Legend of Korra: Book Three Finale Review: Korra Rolls On

[Mike Hoffman]

Legend of Korra: Book Three Finale Review: Korra Rolls On

Legend of Korra: Book Three comes to a fitting end and sets up for Book Four, but how will Korra recover?

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[Wolyo]

In Avatar: The Last Airbender, Aang was never able to access his seventh chakra, because to do so he would have to sever himself from all earthly desire, the last of which being his love for Katara. Now, in the wake of P'Li's death, Zaheer has done what Aang could never achieve and has become untethered to this world.

I don't think that's what happenned for Zaheer, accessing the seventh chakra was to use and control the avatar state, and Aang did that in the last episode of the 2nd season of A:TLA.

What Zaheer did, was explained, in part, by avatar Yangchen in the second part of "Sozin's comet". He detached himself from the world after the death of P'Li whom was his only anchor in the world.

 

[vipLink]

[...](I)t is Mako who dispatches his foe first, shocking Ming-Hua by using lightning on the water she is standing it. Of course, we have to ask why he didn't do that many episodes ago(.)

Yeah I found that fight pretty anti-climatic. He fights her of, but falls for her trap and they're on her turf now and then wham just pulls the Ace out of the Sleeve and it's over.

Thing is I don't think he could Lightning Bend until that moment, it was supposed to be his "Oh, I'm fucked" - Moment like Zaheer and Bolin had in the previous Episode (Unlocking Flight, and Lavabending).

And it's understandable, she was freakin' scary with her weird Waterlegs and the shadows she was casting.

Would've loved it if they'd have padded it out a bit and let them have they're fight with Makos new power.

But that's just my idea on why he suddenly pulled the lightning card, can't remember maybe he had used it before.

 

[Abomination]

In Avatar: The Last Airbender, Aang was never able to access his seventh chakra, because to do so he would have to sever himself from all earthly desire, the last of which being his love for Katara. Now, in the wake of P'Li's death, Zaheer has done what Aang could never achieve and has become untethered to this world.

I don't think that's what happenned for Zaheer, accessing the seventh chakra was to use and control the avatar state, and Aang did that in the last episode of the 2nd season of A:TLA.

What Zaheer did, was explained, in part, by avatar Yangchen in the second part of "Sozin's comet". He detached himself from the world after the death of P'Li whom was his only anchor in the world.

Pretty much, it was simply Zaheer reaching the pinnacle of Airbending. The whole "nomad" lifestyle has all been about having no attachments, being free and unconstrained - like air.

The loss of love was clearly the thing that allowed Zaheer to become one with the void. He lost that what was most important to him, and without that everything else just paled in comparison. He gave up everything, and gained everything by doing so.

An interesting take on Airbending and also probably the reason why Tenzin would never be able to master Airbending to that degree - he has a family, and a cause.

 

[Abomination]

[...](I)t is Mako who dispatches his foe first, shocking Ming-Hua by using lightning on the water she is standing it. Of course, we have to ask why he didn't do that many episodes ago(.)

Yeah I found that fight pretty anti-climatic. He fights her of, but falls for her trap and they're on her turf now and then wham just pulls the Ace out of the Sleeve and it's over.

Thing is I don't think he could Lightning Bend until that moment, it was supposed to be his "Oh, I'm fucked" - Moment like Zaheer and Bolin had in the previous Episode (Unlocking Flight, and Lavabending).

And it's understandable, she was freakin' scary with her weird Waterlegs and the shadows she was casting.

Would've loved it if they'd have padded it out a bit and let them have they're fight with Makos new power.

But that's just my idea on why he suddenly pulled the lightning card, can't remember maybe he had used it before.

In the cave he was able to be grounded while ABOVE the water, using the stalagmites while not being submerged - whereas in a previous fight he was either submerged himself or Ming-Hua was not ever in a large pool of water.

Mako was lightning bending way earlier in the series, in the first season if I recall, working in a power-plant using his lightning bending.

Funny thing about lightning bending when compared to lava-bending is that they both seem to embrace aspects of their closer "schools". Lava is essentially a combination of water and fire with an earth core. Lightning bending combines earth (requires grounding) and air (where lightning originates) but ultimately is heat/energy.

 

[PuckFuppet]

"Korra Rolls On", that's harsh man.


I've felt like they've been avoiding pulling the trigger on certain things (as in "Lets create an in universe way for Jinora to live on as a Spirit and still be in the show buuuut lets just use the DExM and leave it there".) for quite a while, they did it again this season, but the show is no worse for it. Some really great character progression so far, looking forward to seeing whats next.

 

[kailus13]

One common theory is that the poison used was mercury. It seems to fit the symptoms.

It would have been nice to have the slightest hint about Bolin's lavabending before he managed to pull it off.

I don't think Mako lightningbended for the last two seasons. I wonder why? Do you need to stop moving or something?

 

[nightangelvengance]

I think the thought behind lightening bending is the it requires a vast amount of concentration and requires you to keep you emotions in check. Which is why Zuko could never lightening bend in ATLA.

On the other hand I loved the finale and it has probably been my favorite out of the whole serious including ATLA. This is the first season finale that has me on edge for where it can go in the next season. I really want to see how Korra continues to grow next season and deals with her overall physical and emotional frailty after this seasons battle. I hope she rises above and it able to overcome the effects of the battle but I expect it will be a long hard slog to get through it.

Also finally someone else who though that even though Tenzin had the best intentions, he may have actually hurt Korra by making the Air Nation guardians of peace as it is just one more way the Avatar can be seen as redundant.

 

[Renegade-pizza]

I loved the ending. I'm a bit dissapointed that the season was so short, but if they made it longer, there may have been filler. So, I'm on the fence about that.

P'Li's death was just..."Holy shit!! Did that really just happen? That's a horrible way to go.
The final part of Zaheer's plan was actually quite surprising and clever.

Seeing Korra stuck in a wheelchair, that was gutwrenching. Seeing such a strong, vibrant character brought so low gave me all the feels. Can't wait for Book 4.

 

[Frozengale]

[...](I)t is Mako who dispatches his foe first, shocking Ming-Hua by using lightning on the water she is standing it. Of course, we have to ask why he didn't do that many episodes ago(.)

Yeah I found that fight pretty anti-climatic. He fights her of, but falls for her trap and they're on her turf now and then wham just pulls the Ace out of the Sleeve and it's over.

Thing is I don't think he could Lightning Bend until that moment, it was supposed to be his "Oh, I'm fucked" - Moment like Zaheer and Bolin had in the previous Episode (Unlocking Flight, and Lavabending).

And it's understandable, she was freakin' scary with her weird Waterlegs and the shadows she was casting.

Would've loved it if they'd have padded it out a bit and let them have they're fight with Makos new power.

But that's just my idea on why he suddenly pulled the lightning card, can't remember maybe he had used it before.

He's always been able to use Lightning. Since Season One. He just rarely uses it. There's even an episode where it shows him going to work at one of the cities power plants in order to make money to pay rent.

 

[Wolyo]

4) I've had a serious problem with Zaheer being so good at airbending all season that, by the season's end, he's effectively surpassed even Tenzin. They excuse it by saying that he studied the air nomads in the past, but I don't see how that could possibly translate to him having such flawless technique as to virtually go toe-to-toe with Tenzin, an expert airbender trained by Aang himself. Just because I read up on kung-fu technique doesn't make me a kung-fu master.

Well he must have been a master fighter before being imprisonned you know. Even before they knew that he became an airbender they still locked him up alone, in one of the most secure prison, surrounded by benders of the white lotus. He must have been someone very dangerous even without bending.

He was behind bars for 13 years the only thing that saved him was the fact he became an airbender, something they did not expected.

And without Gazan and Ming Hua arrival Tenzin would have kicked his ass. He may have been able to unlock the final power of airbending but Tenzin techniques are far more refined than his. He was winning the one on one fight.

In the second, they destroy the Avatar's very nature, "killing" her attachment to the other Avatars, which effectively makes her basically just a person who can use all four bending types

Nope, she is like avatar Wan, the first avatar of a New Cycle. She is in a world who seemingly don't need it's avatar anymore. A enormous change, even Aang did not see a change like this.

 

[Frozengale]

I had some problems with this season, to say the least.

1)Why did the Red Lotus use a metallic poison to try to kill Korra, knowing that two metal benders were hot on their heels? If they had used any ordinary liquid poison without metallic components, they would have won. Instead, they were idiots, and lost.

From the looks of it the poison used was Mercury. Which one of its effects is mind altering. Perhaps they need a mind altering poison in order to induce the Avatar State. I mean if it was just a normal poison what's to stop Korra from just refusing to go into the Avatar State? I think it makes perfect sense.

2) Bolin's lava bending is effectively an asspull and amounts to almost nothing, as it only saves them the one time (which could've easily been rewritten to work without Bolin doing that) and still doesn't give him any sort of edge against Ghazan. It's basically pointless.

They spent several episodes with Bolin trying to Metalbend in various ways at various times. This is the least "asspull" thing they have done in Avatar. There was plenty of time devoted to showing that Bolin had been trying to strive to become a better bender. In all honesty if you didn't see it coming it's your fault. The minute that Ghazan started flooding the room with Lava it was apparent that one of the best resolutions to the problem was Bolin learning Lava Bending.

3) While I liked the use of all the new airbenders to defeat Zaheer, I *hated* that they defeated Ghazan and Ming-Hua with just Mako and Bolin, two teenagers who previously got mopped up by these two in a straight-up fight. It took two expert metal benders from the Bei Fong bloodline to beat one of their members before that. Ming-Hua's defeat was especially bitter as it's the only time that Mako had the brains to use his lightning bending, and Ming-Hua (a supposed expert of water bending) had no hard counter to this.

You JUST said that Bolin learning Lava Bending doesn't give him an edge on Ghazan... yet here you are complaining that Bolin could now go toe to toe with Ghazan. So which is it?

What pray tell is the hard counter a water bender should have for lightning? I'm not sure why it took Mako this look to finally use his lightning but what should be the amazing Deus Ex Water Bending Anti-Lightning Tehcnique?

4) I've had a serious problem with Zaheer being so good at airbending all season that, by the season's end, he's effectively surpassed even Tenzin. They excuse it by saying that he studied the air nomads in the past, but I don't see how that could possibly translate to him having such flawless technique as to virtually go toe-to-toe with Tenzin, an expert airbender trained by Aang himself. Just because I read up on kung-fu technique doesn't make me a kung-fu master.

Except it's not just reading. Zaheer was deadly before he learned how to Airbend. There's a reason he's introduced in a locked cage in a secluded mountain. Skill from any kind of Martial Art is going to carry over to others. A guy who has patterned his life after the Airbending Masters, who is a skilled Martial Artist (dangerous enough to be given a special prison), who has read up on probably anything and everything pertaining to Airbending. He barely holds his ground against Tenzin, and only gets the jump on him thanks to P'Li. Then 4 bending experts take him down and beat the crud out of him. THIS is your moment of disbelief?

5) There seems to be a total lack of consistency regarding healing in this seeason. Tenzin, who was beaten up rather badly by all four of the villains, seems a-okay two weeks later during Jinora's ceremony. Bumi, similarly, seems to have bounced back fine. Kya, on the other hand, is still using a crutch to walk, despite her beating not being nearly as severe as Tenzin's, not to mention that she's a water bender who was no doubt trained by the best healer in the entire world who is also her mother. There's no reason for Kya to be worse for wear than Tenzin or Bumi. Similarly, the Avatar is still wheelchair-bound two weeks later? Why isn't she getting healed by Katara on a daily basis, or if she is, why isn't it helping? Why all of a sudden NOW does the series pretend that people need to heal "naturally" when we've had healing via water bending firmly established in-universe since Aang's storyline, and we know full well that said healing can damn near revive you from the verge of death? I'll grant that it has more emotional impact this way, but it also feels very hollow when you consider that there's really no reason she should be in this state, unless they're using a Padme-esque excuse that her heart and mind are so broken that she's "lost the will to live" or whatever.

Seriously? This is your nitpick? "People heal at different rates! SO UNREALISTIC!" Who's to say they haven't been getting water bending healing? They probably have been. And people have always needed to heal naturally in this world. Even after Aang got killed by Azula and brought back to life via magic Deus Ex Machina water it took him weeks to get to the point where he could just stay awake. Healing has never been "Harry Potter Bone Mending" levels of effective. It's always been a way to help them heal, it isn't a complete rejuvenation process.

6) They took the time to set up four villains that have AMAZING new ways to use bending....and then ruin all of them by giving the same or similar abilities to their existing cast members. Tonraq is shown using an ability similar to Ming-Hua's water arms against Zaheer, and Bolin spontaneously develops lava bending. I wouldn't be surprised if, by season 4's end, *someone* among the airbenders develops flight, as well. They did such a great job making their villains unique and threatening, and then took that uniqueness from them.

You do know that almost every single main character Water Bender is shown using the "Water Arm" technique at some point throughout both Legend of Korra and Legend of Aang. Katara uses it, Aang uses it, Korra uses it, Tonraq uses it, pretty sure the twins use it, Kya has used it. This isn't some technique that Ming-Hua developed, it's just one that she uses better then anyone else because she has no arms and depends on it.

 

[Spaggiari]

In Avatar: The Last Airbender, Aang was never able to access his seventh chakra, because to do so he would have to sever himself from all earthly desire, the last of which being his love for Katara. Now, in the wake of P'Li's death, Zaheer has done what Aang could never achieve and has become untethered to this world.

I don't think that's what happenned for Zaheer, accessing the seventh chakra was to use and control the avatar state, and Aang did that in the last episode of the 2nd season of A:TLA.

What Zaheer did, was explained, in part, by avatar Yangchen in the second part of "Sozin's comet". He detached himself from the world after the death of P'Li whom was his only anchor in the world.

This is all spot-on. I'd like to further elaborate that Yangchen also stated that complete earthly detachment was impossible for the avatar because the avatar spirit is forever bound in the cycle of earthly rebirth.

Also that the second season episode to which you refer is called "The Crossroads of Destiny".

 

[Krispness]

I had some problems with this season, to say the least.

1)Why did the Red Lotus use a metallic poison to try to kill Korra, knowing that two metal benders were hot on their heels? If they had used any ordinary liquid poison without metallic components, they would have won. Instead, they were idiots, and lost.

Any other poison would probably be easily waterbent anyways. Also I imagine it had to be something slow acting as to not actually kill her but cause serious damage that her body would react. So in short, something that didn't poison the heart or brain but clogged arteries.

 

[Wolyo]

This is all spot-on. I'd like to further elaborate that Yangchen also stated that complete earthly detachment was impossible for the avatar because the avatar spirit is forever bound in the cycle of earthly rebirth.

The avatar duty is to the world, therefore he can never detache himself from this world.

 

[Sir Shockwave]

He's always been able to use Lightning. Since Season One. He just rarely uses it. There's even an episode where it shows him going to work at one of the cities power plants in order to make money to pay rent.

Thank you for saving me some words Frozengale.

OT: Overall, this was much, MUCH better than Book 2 was. I'd even go as far as saying this is probably the best book out of the lot of them. While it still has some problems (Jinorah Christ basically saves the day AGAIN, I'm starting to wonder who the bigger Mary Sue is, her or Kaldor Draigo), the issues I do have with it are a lot more nitpicky and minor (going back to that ending, it at least wasn't as out of the blue as Deus Exy as it was in Book 2, but bad writing is still bad writing). For once, they had a finale where too much wasn't pulled out of their arse (save maybe for the metallic poison - something we never really get details on until Jinorah Christ points this out despite having no way of knowing about this).

I could give Book 4 a go. It would be fun if only to see Korra doing bending while stuck in a wheelchair X3

 

[MrHide-Patten]

As soon as they did the shots focusing on Kuvira I immediately looked the character up to no avail, but to find out she was voiced by Zelda Williams is just nifty. Hopefully she does play a big part on season 4 even after the recent passing of Robin.

An artist I follow on tumblr that is a huge Legend of Korra fan says that the ending 'destroyed' them, at first I thought they were exaggerating, but fuck it was heavy. Think the creators are trying to compensate for the Avatar ex-machina season 1 resolution, which I can understand giving the fans closure whilst the shows future wasn't set. First she loses all the past avatars and now she's crippled physically and mentally with an existential crisis.

And to play devils advocate for Mako, sometimes when your under pressure you just mash buttons on the controller with a vague idea of what happens, so you know, I'd imagine it wouldn't be too hard to forget the simple water conducts electricity bit, then there's also the fact that he'd have to be clear of the water.

 

[Wolyo]

As soon as they did the shots focusing on Kuvira I immediately looked the character up to no avail, but to find out she was voiced by Zelda Williams is just nifty. Hopefully she does play a big part on season 4 even after the recent passing of Robin.

I know they introduced her discretly before but damn that moment felt forced.