Out of the four elements in the world of Avatar, fire has gained a reputation as the most outwardly destructive. It was Firebending that allowed the Fire Nation to industrialize much faster than the other three nations, which gave them a unilateral edge during the Hundred Year War as they supplemented their already powerful techniques with mechanical tanks and ships.
In this list, we'll be ranking 10 of the best Firebending techniques shown across the entire franchise, from Avatar: The Last Airbender to The Legend of Korra, and explaining why these techniques are so useful in the heat of battle.
Heat Control
While helping Avatar Roku manage a volcano eruption, Fire Lord Sozin was able to cool the lava by absorbing the heat into his body and redirecting it into the air, similar to the way Firebenders are able to redirect lightning from their fingertips.
Lava's temperature ranges anywhere from 1,300 degrees Fahrenheit to 2,200 degrees, so the fact that Sozin could cool it down in seconds means that with this technique under their belt, there's no food that's too hot for a Firebender to eat.
Fire Breath
Many powerful Firebenders have breathed fire over the course of the series, but Azula's use of the technique is by far the most memorable. After Katara managed to capture her, she went into a crying fit, breathing her signature blue flames from her mouth, showing just how dangerous Firebenders are even when they can't use their hands or feet to attack.
Flame Vortex
While fire isn't as tangible as water or earth, it can still be used to protect Firebenders from harm. Many Firebenders across the series have generated vortexes of flame to cover their own blind spots during fights where they've been overwhelmed by an opponent's attacks.
During his fight with a few detestable Earth Kingdom soldiers while on the run, Zuko generated a vortex of flame after being knocked down, changing the course of the entire battle by knocking his opponent to the ground as he regained his footing. In his final battle with Azula, Zuko also generated a flame vortex that managed to bring Azula crashing to the ground.
Aang learned the major weakness in this technique after accidentally burning Katara when he pulled this move off for the first time. While this technique is very effective, the sudden burst of fire in all directions means that a Firebender could cause serious damage to their surroundings and their allies if they're not careful.
Jet Propulsion
Azula first demonstrated this explosive technique during her battle with Aang and Katara in the Crystal Catacombs of Ba Sing Se, and she also used it during the latter stages of her Agni Kai with Zuko. The most common use for this technique involves Firebenders shooting large amounts of flame from their hands and feet to propel them forward at high speeds.
Azula also used this technique to save herself from plummeting to her death at the Western Air Temple by shooting flames from her feet to push herself towards a cliff that she was able to grab on to. In The Legend of Korra, Mako and Korra generated flames from their hands to help them run on the wall during Amon's Equalist rally.
It looks like any Firebender with this technique can defy physics just as much as an Airbender can.
Charged Attacks
A Firebender's bending can only be halted completely if there's a solar eclipse or they're kept in constant below-freezing temperatures. Besides that, Firebenders can bend anywhere (besides the Spirit World), unlike Earthbenders and Waterbenders, who must be near physical bodies of earth, metal, and water to use their techniques.
In generating their own flames, Firebenders are in direct control of how much power they put into each attack. Through mastering proper breathing techniques, they can charge fire blasts to send larger attacks to finish off their opponents, or a continuous string of smaller attacks to overwhelm opponents who aren't as fast.
Wall of Flames
Firebenders who can generate a wall of fire have the best of both worlds when it comes to offensive and defensive skills.
Azula used this technique to shield herself from a simultaneous blast from all four elements, and Aang's first Firebending teacher, Jeong Jeong, was able to push back several Fire Nation tanks during the White Lotus's mission to reclaim Ba Sing Se.
Fire Whip
Fans saw this technique being employed more in Avatar: The Last Airbender than in The Legend of Korra. When Katara resorted to coating her arms in water to fight Zuko and Azula from a distance, Zuko conjured two whips of flame that he used to not only extend his own reach but keep her water tendrils at bay.
This move has other practical uses outside of fighting as well. A Fire Nation animal trainer used a fire whip to control Appa after forcing him into a circus, and the guards at Boiling Rock used whips to corral unruly prisoners.
Combustion Bending
Fans knew the moment they laid eyes on P'Li that she'd give Korra and her friends just as much trouble as Combustion Man gave the original Team Avatar. While we've only seen these two "Firebenders" make use of such a powerful technique, Combustion Bending enables its user to create pinpoint explosions by shooting condensed beams of energy from the third eye on their foreheads.
Unlike Combustion Man, P'Li could even curve the beams of energy she fired from her forehead, further improving the accuracy of the technique. Still, despite how lethal Combustion Bending is, its users must remain far away as to not get caught in one of their own blasts. It's no coincidence that both Combustion Benders in the series were obliterated by their own attacks.
Fire Missiles
Throughout the battle between Aang and Fire Lord Ozai, both benders demonstrated their mastery over fire, generating large missiles of flame that could home in on their opponent.
While the clear advantage is that these missiles can chase an opponent no matter if they swerve from a straight path, multiple fire missiles can be used to strategically block an opponent's routes of escape, backing them into a corner to ensure that the following attack will land.
Lightning Generation
Azula was the first Firebender in the series that fans saw generate electricity from her fingertips. The bolt of lightning fired by a Firebender travels so fast that it's not easy to avoid. In fact, the most effective way to deal with this technique seems to be to deflect it, which requires that the target be a Firebender as well (obviously) and take the full force of the attack, which runs a high risk of killing them in the process.
Not only is this technique extremely difficult (and dangerous) to learn and use in battle, but it introduced fans to alternate styles of bending. Though it was a rare skill in the days of The Last Airbender, lightning generation became much more common in The Legend of Korra, enabling a Firebender like Mako, who lacks the special training afforded to a royal brat like Azula, to be able to pull off the technique with ease.