Board Thread:Citizenship Applications/@comment-31287186-20170320224310/@comment-3542404-20170322003848

12 is too old to first exhibit bending.

"5-6 is the normal age for a child to first use their bending; they're likely to try to bend if they know they have close relatives that are benders. However, if the character is in a situation where they wouldn't try (such as an airbender birthed by two non-benders), it's fair to say they do not learn until 8-9. Nine is the absolute limit for a person to know whether they're a bender or not."