The parallels between Lin and Opal
Young Opal was more like Lin than Su. And theres actually a lot of similarities between Lin and Opal as an adult, too!
The greatest value for both Lin and Opal is loyalty. They're willing to disregard their own moral codes to defend those they see themselves as caring/ responsible for.
very weird that Opal wanting to break the oath to save her family from a ruthless dictator is seen as a bad thing while Lin breaking the law to save her subordinates from an insane cultist is cheered on but oh well we don't have time for the double standard rn
The parallels between Lin and Suyin's relationship and that of Opal and Kuvira have interested me for a while and I'm sure I've rambled about it many times already. And they're so obvious, but for some reason I only see people comparing Kuvira to Lin, which feels very surface level all things considered. Kuvira and Lin share their determination, however Opal is also prone to showing strong determination. I think most people just see Kuvira and Lin as "the loners of the family" or base the percieved similarities only off of both Kuvira and Lin being "against" Su.
Opal and Lin, however have very similar arcs.
Both Lin and Opal dealt with having their needs sidelined and their hurt dismissed by their mothers in favour of the troubled kid who acted out with no consequences. Suyin's 'soft spot' for Kuvira is an interesting parallel between her and Toph which makes sense. Suyin's whole thing is second chances. She jumped at the opportunity of taking Kuvira back in.
Despite both being harmed and neglected by their mothers, Opal and Lin do both strive to please their mothers, believing that this will win them more of the affection they so desperately crave. Here, their paths divide significantly. For Lin, it's a straightforward "I'll be just like my mom, so she'll be proud of me" thing.
Opal, however was born a nonbender, and was unable to fully live up to what her mother might want of her. This also adds to the tension between Opal and Kuvira. It would be easy for a young Opal to see Kuvira, a talented metalbender, getting taken into the family sort of like having a replacement brought in. I'd be mad too.
Opal tries to please her mom in other ways, for example keeping herself from going to the Air Temples, despite this being something she so desperately wants.
Lin even notices this and talks to her about it. (I adore Lin and Opal's relationship 😊 Lin is so awkward and doing her best Awwww)
The one huge difference between Lin and Opal is their relation to family. Lin is an outsider, while Opal was very closely tied to her family. I find it interesting that Old Wounds (while not handling the Beifongs the best) has Lin and Opal 'moving' in seperate directions. Lin starts reconnecting with her family, while Opal finally flies the coop. Its fascinating to see how Lin's isolation and Opal's assimilation set them on different paths in life, yet ultimately still allowed them to be incredibly similair personalitywise.
I really like their bond and find it absolutely delicious how Lin and Suyin's unresolved trauma skipped down a generation.
Opal is one of my favourite characters of the legend of korra and I find that the fandom often does her a disservice. I've also never seen her very obvious connection to Lin explored.
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