Does Avatar Korra Deserve the Hate She’s Receiving After More Than a Decade?

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Avatar: The Last Airbender (ATLA), show creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko officially announced a third series that follows the aftermath of The Legend of Korra (TLOK). The Avatar fandom has shown great interest in the story of the next avatar in the cycle, an earthbender. However, anticipation and excitement for the newest series in the Avatar universe weren’t the only things that made a comeback.

With the release of the premise for the third series, haters and defenders of Korra, the previous Avatar, resurfaced online. Fans have generally been divided because of TLOK. Although some fans love the sequel to the much-beloved Avatar: The Last Airbender, others consider The Legend of Korra and its Avatar subpar compared to their predecessors. After all, Aang left big shoes to fill, and so did his series. But with a new Avatar coming soon, does Korra still deserve all the hate she has gotten throughout the years?

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Why Does Korra Get a Lot of Hate in the Avatar Fandom?

One of the reasons why people have gotten extremely attached and loyal to the franchise is because of Aang himself. His sincere, likable, and endearing personality made people root for him in his quest to defeat Firelord Ozai. Avatar: The Last Airbender and Aang left a big impression on their fans and set the bar high for the sequel and Aang’s successor. However, the expectations from the fans led to inevitable disappointment once The Legend of Korra began.

The story of The Legend of Korra begins 70 years after Avatar: The Last Airbender. And of course, having a new Avatar means Aang is gone. That alone is something most fans had to come to terms with immediately because of Korra’s introduction. However, as soon as she was introduced, the differences between her and Aang were glaring.

Korra is headstrong and proud of the fact that she’s the Avatar. By the end of Book 1, she could bend all the elements, showcasing that Korra was a prodigy. She had masters ready to teach her all the skills she needed. All of these might come across as Korra having everything served to her. On the other hand, Aang worked hard to find teachers who would help him fully master the four elements.

Korra as the Avatar didn’t capture the hearts of many the way Aang did. And since fans wanted to see a semblance of Aang in her, their expectations weren’t met. However, Korra is a complex character whose arc cannot be encapsulated into a single book or season.

Things That Korra Got Wrong

Challenging Amon Alone

In The Legend of Korra Book 1, Korra challenges Amon, the leader of the Equalists, a revolutionary group. She declared that she would fight him alone on the Aang Memorial Island. However, this overconfident provocation backfired when Amon arrived with several Equalists, intimidating and terrifying Korra. Her arrogance in the first season led to an exchange that would eventually put Korra on edge.

Siding With Unalaq and Losing Raava

In Book 2, Korra was manipulated by her uncle, Unalaq, into opening the spirit portal in the South Pole under the presumption that it would help restore spiritual balance. Eventually, this move allowed Unalaq to accomplish his goal of occupying the Southern Water Tribe. And by fusing with Vaatu, the spirit of darkness and chaos, he became the Dark Avatar.

As Korra tried to fight Unalaq, Vaatu extracted Raava (the Avatar Spirit) from Korra. Raava was attacked, causing her to disappear. By losing her, Korra ended up severing her ties with her past lives, including Aang. Although she manages to merge with Raava again after the latter’s rebirth, she has forever lost her connection with past Avatars.

Merging the Spirit World With the Physical World

Korra ultimately followed Unalaq’s idea of merging the Spirit World with the Physical World. She believed spirits and humans should live together in harmony instead of relying on the Avatar to mediate between them. However, this proved to be a disastrous decision since the union of both worlds made the lives of the Republic City citizens challenging. It also gave leverage to the villains in the series. Additionally, this decision would lead to the chaotic world in which Avatar: Seven Havens will be set.

Things That Korra Got Right

Realistic Character Development (Spiritual, Mental, and Physical)

Zaheer, the leader of the Red Lotus and the main antagonist of Book 3, tortured Korra. The organization he led was the antithesis of the Order of the White Lotus, led by Iroh. Although she survived her near-death experience with Zaheer, Korra was severely traumatized. By the beginning of Book 4, she goes on a journey of healing and self-discovery. Any traces of her past arrogance and bravado disappeared, leaving only a shell of who she once was.

Despite the psychological and physical trauma she endured, Korra managed to grow as a person and move past what happened to her, albeit gradually. With the help of others, including a now reclusive Toph Beifong, Korra found the strength to become the Avatar once more. Her road to recovery was filled with doubts and fears, which are all realistic for someone who went through those horrors. But at the end of the day, she also showed growth because she finally learned that she needed others on her journey.

Reclaims Her Identity As the Avatar

The recurring theme in Korra’s life is people trying to take away her identity as the Avatar, which has been the core of her existence. Amon stole her ability to bend. Vaatu tore Raava away from her. And finally, Zaheer poisoned her during the Avatar State. As a result, Korra had an identity crisis. Is she even really the Avatar? Is she worthy of the title?

Despite everything, she overcame all the challenges and reclaimed her identity as Korra and the Avatar. And she did make it clear in Book 1, episode 1, “Welcome to Republic City”.

Is the Hate for Korra Justified?

No, it is not. As the Avatar, Korra could never match Aang and his legacy. She also made mistakes that caused irreversible damage in the Avatar universe. However, just because she’s not the best Avatar doesn’t make her a bad person. The hate that Korra has received downplays her character development and growth. She is Korra. At the same, she is also the Avatar.

People can always disapprove of how she handled her time as the Avatar in The Legend of Korra. However, it’s undeniable that she remains one of the best written and complex characters within the universe of Avatar: The Last Airbender.