It’s a common elemental theme we see across stories, fantasies, etc. It seems like it is an element that should be part of that pantheon but maybe there is a scientific explanation of why it isn’t? Or is it simply, they did not have enough understanding of it at the time those 4 were suggested.
The problem is heat energy/fire would kinda get all the cool shit. Like lava was given to the earth benders in LoK and I always felt that didn’t make as much sense as fire benders having access to it.
Air, water and earth all just have the one thing that really makes much sense. Water can do ice and stuff since that’s just a phase change for the element they control but what do earth and air get?
If water benders can bend blood then at advanced levels Air benders should be able to create vacuums. Suck the air out of your lungs, make the water in your blood boil from the pressure change.
At the same level Earth benders should be able to bonemeld. Reshape your bones while you’re using them.
Zaheer did exactly that to the earth queen, killing her, and nearly killed Korra the same way. So yes, airbenders can do that.
You’re getting into the problems with the magic system of the ATLA universe when taken to its extremes.
If you really let them all go hog wild people wouldn’t be fighting in a combat sense but more in a instantly kill you kinda way. I can see why they stopped at lightning for a kids show. The blood bending was already a bit extreme and I am still a bit surprised Nickelodeon let that happen.
matter for earth, not sure about air. this kind of falls apart now :x
Maybe the ability to separate the nitrogen/oxygen/carbon dioxide and direct them? That would be cool and could make up for it. Just straight suffocate someone with the air around them?
They actually show that at some point.