u/mimiclarinette

For example, some people will say that Toph is a greater prodigy than Azula or Katara because she invented a new form of earthbending ( metal ). But that’s also closely tied to the nature of her element. Earthbending allows for that kind of innovation in a very specific way.

By contrast, Katara and Azula can’t really do the same with fire or water not necessarily because they’re less talented, but because their elements are more limited in that regard and new form of their bending were already invented before their birth.

+ The skills needed to control one element aren’t the same at all as those required to control another, because each element is fundamentally different in its use and philosophy. Like, Toph would probably be a terrible fire bender, and Azula a terrible air bender.