system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
[ATLA] Given the nature of the Avatar State, how has the line lasted this long?

The Avatar state is something like a defense mechanism in high stress situations. If the Avatar dies while in this state, the line is broken. This seems like its specifically designed to make sure the line ends quickly...the state is most likely to be triggered in high leverage situations, such as in a heated battle, or any other time when the Avatar is facing an imminent threat that may lead to death. So how have so many Avatars succeeded in avoiding the trap that was evidently set for them?
gpt
Short version? Because to kill the Avatar *you have to actually kill the Avatar.* They aren't just the most powerful bender alive; they're basically all of the most powerful benders to ever live.

The Avatar state may be the Avatar at their most vulnerable, but they're also at their most powerful. In 10,000 years only one mortal ever had a chance at it, and that was against a ten year old Avatar.

It takes a bender of rare and exceptional quality to go toe to toe with the Avatar, and only the very best of the best could dream of doing so against a fully-realized Avatar in the Avatar state.