#LoK Thoughts

[cold-neon-ocean]

Me describing Baatar as "horse coded" on a discord stream and folks going "Um, please explain that?" because I genuinely forget sometimes people can't hear every thought I have about him and have no context for what I just said.

To explain: Big, awkward, anxious, needy, capable of irreparable damage without really knowing or meaning to. Surprisingly fragile for their size like if they trip and fall over there is genuine chance they could just die. If their tummy hurts a little bit they could die. They will bite your fingers off if you do not feed them properly. They look like dinosaurs when you shave their hair. Horses - Afraid of things they shouldn't be: plastic bags, small puddles on the ground, stationery flower pots

Baatar - Afraid of things he shouldn't be: things that were on sale, low thread count bed sheets, Great Value brand items.

[demaparbat-hp]

They would.

[l-a-l-o-u]

Korra's Wardrobe | 2025 edition

Over 10 years ago, while LoK was still airing, I drew Korra in each of her outfits. I recently found that post again, and thought I should revisit my old obsession, and add the outfits that were missing. This has been really fun, it was like meeting up with some old friends - both my younger self and Korra herself!

Thanks to everyone who encouraged me to finish this!! ♥ And hi to the people who were in the fandom with me back then, I'm waving at you from over here in the future :)

None of these are show-accurate, I thought it would be much more interesting to give each design a bit of a twist while keeping their original visual language. It was a really fun challenge, and I love comparing the old and new.

Some of these are a lot further into my own interpretation - the chains ghost, for example, is super bloodied because I'm not restricted by a TV network censor and the Zaheer fight was violent. And it left scars, too! The Raava fusion designs are extremely self-indulgent (Raava I love you, you will always be famous), and the kid designs are pretty far from the depictions of Korra in Friends for Life and Weaver's Ball, but I wanted to make them into a real evolution getting closer to the Book 1 design over time.

Here are the two full lineups side by side:

how far we've come...

Here are some line versions also! I had a lot of fun drawing all the little tiny details:

I once said that if I ever stop posting Korra redesigns, assume I'm dead. and well. I guess it's still true

[lovelooksgudonu]

asami in cheongsam That prissy, beautiful, elegant, rich girl

[moon-axolotl]

[epickiya722]

"We need more complex female characters."

You say that, but you're going to use that new Avatar show to hate on Korra... AGAIN.

[kizykoolors]

FINALLY, AFTER A TON OF SKETCHES and procastinating

My designs of Apollo and Hermes are finally complete!! Their designs were highly inspired by Wolfythewitch, Aniflamma ans Gigizets (i don't wanna ping them for this hajsva) and I am VERY proud of them, i didn't imagine myself to make designs like these and woah! I actually did manage to make banger designs!! :DDD

[fyasamisato]

I didn't really go over it as the leaks were happening but now that it's official yup I've heard.

Trying to have an open mind there are things where I think in a vacuum the pitch of the new show sounds like it could have potential. (Spoilers) the avatar being seen as a antagonistic force to the world because of misunderstanding for one. If done well maybe that could be really interesting and explore a lot of nuances to character motivation.

But man. I can't divorce this pitch from like how lok and korra specifically were and still are treated by some corners of the internet.

If they ever made a followup avatar show I selfishly wanted them to spin that in a meta way and have korra be referred to as a legendary avatar just one of the best, universally beloved. And boy this is far from that.

I was never very serious about that and I'd kinda emotionally tuned out of any future series long before today.

I'll give it a shot I suppose. But if I don't vibe with it much I probably won't gave too much trouble just tuning it out.

And yeah surprising no one, as a final note if we find out korra and asami didn't live a decently long and happy life together before whatever went down, I am not gonna be very happy. [Edit: convo happening in the notes and for now it seems like the timeline is uncertain do far.]

[sillyfudgemonkeys]

[avatarkyoshisfansss]

op

[cold-neon-ocean]

I'll truly die on my Baatar/Asami besties agenda like they're both smart, rich bitch, engineers who come from family money, you CANNOT tell me they wouldn't have the absolute most Donatella-by-LadyGaga coded friendship of all time. Even when on opposing sides they still go to brunch to gossip, talk the latest in fashions, architecture, and innovations, while also waging subtle psychological warfare on each other trying to get information from the other. And when things actually get serious and everyone else is throwing hands the absolute WORST thing they could do to each other is say something like "Brunch next Tuesday? It is OFF." or "Oh and your outfit. A bit tacky wouldn't you say?" and the other would take ACTUAL PHYSICAL damage from that LOLOL worse than if they'd literally fought each other hand to hand, it's so serious for them.

Then weeks later at some social/political gathering they are standing next to each other not making eye contact and be like "I am NOT talking to you. However-" and then proceed to gossip like nothing happened askdjf please I need their friendship so badly it's my FAVORITE. Korra and Kuvira are standing there looking at the two of them talking in their upper class gucci prada versace-ass language and are like "what the fuck are they even saying?"

[beifong-brainrot]

Everytime I hear these "The Krew were weak/ the Krew were bums" takes I lose a year of my lifespan.

Like this style of take that I've seen almost everywhere?

Im fucking tired, and I don't think it's a good way to defend Korra either. Like, ok, it's shifting the 'blame' from Korra's supposed weakness through the show onto other characters.

Like, I'm sorry but Asami's hand to hand combat skills, even without her glove, are at least on the level of a Kyoshi warrior. And she can do that shit in heels too.

Like she's hella flexible and smart about her combat, usually using her opponents momentum or weapons against them. She thinks well on the fly, and is highly adaptable, which is crucial for a nonbender going up against benders.

This is without even getting into how smart she is with engineering/tech and how she seems to be able to pilot literally any machine somehow.

Mako is also, just a ridiculously talented firebender, especially for someone raised on the streets. He can genrate lighting, something even Zuko was unable to. He's one of the precious few, and only non waterbender/bloodbendee or Avatar to break a bloodbendinh hold.

Like Amon himself spoke about how it was almost a shame to remove the bending of someone so talented. Mako has also been shown multuple times to be able to almost completely halt explosions in their track, even injured.

And Bolin. BOLIN.

I'm sorry but if you think Bolin isn't a fucking killing machine held back from mass murder by onky his golden retriever personality, you watched the show with horse blinders on.

Like the lavabending itself is so op thay the writers will actively nerf him by making him only use his lava disk, when, realistically, he should be yeeting lava around.

But Bolin is also insanely agile for an earthbender, literally going up against earth's steady and grounded movements. But, I'd say Bolin's earthbending resembles firebending in how he moves, particularly the speed and power.

Like, controversial opinion? Bolin at the end of tlok, could probably beat Toph at the end of atla. Or at least be evenly matched enough for me to not see a clear winner. Maybe he can even hold his own and beat out old lady Toph too, if he locks in.

Like I'm sorry. He's Fucking goated.

And honestly, it took me a while to figure out why this idea that the Krew were weak is so persistent, and I think I have a theory.

See, in atla, whenever a character achieves a new skillset, its a momentous moment, or we linger on it. Katara had a whole storyline around becoming a master waterbender, and she is given the accolades she rightfully deserves for it. The Blue Spirit was, essentially the "oh, look, Zuko's a super cool ninja too" episode. Sokka gets a whole episode to add swordsmanship to his skill tree. Toph's moment of discovering metalbending is incredibly framed and focused on, with it being a huge gamechanger against the Fire Nation. And of course, Aang mastering the elements is a centerpiece of the show.

In contrast, due to its faster pacing and bigger focus on plot, tlok has to kinda gloss over the big moments the characters have. They have to learn their skills quickly and without fanfare, and so we don't get the feeling of achievement or awe when they do display some exciting feat.

For example, let's contrast the moment Toph developed metalbending, to the moment Bolin discovered he was a lavabender.

Toph's discovery of metalbending is well prefaced with her storyline that episode being entwined with Aang's and Guru Pathik's lessons, taunts from her aggressors, deep family drama, the resolution of a b plot that has been going on since basically her introduction, as well as atrong focus on her mastering and understanding the technique.

After she gains the ability, she is boisterous and triumphant, singing her own accolades. Its a very compelling an uplifting moment that we can empathise with, and we're often reminded of it with how other characters (specifically Sokka) will often be "so glad they added her to the group".

In comparison, Bolin had a few little moments diplaying his personal issues surrounding metalbending, and some nice forshadowing with Wei's "trial by fire" comment, but it's nothing you will linger on, or get attached to as you would with Toph's storyline. You don't have time to get acquainted with this particular issue of Bolin's, so you don't exactly feel vindincated when he does prove himself by learning lavabending.

There is also no weight to the actual discovery. Sure, there's the lingering shot on his face, the implication that he's throwing himself into the inferno for only a sliver of hope of dabing his brother and friends. But when he does successfully become the third non Avatar lavabender known to history, he only gets a little joke to mark his status. Then the group immediately jumps into action, as the plot has to keep going again.

It's... depressing? And once again reminds me of what tlok could've maybe been if the show weren't so fucked over runtime wise. Because the building blocks are there. We just have to skim over them, and if you're expecting your characters' 'powerlevel' to be quantified into easily tangible storylines, weighty moments and character dialogue, you're not really gonna find anything remarkable.

Though I really wish we didn't put down characters just to elevate a broadly hated character. There is, in my opinion, very little rhyme or reason to the overwhelming wave of hate Korra gets. Trying to disperse it by blaming her supposed 'failures' on other characters won't work, because they are here fo hate Korra. They're just looking for an excuse to do so.

[nathaniacolver]

stereotype strike! the best driver you know is female, gay, AND asian

the seven other vehicles that she operates (equalist tram, equalist mecha tank, biplane, speedboat, airship, sandsailer, hummingbird suit) not pictured

[jumumo]

There's something so sinister about the fact that Katara is shunted away from the story when she should be way more involved in Korra's arc. Korra's seemingly main conflict is her sheltered life with her fiery passion for enacting justice and learning to temper it with diplomacy. Who's an old person in the series that has dealt with injustice, who always took direct action to correct them in any way she can and had moved to a more diplomatic role once there wasn't an active war?

Katara fits so well in Korra's story it's not even funny. Imagine Korra having a mentor from the devastated but resilient Southern Water Tribes that was the THE last water bender at a point and can absolutely do girl talk with? Imagine Korra having a tangible connection to the history of her Tribe. Imagine writing Korra to have connections to the place that was the next most affected by the war. Imagine writing a Korra where that mattered to her character.

The way she was canonically written, she don't really give a damn. And that's heartbreaking. And most likely a blind spot with the writers. Especially when passing down cultural traditions and respecting elders is one the most important things to happen to communities where there were attempts to erase them.

[epickiya722]

What bothers me about Korra hate is that she doesn't get the same grace that other Avatars (or other characters in general) have from the fandom. I mean, it's obvious as to why.

Some will act as if Korra couldn't grow from her mistakes or even have. Or even act like the other Avatars didn't make mistakes, even while grown adults.

Don't even get me started on comparing the traumas. That's just not cool to do that. Korra may not have had her people wiped out, but the pain she faced (like every season it felt like) is no less than the pain Aang faced.

They both went through it, at young ages even.

Whether you see it or not, each Avatar had to go through the aftermath of the other previous Avatar's actions. Aang is my boy and all, but let's not act like his time as Avatar didn't have some effect on Korra.

That's how a cycle works.

People were upset about the character assassinations of the original characters from ATLA (and I get it), but then it's like the anger was directed at Korra as if her existence was the problem.

No... no, she is a character like everyone else.

"Korra was this, Korra was that".

She's not allowed to have flaws? Oh, I see why. Mhm. I forgot that female characters, let alone brown skinned ones aren't allowed to.

She out here facing end of the world threats, constantly getting captured and beat up and she says anything cocky that's played for laughs even and some of you act like she is the worst character there is.

Frankly, from the summary that we got for Seven Havens, I can see why some people are immediately on the fence about it.

Because it's like is Korra going to get a break ever? What happened to her (given there's a new Avatar, we know she died)? What about the other characters? And so on.

There's also the fact that when it comes to sequels... it's a hit or miss. Especially when characters from the previous entry are involved.

Personally, Seven Havens isn't getting my attention that much because I just don't care for apocalyptic settings, they were never really my thing. But it still has me intrigued because it is Avatar.

I am curious as the direction this sequel is going to go, and I'll give it a chance. I did with Legend of Korra and despite flaws, that show still did enough for me to put it on the list of shows I watched and enjoyed. It's not the worst show and I don't think it's fair that it's hated more than it should be, even long after it ended.

Be honest, you hate Korra not for her actions or even her behavior, do you? Let her have been male or/and of a lighter skin tone, she would have a lot more of the fandom with a book of reasons why she should given of a chance to be understood.

[sugurugetos]

LEGEND OF KORRA 3x11 — THE ULTIMATUM