9 minute read
“The Greatest Change”: The Legend of Korra and the Elements of Character Growth
Written by Vikram Nijhawan
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This moment is emotionally-resonant for viewers just as much as it is for Korra, which makes her change feel earned and compelling. The wisdom Aang imparts through these words, in the final episode of Book One: Air, summarizes the titular character’s arc. Even though The Legend of Korra is primarily a fantasy-action show, the protagonist undergoes a profound inner journey, which culminates at this penultimate scene of the season. Just as unfamiliar viewers may be misled by the show’s genre status, Korra too suffers from similar misconceptions about her status as Avatar, focusing solely on the external aspects, related to fighting enemies, at the expense of the internal aspect of attaining closure and personal equilibrium. When the former Avatar speaks these words to his tempestuous successor, Korra, she finally understands the lesson she struggled to learn throughout the entire season. Through this self-actualization, she achieves her full potential, and transforms into the heroine the world needs.
Just as Korra struggles to live up to the expectations of her predecessor Aang, so too has The Legend of Korra often been unfairly and negatively compared against the beloved show which preceded it, Avatar: The Last Airbender. Compared to the vicarious fantasy and whimsical escapism of Avatar, many long-time fans had trouble adjusting to the narrower focus and less optimistic tone of the sequel series. While the world of Korra admittedly lacks the grand scope and far-reaching stakes of its predecessor, this proves to be the show’s greatest strength. Its near-singular focus on the protagonist invests the audience in Korra’s growth, and the result feels just as poignant – if not more so – than any of the character arcs in Avatar. Book One: Air in particular adheres to the tried-and-tested features of a positive change arc, and Korra’s journey provides a valuable template for understanding how an action-story protagonist like her can provide inspiration through her meaningful character change.
At their core, all character arcs are based on two fundamentally-opposed aspects: Wants and Needs. In a positive change arc, a character begins the story pursuing a flawed goal, or Want, and throughout the story, gravitates towards what she truly Needs to achieve personal and external fulfilment. Wants stem from a character’s misguided perception of her world, also known as a Lie. Conversely, it is only through recognizing her Need that a character can understand the greater Truth.
The Southern Water Tribeswoman Korra makes a literal splash in her first scene, as she expertly manipulates the elements of water, earth, and fire, in front of the audience of the White Lotus. She asserts her dominance, and in doing so, differentiates herself from her predecessor in an important way. Unlike Aang, Korra does not shy away from her destiny, instead embracing it with full fervour. She makes her Want resoundingly clear. However, Korra’s eagerness to assume the responsibility of Avatar, witnessed in her first two scenes, also reveals her Need. As a White Lotus advisor explicitly states, she excels in the physical and martial aspects of bending, but neglects the internal and spiritual ones which are just as crucial for the role. This is externalized by her inability to master the more spiritual and intangible element of air, thus preventing her from becoming a fully-realized Avatar.
In this manner, Korra’s mentor Tenzin functions as a character foil who highlights the Lie which fuels her attitude, and the Truth she must learn. Tenzin’s pacifist mindset reveals the Lie that she believes, when he reprimands her by saying, “Being the Avatar isn’t all about fighting” (“A Leaf in the Wind”, 20:15-20). Korra, whose arrival in Republic City is marked by her engaging in fights with both criminals and the police officers who attempt to apprehend her, embodies this outlook. In contrast to his headstrong and combative student, the Air Nomad is calm and meditative, encouraging Korra to be introspective rather than belligerent. The Truth she must learn is that being the Avatar requires not only great physical strength, but also a strong spiritual connection, symbolized by her ability to unlock the element of air. The ensuing events of the plot will lead Korra to re-evaluate her deeply-held beliefs, and put her on the path to spiritual and inner growth.
“A Leaf in the Wind”
Throughout Book One, Korra faces conflicts both major and minor, which force her to confront the limitations of her ‘mightmakes-right’ approach. An incident which presages her larger eventual character growth can be seen as Tenzin attempts to teach her the basics of airbending, with little success. Korra is far more interested in playing the martial sport of pro-bending, but soon realizes that success in the game requires her to adopt Tenzin’s evasive and non-combative tactics, to emulate a “leaf in the wind”. Her choice to deviate from brute force, and instead rely on more subtle and self-reflexive methods to solve problems, represents her grasping at the Truth, if only partially.
While this external conflict lays the foundation for Korra’s path to self-fulfilment, her growth is also visible through her navigation of interpersonal conflict. Her fighting skills, while useful in the pro-bending arena, are not nearly as helpful in the arena of love, as she attempts to pursue her romantic feelings towards Mako. Such challenges shift the emphasis away from Korra’s physical formidability ever so slightly, and toward her ability to develop inner control. Within the lore of the world, the Heart Chakra, unsurprisingly associated with love, also corresponds with the ability to airbend. The magic system of the world connects Korra’s external goal of mastering the element, and her internal one of self-fulfilment through love, making the achievement of the former dependant on the latter.
Above all, the season’s primary antagonist, Amon, is structurally-effective for Korra’s growth. He seeks to strip all the benders in Republic City of their bending, and positions himself to attack what Korra prizes most: her mastery over the three combative elements. Her inability to defeat Amon in a physical bout, and the lingering trauma from their past confrontation, signifies her moving closer to understanding what she Needs – to acquire internal and spiritual control. An analogous but more apparent example which showcases the limitations of physical conflict resolution can be seen at the season’s midpoint, where Korra’s fighting prowess fails her, and she is imprisoned by the corrupt City councilman Tarrlok. In her confinement, she has no choice but to take a proverbial leaf from Tenzin’s book, and meditate to arrive at a solution. Through this, she is able to glimpse at visions from her predecessor Aang’s life, setting the stage for their greater connection at the end of the season. The events of the plot, and the various opponents she faces, render Korra’s physical might useless, and forces her to turn inward to find solutions. This will culminate in her larger transformation by the end, as she nears the destination of Avatar status.
“Avatar Korra”
At the crisis point in the final episode, Amon fulfils Korra’s worst fears by taking away her bending abilities. But in doing so, it enables her to finally master airbending. Without her other elemental powers, Korra must watch as Amon threatens to do the same to Mako. At her most physically vulnerable point, she allows herself to be emotionally vulnerable too, and by acknowledging her love for Mako, she unlocks her airbending, and defeats Amon to save her friend.
While Korra and the rest of Team Avatar succeed in quelling the Equalist movement, her inner conflict remains unresolved. Even though she has grown enough to airbend, she still resolves the primary conflict, defeating Amon, in a similar manner as she would have at the beginning of the season. Her transformation is not yet complete. In this way, the climax of the plot – resolved by Korra subduing an external and physical threat – is separated from the climax of her character arc, which can only be resolved internally.
This bifurcation of conflict pushes Korra to change in an even greater capacity. She has lost access to the other three elements, preventing her ascension to the status of a fully-realized Avatar. In her despondence and dismay afterwards, she rejects Mako’s reciprocal expression of love. With nothing left to focus on other than her internal being, Korra feels overwhelmed. There is no external threat to overcome at this moment, and her only adversary is herself. This setback is at once her lowest point, but with her newfound ability to connect with Aang and her past lives, eventually proves to be her path to profound change. Korra resolves her inner turmoil, and is finally able to pursue her love for Mako.
Conclusion
Korra begins the season with a desire to prove her worth, just as the show itself seeks to live up to Avatar’s towering standards. As the protagonist herself learns, this cannot solely be accomplished through impressive martial feats. Initially, Korra Wants to be the Avatar, but approaches her role from a physical and combative stance. Through her interactions with allies and adversaries over the course of the season, Korra slowly realizes the limitations of her imposing physical powers, and moves towards her Need of inner and spiritual connection. Only through this, and achieving balance within herself, can Korra fulfil her primary duty as Avatar, and bring balance to the rest of the world.
Works Cited
“Chapter One: Welcome to Republic City”. The Legend of Korra Book One: Air, written by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, directed by Joaquim Dos Santos and Ki Hyun Ryu, ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks and Nickelodeon, 2012.
“Chapter Two: A Leaf in the Wind”. The Legend of Korra Book One: Air, written by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, directed by Joaquim Dos Santos awnd Ki Hyun Ryu, ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks and Nickelodeon, 2012.
“Chapter Twelve: Endgame”. The Legend of Korra Book One: Air, written by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, directed by Joaquim Dos Santos and Ki Hyun Ryu, Viac.
