the Western Air Temple, which led to the assumption she was born there.

-***Wushi Peninsula was later renamed Kyoshi Island after Avatar Kyoshi broke it from the landmass to prevent its invasion by Chin the Conqueror.

Ever since the Avatar has come into existence, the mastery of the elements was always of top concern when the Avatar was told of their identity at the age of sixteen (the same age Avatar Wan was when he set on his quest to master Air, Water and Earth).

Over the millennias, several individuals have taken on the role as the Avatar's masters, a position considered a high honour for anyone to be training the Avatar him/herself. The role of spiritual mentor is also important as they help the new Avatar fulfill their role as the bridge between the physical and spirit worlds.

key: bold - alive / italic - unnamed and/or never seen / () - length of time served as the Avatar's master