The lore and worldbuilding of Avatar: The Last Airbender is something that has always kept fans and audiences fascinated. The show took a lot of inspiration from Eastern philosophies and martial arts while taking the time to build a world that felt rich and lived in.
Creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko opened up about a lot of their lore, talking about Aang in particular, in an interview with IGN.
There are a lot of things about the young Air Nomad that caught the attention of audiences, and the creators were keen on explaining any aspect of the character that they thought required some clarity.
So, what does the arrow tattoo on Aang’s head mean in Avatar: The Last Airbender?
Aang is the only member of that min cast to have distance tattoos on his body. These tattoos have a very special significance in Aang’s culture, being the last living vesting of the Air Nomads in the wake of the 100-year war, that saw the Fire Nation wipe out the Air Nomads in hopes of controlling the Avatar Cycle. Michael Dante DiMartino, in the interview, explained to IGN what the tattoo means:
“Aang was the youngest Airbender to ever master Airbending so he received his tattoos at a very early age. The Airbenders were inspired by the arrows on the heads of the air bison, the original Airbenders.”
Aang was awarded his tattoos for inventing the Air Scooter, something he used regularly in fights and to play around. However, given that tattoos are part of Air Bending culture, one question still remains unanswered: How do they glow when Aang enters the Avatar state?
The Air Bending tattoos are put along Chi pathways
There is a reason why the tattoos, despite not having any connection to the Avatar State, glow when Aang enters the powered-up state. DiMartino pointed out why they glow, saying:
“All Airbenders get tattoos on their head, arms, and legs once they master Airbending. The arrows run along the chi paths in the body”
Given that chi pathways have a huge importance in the world of Avatar, allowing the character to bend elements, the Avatar State would highlight these pathways in an Avatar. Further, given that the tattoos of Air Nomad just happen to cover them, they glow as well, as a side effect. It could be assumed that other chi-adjacent tattoos, like those worn by combustionbenders, would also light up if they were ever to be on an Avatar.
