You can watch a brand new SpongeBob mini theory right now on Patreon for $5: www.patreon.com/alexbale (the theory will eventually be public in the big final spongebob bonus compilation. I'm still working on that video, it's just taking awhile.)
The fact you're gonna make a Theory about Avatar The Last Airbender is a surprise for sure, but a good one. We will watch your career with great interest 🗿
Bringing down Ba Sing Se is a stretch, but he definitely brought down Omashu. There's actually no other explanation. And he literally hates all earth kingdom places: "This place is even worse than Omashu" mmhmm.
I love that, according to this, this man is so petty he's willing to throw an entire _kingdom_ under the bus because they don't respect his talent, his cabbages, like he does. It's almost admirable the amount of guts he has
I know he's shown as and called a Cabbage Merchant, but think about it. Have we ever seen him sell his cabbages? He always has a full cart and never sells any of them.
@@davidhong1934 Fair, but even in the afternoon when he should be getting a lot of business, he still has a completely full cart. But it is funny to imagine for every on screen time we see his cabages destroyed there are 100 others off screen and that's why he always has a fresh cart.
This has all the energy of someone who has found the truth and doesn’t want to believe it themselves, but not sharing the truth is tearing them up inside. Absolutely incredible theory.
Cabbage bending is the strongest avatar style. Fire the sun that helps photosynthesis. Water to drink. Earth to grow in and air to spread the seeds. Truly the avatar state or vegetables
The whole show takes place in less than a year. Aang is 111 years old the whole show. I whole heartedly agree that cabbage man is a spy, but he would've been a spy the whole time. There's no 'years of abuse' to make him mad, and Zuko was getting intel from the very beginning. Cabbage man is likely from one of the fire nation colonies and is loyal to the fire nation, but he knows the earth kingdom well, so he's been spying since before Aang showed up.
while specifically to the avatar yes, we can assume similar events with the earth kingdom predate this, its not like their bureaucracy(or the fact it unfairly favors certain people) a new thing, which notably the fire nation while still having nobility obviously, operates mostly meritocratic (one of the closest and most trusted ally to the fire nation heir is a circus performer based purely on her skills)
LOL why is this theory so coherent though?! I was expecting the play insight but actually seeing a confirmed cabbage slug in the Ba Sing Se security scene is crazy! Also, if Toph can uniquely bend metal & the swamp people can spy on people through plants, then the cabbage merchant could definitely have cabbage bending! I really liked how Alex referenced both the original Avatar series & the Legend of Kora series. Fun theory!
If this theory is true, props to the creators of Avatar, because that would be such a crazy thing to do like in the background just for nobody to end up noticing, except for one dude on the internet
No matter how much of a stretch the theory initially seems Alex somehow manages to find seemingly explicit clues to support it. Great theory as always!
This is so real. I almost dismissed the video entirely and passed by it until I saw it was made by Alex, so I decided to give it a shot. As always with him, I'm convinced. 👏
I have binged Avatar every summer break for over 10 years continuously (still going). No matter how crazy this theory is, it all somehow makes sense. Sokka in Legend of Kora says that he isn’t surprised that people could bloodbend in the day because he knows how benders are always pushing the boundaries to impossible extents, the same logic applies here.
if u are a gamer or like animes/mangas/novel, then it would really make sense for plant blending.. a character or creature controlling plants just make so much sense
Cabbage bending can actually be canon believe it or not; in the official short story avatar comics there was a story called "New Recruits", in it Aang and the gang try to recruit new members to help take down the fire nation, Old man Yahshi then brings 4 different benders with unique abilities. There was one bender who could manipulate shadows and there was another who was able to bend cookies, yes actually. Technically since this is an official comic that is canon to the show it is basically confirmed that aside from the 4 elements it is also possible to bend other things as well, so if a literal child can bend chocolate chip cookies then it's pretty safe to say that the merchant cabbage bending isn't so far fetched at all, I'm surprised Alex didn't use this piece of evidence to back up the cabbage bending claim, it would've really help to solidify parts of this theory low-key
That comic is not canon. The characters featured in the comic were created by fans as part of a Nick Magazine contest. The winners would get their character featured in a comic for the magazine. Later on the comic would be collected into a book titled "The Lost Adventures" in which it was placed in a section named "Bonus Stories" and not grouped with other canon comics, making it decidedly non-canon.
Cabbage bending is probably just some sort of water bending combined with the „Everything is connected“ spiritual thing , allowing him to use the cabbages to locate the Avatar gang.
I think if you want to make this theory a little stronger, you can also say that the cabbage merchant is from the swamp and is a water bender. The reason he knows about the tree in the swamp is because that’s where he’s from. He’s able to bend his cabbages because he’s a water bender who’s bending the water inside the cabbages, just like how Hue bends the water inside vines in the swamp. The cabbage merchant even has a similar skin complexion to people from the swamp and a very similar hair color to Hue in particular.
The cabbage merchants goes all the way back in Kyoshi’s era. “An overdressed merchant from Omashu haggled with a fire nation procurement officer over cabbage futures…”
@@Keram-io8hv probably a generational practice. Or u are right, Kyoshi was a disciple of Lao Ge the immortal and lived for 200+ years herself, and lao ge was a earth bender so we can only wonder
Or cabbages in the show extend life.😮 Think about it everyone in the avatar show and past books lived 100+ years. Then after the company switched to technology everyone is aging horribly and dying young (relative to the avatar universe).
You neglected to mention the southern water tribe's vine bending, where they bend the water in the vines to make them move. That's one more piece of evidence.
This is the type of unhinged theories I miss from Game Theory and team. No hate to MatPat he has a special place in my heart but this type of content is why I got into theories in the first place. Mario is a psychopath, peach is dead and now Cabbage Man is a firenation spy! I love it, keep it up man!!
@rickydiscord7671 True, but a lot of people grew up watching MattPatt and he's who they think of when they think of theorists. It's not that serious, you don't need to defend anyone.
@@KateCat420 ANYONE can make a theory. you don't have to go and think about one person for that. is just a nitpick that most people keep thinking mat's the only one. also is "defend" the word you really using? because that's not what I'm doing. that's what YOU are doing.
This is crazy, but believable. Here's another piece of evidence: In the episode "Imprisoned", Haru saves an old man with Earthbending, but he immediately rats him out to the Fire Nation. It shows that Earth Kingdom folk don't automatically have loyalty. While I don't think that guy was a spy, it does show that anyone can turn on the Earth Kingdom.
I don’t see how this is related to it. The old fire nation man also helped Sokka when Jet tried to flood the city. Does this mean all fire nation citizens are not loyal? Of course there are some snitches. You find them everywhere in every nation. Avatar takes a lot of time to show you that people are just people and not defined by the actions of their nations. A good example is the episode Painted Lady. And another one is this.
this was masterful wtf. Got me soooo hype every step of the way. when I thought it couldn't get any more unhinged (while staying logical?!) it got crazier. thank u for taking me on this ride
Also at Omashu there was a disguise that Soka (I think) had to use and it was a squid or an octopus and they just said that he was sick and they shrugged it off like it was a normal occurance maybe there had been an outbreak of whatever the slugs or rotten cabbages had and that weakened the forces of omashu this is prolly a stretch but idk
@@AlexBaleFilms I love this theory! I didn't notice everything that was mentioned in the video but after going back I found a lot more evidence that wasn't in this video. If someone ever sees this late comment and wants to know some others just ask; but regarding Ultimate's comment about Omashu having an outbreak I was shocked at how many details I found! Not only does Aang say Omashu seemed untouchable but he was just there a few weeks/ months ago; so there is no realistic the situation could have become so hopeless if the Fire Nation had been using normal means. In the episode "return to Omashu" the Fire Nation is suprisingly quick to believe there is a "FAKE" illness; at 1st glance this just seems like gulible comedy but it suddenly makes a lot more sense if there really was a food problem recently because of something like Cabbage Slugs. Bumi didn't fight back because he knew the people would just die from hunger or sickness; even the governor (Mae's dad) says that Bumi was "So clever so tricky just like King Bumi" which is supprising for him to say about the guy he litterally took the city from but it seems Bumi did make the very best move in an unwinable situation. Even the Earth Kingdom soldier who was mad at Bumi and was his biggest critic said that he had been "preparing to die fighting"' which means even he agreed it was hopeless and if Omashu was so untouchable one of the few possiblities for it being that hopeless is if their food supply was poisoned by cabbage slugs. Also no one even tries to use this fake sick act before or after this episode even though it worked so well and that would also be expleained if there had previously been a plauge there and this was were it was most believable. When Sokka 1st acts sick in Omashu the Fire Nation gaurds are quick to get scared and run. Of course we all assumed they were just silly cowards but as the are leaving there is a HUGE clue that pretty much confirms that there was a plauge. The gaurd says "didn't your cousin die from that?" Sokka did make up the illness so they got the name mixed up but that guy's cousin clearly died from a REAL disease and they have reason to believe that disease would be in Omashu again! The governor/ Mae's dad has a line that again everyone just sees as silly incompentce because of the context. "Pentapox I'm pretty sure I've heard of that" HOWEVER; from what little we see of him he doesn't seem that incompetent. I am not saying he is a genius but he was able to see Bumi was really clever even though he "lost", Mae implies in the Ember Island episode that he had to work long and hard on his political career, and when he thinks his son is "kidnapped" he doesn't let fear take over and go into a blind rage but instead tries to negotiate which technically would have worked if not for Azula. Even durring his reaction to the fake plauge he doesn't get nervous and freeze up, he doesn't tell the gaurds to lock the infected in a prison inside the city, and he doesn't run aways or lock himself up in a panic room. Instead he quickly tells the soldiers to get the infected out of the city and even specifically says not to touch them which durring this era might have been the best possible ways do deal with this plauge if it had been real. I know it wouldn't have taken a genius to give these simple orders but again he doesn't seem completely incompenent either. We already established that a soldier's cousin had died from a real plauge. Now consider that if that real plauge looked anything like the fake one then there is a very good chance the real plauge has "POX" in its name. If there was a REAL plauge in the area named Purple POX or Poison POX then suddenly this line goes from incompetent to understandable. "Penta Pox I'm pretty sure I've heard of that"
This whole theory is just as if the "My Leg" guy from spongebob were a spy for Plankton to help him conquer the world just because spongebob keeps breaking his leg.
As theoretically weird as cabbage bending sounds its not the weirdest thing in the avatar universe in the old nick magazine they had a comic where the animators made fan ocs canon for one comic for a contest one of them was a cookie dough bender and one of the others was a shadowbender
@cradiculous the other ocs were a old guy who could talk to animals a kid who could earthbend and had a rock dragon pet last one was a teen girl who could surf with waterbending and had customized weapons
@@cradiculousand those are just the finalists the honorable mentions where a plant bender with a 6 legged koala a water bender who could surf who was gifted with sea creatures a archer with unusual talents and someone who could tie there shoes with waterbending
the fact that this gag character and similar type gag characters of other shows have enough evidence for huge conspiricy theorys like this that the origonal writers may have never intended is nuts!
I love the fact that this theory is right but also that it could be more than a simple agent : - this is not cabbage bending because the merchant power must be linked to the spirit world (such as with the swamp or this Guru who wanted to train Aang). The spirit world is the only option with Avatar powers to spy on everyone with cabbages miles away from the bender ( even strong techniques like blood bending can't be used in a long range or period of time, only a strong spiritual connection is required like in Jojo with activation stands) - Regarding all the episodes when the Avatar journey meet the cabbage merchant, he couldn't be a Fire Nation intel before "the Earth Book" so I think that Zuko had just use every intel from the army or even other spies in "the Water Book" to track down Aang (you just have to look for a flying bison) . To proove this, it would be logic for the Fire Nation, after this century of war effort, to create an impressive intelligence web across the world to find the Avatar/ exterminate other benders . On the other hand, they already have the ressources to create such a web, as seen in the show with all the mercenaries or elites soldier detachments (the Explosion Man other the Rhino-lizard riders) - In the Avatar universe, the White Lotus loves to approach every people who are gifted with unique abilities, such as Sokka with his soul of enginner. Saying that the cabbage merchant is a member of the Red Lotus could be explained by the fact that he was already in the White Lotus at the end of The Last Airbender (because if he was a member since the beginning he would have entered Omashu or Basing Se with great ease) . Remember, any talented people can join the White Lotus, even Iroh from the Fire Nation . -There is a disturbing link between the merchant power and cabbage slugs, because at first we would not understand why he had slugs that eat his source of power that is to spy everyone . However, we could also say that these different spy weapons are designed to his modus operandi : these slugs are not here to destroy Earth Nation's food reserves because they are just cabbage slugs, but it's an excellent way to hide the evidences of his actions . Basing Se and Omashu are guarded by Earth Nation soldiers or even Dai Li agents who could discover the truth, so take some slugs and they won't see that the cabbages they bought at the market have face marks like Katara's cabbage ! By the way the merchant could have an impressive power range + no reasons to be worried because this cabbage is in a friendly territory : Fire Nation archipelago 🥸 ! At this point, there is just one missing element : I'm not convinced that the cabbage merchant is anarchist in Legend of Korra : how to be part of the Red Lotus, those terrorists opposed to the Avatar and benders in general, while you are some kind of privileged man with a spiritual power and a famous tech company with capitalist tricks such as programmed obsolescence of your products ? With all these evidences, I come to this dramatic conclusion : The lore about the cabbage merchant tells us a tale about the birth of a MASTERMIND . The cabbage merchant is a man gifted with a strong connection with his production . The problem is, he's born in a world ravaged by war where everyone could be a spy for the Fire Nation . Plus, any farmers will tell you the same thing : in a world like Avatar where you have rice or other cereals, cabbages aren't the first choice for in terms of productivity to feed everyone. But you know how you make way more money than selling cabbages ? Selling well accurate intels, thanks to this spy ability . Just need to hide some slugs to wipe the evidences . At the end of the war, there is a way better business with this power : stealing business plans and technologies from big brains like Sokka or any genius in this industrial era . Creating an influent company and be praised as one of the greatest personalities from the Earth Kingdom ! Just one last problem : getting rid of the Avatar. Not only this person had already put the merchant in several compromissions by destroying his material, not only Aang and Korra are a bridge between the material and spirit world and can discover the secret cabbage connection, but the Avatar is first of all the one responsible for the murder of the merchant precious children 😢 Those poor cabbages need to be avenged ! Destiny is sometimes pretty sweet... after he had infiltrated Basing Se, the merchant heard about Iroh and the White Lotus coup against the Fire Nation occupation. Using this precious information, he betrayed fire benders, knowing that one day, he would create a more influent faction to kill the Avatar. In the Legend of Korra, people have political debates around the utility of the Avatar. The Red Lotus is born, financed with Cabbage Corporation funds and tools of espionnage . On the one hand, the merchant lives on decades of tech fortune . On the other hand he helps any ennemies of the Avatar in the shadows . This was the tragedy of a man, only counting on his incredible power to live a peaceful life with his cabbages . Last time I saw such a character, it was Kira Yoshikage
I like theories like this. Theories were the creators didn't attend to do this but then instead theorists like you get so much evidence and proof just to prove it and I love it. So thank you for another incredible theory.
i'm only at 0:20 well cabbage bending is not impossible in the canon of the show, plant bending is a thing, a sub-bending of water that the swamp tribe did learn
Dude. You should do a part time job as car salesman. At the start I never thought I would actually believe this theory but it just holds (at least for the most part).
I absolutely love how you use your horror film knowledge to make an immensely atmospheric video with great music choices, each one building up more suspense. Awesome video!
nickelodeon: let's make a man who sells cabbages that get destroyed as a funny gag. alex bale: HES A FIRE NATION SPY WHO CAN CABBAGE BEND TRYING TO DESTROY THE EARTH KINGDOM.
Just to tell you, the guy we see in Legend of Korra is actually Cai (Cabbage Merchant)'s son, Lau. Cai himself is probably dead by that time considering he already looks aged in ATLA and LOK is 70 years later. On another note, there is a subset of water bending called plant bending, which is exactly what it says on the tin. If Cai was a waterbender, he could have learned plantbending and used that to tap into the cabbage's somehow.
There are THOSE in Avatar who with Unique capabilities had attained long life spans and sometimes even immortality such as Kyoshi, Bomi with earth technics (they specifically aren't immortals). Yet the most interesting example is Guru Patick who is at least 150 probably thorough Chi or even energy banding. It is possible that the Cabbage man being the supreme red cabbage had attained immortality through his energy connection to cabbages. And as such continues to work in the Shadow among or against other immortals within the spirit/idea realm or the physical one.
You know, actually the Cabbage Man wasn't from the Earth Kingdom, he was originally a waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe. In fact, he was one of the waterbenders that were captured by the Fire Nation before with Hama though he was only a small child when he was taken. Unlike Hama and being such a young age, he went the opposite direction as Hama. Instead of taking the path of revenge, he took the path of Stockholm syndrome and joined the Fire Nation. He was sent to live as the child of a Fire Nation vegetable merchant. He took a particular interest in cabbages because they sort of looked like they had faces. The other children like Chan (who grew up to be Admiral Chan's father) and Runan (who grew up to Hide's grandfather) teased him and called him "Cabbage Boy" so he had no friends and was very lonely. After school, he would talk and play with the cabbages and they became his only friends. He was still young so he never got to really develop his waterbending skills and because of the Fire Nation indoctrination, he eventually forgot he came from the Southern Water Tribe or that could waterbend, so later, he was surprised that his best friend Caibbage spoke back to him. Cabbage Boy didn't realize but he had just invented a subset of plant bending: cabbage bending. Unfortunately, his best friend Caibbage was starting to wilt and wither and he was desperate to find a way to save Caibbage. That night during the full moon, Cabbage Boy could hear Caibbage was close to dying so in a desperate attempt, he picked Caibbage up and ran toward the local apothecary. On the way, he bumped into someone and he and Caibbage fell. Cabbage Boy got up and to his surprise, his friend Caibbage was healthy again and all that was left of the stranger was his clothes and dust. Caibbage explained that somehow Cabbage Boy was able to transfer that stranger's youth to Caibbage. While Hama learned to pull the youth out of plants like those fire lilies, causing them to desiccate and die, Cabbage Man learned the opposite: using plants (specifically cabbage) to pull the youth out of people. Eventually, he was able to take it a step further and transfer that youth the cabbage stole and transfer it to himself. That's why he doesn't look so old. As an adult, Cabbage Man wanted to join the army but was rejected because he refused to be separated from his cabbage. Cabbage Man move to the Fire Nation colonies and set up shop there but his stock kept getting ambushed or destroyed by groups of Earth Kingdom rebels, particularly this one group called "the Liberty League" led by Plane and Feelerflea. Cabbage Man was driven mad from all the carnage of cabbage casualties and decided to take revenge on the Earth Kingdom. He used Caibbage to drain the life out of some random Earth Nation cabbage merchant and took his clothes. Caibbage taught Cabbage Man about the infamous cabbage slug and how they could use it to cripple the Earth Nation's agricultural production and economy. Unbeknownst to both the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom, Cabbage Man played a significant role in helping to secure critical gains for the Fire Nation despite their poor leadership under figures like Officer Zhao and that Warden guy voiced by George Takei. Eventually, Cabbage Man found his way to one of the biggest Earth Nation standouts, Omashu... Anyway, from my understanding, the cabbage merchant was intended to be a one-time character but later changed to be a running gag. The only reason he appears again in Book 2 and mentioned in Book 3 and shows up in the live action was because the running gag was popular among fans.
well, not necessarily. toph is an earthbender and she was able to see through plants, which suggests that particular ability isn't connected to any element.
He just needs to mention Air benders in his manifesto and we've got ourselves the eco terrorist Avatar (working for the Fire Nation, using his water bending to sabotage the Earth kingdom, motivated by Air nomad scripture)
I just woke up randomly and see Avatar the last Airbender cabbage theory, I though NEAT... I see Alex Bale on the thing and... I watched the whole thing.
I hadn't heard this before. I didn't take you seriously when you said it would be the most convincing avatar theory, but it ended up being one of the most convincing fan theories i've heard of any show.
So that last bit about the mouse, that could be proof of Iroh using MOUSE BENDING but he just isnt advanced enough to understand what the mouse is saying quickly enough and thats why he was caught.
Not necessarily, we've seen animals respond to human language beyond petty commands. Hell Momo and Appa are a PART of the group. Instead, people themselves who are more connected to the Earth like Iroh, Aang, and Cabbage Man have an innate ability to "speak" to animals, but because of Iroh's guilt and current responsibilities, he wasn't able to properly connect himself at that moment. There's also the bounty hunter lady that had a connection with her "hound" but that seemed more like a order-response relationship
Just started the video, but I hope he goes over how the Cabbage merchant breaks the laws of physics as they exist in the Avatar universe. During the 100 Years War, The fastest form of travel that existed on Earth was a flying sky bison. But somehow the Cabbage merchant travels between locations faster than Appa flying in a straight line.
Technically speaking, Aang is shown to be easy to distract and prone to taking side stops. I believe at one point a fire nation general thinks he's tactically evading them, but it shows he was actually just being a spaz. He almost never takes a direct route to anything. So it's entirely plausible that the merchant is beating him to locations that are well traveled through trade routes.
This really is a crack theory, but I'd believe it. The amount of times this person had to witness total cabbage carnage already had me thinking "Damn, how'd you not become some sort of enemy?" but turns out he was? Yeah, sounds about right.
Love your work, Alex. I think with the last SpongeBob movie, “Saving Bikini Bottom,” there are many scenes that confirm many of your theories. For example, the robot theory or Sandy secretly being a spy. Hope to see a video about that.
13:52 Fun Fact: Aang had the vision about Toph in the Swamp, the same Swamp Toph now lives in. Another bonus fun fact: In the episode "The Avatar and the Firelord" Toph says "Do you really think Friendships can transcend lifetimes?". Years later, Toph befriended Korra.
@@KairuHakubi not really, though. Not many people know this. Trust me, I've been on many forums and servers over the years to know this. But of course, over the years, it obviously became more well-known to people. Still, a lot of people didn't put two and two together. And since it's still a fun fact, I'm sharing it.
There's a theory in the community that Suyin is the daughter of Sokka and Toph that a lot of people made their head cannon (myself included lol)@@antoniacosta6221
@@debater452 Lin and Suyin had different dads, it would stand to reason that Lin the older and more responsible is the daughter of the mechanic guy in the comics Imo it would make sense for the more free spirited Suyin to have a more free spirited dad, not saying it´s Sokka though.
Thanks a lot for all the work you put into this video, I really found it hilarious and surprisingly very convincing. I've got to say after watching this video, I can never look at the cabbage man thesame way again and will always be suspicious of him any time I watch or rewatch Avatar.
I find it funny how matpat got flamed for that theory because they were just 'easter eggs' but then those same people would use easter eggs for their fnaf theories@SpaceSkelet0nn
And it actually goes roundabout when Hiroshi Sato frames the merchant and Cabbage Corp for supplying tech to the Equalists: if the merchant was secretly a cabbage bender, Sato unknowingly assisted with the arrest of one of the benders he despised. And we know "unknowingly" because, if he or the Equalists knew about the merchant, they would have taken him themselves. It's just funny how things work out.
Well, I have a whole show to look at and all he sees the cabbages. That’s how you know this man is determined to find the craziest things. It’s amazing how we could put the puzzle pieces together in a show where things go by fast good job, bro.
What if he can communicate with the slugs? It would explain allot, like he could hide one in Kataras cabbage, its kinda like a spy drone for him, they get intel and give that to the merchant
You're actually not that far off Alex, "Cabbage bending" is actually plausible, Guru Pathik used energy-bending to show Appa how to find Aang in Ba Sing Se even though there's no record of him being an element bender, nor was he anywhere near the swamp...
I saw this when it first came out and my mind was blown. I came back 11 days later to see everyone else’s mind blown as well. (Seriously, SO many people are making reaction videos!!) Congratulations on an EXCELLENT theory and video!
I literally got chills from watching this theory this is such a well worked theory every thing adds up this is a masterpiece of an theory you deserve an award for this theory this literally beats MatPat
You can watch a brand new SpongeBob mini theory right now on Patreon for $5: www.patreon.com/alexbale (the theory will eventually be public in the big final spongebob bonus compilation. I'm still working on that video, it's just taking awhile.)
The fact you're gonna make a Theory about Avatar The Last Airbender is a surprise for sure, but a good one. We will watch your career with great interest 🗿
Ol
Hey Alex, my theory is that the cabbage vendor has an infinite supply of cabbages. 🤯
Bro i am super hyped to watch because i know its gonna be good
"Mini theory" and its 9 mins long
This feels like a rant sokka would come up with at 3am. The cabbage merchant lookin real sus now tho
Bringing down Ba Sing Se is a stretch, but he definitely brought down Omashu. There's actually no other explanation. And he literally hates all earth kingdom places: "This place is even worse than Omashu" mmhmm.
Cabbage merchant has been _real_ quiet since this dropped.
He would honestly
Suki and Gaang: you know, it *is* strange how much we see him in almost *every* location we've been to
Definitely a cactus juice rant if I ever heard one lol.
This is the first I'm hearing of any cabbages in Avatar, very interesting.
yeah, out of all of the overanalyzing videoes I've watched, not one mentioned these "cabages"
I’ve never watched avatar lol
Makes total sense though
There is no cabbage in Ba Sing Se
Yeah i have no idea what this guys talking about, who is this "cabbage merchant"?
Okay, but the cabbage slug actually blew my flipping mind
Cabbage man is innocent that was an accident
@DaKylisWebster You go to prison with Cabbage man
@@piecekeeps1712 i expected to be silenced for speaking the truth this is how Micheal Jackson’s name was tarnished
@@DaKylisWebster he cares about them to much for it to be an accident
@so a man isn’t allowed to have a passion?
I love that, according to this, this man is so petty he's willing to throw an entire _kingdom_ under the bus because they don't respect his talent, his cabbages, like he does.
It's almost admirable the amount of guts he has
yes
dang it your right
I mean, a certain dude started a word war because art school rejected him.
@@Ookami_is_a_wolfYa effectively.
Spite is the best motivator
I know he's shown as and called a Cabbage Merchant, but think about it. Have we ever seen him sell his cabbages? He always has a full cart and never sells any of them.
This.
His cabbage carts do tend to explode violently before we can see him sell anything
@@davidhong1934 Fair, but even in the afternoon when he should be getting a lot of business, he still has a completely full cart. But it is funny to imagine for every on screen time we see his cabages destroyed there are 100 others off screen and that's why he always has a fresh cart.
maybe thats just because no one likes him or his cabbages 💀
@@DingleDuck Yeah no that also could be the case. I mean would you buy a cabbage after seeing a guy rub his face all over it?
This theory goes down a dozen rabbit holes, only to emerge into something shockingly plausible.
I'm in awe.
Earth Bending to make those rabbit holes, air to spread out the dirt and hold it in place as Fire and Water do the rest
@@JoséMendoza-d8jthat makes Sense a lot
If by "awe" you mean:
I'm not going to sleep tonight.
Then yes.
I'm in Awe too
This has all the energy of someone who has found the truth and doesn’t want to believe it themselves, but not sharing the truth is tearing them up inside. Absolutely incredible theory.
Cabbage bending is the strongest avatar style.
Fire the sun that helps photosynthesis. Water to drink. Earth to grow in and air to spread the seeds. Truly the avatar state or vegetables
But we will get to That part later.
Water also helps grow and also the nutrients in the ground and fresh air…. He’s the avatar
Air for the carbon that it's made of
Robot chicken moment
Only the Cabbatar can master all four
The whole show takes place in less than a year. Aang is 111 years old the whole show. I whole heartedly agree that cabbage man is a spy, but he would've been a spy the whole time. There's no 'years of abuse' to make him mad, and Zuko was getting intel from the very beginning. Cabbage man is likely from one of the fire nation colonies and is loyal to the fire nation, but he knows the earth kingdom well, so he's been spying since before Aang showed up.
Well, there could have been years before the show started. And so he’s been helping the Fire nation before this.
while specifically to the avatar yes, we can assume similar events with the earth kingdom predate this, its not like their bureaucracy(or the fact it unfairly favors certain people) a new thing, which notably the fire nation while still having nobility obviously, operates mostly meritocratic (one of the closest and most trusted ally to the fire nation heir is a circus performer based purely on her skills)
12, 112. That's his actual age
Bro I was so sceptical but after finishing it i was shocked. HE IS A SPY
HEAVY IS SPY. HEAVY tf2
@@Friezahim "That cabbage Merchant is a spy!"
@@Imperials3nate that cabbage merchant is spy
@@Imperials3nateA CABBAGE SPY IN THE BASE!!!
LOL why is this theory so coherent though?! I was expecting the play insight but actually seeing a confirmed cabbage slug in the Ba Sing Se security scene is crazy! Also, if Toph can uniquely bend metal & the swamp people can spy on people through plants, then the cabbage merchant could definitely have cabbage bending! I really liked how Alex referenced both the original Avatar series & the Legend of Kora series. Fun theory!
If this theory is true, props to the creators of Avatar, because that would be such a crazy thing to do like in the background just for nobody to end up noticing, except for one dude on the internet
No matter how much of a stretch the theory initially seems Alex somehow manages to find seemingly explicit clues to support it. Great theory as always!
Nice pfp! 😂
@@CruzingAroundTheBlock Thanks!
ikr lol every time 😂
This is so real. I almost dismissed the video entirely and passed by it until I saw it was made by Alex, so I decided to give it a shot. As always with him, I'm convinced. 👏
mike is life. mike is love. @ShrekOgrestone
I have binged Avatar every summer break for over 10 years continuously (still going). No matter how crazy this theory is, it all somehow makes sense. Sokka in Legend of Kora says that he isn’t surprised that people could bloodbend in the day because he knows how benders are always pushing the boundaries to impossible extents, the same logic applies here.
Cabbages are mostly water, would it be an offshoot of waterbending?
Probably, if you can bend the water in vines to move them, I’d imagine you could sense things too. If you can bend vines, you could bend cabbages.
if u are a gamer or like animes/mangas/novel, then it would really make sense for plant blending..
a character or creature controlling plants just make so much sense
Cabbage bending can actually be canon believe it or not; in the official short story avatar comics there was a story called "New Recruits", in it Aang and the gang try to recruit new members to help take down the fire nation, Old man Yahshi then brings 4 different benders with unique abilities. There was one bender who could manipulate shadows and there was another who was able to bend cookies, yes actually. Technically since this is an official comic that is canon to the show it is basically confirmed that aside from the 4 elements it is also possible to bend other things as well, so if a literal child can bend chocolate chip cookies then it's pretty safe to say that the merchant cabbage bending isn't so far fetched at all, I'm surprised Alex didn't use this piece of evidence to back up the cabbage bending claim, it would've really help to solidify parts of this theory low-key
That comic is not canon. The characters featured in the comic were created by fans as part of a Nick Magazine contest. The winners would get their character featured in a comic for the magazine. Later on the comic would be collected into a book titled "The Lost Adventures" in which it was placed in a section named "Bonus Stories" and not grouped with other canon comics, making it decidedly non-canon.
@@sidelamp damn guess I over looked it, would've been an interesting focal point for the theory tho ngl
Cabbage bending is probably just some sort of water bending combined with the „Everything is connected“ spiritual thing , allowing him to use the cabbages to locate the Avatar gang.
I think if you want to make this theory a little stronger, you can also say that the cabbage merchant is from the swamp and is a water bender. The reason he knows about the tree in the swamp is because that’s where he’s from. He’s able to bend his cabbages because he’s a water bender who’s bending the water inside the cabbages, just like how Hue bends the water inside vines in the swamp. The cabbage merchant even has a similar skin complexion to people from the swamp and a very similar hair color to Hue in particular.
huh
Valid
Omg ur right Huu and Canbage guy have very similar color palates
their is also the fact that those episodes in the swamp are mostly centered around pollution and starvation.
He kinda looks like a water bender too ngl
The cabbage merchants goes all the way back in Kyoshi’s era. “An overdressed merchant from Omashu haggled with a fire nation procurement officer over cabbage futures…”
So his symbiosis with cabbages made him immortal?
@@Keram-io8hv probably a generational practice. Or u are right, Kyoshi was a disciple of Lao Ge the immortal and lived for 200+ years herself, and lao ge was a earth bender so we can only wonder
Or cabbages in the show extend life.😮 Think about it everyone in the avatar show and past books lived 100+ years. Then after the company switched to technology everyone is aging horribly and dying young (relative to the avatar universe).
Where is the source?
@@KyleGK01 probably the books in rise of kyoshi or dawn of Chen
You neglected to mention the southern water tribe's vine bending, where they bend the water in the vines to make them move. That's one more piece of evidence.
Not the southern water tribe, the swamp tribe
The southern water tribe is the name for the tribes and settlements on the South Pole
This is the type of unhinged theories I miss from Game Theory and team. No hate to MatPat he has a special place in my heart but this type of content is why I got into theories in the first place. Mario is a psychopath, peach is dead and now Cabbage Man is a firenation spy! I love it, keep it up man!!
Ness is sans was my favorite
I wish you people would stop acting like mat is the only person on youtube making crazy theories. there more people out there you know.
@rickydiscord7671 True, but a lot of people grew up watching MattPatt and he's who they think of when they think of theorists. It's not that serious, you don't need to defend anyone.
@@KateCat420 ANYONE can make a theory. you don't have to go and think about one person for that. is just a nitpick that most people keep thinking mat's the only one. also is "defend" the word you really using? because that's not what I'm doing. that's what YOU are doing.
Link with the five stages of grief is still goated despite being disproved
This is crazy, but believable. Here's another piece of evidence: In the episode "Imprisoned", Haru saves an old man with Earthbending, but he immediately rats him out to the Fire Nation. It shows that Earth Kingdom folk don't automatically have loyalty. While I don't think that guy was a spy, it does show that anyone can turn on the Earth Kingdom.
I don’t see how this is related to it. The old fire nation man also helped Sokka when Jet tried to flood the city.
Does this mean all fire nation citizens are not loyal?
Of course there are some snitches. You find them everywhere in every nation.
Avatar takes a lot of time to show you that people are just people and not defined by the actions of their nations. A good example is the episode Painted Lady. And another one is this.
@@nieselregen420thanks for the information
Close enough, welcome back MatPat
I feel like if Sokka had this wrote down after a sleepless night, dropped the paper, Alex found it and put it into a video
So he's the muse?
Yup
👏 👏
Bro was on that cactus juice
I mean this in the best way possible, but the title and thumbnail remind me EXACTLY of the Theorizer
I swear I thought I was the only one thinking that lol
Same
I know when I saw the teaser I thought it was his
When he said "the new logo is a cabbage" that felt like a big twist of a mort theory video
At that moment i heard the word "Cabbage-bender", i immediately thought on Robot Chicken
this was masterful wtf. Got me soooo hype every step of the way. when I thought it couldn't get any more unhinged (while staying logical?!) it got crazier. thank u for taking me on this ride
Also at Omashu there was a disguise that Soka (I think) had to use and it was a squid or an octopus and they just said that he was sick and they shrugged it off like it was a normal occurance maybe there had been an outbreak of whatever the slugs or rotten cabbages had and that weakened the forces of omashu this is prolly a stretch but idk
Yeah I noticed that too! Wasn’t enough to make the video, but it’s interesting for sure.
@@AlexBaleFilms I love this theory! I didn't notice everything that was mentioned in the video but after going back I found a lot more evidence that wasn't in this video. If someone ever sees this late comment and wants to know some others just ask; but regarding Ultimate's comment about Omashu having an outbreak I was shocked at how many details I found!
Not only does Aang say Omashu seemed untouchable but he was just there a few weeks/ months ago; so there is no realistic the situation could have become so hopeless if the Fire Nation had been using normal means. In the episode "return to Omashu" the Fire Nation is suprisingly quick to believe there is a "FAKE" illness; at 1st glance this just seems like gulible comedy but it suddenly makes a lot more sense if there really was a food problem recently because of something like Cabbage Slugs. Bumi didn't fight back because he knew the people would just die from hunger or sickness; even the governor (Mae's dad) says that Bumi was "So clever so tricky just like King Bumi" which is supprising for him to say about the guy he litterally took the city from but it seems Bumi did make the very best move in an unwinable situation. Even the Earth Kingdom soldier who was mad at Bumi and was his biggest critic said that he had been "preparing to die fighting"' which means even he agreed it was hopeless and if Omashu was so untouchable one of the few possiblities for it being that hopeless is if their food supply was poisoned by cabbage slugs. Also no one even tries to use this fake sick act before or after this episode even though it worked so well and that would also be expleained if there had previously been a plauge there and this was were it was most believable.
When Sokka 1st acts sick in Omashu the Fire Nation gaurds are quick to get scared and run. Of course we all assumed they were just silly cowards but as the are leaving there is a HUGE clue that pretty much confirms that there was a plauge. The gaurd says "didn't your cousin die from that?" Sokka did make up the illness so they got the name mixed up but that guy's cousin clearly died from a REAL disease and they have reason to believe that disease would be in Omashu again!
The governor/ Mae's dad has a line that again everyone just sees as silly incompentce because of the context. "Pentapox I'm pretty sure I've heard of that"
HOWEVER; from what little we see of him he doesn't seem that incompetent. I am not saying he is a genius but he was able to see Bumi was really clever even though he "lost", Mae implies in the Ember Island episode that he had to work long and hard on his political career, and when he thinks his son is "kidnapped" he doesn't let fear take over and go into a blind rage but instead tries to negotiate which technically would have worked if not for Azula. Even durring his reaction to the fake plauge he doesn't get nervous and freeze up, he doesn't tell the gaurds to lock the infected in a prison inside the city, and he doesn't run aways or lock himself up in a panic room. Instead he quickly tells the soldiers to get the infected out of the city and even specifically says not to touch them which durring this era might have been the best possible ways do deal with this plauge if it had been real. I know it wouldn't have taken a genius to give these simple orders but again he doesn't seem completely incompenent either. We already established that a soldier's cousin had died from a real plauge. Now consider that if that real plauge looked anything like the fake one then there is a very good chance the real plauge has "POX" in its name. If there was a REAL plauge in the area named Purple POX or Poison POX then suddenly this line goes from incompetent to understandable.
"Penta Pox I'm pretty sure I've heard of that"
This whole theory is just as if the "My Leg" guy from spongebob were a spy for Plankton to help him conquer the world just because spongebob keeps breaking his leg.
I want to see this now
sorry to burst your bubble but Fred rechid (my leg guy) gets his leg broken to be treated by a nurse he has a crush on
Bro’s cooking 🔥🔥🔥
@@KingdomMayFivePaduawhy not both? 😈
@@ArtemisAYO contradictions
0:33 Matt Patt: Hey, that's my thing.
No more, You retired already
TWICE
As theoretically weird as cabbage bending sounds its not the weirdest thing in the avatar universe in the old nick magazine they had a comic where the animators made fan ocs canon for one comic for a contest one of them was a cookie dough bender and one of the others was a shadowbender
Shadowbending sounds like the most generic angst fanfic someone could come up with. Cookie dough bending though... You have my attention.
@cradiculous the other ocs were a old guy who could talk to animals a kid who could earthbend and had a rock dragon pet last one was a teen girl who could surf with waterbending and had customized weapons
@@cradiculousand those are just the finalists the honorable mentions where a plant bender with a 6 legged koala a water bender who could surf who was gifted with sea creatures a archer with unusual talents and someone who could tie there shoes with waterbending
@@jennybrown7834 Behold! My one true skill! *Ties shoelaces with waterbending*
@@cradiculous Already exists in Naruto lmao
This… is actually one of the most compelling avatar theories I’ve seen recently. Good job!
This has got to be the best Avatar Theory I've ever, ever seen.
I always felt bad for this poor old man. He just wanted to make a living off of his cabbages.
Anarchist sympathizer?
Oh don’t be. He’s making an empire later in the comic book
Tomato
And then he gets accused of being a spy smh
It’s crazy because I love Avatar to absolute death but I never noticed how many times cabbages appear in the background until Alex pointed them out
20:35 he is the leader of the red lotus.
Oh no!
the fact that this gag character and similar type gag characters of other shows have enough evidence for huge conspiricy theorys like this that the origonal writers may have never intended is nuts!
Makes you wonder how they would react to theories like this..😊
I love the fact that this theory is right but also that it could be more than a simple agent :
- this is not cabbage bending because the merchant power must be linked to the spirit world (such as with the swamp or this Guru who wanted to train Aang). The spirit world is the only option with Avatar powers to spy on everyone with cabbages miles away from the bender ( even strong techniques like blood bending can't be used in a long range or period of time, only a strong spiritual connection is required like in Jojo with activation stands)
- Regarding all the episodes when the Avatar journey meet the cabbage merchant, he couldn't be a Fire Nation intel before "the Earth Book" so I think that Zuko had just use every intel from the army or even other spies in "the Water Book" to track down Aang (you just have to look for a flying bison) . To proove this, it would be logic for the Fire Nation, after this century of war effort, to create an impressive intelligence web across the world to find the Avatar/ exterminate other benders . On the other hand, they already have the ressources to create such a web, as seen in the show with all the mercenaries or elites soldier detachments (the Explosion Man other the Rhino-lizard riders)
- In the Avatar universe, the White Lotus loves to approach every people who are gifted with unique abilities, such as Sokka with his soul of enginner. Saying that the cabbage merchant is a member of the Red Lotus could be explained by the fact that he was already in the White Lotus at the end of The Last Airbender (because if he was a member since the beginning he would have entered Omashu or Basing Se with great ease) . Remember, any talented people can join the White Lotus, even Iroh from the Fire Nation .
-There is a disturbing link between the merchant power and cabbage slugs, because at first we would not understand why he had slugs that eat his source of power that is to spy everyone . However, we could also say that these different spy weapons are designed to his modus operandi : these slugs are not here to destroy Earth Nation's food reserves because they are just cabbage slugs, but it's an excellent way to hide the evidences of his actions . Basing Se and Omashu are guarded by Earth Nation soldiers or even Dai Li agents who could discover the truth, so take some slugs and they won't see that the cabbages they bought at the market have face marks like Katara's cabbage ! By the way the merchant could have an impressive power range + no reasons to be worried because this cabbage is in a friendly territory : Fire Nation archipelago 🥸 !
At this point, there is just one missing element : I'm not convinced that the cabbage merchant is anarchist in Legend of Korra : how to be part of the Red Lotus, those terrorists opposed to the Avatar and benders in general, while you are some kind of privileged man with a spiritual power and a famous tech company with capitalist tricks such as programmed obsolescence of your products ?
With all these evidences, I come to this dramatic conclusion :
The lore about the cabbage merchant tells us a tale about the birth of a MASTERMIND .
The cabbage merchant is a man gifted with a strong connection with his production . The problem is, he's born in a world ravaged by war where everyone could be a spy for the Fire Nation . Plus, any farmers will tell you the same thing : in a world like Avatar where you have rice or other cereals, cabbages aren't the first choice for in terms of productivity to feed everyone.
But you know how you make way more money than selling cabbages ? Selling well accurate intels, thanks to this spy ability . Just need to hide some slugs to wipe the evidences .
At the end of the war, there is a way better business with this power : stealing business plans and technologies from big brains like Sokka or any genius in this industrial era . Creating an influent company and be praised as one of the greatest personalities from the Earth Kingdom !
Just one last problem : getting rid of the Avatar. Not only this person had already put the merchant in several compromissions by destroying his material, not only Aang and Korra are a bridge between the material and spirit world and can discover the secret cabbage connection, but the Avatar is first of all the one responsible for the murder of the merchant precious children 😢 Those poor cabbages need to be avenged !
Destiny is sometimes pretty sweet... after he had infiltrated Basing Se, the merchant heard about Iroh and the White Lotus coup against the Fire Nation occupation. Using this precious information, he betrayed fire benders, knowing that one day, he would create a more influent faction to kill the Avatar.
In the Legend of Korra, people have political debates around the utility of the Avatar. The Red Lotus is born, financed with Cabbage Corporation funds and tools of espionnage . On the one hand, the merchant lives on decades of tech fortune . On the other hand he helps any ennemies of the Avatar in the shadows .
This was the tragedy of a man, only counting on his incredible power to live a peaceful life with his cabbages . Last time I saw such a character, it was Kira Yoshikage
…bro is so sleep deprived he wrote an entire collage essay
ok the dedication is insane, you are insane, but i applaud you
NEERD!!!!! But Jones aside nice
I like theories like this. Theories were the creators didn't attend to do this but then instead theorists like you get so much evidence and proof just to prove it and I love it. So thank you for another incredible theory.
i'm only at 0:20 well cabbage bending is not impossible in the canon of the show, plant bending is a thing, a sub-bending of water that the swamp tribe did learn
It could also be a form of Spirit-Human Binding/Fusion (Cabbage Spirit -> makes more sense and is easier to make canon) like the Avatar
@@namelessdude207 oh god a cabbage spirit i want to see it badly
if i think about it Fructus can work as something close to it
Please.
Let us take into account that we're talking Water Rich plants
This man was on his revenge arc after omashu
Dude. You should do a part time job as car salesman.
At the start I never thought I would actually believe this theory but it just holds (at least for the most part).
I absolutely love how you use your horror film knowledge to make an immensely atmospheric video with great music choices, each one building up more suspense. Awesome video!
I can’t unsee this….Thank you for your work
I was skeptical at first but the more I saw the more convinced I become
I will never look at cabbages the same way again.
Cabbages will never look at you the same way again either.
@@benjaminbaer9712They'll be watching more often now
nickelodeon: let's make a man who sells cabbages that get destroyed as a funny gag.
alex bale: HES A FIRE NATION SPY WHO CAN CABBAGE BEND TRYING TO DESTROY THE EARTH KINGDOM.
And kinda succeeds btw
This guy should be an ASOIAF theorist lol
We need to bring this to the attention of the creators and see if this is true. It’d be insane if it was.
18:34 HES WORKING FOR THE CABBAGES!!
Just to tell you, the guy we see in Legend of Korra is actually Cai (Cabbage Merchant)'s son, Lau. Cai himself is probably dead by that time considering he already looks aged in ATLA and LOK is 70 years later.
On another note, there is a subset of water bending called plant bending, which is exactly what it says on the tin. If Cai was a waterbender, he could have learned plantbending and used that to tap into the cabbage's somehow.
There are THOSE in Avatar who with Unique capabilities had attained long life spans and sometimes even immortality such as Kyoshi, Bomi with earth technics (they specifically aren't immortals). Yet the most interesting example is Guru Patick who is at least 150 probably thorough Chi or even energy banding. It is possible that the Cabbage man being the supreme red cabbage had attained immortality through his energy connection to cabbages. And as such continues to work in the Shadow among or against other immortals within the spirit/idea realm or the physical one.
You know, actually the Cabbage Man wasn't from the Earth Kingdom, he was originally a waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe. In fact, he was one of the waterbenders that were captured by the Fire Nation before with Hama though he was only a small child when he was taken. Unlike Hama and being such a young age, he went the opposite direction as Hama. Instead of taking the path of revenge, he took the path of Stockholm syndrome and joined the Fire Nation. He was sent to live as the child of a Fire Nation vegetable merchant. He took a particular interest in cabbages because they sort of looked like they had faces. The other children like Chan (who grew up to be Admiral Chan's father) and Runan (who grew up to Hide's grandfather) teased him and called him "Cabbage Boy" so he had no friends and was very lonely. After school, he would talk and play with the cabbages and they became his only friends. He was still young so he never got to really develop his waterbending skills and because of the Fire Nation indoctrination, he eventually forgot he came from the Southern Water Tribe or that could waterbend, so later, he was surprised that his best friend Caibbage spoke back to him. Cabbage Boy didn't realize but he had just invented a subset of plant bending: cabbage bending. Unfortunately, his best friend Caibbage was starting to wilt and wither and he was desperate to find a way to save Caibbage. That night during the full moon, Cabbage Boy could hear Caibbage was close to dying so in a desperate attempt, he picked Caibbage up and ran toward the local apothecary. On the way, he bumped into someone and he and Caibbage fell. Cabbage Boy got up and to his surprise, his friend Caibbage was healthy again and all that was left of the stranger was his clothes and dust. Caibbage explained that somehow Cabbage Boy was able to transfer that stranger's youth to Caibbage. While Hama learned to pull the youth out of plants like those fire lilies, causing them to desiccate and die, Cabbage Man learned the opposite: using plants (specifically cabbage) to pull the youth out of people. Eventually, he was able to take it a step further and transfer that youth the cabbage stole and transfer it to himself. That's why he doesn't look so old. As an adult, Cabbage Man wanted to join the army but was rejected because he refused to be separated from his cabbage. Cabbage Man move to the Fire Nation colonies and set up shop there but his stock kept getting ambushed or destroyed by groups of Earth Kingdom rebels, particularly this one group called "the Liberty League" led by Plane and Feelerflea. Cabbage Man was driven mad from all the carnage of cabbage casualties and decided to take revenge on the Earth Kingdom. He used Caibbage to drain the life out of some random Earth Nation cabbage merchant and took his clothes. Caibbage taught Cabbage Man about the infamous cabbage slug and how they could use it to cripple the Earth Nation's agricultural production and economy. Unbeknownst to both the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom, Cabbage Man played a significant role in helping to secure critical gains for the Fire Nation despite their poor leadership under figures like Officer Zhao and that Warden guy voiced by George Takei. Eventually, Cabbage Man found his way to one of the biggest Earth Nation standouts, Omashu...
Anyway, from my understanding, the cabbage merchant was intended to be a one-time character but later changed to be a running gag. The only reason he appears again in Book 2 and mentioned in Book 3 and shows up in the live action was because the running gag was popular among fans.
Still counts
Oh my god man
A cabbage
WTF is this lore dump?
How tf r u right?
Tbh bubble buddy from SpongeBob was a menace to society
lol
Water benders can bend plants so he is a water bender
well, not necessarily. toph is an earthbender and she was able to see through plants, which suggests that particular ability isn't connected to any element.
In the fortune teller episode Aaang says, "clouds are made of water and air so we can both bend them" and they do. so plants are water and earth.
He just needs to mention Air benders in his manifesto and we've got ourselves the eco terrorist Avatar (working for the Fire Nation, using his water bending to sabotage the Earth kingdom, motivated by Air nomad scripture)
He could have gotten cabbage bending from the lionturtles themselves
@acrab6527 And fire from the sun for photosynthesis and maybe even air for pollination and seed dispersal.
I just woke up randomly and see Avatar the last Airbender cabbage theory, I though NEAT... I see Alex Bale on the thing and... I watched the whole thing.
I love it when you make something like a plot twist in your theories just like in 17:30
I love that man :D
I love that this video is 22 minutes long like an actual episode, and has white book screens, and an intro, ect. Well done, Alex Bale! Great editing!
ALEX IS BACK!!
LETTSSS GOO
This was incredibly well-edited. I had a great time watching :)
Alex is cooking some real cabbage soup in this theory.
The fact that he’s not at a million subscribers is insane. Some of the best content on the platform!!!
almost tho
Content is Golden !!
Bruh he's close
I know it’s so unfair he’s literally such a good UA-camr
I agree. It is not fair, he deserves more subscribers and recognition.
I hadn't heard this before. I didn't take you seriously when you said it would be the most convincing avatar theory, but it ended up being one of the most convincing fan theories i've heard of any show.
So that last bit about the mouse, that could be proof of Iroh using MOUSE BENDING but he just isnt advanced enough to understand what the mouse is saying quickly enough and thats why he was caught.
Mouse bending you mean like mouse traps
Mouse bending would actually definitely be possible via bloodblending. So uh, that's uh, fun.
Not necessarily, we've seen animals respond to human language beyond petty commands. Hell Momo and Appa are a PART of the group. Instead, people themselves who are more connected to the Earth like Iroh, Aang, and Cabbage Man have an innate ability to "speak" to animals, but because of Iroh's guilt and current responsibilities, he wasn't able to properly connect himself at that moment. There's also the bounty hunter lady that had a connection with her "hound" but that seemed more like a order-response relationship
Mat Pat is gone but Alex Bale is back
The man who can Feel In Role So That we wont starve for theories
We need to thank him
@@pepper-974 yes
@@TheTrueKingofDRAGONS100Hehe you fail to se
But when the world needed matpat most he vanished
it ..... just makes sense ....... WHY DOES IT MAKE SENSE ALEX?!?!?!? WHY THE HELL DOES IT ALL MAKE SENSE!!!!!!!!!!
Just started the video, but I hope he goes over how the Cabbage merchant breaks the laws of physics as they exist in the Avatar universe.
During the 100 Years War, The fastest form of travel that existed on Earth was a flying sky bison. But somehow the Cabbage merchant travels between locations faster than Appa flying in a straight line.
He rolls on the cabbages
@@darkninjafirefox yeah like in the intro
Technically speaking, Aang is shown to be easy to distract and prone to taking side stops. I believe at one point a fire nation general thinks he's tactically evading them, but it shows he was actually just being a spaz. He almost never takes a direct route to anything.
So it's entirely plausible that the merchant is beating him to locations that are well traveled through trade routes.
The Cabbage Merchant being an Anarchist leader is not what I expected when I saw the thumbnail
Watching this channel evolve is a fever dream. I'm loving every second of it.
This really is a crack theory, but I'd believe it. The amount of times this person had to witness total cabbage carnage already had me thinking "Damn, how'd you not become some sort of enemy?" but turns out he was? Yeah, sounds about right.
Also another thing, there's no direct proof of if he's a bender at all, so he could be a waterbender bending cabbageeeessssss......
Next theory: MOMO IS A TIME TRAVELER
That would explain why he's the only flying lemur in the show.
@@auditect950 Please watch Legend of Korra there are more and they can fly
One of the funniest theory videos I’ve seen in a while. Awesome video!
i see, a new muse has arrived, and is craving cabbages. i see through you, Alex.
Why do i always get unnerved when I watch Alex Bale. It's not supposed to be scary lmao
I think it's the choice of music he uses and the timing of it and how he draws the suspense out.
Same
Love your work, Alex. I think with the last SpongeBob movie, “Saving Bikini Bottom,” there are many scenes that confirm many of your theories. For example, the robot theory or Sandy secretly being a spy. Hope to see a video about that.
20:08 HE CANT KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH IT
BUT IT MAKES SENSE.
13:52
Fun Fact: Aang had the vision about Toph in the Swamp, the same Swamp Toph now lives in.
Another bonus fun fact: In the episode "The Avatar and the Firelord" Toph says "Do you really think Friendships can transcend lifetimes?". Years later, Toph befriended Korra.
how did 180 people thumbs-up this comment. I mean no offense but this is just two very obvious things that we all saw.
@@KairuHakubi not really, though. Not many people know this. Trust me, I've been on many forums and servers over the years to know this.
But of course, over the years, it obviously became more well-known to people. Still, a lot of people didn't put two and two together. And since it's still a fun fact, I'm sharing it.
As a person who loves the cabbag merchant, avatar and alex bale, i see this as an absolute win
MY CABBAGES
My cabbages
MY CABBAGES
MY PEARS.
MY GABBAGES
My meat 🍖
If he's doing Avatar, I need to see a theory about if Suyin really is Sokka and Toph's daughter
Come again?
There's a theory in the community that Suyin is the daughter of Sokka and Toph that a lot of people made their head cannon (myself included lol)@@antoniacosta6221
how… what??? No… Sokka wouldnt do that… would he????
She isn't she is probably the daughter of a guy from the comics who's name I don't remember
@@debater452 Lin and Suyin had different dads, it would stand to reason that Lin the older and more responsible is the daughter of the mechanic guy in the comics
Imo it would make sense for the more free spirited Suyin to have a more free spirited dad, not saying it´s Sokka though.
Thanks a lot for all the work you put into this video, I really found it hilarious and surprisingly very convincing.
I've got to say after watching this video, I can never look at the cabbage man thesame way again and will always be suspicious of him any time I watch or rewatch Avatar.
This isn't just convincing, it's *REALLY* convincing.
The Cabbage Merchant should be the Firelord. That's just some insane dedication.
CABBAGE Lord.
The only being on par with the Melon Lord
This is definitely Alex's 'Sans is Ness' theory.
Still makes way more sense
i liked the sans is ness theory 😭
I find it funny how matpat got flamed for that theory because they were just 'easter eggs' but then those same people would use easter eggs for their fnaf theories@SpaceSkelet0nn
Naw
And the theorizers mort thiery.
I’m convinced that Alex works for the studios that makes these animated shows because how else does he find all this stuff
I love how years later, i found a theory that's actually good and somewhat hilarious 😂
😂 the ending with the Red Lotus logo sent me. Great video! Love all the work you put into this. Definitely my favorite theory of the show now
I know this sounds crazy! But….. I think Alex might be onto something.
This just changed my whole childhood
I love Alex's theories and his short films. Keep it up!
If he was getting paid for his info, that probably how he started Cabbage Corp in the future.
And it actually goes roundabout when Hiroshi Sato frames the merchant and Cabbage Corp for supplying tech to the Equalists: if the merchant was secretly a cabbage bender, Sato unknowingly assisted with the arrest of one of the benders he despised.
And we know "unknowingly" because, if he or the Equalists knew about the merchant, they would have taken him themselves. It's just funny how things work out.
I’m grabbing my popcorn for this one! Alex only drops banger vids \m/
Well, I have a whole show to look at and all he sees the cabbages. That’s how you know this man is determined to find the craziest things. It’s amazing how we could put the puzzle pieces together in a show where things go by fast good job, bro.
What if he can communicate with the slugs? It would explain allot, like he could hide one in Kataras cabbage, its kinda like a spy drone for him, they get intel and give that to the merchant
Hey Alex! Close to a million subs already! So deserved man, keep it up! ❤
This theory is just as chaotic as some of The Theorizer’s theories
Its the same vibe. 😂
Yas I can't wait. 4 hours left yall.
4 minutes! WOO!
You're actually not that far off Alex, "Cabbage bending" is actually plausible, Guru Pathik used energy-bending to show Appa how to find Aang in Ba Sing Se even though there's no record of him being an element bender, nor was he anywhere near the swamp...
My girl friend was very confused with what I was watching when she jjst kept hearing the word “cabbage” said so many times in the span of 6 minutes 🤣
Alex got tired of being the SpongeBob guy, he's gonna become the Avatar guy now
🤣
I saw this when it first came out and my mind was blown. I came back 11 days later to see everyone else’s mind blown as well. (Seriously, SO many people are making reaction videos!!) Congratulations on an EXCELLENT theory and video!
5 minutes in and I’m already sold. That was quick
Read the title and I was sold lol
Say the line, cabbage guy.
MY CABBAGES!!
(Cheering)
I literally got chills from watching this theory this is such a well worked theory every thing adds up this is a masterpiece of an theory you deserve an award for this theory this literally beats MatPat
I've seen the Patreon early access :)
You guys are in for a treat. Be excited 😁
oh boy
Yo me too
I bet he became a spy because the only 1 who liked his cabbages was the fire lord or even the royal family in general.