Spirits of the Avatar World

Spirit World Information

This section provides more detailed information about the Spirit World, its history, locations, and interactions with the physical world.

Relation to the Physical World

Prior to 171 AG and the reopening of the Northern and Southern spirit portals, travel between the physical and Spirit Worlds was very rare. It was extremely difficult for any human other than the Avatar, who was the bridge between the two worlds, to enter the Spirit World, and even then could only their spirit cross over. By the same token, only a handful of spirits were capable of assuming physical forms in the mortal world, and doing so required them to give up their immortality. After Avatar Korra reopened the portals in 171 AG, travel between the two worlds became much easier, as people and spirits could once again physically cross into the other world.

Other than physically crossing through a portal, there are only a few known ways for humans other than the Avatar to enter into the Spirit World: they can be carried in by a spirit as the entity shifts between the worlds, and certain individuals can cross over through meditation. Various locations in the physical world also act as bridges to the Spirit World, such as the Spirit Oasis in the North Pole and the Forgetful Valley outside the Fire Nation village of Hira'a, and are often revered by the cultures living near them. Additionally, some powerful spirits possessed the ability to create passages between the two worlds while the portals were closed. Annually, the barrier between the Spirit World and the physical world is weakest during the summer and winter solstices, which made it easier for inhabitants of both worlds to cross over. Equinoxes also have spiritual significance, being a "fulcrum" between daylight and darkness. From day to day, the barrier is weakest at twilight, when spiritual activity is at its highest.

Individuals who cross over to the Spirit World cannot use their bending unless they have entered physically through the spirit portals. Despite this, the Avatar is able to use energybending when in the Spirit World, even when they did not enter through a portal, as they are connected to all the spiritual energy when in that world.

When Avatar Korra decided to leave the portals open in 171 AG and accidentally created a third portal in 174 AG, she put the already unsteady balance between humans and spirits in danger; some humans feared the spirits, while others wanted to exploit them and the Spirit World by turning the portal into an amusement park from where they could organize tours and excursions into the Spirit World. Some spirit life, such as vegetation from the Spirit Wilds, was also misused by humans for warfare.

At least while the portals were closed, the passage of time was experienced much differently in the Spirit World than it was in the physical world.

History

During the era of Raava, the spirit portals at the North and South Pole were open, allowing free passage between the two worlds. However, spirits and mankind lived separately, with the spirits roaming free in the forests and mankind living secluded atop different lion turtles. When they would venture out into the forest to hunt, the lion turtle would temporarily grant the humans bending abilities in order to protect them against violent spirits, who had a tendency to possess and subsequently disfigure people. Wan and the people of living atop the air lion turtle were among the few to not fear and even befriend the spirits.

When the tensions between mankind and the spirits reached a climax after Vaatu's escape, resulting in several casualties, Avatar Wan closed the spirit portals following the Harmonic Convergence of 9,829 BG, separating the two worlds and making travel between the two worlds extremely rare, as it was only possible through a few specific locations and methods. Aside from a handful of enlightened individuals, only the Avatar made the journey in spiritual form as the bridge between the two worlds to converse with the spirits and ask them for guidance. It was also believed that the divide between spirits and humans widened in the millennia after the portals had closed. Very few humans would possess spiritual powers after antiquity.

Throughout Avatar Yangchen's lifetime, she often sided with humans when they clashed with spirits in the physical world. Although Yangchen trusted the humans to uphold their ends of the bargain and respect the balance of their surroundings, many did not.

As a direct result of Yangchen's actions, many spirits had turned dark by the lifetime of Avatar Kuruk. Dark spirits made use of newly created passageways to the physical world, attempting to wreak havoc and kill as many humans as possible. Kuruk battled against the dark spirits, but the duels took a harsh toll on his mind, body, and soul. Kuruk eventually decided to hunt down the spirits that could not be saved by tracking them down in the Spirit World, making use of the new passageways so that he could use his bending. Eventually, Kuruk found the source of the cracks between the realms, a malevolent spirit known as Father Glowworm. Though Kuruk managed to grievously wound the spirit, it managed to escape, and the fight took a heavy physical toll on Kuruk.

In 296 BG, Yun was taken to the Spirit World by a weakened Father Glowworm, who wished to feed on his blood and restore his strength. However, Yun managed to resist the spirit and deceived him long enough to overpower Father Glowworm, eating his eyeball and absorbing his essence. After the battle, he dug down until he reached the Xishaan Mountains in the physical world. During Kyoshi's life, many of the few remaining spirits in the physical world wished to return to the Spirit World, with their homes being harassed by daofei, as well as due to the long-term consequences of Kuruk taking action against dark spirits.

At the beginning of Avatar Roku's life, the physical world began to experience another period of strange spiritual activity, including a growing number of dark spirits, especially at the polar regions where the dormant spirit portals were located. Spiritually-focused tribespeople believed this was linked to nations extending their reach and abusing natural resources during the technological renaissance and the first true industrial revolution, as well as sacred land being claimed for political ambitions and the killing of ancient creatures such as the dragons.

After Lu Ten's death in 95 AG, Iroh traveled to the Spirit World in the hope of finding his son's spirit; however, he was unsuccessful, learning that the Spirit World was not a realm of the dead. Instead, Iroh discovered himself, renewing his passion for life and choosing to be an enlightened uncle to his brother's children instead of a general who took life.

During the winter solstice of 99 AG, an enraged Hei Bai took Sokka and a few of inhabitants of Senlin Village to the Spirit World following the Fire Nation's destruction of a forest in the physical world. After Avatar Aang calmed the spirit by showing it that the forest would regrow, Hei Bai returned the humans to the material world. Weeks later, Aang crossed over from the Spirit Oasis to ask Koh about the identity of the Moon and Ocean Spirits.

In the spring of the following year, Wan Shi Tong relocated his library to the Spirit World, enraged by Team Avatar using his collection of knowledge to formulate an invasion plan for the Fire Nation.

After being killed by Azula's lightning attack and subsequently revived by Katara, Aang's spirit became trapped in the Spirit World. To heal the Avatar Spirit and preserve his connection to his past lives, he reconnected with his four most recent past lives, learning that all Avatars struggle and make mistakes as they are human. He subsequently awoke in the physical world, not remembering anything since his momentary demise.

In 171 AG, Avatar Korra was tricked and forced into opening the Southern and later the Northern spirit portal, which enabled Unalaq to physically enter the Spirit World again and bring with him "darkness and anger" that threatened to overtake the Spirit World. These negative emotions were amplified during the Harmonic Convergence of 171 AG, when Vaatu used the increased spiritual energy of the event to break free from his prison inside the Tree of Time. After Vaatu was defeated, Avatar Korra decided to leave the spirit portals open, reasoning that humans and spirits were meant to live harmoniously together.

This harmonious coexistence proved to be more of a challenge than anticipated, as the Spirit Wilds partially reemerged in the heart of Republic City. Specifically, spirit vines began to grow destructively throughout the city, prompting citizens to evacuate from boroughs which became virtually uninhabitable. This vegetation became home to spirits that migrated to the physical world. Although the citizens eventually learned to coexist, tension remained. Some people, such as Varrick and Kuvira, took an interest in these plants after witnessing Vaatu's attack and researched them for new technology. Despite the discovery that the vines were made of pure energy that had become unstable by being in the physical world, their raw power made them desirable for mankind as a weapon on mass destruction. As such, Kuvira and her army began to harvest these vines at the base of the banyan-grove tree, causing the Spirit Wilds in Republic City to react violently to its visitors, imprisoning them in vegetative pods that trapped their souls in the Spirit World.

This unsteady balance was put under even more pressure after a third spirit portal was created by accident in the heart of Republic City when the Earth Empire's spirit energy cannon overloaded on Republic City's spirit vines and Korra tried to control the enormous discharge of spiritual energy with her energybending, tearing open a new portal between the physical and Spirit World in the process.

After the conclusion of the invasion of the United Republic of Nations, Korra and Asami used this portal to cross over to the Spirit World, where they traveled around for several days as a vacation. When they returned, however, they discovered that Wonyong Keum, the owner of the land surrounding the spirit portal, intended to turn the area into an amusement park and organize excursions into the Spirit World. Several spirits rebelled against this idea, with the dragon eel spirit even imploring Korra to close the spirit portal in Republic City, as it left the Spirit World vulnerable to be ravaged and exploited by humans.

After the conflict took a violent turn, during which the dragon eel spirit passed through and disfigured Tokuga, the spirits destroyed the flower field to where Republic City's spirit portal led to as a warning to the humans to not step foot in their realm ever again: although the portal remained open and humans could still enter the Spirit World, thorny vines would shoot out of the ground and attack anyone in their vicinity the moment someone touched one of the scorched flowers.

At the end of Tokuga's insurrection, Asami piloted the Triple Threat Triad's stolen airship into the Spirit World via the portal, knowing that the spirits would be immune to Tokuga's toxic gas, unlike the human inhabitants of Republic City. After the ship crashed, dark spirits approached, with the dragon-eel spirit claiming there would never be peace as long as humans tried to exploit the Spirit World. However, at that moment, Keum relinquished his claim to the land around the spirit portal, grateful for Korra and Asami saving his life. Hearing this, the spirits allowed the portal to stay but warned that they would not remain quiet if things did not improve. Tokuga took advantage of this opportunity to flee from justice in the Spirit World. After the election of President Zhu Li Moon, the land around the portal was granted to the Air Nation.

Overview

In certain places, the landscape of the Spirit World seems to conform closely to the area of the physical world that functions as its entry point, to the extent that a human crossing over might not immediately notice the difference. In other places, the geography of the Spirit World has no relation to the physical world and the two settings vary considerably.

While it does contains a multitude of specific locations, there is also the sense that physical space in the Spirit World is a somewhat elastic concept: Characters who enter the Spirit World are sometimes shown moving from one location to another in seemingly impossible ways, traversing great distances in a matter of moments, or passing through sequential locations that seem to have no connection to or are not directly adjacent to each other.

Realm of Koh

The lair of the spirit Koh, the Face Stealer, lies below a gigantic, twisted tree. The land surrounding his covert is barren, dark, and scarcely inhabited, except for Koh's faceless victims and at least one gargantuan wolf. For anyone who enters his lair, it is advisable to remain emotionless, as Koh steals the face of anyone who expresses their emotions in front of him.

Hai-Riyo Peak

Hai-Riyo Peak is a large mountain located near Iroh's teashop in the Spirit World. Prior to Korra's arrival in 171 AG, the mountain was enveloped by vicious storm clouds and inhabited by numerous dark spirits. Its summit is the nesting site for several dragon bird spirits.

The Fog of Lost Souls

The Fog of Lost Souls is a prison for humans in the Spirit World. The fog spirit that is the prison has the ability to drive humans into madness, trapping them within their own darkest memory and subsequently prohibiting them from escaping. After Zhao was pulled to the Spirit World by La, his soul became trapped in the fog, where he continued his self-praising monologue about being a conqueror and a moon-slayer. In 171 AG, Unalaq trapped Jinora in the fog, and Tenzin, Kya, and Bumi also later became imprisoned thereafter setting out to rescue the young airbender. After Tenzin overcame his insecurity about his identity, the fog momentarily cleared and he was able to rescue his family. Sometime later, Zaheer also threw Aiwei's soul inside the prison, condemning him to wander the fog for eternity.

Xai Bau's Grove

Xai Bau's Grove is located deep in the Spirit World in a canyon densely populated by trees. Grass covers the entirety of the grove and numerous rocks are scattered throughout the area. A single stream with red water runs through the hilly woodland and the sky bears a yellow-orange hue.

Known Passages

Meditation

As the natural bridge between the Spirit World and the physical world, the Avatar can use meditation to enter the Spirit World. Other spiritually enlightened humans, like Zaheer, Aiwei, and Jetsun, can also meditate into the Spirit World. When doing so, the spirit leaves the physical body, which renders it defenseless. Prolonged separation of spirit and body may also prove to be fatal.

Forgetful Valley

Situated outside the Fire Nation village of Hira'a, the Forgetful Valley is comprised of thick wilderness and four mystical, crystal-clear pools of water. On occasion, usually once a season, a wolf spirit will drink from one of the four pools. The valley is home to the Mother of Faces, whose presence can be discerned upon observing the various fauna and flora; they exhibit face-like markings when the spirit is nearby.

Solstices

A solstice is an astronomical event that occurs twice a year. During these solstices, the Spirit World and the physical world are significantly closer to each other compared to the rest of the year. Therefore, during one of the solstices, it is somewhat easier for one to cross into the Spirit World. Aang took advantage of this during the winter solstice to talk to Avatar Roku about Sozin's Comet. Avatar Roku also used the winter solstice sun to aid him in entering the Avatar State.

Spirit Oasis

The Spirit Oasis is a verdant oasis located in the Northern Water Tribe at the base of a waterfall behind the chief's palace. It is the center of all the spiritual energy in the entire North Pole and, unlike the rest of the region, has a warmer climate able to facilitate the growth of vegetation. Two koi fish swim in a central pool of the oasis and are the mortal forms of Tui and La, the Moon and the Ocean Spirits. Under normal circumstances, if one sets foot in the pool it acts normal. However, sometimes it can open as a portal to the Spirit World, and even be used to drag people nearby it to the Spirit World. Members of the Northern Water Tribe were aware that there was likely a passage to the Spirit World at the bottom of the pond, and remained especially vigilant in the decades after Ummi was kidnapped by Koh.

Spirit Portals

Up until 174 AG, the world had two spirit portals, one located at the South Pole and one at the North Pole. Both poles once had lush forests that were the home to many spirits. However, in 151 AG, Tonraq destroyed the forest in the North while pursuing a group of hostile barbarians, which angered the spirits, causing them to attack the Northern Water Tribe that night.

During the Hundred Year War, the Everstorm started raging over the forest at the South Pole, covering it and the spirit portal located there within a thick layer of ice. The forest was later restored by Avatar Korra when she reopened the portal, restoring the southern lights. This could be done in the South only during the winter solstice. There is also a spirit portal at the North Pole that would not have to be opened during the solstice, due to the North's stronger relationship to the spirits. When both portals are open, spirits and humans can pass from one pole to the other freely. These portals were closed by Wan in order to create and maintain balance between the spirits and humankind, as well as to keep any human from ever physically crossing over to the Spirit World again and risk freeing Vaatu.

Those two portals lead to a field where Raava and Vaatu battled during Harmonic Convergence. The plain consists of streams of water and rocky formations and is enclosed by a chain of mountains. In its center stands the Tree of Time, where Vaatu was imprisoned after his defeat.

After Kuvira attacked Republic City in 174 AG, a third spirit portal was created in the heart of the metropolis. When Kuvira fired her spirit energy cannon from inside the city's Spirit Wilds, the spiritual energy overload tore open a new passage between the two worlds. This portal leads to a meadow surrounded by mountains, and the trees that grow there are similar in appearance to the Tree of Time.

Known Visitors

The Spirit World has seen many visitors over the centuries, both by intentional spiritual projection and by physical entry through the reopened spirit portals. Notable visitors include:

• Aiwei
• Asami Sato
• Avatar Aang
• Avatar Korra
• Avatar Kuruk
• Avatar Kyoshi
• Avatar Roku
• Avatar Szeto
• Avatar Wan
• Avatar Yangchen
• Bolin
• Bumi
• Desna and Eska
• Hundun and his conjoined brother
• Ikki
• Iknik Blackstone Varrick
• Iroh
• Jetsun
• Jinora
• Kelsang
• Kai
• Kuvira
• Kya
• Mako
• Meelo
• Mula
• Mushi
• Nyahitha
• Ryu
• Ryu's mother
• Several Equalists
• Sokka
• Spirit Wilds tourists
• Tenzin
• Three villagers from Senlin Village
• Tokuga
• Two Toed Ping
• Ummi
• Unalaq
• Viper
• Wonyong Keum
• Yun
• Zaheer
• Zei
• Zhao
• Zuko

Trivia

• There are no bathrooms in the Spirit World.
• Bryan Konietzko likened spirits to projections of pure energy that are capable of shifting into different states of matter.
• Spirits have the ability to take over a human's body for short periods of time. When this happens, the human takes on some of the spirit's physical characteristics. However, this possession is not without danger for the host; if a spirit stays in the body for too long, the host will die. During Wan's time, Yao was altered to have tree-like characteristics and another hunter had lemur-like traits after being possessed.
• Several spirits are known to have counterparts, including Tui and La, Koh and the Mother of Faces, and Raava and Vaatu.
• A corporeal form is necessary in order to bend in the Spirit World. As such, only humans who enter the Spirit World through the spirit portals will retain their bending abilities.
• Meditation is one way of accessing the Spirit World and is also a method of relaxation.
• A spirit can change its size in both realms depending on the mood it is in.
• Wan is the first known human to enter the Spirit World.
• Gravity works differently in the Spirit World than in the mortal world, as everyone inside Wan Shi Tong's Library could walk normally on the pathways even though the building was oriented upside-down in a tree.
• An incorporeal being can teleport to any location or person they think of within the Spirit World.
• Food in the Spirit World does not affect a person's weight, at least if eaten when only a human's spirit has crossed over to the Spirit World.
• A person's soul can only remain in the Spirit World for a short period of time. A prolonged absence from the body causes strain that inevitably leads to an individual's death; Katara noted that it was amazing that Jinora managed to survive her imprisonment in the Spirit World for a week.
• There is no way to write anything down. A human must bring paper and writing implements with them into the Spirit World and then take dictation for a Spirit World inhabitant.
• The Spirit World is not primarily an afterlife; however, humans who were naturally imbued with spiritual energy or developed a strong connection to the Spirit World during their lifetimes can transcend the mortal plane following their death and embody some form of energy in the spirit realm. Humans who become spirits through this process become more like an essence with the passage of time, as memories of their corporeal forms become less prominent. This accounts for why the Painted Lady appears ghost-like, whereas Iroh still largely resembles his human form.
• At least some people believe that spirits also exist in outer space.
• By the lifetime of Avatar Kyoshi, some of the elder Air Nomad monks believed that the Spirit World was an austere plane of blankness, mirroring the detachment of the visitor.
• The creators originally intended for there to be four portals to the Spirit World, but decided that it would be confusing and ultimately reduced the number to two.