A longstanding What Could Have Been with the Legend of Korra since season 1 for many fans, has been the thought of what if Asami was an Equalist? According to the creators, she was initially envisioned as an Equalist spy whose purpose was to simply get close to the Krew and betray them. Obviously, this was not the case in the show, and because of the show running longer than the initial season she grew into a major character in LoK. However given the fact that in the main show her character is otherwise lacking any important arc or development, I’ve always wondered what that sort of arc could bring to her character and the story, and in here I hope to elaborate on what I believe could’ve been done.

My first idea is about what exactly she as a member of the Equalists can add to the story and the development of the group. The Equalist front in the main story is rather underdeveloped, with little time actually spent to focus on the sorts of grievances they could have and why. Asami given her status as born rich and thus sheltered from the most inequality would mean that she wouldn’t be the deepest well to explore the issues present and why people would rally behind Amon, but she still works as a way to open a direct dialogue about the issues with Korra and her friends to explore them both for Korra, and for us the audience. Expanding on her loss of her mother can elaborate on the power imbalances that bender criminals can easily exploit against nonbenders, even to those that are rich like the Sato’s. Given the only other members of the Equalists are three straightforward villainous men with Amon, the Lieutenant, and Hiroshi Sato, she would act as a much needed equalizer so to speak amongst their ranks to present the group as more than just flat out evil, which given its allegorical nature as a revolutionary group acting against injustice would be helpful to avoid making it a poor example of a radical group in media, especially because the show never talks much on why people would buy into the Equalist mindset so freely.

How the arc would go I imagine would require a change in the timeline of events. Namely, pushing back the first showing of bending removal(or at least the public showing of it, we the audience could perhaps see it earlier but not the main cast) to the pro-bending tournament final. Given its public nature to the bending populace, in story it works as a perfect moment for Asami to push to question her allegiance. Provided she works as a spy for Amon from her first appearance, her working to help set her father up as a benefactor of the Fire Ferrets can work as their plan. With him supporting the group, it helps allow the Equalists better knowledge of and ability to infiltrate the whole event and make their grand display of removing bending, but while it rallies the crowd it can be an event that makes Asami uncomfortable and begins instilling in her doubts about the endpoint and goal of their actions, as well as the cost of it.

After the events at the arena, Tarrlok scaling up his attempts to hunt down the Equalists can stay the same, with focus still on Future Industries at first. Mako and Bolin staying at the Sato’s mansion would instead be Hiroshi’s idea to further use them, rather than a generous offer by Asami. When Asami begins to show issue with continuing to fool them even after destroying the arena and ruining their livelihood, we can see a darker part of Hiroshi as he continues to push on Asami to betray her new friends and using the death of her mother to guilt and manipulate her to do so up until they’re trapped in Hiroshi’s workshop. Since Asami actually knows that they would’ve been trapped down there, it allows a chance to turn their discovery and rescue into a moment for Asami when she decides to reveal the truth to Mako and Bolin. The moment of heartbreak in learning what her father is doing, while still a heartbreaking moment, turns to heroic for Asami as she has an essential hand in saving Korra. The moment of Hiroshi pleading with Asami to join him, can instead be him harping on about what happened to her mother again, trying one last bit of manipulation before Asami finally sees through it. The truth of Asami working with the Equalists and having a hand in what happened at the arena can also be a motivator for a flat out breakup between Mako and Asami after that, saving the later half of the season from continuing with the love triangle.

Further seasons since I haven’t accounted for the Equalists staying around after season 1 would likely stay the same for the most part, with some slight changes especially in season 2, as mentioned the love triangle. Going into season 2 Mako can justifiably feel betrayed and his friendship with Asami ended between seasons, and it could give the chance for more growth in Korra and Asami’s relationship since without Mako, Korra can become the primary one offering Asami support instead and allow it to bloom earlier. Mako’s feeling of betrayal also ensures that the love triangle won’t start up again, as instead of Mako being driven to try and protect Asami’s company out of lingering feelings for her, he can instead have growing suspicions and not act on them because he doesn’t want to interact with Asami, until he decides to put his morals before his past relationship and decides to help reveal the truth that Varrick was responsible for her company sinking. Instead of the love triangle reigniting, it instead turns into lingering resentment that Mako is given a chance to grow from after season 1, and we see Asami and Mako reform their friendship in a way.

While these ideas only stretch up into mid season 2, I feel these ideas at least give Asami more room to have relevance and control in her own plotlines. This way we have more of a route to explore the Equalist understanding as Asami was one of them, and akin to Zuko growing across ATLA we can see Asami grow to learn and address the issues in how the Equalists go about attaining equality. The Equalists always seemed underdeveloped to me so I believe she’d work much better to give the viewers a look into them in a more earnest way. If you made it to the end of my ramblings, then I hope you enjoyed it and I gave you something to think about in how Asami Sato could’ve been used and what she could’ve been used to explore. 



Creating Asami’s Equalist Arc