History ShoutOut / TheLegendOfKorra

* The {{kaiju}}-style battle between [[spoiler: Korra's spirit and "[=UnaVaatu=]"]] is like a cross between ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', with [[spoiler: [=UnaVaatu=] looking really angel/Eva-y vs. a giant blue woman]] and ''Literature/{{Paprika}}'' [[spoiler: the heroine's dream-self becomes huge to battle her mentor-turned-evil before he can throw the world into chaos]].

* Asami and Mako meeting when she crashes into him with her motorbike is a reference to Haruko & Naota's first meeting in ''Anime/FLCL'' (a series which Bryke have named as one of their biggest inspirations for ''Avatar'').

* When Asami is first revealed to be Hiroshi's daughter, she is introduced as "[[StealthPun Miss]] [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Sato]]", though this reference could just be coincidental.

* Varrick, on the other hand, is a fairly obvious {{Expy}} of Howard Hughes and a myriad of eccentric fictional inventors/entrepreneurs based on his persona, most notably [[IronMan Tony Stark]]. The similarity is acknowledged further when he develops suits of PoweredArmor for Kuvira and is being forced to work for her at gunpoint to create a superweapon.

* Varrick's [[http://i.imgur.com/igz7S5K.png Mecha suits]] built for Kuvira's army in Book 4, have more of a resemblance to a generic [[IronMan Hulkbuster]], with the domed helmet and the Earth Empire sigil replacing Stark's arc reactor light.

* Wan is introduced like [[WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}]]: a thin young man, having just stolen a loaf of bread, is running through the city streets chased by well-armed fat men.

* Tonraq saying he had been running from the past for so long in "Civil Wars part 2" is similar to what Simba from ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'' said.
* Wan is introduced like ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'': a thin young man, having just stolen a loaf of bread, is running through the city streets chased by well-armed fat men.

* Tonraq saying he had been running from the past for so long in "Civil Wars part 2" is similar to what Simba from ''Disney/TheLionKing'' said.
* Wan is introduced like ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'': a thin young man, having just stolen a loaf of bread, is running through the city streets chased by well-armed fat men.

* Immediately following this scene we have Mako being released from prison, greeted by a crowd of admirers, and told by his boss that he has been promoted to detective, while Lu and Gang have been fired. The dialogue in this scene is very similar to the ending of ''Disney/{{Mulan}}''.

** She's also [[Disney/TheLionKing surrounded by idiots.]]

* The shot of the giant, spirit Korra traveling through the spirit portal was inspired by the "Star Gate" scene in ''Film/TwoThousandAndOneASpaceOdyssey''.

* The shot of the giant, spirit Korra traveling through the spirit portal was inspired by the "Star Gate" scene in ''Film/2001ASpaceOdyssey''.

* The {{kaiju}}-style battle between [[spoiler: Korra's spirit and "Vaatuunalaq"]] is like a cross between ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' [[spoiler: Vaatu/Unalaq looking really angel/Eva-y vs. a giant blue woman]] and ''Literature/{{Paprika}}'' [[spoiler: the heroine's dream-self becomes huge to battle her mentor-turned-evil before he can throw the world into chaos]].

** Varrick later creates the Avatar-verse version of Film/NanookOfTheNorth, "Nuktuk, the Hero of the South", with Bolin in the lead role. It's remiscent of 30s sci-fi serials like Flash Gordon while doubling as pro-South propaganda. Further, its title puns on [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanook_of_the_North Nanook of the North]], a classic "documentary" on the Inuit (of whom the Water Tribe are a partial FantasyCounterpartCulture).
* Tonraq saying he had been running from the past for so long in ''Civil Wars part 2'' is similar to what Simba from ''Disney/TheLionKing'' said.
* Wan is introduced like Disney/{{Aladdin}}: a thin young man, having just stolen a loaf of bread, is running through the city streets chased by well-armed fat men.
* There are a number in the Beginnings episodes towards Creator/HayaoMiyazaki's films. Spirits have a procession towards a hot spring and the disguised human is found out by smell. Wan rides a deer-like creature while trying to stop humans and spirits from killing each other. Remind you of anything?

* Zaheer's speech in the finale of book three, about ending the avatar cycle, is [[ShoutOutToShakespeare rather reminiscent of the Bard's]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Crispin%27s_Day_Speech Saint Crispin's Day Speech]] from ''Theatre/HenryV''.
-->So we lucky[[note]][[ShownTheirWork which is what the original's "happy" meant in Shakespeare's time]][[/note]] few, this BandOfBrothers and sisters [...]

* Asami Sato is '''[[AvertedTrope not]]''' a visual ShoutOut to Lust from ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist''. Their similarities were completely unintentional, but Creator/BryanKonietzko embraced it in a [[http://bryankonietzko.tumblr.com/post/18387976331/just-a-quick-study-i-did-a-few-months-back-of-lust Tumblr]] post after having it pointed out to him, since he thinks Lust has a beautiful character design. He did, however, [[http://bryankonietzko.tumblr.com/post/25409026851/sorry-guys-i-wish-i-had-something-more give her Lusts' lipstick color]]. Asami's general design was inspired by 1940's film actresses, with her hair based on Rita Hayworth.

* To the other ''Film/{{Avatar}}'': The [[ArmiesAreEvil evil army]] with flying ships and PoweredArmor closes in on [[TheWorldTree a giant tree infused with spiritual power]] in order to harvest its [[{{Unobtanium}} untapped natural resources]], which causes the rest of spiritually-infused flora and fauna to attack other humans.

* The main villains of the first 3 seasons' {{Story Arc}}s all bear a different but strong resemblance to Slade of ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'', as if [[DecompositeCharacter the character was taken apart and different pieces used to make each of them]]:
** Amon [[HeWhoMustNotBeSeen always wears a mask]], has a [[EvilSoundsDeep very similar voice]] and style of speech, and has a tendency to treat his targets in a way that [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything strongly reminds viewers]] of symbolic rape or sexual assault, turning him into a MemeticMolester.
** Unalaq's goal is to force the heroine to open a portal to allow his master -- the [[RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver red and black]] [[UltimateEvil embodiment of evil, darkness, and chaos]] -- to come to Earth.
** The BadassNormal Zaheer shocks everyone when he suddenly gains the ability to Bend (Air for him, Fire for Slade) and fly, puts the heroine through a brutal, graphic, symbolic rape, and later enters into a very tense EnemyMine-situation where he helps save her by leading someone into another world.

* Prince Wu's [[http://aninounettear.tumblr.com/post/100257795768/who-run-the-world-prince-wu dance]] in episode 3 is very similar to {{Creator/Beyonce}}'s dance from her video for ''Who Run the World''.

** And then there are the similarities between Amon and Lelouch from CodeGeass. They are both masterminds hiding behind masks to conceal their identity, which contradicts with the propaganda they feed their followers, and their uniformed mooks fight against the establishment by using non-conventional tactics and increasingly more powerful technology given to them by a genius scientist/inventor. Hell, Amon's first appearance with the line of Equalists behind him is practically the same shot as Lelouch first appearing as Zero with the black knights behind him.

* Korra's battle with her [[spoiler: mysterious spirit doppleganger]] and her her eventual meeting with [[spoiler: Toph]] in the Foggy Swamp is very similar to Luke journey to Dagobah in ''TheEmpireStrikesBack''.

** Second is the scene when Su destroys the loading mechanism for the spirit cannon. It looks suspiciously like a certain scene involving a [[ReturnOfTheJedi certain Emperor]].

* When [[BavarianFireDrill pretending to transfer prisoners]] at the guard checkpoint, Bolin claims he's sending them to "[[Literature/EscapeFromCamp14 Camp 14]]".

* Season 4 [[http://38.media.tumblr.com/1f40c8cfac346f7280081e7f59e0e926/tumblr_nby53xZauv1rogcuio1_1280.jpg Korra]] and ''Film/TronLegacy''[='s=] [[http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130915150150/disney/images/7/7f/035_quorra_highrez_01.jpg Quorra]]. In addition to the name and design similarities they're both powerful, big-hearted though somewhat sheltered ActionGirl[=s=] in a world on the verge of being conquered by a [[ControlFreak perfection-obsessed]], DangerouslyGenreSavvy [[BadassLongCoat badass in a long coat]] who's got [[DaddyIssues issues with their "parent"]] and itching to expand their territory. Additionally they had an elder from a previous story heal their physical wounds and [[spoiler: in the end our heroines pair up with the heir to a major tech company who loves motorcycles and has a very complicated relationship with their father, who sacrifices himself to save his child and the world. The two are last seen holding each other tightly while going into a warm, blazing light onto another adventure (or just a vacation)]].

** Varrick later creates the Avatar-verse version of Film/NanookOfTheNorth, "Nuktuk, the Hero of the South", with Bolin in the lead role. It's remiscent of 30s sci-fi serials like Flash Gordon while doubling as pro-South propaganda. Further, its title puns on [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanook_of_the_North Nanook of the North]], a classic "[[DocumentaryOfLies documentary]]" on the Inuit (of whom the Water Tribe are a partial FantasyCounterpartCulture).

* While giving humans the power to control an element (in this case, fire) in "Beginning Part 1," the Lion-turtle tells them, "[[WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers The power is yours]] to keep..."

* A number in the Beginnings episodes out to Creator/HayaoMiyazaki films. Spirits have a procession towards a hot spring and the disguised human is found out by smell. Wan rides a deer-like creature while trying to stop humans and spirits from killing each other. Remind you of anything?
* Wan, the first Avatar, stole fire form the spirits to help the humans survive, just like the Greek mythological figure Prometheus stole fire from the gods to help humanity. Both were punished for their actions.

* [[SealedEvilInACan Sealed Evil in a tree]], thanks/[[NiceJobBreakingItHero no thanks to the hero]]: ''Korra'': [[spoiler:Vaatu, evil spirit of chaos]], freed from [[spoiler: his fight with Raava, good spirit of peace]] by [[spoiler: future first Avatar Wan]] who then re-sealed him in a dead tree in a desert [[spoiler: in the spirit world]] --> ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'': Aku, evil spirit(?) of greed, sealed in a dead tree in a swamp, unsealed by [[spoiler: Jack's dad]] --> ''WesternAnimation/FernGullyTheLastRainforest'': Hexxus, evil spirit of pollution, sealed in a dead tree in a wasteland, accidentally unsealed by woodcutter Zak.