Azula vs Katara vs Toph

An all out fight between the bending girls of A:TLA, who will win?

Azula is hunting Aang, but he and Sokka have gone ahead of Toph and Katara, who are arguing and have had enough of each other. They start fighting, Azula shows up and interrupts them. Then a 3 way fight breaks out. Everyone is fighting seriously, rationally, and equally against everyone else

Fight takes place in an abandoned town with several rivers running through it. Plenty of water and earth and opportunities to use agility

Everyone starts 50 feet apart from each other, in a triangle. Victory by ko or death

Which bending prodigy will win this three way showdown?

I'd give Toph a slight majority, mostly due to fighting style. Her 'watching and waiting' schtick is going to be really helpful in a wild and unpredictable 3-way fight.

Toph all the way.

Azula is too agressive and katara is the least talented within the bunch.

She's still not getting more than a 4/10, but that's still enough.

@pierpat: @kaang_the_watcher: Azulas got some good moves against earthbenders, and Katara could use water potentially go get off the ground. How do you think Toph will handle that?

Toph

Yes, and if she's touching the ground with water tentacles/whirlpools she's steel visible to toph.

Toph just needs to stay defensive IMO.

Toph can still sense people as long as they're in contact with the ground in some way. Katara won't be invisible to her or anything.

It's hard to debate such an evenly matched fight when it's a three-way. There are just so many variables that could influence the fight in so many ways. So I think analysis of fighting styles is about as deep as we can really go.

Azula is deadly, but she'll probably be expecting Toph and Katara to be working against her. The fact that they'll be attacking each other too might throw her a bit off balance. It's a factor she could easily capitalize on if she had time, but initially it will confuse her a bit.

Katara is a powerful waterbender, but she's no strategist. She'll just attack whichever opponent is closer at the time.

Toph, on the other hand, is very patient and observant. From the beginning, her fighting styles has been based around viewing the entire battlefield at once and waiting for the opportunity for one good strike. This kind of patience and observance will take her pretty far in a three-way fight with so many variables.

@kaang_the_watcher: @pierpat: do we have proof that Toph could sense Katara on, say, a waterspout as easily as she could if Katara were on solid ground?

@kaang_the_watcher: azula is smartew than, and she wont be that off, she can quickly use the situation on her favor and let not forget, she can easily burn toph's feet like zuko did, rendering her blind and pretty much helpless, and they ain't got that much defense against lightning

@kaang_the_watcher:

I really don't see Katara and Toph attacking each other throwing Azula off balance, why do you think it would?

Well, we already know the outcome of Azula vs Katara, so it is down to Katara vs Toph. Katara vs Toph would be a toss up, but I would say that Katara take it.

Fighting rationally, Azula stomps Katara out of the match, and I'll give Toph the edge, just because I feel as though her Seismic Senses would allow her to be a far better match for Azula, but in all honesty, I'd say it's a split between the two of them.

Katara, for all her ability, unless she's blood-bending is a non-factor here.

It's physics.

Toph senses vibrations, the eventual tentacles/whirpool would cause at least the same amount of vibrations, giving they would have to exert at least the same amount of force to keep katara up.

@pierpat: that would just allow Toph to sense where she is, but could Toph still sense Katara's movements-when she attacks, etc? @scouterv: You mean like she did at the Crystal Catacombs?

I don't remember katara managing to stay raised form the ground and range attacking at the same time honestly.

@scouterv Oh, you mean like how she stomped her in the crystal catacombs. Azula was a sitting duck against Katara and needed Zuko to bail her out.

Azula may be the biggest threat to both the other two but Toph takes this easy. She's got the entire battlefield as a weapon and Katara is less likely to go head to head against her. It'll be a long fight but Toph takes it.

Katara stomps

She might not have, I don't remember if she ever had a reason too, but it's a valid waterbending tactic

I don't think she can honestly.

She always needed limbs movement to control not uni-directional water(such as tentacles or whirlpools), so i'd guess that avoids her being able to bend more water at the same time.

Azula or toph

She was able to bend at the giant serpent while skiing (or whatever that's called) on the ocean, I realize it's not exactly the same but closest thing I've got right now to her attacking while also bending water to move

I feel like 90% certain that Toph had a feat or two similar to that in the series, but I'm tired right now and I can't think of anything.

But it's beside the point. It's not like Katara has ever used a technique like that anyway. She and Toph have even fought before and Katara never tried any waterspout-perpetual-levitation thing.

The techniques/strategies that we think of for people are often very different from the techniques/strategies they actually tend to use.

@kaang_the_watcher Actually, Katara has used it. She used it when she escaped with Aang in the crystal catacombs

In a group fight with so many attacks going off and so many angles attacks can come from defense far outweighs the value of offense, and earthbending is the most defensive of the three bending arts being employed here.

Toph can erect earth barriers to provide passive defense from angles she suspects an attack may come from while simultaneously attacking from relative safety. Both Katara and Azula have to make the choice between performing a defensive action or offensive action. In a one on one it doesn't matter as much, but in a group fight the ability to cover your back while you attack someone else is pretty important. Toph also has the advantage of having no real blind spot, as she can sense the whole battlefield at once and predict the trajectory of objects in flight so well. She probably can't take both down on her own, but she's in a better position to out last Katara and Azula, and then finish off the person who is left.

@metaljimmor:

Static earth barriers are only going to offer limited protection, Azula and Katara could attack over these barriers without too much difficulty

Toph can only sense earth in flight. Since firebending is generally pretty linear it'd be easier for her to sense that, but waterbending is perfect for attacking at unexpected angles?

Toph for a slight majority

As many have said "Toph" wins. Just like Bumi would beat any of the older benders. A benders first, natural reaction is to fight on the ground and touch the ground when bending. That gives earth benders an automatic advantage. Aang is the only child bender who can beat Toph. And no adult can beat Bumi. Toph wins

@arcus:

Toph's ability to react to projectiles always seemed a bit sketchy, to be honest. She reacts to firebenders all the time despite fire being energy, and she's been able to react to forms of water like the slurry wave that came out of the exploding drill, and I recall her reacting to Katara during their mud wrestling moment.

A lot of it is probably because all bending requires specific motions. We see in Earth Rumble how she predicts the other earth bender's moves before they do them via her seismic sense, I don't see why she couldn't do the same with Katara and Azula. Katara has never shown the ability to levitate with the water spout indefinitely the way Korra could, for example. Just surf on small waves, and we've seen Toph react to a wave.

@pooty: if that's so much of an advantage then how come earthbenders have lost fights before? @metaljimmor:

Toph reacted to the slurry cause it was a mix of earth and water, same for her mud fight with Katara

For the same reason The Flash loses to Gorilla Grodd and Thanos loses to the NYPD and Black Dwarf loses to T'challa etc etc etc

Azula is a perfectionist and a strategist. When she plans, she plans out every detail so that no matter what happens she's always two steps ahead of everybody else. An all-out battle between her two targets is a factor she won't see coming at all. The surprise of it may take her off-balance for only a moment or so, but she will need time to re-plan.

I don't actually think it's that valid of a tactic, actually.

The bending arts are based heavily on chi direction through the body. That's why benders learn specific physical movements for specific bending actions and are usually near-powerless if they're unable to move. Creating a waterspout of perpetual levitation is an advanced move that 1) Katara has never been seen doing before, and 2) would likely require a large portion of her body to be in some kind of continuous movement to maintain. If Katara is already using a lot of her body to maintain the waterspout, her ability to throw out decent ranged attacks at the same time would be impaired at best.

@gxrevolution96 I feel like there's a bit of a difference though. Katara has used the waterspout thing for limited amounts of time for the purpose of going somewhere. But what they're trying to argue is that Katara would use the waterspout technique indefinitely for the purpose of just staying off the ground for the entire fight. That, I think, is quite a stretch.

@kaang_the_watcher: Azula's delt with surprise before, like when Zuko showed up at her standoff with Aang, or when she discovered Aang was in Ba Sing Se. It'll take more than Katara and Toph fighting to throw her off @pooty: the difference is this isn't PIS, earthbenders have never been portrayed as having a distinct advantage over other benders like what you're describing. Earthbending attacks tend to be generated from the earthbender, it's not like they go around sinking people into the earth all the time

True that. I was just trying to present a decent argument for Toph. Really, this fight could give a win to anybody. We've already seen that Katara can beat Azula. But I also feel like Azula might be able to beat Toph. And I think Toph could beat Katara.

@metaljimmor: Because she knows what their motions are, which is very similar to seeing. Also she has very good ears, so she can hear them ignite a flame or move some water.

Toph wins, most versatile, and if it comes to it, she just launches them 50 ft into the air.

Exactly. without PIS and the rules say "going all out" there is nothing stopping Toph from sinking people into the ground. Or incapacitating them like Aang did to Ozai. Or the Dai Li did to Iroh. But even without those tactics, Toph still knows when they are attacking. She can counter and react before they finish their moves. Knowing what your opponent will do + controlling the ground they bend on + being an exceptional bender = VICTORY

@kaang_the_watcher: that analysis is kinda how I see it, which is why I thought this would be interesting. It's sorta like a rock paper scissors, except not that simple or guaranteed @jacthripper: she tried that against Azula, didn't work

@pooty: except she's never even done that in battle. Ozai was weakened when Aang trapped him. Iroh had stopped fighting

@arcus: Right, invasion.

She would still take Azula down 1v1

Because she has morals. She did it casually in episode to make some boys fall into a pond. Ozai wasn't weakened. The comet was amping him. He just got beat. I still see incapacitation as a way to beat the girls. Regardless of how she might win, Toph is just as skilled as the other two but has a couple advantages the others doesn't.

You always make the best battles.

Katara is very dangerous and agile, but I can't see her taking out Toph nor Azula.

Azula is a great threat, who has proven to be a wonderful fighting strategist. Even without her bending during the eclips.

Toph is a problem. With her magnitude of force and versatility there's too much potential here. I have to give her the edge.

@legacy6364: thanks

@pooty:

Toph opened a hole in a bridge to get back at the girls, which isn't the same as burying someone in the ground. Ozai had just been through a battle with the Avatar State. It's certainly a possibility, but Toph's not one to hold back, and it's not a common move in general

Even without burying them, Toph wins. A sane Azula beats Katara.

1)Toph

2)Sane Azula

3) Katara

Azula vs Katara vs Toph

The battle will be close, very close. Katara, being a masterful water bender, can most certainly hold her own against these individuals. However, I do see Katara being eliminated first. I'm not, however, saying that it'll be easy, but eventually Azula or Toph is going to knock Katara straight out of the game.

At that point, it'll be between Azula and Toph. Some might just say, "Well, Toph can just trap Azula in some earth,". but one must keep in mind that Azula is incredibly fast, to the point of Aang even stating that he couldn't keep up. However, Toph is going to be utilizing her sensory abilities to catch Azula off guard. It'll be a hard fought battle, with Azula keeping up a very good defense against Toph's attacks.

However, I'm going to give the slight edge in that battle to Toph. Toph will eventually catch Azula, and when that happens, Toph will know how to quickly disable that opponent.

Toph wins, but just barely.

I agree with the first part of this but when it gets down to Toph and Azula I think Azula wins. Azula will be able to dodge Toph's attacks but how will Toph be able to sense the fire. Also, Azula will mostly be in the air so it will be like Toph fighting Aang. Also Toph has never really fought a fire bender 1 on 1.

i give it to Azula. when shes thinking rationally shes a combat prodigy. she would immediately jump to the air with fire boosters and blitz toph from above. then kataras no proble for her. the only reason she ever lost was cuz she lost her damn mind. before that she took on the whole team Avatar and killed aang.

@bloodblunts: Katara was beating her in the Crystal Catacombs

ya but azulas track record is overall better. they pretty much hid from her most of the series

@bloodblunts: Katara had 2 fights against Azula (with more than a water gourd), she came out looking better in both of them