Airbend
| Airbend | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Keyword Action | |
| Introduced | Avatar: The Last Airbender |
| Last used | Avatar: The Last Airbender Eternal |
| Reminder Text |
Airbend [targets] (Exile them. While each one is exiled, its owner may cast it for  rather than its mana cost.) Airbend [target] (Exile it. While it's exiled, its owner may cast it from exile by paying rather than its mana cost.) |
| Scryfall Statistics | |
Airbend is is a keyword action introduced in Avatar: The Last Airbender. An airbended object is exiled; as long as it is exiled this way, its owner may pay to cast it from exile. The mechanic represents the art of airbending in the Avatar universe.[1][2]
Development
Airbend is one of the four bending mechanics created for Avatar: The Last Airbender, a Universes Beyond set based on the animated series of the same name. It was designed by Mark Gottlieb in the set's final Vision Design meeting, right after the team's subject matter experts explained to Gottlieb the lore behind airbending.[3] Once Gottlieb suggested the mechanic, it never changed. The airbend keyword evokes the defensive, evasive nature of airbending in the show.[4] There are fewer cards with airbend compared to the other bending mechanics, owing to the show's premise of Aang and his companion Appa being the only airbenders left in the world.[5]
Airbending is a slower form of flickering, allowing it to be used as a way to re-buy cast and enter triggers and as soft control against opponents. It is possible to airbend and exile a land card. If this happens, you can't play that card. Airbend only lets you cast the exiled cards. Similarly, if you airbend a token, the token will end up not existing before you ever get the chance to cast it again.
If you're casting a card after it was airbended into exile, you're already paying an alternative cost rather than the mana cost, so you can't use any other alternative costs that may apply. If the spell has 
in its mana cost (which you're not paying), you have to choose 0 as the value of X.
Some cards also allow you to airbend your opponent's permanents. If you airbend a creature that an opponent owns during your turn, they'll usually have to wait until their next turn to cast it again.
Aang, Swift Savior is the only card that can airbend instants and sorceries.
Future use
If the mechanic is to be reused outside of the Avatar: The Last Airbender IP it has to be renamed.[6]
Rules
From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (November 14, 2025—Avatar: The Last Airbender)
- Airbend
- A keyword action that exiles one or more permanents and/or spells. The owner of each card exiled with airbend may cast it from exile by paying {2} rather than paying its mana cost. See rule 701.65, “Airbend.”
From the Comprehensive Rules (November 14, 2025—Avatar: The Last Airbender)
- 701.65. Airbend
- 701.65a Certain spells and abilities instruct a player to airbend one or more permanents and/or spells. To do so, that player exiles those objects. For each card exiled this way, for as long as it remains exiled, its owner may cast it by paying {2} rather than paying its mana cost.
- 701.65b An ability that triggers whenever a player airbends triggers when that player exiles one or more objects as a result of an instruction to airbend.
Rulings
From the Release Notes for Avatar: The Last Airbender (June 2, 2025)[1]
- To airbend one or more permanents and/or spells means to exile each of those objects. For each card exiled this way, for as long as it's exiled, its owner may cast it from exile by paying rather than paying its mana cost.
- Since you are using an alternative cost to cast a spell from exile this way, you can't pay any other alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs, such as kicker costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those.
- If the spell you cast has in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X.
- Tokens exiled this way will cease to exist and cannot be cast.
- Lands exiled this way cannot be played from exile. (Lands that were animated by earthbend will be returned to the battlefield tapped when they're exiled.)
- An ability that triggers "whenever you airbend" triggers after the process described by the airbend keyword action is complete, even if some or all of the actions were impossible.
Examples
Example 1
Airbending Lesson 
Instant — Lesson
Airbend target nonland permanent. (Exile it. While it’s exiled, its owner may cast it for rather than its mana cost.)
Draw a card.
Example 2
Avatar's Wrath
Sorcery
Choose up to one target creature, then airbend all other creatures. (Exile them. While each one is exiled, its owner may cast it for rather than its mana cost.)
Until your next turn, your opponents can’t cast spells from anywhere other than their hand.
Exile Avatar's Wrath.
See also
References
- ↑ a b Eliana Rabinowitz (November 7, 2025). "Magic: The Gathering® - Avatar: The Last Airbender™ Release Notes". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Matt Tabak (October 28, 2025). "Magic: The Gathering® - Avatar: The Last Airbender™ Mechanics". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Chris Mooney (November 19, 2025). "Designing Magic: The Gathering® | Avatar: The Last Airbender™: The Four Elements". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater. "#1293 - Avatar: The Last Airbender Design with Chris Mooney". Drive to Work.
- ↑ Chris Mooney (November 26, 2025). "Designing Magic: The Gathering® | Avatar: The Last Airbender™: Allies, Clues, and Lessons". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (November 4, 2025). "Are you free to reuse those mechanics as-is in other sets, or would you have to rename them?". Blogatog. Tumblr.