Talk:Aang VS Edward/@comment-31165581-20190705161720/@comment-30944269-20190705222540

Bending requires a fairly high degree of physical and martial arts ability, whereas alchemy is mostly dependent on scientific knowledge/understanding. The former would require more physical exertion and dedication to acquire, whereas the latter can be achieved through simple studying.

Additionally, one can learn to use any type of alchemy they want, as long as they know how to draw the right circle, and understand the material they're trying to transmute. On the other hand, unless they happen to be the Avatar, a person can only bend one element, and they don't get to choose which one it is.

Compounding these things with the fact that alchemy has more everyday uses, whereas bending is mostly combat oriented with only a handful of other applications, alchemy is just the better option overall tbh.