Earthbending is an elemental bending discipline capable of manipulating the Earth element. Stone is the prototypical earthbending material, and is considered easiest to work with by most practitioners, but dirt, clay, soil, silt, mineral dusts and sand are all valid substrates for earthbending. The manipulation of fine particulate inorganic matter - sandbending - is a kind of specialized bending. The manipulation of metals considered is a theoretical possibility, but as yet, no one is known to have invented metalbending.

Earthbending is, unsurprisingly, the forte of the Earth Kingdom, who employ it extensively in architecture, transport and war. Ethnic Earth Nationals in other states (including minor states of the Earth Nation that are not part of the Earth Kingdom) may also have earthbending, though opportunities for formal training in it are mainly found in the Earth Kingdom.

Befitting a country as large as the Earth Kingdom, there are many styles of earthbending with different emphases and traditions. The great majority of earthbenders with formal training are only familiar with one.

Earthbending Traditions

Middle Way

Orthodox School

Royal Army School

Rustic School

Southern Way

Omashu Martial School

Gaoling School

Eastern School

Northern Way

Yonggan School

Ganjinese School

Sandbending

Northern Sandbending Style

Southern Sandbending Style

Other Earthbending Schools

Southern Mountain Way

Cabbage Sprout Way

Forest Way

Rivers-and-Lakes School