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Many of us have been able to rejoice in the fact that Avatar: The Last Airbender has come to Netflix. We have been able to relive our childhoods by rewatching this wonderful show we all grew up with. However, The Legend of Korra remains a less popular spin-off. This show follows Korra, the Avatar after Aang, on her journey. Many have compared the two Avatars, stating that Aang was the better Avatar. However, I don’t think the two are comparable because they are both just such distinctive individuals.
Aang’s Journey
Avatar follows Aang through one main journey. His purpose in the show is to defeat Fire Lord Ozai. The entire series, made of three books, as the show calls them, follows Aang along his path as he meets new friends and finds out a way he can defeat the Fire Lord without killing him.
Killing people is not the way of the air benders and although everyone around him pressured him to do so, Aang decided not to. He wouldn’t succumb to the peer pressure around him. Instead, he found another way, taking away Ozai’s bending in the final episode of the show, leaving Ozai powerless and completing his own journey.
Korra’s Journey
Korra’s journey is a bit more versatile. Each season follows a different storyline with its own villains. Korra deals with Amon, an unknown man who takes away people’s bending, in season one. After defeating him, a new threat, Unalaq, Korra’s uncle and chief of the Northern Water Tribe, is introduced.
At first, he appeared to be a good guy, encouraging Korra to bridge the gap between humans and the spirit world. However, we clearly learn that his plan is much deeper than that. He wants to unleash Vatuu, the spirit of darkness, to the world and create dark spirits. Korra eventually defeats him at the end of season two. In season three, Korra deals with Zaheer, a new airbender and anarchist of the Red Lotus. They battle and Zaheer nearly kills her before the other air benders intervene, saving her life in the process. He is caught and imprisoned again at the end of the season.
Season four shows Korra in a new light. We are able to get much closer and more personal with her. After the battle with Zaheer, she is broken and lost. She disappears for three years where nobody knows where she is or what she’s doing. Right as Korra recovers from the trauma she’s endured, she must face a new threat, Kuvira. Kuvira calls herself “the great uniter” but she is truly a dictator who wants to take over as much Earth Kingdom land as possible.
She builds a giant mecha monster using energy from the spirit vines and nearly destroys Republic City. Korra saves Kuvira’s life and in the end, she surrenders willingly. The final season ends with Korra and Asami taking a vacation to the spirit world together.
Their Individual Approaches
Both Aang and Korra are powerful Avatars who only want to do the right thing. However, the way they both approach their missions is very different.
Aang is a monk who is from the Southern Air Temple. He is first and foremost an air bender. He was raised knowing that taking a life is wrong. He refused to take the life of Fire Lord Ozai and found another way. He isn’t hotheaded and doesn’t let his temper take control of him (in most cases). Korra, on the other hand, is the opposite.
Korra was born in the Southern Water Tribe. She is first and foremost a water bender. When we meet her, she has already mastered fire and earth bending. The only element she hasn’t yet is air bending. For this reason, she goes to Republic City where Tenzin, one of Aang’s sons, teaches her air bending. We quickly learn that Korra is extremely hotheaded and stubborn and leads with her heart. There is nothing wrong with that, but she approaches things differently than Aang does.
Aang seems to think things through a bit more than Korra does. He considers all aspects and perspectives of a situation before running into them while Korra runs into situations headfirst and headstrong. While struggling to learn air bending, Korra gets frustrated and sets fire to an ancient airbender training course.
Are Korra and Aang Comparable?
After The Legend of Korra aired, many people compared Aang and Korra as Avatars, saying that Aang was the better Avatar. However, their approaches and manners in dealing with different situations are completely opposite, allowing for unique outcomes. They are both incredibly powerful and admirable characters. Yet, one Avatar might be more relatable to some than others.
For example, Korra is more relatable to me. I, myself, am stubborn and sometimes run headfirst into situations without thinking things through, just running in with emotions. For this reason, I found Korra to be a more relatable Avatar. We saw how Aang dealt with situations and the toll that certain situations took on him. However, I believe we were able to see more of Korra’s trauma and emotions, especially in her last season, than in Aang’s.
We really only see Aang calmly dealing with situations and his emotions. He would meditate on things when he wasn’t sure what to do. For this reason, we know that he didn’t let his emotions control his reactions. Korra, on the other hand, had a harder time dealing with her emotions. She is a compassionate and empathetic person and wants to help everyone all at once.
In the end, both Aang and Korra were great Avatars who saved the world, more than once, and changed everything for the better. Many look up to them and owe them their lives. Both relied on their friends and loved ones to help guide them and make the right decisions. Both should be celebrated and admired.