Top 10 Times The Legend of Korra Tackled Serious Issues

It isn’t always easy for creators of shows aimed at younger audiences to include LGBT+ characters without facing pushback from the networks. Although Nickelodeon reportedly had some restrictions, they were thankfully supportive of Korra & Asami’ relationship overall. The duo were initially romantic rivals that were chasing after the same guy. But by the end of the series, they became close enough to start a relationship. Showing a lead character embracing their bisexuality was a step in the right direction for LGBT+ representation. Although we never see the duo kiss in the series, we learned more about their relationship in the “Turf Wars” comics. The story continued to explore Asami and Korra’s romance and how different nations felt about LGBT+ relationships.

Lovable brothers Mako & Bolin were two of Avatar Korra’s most trustworthy allies. Before the siblings met the heroine, they had to overcome tragedy at a young age. When they were young, their parents were slain by a firebender. Since Mako and Bolin didn’t have any other family to lean on, they grew up on the streets. The series shows the desperate lengths the brothers went to in order to survive on their own. They even worked for a gang known as the Triple Threat Triads. Even though they found more of their family in Season 3, their troubled childhood certainly took a toll on them. Neither the brothers nor the audience will forget what they had overcome to survive.

“The Legend of Korra” covers a lot of political themes. In the first season, the growing threat of the villain Amon pushes councilman Tarrlok to go to extremes. Rather than try to keep people safe by peaceful means, Tarrlok leans into his hold over the Republic City Police force. He has his own man promoted to Police Chief and issues a strict curfew for all citizens. But these actions only serve to make things worse. Throughout this plot, the show makes it clear that people in power should be responsible for how they use it. And if they misuse their privilege, heroines like Korra have every right to voice their concerns. It’s a striking message about politics that will likely always be relevant.

In “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” we were introduced to Ba Sing Se, an Earth Kingdom city dividing classes by massive walls. “The Legend of Korra” unfortunately showed us that things hadn't changed much. Actually, that’s not true. Ba Sing Se was much worse in “Korra”. The Earth Queen was a horrible, power-hungry woman who thought very little of her subjects. She lived a rich lifestyle by overtaxing her citizens. What made this villain such an effective character was the fact that some people truly thought that she was better than them. After a few encounters, the parallels between The Earth Queen and real life political figures was strikingly clear. Although she was worshiped by some, it was also very telling that others celebrated her fall.

“The Legend of Korra” explored how much family trauma can shape people’s lives. The Beifong sisters had a major falling out after an incident left Lin physically and emotionally scarred. Thanks to bad parenting, Noatak and Tarrlok grew up to become seriously damaged villains. And as much as we love Aang, he put tons of pressure on his airbending son Tenzin while paying less attention to his other kids. In each and every one of these stories and more, it was clear the only way to start healing from family trauma was to be open and honest about what happened. While some characters never got a chance to fix things, the ones that did were much better for trying.

Civil wars are an unfortunate piece to the history of many countries. In the show’s second season, Northern Water Tribe leader Unalaq manipulated Korra into thinking he wanted to unite the two tribes. But this was just part of his overall plan to seize power. In order to accomplish his goals, he occupied the Southern tribe. This move eventually started a major internal conflict. The Water Tribe’s civil war showed how differing ideologies within one nation can lead to violence. More importantly, it showed how dangerous leaders can be when they enter another place under the guise of helping and restoring balance.

Populism & radicalization were Amon’s bread and butter. The Season 1 villain ingratiated himself to the non-bending citizens of Republic City by feeding into their fear. In his speeches, he promised to do something about their treatment at the hands of people who could manipulate elements. The “Us vs. Them” approach has been and continues to be used by real politicians today. And in the real and fictional worlds, this approach can have dark and unintended consequences. In “Legend of Korra”, Amon’s radicalized followers willingly helped him attack people, capture targets and assisted in making sure benders lost their ability to command elements. Although Amon was defeated, the resentment he stirred up wouldn’t go away overnight.

One of the clearest political ideologies to spot in “The Legend of Korra” is anarchism. A villainous group known as the Red Lotus believed that the world’s hierarchy needed to be torn down. To them, this meant that the leaders of the four nations and the Avatar herself needed to perish in order to achieve real change. The show depicts the terrifying fallout of trying to upset the power structure of the world in an instant. After they brought down the Earth Queen, her kingdom was united under the villainous and much more dangerous Kuvira. Korra’s adventures showed us that sudden change through violent means can bring about something even worse.

While Season 4 villain Kuvira liked to call herself the Great Uniter, it was clear she was anything but. She initially helped restore peace and lead the earth kingdom after the Queen fell. Although she offered protection for loyal subjects, she showed an immense dislike for those who refused her. It was soon clear that Kuvira would use any means necessary to keep her grip on her citizens. Her methods were often forcefully repressive. And Kuvira made it very clear that if you weren’t with her, you were against her. The season did a fantastic job at showcasing how a dictator could come into power. And that even good people like Bolin could accidentally support a bad leader’s sinister plans.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Mistreating Animals
The New Airbenders Stopped Poachers from Stealing Infant Sky Bisons

Gang Violence
Groups like the Triple Threat Triads Used Bending to Intimidate Citizens

Forced Soldiers
The Earth Queen Made New Airbenders Join Her Army

Post-traumatic stress disorder can come from a variety of upsetting events and is actually quite common. Korra suffered from PTSD during the final season following her near death experience at the hands of Zaheer. The show’s been praised for how it navigated the condition’s symptoms, which include dreams linked to the traumatic event, a change in personality, and physical distress. And the scenes in which Korra’s PTSD gets the better of her and makes her feel unworthy of being the Avatar are particularly heartbreaking to watch. It’s easy for those with PTSD to feel like they’re on their own. But the show’s exploration of Korra’s mental state was a thought-provoking story that showed that other survivors aren’t alone.