Who is Hei Bai in ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender?’

The revered Avatar Aang’s legend is making a comeback to the screens worldwide this Feb. 2024. The world of Avatar will now be brought to life by Netflix, introducing its beloved characters in a live-action format.

The remake, titled Avatar: The Last Airbender after the original 2005 animated series, is set to re-tell the the journey of twelve-year-old Aang, the current Avatar and last survivor of the Air Nomads nation. His friends Katara, Sokka, and Toph will also play central roles in the story as they strive to defeat Fire Lord Ozai and end the Fire Nation’s war against other nations.

For the unversed, Avatar is set in an Asian and Arctic-inspired world where human civilization consists of four nations — the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation, and the Air Nomads. The central beings in this world are benders, who can telekinetically manipulate and control the elements corresponding to their nation.

Alongside this physical world inhabited by humans, there also exists the Spirit World, a parallel plane of reality that coexists with the four nations. It is the dwelling place of spirits, a wide variety of otherworldly and paranormal beings that frequently take on the forms of many facets of nature and life. One such entity encountered by Aang in his quest to save the Senlin Village in 99 AG was Hei Bai.

Who is Hei Bai?

Hei Bai, also known as the Black and White Spirit, is a forest spirit in Avatar, who typically assumes the shape of a placid giant panda bear. He has been the protector of the forests of Earth Kingdom for thousands of years, and used to reside in the once-great Senlin Forest. In the Spirit World, he can transform into a ferocious, enormous, four-armed monster.

In the shape of a panda, Hei Bai is incredibly calm and amiable. He is quite protective of his forest and maybe a bit vindictive, although he usually keeps to himself and doesn’t disturb anyone until they upset him. The design of his monstrous form is inspired by the Angels from the well-known mecha anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, which the series’ creators adore.

When Hei Bai first appeared in the story, he was terrorizing Senlin Village and accusing the locals of destroying his surrounding forest — not realizing that the Fire Nation was actually to blame. After Aang managed to calm him down, he gave Aang a vision of Sozin’s Comet, and assisted him in connecting with the spirit of Avatar Roku. He is last seen in the series guiding Avatar Aang out of the Spirit World at the Northern Water Tribe.

Where does Hei Bai live?

Hei Bai resided in the Senlin Forest, which was destroyed in 99 AG by the Fire Nation, earning it the nickname “scorched forest” later on. This forest is located in an area of vast, hilly woodland with a tiny river meandering through it. It’s in the southern United Republic of Nations, formerly known as the Western Earth Kingdom, close to Senlin Village.

What are Hei Bai’s powers?

Hei Bei transforms into a six-legged, black-and-white monster in his spirit form when he becomes angry, destroying everything in his way. With a single stroke of his arm, this mighty spirit with incredible strength can destroy an entire building. He can move extremely quickly, as evidenced by the moment he was demolishing a house when an abrupt light streak emerged in front of another structure.

Hei Bei is also capable of unleashing devastating sound screams, with a range of powers from a mild gust, to a burst that can quickly destroy an entire building. Hei Bai can also transport people to and from the Spirit World by growing bamboo anywhere at his will.

What is Hei Bai’s story?

After the Fire Nation had burned Hei Bai’s home, Hei Bai was enraged into attacking the nearby Senlin village. This was around the Winter Solstice of 99 AG when the line between the natural world and the Spirit World blurred. Because of the spirits’ extraordinary power in the natural world during the solstices, Hei Bai was able to easily transition to the physical plane.

Hei Bai began targeting the nearby Senlin Village and blaming the occupants. He transformed into his monstrous form and terrorized the village by abducting one villager each day at sunset. By the time Aang, Katara, and Sokka had discovered the village, Hei Bai had abducted several villagers and proceeded to take Sokka captive despite Aang’s initial efforts to dissuade him.

Aang followed them and managed to seize Sokka’s hand just as Hei Bai entered the Spirit World. Thus, Aang unintentionally crossed with them. He could no longer utilize his glider because his bending powers were ineffective in the Spirit World, so he fell to the ground and passed out close to Hei Bai’s statue. Aang cried out to Avatar Roku for assistance as soon as he realized he was in the Spirit World.

Later, when they were back in the real world, Aang showed Hei Bai the acorns that covered the forest floor to appease the enraged spirit. Hei Bai’s rage subsided as a result of this assurance that the forest would regrow. Taking the acorn in his teeth, he went out through the gate of the village. The bamboo stalks that emerged from that gate allowed the missing peasants, including Sokka, to stagger out.