One of Avatar's best qualities is the wide variety of fighting styles and weaponry that benders and non-benders alike employ in an attempt to best their enemies. While the majority of battles in both of the Avatar series center around bending, there are still a plethora of weapons depicted as well, either used to augment a bender’s abilities or to level the playing field for non-benders.
The weapons featured in Avatar: The Last Airbender tend to be more traditional than the ones in Avatar: The Legend of Korra, which is down to the difference in technological advancement between the show’s two eras. However, the best weapons in the Avatar universe all share common qualities: They are unique, ingenious, and immensely powerful.
Shirshu-Spit Darts
Shirshu-spit darts are, as the name implies, blow-darts laced with the paralyzing saliva of a shirshu. They are first used in “Appa’s Lost Days” when the Beetle-headed merchants need to prevent a panic-stricken Appa from escaping their clutches. The Shirshu-spit darts’ ability to subdue a ten-ton flying bison with relative ease is a testament to how powerful they are.
The Shirshu-spit darts make a second appearance in ATLOK, this time being used to sedate Naga and capture Korra. Any weapon that has been used to capture the Avatar must, by definition, be considered as one of the most powerful, and Shirshu-spit darts have certainly proved their utility in this regard.
Mai’s Throwing Knives
As a non-bender, Mai had to pursue alternative combat styles if she wanted to compete with benders. This pursuit took the form of weaponry, with Mai’s weapons of choice being her selection of deadly throwing knives.
With the ability to puncture metal, stone, and wood, Mai’s throwing knives posed a serious threat to anybody unfortunate enough to face her in battle. While Mai never actually hit a human target with her throwing knives on the show, they were tremendously useful in a fight in terms of distracting or incapacitating her enemies.
Electrified Kali Sticks
Electrified kali sticks are electroshock weapons that were designed to level the playing field between benders and non-benders, which is a core theme in the first season of ATLOK. They were used exclusively by the Lieutenant of the Equalists and provided a serious challenge for Team Avatar.
The Lieutenant uses the electrified kali sticks to great effect on multiple occasions in the show, besting Mako and Bolin repeatedly, electrocuting police officers via their metal armor, and providing a real test for Korra. He proves that in the right hands, electrified kali sticks can be extremely powerful combat assets.
Sokka's Boomerang
Sokka’s boomerang is symbolic of his character: loyal, dependable, and robust. Given to him by his father, Hakoda, Sokka’s boomerang is the prized jewel in his arsenal of weaponry.
More often than not, a weapon is only as powerful as the person who wields it, and this is certainly the case for Sokka’s boomerang, which he used to lift Team Avatar out of many tight situations throughout the series. The moment that truly captured how powerful the boomerang could be was when Sokka used it to defeat Combustion Man at the Western Air Temple, which was certainly no mean feat.
Dual Broadswords
In the hands of a master, dual broadswords are extremely powerful weapons. They are championed by Zuko throughout ATLA, and he is just as formidable while using them as he is while firebending.
Zuko showcases how powerful dual broadswords can be on multiple occasions throughout the show, most notably, in “Zuko Alone,” where he uses them to defeat a gang of bullies that have been terrorizing a small Earth Kingdom town. Not only did the dual broadswords prove to be powerful melee weapons during this fight, they also displayed further utility by augmenting Zuko’s firebending, showing that these swords are extremely valuable for both benders and non-benders.
Remotely Detonated Bombs
The ATLOK era witnessed unprecedented technological advancement, much of which had military applications. Remotely detonated bombs, invented by tech-pioneer Varrick, are just one example of the sophisticated and powerful weapons featured in ATLOK.
The immense power of the remotely detonated bomb is typified by the destruction that they caused during the attack on the Southern Water Tribe Cultural Center in “Peacekeepers.” The ability to cause such large-scale damage while nowhere near the attack site is the reason why the remotely detonated bomb is considered such a powerful and dangerous weapon.
Electrified Gloves
Electrified gloves were invented by Hiroshi Sato to help level the playing field between benders and non-benders in The Legend of Korra. They were primarily used by the Equalists, and according to Amon, they allow anybody to “hold the power of a chi blocker in their hand.”
Those equipped with an electrified glove can administer a powerful electric shock to their foes, which is shown in ATLOK to be particularly effective against the metal-clad Republic City police officers. Asami is a notable user of the electric glove, using it to enhance her formidable hand-to-hand combat skills and become a force to be reckoned with in battle.
Aang’s Airbender Staff
Aang’s iconic airbender staff is a highly versatile tool that was given to him by the monks of the Southern Air Temple where he grew up. It is shown to be an extremely powerful weapon and is used to great effect by Aang on multiple occasions throughout ATLA.
Aside from being able to use it as a glider, Aang can use his staff to augment his bending abilities, particularly his airbending. Any weapon that can make one of the most powerful benders in the Avatar universe even more formidable certainly deserves to be considered as one of the best in the entire franchise.
Spirit Energy Cannon
One of the more elaborate weapons in ATLOK, the spirit energy cannon is a type of long-range artillery weapon that weaponizes spirit energy. The weapon was developed to aid Kuvira in her conquest of Republic City and was eventually added to an enormous mecha suit to increase its mobility and effectiveness.
The spirit energy cannon is capable of inflicting immense damage, evidenced on multiple occasions throughout the show. The first demonstration of the cannon’s unspeakable power is in “Operation: Beifong,” where it blows a massive hole in the side of a hill. Subsequent displays of its power took place in “Kuvira’s Gambit,” where the spirit energy cannon tore through the buildings of Republic City with ease.
Sokka's Sword
After feeling disheartened at not being able to bend like the other members of Team Avatar, Sokka decides that he is to become a master swordsman. During his training with Piandao, Sokka crafts a sword “unlike any other in the world” by using the ore of a meteorite.
The unique sword lives up to all expectations and helps Sokka unlock his full potential as one of the greatest warriors the Four Nations have ever witnessed. While a sword is only ever as mighty as the person who wields it, in the hands of a master like Sokka, the impressive blade is undoubtedly one of the most powerful weapons in Avatar.