History Recap / TheLegendOfKorraS3E7OriginalAirbenders

* ButtMonkey: Poor Daw gets his head shaved as part of Tenzin's lecture on feeling the air... and then Tenzin mentions that it's voluntary. However, it does come in handy by the end of the episode and he tries to encourage other airbenders to give it a try.

* AbsenteeActor:
** While Korra and Bolin at least get a few lines, Mako gets only an unvoiced cameo. Asami doesn't even appear.
** Aside from a mention from Kya, Zaheer and the other three Red Lotus members don't appear as well.

* BaldOfAwesome: The bald Air Nomad look proves both fashionable and functional when it [[MySignificanceSenseIsTingling alerts Daw to an attack from behind]] in time to dodge it.

* AbsenteeActor: While Korra and Bolin at least get a few lines, Mako gets only an unvoiced cameo. Asami doesn't even appear.

!Tropes.

* TheChainsOfCommanding: Tenzin--he's desperately trying to rebuild the Air Nation, and it shows in his frustration with his students who aren't so keen to learn about the spiritual part of being an Air Nomad.
* ChekhovsSkill: All of Tenzin's air bending drills that he puts his pupils through come in pretty handy later in the episode.

* CrazyEnoughToWork: How Tenzin reacts to Korra's advice but in truth it's an inversion. It never occurred to him to ask his older brother, who used to be a military officer, how to motivate students/troops.

* EvilPoacher: The bison poachers, who specifically target the babies because it would be a tall order to catch the adults. The leader even wears the pelt of one. They also had no problem turning in Kai and Jinora to the Dai Li for a reward.

* KickThemWhileTheyAreDown: Kai was deeply hurt that the head poacher would threaten endangered, innocent creatures, so he just kept smacking him even though he surrendered. Tenzin had to remind him that Airbenders, by general principle, CANNOT do this trope.

* NiceJobFixingItVillain: The EvilPoacher group provided an obstacle for the new airbenders to [[MisfitMobilizationMoment overcome]] and gain confidence in themselves.

* NotSoAboveItAll: Tenzin halts Kai beating the lead poacher, and then compliments him on his form.
* PapaWolf: When Tenzin sees Jinora being kidnapped by the poachers, he directs his bison Oogi to side-ram the truck then flip it over. Later when Kai is beating on the head poacher who had given up, Tenzin stops him by lightly admonishing him then complementing Kai on his form.
** Bumi's reaction to hearing Kai and Jinora are in danger is to rally the new airbenders to save them. No matter what issues he has with Tenzin, you do not harm his family.

* RealityEnsues: Kai finds the baby bison to be adorable and tries getting close to them. This causes an angry parent to try and crush him.

* YouKeepUsingThatWord: PlayedForLaughs. Early in the episode, someone says "bisons," and Tenzin notes that the plural of bison is actually bison. Most of the new airbenders keep saying "bisons" anyway.

* BadassInDistress: Jinora may the better airbender, but she lacks Kai's lockpicking expertise and remains trapped in her cage during the fight, giving Kai a moment to shine.

* ButtMonkey: Poor Daw gets his head shaved as part of Tenzin's lecture on feeling the air... and then Tenzin mentions that it's voluntary. However, it does come in handy by the end of the episode.

* MisfitMobilizationMoment: Bumi inspires them into this to rescue Kai and Jinora. All they needed was a cause.
* MySignificanceSenseIsTingling: Daw is able to sense the air disruption from a net fired at his back, narrowly dodging and taking out the shooter.

* PapaWolf: When Tenzin sees Jinora being kidnapped by the poachers, he directs his bison Oogie to side-ram the truck then flip it over. Later when Kai is beating on the head poacher who had given up, Tenzin stops him by lightly admonishing him then complementing Kai on his form.

* SoProudOfYou: Tenzin tells Bumi he's proud of him.

** Korra recounts the [[Recap/TheLegendOfKorraS3E5TheMetalClan previous]] [[TheLegendOfKorraS3E6OldWounds episodes]] to Tenzin.

* BerserkButton: Do ''not'' harm Jinora (or baby air bison) when Kai's around.

* TheBore: All but one of the airbending students regards Tenzin as this, at least at first.

* CrazyEnoughToWork: How Tenzin reacts to Korra's advice.

** Tenzin becomes one on Bumi's advice. The irony isn't lost on Kai.

** Earlier than that, during the obstacle course, Meelo is having way too much fun shooting melons at the students.

* RejectedApology: After their argument, Bumi refuses to listen to Tenzin's apology. They make up at the end of the episode, however.
* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: The baby air bison.

* FurAndLoathing: The leader of the poachers where a cape made from the hide of a baby air bison.

* FurIsEvil: The leader of the poachers where a cape made from the hide of a baby air bison.