The Last Airbender Vs The Legend Of Korra

The Last Airbender vs. The Legend of Korra

They’ve both brought balance to the world, but which is the definitive Avatar? Welcome to WatchMojo.com and in this instalment of versus we’re pitting “The Last Airbender” against its sequel series, “The Legend of Korra.”

Round 1: Story

Everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked, throwing the world into a state of subjugation and despair for several decades, with only the Avatar capable of restoring peace. As the last of his people, Aang was tasked with mastering the other three elements and defeating the infamous Fire Lord, all the while going from naïve child to wise defender through the teachings of his friends, as well as his enemies. It’s truly a brilliant coming of age story mixed together with investing lore, rooted in spirituality, with a dash of amazing character development.

Building off the mythos of the original, “The Legend of Korra” follows the titular successor to Aang as she struggles to overcome a whole slew of enemy factions, all the while battling one of her most deadly foes: adolescence. Going from rebel teenager to a mature young woman, Korra’s tale is also one of personal growth, but embracing some of the much darker aspects of society. Not only does she deal with villains like the Equalists and the Red Lotus, but also issues such as segregation, prejudice, trauma, and sexuality.

“Korra’s” narrative certainly goes to some dark places and each season had some glorious moments, but “The Last Airbender” has a much more coherent structure, spending an extensive amount of time building up both the hero and villain before sealing the show with a climactic confrontation.

WINNER: The Last Airbender 1 / The Legend of Korra 0

Round 2: Supporting Characters

From the get-go, Aang has had a tight knit unit that’s stuck with him through thick and thin on his quest. You have the maternal and strong-willed Katara, who isn’t just the source of reason among the group, but someone who goes through her own hero’s journey, one that was equally captivating to follow. Along with her strategist/ladies’ man/comic relief brother Sokka, for a while it was just the three of them, before gaining two more instrumental members to the group. Blind badass Toph and tortured former enemy Zuko brought plenty of depth and personality, serving as teachers, friends, and devoted allies that had their own fair share of epic moments in their battle against the Fire Lord.

Korra’s inner circle has pretty much remained the same throughout the show’s run, but with each season underwent drastic changes, growing just as much as the sassy Avatar. Originally just a pretty face, Asami became a sharp-minded CEO and, much to the delight of many fans, Korra’s final romance. Brothers Mako and Bolin extended beyond their archetypes as well, from stoic and slapstick to high-ranking officials, all the while never losing their charm. Aside from her friends, you have Korra’s teacher Tenzin, the son of Aang (voiced by THE J.K Simmons) who helps her through her most troubling times. Of course we can’t leave out the epitome of badass that is Toph’s daughter: the hard as nails Lin Beifong.

The supporting characters in the original “Avatar” are some of the most well-developed in western animation, however, pulling ahead by just a hair is Korra’s allies due to how much extra time is dedicated to their own personal arcs. Plus, we were afraid of what Lin might do to us if we said otherwise…

WINNER: The Last Airbender 1 / The Legend of Korra 1

Round 3: Villains

Aang’s one true foe has remained a constant since the show’s inception: the Fire Lord. Inheriting dominion over the world from his grandfather Sozin, Fire Lord Ozai is the puppet master who will lay waste to countless lives to ensure his legacy lives on. A megalomaniac with strength to match his tyrannical rule, he is only slightly upstaged by his psychotic daughter. Azula is in some ways the true villain of the series; a master manipulator, selfish, and completely without empathy, she managed to bring down an entire kingdom and almost killed the Avatar single handedly. Her descent into madness during the series’ finale simply reflects just how twisted she really is… and to be honest, it’s quite terrifying.

On the other hand, Korra and her friends were subjected to new villains with every season. While some fell flatter than others, such as the rather unremarkable Unalaq, others made quite the impact. Amon nearly managed to cause all of Republic City to turn on itself, even briefly taking away Korra’s ability to bend. The Red Lotus, specifically Zaheer, threw the Earth Kingdom into chaos by assassinating the Earth Queen. Oh, and there was that whole torturing Korra thing that left her as a broken shell. Finally, we have Kuvira, a dictator who in many ways is a darker version of what Korra could have been; willing to do anything to create peace for those she cares about.

While characters like Amon, Zaheer, and Kuvira certainly had deplorable moments, the longevity of Ozai’s actions and Azula’s unrelenting cruelty made them a cut above the rest, setting bar very few can live up to
WINNER: The Last Airbender 2 / The Legend of Korra 1

Round 4: Powers

As the last of the Air Nomads, Aang practically wrote the book when it comes to airbending. Even as a child, he was so proficient at it that not only can it be used in combat, but he can also create shapes and even miniature transport like his airball. While he did have much more difficulty in learning to bend the other elements, he was still able to master them to the point where he could efficiently use them in a fight against Ozai. His trump card comes in the form of the Avatar State, where he was able to bend all four elements at one, as well as take away Ozai’s ability to bend by sheer force of will.

Due to her identity as the Avatar being discovered at a young age, Korra was trained for many years before she set off on her adventure. As such, she’s a prodigy when it comes to water, fire and earthbending. Airbending is another story, as her weak spiritual connection and vicious temper made it difficult to master, but eventually overcame this obstacle in the battle against Amon. Aside from also possessing a powerful Avatar State, Korra has gone on to learn metalbending, as well as the art of exorcising dark spirits, all of which lend themselves to some fluid and spectacular fight scenes!

Aang may excel in more aspects than others, but due to having much more time to practise and perfect her bending, not to mention having abilities that Aang couldn’t have possibly known at the time, Korra comes out on top.

WINNER: The Last Airbender 2 / The Legend of Korra 2

Round 5: World Building

With their flying bison in tow, practically every episode of “The Last Airbender” took place in a new location, none of which can be considered bland. From the North and South Poles, the settlements of Omashu and Kyoshi, the expansive, complex, and unsettling city of Ba Sing Se, the various regions of the Fire Nation all the way to the Air Temples; each is rich with lore, beautifully designed, and pay pivotal roles in the Avatar’s journey, often revisited over the course of the series for one reason or another. Well, everything except the Great Divide.

Building off the foundation that the previous series set, Korra and the gang make use of the areas already established beforehand; visiting landmarks like the Swamp, the North Pole, and Ba Sing Se. More often than not, its focus is on Republic City; a metropolis where politics and technology stand at their pinnacle. Then you have the Spirit World; a spectral plain that is vastly expanded upon, and finally Zaofu; the crowning jewel of the Beifong Family. While still cemented in Avatar mythology, spirituality and modernisation are pushed to their extremes in these settings.

Republic City is all well and good and has been the central location for some pretty epic battles, but there’s no denying that it wouldn’t have the same impact if it weren’t for the world “The Last Airbender” originally forged.

WINNER: The Last Airbender 3 / The Legend of Korra 2

While putting up a solid fight, “The Legend of Korra” just falls short of capturing the splendour of the original, leaving “The Last Airbender” the last one standing!