Top 10 Best Legend of Korra Moments
legend of korra, avatar the last airbender,
Script written by Nick Spake
Top 10 Best Legend of Korra Moments
A legend is reborn. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Best Legend of Korra Moments.
For this list, we’ll be looking at the most memorable moments from this sequel series to “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”
#10: Toph Returns
While she had previously popped up in a few visions and a flashback, Toph was essentially MIA until Season 4. Lost in more ways than one, Korra ventures into the Foggy Swamp at the suggestion of a spirit. The fog begins to clear when Korra awakens in a cave after being rescued by a mysterious stranger, who reveals herself to be Toph. Elderly Toph is just as we envisioned her: even rougher around the edges, but still as quick-witted as ever. Likewise, her first interaction with Korra plays out exactly as one would want. This is also a nice callback to when Aang first had a vision of Toph in the Foggy Swamp decades earlier. It’s only fitting that Toph’s story ends where it started.
#9: Korra Takes on Kuvira
In the same vein as other great villains, Kuvira views herself as a “Great Uniter” when in reality, she’s only made the world more unbalanced. With Kuvira emerging more confident, Korra must spring back into action before she’s fully recovered. Although Korra throws everything she has at her, Kuvira maintains the upper hand with earthbending alone, as well as some condescending words. It isn’t until Korra goes into the Avatar State that she manages to overpower Kuvira. Before dropping a giant boulder on Kuvira, however, Korra sees her own face looking back at her. This demonstrates how easily Korra could become another Kuvira if she went down the same dark path. Despite losing this duel, Korra may’ve lost much more if she had crushed Kuvira.
#8: Zaheer Overthrows the Earth Queen
Although Ba Sing Se seems like a metropolis on the surface, it’s truly a totalitarian state surrounded by walls and secrets. Those walls inevitably come tumbling down with the arrival of the Red Lotus, but not before Zaheer deals with the Earth Queen personally. In the entirety of this franchise, few moments are more shocking than when Zaheer uses his airbending to literally take the Earth Queen’s breath away. Even if you don’t agree with Zaheer’s extremist measures, his monologue about freedom and political corruption feels hauntingly relevant in today’s world. In the end, those walls couldn’t protect Ba Sing Se from the Earth Queen’s own arrogance, greed, and incompetence, which proved to be her true undoing.
#7: Jinora’s Tattoos
Being ten years old at the beginning of the series, Jinora is naturally treated like… well, a little kid. Of course, Aang was biologically only twelve when he set out on his journey, showing that even the youngest individuals can make a difference. His granddaughter goes through a similar arc, proving to be stronger and wiser than she appears. In Season 2, Jinora’s connection to the Spirit World is revealed to be even greater than either Korra or Tenzin’s. By the end of Season 3, Jinora not only earns the respect of her elders, but an overdue rite of passage as well. We all got chills seeing Jinora with her head shaven and some familiar blue tattoos, earning the title of airbending master.
#6: Korra Meets Iroh
Of all the callbacks to “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” it’s hard to think of one that pulled at our heartstrings more than the return of Iroh. Lost in the spirit world, Korra feels as scared and helpless as a four-year-old, thus taking on that form. Korra is put back on the right path upon meeting a friendly face in a dark forest. Iroh’s comforting smile has a way of making everything instantly better. He escorts Korra to an almost “Alice in Wonderland”-like tea party. Instead of madness, though, Iroh opens Korra’s mind to inner peace. Through Iroh, Korra learns that the only way to confront darkness is by casting a light on it. Even in death, Iroh’s spirit continues to spread wisdom and understanding.
#5: The Avatar State
Korra’s climactic showdown against Amon proves to be one of her most triumphant moments, as well as one of her lowest. All hope appears lost when Amon (ah-MAWN) strips away Korra’s bending abilities. Seeing Mako (MAW-koh) in peril, however, Korra finally unlocks her inner airbender, leading to Amon’s downfall. Although Korra wins this battle, she’s nevertheless left with three of her bending abilities seemingly gone forever. Fortunately, she receives aid from a fellow airbender. As Korra enters the Avatar State for the first time, the spirit of Aang uses energybending to restore her abilities in full. Had it been a miniseries as originally planned, this certainly would’ve been a high note to leave Korra on. Thankfully, we still had three more epic seasons to look forward to.
#4: Dark Avatar Battle
Combining their forces, Vaatu (VAW-too) and Unalaq (OONA-lock) create the Dark Avatar, aptly known as Unavaatu (oona-VAW-too). As Unavaatu prepares to submerge the world into 10,000 years of darkness, Korra challenges the titan through an astral projection. “Avatar” and “Korra” have given us some phenomenal action sequences over the years, but this was the first time that the franchise went full kaiju battle. We feel the weight of the fight with every beam that’s fired and every punch that’s thrown. Of course, there’s more to this battle than brute strength. It isn’t until Jinora restores Raava’s (RAW-vuh) light that Korra is able to prevail over her opponent. We’ve seen light triumphing over darkness before, although rarely on such a towering or literal scale.
#3: Back to the Beginning
“Korra” expanded upon the “Avatar” mythos in many ways, but its greatest contribution to the lore came in the two-parter, “Beginnings.” In order to restore Korra’s memories, she must first learn the story of the first Avatar, Wan (wawn). Everything about these episodes, from the animation style to the music, gives Wan’s tale a sense of gravitas that feels grounded in ancient folklore. It all accumulates with Wan merging his essence with Raava’s, trapping Vaatu in the Tree of Time and giving birth to the Avatar. Wan would continue to fight for peace, but couldn’t bring complete balance to the world in his lifetime. As Raava reminds him in his final moments, however, the Avatar will live on for generations to come.
#2: Korrasami Is Canon
Like “Avatar,” “Korra” concluded with a fan-favorite couple coming together at long last. Where Aang and Katara’s romance had been teased from the beginning, though, Korra and Asami’s relationship snuck up on us. Although they started off in a love triangle with Mako, the two eventually developed a genuine friendship, which some suspected might be something more. Given the lack of LGBTQ+ characters on Nickelodeon at the time, few suspected that the creators would acknowledge this ship. In the final scene, however, fans got what they wanted with Korra and Asami venturing into the Spirit World, hand in hand. While there’s no kiss, the adoring looks in their eyes say everything. It was a bold, beautiful, and groundbreaking way to cap off a legendary series.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Lin Beifong’s Sacrifice, “Turning the Tides” (lynn bay-fawng)
A Truly Heroic Moment
Meeting General Iroh, “Turning the Tides”
It’s Good to Hear Dante Basco’s Voice Again (bosco)
Giant Mecha Battle, “Day of the Colossus”
“Korra” Meets “Pacific Rim”: How Can You Go Wrong?
Tenzin vs. Zaheer, “The Ultimatum”
By the End, We Were All Gasping for Air
Bolin the Lavabender, “Enter the Void” (boh-LIN)
And We Thought Firebending Was Awesome
#1: Fighting Zaheer & Korra’s Recovery
Amon and Unavaatu took a lot out of Korra, but she bounced back from those fights with little trouble. Korra doesn’t have such an easy time shaking off Zaheer. While Korra does beat Zaheer in a rousing showdown, it practically drains the life out of her. Even after the poison is extracted and Korra begins to make a physical recovery, her emotional scars are nowhere near healed. The way this show addresses PTSD is surprisingly adult and authentic, taking the franchises to unprecedented places. A crucial step in Korra’s recovery comes when she confronts Zaheer in prison. In a welcome twist, Zaheer makes amends and helps her reenter the Spirit World. Korra finds that she can’t erase the past, but she can grow from it.
Top 10 Best Legend of Korra Moments
Top 10 Best Legend of Korra Moments
A legend is reborn. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Best Legend of Korra Moments.
For this list, we’ll be looking at the most memorable moments from this sequel series to “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”
#10: Toph Returns
“Korra Alone”
While she had previously popped up in a few visions and a flashback, Toph was essentially MIA until Season 4. Lost in more ways than one, Korra ventures into the Foggy Swamp at the suggestion of a spirit. The fog begins to clear when Korra awakens in a cave after being rescued by a mysterious stranger, who reveals herself to be Toph. Elderly Toph is just as we envisioned her: even rougher around the edges, but still as quick-witted as ever. Likewise, her first interaction with Korra plays out exactly as one would want. This is also a nice callback to when Aang first had a vision of Toph in the Foggy Swamp decades earlier. It’s only fitting that Toph’s story ends where it started.
#9: Korra Takes on Kuvira
“The Battle of Zaofu”
In the same vein as other great villains, Kuvira views herself as a “Great Uniter” when in reality, she’s only made the world more unbalanced. With Kuvira emerging more confident, Korra must spring back into action before she’s fully recovered. Although Korra throws everything she has at her, Kuvira maintains the upper hand with earthbending alone, as well as some condescending words. It isn’t until Korra goes into the Avatar State that she manages to overpower Kuvira. Before dropping a giant boulder on Kuvira, however, Korra sees her own face looking back at her. This demonstrates how easily Korra could become another Kuvira if she went down the same dark path. Despite losing this duel, Korra may’ve lost much more if she had crushed Kuvira.
#8: Zaheer Overthrows the Earth Queen
“Long Live the Queen”
Although Ba Sing Se seems like a metropolis on the surface, it’s truly a totalitarian state surrounded by walls and secrets. Those walls inevitably come tumbling down with the arrival of the Red Lotus, but not before Zaheer deals with the Earth Queen personally. In the entirety of this franchise, few moments are more shocking than when Zaheer uses his airbending to literally take the Earth Queen’s breath away. Even if you don’t agree with Zaheer’s extremist measures, his monologue about freedom and political corruption feels hauntingly relevant in today’s world. In the end, those walls couldn’t protect Ba Sing Se from the Earth Queen’s own arrogance, greed, and incompetence, which proved to be her true undoing.
#7: Jinora’s Tattoos
“Venom of the Red Lotus”
Being ten years old at the beginning of the series, Jinora is naturally treated like… well, a little kid. Of course, Aang was biologically only twelve when he set out on his journey, showing that even the youngest individuals can make a difference. His granddaughter goes through a similar arc, proving to be stronger and wiser than she appears. In Season 2, Jinora’s connection to the Spirit World is revealed to be even greater than either Korra or Tenzin’s. By the end of Season 3, Jinora not only earns the respect of her elders, but an overdue rite of passage as well. We all got chills seeing Jinora with her head shaven and some familiar blue tattoos, earning the title of airbending master.
#6: Korra Meets Iroh
“A New Spiritual Age”
Of all the callbacks to “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” it’s hard to think of one that pulled at our heartstrings more than the return of Iroh. Lost in the spirit world, Korra feels as scared and helpless as a four-year-old, thus taking on that form. Korra is put back on the right path upon meeting a friendly face in a dark forest. Iroh’s comforting smile has a way of making everything instantly better. He escorts Korra to an almost “Alice in Wonderland”-like tea party. Instead of madness, though, Iroh opens Korra’s mind to inner peace. Through Iroh, Korra learns that the only way to confront darkness is by casting a light on it. Even in death, Iroh’s spirit continues to spread wisdom and understanding.
#5: The Avatar State
“Endgame”
Korra’s climactic showdown against Amon proves to be one of her most triumphant moments, as well as one of her lowest. All hope appears lost when Amon (ah-MAWN) strips away Korra’s bending abilities. Seeing Mako (MAW-koh) in peril, however, Korra finally unlocks her inner airbender, leading to Amon’s downfall. Although Korra wins this battle, she’s nevertheless left with three of her bending abilities seemingly gone forever. Fortunately, she receives aid from a fellow airbender. As Korra enters the Avatar State for the first time, the spirit of Aang uses energybending to restore her abilities in full. Had it been a miniseries as originally planned, this certainly would’ve been a high note to leave Korra on. Thankfully, we still had three more epic seasons to look forward to.
#4: Dark Avatar Battle
“Light in the Dark”
Combining their forces, Vaatu (VAW-too) and Unalaq (OONA-lock) create the Dark Avatar, aptly known as Unavaatu (oona-VAW-too). As Unavaatu prepares to submerge the world into 10,000 years of darkness, Korra challenges the titan through an astral projection. “Avatar” and “Korra” have given us some phenomenal action sequences over the years, but this was the first time that the franchise went full kaiju battle. We feel the weight of the fight with every beam that’s fired and every punch that’s thrown. Of course, there’s more to this battle than brute strength. It isn’t until Jinora restores Raava’s (RAW-vuh) light that Korra is able to prevail over her opponent. We’ve seen light triumphing over darkness before, although rarely on such a towering or literal scale.
#3: Back to the Beginning
“Beginnings”
“Korra” expanded upon the “Avatar” mythos in many ways, but its greatest contribution to the lore came in the two-parter, “Beginnings.” In order to restore Korra’s memories, she must first learn the story of the first Avatar, Wan (wawn). Everything about these episodes, from the animation style to the music, gives Wan’s tale a sense of gravitas that feels grounded in ancient folklore. It all accumulates with Wan merging his essence with Raava’s, trapping Vaatu in the Tree of Time and giving birth to the Avatar. Wan would continue to fight for peace, but couldn’t bring complete balance to the world in his lifetime. As Raava reminds him in his final moments, however, the Avatar will live on for generations to come.
#2: Korrasami Is Canon
“The Last Stand”
Like “Avatar,” “Korra” concluded with a fan-favorite couple coming together at long last. Where Aang and Katara’s romance had been teased from the beginning, though, Korra and Asami’s relationship snuck up on us. Although they started off in a love triangle with Mako, the two eventually developed a genuine friendship, which some suspected might be something more. Given the lack of LGBTQ+ characters on Nickelodeon at the time, few suspected that the creators would acknowledge this ship. In the final scene, however, fans got what they wanted with Korra and Asami venturing into the Spirit World, hand in hand. While there’s no kiss, the adoring looks in their eyes say everything. It was a bold, beautiful, and groundbreaking way to cap off a legendary series.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Lin Beifong’s Sacrifice, “Turning the Tides” (lynn bay-fawng)
A Truly Heroic Moment
Meeting General Iroh, “Turning the Tides”
It’s Good to Hear Dante Basco’s Voice Again (bosco)
Giant Mecha Battle, “Day of the Colossus”
“Korra” Meets “Pacific Rim”: How Can You Go Wrong?
Tenzin vs. Zaheer, “The Ultimatum”
By the End, We Were All Gasping for Air
Bolin the Lavabender, “Enter the Void” (boh-LIN)
And We Thought Firebending Was Awesome
#1: Fighting Zaheer & Korra’s Recovery
Various
Amon and Unavaatu took a lot out of Korra, but she bounced back from those fights with little trouble. Korra doesn’t have such an easy time shaking off Zaheer. While Korra does beat Zaheer in a rousing showdown, it practically drains the life out of her. Even after the poison is extracted and Korra begins to make a physical recovery, her emotional scars are nowhere near healed. The way this show addresses PTSD is surprisingly adult and authentic, taking the franchises to unprecedented places. A crucial step in Korra’s recovery comes when she confronts Zaheer in prison. In a welcome twist, Zaheer makes amends and helps her reenter the Spirit World. Korra finds that she can’t erase the past, but she can grow from it.
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