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wait wait WAIT! about toph's abilities...

  • Avatar of tigerstalksprey

    tigerstalksprey

    [1]Nov 18, 2006
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    how is it that she can 'see' objects flying through the air towards her? she always seems to know theyre coming and intercepts them w/ earthbending (really apparent in the earth king episode) but unless shes feeling the vibrations in the air, (but she's not, because she couldnt pinpoint aang when they fought in 'the blind bandit'), how is she doing this? just a loophole they wont cover or it would hinder the action maybe?
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    F1ames

    [2]Nov 18, 2006
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    this happened in the desert when toph was fighting against the buzzard things and she almost hit sokka with her earthbending cause she cant tell where the buzzards are in the air. but im guessing that since its rock-like earthbending gloves in the air, she can sense them.
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    Rin-tori

    [3]Nov 18, 2006
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    She can feel the people who launch the earthen projectiles and hear them coming. But if it's a flying organism like the ostrich bees, they never were a part of the ground so she can't feel them.

    If she's a bender she can probably sense that the element she bends is coming towards her. I got thrown off by that, too. ^^;
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  • Avatar of dumbTVnut

    dumbTVnut

    [4]Nov 18, 2006
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    How come she could not see those "surface-to-air" rocks in "the earth king" episode
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    LordMordor

    [5]Nov 18, 2006
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    she sees the earthbenders (who ARE on the ground) launch their attack.

    She can see the motion and knows where the attack is coming from so she can stop it. Once those attacks were launched they continued in a straight line, even if the earthbending opponent tried to change his projectiles path Toph would still see him going through those motions and would understand what he was doing.
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    tigerstalksprey

    [6]Nov 18, 2006
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    Rin-tori wrote:
    She can feel the people who launch the earthen projectiles and hear them coming. But if it's a flying organism like the ostrich bees, they never were a part of the ground so she can't feel them.


    wait so, she can hear the rocks flying toward her, but not the buzzing of giant wasps? what does a rock flying towards you sound like anyway?
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    PrimoNation

    [7]Nov 18, 2006
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    dumbTVnut wrote:
    How come she could not see those "surface-to-air" rocks in "the earth king" episode

    because her feet and body were not in contact with the ground from whence they came, unlike when an earthbender is using a "bend" move to send a projectile her way and she is firmly planted, she is able to counteract, which is what she did in Blind Bandit a few times during the final fight scene

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    tigerstalksprey

    [8]Nov 18, 2006
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    LordMordor wrote:
    she sees the earthbenders (who ARE on the ground) launch their attack.

    She can see the motion and knows where the attack is coming from so she can stop it. Once those attacks were launched they continued in a straight line, even if the earthbending opponent tried to change his projectiles path Toph would still see him going through those motions and would understand what he was doing.


    never mind, i like this theory, sounds about right.
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    masterofaeons

    [9]Nov 18, 2006
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    Some of it I just don't buy. Like the Dai Lee hands. She shouldn't be able to see those.
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    LordMordor

    [10]Nov 18, 2006
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    she feels the Dai Lee agents with her earth-sense and knows about the hands...she also can see them make the bending motion and knows that they have just launched a projectile attack, so unless she also sees them make a move to change its direction she knows where it is.
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  • Avatar of Grintoth

    Grintoth

    [11]Nov 19, 2006
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    Then how come she has been captured by their gloves at least 3 times now? She couldn't see those?
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  • Avatar of Eman5805

    Eman5805

    [12]Nov 19, 2006
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    Grintoth wrote:
    Then how come she has been captured by their gloves at least 3 times now? She couldn't see those?

    Toph??isn't invincible. She's just damn near close. She has to be able to get caught off guard atleast a couple times or she'd be too perfect...

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    Smileandbehappy

    [13]Nov 19, 2006
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    Well alot of time when people don't have a sence like sight their other sences will increase by alot. So she can peobably hear better then us and feel better to (like the vibretions) so her other sence are more sharp and aware
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  • Avatar of oatwin12

    oatwin12

    [14]Nov 19, 2006
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    because she was on appa. A nd could not see where they where cominng from. like the the ostrich bees they where in the air thats why
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    KilalaRose

    [15]Nov 19, 2006
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    Toph's abilities are being switched around constantly if you ask me. In "The Blind Bandit" she could sense that green-masked Earthbender who was swinging down through the air screaming, but she couldn't sense the buzzard-wasps who were making just as much noise. I think the writers aren't really thinking about her limitations much, even if they were mentioned before, and are simply letting her do them.
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    DeathandDoom

    [16]Nov 19, 2006
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    Except that there were quite a few vulture buzzards out there - she probably couldn't pick one out from the surrounding noise.
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    MissMahina

    [17]Nov 19, 2006
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    Well, if the guy was screaming his head off, it's no wonder she knew where he was coming from.
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    Falcondude123

    [18]Nov 19, 2006
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    F1ames wrote:
    this happened in the desert when toph was fighting against the buzzard things and she almost hit sokka with her earthbending cause she cant tell where the buzzards are in the air. but im guessing that since its rock-like earthbending gloves in the air, she can sense them.


    Exactly, Iv'e said this once before, but I think it's because she can feel the earth's resistance to her power. It takes muscle to be an earthbender, so you can feel that there's something in the air you can control.
    It's like if your holding a bar with your eyes closed and someone puts weights on it. You don't feel the weights directly, but you feel the extra force it takes for you to hold them up. Similar to what Toph feels; she can 'feel' all the matter that responds to her power.
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  • Avatar of ChrisVisagie

    ChrisVisagie

    [19]Nov 19, 2006
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    Perhaps her abilitie to sense certain??projectiles has to do with them being earth based but even in the real world a blind person, with the proper training, can dodge a punch by feeling the displacment of air caused by the moving fist.

    As for the guy swinging on the rope, in theory since the creaters??have yet to specify what her range of "sight" is, maybe Toph was able to sense him because of his rope being connected to the ceilling of the arena.

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  • Avatar of tigerstalksprey

    tigerstalksprey

    [20]Nov 19, 2006
    • member since: 11/23/05
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    Falcondude123 wrote:
    F1ames wrote:
    this happened in the desert when toph was fighting against the buzzard things and she almost hit sokka with her earthbending cause she cant tell where the buzzards are in the air. but im guessing that since its rock-like earthbending gloves in the air, she can sense them.


    Exactly, Iv'e said this once before, but I think it's because she can feel the earth's resistance to her power. It takes muscle to be an earthbender, so you can feel that there's something in the air you can control.
    It's like if your holding a bar with your eyes closed and someone puts weights on it. You don't feel the weights directly, but you feel the extra force it takes for you to hold them up. Similar to what Toph feels; she can 'feel' all the matter that responds to her power.


    If it takes MUSCLE to be an earthbender, why is toph such a strong earthbender? aang? haru? it's gotta be more than muscle.
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