Xiaolin Showdown/Avatar: The Last Airbender - A Match Made In HERO?

[AlHazred]

On RPG.net, there've been threads where people comment that they don't like universal systems because they don't specialize; i.e., they don't do any particular thing very well. On the other hand, I like HERO specifically because it can do everything at the same time.

 

While thinking of examples, I thought of a neat combination: Xiaolin Showdown and Avatar: The Last Airbender. I'm sure I'm not the first to have this idea, but it's still mostly unformed - I need other input, I think. A little background (well, actually a lot of background – sorry!):

 

Avatar: The Last Airbender

 

In the world of Avatar, there are several pre-industrial nations divided along the lines of the classic alchemical elements: the two Water Tribes (the Southern Water Tribe inhabiting the South Pole and the Northern Water Tribe inhabiting the North Pole), the massively large Earth Kingdom, the theocratic wandering Air Nomads, and one industrialized nation, the warlike and imperialistic Fire Nation.

 

Each nation has several bloodlines of people that practice the art of elemental bending: i.e., Airbending, Firebending, etc. Bending allows the practioner to manipulate the element in question, usually in association with a particular martial art - thus Firebenders punch and kick towards their opponents and arcs of flame bridge the gap. As of the beginning of the series, the Fire Nation has been undergoing a century-long war to try to conquer all of the other nations, supported by their Firebenders and the few machines they've constructed.

 

The one force that was poised to stop them at the very beginning of the war was Aang, the Avatar. At all times, there is an Avatar, who embodies the soul of the world itself. He or she is a bender trained in manipulating all of the elements, who maintains the peaceful balance of power in the world. When one Avatar dies, another is born, from the next nation in the cycle - Aang, the current Avatar, is an Airbender from the Air Tribes, while the next one will be a Firebender. At the beginning of the war, Aang was trapped, frozen in suspended animation in a huge block of ice. While he was frozen, the Fire Nation fought a war of genocide against the Air Nomads, killing all of the other Airbenders. They then turned their attention on the other nations.

 

The start of the series sees the reanimation of Aang by two members of the Southern Water Tribe. Aang must learn to master all of the other elemental bending arts in order to finish his training, and he must do it before the start of the year since at that time a comet will arrive, drastically enhancing the powers of all Firebenders and making the Fire Nation unstoppable.

 

Xiaolin Showdown

 

In the world of Xiaolin Showdown, fifteen hundred years past, the Xiaolin Grand Master Dashi imprisoned the witch Wuya in a puzzle box to stop her from ten thousand years of tyranny. He also took her powers and housed them in magical objects called Shen Gong Wu, which he then hid all over the world.

 

In the current time, the Shen Gong Wu are slowly emerging from their hiding places. The Xiaolin temple must send the four Xiaolin warriors to reclaim them before the forces of evil take them and use them to release Wuya. The Xiaolin warriors are armed with Shen Gong Wu and their own innate powers, for each of the Xiaolin warriors has an elemental power that they can unleash with the proper martial arts training; each is called Xiaolin Dragon of his or her respective element.

There are four chosen Xiaolin warriors: Omi (the main character, a very naive monk raised by the Xiaolin temple, who is the Xiaolin Dragon of Water), Kimiko Tohomiko (a tech-savvy Japanese girl, the Xiaolin Dragon of Fire), Raimundo Pedrosa (a Brazilian carnie, the Xiaolin Dragon of Air), and Clay Bailey (a cowboy from Texas, the Xiaolin Dragon of Earth). Through the series they learn to enhance their powers through martial arts techniques, and the judicious use of Shen Gong Wu and other magical items tied to their respective element.

 

The Idea

 

Combine them. Since the world of Avatar is key to the plotline, transmute the Xiaolin warriors to their respective Avatar-equivalents.

Omi becomes a Waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe. His naivete is explained by the remoteness and relative unsophistication of his tribal origin.

 

Kimiko becomes a Firebender from the Fire Nation, daughter of one of the most prominent machinists, who infused in her his love of new things; her obsession with technology is thus explained.

 

Raimundo becomes an Airbender from the Air Nomads. Air Nomads, wandering circus entertainers, it's a natural fit.

 

Clay becomes an Earthbender of the Earth Kingdom. The Earth Nation is mostly depicted as full of ranchers and farmers anyway, being the largest producer of foodstuffs in the world. Clay is another easy fit.

 

In fact, they all fit so easily it's scary. Everything from Kimiko's temper to Clay's stolidity and earthy metaphors is a perfect match for their Avatar equivalents.

 

What does the board think?

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Xiaolin Showdown/Avatar: The Last Airbender - A Match Made In HERO?

 

In fact' date=' they all fit so easily it's scary. Everything from Kimiko's temper to Clay's stolidity and earthy metaphors is a perfect match for their Avatar equivalents.[/font']

 

What does the board think?

 

Well, the fact that the elements and personalities line up so well is probably because of the typical personalities that we ascribe to the elements ... hot-headedness for Fire, and all that. The similarities don't surprise me now that you've mentioned them (I don't watch Avatar as often as I've watched Xiaolin Showdown). But I must say, very astute and very well thought-out. Tip of the doggie door to ya (and rep if I'm able).

 

Where do the Shen Gong Wu come in, though? Imagine Sokka and Jack in a Showdown ... that would be one of the funniest things ever in the history of ever.

[AlHazred]

Re: Xiaolin Showdown/Avatar: The Last Airbender - A Match Made In HERO?

 

We haven't seen any overtly magical items in Avatar at all. However, there are a few (very, very few) items that appear to be 'special' or otherwise have some aura of power to them. I refer specifically to items from previous Avatars. They seem to give Aang jolts of memory or otherwise respond to him. For instance, when he enters the Avatar state, statues of previous Avatars across the world begin to emit a glow from their eyes. Also, Aang wears the regalia of a previous Avatar at one point and it seems to give him extra memories from that Avatar.

 

I would turn down the overt power of the Shen Gong Wu. Perhaps, instead of the powers of an ancient witch, they are the regalia of previous Avatars that possess some elements of that Avatar's personality or power. Perhaps the Tangleweb Comb allows the bender wielding it to Waterbend the water in plants, causing them to lash out and entangle opponents. Similarly, perhaps the Fist of Tebigong only amplifies an Earthbender's ability to shake the ground.

[Princedarkstorm]

Re: Xiaolin Showdown/Avatar: The Last Airbender - A Match Made In HERO?

 

Both fit in the NINJA HERO or FANASTY HERO settings and Avatar is cool series very manga .Showdown depends on my mood but is ok.

[TheRavenIs]

Re: Xiaolin Showdown/Avatar: The Last Airbender - A Match Made In HERO?

 

I like it. Repped btw.