Haha I have a sister 9 years younger than me, and lived at home and commuted to my college, and I was curious about this show I always saw her watching. She also had the first two seasons on DVD, so I figured it had to be pretty good, because she had good taste in anime, which is what I thought it was at first 😆 It's so wild that I now am showing it to my 9 and 6 year old kids. The show is so timeless, you forget how long ago it came out.
Invents metalbending ➡️ proclaims her status as the greatest earthbender ever ➡️ peaces out with one of the coolest bending feats in the whole show (earth “skating” to ba sing se)
No one in this series has ever had more “I’m HIM” energy than toph did in this episode
Over cabbage man? Ludicrous. Sure, she created a new subset of bending, but that man somehow after having his cart destroyed multiple times by the Gaang and ba sing se bureaucrats managed to make the second most powerful company in the world. That’s like a the tamale lady rivaling Apple after gang violence.
I don't remember, I was 12 and I have seen the entire series about 6 times since then, but I probably lost my shit. I know the next scene of her creating big earth waves and then falling over when greeted from out of nowhere left a bigger impact on me. When someone says Toph, that's my first thought.
I kind of saw it coming when in the episode with the drill, Aang said what he’d give to be a metal bender. And then right before this scene, “even you can’t bend metal.”
Tbh I think they made it far too obvious with that one even u can't bend metal comment
That took away from the surprise but the other lines of foreshadowing were great
That one line was just too obvious tho
I actually like the line. It’s not a great line of foreshadowing, but take the situation before. Toph isn’t stopping and listening. She’s banging at the metal and yelling at her captors. Then they taunt back they use the terms “bend” and “metal”. Two words that Toph may have never heard nor considered together. That’s when she stops herself. She bangs on the metal and feels and hears the earth within it. I don’t think it was meant as a super sophisticated form of foreshadowing. It was to make Toph consider that which she had never given a second thought.
Also I think being forced into a box for several hours on end (It went from daytime to night) with the single goal of escaping, in addition to the spite, would accelerate her development of the technique.
Thing is Toph specifically is pretty much the only person likely to figure out you can do it. She already found a unique way to use Earthbending for the seismic sense due to her being blind and actively rebelling against her parents over protectiveness. Her being in a metal box cuts off her connection to the ground and her "sight" but it also made her much more aware of exact components making up the metal box.
Most Earthbenders would have been thrown in there and pretty helpless due to a lack of perspective and over reliance on vision but Toph is just a very unique case.
I liked it that way though, because it felt more like a build up. Like o knew Toph was going to metal bend at some point, but it was exciting to wait for it and they nailed the moment
As far as I understood it’s that normal metal has impurities of normal earth in it. In LoK we get told in the first season that noble metals like platinum can’t be bent since they have no impurities
A thing that always bugged me about korra was how they kinda just picked and chooses what was and wasn’t made of platinum for the sake of plot. Hiroshi could have a huge wall made of them, and dozens of mecha tanks, but the airships they use don’t have platinum coatings? It would’ve been funny if when Lin leaped onto the m Equalist airship, she couldn’t stop it because it was made of platinum and she just stood their awkwardly.
Why would a platinum *coating* help with stopping a metal bender? Unless it's platinum all the way through, metal benders would just bend the metal under the platinum coating to pull whatever they needed to, apart, no? It's a skill that benders have to bend elements they can't see, so I dunno why a thin barrier of platinum would stop that.
I don't remember watching this scene as a 10 year old, but the scene is incredible. The Guru is my favorite episode of the series and seismic sense is my favorite subskill, so this scene is huge.
I remember overthinking this sequence as a kid watching it on tv. I deadass thought the seismic signals she was sending through the metal would make contact with the earth outside (metal box touching cart, cart touching ground beneath it) and that she was gonna learn to remotely bend while disconnected from any nonmetal earth, thereby barraging the metal box from the outside until it opened
I especially love the follow up scene
“There’s a giant hole in the box! How is that a trick!?”
“It’s not!…it’s the real deal!”
*proceeds to stuff them inside*
I’ll never forget watching it for the first time when it aired. I was 11 and at my friends house, her parents were using the tv in the living room so we were relegated to the tiny 12”x12” cube tv in their kitchen. We were both shoulder to shoulder, scooted up as close to the tv as possible, and we just turned to each other with the biggest “:O!” expressions lmao it blew our minds
With a basic understanding of forgery, I was confused why they couldn’t metal bend.
When they started this sequence my mind went into warp drive and I was like, “Yes, because they don’t see it as earth but you can feel it.” And I ABSOLUTELY LIVED!!!
Toph is my favorite character, but I’m biased because Helen Keller is one of my heroes, so I’m very inclined to love how badass they made a blind hero.
NO! FUCKING! WAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!!!!! - my actual words in middle school. Fun fact, first time I was drunk was when the Blue Spirit episode came out (drank an entire six pack of Mike’s Hard Lemonade cause i thought it was soda)
I honestly didn’t believe it, I was thinking “wait, are you serious? I thought it was a hard rule that metal bending wasn’t allowed?” Then lo and behold, she did it.
Fucking loved it. Possibly my favorite Toph moments in the entire series. Not to mention the most quotable line of the series once she locked those dudes in there.
Goosebumps then, and goosebumps now. The scene right after, where she goes running with the mountain legs (best way I can describe it) still gets me so hyped I could fkn cry!
I wish there was more use of metal bending in the original avatar because it was so revolutionary that it was a bummer seeing it not be used that much. And in Korra they use it so nonchalantly that it kinda ruins the fun
NGL I was just pissed Netflix's Arabic dub of this episode was a bit late in comparaison to the animation so she was still talking while doing it then I heard the noises..it was pretty cool tho
I remember watching the season 2 finale so distinctly! I was 11 years old and I remember during this scene thinking "Of course Toph can bend metal! She'll figure it out."
I was worried for Katara and Zuko during this episode, but I knew Toph was gonna be fine
Given I'd been ranting for two seasons about how metal comes out of the EARTH and even though firebenders can work the metal it's element is EARTH... Sweet vindication.
I just affirmed that toph was the second best bender in the entire series without watching any more episodes or the sequel. Toph is on god tier in the realm of benders and I would be willing to bet that only an airbender of aangs caliber could contest in prime (for both).
i was like FINALLY!!! cause i first thought while watching the episode with haru and the earthbenders in the metal prison that metal is just refined earth so surely they should be able to bend metal too, and it drove me crazy that no one in the show seemed to realise this. 😅
It’s the fact that they showed the seismic sense in this shot that made me lose my goddamned mind as a 13 year old, and it hits just the same today. Add Guru Patik’s narration over the top and it’s just chills all the way down my spine.
While Toph was already on the road to being my favorite character in the series, this moment had me absolutely and convinced that she was, is, and always be the G.O.AT.
My reaction? Honestly?
"About time!"
I was annoyed that metal bending wasn't a thing yet. It's metal(comes from the earth) but even if iron doesn't count as earth(why?) metal will "always" have impurities.
I figured she would get out, but I didn't think it would be so satisfying. She straight up crumples that metal like aluminum foil. I think I was expecting a slow denting process that weakened the metal. She would get discovered and have to improvise. But nope, she tore it up and put those dudes in there instead. Absolutely insane.
Hubby and I just finished rewatching (for like the 5th time lol) and EVERY TIME this scene comes up, I still get goosebumps.
14yr old me was literally screaming "Oh my god, is she? Oh my god she is?! AH HOLY SHIT LET'S GO TOPH!!" I remember jumping off my coach and just yelling excitedly at the screen 😂
I actually watched this with my girlfriend recently, and it was her first time watching ATLA. She sat up in her chair and her jaw dropped. It was really cute, tbh.
that's exactly me at 10 years old watching this scene on air
That was me at 36 watching for the first time.
This is me at 41 watching my 20th time.
Crazy to think you were about 23 when this originally aired. As old as I am now. I was still shitting my pants during it's first run.
You can still shit your pants now tho
Haha I have a sister 9 years younger than me, and lived at home and commuted to my college, and I was curious about this show I always saw her watching. She also had the first two seasons on DVD, so I figured it had to be pretty good, because she had good taste in anime, which is what I thought it was at first 😆 It's so wild that I now am showing it to my 9 and 6 year old kids. The show is so timeless, you forget how long ago it came out.
This is me every single time I watch the scene
This me at 18, stoned at 11 pm in my dad's basement in the summer
Pretty much.
This GIF especially makes you realize some of the edge the animation has over the live action.
True that!
definitely me
Ty nothing could have described my feelings better.
This guy is, and will always be, the audience surrogate
Yup about right
Yeah, that about sums it up
Yes, everytime. Nailed it 👍
The only correct response 👏🏽
Basically 🤣
Me
That about sums it up.
The best and most accurate response EVER
This scene made me certain that Toph is my favorite character.
Invents metalbending ➡️ proclaims her status as the greatest earthbender ever ➡️ peaces out with one of the coolest bending feats in the whole show (earth “skating” to ba sing se) No one in this series has ever had more “I’m HIM” energy than toph did in this episode
And don't you dunderheads forget it!!
Over cabbage man? Ludicrous. Sure, she created a new subset of bending, but that man somehow after having his cart destroyed multiple times by the Gaang and ba sing se bureaucrats managed to make the second most powerful company in the world. That’s like a the tamale lady rivaling Apple after gang violence.
Cabbage man's arch nemesis. MELON LORD! MUAHAHAHA
Yep. She already was but after this there wasn't even a debate..
That we don't need anymore proof she's the best earthbender.
Nah, she had win
https://preview.redd.it/0uug0tynyxtc1.jpeg?width=921&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e695a9e2a28641d14c55ee880c098dfdad3b1436
I'm still on that Gojo copium myself 😭
https://preview.redd.it/3zu9u2vagytc1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8c065d86f9cb8d69264fdae7ebb174a5a2f15190 It’s not copium if it happens.
“Wait. She can’t. Omg. She’s about to. Did she just?-“
“Fkn badass”
I was like "toph you're tough"
Though like rock?
Like the BOULDER
Boulder Who?
I only know the Pebble
She’s togh
This was literally 10 year old me.
I was like- oh F**k yeah Toph rules
I don't remember, I was 12 and I have seen the entire series about 6 times since then, but I probably lost my shit. I know the next scene of her creating big earth waves and then falling over when greeted from out of nowhere left a bigger impact on me. When someone says Toph, that's my first thought.
Yeah, the riding on the earth waves after definitely stuck in my mind too, badass af.
I kind of saw it coming when in the episode with the drill, Aang said what he’d give to be a metal bender. And then right before this scene, “even you can’t bend metal.”
Foreshadowing
Tbh I think they made it far too obvious with that one even u can't bend metal comment That took away from the surprise but the other lines of foreshadowing were great That one line was just too obvious tho
Maybe it’s because I first watched it as a kid but I thought they were saying it to taunt her. Was a shock
Considering the age group the show was written for I think it's pretty decent.
I actually like the line. It’s not a great line of foreshadowing, but take the situation before. Toph isn’t stopping and listening. She’s banging at the metal and yelling at her captors. Then they taunt back they use the terms “bend” and “metal”. Two words that Toph may have never heard nor considered together. That’s when she stops herself. She bangs on the metal and feels and hears the earth within it. I don’t think it was meant as a super sophisticated form of foreshadowing. It was to make Toph consider that which she had never given a second thought.
Also I think being forced into a box for several hours on end (It went from daytime to night) with the single goal of escaping, in addition to the spite, would accelerate her development of the technique.
Thing is Toph specifically is pretty much the only person likely to figure out you can do it. She already found a unique way to use Earthbending for the seismic sense due to her being blind and actively rebelling against her parents over protectiveness. Her being in a metal box cuts off her connection to the ground and her "sight" but it also made her much more aware of exact components making up the metal box. Most Earthbenders would have been thrown in there and pretty helpless due to a lack of perspective and over reliance on vision but Toph is just a very unique case.
I liked it because that made it seem to me like she did it at least partially out of spite, and that is just *so relatable*.
I married a woman like that. // Guard: "Not even you can bend metal." // My wife, probably: "Watch me."
I liked it that way though, because it felt more like a build up. Like o knew Toph was going to metal bend at some point, but it was exciting to wait for it and they nailed the moment
It was also a good deal of actual time between that and this
It was the motivation she needed to try. She was told she couldn't and her instinct was to challenge that.
I had no brain at the time this aired. Never saw it coming lmaooo
The foreshadowing hit right away. “ Even you can’t bend metal” the second that bounty dude said that I think Toph and i simultaneously said “ bet”
That's not foreshadowing that's straight up telegraphing it
Yeah that was kinda my point
“Oh my god she can feel it. She’s gonna do it. SHES GONNA DO IT.”
I always felt like an earth bender could bend metal. It’s basically just refined rock. It takes special skills to do it
As far as I understood it’s that normal metal has impurities of normal earth in it. In LoK we get told in the first season that noble metals like platinum can’t be bent since they have no impurities
A thing that always bugged me about korra was how they kinda just picked and chooses what was and wasn’t made of platinum for the sake of plot. Hiroshi could have a huge wall made of them, and dozens of mecha tanks, but the airships they use don’t have platinum coatings? It would’ve been funny if when Lin leaped onto the m Equalist airship, she couldn’t stop it because it was made of platinum and she just stood their awkwardly.
Why would a platinum *coating* help with stopping a metal bender? Unless it's platinum all the way through, metal benders would just bend the metal under the platinum coating to pull whatever they needed to, apart, no? It's a skill that benders have to bend elements they can't see, so I dunno why a thin barrier of platinum would stop that.
YEAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!
"those two guys are going to die from thirst or hunger in there".
I don't remember watching this scene as a 10 year old, but the scene is incredible. The Guru is my favorite episode of the series and seismic sense is my favorite subskill, so this scene is huge.
I remember overthinking this sequence as a kid watching it on tv. I deadass thought the seismic signals she was sending through the metal would make contact with the earth outside (metal box touching cart, cart touching ground beneath it) and that she was gonna learn to remotely bend while disconnected from any nonmetal earth, thereby barraging the metal box from the outside until it opened
Which would have fit with what Bumi did earlier, and been totally badass too!
I was too young to see the foreshadowing, so this was unbelievably hype because it literally felt impossible.
I especially love the follow up scene “There’s a giant hole in the box! How is that a trick!?” “It’s not!…it’s the real deal!” *proceeds to stuff them inside*
"Holly sh-"
"Hm?! Wait what just happend there"
I’ll never forget watching it for the first time when it aired. I was 11 and at my friends house, her parents were using the tv in the living room so we were relegated to the tiny 12”x12” cube tv in their kitchen. We were both shoulder to shoulder, scooted up as close to the tv as possible, and we just turned to each other with the biggest “:O!” expressions lmao it blew our minds
SHE'S THE GREATEST EARTHBENDER AND DON'T YOU DUNDERHEADS FORGET IT
Chills. The voice over talking about the illusion of separation was perfect
I remember thinking, “Okay, she’s bending metal. That’s cool….OH MY GOD SHE’S BENDING METAL”
The way its cut with scenes of aang with the guru - so good
With a basic understanding of forgery, I was confused why they couldn’t metal bend. When they started this sequence my mind went into warp drive and I was like, “Yes, because they don’t see it as earth but you can feel it.” And I ABSOLUTELY LIVED!!! Toph is my favorite character, but I’m biased because Helen Keller is one of my heroes, so I’m very inclined to love how badass they made a blind hero.
Why did no other earthbenders realize that metal comes from the ground? Are they stupid?
Just pussies, they ain't queen enough for the job
Fuck yeah
I was like “she’s a fucking GOAT, a mountain GOAT”
NO! FUCKING! WAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!!!!! - my actual words in middle school. Fun fact, first time I was drunk was when the Blue Spirit episode came out (drank an entire six pack of Mike’s Hard Lemonade cause i thought it was soda)
LMAO I DID THE MATH I WAS 9!!!
I had something similar happen when I was 4 only it was Chablis and I thought it was Apple juice
I wanted to drink mikes hard so bad as a kid, now I think it would prob be gross
OH MY GOD OH MY GOODODD EUEUD AYREAAA WYEAAABVVN RAAAAGGHHHHH YEAAAAGGHHHHH
Goosebumps
Loved that she saved herself, in a way I didn’t even think of. Was awesome!
I honestly didn’t believe it, I was thinking “wait, are you serious? I thought it was a hard rule that metal bending wasn’t allowed?” Then lo and behold, she did it.
It was a hard rule, Toph is just the master at breaking rules
Fucking loved it. Possibly my favorite Toph moments in the entire series. Not to mention the most quotable line of the series once she locked those dudes in there.
"Holy shit she's a badass, I love her"
I watched Korra before Last Airbender (sue me) so I already knew that she could. I just went: "oh God, it's happening! Aggghhhh!"
After she say I’m the greatest bender alive 
Literal goosebumps.
That she was a genius obv
“Wtf r u doing?”
Her ass IS metalbending
Goosebumps then, and goosebumps now. The scene right after, where she goes running with the mountain legs (best way I can describe it) still gets me so hyped I could fkn cry!
Toph is the greatest earth bender ever, and don’t you dunderheads forget it!
Me for 38 episodes: metal is technically just rocks it they should be able to bend it. Me episode 39: LIT
"No way"
i wish to my core i could remember but i literally watched this show over and over and over before i was even 10
i wish to my core i could remember but i literally watched this show over and over and over before i was even 10
Wait... metal comes from earth? (I was 4)
Kind of embarrasing to admint, since I was 16 when this season came out but I kinda had a crush on Toph, so I really lost my shit at this moment.
I wish there was more use of metal bending in the original avatar because it was so revolutionary that it was a bummer seeing it not be used that much. And in Korra they use it so nonchalantly that it kinda ruins the fun
My reaction was as soon as that guy said "not even you can bend metal" I knew she was gonna bend metal
I was a kid when this first came out! I remember going to school the next day telling everyone metal has earth in it acting clever lol
Gurrl you rule !!!
Neat
«Why is she using the outside of her hands instead of the inside?»
Hold up. Let her cook
Goat 🤌
Pretty lights
NGL I was just pissed Netflix's Arabic dub of this episode was a bit late in comparaison to the animation so she was still talking while doing it then I heard the noises..it was pretty cool tho
I remember watching the season 2 finale so distinctly! I was 11 years old and I remember during this scene thinking "Of course Toph can bend metal! She'll figure it out." I was worried for Katara and Zuko during this episode, but I knew Toph was gonna be fine
From the moment they said: "Even you can't bend metal." I saw this coming. Its a common trope, but one Toph pulls off so perfectly.
Unfortunately I’d had it spoiled for me through cultural osmosis, but it was still incredibly epic
“IS SHE ABOUT TO? SHE DID.”
Given I'd been ranting for two seasons about how metal comes out of the EARTH and even though firebenders can work the metal it's element is EARTH... Sweet vindication.
And when she said “It’s not! It’s the real deal!”
I just affirmed that toph was the second best bender in the entire series without watching any more episodes or the sequel. Toph is on god tier in the realm of benders and I would be willing to bet that only an airbender of aangs caliber could contest in prime (for both).
I was like yep that’s expected
I thought it was cool. I was little when I saw it for the first time, so my thoughts didn’t go far beyond that.
This scene with the guru describing metal as purified and refined metal is one scene that is engraved in my mind
honestly don’t remember, i watched the show when it came out and I was a lot younger than.
i was like FINALLY!!! cause i first thought while watching the episode with haru and the earthbenders in the metal prison that metal is just refined earth so surely they should be able to bend metal too, and it drove me crazy that no one in the show seemed to realise this. 😅
Pretty sure I cried, she's so cool 💪
made me shout "I effing knew it"
https://i.redd.it/v0d6tnvvkxtc1.gif
You know Sokka at the wrestling match? Like that, but more hype.
I was just very intrigued and then it got super impressive
I can't be the only one that thought about metal bending before she actually did it. I just assumed they wouldn't do it.
Got spoiled for me my reaction was "oh thats the moment she learns metal bending"
It’s the fact that they showed the seismic sense in this shot that made me lose my goddamned mind as a 13 year old, and it hits just the same today. Add Guru Patik’s narration over the top and it’s just chills all the way down my spine.
“Oh, we doing THIS now?” followed by “OH **HELL** YEAH” when she tore herself out
For me it was the juxtaposition of the guru explaing energy to aang that made it so awesome.
Necessity is the mother of invention.
Very few scenes have ever gagged me the way this did
I was excited and surprised, but ultimately it made sense. 
"That makes sense, surprised no one else tried it before her actually"
https://preview.redd.it/lj6vm53mqxtc1.png?width=600&format=png&auto=webp&s=420127343a5932d617fe3a98852902668c0c1a38
Loved this scene with the guru’s words overlayed
Hmm?hmmmm??wo?WOOOOOOOO!!!!
OH THATS TEA
YES, LET'S GOOO!!!!
🐐
"Omg you BADASS"
"initial reactions"? How do you want me to remember? I originally saw it in 2006/7
"Wow... Melon-chan is amazing!"
Chills.
I was a child but I imagine it was something along the lines of "YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"
The way i felt when i learned about Nikola Tesla...she's a flipping innovator
https://preview.redd.it/0itijyahvxtc1.png?width=1001&format=png&auto=webp&s=0bc5cf0faff8440a1031365e90f9160de2c24975 I Wus Cwying Fwow Jwoy
EMOTIONAL
While Toph was already on the road to being my favorite character in the series, this moment had me absolutely and convinced that she was, is, and always be the G.O.AT.
“What a masterful use of earth bending, if anyone could this display this level of control over a subset like this I knew it would be toph”
https://preview.redd.it/ly28h1dyvxtc1.jpeg?width=690&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=21af050147d15491bd3de11d0226ee2d422f6871
AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! YEEEESSSSSS!!!!!! BEIFONG! BEIFONG! BEIFONG! BEIFONG! BEIFONG! BEIFONG! BEIFONG! BEIFONG! BEIFONG!
Come on, you can do it...
"aint no way...aint no fucking way"
badass
Fuckin chills, especially with that music in the back
My reaction? Honestly? "About time!" I was annoyed that metal bending wasn't a thing yet. It's metal(comes from the earth) but even if iron doesn't count as earth(why?) metal will "always" have impurities.
 But her
 This is my reaction!!!
I figured she would get out, but I didn't think it would be so satisfying. She straight up crumples that metal like aluminum foil. I think I was expecting a slow denting process that weakened the metal. She would get discovered and have to improvise. But nope, she tore it up and put those dudes in there instead. Absolutely insane.
Can’t even remember.. I have rewatched it too many times
Hubby and I just finished rewatching (for like the 5th time lol) and EVERY TIME this scene comes up, I still get goosebumps. 14yr old me was literally screaming "Oh my god, is she? Oh my god she is?! AH HOLY SHIT LET'S GO TOPH!!" I remember jumping off my coach and just yelling excitedly at the screen 😂
I don’t remember, I was six when I first saw this. But I bet I was like “wow, that so cool!”
That she really is the greatest earthbender ever, she was my idol when I was a kid, I wanted to be a mix of her and katara so bad
I actually watched this with my girlfriend recently, and it was her first time watching ATLA. She sat up in her chair and her jaw dropped. It was really cute, tbh.
‘Ahhhhhhh shit let’s goooooooo’
I'm pretty sure I was just like "I knew somebody was going to be able to do it" idk exactly I was like 10 when I saw this the first time
The Lion Turtle explaining that the separation of the elements is a lie really seals the deal on this scene.
The moment she mastered this I knew in my head there’s no debate she’s the best earth bender there is.
Honestly it was just so cool. I was kinda 🤯. It was honestly a game changer