The 6 Strongest Ancient Spirits in the Avatar Universe, Officially Ranked

The Avatar universe is full of spirits, but very few have shaped the world of the series. To clarify, we are talking about The Last Airbender universe. Even James Cameron’s Avatar franchise has spirits, but they are not nearly as well-developed as the Nickelodeon series. Across ATLA and The Legend of Korra, we see multiple ancient spirits make an appearance.

Some spirits control oceans and moons, while others steal faces or guard forests. Each earned a place through proven might rather than reputation. Here is the countdown of the strongest ancient spirits in the Avatar universe, starting with the weakest entry and ending with the champion.

6 Hei Bai Terrorized a Village Until Aang Intervened

Hei Bai appears early in Avatar: The Last Airbender. The Black and White spirit of the forest usually appears as a gentle giant Panda. After the Fire Nation razed his forest, he became enraged and took a monstrous four-armed form near the winter solstice, when the two worlds align. He kidnapped a villager every night and dragged Sokka into the Spirit World.

Hei Bai ranks last despite being a powerful ancient spirit because his power is hyperlocalized. He works best in the forest, and while he does come to help Aang later, he is also subdued by the Avatar pretty easily.

5 Tui is the Source of All Waterbenders But Rarely Fights

Tui is the moon spirit in the Avatar universe. He is the cosmic force behind all waterbending and takes the moral form of a small koi in the North Pole’s Oasis. When Admiral Zhao kills him, the moon vanishes, and the waterbenders completely lose their abilities. This action also angers La, the ocean spirit, but we will get to that later.

Tui ranks fifth because while he is such a powerful spirit, he is also extremely vulnerable. His koi form is extremely weak, and Zhao can easily kill it, rendering waterbenders useless. The show also rarely shows his skills.

4 Koh is a Face Stealer Who Escaped the Avatar

Koh is as ancient as the major spirits come. This face-stealing spirit predates all of mankind and, as the adjective suggests, steals the face of anyone in front of him who shows even the slightest emotion. He stole the face of Ummi, the lover of Avatar Kuruk, and Kuruk never managed to defeat him. Aang escaped his lair only by hiding his emotions. He lurks in a dangerous realm filled with faceless victims.

Koh is no doubt one of the strongest spirits and deserves the spot in the top half. However, the fact that his strength is dependent on provoking emotion, and Aang was able to escape him by controlling his emotions, puts him at the fourth spot.

3 La Wiped Out a Whole Fire Nation Fleet

La, the Ocean Spirit, delivered the most staggering display of force in the original series. After Admiral Zhao killed Tui, La merged with Aang in the Avatar State, forming a giant water titan that swept away the Fire Nation fleet. It destroyed ships and soldiers in moments, ending the siege completely. 

La ranks third because this feat is devastating and clear. However, its power needed Aang as a host, and it still depended on Tui’s balance to maintain order.

2 Vaatu Almost Ended the Avatar Cycle with Korra

Vaatu is the spirit of darkness and chaos. He and Raava, the spirit of light, have been at war with each other for thousands of years. When Harmonic Convergence arrived, he was freed from the Tree of Time, merged with Unalaq, and became a colossal force that covered the world in darkness. 

Vaatu briefly ripped the Avatar spirit away from Korra and almost ended the Avatar cycle. His strength forced the heroes into a desperate final stand. He ranks second only because Raava, with Korra, ultimately defeated him.

1 Raava is the Spirit of Light

Raava, the spirit of light and peace, takes the top spot. She battled Vaatu for ten thousand years before bonding with Wan, which created the Avatar cycle and gave every Avatar the Avatar State. Her light imprisoned Vaatu in the Tree of Time, and she later merged with Korra to defeat him again at Harmonic Convergence. 

Raava is number one because she beat Vaatu twice, sustained every Avatar across thousands of years, and never lost the long war despite near destruction.

Which spirit lore in the Avatar universe do you love the most? Comment below.