Photo @barberbaz98
Water, Earth, Fire and Air. This is the titular intro of Avatar: The Last Airbender, the show that we used to watch as kids but realized how really good it is when we were adults.
It is one of the best Anime shows ever made, even though a Japanese brand did not create it.
No matter when you watched the show, you probably asked yourself: Would an Avatar haircut look cool?
Of course, it does!
Whether you want to cosplay and show up at an event dressed up as Aang or shock everyone with crazy haircuts, the recognizable blue arrow on your head is the way to go.
So if you are a true fan, you want to create this hairstyle as soon as possible.
Table Of Contents
What Is Avatar Haircut
If you watched Avatar: The Last Airbender, you know that immediately after being tawed from the ice, Aang appears with his signature style – A bald head with a blue arrow sign pointing towards his eyes face.
Many people have confused this as the sign of an Avatar, but if you’ve watched the sequel, The Legend of Korra, you will notice that she does not have the same tattoos as Aang. This is because Aang belongs to the air nomads and Kora is from the water tribe.
Aang’s tattoos on his head, hands, and feet are what all air nomads get when they develop air-bending skills.
So this style is one of the most popular shaved head styles as it mirrors the appearance of Aang in the show, who is destined to become the Avatar and master all four elements and air-bending skills.
The style involves shaving your head completely, the same as a Buddhist monk, and then adding a blue arrow sign pointing towards your face.
Meaning of Aang’s Arrow
If you watch the show closely, you will notice that Aang’s arrow, and all Airbender tattoos, have a much deeper meaning than purely being aesthetic.
It is not like getting asymmetrical haircuts and just trying to look cool; the flow and movement of the arrows are connected deep into the culture of Airbenders.
First, all air nomad members get their tattoos once they master airbending. They also must go through a 36-tier training course or independently create an air-bending technique. Once they do that, they get a blue arrow on their head, hands and feet, all pointing outward.
Airbenders are very spiritual and need to meditate to connect to their spiritual side. They defensively use their techniques, turning their opponent’s strengths against them.
So the arrows signify the movement of chi through one’s body and Airbenders need to harness their chi to control their bending abilities.
Chi is a spiritual energy that starts from the base of our spine and moves towards our forehead, shoulders to our hands, and hips to our feet.
Photo @nancy_fancy_barber_
Evolution of Air Nomad Tattoos In Avatar
Watching Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, we found out that early Airbenders had a much different tattoo than Aang’s blue arrow.
Airbenders were always in tune with nature and had deep connections with their spirituality, but their head tattoo looked more like an upside T with some dots around it. This was not because they wanted to have creative haircut line designs.
The original marking on their forehead was the sign of the Lion Turtle, the ancient animal that granted humanity bending skills. Once the lion turtles ventured on and almost disappeared, humanity had to find other natural ways to acquire bending skills.
Earthbenders get their abilities from badger moles. Firebenders acquired their skills from dragons. Waterbenders received their gift from the Moon. Airbenders got thiers from sky bisons.
These magnificent creatures have a natural arrow sign in their fur and on their foreheads. So the air nomads changed their tattoos to honor the air bison as their protectors.
How to Get and Maintain the Avatar Hairstyle
Creating an Avatar haircut is super easy, not at all anything like making a disconnected undercut. All you need is shaving cream, a good razor and some dye.
Step 1 – Start by shaving your head completely
Use a more sensitive razor so you don’t get any burns on your scalp.
Step 2 – Create the head tattoo
We don’t recommend going to a tattoo artist and requesting one; we are thinking of a short-term method. Get some skin coloring products and draw an arrow on the top of your head pointing towards your eyebrows.
You can also do it by not shaving your head but going for a buzz cut.
Step 3 – Add a trendy hair dye
Draw an arrow pointing downwards on your hair. You might even style it with some hair pomade if you want to make it trendier.
FAQ
Do all Airbenders shave their heads?
Only air nomads shave their heads in the same manner as Buddhist monks do. People who can do airbending outside the air nomad tribe don’t need to shave their heads.
Are Airbenders born with arrows?
No, they are not. They can acquire one in a ritual ceremony after training and learning air-bending.
Why don’t all Avatars have arrows?
The blue arrow is not the sign of an Avatar. It is the sign of Airbenders, or more precisely, of the air nomad tribe.
Do Avatars get airbending tattoos?
No, they don’t unless they belong to the air nomad tribe. For instance, Korra, from the Legend of Korra, does not have any tattoos as she is of the water clan.
What is Korra’s hairstyle called?
The show describes Korra’s hairstyle as a warrior wolf tail worn by women in her Southern water tribe.
What is Zuko’s hairstyle called?
Zuko has a traditional Thai hairstyle. He has a bald head, all except the part of the crown with a topknot.
Vinnie is one of the members of the Beardoholic writers team. He’s also a barber and hairstylist for 15 years now and he has a kick-ass beard of his own, so he surely knows what makes a magnificent beard and hair and how to achieve them. He’s our go-to guy for all the latest beard and hairstyle trends and he always has a tip or two on how to grow and style a thick beard fast.