Korra

Background

"I'm the Avatar. Deal with it!"

Korra was born in the Southern Water Tribe to her parents Tonraq and Senna, and having been born to a water tribe at the time of Avatar Aang's death, she was born as the new Avatar, one who could control all four elements. She awakened to her powers at the early age of four, when the Group of the White Lotus, an ancient group dedicated to the sharing of wisdom, came to her tribe looking for the new Avatar. Her parents promised them she was the real deal, even though they didn't believe them since they had been told the same from so many other families already. She put their doubts aside when she burst through the wall and declared "I'm the Avatar and you gotta deal with it!" She then proceeded to use fire, water, and earth bending together.

She spent the next thirteen years training in the art of water, fire, and earth bending. Water and earth were the first two elements she completed, having been taught water bending by Katara herself, and as the story picks up she has just finished her fire bending exam. She is excited by the idea of starting her air bending training, only to be informed that Tenzin, the only man alive who can teach her air bending and son of the previous Avatar, is required in Republic City and unfortunately can't leave to come to the South Pole to train her. Katara was never one to take no for an answer, so with her parent's and Katara's blessing, she took her polar bear dog Naga and stowed away on a cargo ship headed for Republic City.

Major Plots

Book 1: Air

The Triple Threat Triad learns who Korra is the hard way

Korra arrives in Republic City and quickly starts to realize she's a fish out of water. She sees a group of Equalist gathering a group in the park to talk about "the evils of bending," makes friends with an old hobo as she tries to eat some fish from the park only to find out that's illegal, and breaks up some gangsters as they try to shake down a business, only to find out that she's done some damage to the streets and local stores, for which she is arrested by a group of metal bending police officers. In jail she is interrogated by police chief Lin Beifong, daughter of Toph, who reveals she has no love for the Avatar, until Tenzin comes in and on behalf of the Council, has Korra released into his custody. Between Korra's persuasion by bringing up his mother, and seeing how much his children want her to stay, Tenzin decides to let Korra stay in Republic City and train under him. She makes her declaration at a press conference that the city will now be under her watch as she trains here, without realizing that somewhere a new enemy was now prepared to make a move against her.

First test for Korra in her air bending training is to go through a series of spinning panels that are being controlled by gust of wind. The idea is for her to "be the leaf" and ride on the waves of the wind, being one with it and learning how to bend and flow freely in her movement. She fails miserably, being smacked back and forth by the panels until she gets so enraged that she starts breaking the maze apart. She then attempts to learn meditation, but she has practiced her whole life to be forceful and face problems head on, so the idea of her sitting down and focusing on her thoughts goes against her nature. She becomes frustrated and leaves, sneaking off into the city. In the city she views a Pro-Bending competition and instantly falls in love with the idea of it. She meets up with Bolin and Mako after the competition and talks to them about the game, taking no time to spill the beans that she is the Avatar. They hang out after the game and Bolin starts giving her tips on earth bending. When Korra gets back to Tenzin's island she tells him that she wants to take part in Pro-Bending, but he is against it, saying that it won't help her with her air bending. She disobeys him and joins the Fire Ferrets (Bolin and Mako's team) when their water bender quits. She accidentally reveals that she is the Avatar when she uses bending other than water bending as a result of her aggressive nature, but is still allowed to compete as long as she only uses water bending. Tenzin arrives to the game and notices that Korra is dodging the attacks that the opposing team is throwing at her by swirling and maneuvering around them, much in the way he was trying to teach her to, so he tells her she can keep competing.

Korra with the Fire Ferrets

However the Fire Ferrets have another problem now, in that they don't have the money to compete in the tournament that they have now qualified for. Mako meets Asami, the daughter of a rich car manufacturer, who says she wants to fund the team, but unfortunately Bolin attempted to raise the money himself and as a result he is kidnapped by Equalist. Korra and Mako ride Naga through the city to track him and end up fighting a group of Equalist, where Korra learns that they have fighting styles that paralyze their bending, keeping them from being able to use their powers. They sneak into the Equalist secret meeting, and its there that Korra sees Amon for the first time, and she witnesses him stealing the bending of several people he had taken captive. They create a distraction before Bolin has his bending stolen, but Korra can't get Amon out of her mind, the idea of someone who can steal someone's bending has shaken her to her core.

Korra knows she isn't ready to take on Amon, but Councilman Tarlock approaches her and says he wants her to be part of his special task force to hunt down the Equalist. She says that she won't take part in it, which impresses Tenzin, although he gets the feeling its being done out of fear rather than just her better judgement. Tarlock however tricks Korra into coming to a party where she is swarmed by a pack of reporters asking her why she won't join the Equalist Task Force. She feels like she has no other choice and agrees to join then. She successfully leads the Task Force against several Equalist hide outs, and feels so confident after this that she challenges Amon to a showdown. She waits for him on the Aang Memorial Island, but he doesn't show up. However as she is leaving she is attacked by Equalist who tie her up so she can't use her bending. Amon appears out of the shadows and tells her that they will take away her bending, but not now, now she would serve as a martyr, but soon the time will come. She passes out and sees memories of Aang flashing before her, but it is actually Tenzin arriving to save her. She wakes up and breaks down, crying in Tenzin's arms, admitting she was scared, to which Tenzin says that that is the first step into overcoming fear.

Korra breaking Bolin's heart

Korra tries to return to her normal life, competing with the Fire Ferrets in the tournament, but new problems start to arise as she realizes that she has feelings for Mako, however he is in a relationship with Asami. But little does she know that Bolin has now developed feelings for her and even asks her out on a date. She goes out with him and enjoys herself, but can't stop thinking about Mako. She meets up with Mako and says she thinks the two of them would be good together and kisses him, only for Bolin to have seen the whole thing. He runs off crying and even though Mako brings him back, neither of the two are willing to fight with all their heart in the semifinals against the Buzzard Wasps. Korra however fights back and takes out all three of her opponents to win, and after the match thanks Asami and her father for their sponsorship as a way of trying to get over her confliction with Asami and Mako being in a relationship.

The day of the pro-bending championship comes and Korra's team quickly learns that their opponents are cheating by using illegal moves and paying the referees to let them win. However as soon as they do win, Amon and his Equalist storm the arena, taking out the officers patrolling the arena and tie up Korra and her team. Amon then takes the bending of the winners away. Korra breaks free and with Lin Beifong attacks the Equalist ships, but they can't stop them. In the end all they can do is leave as they watch the arena break down under the attack of the Equalist.

Asami invites Bolin and Mako to come and live with her now that they have no place to live. Korra takes this time to bond with Asami and little and the two of them actually develop a friendship as she races around the track outside Asami's house on one of her go-karts. Korra goes into her home to wash up and hears Asami's father talking about a recent raid on Cabbage Corp. and it sounds like he may be an Equalist. She has Lin Beifong investigate his home, and discovers a hidden tunnel under the shed behind his mansion. Korra, along with Beifong and Tenzin, investigate the tunnel but discover that Asami's father, Hiroshi Sato, had set this up as a trap. He has developed Platinum covered mechs that can't be bent by metal benders, and he uses them to attack these benders and knocks them out. However Bolin and Mako sneak in and rescue Korra, Tenzin, and Lin while her officers are being sent off to the Equalist jail cells. They are spotted but Asami uses Equalist tech to shock her father, allowing them to escape. All of them head off for Tenzin's island, and Korra tells Mako to go and comfort Asami, even though she still has feelings for him.

Team Avatar is formed and takes the law into their own hands

At Tenzin's home Korra introduces her friends to Tenzin's children and gets them acquainted to their new home. However Tenzin's second daughter, Ikki, tells Asami that Korra has feelings for Mako, causing Korra to freak out and making Asami start looking at Korra differently. Korra finds herself not knowing what to do now that Amon is gaining more power, but her friends cheer her on and declare themselves "Team Avatar" and say that they're going to head back into the city and start taking down Equalist. Asami reveals one of her many cars that she still has and they start driving around the city at night, taking out Equalist establishments. However, little do they know that Tarlock is increasing his authority and power over the city, and is using it to round up any non-benders, saying they could be Equalist. Korra's friends are arrested as well and she promises she's going to break them out. She attacks Tarlock at night and the two of them engage in battle, but once it appears that Tarlock is going to lose he breaks out his secret, that he is a blood bender. He captures her and takes her to a cabin off in the mountains where he keeps her locked up in a steel cage.

Korra realizes she can't get out of the cage, so she might as well take Tenzin's training into consideration and tries to meditate in order to make contact with her past lives. She has a flashback to Aang's life where she sees him arrest a criminal named Yakone who was a blood bender, but Aang ends up taking his bending away when he had no other option. Korra realizes this means that Tarlock must be Yakone's son. However before she can do anything Tarlock is ambushed by Equalist, including Amon who is unaffected by his blood bending. Amon takes his bending away and tells his soldiers to take the Avatar with them. She uses her gloves to hang from the ceiling when they electrocute her cage and breaks free, escaping into the woods before Amon can catch her. Naga finds her and brings her back to the city where Mako takes her in his arms, much to the dismay of Asami.

Korra sleeps back home to recover while Mako holds her hand. When she awakes she tells everyone what she has learned, and considering that he just took down Tarlock, it appears he is about to start his endgame. She is right as his mechs attack Tenzin and the other council members, but Korra and her friends are able to at least save Tenzin in time. They see Amon is also sending airships to Tenzin's island after his family, and the team arrives quickly enough to save the day and send the airbending family to safety. Korra heads back into the city with the rest of her team as she looks back and sees the air temple being destroyed.

Korra and her friends hide out in a hobo town under the streets of Republic City, being run by the friendly old homeless man she met on her first day in Republic City. Korra and Mako have disguised themselves as Chi-Blockers to infiltrate the Equalist assemblies during this time to learn more information. They await the arrival of General Iroh, but when he arrives it is revealed that Amon had planned for them as a fleet of airplanes bomb Iroh's ships. Korra is able to rescue Iroh but the rest of the fleet is destroyed. The team divides up and Korra and Mako decide to investigate the Air Temple to find out more information, at which point they learn that Tarlock is being held there and Tarlock reveals who Amon really is. He's actually Tarlock's brother, a blood bender who is so skilled he can shift the blood in someone's body to unbalance their chi and remove their bending.

Korra in the grips of Amon

Korra goes to an Equalist assembly and reveals that Amon is a blood bender, but he denies it and reveals the fire bender inflicted scars on his face to show he was telling the truth with his origin. Amon chases down Korra and Mako, and as they hide from him, only to be pulled out of their hiding spots by Amon's blood bending, revealing that they were right. Amon captures Korra and takes away her bending. They escape but Amon is able to capture Mako as well. He is about to take away his bending as well, but Korra is able to summon up a burst of wind and blows Amon back. She realizes that because her three other bending styles are gone, he didn't take away the bending she didn't have yet, so her new airbending she just learned is something she can now use. She blows Amon out the window and into the waters below. The angry crowd below is saying that the evil Avatar has attacked Amon, and everyone is about to rise up against her, until Amon, in order to save himself from drowning, uses his water bending to rise up out of the water. The crowd then realizes that Korra was right the whole time and Amon flees. Korra is unable to stop him from escaping, but Tarlock prevents him from getting any further.

Korra is taken back to her home in the Southern Water Tribe so Katara can attempt to heal her, but nothing will work, her bending is gone forever. Korra runs off into the arctic to try and be alone, but is visited by a surprise visitor. Aang appears before her and reveals that she has finally awakened to her spiritual side, and that when she hits her lowest point, that's when she can finally open up. He awakens her powers again and returns her bending to her. Mako watches all of this and confesses his love for her. Korra then proceeds to heal all those who had their bending taken away and returns them to their former selves.

Personalities and Traits

Korra is very different from the previous Avatar, Aang, in that whereas he was very spiritual and had trouble acquiring physical strength, she is very strong but has trouble awakening her spiritual side. It is no surprise that Korra could already use water, fire, and earth bending as a child, because each of them address dealing with issues head on, which is just the type of person that Korra is. She shares many traits with the typical earth bender in that she stands her ground and can be stubborn, and she also has a bit of a temper which is common in fire benders.