Korra

Korra is the Southern Water Tribe Avatar in Nickelodeon’s animated sequel series The Legend of Korra, created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. Born after Avatar Aang’s death, she is identified as the next Avatar while still a small child, astonishing White Lotus elders by bending water, earth, and fire before mastering air. Unlike Aang, who initially fled responsibility, Korra eagerly accepts Avatar training and declares her identity. She grows up in a protected Southern Water Tribe compound, where Katara teaches her waterbending and White Lotus masters oversee her education. Her controlled upbringing leaves her impatient for wider experience.

At seventeen, Korra travels to Republic City to study airbending under Tenzin, Aang’s son and the last airbending master. There she joins firebender Mako and earthbender Bolin on the pro-bending team called the Fire Ferrets, alongside waterbender Asami Sato. Their tournament life collides with the Equalists, an anti-bending movement led by Amon. Amon can remove a person’s bending through bloodbending and claims to have received this power from spirits. In the first season, Korra confronts him after he targets Republic City’s bending establishment. Amon is eventually exposed as Noatak, the brother of Councilman Tarrlok and son of Yakone, a criminal.

After Amon’s defeat, Korra faces Unalaq, her uncle and the Northern Water Tribe’s chief, during the conflict called Harmonic Convergence. Unalaq manipulates her into opening spirit portals and seeks to merge with Vaatu, the spirit of darkness. Korra joins with Raava, the spirit linked to the Avatar cycle, but Unalaq temporarily destroys that connection. Although Korra defeats the fused Dark Avatar, she cannot restore her links to the previous Avatars. She chooses to leave the spirit portals open, changing contact between humans and spirits. This decision sets up the third season’s worldwide return of airbending, which creates new Air Nation recruits.

Zaheer, a airbender and leader of the Red Lotus, kidnaps Korra in Book Three and tries to end the Avatar cycle by killing her while she is in the Avatar State. The Red Lotus poisons her with mercury, but Korra survives with allies’ help. The trauma leaves her weakened and shaken; she spends years away from life before confronting fear and residual poison. In the final season, Korra opposes Kuvira, the authoritarian leader of the Earth Empire. After preventing a spirit-vine weapon from destroying Republic City, Korra creates a new spirit portal, then begins a romantic relationship with Asami Sato.