Avatar Korra

Korra is the present Avatar, successor to (and reincarnation of) Aang. Born to the waterbenders Tonraq and Senna, she is a teenage girl from the Southern Water Tribe with a rebellious streak. On her quest to become a fully realized Avatar and pacify the anti-benders in the United Republic, she asks Tenzin to teach her airbending.

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• Action Girl: Quite obviously.
• Amazonian Beauty: She has obviously muscular arms and is considered very attractive by Bolin, Mako, and Tahno and more.
• Anti-Hero: She might be a bit brash, arrogant and hot-tempered, but her heart is always in the right place, she always fights for what's right, and always tries to help people out whenever possible.
• Arrogant Kung Fu Girl: In Korra's first present-day scene, her teachers complain that she is amazingly good at learning the practical sides of bending, but amazingly bad at learning the discipline and wisdom that's supposed to go with them.
• Badass Adorable: There is no denying this. Girl can go from kicking ass to making you want to hug her with her infamous pout.
• Badass Arm Fold: Welcome to the gun show.
• Badass in Distress: During "When Extremes Meet" and "Out of the Past" when she's been kidnapped by Tarrlok.
• Battle Couple: With Mako, and especially emphasized in the Book One finale.
• Beauty Is Never Tarnished: She got a long scar on her face from her fight with Tarrlok, and it hadn't been attended for at least a day. On the day following her escape, it's nowhere to be seen. Justified because Korra is a skilled healer and the cuts, despite being ugly, were not deep.
• Berserk Button: Trying to hurt any innocent people or anyone close to her. Then she will get serious and beat the crap out of you. And God help you if you actually suceeded in harming someone seriously...
• Betty and Veronica
  • The Veronica to Asami's Betty for Mako's Archie.
  • She's also the Archie for Bolin's Betty and Mako's Veronica. It's that kind of show.
• Big Good: She is this by definition of being a fully realized Avatar after becoming one in the Book 1 finale
• Blithe Spirit: She's certainly making an impact even in the constraints of Republic City. Though it's deconstructed when most of the authority figures dislike her recklessness or outright manipulate her for personal gain.
• Blue Blood: Season 2 info reveals that her father Tonraq is brother to the Northern Water Tribe chieftan.
• Boisterous Bruiser: She rarely fights out of outright malice; it's simply her preferred way of dealing with conflict.
• Boobs of Steel: Korra is one of, if not the most physically capable character on the show. She is also very well endowed.
• Braids, Beads and Buckskins: Downplayed. Korra wears a tan-colored, fur-trimmed pelt around her waist and a parka while at the South Pole. While in Air Temple vestments, she still wears a few of her Water Tribe accessories.
• Bratty Half-Pint: A rare heroic example.
• Bratty Teenage Daughter: Though not actually related to Tenzin, his status as The Stoic and Team Dad and Korra's Hot Blooded nature means they frequently butt heads, so Tenzin sometimes sees her this way. Tenzin even begs his children at one point not to grow up to be teenagers like Korra. Jinora declares she will make no such promises.
• Break the Haughty: In "The Voice in the Night". The idea of having her bending taken from her is so terrifying that she is afraid to fight back until her bravado forces her to try. Amon just made it worse by easily capturing her and taunting her about how he's saving her for last.
• Bruiser with a Soft Center: She is willing to put aside her immature and arrogant attitude in order to save people's lives.
• Charles Atlas Superpower: She lifts Tenzin and his children in a Bear Hug effortlessly, and tosses a Mook at least a few meters through a shop through brute strength alone. In "And The Winner Is..." she is able to not only hold on to the edge of the pro bending ring, not only catch and hold on to Mako (who also ended up over the edge), but toss Mako back into the ring, averting a knockout loss for the Ferrets.
  • It should be noted, though, that she could not hoist herself upward after doing so, and fell after throwing Mako— even Korra has limits.
• Child Prodigy: Even more so than Aang; she could already bend water, fire, and earth before the White Lotus even confirmed her as the Avatar. She has, however, admitted a lack of understanding when the spiritual aspects of bending and being the Avatar come up.
• The Chosen One: She is the Avatar, but her journey is about realizing just what this truly means.
• Chromatic Arrangement: Blue, though her personality fits the typical red. She does find reason to wear warm colors often, while training in airbending and pro-bending.
• Chronic Hero Syndrome: One of her most defining traits from the beginning of the show; Korra sees to have an almost obssessive desire to help people around her whenever she can, sometimes at her own expense, which is evident during her first fight with the Triple Threat Triad.
• Comes Great Responsibility
• Contrasting Sequel Main Character: She's designed to be the "anti-Aang". Her official bio even says she couldn't have less in common with Aang if she tried. This is highlighted by her inability to pick up Airbending quickly (since her personality is very confrontational), just like Aang had trouble picking up Earthbending as an Air Nomad and pacifist. She also neglects the spiritual aspects of being the Avatar, which Aang picked up on more easily than any physical bending forms.
  • Despite this, one can easily see how Korra and Aang would be fast friends. Despite different approaches to being the Avatar, they both share a strong sense of justice, a good sense of humor, and a bit of a mischievous streak.
• Cool Big Sis: While not biologically related to Tenzin, she is a live-in student and eats at the family table instead of with the Air Acolytes. Meelo and Ikki have imitated Korra whenever she's frustrated, which does not please Tenzin at all. But Tenzin also cares about her on a personal level.
• Cosmetic Catastrophe: In one episode she decides to try out that "powdering your nose" thing she's heard about. Sinister music plays as she suspiciously picks up the puff, only for powder to explode all over her face.
• Country Mouse: Korra spent her whole life at the South Pole and is amazed when she sees Republic City for the first time.
• Cute Bruiser: She's not particularly tall, but she is capable of lifting men much taller than herself. With one arm. And of lifting Tenzin's entire family in a bear-hug without even realizing she's doing so.
• Dance Battler: Korra sure loves flips and kicks. It's also evident in the way she navigates the airbending obstacle course. Jinora's demonstration is fairly clinical: she turns on a dime but keeps her upper body rigid. Korra uses a lot of spinning to do the same.
• The Danza: Her voice actor in her Minor Kidroduction was named Cora.
• Darkest Hour: This comes after the Equalists have been defeated, Korra has been debended by Amon and only retains the airbending she spontaneously learned afterward. Even Katara, the greatest healer in the world is unable to undo the damage, and so we see Korra alone at the edge of a cliff back in the South Pole,
• Deadpan Snarker
• Defrosting Ice Queen: Towards Asami.
• Destructive Savior: In "Welcome to Republic City", she quickly puts down a trio of gang members. However, it results in greater property damage than the gang members themselves would have caused. This puts her and Lin Beifong at odds. In "When Extremes Meet", she and the new Team Avatar similarly tear up large sections of the street in pursuit of the chi-blockers. Tarrlok tries to call her on it, but lacks the force of personality to keep her in check.
• Didn't Think This Through: A notable trait of her character at first, something that Amon takes advantage of.
• Discard and Draw: Occurs in "Endgame". Amon takes away her current bending abilities...but in doing so unlocks her airbending and previously suppressed spiritual side. The latter allows Aang to finally speak to her in person, and with his help she not only regains the rest of her abilities, but achieves the Avatar State and learns how to restore the bending of everyone else Amon has hurt.
• Ditzy Genius: Though not ditzy, but naive.
• Dreaming of Times Gone By: Occasionally has visions of her past life as Aang, when knocked unconscious.
• Drives Like Crazy: She "parked" Asami's car by smashing it into a lamppost near the docks and netting about 10 tickets in the process. She immediately points out that she does not know how to drive. Bolin compliments her on doing that well, given the circumstances.
• Dude Magnet: Both Bolin and Mako are attracted to her. Tahno offers to show her how a "real pro bends."
• Dynamic Entry: See Establishing Character Moment.
• Effortless Amazonian Lift:
  • While hugging Tenzin, Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo, she manages to effortlessly lift them off the ground. All at once.
  • Also easily lifts a man several inches taller than her by the collar, with one arm, and holds him in the air for a while.
  • Then, during Episode 6, she hangs onto the edge of the ring with one hand, holding onto the very tall Mako with the other, and throws him back into the ring with one arm.
• Elemental Eye Colors: Is from the Water Tribe and has blue eyes.
• Elemental Powers: Unlike Aang before her, Korra starts her series having already learned all but one of the elements.
  • Dishing Out Dirt: Infrequently employed by Korra, due to the collateral damage it causes in an urban area.
  • Making a Splash/An Ice Person: Her native element.
    • Healing Hands: Katara taught her to use waterbender healing.
  • Playing with Fire: Despite water being her native element, Korra seems to default to fire when frustrated.
  • Blow You Away: Despite her best efforts, a mental block prevents her from using it. Until the finale of Book 1, where Amon's attempt to De-power her unlocks it.
  • Pure Energy/Soul Power: Like Aang before her, she learns energybending at the end of Book One.
• Eleventh Hour Superpower: Airbending. Then she gains the power to restore the bending of Amon's victims.
• Enemy Mine: She have no problems working alongside Tarrlok's anti-Equalist force, despite the fact that they both resent each other, that is, until episode 8, when she discovers that he had passed a law which arrests anyone "associated" with Equalists. At that point, she calls him out on the wrongness of his actions and attacks him to stop.
• Enlightenment Superpowers: Korra has great difficulty with the spiritual aspects of being the Avatar, which is a problem because her ability to consciously access the Avatar State depends on spiritual enlightenment. When Korra realizes that the loss of her Bending does not make her any less valuable a person, Aang appears and gives it back to her, as well as the ability to restore anyone else's bending.
• Establishing Character Moment: Her entrance. She Earthbends a wall across the room, loudly and proudly proclaims herself the Avatar, and demonstrates by bending three elements at once. She's four.
• First Girl Wins: Sorry Asami.
• Fish out of Water: A big part of Korra. Moving from an isolated compound in the South Pole (which was already slower to develop than the other nations) to the booming urban center of Republic City causes a lot of problems.
• Fluffy Tamer: The first person to have ever tamed a polar bear dog.
• Foil: To Mako.
  • Emotions vs. Stoicism: The emotional to Mako's stoicism.
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni: The red to Mako's blue.
  • Savvy Guy, Energetic Girl: The Energetic Girl to Mako's Savvy Guy.
  • Technician Versus Performer: The performer (along with Bolin) to Mako's technician.
• Forceful Kiss/"Shut Up" Kiss: Plants quite the good one on Mako. He reciprocates.
• Four Temperament Ensemble: Choleric.
• Friendless Background: Growing up in an isolated compound populated strictly by teachers and guards, Korra's only friend before arriving in Republic City was her polar bear dog.
• Genki Girl: If there's one quality she and Aang share, it's energy.
• Gilded Cage: She lived in a White Lotus fortress and wanted for nothing. They provided her bending masters, supervised her training since she was young, and protected her from possible harm. However, they also restricted who could see her and for how long. She was watched even when she went on runs with Naga. In the end, she had no freedom.
• Glowing Eyes of Doom: In the Avatar State. It's a more golden hue than the blue of most Avatars.
• God in Human Form: As the Avatar, she can bend more than one element, making her a formidable opponent. If she were to use the Avatar State, she will likely decimate her opponent.
• Good Is Not Soft: She's a lot more prone to taking violent solutions to problems than Aang, and has done a few questionable things, like attacking and threatening an Equalist protestor in "The Revelation" and continuing to attack Tarrlok even after acknowledging that she has rendered him helpless.
• Good Parents: Though minor characters, Korra's parents Tonraq and Senna are shown to be loving and supportive. Unlike most characters in the original series, Korra doesn't seem to have any parental issues, which is fitting as she was born and raised in peacetime.
• Goo Goo Godlike: Most Avatars don't discover their potential until they are told at age sixteen, and even Aang didn't find out until he was twelve only because the monks decided fear of the upcoming war was more important than Aang's mental health. Korra had discovered her ability to bend three elements with no formal training at four years old.
• Green-Eyed Monster: Toward Asami at first.
• Hard Work Hardly Works: Averted. While Korra is quite talented, she has also been shown regularly practicing on her own.
• He Is Not My Boyfriend: With Bolin during their first meeting and later she catapults Jinora and Ikki for guessing she likes Mako.
• The Heroine: She is the Avatar and main character.
• Heroes Love Polar Bear Dogs: As she wasn't able to leave the South Pole, Naga was her only close friend.
  Mako: Your best friend is a... polar bear dog. Somehow that makes perfect sense.
• Heroic BSOD: Goes through this in the finale of Book 1 after Amon took her bending away. According to Aang, it was what finally allowed her to unlock her spiritual side.
• Heroic Resolve: Korra, after being stripped off her other stable elements, finally airbended when she witnessed Amon about to take Mako's bending.
• Honor Before Reason: Despite being terrified of Amon and being coerced into joining a task force, she goes on a raid rather than go back on her word. Later, she challenges Amon to with a one-on-one duel, which ends badly when Amon ambushes her with dozens of chi-blockers instead of arriving alone.
• Hot Blooded: This is likely why she took to Firebending so well, despite being a native Waterbender.
• Idiot Hero: She is often criticized by those around her to be this, given her personality. She did display the creativity she'd use later on in life on occasions however.
• I Need to Go Iron My Dog: She has already proven to be horrible when it comes to excuses. Her explanation for leaving in episode 7 takes the cake, though.
  Korra: I'm supposed to air sit, I mean baby-bend, I- I mean, babysit the airbending kids!
• Inferiority Superiority Complex: She usually acts very cocky and self confident, but she later begins to show a great deal of insecurity about her skills and fear to her enemies.
• Innocently Insensitive: Part of her spiritual weakness is that she's almost completely oblivious to other people's feelings, most obviously in episode five where she goes on a date with Bolin, then forces a kiss on Mako the very next day. She doesn't really get that this is a problem until she sees Bolin's reaction.
• Instant Expert: Korra was able to bend fire, water and earth without any training at a very young age. Airbending, on the other hand, came especially hard to her.
• In-Universe Catharsis: In the finale of Book 1, this finally helps her unlock the Avatar state.
• I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: She lets Mako be with his girlfriend Asami, partly because Asami needs his support. Considering her character, this is actually a pretty big deal.
• I Work Alone: Korra has this attitude in the episode "When Extremes Meet" when refusing to rejoin Tarrlok:
  Korra: Well, I got news for you. You need me, but I don't need you. I'm the Avatar.
  • Subverted in general, however. While Korra wanted to fight the Equalists on her own terms, she still worried that she would go about being a hero alone. She eventually puts together her own team.
• Jack of All Stats: Like Aang, she has access to multiple elements, but lacks any knowledge of advanced techniques (except for healing); she isn't trained in bloodbending, metalbending or lightningbending.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: She is immature, a bit arrogant, sometimes a bit of a jerk, not above using her powers for pranks and not unappreciating attention... but if people's lives are on the line, she will throw away everything to save them.
• Jumped at the Call: In stark contrast to her predecessor.
• Kung-Fu Kid: Korra was Waterbending, Earthbending, and Firebending when she was just a little girl, way ahead of when she should have been able to.
• The Lad-ette: Loves fighting and engages in burping contests with gusto.
• Lame Comeback: Becoming a pattern with her. "You're oppressing yourself!" most notably.
• Legacy Character: As the latest Avatar, Tenzin refers to her as Aang's legacy.
• Leeroy Jenkins: Sometimes...Korra has a tendency to dip into this, but people like Mako are around, they help her avert it.
• Master of the Mixed Message: In "The Spirit of Competition", she agrees to go on a date with Bolin, and then forces a kiss on Mako the very next day. Justified due to her lack of social skills.
• The McCoy: To Mako's Spock and Bolin's Kirk.
• The Medic: Katara taught her how to utilize the healing properties of water.
  Korra: "Relax, I'm a healer. I learned from Katara, the best there is!"
  • Combat Medic: She also fights.
• Mid-Season Upgrade: Since Book 1 is only half of the first season, in the book 1 finale, Avatar Aang, in spirit form, gives Korra the ability to energybend and the Avatar State. He also brings back Korra's bending after she lost it to Amon.
• Mighty Glacier: Compared to the pro-benders, Korra comes off as quite slow, favoring strength over speed and usually blocking attacks with all three elements. Tenzin's training is helping to counteract that weakness, though.
• Mixed Ancestry: Her mother is a native to the Southern Water Tribe, but her father is an immigrant from the Northern Water Tribe. The show treats both tribes as distinct nationalities, as shown by the make-up of Republic City's council.
• Mundane Utility: Animatics for Book 2 show her using the Avatar state to beat Tenzin's kids in an air scooter race. Tenzin is obviously not amused with using it as a toy.
• Naïve Newcomer: At first, she was surprised to find that not everyone in Republic City was rich. A cheerful old hobo corrects her.
  • Rookie Red Ranger: As the Avatar, she is looked at as the defacto leader when it comes to her friends and protecting Republic City. That said, it is clear early on she doesn't have any experience in leading and it is Mako who leads the Fire Ferrets.
  • Welcome to the Big City: The criminals she encounters even ID her straight away as being "fresh off the boat."
• Nature Spirit: Korra is the Avatar, a reincarnation of the spirit of the world itself.
• The Nicknamer: "Pretty boy", "Mr. Heartbreaker", "Mr. Hat trick", "City boy", "Cool guy", "Team Captain"... Mako seems to be the prime victim of these, as he owns the last four.
• Neck Lift: She does this to the park protestor to get information on Bolin's location.
• Nobody Calls Me Chicken: Prone to it. Tarrlok gets her to join his task force by intentionally getting a reporter to suggest that she's afraid of Amon.
• No Social Skills
• Not a Morning Person: States that the morning is "evil". As she is a native waterbender who gets an energy boost from nighttime, this is justified. Also justified by the fact that she's still in her teens; an age group that typically does not do well in the mornings.
• Not Good with People: Nearly a perfect example of the more primal type 2 (adept at hunting for food, managed to tame an enormous wild animal at a young age, with a loose regard for rules), except that the reason she is bad with people is because she was isolated from them. While she is clearly lonely without human peers and makes an effort to socialize, she still seems more comfortable around Naga and Pabu.
• Not Helping Your Case: Korra stumbles into this repeatedly.
  • In "Welcome to Republic City" when she discovers and tries to argue against an Equalist protestor decrying benders as an oppressive establishment, he easily manipulates her confrontational attitude to make her look like the bad guy in front of a large audience of listeners.
  • Later in the same episode, she's incredulous when police insist she be arrested for causing property damage during her well-meant Curb-Stomp Battle of a trio of gangsters. Instead of coming along quietly to explain her presumption of Hero Insurance, she flees the police, fighting as she bolts, and forcing them to use an airship to bring her in, which earns the enmity of Chief Beifong.
  • Matters worsen in "The Revelation" when, desperate to find a friend kidnapped by Equalists, she shakes down the same protestor for information in public, smashing his megaphone, flipping his table and hoisting him by the shirt, and must again flee the police when he wails (quite rightly) that he's being oppressed.
• Not Wearing Tights: Korra essentially takes on a superhero role in Republic City, but has no secret identity. She even announces her arrival and status as the Avatar at a press conference.
• Official Couple: With Mako after the finale of Book 1.
• One-Man Army: Well, it is part of her being the Avatar.
• One of the Boys: She likes to play sports alongside her guy-friends and best them in belching contests.
  • This appears to be the reason Mako doesn't consider her girlfriend material; he says she's more like a good "pal".
• Opposites Attract: She and Mako.
• Passionate Sports Girl: She loves pro-bending and always wanted to see a match since she was a child.
• Personality Powers: The cause of Korra's knack with three elements and issues with airbending in particular, as explained by her airbending teacher:
  Tenzin: Often the element that's most difficult for the Avatar to master is the one most opposite to the Avatar's personality. For Aang, it was earthbending.
  Korra: Yeah, well, I'm about as opposite an Airbender as you can get.
• Physical God: With emphasis on physical.
• Pragmatic Hero: When driven over the edge, she might get overly-aggressive.
• Pride: Throughout the first season, she struggles with the many responsibilities that come with her being the Avatar, especially at points when her overconfidence and fear get the best of her. In fact, many of the constant expectations of those she is trying to protect due to her being the Avatar often lead to the worst possible result for her. In the book 1 finale, her pride became a major factor that led to her loss of bending by Amon.
• Rage Breaking Point: A mild example, but whenever Korra gets frustrated by her airbending training, she tends to incinerate whatever she was trying to airbend.
• Reincarnation: Of the spirit of the planet and most recently Aang.
• Sacrificed Basic Skill for Awesome Training: The Order of the White Lotus, on Aang's instruction, protected her while bringing in teachers to nurture her Avatar abilities. Consequently, Korra has poor social skills but is an extremely powerful bender.
• Screw the Rules, I Have Supernatural Powers!: A rare heroic example, though she is still willing to do it if it overlaps with Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right. Well, she is the Avatar. This is evident in episode 8, where Korra attempts to intimidate Tarrlok into releasing her friends.
  • Amon appears to have this view towards benders, especially the Avatar.
• She Cleans Up Nicely: In "The Voice in the Night", tomboy Korra wears a dress with her hair down. No one comments on it in the show, but she does manage to pull it off quite nicely.
  • Unkempt Beauty: In "Out of the Past".
• Skilled, but Naive
• Skirt over Slacks: A variation. Over her pants, she wears a fur-trimmed pelt worn like a Showgirl Skirt.
• Sleep Cute: With Mako in "The Revelation". Cue awkwardness and blush.
• Sleeves Are for Wimps: She tries to roll up her Airbender uniform's sleeves. Tenzin does not approve and slides them back down.
• Smug Super: Downplayed. Korra is initially inclined to brag and gloat, both when declaring herself Avatar in toddlerhood and as a teenager Curb Stomping gangsters. When she does act like this, however, various characters (such as Lin and Tarrlok) call her out for it (or approve).
• Spirited Competitor: Word Of Bryke says she picks fights for no reason, whereas Aang was a Martial Pacifist.
• Spiritual Antithesis: Korra was designed to be everything Aang wasn't. This is in keeping with other mentioned Avatars; Kuruk was easygoing and neglected his Avatar duties as a result, his successor Kyoshi was serious yet quite heavy-handed to compensate, Roku's merciful personality led to him spare the instigator of a century-long war...
  Lin: It's hard to believe that your sweet-natured father was reincarnated into that girl. She's tough as nails.
• Start My Own: Forms her own team after disagreeing with Tarrlok's methods.
• Super Hero: See above. Her interpretation of what being the Avatar means. Chief Beifong strongly disagrees.
• Super Mode: The Avatar State.
• Superpower Lottery: She's the Avatar. It's in the job description.
• Sympathy for the Devil: She states that Amon/Noatak and Tarrlok's backstory was one of the saddest stories she had ever heard.
• Taught By Experience: Korra seems to cop up to this since her unfortunate arrival in Republic City. On her own, she learns to adapt to new situations when dealing with enemies, exhibiting a level of creativity and improvisation. When Amon removes Korra's bending, Korra finally gains the ability to airbend, especially when she has not completed her airbending training.
• Tomboy
  • Tomboy and Girly Girl: Tomboy to Asami's Girly Girl.
  • Tomboyish Ponytail and Tomboyish Sidetails: So we're ruling out a girly girl, here. In one scene, we see a young male waterbender wearing the same style, so it could have been a masculine hairstyle.
• True Companions: What she, her teammates, and Asami have become by episode 8.
• Unknown Rival: Asami is completely oblivious of Korra's feelings for Mako and jealousy towards her until "When Extremes Meet".
• Unresolved Sexual Tension: With Mako. Episode five took this and ran it Up to Eleven. Resolved in the Book One finale.
  • Belligerent Sexual Tension: They have a bit of this going on in the first half of Book One, but they later subvert it by admitting their feelings and stopping the arguing.
  Mike: The earlier episodes had set up that Korra and Mako were kinda at each other's throats but they also kinda have a little attraction to each other.
• Unskilled, but Strong:
  • Referenced during her Firebending test:
    Katara: She's strong.
    White Lotus Member: She lacks restraint.
  • Also detailed in the opening animation where Korra is the Waterbender◊. She lifts more water than she needs and lets the excess splash back down, then creates an uneven wobbly circle of water—stumbling a bit—before splashing about twenty gallons at the camera. Compared to Master Pakku◊'s perfect balance and poise, it is indeed quite sloppy.
• Unstoppable Rage: In "When Extreme Meets". Look at Korra's picture above, and look at this.◊
• Violently Protective Girlfriend: Korra unlocks her airbending in order to protect Mako from Amon.
• Why Can't I Hate You?: Before getting to know Asami well, Korra sees her as a prissy rich girl mainly because of her jealousy of her relationship with Mako. After they start bonding in a race, Korra apologizes for having pegged wrong.
• The Worf Effect: She's the Avatar; the strongest member of her team, able to bend three elements with unrivaled power. However, the metalbending police, Equalist mooks (twice), the Wolfbats, Hiroshi Sato and his Mini Mecha, and Tarrlok have all beaten her. Combined with her airbending block, it has taken a heavy toll on her self esteem.
  • Worf Had The Flu: Each of these examples, however, has her disadvantaged in some way. She wasn't fighting the metalbenders seriously, the Equalists were something she'd never seen before (then they pulled a Zerg Rush), the Wolfbats cheated while the Ferrets couldn't, Hiroshi had never-before-seen Mini Mecha, and Tarrlok turned out to be a bloodbender.
• You Are Not Alone: In episode 8, when she cries about not being able to take the burden of saving the city alone, Mako, Bolin, and Asami come along and remind her that Aang was not alone and neither is Korra. They are there to help her save the city.
  • Defied by the end of the episode.
• Your Cheating Heart: She kisses Mako when he's already dating Asami. While he committed the mistake of kissing back, albeit briefly, Korra did initiate the kiss, so both have their share of responsibility.

Mako

The elder of two brothers from a mixed-ethnicity union. With Korra and his younger brother Bolin, they form a pro-bending team. Having been a street rat after his parents' death, Mako took it upon himself to care for his brother, and would do anything for him. Around strangers he shows an icy, controlled personality, but around close friends and family can show a much sweeter side.

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• Adorkable: He can come off like this sometimes, mostly when he's surprised or flustered. And when he does, you can totally tell why he's related to Bolin. Hell, half of his Adorkable appeal comes from his interactions with Bolin.
• Amazon Chaser: Mako joins his brother in that account, mentioning that she's strong and a good athlete in the list of good qualities in their conversation of Korra being girlfriend material.
• Amicable Exes: With Asami. They still care about each other despite how messed up their relationship became.
• Badass: Moments after we meet him, he finds himself alone against a full team in a pro-bending match, takes said third round in an impressive show of skill, and wins it by himself when he knocks all three of his opponents into the water. In about the span of about a minute or so. Simply by tiring them out while he dodged everything they threw at him... in the third zone. "This Mako's got moxie!" indeed.
  • Him redirecting lightning while being electrocuted and frying one of the platinum mini mechas by it in episode ten also counts.
  • He's also the first person to get the better of Amon, not just in the series, but EVER. He did this by firing lightning while being bloodbended by Amon.
  • Badass Longcoat: Well, it's more of a tail coat, but creates the same effect.
  • Badass Biker: As of Book 2.
• Battle Couple: The other half of it with Korra.
• Berserk Button: Just try to hurt Korra in front of him. Go on, we dare you. Or his brother, for that matter. He does fling one of Bolin's attackers across the screen, and gets much more aggressive when Bolin is electrocuted in the same episode.
• Betty and Veronica:
  • He's the Archie conflicted between Asami and Korra, respectively.
  • He can also be seen as the Veronica to Bolin's Betty with Korra as Archie. Yes, two connected love triangles.
• Big Brother Instinct: Regardless of his rough edges, Mako loves Bolin, and he's fiercely loyal and very protective of him. He willingly took (and presently still does take) most burdens and responsibilities of their living conditions.
  • There is a shade of deconstruction to this trope as it applies to Mako. He sheltered his brother from the harsh realities and darker nature of their environment, which led to Bolin's current naiveté and dependency.
• Bonding Over Missing Parents: With Asami.
• Charles Atlas Superpower: Not as big an example as Korra, but Mako has shown considerable upper strength than his body type would normally allow. He grabbed an Equalist that held his brother from behind, and launched him over his head somewhere yonder and far off-screen. Then in episode five, he effortlessly carried muscled, stocky build Bolin (who just ate and was flailing around) on his shoulder like a rag doll without an inkling of weight strain. And possibly took him home the distance from the noodle shop to the pro-bending arena that way.
• Chick Magnet: Has obtained the affections of both Korra and Asami. It's also lampshaded.
  Bolin: "Leave some ladies for the rest of us!"
• Chromatic Arrangement: Red, but his personality fits the typical blue.
• Cop Boyfriend: To Korra as of Book Two. Though Korra doesn't quite fit the female detective part.
• Crash into Hello: How he meets Asami - she accidentally hits him with her moped due to his jaywalking.
• Dark and Troubled Past: Seeing his parents killed in a mugging when he was eight, then growing up on the street and later working for the Triple Threat Triads qualifies.
• Dead Guy Junior/Named After Somebody Famous: Meta example of the former. He's named after Mako, prominent Japanese-American actor who performed the original series' role of Iroh until his death.
• Deadpan Snarker
• Declaration of Protection: He says he always is trying to look after Bolin.
• Deuteragonist: Of Book One.
• The Ditherer: As Korra's Foil, he does his best to avoid conflict and will ignore problems, suppress his own feelings, or follow a You Didn't Ask policy if it means avoiding awkward conversations. In "Turning the Tides", when Asami confronts him about kissing Korra, he asks if they can talk about it later.
• Drives Like Crazy: After the six month time skip (Book 2) where he's a cop, and skilled enough to handle it without much problem in a Chase Scene.
• Elemental Eye Colors: A Firebender with amber eyes.
• Elemental Powers
  • Playing with Fire: He's Korra's Firebending friend.
  • Shock and Awe: He can also manipulate lightning; both generate and redirect it. Notably, he can fire non-lethal shots, which he uses to disable a truck driver in episode 8.
• Expy: To a small extent. The creators said he reminds them of Zuko "without the angst"; a bit of a brooder but he's "lighter".
  • Ironic considering that much of the fandom compare his personality to that of Katara.
• Fair Cop: As of Book Two.
• Fingerless Gloves: Part of the pro-bending uniform quota, but he also has his own personal pair.
• Fire Is Red: Downplays this. Most of his outfit is in neutral colors except for red trim, and his red scarf.
• Foil: To Korra and Bolin.
  • Emotions vs. Stoicism: We have headstrong, brash Korra and cheerful, earnest Bolin vs. serious, "cool under fire" Mako.
  • Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: The responsible to Bolin's foolish.
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni: The blue to Korra's red. In addition to their different temperaments, he's powerful, but more focused and technical as opposed to Korra's usual method of dealing with opponents. Yet he is a Red Oni compared to Asami.
    • Irony: Their Chromatic Arrangement being the opposite of their oni colors.
  • Savvy Guy, Energetic Girl: Savvy Guy to Korra's Energetic Girl.
  • Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Manly Man to Bolin's Sensitive Guy.
  • Technician Versus Performer: The Technician to Korra's and Bolin's Performer.
• Four Temperament Ensemble: Melancholic.
• Green-Eyed Monster: To his chagrin in "The Spirit of Competition" when Bolin and Korra head out on their date. Korra totally calls him out on it after he wrongly accuses her of using his brother for some Operation Jealousy ploy.
  • It also serves as a small Green-Eyed Epiphany. It's implied that whatever he's feeling for Korra has been suppressed, and for good reason (his brother and Asami are core cases). It isn't until Bolin takes his interest for her seriously that Mako begins to confront what he's been denying. And still attempted to deny for most of episode five. The ensuing mess that occurred there (which led to Bolin's heart being broken), had Mako and Korra decide to be Just Friends. Until Book One's end.
• Heroic Willpower: In some form. Mako resists Amon's bloodbending enough to shoot an unpredictable lightning attack at him.
• Iconic Item: His red scarf.
• I Did What I Had to Do: To survive and provide for Bolin. His defense and justification for his past workings with the Triple Threat Triad.
• Innocently Insensitive: He isn't purposefully insensitive all the time, but has had to apologize for his mistakes/behavior more than twice. Especially evident when he doesn't realize that his excesive attention on Korra when she gets kidnapped upsets Asami.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: In contrast to his brother, Mako can come off rather grouchy and irritable. While Bolin is initially very friendly with Korra, Mako clashes with her. But he's not incapable of kindness, rather warm-hearted to those he knows well, and acknowledges when he's in the wrong as well as give credit where credit is due.
• Justified Criminal: He once worked for the Triple Threat Triad for money. While he only ran numbers and "stuff", he's not proud of what he did and forbids Bolin from doing the same once they cut ties with them.
• The Lancer: To Korra, in both Foil purposes and character.
• The Leader: Type II - Captain of the Fire Ferrets.
• Lightning Bruiser: When it comes to pro-bending, as the sport calls for it. In his introduction in "A Leaf in the Wind" he defeats a pro-bending team single-handedly while demonstrating power, speed, and endurance. He's considered one of the top players in the pro-bending arena with reason.
• Long Range Fighter: Type II. While Mako somewhat held his own when fighting the Lieutenant at close-quarters, he still got quickly overwhelmed (more so when compared to Korra and Asami). He's much more formidable when he keeps his distance and fires attacks.
• Love at First Sight: Blushed the second he laid eyes on Asami, and then later had floating hearts surrounding his head. They dated pretty quickly after. Unfortunately, it fell into the disillusionment category.
• Love Epiphany: In Out Of The Past when searching for the missing Korra, Mako realizes he's in love with her. Stated in Endgame several episodes later.
• Master of the Mixed Message: In Episodes 9-11, he keeps showing excessive concern and attention to Korra, ignoring his girlfriend Asami while still denying having feelings for Korra. Asami is not happy about it and calls him out of it.
• Meaningful Name: He is named after the late actor who voiced General Iroh in the first series.
• Mixed Ancestry: Along with Bolin, half-Fire Nation, half-Earth Kingdom.
• Mr. Fanservice: Hot, sweaty, messy-haired working man Mako wiping his forehead. Yes.
• Mundane Utility: Mako, along with several other firebenders, are shown shooting lightning for menial labor in a factory.
• No Social Skills: In terms of relationship conventions. It's pretty clear that he doesn't know how to deal with people and personal feelings very well.
• Not so Above It All: His first encounter with Asami leaves him a slack-jawed, love-drunk idiot emitting pink hearts.
• Not with Them for the Money: He isn't interested on Asami for her money. He does appreciate the luxury that comes from being her boyfriend, though.
• Official Couple: With Asami, following episode 4. However, by the end of episode 12 they have broken up and he becomes Korra's boyfriend instead.
• One Head Taller: Than Korra.
• Only in It for the Money: Being a past Street Urchin and understandably needing cash (he and Bolin are still poor) to keep them from having to return to that life, this is Mako's main goal for competing in the pro-bending tournaments - to hit that jackpot. It's no surprise in essence that he leaves it due to his new career as a cop.
• Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: In-universe example. He has only a slight Brooklyn accent around people he doesn't know personally (Korra, Butakha), but it gets heavier when he talks to Bolin or other street kids.
• Opposites Attract: His and Korra's dynamic. She challenges him, figuratively and literally.
• Parental Abandonment: His and Bolin's parents were murdered by a firebender during a mugging.
• Pretty Boy: Visually, of course, as well as outright called a "beautiful man" by the creators.
• Promotion to Parent: Mako took care of Bolin at a young age, while the two of them were living on the streets.
• Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: Male example.
• Real Men Cook: Unsurprising when you take in Promotion to Parent, though. Also, his firebending would help greatly.
• Relationship Sabotage: A minor case with trying to deflect Bolin's interest in Korra. By claiming she is not girlfriend material after saying aloud to Bolin a sentence earlier that she was. And emphasizing that dating a team mate is a bad idea. Of course, this doesn't deter Bolin at all, and it could be said that a part of Mako was looking out for him in some way.
  • It's likely the reasons he gave Bolin were also reasons he'd given himself to not explore his own attraction to Korra (especially since not dating a team mate is valid advice). So he had probably already decided to sabotage his own relationship with Korra, too, resulting in choosing to date Asami.
• Scarf of Asskicking: His Tragic Keepsake he always wears.
• Sibling Team: With Bolin.
• Sibling Triangle: Both he and Bolin like Korra.
• Sibling Yin-Yang: Mako's serious, though not quite as downcast as his Expy. Life in the streets toughened him up, and he feels responsible for both himself and his younger brother, being he's the only family he has left. Bolin is the easygoing, naive one of the two.
• Sickeningly Sweethearts: With Asami, much to Korra's dismay.
• Sleep Cute: Shared one with Korra in "The Revelation". Upon waking, he freaks out a little.
• The Smart Guy: Of the group. He figured out how the promotional posters of Amon's rally led to its location.
  • He's also the one heard and shown making a comment on the laid-out map when General Iroh was discussing the tactic to ambush Amon/The Equalists.
• The Spock: To Korra's McCoy and Bolin's Kirk.
• The Stoic: He's controlled, keeps a cool head under pressure, and masks his expression with indifference.
  • Not So Stoic: That doesn't mean he's emotionless—he simply has more muted reactions than Korra or Bolin. Particularly evident when he meets Asami and is completely love struck. And let's just say Korra really pushes his patience sometimes.
  • He does not take it well when he hears that Korra got kidnapped...at all.
  • His cool mask also drops within three seconds flat if Bolin is threatened or placed into any type of imminent danger.
• The Strategist: Came up with a plan to get Bolin and escape the rally. In fact, his rationality and analytical mind are at least fundamentally highlighted.
• Street Urchin: Before the events of the show. Mako is still well-versed in street info and connections, knowing the location of the Triple Threat Triad headquarters after working for them, and about chi-blocking and the Equalists.
• Sugar and Ice Personality: To those he doesn't know or doesn't care for, he is generally cold. To people he either knows or wants to know better, like Asami's father, he is much warmer.
• Tall, Dark and Handsome: A straight example. Even his voice actor described him as "tall and handsome", and his official bios are consistent in restating this fact. The show isn't shy about it either.
  Jinora: Oooh, he's cute. Korra, is that the handsome firebender boy that drives you crazy?
• Tall, Dark and Snarky: Occasionally, such as when Naïve Newcomer Korra makes a mistake he will snark about it.
• Team Dad: Shades of it. He's the level headed one who keeps Korra from going guns a' blazing to handle a dilemma, and is a stickler about rules. This isn't even adding his whole relationship dynamic with his brother.
  • "And The Winner Is..." had him step in defense of Korra during a round with the Wolfbats, attempting to block a three-on-one attack that almost knocked them both out the ring. He also shows concern about her going after Amon and the Equalists, telling her to be careful. Once she comes out of that fight unscathed, he runs up to her fretfully and gives her a hug, glad to see she's okay. He's certainly very protective about people he cares about.
• Tragic Keepsake: His red scarf is confirmed to have belonged to his father.
• Troubled, but Cute: Tough past? Check. Stand-offish? Check. Good-looking? Check.
• Unbroken Vigil: He stays by Korra's side as she lies resting from her escape from Tarrlok.
• Undying Loyalty: To Bolin. The majority of Mako's life has been spent protecting and caring for the basic needs of his little brother, something that doesn't appear to be changing at all as they enter adulthood.
• Unresolved Sexual Tension: Has this mechanic with Korra. As of the Book One finale, it's been resolved.
  • Belligerent Sexual Tension: They have a bit of this going on in the first half of Book One, and particularly emphasized in The Spirit of Competition with Word of Bryke lampshading it during commentary for the episode. They later subvert it by admitting their feelings and stopping the arguing.
• Unusual Eyebrows: Of the "kinked" type.
• Worthy Opponent: Gets this from Amon in the Book One finale, after resisting his bloodbending and electrocuting him at point-blank range. On the other hand, this praise is leavened by Amon kicking the crap out of him for so worthy an attack.
  Amon: I'm impressed. No one has ever gotten the better of me like that. It is almost a shame to take the bending of someone so talented. Almost.
• Your Cheating Heart: Returns Korra's Forceful Kiss/"Shut Up" Kiss despite being in a relationship with Asami. While he doesn't go out of the way to be an asshole, he still commits the huge mistake of hiding it all from Asami, and she only learns about it through Bolin; understandably, Asami is not too happy about it.

Bolin

The younger of two brothers from a mixed-ethnicity union. Part of a pro-bending team along with Korra and his older brother Mako. Being younger, Bolin is a lot more playful and relaxed than his brother, and just wants a good time. He wants to take more initiative and get more respect, but his immaturity and naturally laid-back nature makes this difficult.

---

• Adorkable: The primary source in the series.
• Always Second Best: When it comes to his brother Mako - in age, fighting abilities, and getting girls.
• Amazon Chaser: He's chasing Korra.
  "You're the smartest, funniest, toughest, buffest, talented-est, incredible-est girl in the world!"
• Badass: A bit goofy, but he definitely qualifies.
• Badass Adorable
• Bad Liar: He usually runs at his mouth, trying to cover one lie with a more exaggerated instance.
• Betty and Veronica: Bolin is the Betty to Mako's Veronica in a Sibling Triangle for Korra.
• Big Eater: Took out a loan against their winnings to do some impromptu grocery shopping. When given a look of chagrin by his brother, Bolin simply quips:
  Bolin: I'm a growing boy!
• Big Fun: The more fun-loving sibling.
• The Big Guy: In terms of looks. It's yet to be shown whether he can best Korra in terms of brute strength.
• Big Ol' Eyebrows: He has them. See his picture.
• Birds of a Feather: The reason why he is interested in Korra.
• Calling the Old Man Out: Not his own father, but he does call out Hiroshi Sato for his treatment of his true companion Asami.
  ''You! Are! A! Horrible! Father!''
• The Captain: Of the Fire Ferrets after Book One. Mako and Korra have both quit.
• Cat Smile: Subtly, but it's there.◊
• The Charmer: Said to always have a lady on his arm, as well as a habit of bringing "crazy fangirls" to the Fire Ferret's room before matches.
  • A rather Informed Ability so far, though, since aside from one fan yelling from the stands, he hasn't been shown trying to put the moves on any women other than Korra, who's more interested in Mako.
    • This might be a result of him being a Lady Killer In Love who's dead set on Korra.
• Chick Magnet: Before a pro-bending match, one of said fans can be heard in the audience screaming "I love you Bolin!". It was also mentioned that Korra wasn't the first girl he took backstage.
• Chromatic Arrangement: Green.
• Comfort Food: The noodles from a restaurant that serves Water Tribe food. He overindulges once he sees Korra kissing his brother.
• Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Was pegged right away as inheriting the "comic relief" role from Last Airbender's Sokka, and he's often the first character to take a fall or be comedically-injured. But the second pro-bending match in "The Spirit of Competition" demonstrates that Bolin can be just as badass as his teammates.
• The Cutie: Exhibits some shades of this. The fandom definitely sees him this way though.
• Dark and Troubled Past: Mako didn't mention Bolin being present at the time of their parents' murder, and he has been sheltered by his brother, but it doesn't negate how hard it must have been for Bolin as well.
• Delinquent Hair: Appears to sport a Ducktail hairstyle, which was popular with Real World greasers back in the 50's.
• Determinator: To a degree. Continues to fight despite his injured shoulder, as noticed by Shiro Shinobi.
• Distressed Dude: Kidnapped by Equalists in "The Revelation".
• Dogged Nice Guy: A bit towards Korra. He's got some interest in her, in that he looks forward to her coming to practices and makes a rather romantic gesture of giving her a rose and a small cake after she and Mako saved him from Amon, but Korra doesn't display much interest back. Granted, this wasn't the best time since she was facing major confidence issues because of Amon.
  • Later, he takes Korra out on a date, who mostly agrees to cheer herself up after being rejected by Mako, about two seconds before. After the date, Bolin brings her a bouquet of flowers only to be crushed by the sight of Korra kissing Mako.
• Drowning My Sorrows: Well, a G Rated Version involving noodles after seeing Korra and Mako kiss.
• Elemental Eye Colors: An Earthbender with Green Eyes.
• Elemental Powers
  • Dishing Out Dirt: He's Korra's Earthbending friend.
• Establishing Character Moment: See Meaningful Background Event.
• Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: The cheerful, silly one.
• Four Temperament Ensemble: Sanguine.
• Good Is Not Soft: Despite the ample notes of his kind and jovial behavior, Bolin is a very capable earthbender who can handle himself in many fights.
• Green-Eyed Monster: A mild example. When he sees the extravagant gift basket Tarrlok sent her, he jumps at the chance to put the man who's been bothering Korra in his place. After Korra explains that the gifts are non-romantic, he seems relieved.
• The Heart: Of the four members of Team Korra, he has the biggest heart and most able at forgiving them when they screw-up. He doesn't even begrudge his brother or Korra after the day after he saw them kiss.
• Hopeless Suitor: Bolin doesn't realize how badly Korra's crushing on his brother when he makes his own overtures.
• In Touch with His Feminine Side: He isn't afraid to show emotion and enjoys makeovers.
• The Kirk: To Mako's Spock and Korra's McCoy.
• Ladykiller In Love: Despite his status as The Charmer his interest in Korra is both strong and genuine as he basically describes her to Mako as his dream girl. And his dismay at seeing Korra and Mako kissing is strong enough to reduce the usually cheerful young man to an emotional wreck.
• Lame Comeback: To Mako in episode 5. Though, he wasn't all there when he tried to make it.
  Mako: I told you dating a teammate was a bad idea!
  Bolin: You're a bad idea!
• Let's Get Dangerous: Exactly what it says on the tin. He may be laidback, but when it's time to bend, it's serious business.
• Lightning Bruiser: Pro-bending emphasizes both power and speed. When giving pointers to Korra, he criticizes her conventional style as being powerful but leaving her open to attack, then demonstrates his own boxing-like style which allows him to attack quickly without sacrificing defense. However, this doesn't apply well to real combat, where Bolin is a greenhorn and found himself a sitting duck for his Equalist foes.
• Long Range Fighter: Type 1.
• Lovable Jock: He is a good hearted young man who cares about his teammates but will call them out when they aren't pulling their weight and screwing up the chances to win.
• Love at First Sight: His Establishing Character Moment no less. He starts hitting on Korra the moment he meets her, comes to her aid when she's about to be tossed out of the building by his landlord, and tells Mako that he's "got a good feeling about this one". In The Spirit of Competition he openly tells Korra he's liked her since he first met her.
• Love Hurts: He finds out Korra likes Mako the hard way. Seeing Korra and Mako kissing reduces him to an emotional wreck.
• Manchild: While not exactly a man just yet (he's sixteen), he fits the bill. Due to Mako's nurture, Bolin is childish, trusts easily, wears his heart on his sleeve, and has been relying on someone else almost his entire life. But he's beginning to reach for independence from his brother. According to his voice actor, part of Bolin's character arc is him maturing and learning that not everything is as he thought it was.
• Meaningful Background Event: He's first shown in-series in the background of an argument between Korra and Toza; at first he's just passing through, then double-takes at Korra, slicks back his hair, and struts forward to help her out.
• Men Don't Cry: Averted. His reaction when he sees Korra kissing Mako is to sob in the most overblown way imaginable and run away. And then when Mako tries to snap him out of it, he breaks into Inelegant Blubbering.
• Mixed Ancestry: Along with Mako, half-Fire Nation, half-Earth Kingdom.
• Nice Guy: As said with Lovable Jock and The Heart, he is an all around nice guy.
• Out of Focus: After the first five-to-six episodes of Book 1, he was generally pushed to the sidelines while other characters remained consistent in, or gained more, screen time.
• Parental Abandonment: After the death of their parents in a mugging, he and Mako were left to fend for themselves.
• Plucky Comic Relief: Gets most of the jokes, yet still remains a likable and complex character.
• The Prankster: To Mako. Pabu is his partner in crime.
• Punctuated Pounding: Against Hiroshi Sato in the finale of Book 1.
• Romantic Runner Up: He's very nice and funny, but Korra chooses his more handsome and skilled brother over him.
• Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Sensitive Guy to Mako's Manly Man.
• Shy Finger Twiddling: Prone to this, when nervous. He does it when Korra initially does badly in her first match as a response to his brother's accusatory look, and again when menaced by Amon.
• Sibling Team: With Mako.
• Sibling Triangle: Is in one with Mako and Korra.
• Sibling Yin-Yang: With Mako.
• Speaks Fluent Animal: Specifically, fire ferret. It's how he talks to Pabu.
• Static Character: Like Toph before him, Bolin doesn't change much as a character throughout Book One.
• Stout Strength: He is on the bulkier side than his thinner teammates, but still shows good levels of strength.
• Street Urchin: He used to be one with his brother.
• Suddenly Fluent In Fire Ferret: He seems to be able to understand Pabu.
• Technician Versus Performer: Along with Korra, is the Performer to Mako's Technician.
• Turn The Other Cheek: Forgives Korra and Mako despite his heartbreak.
• Ukefication: Occasionally pops up as an unfortunate side effect of being the Launcher of a Thousand Ships.
  • Somewhat justified due to his being naive and innocent, somewhat meek, effeminate, and overemotional in universe.

Asami Sato

A young non-bender and the pampered daughter of Hiroshi Sato. Despite being a delicate looking beauty, she can look after herself. She was trained in self-defense since she was little, is an avid fan of pro-bending and an excellent automobile driver.

---

• Action Girl: She can handle herself in a fight, including against the Lieutenant of the Equalists.
• Aloof Dark Haired Girl: While not exactly aloof, she is very graceful and mature and has long black hair. She is also as tall as her father, only a few inches shorter than Mako and was shown to be noticeably taller than Korra.
• Amicable Exes: With Mako. They still care about each other despite how messed up their relationship became.
• Apologetic Attacker: To her father.
• Badass: Being the only non-bender of the new Team Avatar, she deserves this title.
  • Badass Driver: Justified as she grew up around Sato-mobiles and test drove several designs.
    • In "When Extremes Meet", she is the one who drives the car when Naga can't carry all four, showing she is the driver for the group.
  • Badass Normal: She was trained in self-defense since she was a child, and is capable of going toe-to-toe with even the toughest Equalists, like the Lieutenant.
• Beauty Equals Goodness
• Benevolent Boss: Mostly as the new head of Future Industries in Book 2.
• Betty and Veronica: The Betty to Korra's Veronica for Mako's Archie.
• Beware the Nice Ones: Very sweet girl, yet just as ruthless as a wolf in combat, mercilessly taking Equalists as well as her own father, whom she was this close to killing. Rage-Face Asami◊, anyone?
• The Big Girl: Shares the role with Bolin, in a way. Her close combat abilities and electric glove are much more effective on Equalist mooks than bending (she took the Lieutenant in three seconds), is somewhat of a pragmatic and she drives the car.
• Biker Babe
• Bonding Over Missing Parents: With Mako.
• Brainy Brunette
• Calling the Old Man Out: In the Book One finale.
• Car Fu: She even managed to take out two mechas at the same time by crashing the Korramobile into them.
• The Chick: Of the Krew: sweet, The Captain's love interest and the Girly girl.
• Combat Pragmatist: Drives dirty on the race track, forcing the other car to spin out so she can be sure to win, and plays along with her father until he hands her a weapon, at which point she shocks him right in the chest.
• Cool Car
• Crash into Hello: Due to a combination of jaywalking and speeding, Asami crashes into Mako with her moped.
• Daddy's Girl: She appears to be very close to her father and immediatly defends him when he's accused of being an Equalist. When the truth is revealed, she's clearly affected by his betrayal and tears while she takes him down in the Book 1 finale.
• Dark Is Not Evil: Dresses promeniently in red and black, but is a really nice person.
• Dating What Daddy Hates: Not that she realized it at the time.
• Deadpan Snarker:

  Mako: I need some more hot water. Korra wants more tea.
  Asami: You're a firebender, boil it yourself.

• Determinator - Plucky Girl: As the series progresses Asami loses or sacrifices everything she has. Her home, her wealth, her high social status, her father, and even her boyfriend. Despite having every reason to quit and little to gain by going on she never stops fighting.
• Drives Like Crazy: But is good enough to pull it off.
• Et Tu, Brute?: Her father loved her and truly believed helping the Amon was the right action. He could not conceive his child would disagree.
• Fallen Princess: After attacking her dad and saving the proto form of the Krew she leaves her mansion to live on Air Temple Island and fight the Equalists with the street rats.
• Fangirl: Of pro-bending.
• Four Temperament Ensemble: Phlegmatic, of the "calm and collected Lady of War" variety.
• Genius Bruiser: While she is of The Big Girl variety in terms of being a capable fighter, she is also a great strategist.
• Girly Bruiser: She enjoys wearing make-up, getting dressed up nicely, driving like crazy, and kicking Equalist butt.
• Green-Eyed Monster: Has faint shades of this. Since learning about Korra's crush on Mako through the ever-talkative Ikki, Asami appears to at least be growing uncomfortable with the closeness of their relationship.
  • Becomes even moreso in the next episode when she questions Mako's intensity to finding Korra, discovering that he and Korra kissed, and giving displeased looks whenever she suspects there is something more to the two's relationship.
  • In "Turning the Tides", she confronts Mako about the kiss and tells him to own up to his actions. He doesn't take this well. In her defense, though, while Asami is annoyed at the Ship Tease between Korra and Mako, she admits that she still likes Korra — it's Mako she has a problem with. She also doesn't allow it to interfere with their mission.
  • In the Book One finale, this is apparently gone the moment Korra and Mako decide to face Amon instead of destroying the aircraft. The last talk between her and Mako all but states that they do care for each other, but they've assumed that after the whole mess the Love Triangle caused, their romantic relationship simply won't work.
• Green Eyes: Considering her family is descended from the first Fire Nation colonists, who intermingled extensively with the natives, it's not surprising that she has Earth Kingdom ancestry somewhere in her bloodline.
• Guile Heroine: Hiroshi discovered this the hard way.
• Hair Flip: After taking off her helmet in "Voice in The Night", and again after the mishap with overloading poor Naga in "When Extremes Meet" (though in a more off-hand manner). This may become a running theme with her.
• Heartbroken Badass: Her mother's dead, her father's an Equalist whom she had to take out herself twice, and her boyfriend, unintentionally, fell out of love with her.
• Hero with Bad Publicity: Even though she defeated her father, Hiroshi's status as a high-ranking Equalist has shattered her family's reputation, and ever since that happened, Future Industries has lost a great deal of investors.
• Hidden Depths: Starts out as Mako's Arm-Candy and a source of jealousy for Korra, but ever since she stun-gunned her father in "The Aftermath" she's revealed just how much ass she can kick. Not to mention her mad driving skills.
  • That, and for a teenage girl in a Love Triangle, she has shown a far more mature behavior than expected. One would have expected to go Clingy Jealous Girl on Korra for Mako, but she defies the trope and directly goes to Mako instead, even making a point on refusing to hate Korra.
• Honest Corporate Executive: Has taken over Future Industries as of Book 2.
• Hot Chick in a Badass Suit: She switches to her racing uniform when fighting.
• Hurting Hero: Asami spends the whole of Book 1 doing the right thing and fighting the good fight. As a result she ends up losing all ties to her life before. By the end she is clearly heart broken by it all, but is still admirably resolute in her choices.
• I Am Not My Father: Her mother was murdered by benders, but while this drove her father crazy, she understands that not all benders are like that. She ultimately decides that her father is beyond redemption and needed to be stopped.
• Informed Attractiveness: Considered pretty by both Mako and Bolin. Even Korra is slightly jealous at first.
• Lady of War: At first glance, especially when she appeared just as Mako's arm-candy, she had an air of fragility about her. Only the fact she rode her own motorcycle hinted she was more than an upper-class girl. Then her father reveals to be an Equalist and she shows her fighting skills against him.
• Like Father, Like Daughter: Humorously, Asami and Hiroshi are both Combat Pragmatists in their own ways.
• Long Hair Is Feminine
• Mad Scientist's Beautiful Daughter: She didn't know at first though.
• Missing Mom: Murdered by Agni Kai triad firebenders when she was younger.
• Muggle
  • Muggle Best Friend: To Korra.
• Ms. Fanservice
• Non-Idle Rich: She doesn't let the fact she is one of the richest teens in town stop her from test driving her father's vehicles, not just the race cars but forklifts too, and living up life.
• Official Couple: With Mako. They break up at the end of episode 12.
• Ojou: She's a commoner, but as her dad is the richest man in Republic City, she's still treated like a princess.
• Parental Betrayal: She finds out that her father, Hiroshi Sato, has been supplying the Equalists with weapons and technology. Her response? Willingly accepts the electrical glove that Hiroshi offers... and then promptly shocks him.
• Proper Lady: She has shades of this.
• Raven Hair, Ivory Skin
• Rebellious Rebel: Rebels against the Equalist Rebellion but stun gunning her father, the Evil Genius who made the stun gun in the first place.
• Rebel Relaxation
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: The blue to Mako's red.
• Redemption Rejection: Inverted. Rather, she is softly given the offer by her father to rejoin him and be a family with her once again, but of course, she doesn't buy it and refuses to be a part of his evil.
• Romantic False Lead: To Mako.
• Sickeningly Sweethearts: With Mako, at first.
• Silk Hiding Steel
• Sixth Ranger: Turning the Fire Ferrets Power Trio into the Team Avatar Four Temperament Ensemble.
• Skirt over Slacks
• Spirited Young Lady: She's proper and gentle as a Proper Lady, and an expert driver and martial artist.
• Spoiled Sweet: Spoiled: Daughter and only child of the richest man in the City, is a regular at at least one posh restaraunt, has wait staff at her father's mansion, gets to race cars on the company test track, and can pull the Daddy's Girl act on her father to get him to do/approve of things (even after she's done it). Sweet: She offered Mako a more appropriate outfit during their date, she convinced her father to sponsor the Fire Ferrets, and she offered Mako and Bolin lodging after the Arena gets trashed from the Equalist attack.
  • Subverted when she's involved in a competition or conflict: She's downright cutthroat in such situations. She (proverbially) sucker-punched her own father!
• Static Stun Gun: After taking an Equalist taser glove from her father, she decides to use it against them on a regular basis. Also included under this instance:
  • Power Fist
  • Power Palms
  • Shock and Awe
  • One-Hit KO: It should be pretty obvious that anyone using a taser-like weapon will have people drop like flies.
• The Strategist: The chase scene in "When Extremes Meet" shows her making a lot of great tactics and calling them out to the benders, such as making ramps, being able to take advantage of the enemy's smoke cloud to gain a sneak attack, and attacking Equalists during moments of supposed advantage.
• Strong Family Resemblance: In Episode 10, you do get to see what Asami's mother looks like, and it's quite obvious that Asami received her looks from her. Asami would probably look identical to her without make up.
• The Team Normal: Only non-bender on the current Team Avatar.
• Tomboy and Girly Girl: Girly Girl to Korra's Tomboy. Though, as Korra lampshades, "girly" does not mean "prissy", "stuck-up", or "helpless".
• Tritagonist: Of Book One.
• Uptown Girl: A rich girl who has her eyes set on Street Urchin Mako. Fitting with the trope, daddy does not approve.
• What the Hell, Hero?: She gives one to Mako regarding his supposed feelings with Korra.
• You Can't Go Home Again

Naga

Korra's companion and best friend, a polar bear dog.

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• Action Pet: Charges a few times in to save her friends.
• Badass Adorable: She is big, strong enough to topple three Equalist-mechas but once you befriend her, she is a loving puppy.
• Bears Are Bad News: Korra is the first person to ever tame a polar-bear dog. She can and does use Naga as an intimidation tool, and Naga is fiercely protective of Korra.
• Big Damn Heroes: Like her predecessor in the "larger animal companion" category, Appa, she has a habit of extricating our heroes from dicey situations in the nick of time.
• Big Friendly Dog: Her Establishing Character Moment is licking Korra's face over and over. Her friendliness extends to those beyond Korra too, as seen when she licks a police attendant's hair.
• Canine Companion: Well, she's halfway there, anyway.
• Canis Major: A dog the size of a bear.
• Cute Giant: See above.
• Familiar: Continues the tradition of Avatars having a particular companion animal.
• Heroic Polar Bear-Dog: As Korra's companion, it is what she is.
• Horse of a Different Color: She is able to carry Korra, Mako, and Bolin with ease and good speeds.
• Loyal Animal Companion: She adores Korra and does her best to protect her. In "The Voice in the Night", it's shown that Korra lets Naga sleep next to her bed. When Korra was kidnapped, she tracked her down on her own.
• Mama Bear: A literal example; she even traveled far out of Republic City to rescue Korra.
  • Carries over to the rest of Team Avatar by the end of Book 1 when she rescues Asami, Bolin and General Iroh after they were captured trying to take out the Equalist's airbase. Later in the same episode, she takes out three Equalist mecha tanks that were attacking Bolin.
• Meaningful Name: "Naga" is Inuktitut for "no." Given that Korra is the first person to have tamed a polar bear dog, and the Water Tribe is based on Inuit culture, one can imagine Korra had to yell "No!" enough that the name stuck.
  • Nāga are a type of entity or deity in Hindu mythology that are often depicted as guardian spirits. Vishnu, the great preserver god of Hinduism and manifestation of ten different avatars, has a nāga guardian.
• Mighty Roar: Delivers one of these to Jerk Ass Pretty Boy Tahno, in episode five, scaring him and his team away from a confrontation with Korra and Bolin.
• Mix-and-Match Critters: Somewhat more literally than most. Naga's hind end is thinner, like a dog's, while her front has bear-like proportions. Her skull shape is more ursine, while her floppy ears and slobbery jowls are more canine.
• Non-Human Sidekick: To Korra.
• Super Strength: She's capable of toppling THREE Equalist Mecha-Tanks at once by grabbing their grapple lines and giving it a hard tug. She can also batter down wrought iron prison bars.
• Undying Loyalty: To Korra. Considering that she's part dog, and Korra's spirit guide, this is pretty much a given. Even goes far out of Republic City to rescue her.
• Unusually Uninteresting Sight: Nobody comments on the very large, potentially dangerous animal running around Republic City.

Pabu

A fire ferret. Bolin's pet and partner in crime.

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• Evil-detecting Fire Ferret: Pabu sits peacefully by the radio while music plays, but hisses and jumps away when Amon interrupts the scheduled program.
• Fluffy Dry Fire Ferret: In "The Aftermath", after the butler dries him down with a towel.
• Meaningful Name: In Korean, Pabu is a term of endearment, kind of like 'silly you', which is befitting of his antics. Even more fitting is that Pabu is Tibetan for 'puffball'.
• Mix-and-Match Critters: Ferrets, minks and red pandas.
• Nonhuman Sidekick: To Bolin primarily.
• Non-Indicative Name: Despite the species name, Fire Ferrets aren't native to the Fire Nation but from central Earth Kingdom according to Jinora. It may actually refer to "fire fox", another name for the red panda.
• Pandaing To The Audience: He is a combination of a red panda and a black-footed ferret.
• Parrot Pet Position: He tends to ride on people's shoulders.
• The Prankster: Helps his owner pull practical jokes on his older brother.
• Ridiculously Cute Critter: Like his predecessor in the "Smaller Companion Animal" role, Momo. Look at him.
• Team Pet: To the Fire Ferrets.
• Timmy in a Well: Though Mako and Korra are dubious at first, it turns out Bolin's bond with him really is good enough to get across when they need a rescue.*
  Contrast with Momo in the original series, who normally missed such nuances the first several times.)
• Weasel Mascot: Bonus points for being their actual mascot.