Atkins Review: The Legend of Korra Finale

I know I'm a bit late with this review (seeing as how the newest season has already kicked off), but wow! What a season that was for Legend of Korra! The finale did not disappoint as everything leading up to it came to a head. No punches were pulled during the final battle. Lives were lost and consequences were met. Our heroes lay witness to an enraged avatar state not seen in nearly a century, and struggled to find any way to help. It was a grand display worthy of the original series, and a true restoration of this new series' reputation.


First off, the episode prior to the finale left fans in a frenzy. The Red Lotus's attack on the Northern Air Temple was one of the strongest sequences I have seen in this series to date. After a rather light-hearted and perhaps far too comical first half (courtesy of the stale dialogue from Bolin), the reality of what was to come quickly set in. The Red Lotus declared their intent to no longer chase Korra, but instead force her to seek them by wiping out the newly rebuilt Air Nation. Their arrival at the temple hinted at a devastating encounter, and it was soon very clear the residents there would not escape without a fight.

Kya, Tenzin and Bumi prepare to take on Ming Hua, Zaheer, and Ghazan while the others escape.

Seeing Aang's children laying down their lives to defend their loved ones was a heart-pounding moment, and the ensuing battle was animation gold. Up until this point, we had never had the honor of seeing two airbenders in a match like this and the waterbending display was deadly. In the end, however, the airbenders were captured, Kya and Bumi lay fallen off a cliff, and Tenzin's fate was uncertain (possible death had been implied).

This leads us into the finale, where the action picks up right where it left off. Korra and company are on their way to the Northern Air Temple to rescue their allies, whom they desperately hope are all still alive. Korra radios Zaheer once within range and agrees to turn herself over to the Red Lotus in exchange for the captured airbenders. It's a decision that shows how far Korra has come in both maturity and acceptance of her duty as the Avatar. There's a sense in her that worries of what is to come, but she assures everyone she'll be fine. "Help me save the airbenders, and then worry about saving me." It's a powerful line that proves she is well aware of what she's walking into and has no delusions about being able to deal with this on her own, as she has so often seemed to boast. All of this just aids in convincing us of a difficult battle ahead.

Unsurprisingly, the switch is nothing but a trap. Korra splits from her team and remains in radio contact until they have the airbenders in view. Once Korra hands herself over in chains, her team is ambushed by Ming Hua and Ghazan, who use a terribly injured Tenzin as a decoy. Unbeknownst to the Red Lotus, however, Korra has the metalbenders and her father in waiting, and they leap into action once they learn of the setup. The Avatar herself joins in the fight, displaying an incredible amount of skill and determination to hold her own even while chained.

Su and Lin take out P'li in typical series fashion (these combustion benders have the worst deaths, I swear), while Zaheer manages to take out Tonraq and escape with the Avatar, having discovered within himself the ancient airbending ability of flight. His acknowledgement and praise of the wise Guru Lahima leads up perfectly to this moment and, while it may seem a bit unruly at first, flight does indeed seem appropriate as the highest level of airbending. (For example, Storm of the X-men is able to fly through manipulation of the wind, rather than some form of kinesis, garnering the nickname Wind Rider).

With the Avatar captured, we finally get to learn what the Red Lotus had planned all this time. Forcing her into the Avatar state via poison, they hope to destroy her and eliminate the Avatar cycle entirely. Things don't go exactly as planned and Korra breaks free in an enraged state similar to Aang's in his fight against the Fire Lord.

Korra goes berserk.

The entire fight is akin to the original series, really. In both setting and scenario, we are reminded of that great battle of long ago. Perhaps that is why this finale triggers such emotion. We are greeted with fantastic animation and a wonderfully written scene, but also a sense of reminiscence. This season has steadily built Korra as the Avatar we've always hoped she would be, and what better way to solidify that than by a direct parallel to her predecessor.

Now, it's no surprise our heroes came out on top, but their victory did not come without a price. In the outcome of this battle, Korra was left greatly injured. We see her still confined to a wheelchair two weeks later, a result she herself has clearly not yet come to terms with. The future of the Avatar is left unknown and we are left with a final bittersweet moment. Korra sheds a tear for Jinora's annointment as an airbending master, and I shed a tear for our fallen Avatar.

The quality of this show went into overdrive for the finale; a welcome change from previous disappointments. Whether you were a fan and lost interest, or never even gave this show a shot, now is the time to get on to The Legend of Korra. From a true die-hard Avatar fan, I recommend season 3 of this show with a solid 9.5/10.


Season 4 kicked off October 3, 2014 on Nick.com. There's plenty of time to catch up!