How Is Bumi Still Alive After 100 Years In Avatar: The Last Airbender?

Spoilers are ahead for Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender season 1, episode 4, “Into the Dark.”

The fourth episode of Netflix’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender introduces viewers to King Bumi (Utkarsh Ambudkar) — an earthbender who’s over 100 years old. While in the massive Earth Kingdom city of Omashu, Aang (Gordon Cormier) runs into his old friend. Although the Avatar’s time in the ice maintained his youthful appearance, Aang’s pal Bumi is much older than when they last saw each other. Having weathered a century of war with the Fire Nation, the pun-loving Bumi reveals that he has a bone to pick with Aang, who seemingly vanished at a crucial moment in history.

An early-episode flashback shows viewers that the eccentric king of Omashu always thought outside the box. In fact, it was Bumi who came up with the idea for Aang’s sky bison whistle, which he still uses to call Appa. However, Avatar: The Last Airbender season 1, episode 4, “Into the Dark,” isn’t the same as its animated counterpart(s); Netflix’s Bumi is vastly different. Not only does Aang immediately recognize his old friend, but the trials and challenges Bumi puts Aang through are fueled by resentment instead of being a fun way for Bumi to reveal his identity.

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Bumi Lived Through Aang’s Time In The Iceberg in ATLA

In both the animated and live-action versions of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Bumi lives through the century that Aang spends frozen in an iceberg. However, the king’s reaction to seeing Aang again varies between the two projects. In the original series, Bumi doesn’t share his true identity with Aang and his friends. Instead, he tricks Aang into using airbending and revealing his own identity as the long-missing Avatar. Subsequently, Bumi decides to test Avatar Aang with a series of increasingly bizarre challenges. The final challenge, a one-on-one duel, sees Aang fighting the surprisingly buff Bumi.

After the match ends in a draw, Bumi tells Aang to guess his name. Given the out-of-the-box nature of the challenges, Aang realizes Omashu’s king is Bumi, his old “mad genius” pal. Bumi tells Aang that in order to defeat Fire Lord Ozai, he’ll need to not just master the elements, but “think like a mad genius,” hence the series of strange challenges. The live-action adaptation’s depiction of Bumi is a huge departure: Bumi challenges Aang to a fight because he’s resentful of the Avatar’s time spent in the ice — safe from the war.

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Bumi Is 112 Years Old In Avatar: The Last Airbender

In Avatar: The Last Airbender, King Bumi is a staggering 112 years old. The live-action version of Bumi jokingly attributes his health to eating well, but the show never gives a definitive reason. Despite his advanced age, the earthbending master boasts a surprisingly muscular physique, though he hides it well. In fact, Bumi uses the assumption that he’s senile and frail to his advantage, keeping his impressive strength a surprise. Compared to other characters in the ATLA universe, Bumi is in great shape. In The Legend of Korra sequel series, the surviving members of Aang’s team look their ages.

Bumi Is Not Avatar: The Last Airbender’s Oldest Character

It’s not uncommon for characters in the Avatar: The Last Airbender universe to boast staggering lifespans. While Bumi’s 112-year-old age might be impressive, Guru Pathik, an underrated ATLA Book 2 character, is revealed to be 150 years old. A mentor to Aang (and a friend fo Appa’s), Pathik was close friends with Monk Gyatso and other Air Nomads, though he isn’t necessarily a member of their nation. It’s not clear what happened to ATLA‘s Guru Pathik after the events of the original series. Since he’s not at the Eastern Air Temple in Korra, his final age remains unknown.

While King Bumi’s 112 years and Guru Pathik’s 150 years are both impressive feats for seemingly “regular” humans, there is one character whose age surpasses all other records. According to ATLA canon, Avatar Kyoshi died at the ripe old age of 230 years old. Although the animated series doesn’t really explain why Avatar Kyoshi lived so long, the Kyoshi books offer some answers. Evidently, Avatar Kyoshi learns how to “keep order” within her body from Lao Ge, a.k.a. Tieguai the Immortal. The technique allows Kyoshi to repair any damage she sustains, which keeps her physical form youthful.