Source
r/respectthreads•
LambentEnigma

Respect Avatar Korra (The Legend of Korra)

movies/tv

^(Spoilers to follow.)

#Korra

”No matter what happens, no matter how crazy things get, I'll always try to restore balance.”

Appearance in Book 1 (age 17)

Appearance in Book 4 (age 21)

Introduction

Korra is the current incarnation of the Avatar, the product of a human soul bonded with Raava, the spirit of light. It is the Avatar’s duty to promote harmony between the nations of the world, and between the physical world and the Spirit World. When the Avatar dies, they reincarnate into a new body with a new personality and no memories of their past lives. Korra’s immediate predecessor was Avatar Aang.

Abilities

As the Avatar, Korra is the only person who can bend (manipulate) all four elements. Starting at the end of Book 1, she can amplify her bending by going into the Avatar State, indicated by glowing eyes. Prior to the end of Book 2, this also gives Korra the bending expertise of her past lives, though the creators have reportedly stated that her Avatar State isn’t any weaker after that point. However, if she is killed in the Avatar State, she will not reincarnate, and the Avatar cycle will be broken.

Biography

Korra was born into the Southern Water Tribe, near the south pole. She had a sheltered upbringing there, watched over by her father, Chief Tonraq, and her mother, Senna. She befriended a polar bear dog named Naga, who became her lifelong companion. At age four, Korra could already bend three elements. She was discovered by the Order of the White Lotus, a group charged with protecting the Avatar. Under the White Lotus’s guidance, Korra trained in water-, earth-, and firebending. At age seventeen, she fled her home to visit Republic City. There, she met and befriended Mako, Bolin, and Asami, and was taught airbending by Tenzin, the son of Avatar Aang. With their help, Korra was able to resolve a non-bender uprising in Republic City. Korra went on to stop a civil war between the Water Tribes, halt an invasion of dark spirits, take down an anarchist group (nearly dying in the process), and defeat a dictator bent on conquering the Earth Kingdom.

Personality

After being cooped up in the Southern Water Tribe most of her life, Korra is rebellious and eager to see the world. She takes pride in her position as the Avatar and is very confident in her abilities. Korra can be reckless; she won’t back down from a fight, and might even start one herself.

Through her various successes and failures, Korra learns humility and comes to rely more on her friends and allies. She also becomes more cautious and uses the Avatar State less often. Korra will not kill unless it’s absolutely necessary.

Hover over a feat to see which book (season) or comic it’s from.

##Bending

Bending is the manipulation of the four elements - water, earth, fire, and air - via physical motions. The more skilled the bender, the less they have to move to achieve a given effect. With the exception of firebending, bending cannot produce an element, only manipulate existing quantities.

Waterbending

Waterbending is used to control water in its liquid, solid, and gaseous forms. It is the most dependent of the bending arts on one’s environment, since water is not always present. It is versatile and can be used for offense, defense, and increased mobility in and above a body of water. It can also be used to heal wounds. Waterbending is slightly stronger during the night, and it’s at its strongest during a full moon. Water is Korra’s native element, but she does not usually carry water with her.

No Avatar State:

Unclear if Avatar State:

With Avatar State:

Earthbending

Earthbending allows one to manipulate rocks, dirt, and the like. It tends to be slow but powerful, and it’s ideal for blocking attacks. Certain earthbenders can control metal by bending its earthen impurities; Korra learns to metalbend in Book 3.

No Avatar State:

Unclear if Avatar State:

With Avatar State:

Firebending

Firebending is used to create and manipulate flames, which, in the Avatar universe, tend to knock things around more than burn them. It’s not as useful for defense (except against other firebenders), but it can be used to enhance one’s movements. Firebending is slightly stronger during the day than at night. Early in the series, it is Korra’s most frequently used element.

No Avatar State:

Unclear if Avatar State:

With Avatar State:

Airbending

Airbending is relatively weak offensively, but it allows the bender to increase their speed and agility. Korra learned airbending at the end of Book 1, after the other three elements.

No Avatar State:

With Avatar State:

Multiple Elements

No Avatar State:

With Avatar State:

##Physical Abilities

In addition to her bending, Korra has impressive strength, durability, and agility, even by her universe’s standards. It’s not confirmed whether the Avatar State enhances her physical attributes, so I’ve separated the feats just in case.

Strength and Hand-to-Hand Skill

No Avatar State:

With Avatar State:

Durability

No Avatar State:

Unclear if Avatar State:

With Avatar State:

Speed and Agility

No Avatar State:

##Spiritual/Energy Abilities

Korra has a number of spiritual abilities. Many of them are unique to the Avatar and require her to go into the Avatar State.

Spirit Form

Using energy from Harmonic Convergence, an event that happens once every ten thousand years, Korra was once able to project her spirit from her body as a giant. Korra was disconnected from Raava at the time, so she could only bend her native element of water.

##Intelligence and Other Abilities

Tactics

Social Skills

Vehicular Skill

##Weaknesses and Limitations

Posted Dec 16, 2021, 5:18 AM UTC · edited

13728
LambentEnigmaOP⭐ Short 'n' Sweet 2018•

Last posted four years ago. I finally got around to adding comic feats. I also added some more feats from the show, replaced most of the low-quality gifs with better ones, and made some adjustments to the formatting.

16
Maximum_Poet_2757•

The way I was about to comment I am surprised this hasn’t been done ages ago

3
playstation211992•

Thanks for having an RT for my favorite Avatar

10
Wapulatus⭐ Omni-Trix Are for Kids•

GOOD thread Mik-wait

6
Shrekosaurus_rex•

Very thorough. Great job.

5
LambentEnigmaOP⭐ Short 'n' Sweet 2018•

Thank you!

2
Intergalactic96•

Great thread

4
kalebsantosSuperman's Pal•

Great job man

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LambentEnigmaOP⭐ Short 'n' Sweet 2018•

Thanks!

2
XXBEERUSXX•

Good job, I've been waiting for this

2
omar_afx•

Nice thread!

2
Glittering-Anybody49•

For earthbending when she lifts all those boulders against unalaq in the unclear if avatar state section, if you go frame by frame you see her eyes glow so it was avatar state

2
LambentEnigmaOP⭐ Short 'n' Sweet 2018•

Thanks for pointing that out.

1
NuzlockeMaster⭐ My Fossils are Colossal•

Does this have comic feats btw?

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LambentEnigmaOP⭐ Short 'n' Sweet 2018•

Yes, from all the graphic novels and short comics.

3
twerkemon•

Why is the air shield a outlier?

1
LambentEnigmaOP⭐ Short 'n' Sweet 2018•

Explosions are fast. Korra hasn't otherwise reacted to something that fast (except maybe the spirit cannon, but its speed seems inconsistent).

1
KingBumiOfOmashu•

She hasn’t had the need to react to anything as fast, or faster than that explosion since that happened…

Your explanation would work if it were Toph or something. Toph could hold up the library as a spirit was working against her, but in the comics she struggled to hold up a collapsing mine which was definitely less in mass.

You saying Korra’s reaction to that explosion is an outlier is just plain unfair.

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LambentEnigmaOP⭐ Short 'n' Sweet 2018•

I did say possible outlier in the RT. It just seems like a weirdly fast feat, since she's failed to react to slower things like this.

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KingBumiOfOmashu•

That’s Book 1, the explosion happened in B3. Her reaction has improved since B1…

1
KingBumiOfOmashu•

About time this has been redone. The last one was missing so much.

1
QueefGenie•

I wonder, when she broke out of those chains in the Avatar state when against the Red Lotus, and flung around that giant stone on the chain, would that count as a feat for rock bending, or a feat for strength?

I also noticed that feat was excluded from here as well. Aside from that, very nicely done.

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LambentEnigmaOP⭐ Short 'n' Sweet 2018•

I included breaking the chains under Strength. Moving the stone was almost certainly earthbending.

1