Avatar Theory: [SPOILER] Was Meant to Be the Next Avatar

In Avatar: The Last Airbender, if Aang did not go into the iceberg, the next Avatar may not have been Korra but someone else from the Water Tribe.

For 100 years, the world of The Last Airbender went without an Avatar. The speculation about what could've happened if Aang did not go into the iceberg is endless. He could've been killed with the rest of his people, or he could've survived and stopped the war earlier. If it were the latter, then the next Avatar most likely wouldn't be Korra, unless Aang lived a ridiculously long time, like Kyoshi did.

While some fans have theorized that the next Avatar in this situation was supposed to be Katara, another theory suggests it was supposed to be Yue. The root of this theory is based on the mystery of her birth. As a newborn, Yue was born silent, and none of the healers could help, so they put her in the Spirit Oasis, where the Moon Spirit gave some of her life force to Yue.

Once this happened, Yue's hair turned white, and she started to cry. As youtuber Chunkyjammer explains, it's like Yue was a vessel in need of a spirit to come to life. As Avatar: The Legend of Korra reveals, the Avatar is connected to the spirit Rava, acting as a human vessel for the powerful spirit. When the Avatar passes away, the next Avatar inherits Rava.

It's possible that Yue was born silent because she was supposed to inherit Rava after Aang; however, he was alive longer than the cycle anticipated, so Rava could not be passed on to Yue. While the show does not explain how the next Avatar is chosen beyond the elemental cycle, it is a possibility that the cycle is predetermined yet flexible. As seen in both series, destiny is real, but it is not crystal clear or set in stone.

The fan theory further explains how Yue fulfills the role of the Avatar in Season 1. The Avatar is the bridge between humans and spirits, and they work towards maintaining balance. Not only does Yue have a connection with spirits, but she also restores balance by sacrificing her human form to bring the Moon Spirit back to life and restore waterbenders with their bending abilities.

There are factors working against this theory, like the uncertainty of reincarnation. While it is possible that the Avatar cycle is predetermined, it is equally possible that it is arbitrary. Furthermore, it is unclear what would've unfolded if Aang was never frozen. While he may have been able to escape the Fire Nation attacks, it is also possible that he would've been killed, meaning that the next Avatar would've been born decades before Yue. On the other hand, if Aang survived, then he would've needed to live up to the exact date of Yue's birth.

Along with these uncertainties, the Avatar cycle works against this theory. If Yue was supposed to be the Avatar, then the following Avatar would be an earthbender; however, Korra is the Avatar in the following series. This would mean the cycle either readjusted to accommodate the change in destiny or Yue was never supposed to be the Avatar in the first place.

Finally, Yue does not appear to be a waterbender. It could be argued that audiences don't see her bend because the Northern Water Tribe had strict restrictions for female waterbenders at the time; however there is not much evidence to prove this is the case for Yue. If she isn't a waterbender, then she couldn't be the next Avatar in the cycle.

Even if Yue was never meant to be the next Avatar, she remains one of the few humans to have a strong bond with the spirits. She lives up to the role of the Avatar by restoring balance between humans and spirits during the Siege of the North. While her character is minor, she manages an Avatar level feat, and her backstory further supports the notion that destiny may have had greater things in store for her if Aang never went in the iceberg.