The Legend of Korra finale is a powerful ending for the show’s main story arc. The series concluded its four-season run in 2014, acting as a sequel series to Avatar: The Last Airbender while presenting very different thematic elements from the children’s show. As the follow-up to Avatar, The Legend of Korra’s titular protagonist was the total opposite of her Avatar predecessor Aang. Aang was a peaceful young monk of the Southern Air Temple, and while he was still a rambunctious 12-year old, he possessed a sage-like wisdom well beyond his years. In contrast, Korra was a hot-headed, energetic young woman who relished fighting and adventure. While both characters had similar journeys in the sense that they were both Avatars, the Legend of Korra finale sees its protagonist experience a very different kind of ending.

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From her first appearance on the show, Korra was clearly ready to be a warrior, proudly declaring “I’m the Avatar! You gotta deal with it!” in her very first scene as a child. With the series focusing on Korra as she was nearing adulthood, she would also be confronted with a whole other set of challenges from those faced by Aang and his friends decades earlier.

Following the popularity of the original Avatar, The Legend of Korra had big shoes to fill. Despite this daunting challenge, it rose to the occasion by featuring the same energy that made its predecessor so popular while adding many new qualities of its own. At the same time, the show’s finale would also demonstrate just how different it was from Avatar, while also presenting something completely unexpected in its final moments.

Kuvira’s Attack On Republic City

In contrast with the ruthlessness of Fire Lord Ozai on Avatar, the villains of The Legend of Korra were presented as righteous from their own perspective while being products of the personal tragedies of their pasts. In the case of Kuvira, her goals were driven by her devotion to the Earth Kingdom, and specifically to unify it as a single state among the Four Nations. Upon seeing the more diplomatic approach of Suyin Beifong in her rule over Zaofu, Kuvira would set about forming her own movement to unify the Earth Kingdom anew, and by the end of the show’s fourth season, she had succeeded in assembling a massive army in her goal to bring about total order throughout the entire nation.

The fourth season would culminate in Kuvira’s assault on Republic City in a gigantic robotic suit and armed with a canon capable of firing spirit energy. Korra and her allies successfully put a stop to Kuvira’s rampage, but she was far too determined to ever admit defeat, not unlike the tenacity of Korra herself. Because of this, Kuvira’s next move would almost come at the cost of her life.

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How Korra Gets Through To Her

After The Colossus was brought down, Kuvira attacks Korra with the spirit energy weapon shed from machine, only for her to lose control over it. With Kuvira knocked to the ground, the weapon’s blast is just about to hit her, but Korra blocks the blast with her bending. This also has the effect of creating a new portal into the Spirit World, with Korra and Kuvira both being sent into it.

Once there, Kuvira’s arc comes full circle in its parallels with Korra’s. The two realize that they share the same headstrong attitude of standing by their beliefs without compromise: Korra is trying to perform her duties as the Avatar, while Kuvira’s abandonment by her parents drove her to rid the world of the kind of pain she has felt. Both realize this is a fatal flaw because of the damage it can inflict if not kept in check. As Korra and Kuvira emerge from the Spirit World, the latter also now realizes that despite the nobility of her intentions, she must still answer for what she has done, leading Kuvira to order her followers to stand down and willingly allowing herself to be taken into custody.

The Events After Kuvira’s Attack

After Kuvira’s surrender, life in Republic City and the world at large will never be quite the same. As a result of Korra saving Kuvira, a new portal to the Spirit World surrounded by spirit vines now sits right at the center of Republic City, with spirits seen luminously hovering around it. Though Kuvira’s attempt at remaking the Earth Kingdom would inflict a great deal of damage on the city, there now exists an opening for the worlds of man and spirits to be closer to one another than they’ve ever been, with the fact that it was born out of Korra’s rescue of Kuvira showing the potential for both to be better.

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The series concludes with Prince Wu deciding to dissolve the Earth Kingdom’s monarchy instead of becoming its king, along with the marriage of Varrick and Zhu Li, which has greater importance to the show and the ending than appears at first glance. Zhu Li had long been the assistant of the cunning industrialist Varrick, and while he aided in stopping Kuvira’s attack, the series had also shown that he wasn’t above unscrupulous business practices while also having the capability to become a villain himself. In marrying Zhu Li, Varrick has gained a new lease on life with someone who was once a lowly employee of his. Through their growing relationship and their eventual marriage, Zhu Li has opened Varrick’s heart, and made him a better man for it.

Korra & Asami’s Last Scene

Easily the most heavily discussed aspect of The Legend of Korra‘s ending comes in its final scene of Korra and Asami Sato deciding to take a trip to the Spirit World together. As Korra and Asami enter the newly formed Spirit World portal at the center of Republic City, the two join hands and share a longing look into each other’s eyes as they depart. The implication is more than clear that Korra and Asami are beginning a romance as they head into the Spirit World.

The Legend of Korra was stepping into uncharted territory among children’s shows by presenting a lesbian romance, and it was in the totality of Korra’s relationships with the other characters on the show that the final scene with Asami works as its conclusion. Korra has grown to love and trust her friends Mako, Bolin, and Asami each in their own way throughout all four seasons. With Korra and Asami’s experiences alongside each other, each has found a connection that they could not with anyone else, and with their journey into the Spirit World, the two are now able to share this on a more internal level with one another.

Korra’s Life After The Show’s End

As with Avatar, Korra’s story would continue after the show in graphic novel form. The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars would pick up right after the ending of the series, with Avatar co-creator Michael DiMartino penning the story. Turf Wars would also be published in three parts, with the first debuting in 2017 and the latter two in 2018, while all three were released in collected form in 2019.

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Turfs Wars would make Korra and Asami’s romance official, while also focusing on the continued fallout from Kuvira’s attack on Republic City. Additionally, Turf Wars would also introduce the Triple Threat Triads and its leader Tokuga as the new villains of the story. Both the activity of the syndicate under Tokuga’s leadership and characters reacting to Korra and Asami’s relationship form the core of the story.

For as much undying love as Avatar continues to receive to this day, The Legend of Korra proved itself a worthy successor, both in how much it was able to carry over the strengths of the series it was born out of and also by presenting its own unique story and themes. With both shows now on Netflix, fans have a chance to experience everything that made them fall in love with the Avatar universe all over again. Meanwhile, it also opens the door for viewers to once more witness everything that made The Legend of Korra stand on its own alongside its groundbreaking predecessor.

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About The Author


Brad Curran
(714 Articles Published)

Growing up, Brad developed an innate love of movies and storytelling, and was instantly enamored with the world of adventure while following the exploits of Indiana Jones, Japanese kaiju, and superheroes. Today, Brad channels his thoughts on all manner of movies, from comic book films, sci-fi thrillers, comedies, and everything in between through his writings on Screen Rant. Brad also offers philosophical musings on martial arts and the filmographies of everyone from Jackie Chan to Donnie Yen on Kung Fu Kingdom, where he’s also had the privilege of interviewing many of the world’s great stunt professionals, and hearing plenty of gripping stories on injuries incurred in their line of work and the intricacies of designing the acts of death defiance he first thrilled to as a youngster. When he’s not writing, Brad enjoys going on a ride with the latest action hit or Netflix original, though he’s also known to just pop in “The Room” from time to time. Follow Brad on Twitter @BradCurran.

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