Thanks to misora for unscreening this comment since this anon approached me in another thread. I'll repeat my response from there to keep the conversation relevant.
Two things:
First: Assuming that dragons make fire is a very Western/modern bias. We see this in the cartoon but that doesn't mean that is what happens in Asian mythos. Depictions of dragons in ancient chinese mythology have them chasing the sun or a flaming pearl and they are not producing fire of their own if fire is present at all, since dragons are actually more associated with water spirits. So in the discussion that you are referring to that is not present in this thread, I mention that it does make sense that firebenders should not produce their own fire from a perception more rooted in those mythologies since even the cartoon's canon doesn't make sense in this regard.
Second: In the movie, we see that firebenders do indeed have the ability to create fire as we see Iroh do this. When he does it is seen in awe by the other firebenders, so clearly in movie canon the firebenders over time have lost something of their technique. This agrees with cartoon canon since in the Firebending Masters Zuko's technique of bending is shown as being from a different place than that of the masters. He has to be taught the correct way by them for Zuko to bend properly once he's lost his ability. The movie merely makes this problem more pervasive and I believe that movie Iroh is shown to create fire because he has already been to see the masters.
no subject
Two things:
First: Assuming that dragons make fire is a very Western/modern bias. We see this in the cartoon but that doesn't mean that is what happens in Asian mythos. Depictions of dragons in ancient chinese mythology have them chasing the sun or a flaming pearl and they are not producing fire of their own if fire is present at all, since dragons are actually more associated with water spirits. So in the discussion that you are referring to that is not present in this thread, I mention that it does make sense that firebenders should not produce their own fire from a perception more rooted in those mythologies since even the cartoon's canon doesn't make sense in this regard.
Second: In the movie, we see that firebenders do indeed have the ability to create fire as we see Iroh do this. When he does it is seen in awe by the other firebenders, so clearly in movie canon the firebenders over time have lost something of their technique. This agrees with cartoon canon since in the Firebending Masters Zuko's technique of bending is shown as being from a different place than that of the masters. He has to be taught the correct way by them for Zuko to bend properly once he's lost his ability. The movie merely makes this problem more pervasive and I believe that movie Iroh is shown to create fire because he has already been to see the masters.