What do you think Zaheer motive/ goal is? (Legend of Korra)

[Scarim Coral]

So this just pop into my head just now.

With Legend of Korra reaching on its last half of season 3 it got me thinking, just what is Zaheer group goal once they had gotten hold of Avatar Korra?

They are quite a mysterious group. While Amon wanted to get rid of bendings and Unalaq wanted to become a dark Avatar (as plain as it is), we haven't been shown what their goal clearly?

As far as we know (up to episode 8 as I'm typing this), we have no clear idea on why they on hell bent on kidnapping Korra. Even the characters that apprehended them in the first place said they had no clues on the reason aswell even when they did interrogated them.

I figure other than waiting for it to played out, let have a speculation threads on the possible reasons or motive on why they want the Avatar so much!

As for my guesses on their motive. I'm going by the season book/ title "change" in that once they gotten hold of her, they are going to "change" her in one way or another.

Sure it sound boring but I can't really think of any other reasons for their actions (or maybe my mind is not that imaginative). It could be maybe they want to educate her on something as a means of change since each of the group members does possess unorthodox bending ability and Zaheer seen to be a philosopher to a certain degrees. I also guessing that the group were also former Order of the White Lotus members.

I probably be wrong on my idea as I tend to suck on predicting the episode outcome correctly, so what do you think Zaheer motive/ endgoal is once they have Korra?

 

[Hairless Mammoth]

One obvious theory I can think of is Zaheer wants to use the Avatar to create his own Air Nomad nation. He might have wanted to train Korra to energy bend people into becoming air benders[footnote]Probably against their will. He is giving off the well intentioned extremist with a new world ideology vibe.[/footnote] He's a total Air Nomad fanboy even before getting air bending, so he might have trained and studied their spirituality for decades in anticipation of harmonic convergence.(In fact, their original plan may have been to get the Avatar to do what Korra did at the end of Book 2.)

Tenzin having started a new Air nation already just means they'll want to get the Avatar faster to finish that step of their plot and find air benders and energy bending candidates willing to join their ranks before they set out to conscript others. What they do when they have a larger group is something I can't think of. (World Domination? M. Bison: "OF COURSE!!")

Either that or it's the opposite of Book 1. Zaheer's group is out to eliminate non-benders, by energy bending them with a brainwashed Avatar.

 

[Vendor-Lazarus]

I have been wondering about that myself.
There might have been some small clues left here and there, but overall I'd say their intentions are left entirely shrouded in mystique.

Them forcing Korra to energy bend every non-bender into a bender is actually rather fascinating.
The "wrong way" of doing "the right thing" sort of plot.

I've not yet guessed their entire plan, but I'm strongly leaning towards them being misunderstood somehow.
They might be "good guys" in disguise. So Hairless Mammoth's idea struck a cord in me.
I hope they choose something similar.

BTW, season 3 is really starting to develop. Some small niggles left, but shaping up good.
Not as good as TLA though..

 

[SnakeTrousers]

Perhaps he wanted her to join their cause so they can wreak some kind of havoc they couldn't manage with just themselves? An uprising of some sort?

I'm not feeling very creative right now.

 

[Vegosiux]

I'd say the same as Amon's, some sort of a new world order borne out of spite, as opposed to Unalaq who was just a power-hungry prick.

But my guess is as good as any.

 

[Random Argument Man]

I think it's possible that A. they want to end the Avatar cycle or B. Use Korra to attend a certain goal. They didn't want to kill Korra in the last episode, but capture her.

 

[Plasmadamage]

I'm sure that Tenzin mentioned that they tried to kill Korra shortly after she was born, and Zaheer mentioned that his goal was a world "free of the avatar" (or something similar) just before he broke out of prison.

If I'm remembering right, that pretty much puts paid to them wanting to use her for some evil scheme. My best guess would be that Zaheer believes that the world would be better if it's single most powerful individual wasn't determined from birth, maybe based on the teachings of that air-nomad philosopher he keeps mentioning.

Then again, I was the one who thought that Zhu Li was the real mastermind behind Varrik's schemes, so it's possible that I'm just completely mad.

 

[SajuukKhar]

I'm sure that Tenzin mentioned that they tried to kill Korra shortly after she was born,

Actually, Tenzin says they tried to kidnap Korra, and Lin says even after questioning them for 13 years they never found out why.

 

[Bellvedere]

I was thinking the "end the avatar cycle to be free of an ultimate power determined by birth" thing as well. It explains why they kidnapped her rather than killing her outright - the avatar would just be reincarnated. The final episode is also called something about the Red Lotus which could be suggesting some sort of opposite to the Order of the White Lotus which has been re-purposed to train and protect the avatar since Aang's days.

However they also said that they wanted to kill the President of Republic City which would mean broader goals, also the president is elected so it wouldn't be quite the same thing. I guess that the Earth Queen will fit into the main story too somehow after going to all the trouble of introducing her. They could be just Anarchists I guess, wanting to remove any figures that enforce order.

 

[bartholen_v1legacy]

I think it's possible that A. they want to end the Avatar cycle

Considering they were working with the Metal Clan's truthseer, I think there's the possibility of a large conspiracy that sees the Avatar as an outdated thing of the past, and wants in some way to remove its existence altogether, and Zaheer's gang are merely the tip of the spear.

 

[FPLOON]

Hmmmm... Well, I doubt they would try to use the Avatar to try to change the Avatar cycle itself... Sure, Zaheer and P'Li can do the nasty and, through "perfect" timing, take a chance at killing Korra so that their newborn next-of-kin is the next Avatar... However, there are too many variables for that to even happen, given how all of their plans seem to be very precise in execution, even to the point of trying to iron out any "unforeseen" circumstances that could arise in the process... (I mean, they were pretty close to actually succeeding in kidnapping the Avatar in Episode 8...)

If they did plan to do a much more complicated, yet more straightforward plan that's basically a combination between Amon and Unalaq's plans in some way, shape, or form, then so far they are doing a swell job at keeping it between themselves and would only vaguely bring others into one of their minor steps in their plan (like how they got that one driver to, at least, try to sneak them out of the city) or enough to convince even the less expected "players" to cooperate with them in some way, shape, or form (like Aiwei being both a pawn and a diversion). Besides, common sense-wise, you're not suppose to always openly mention your plans to your teammates if they already knew about it anyway... Also, we still don't know Zaheer and Co.'s full backstory on their overall actions in general, which I feel that would be revealed through [surprise surprise] flashbacks! Or the next episode, if my DirecTV's brief description of that episode beforehand has anything to say about it...

Anyway, at this point, I don't care what Zaheer's motives are and if, most likely, has changed since before him and his team were imprisoned... I will say that it's still a mighty coincidence that he ended up with air-bending after all those years studying "some" air nomad lore, though...
Is it possible to, somehow, choose which element you want to bend if you put your mind to it a la Harry Potter and the sorting hat? *shifty eyes*

 

[Zaheer]

I'm predicting that at least Zaheer was a part of the White Lotus but was kicked out for some reason. Now what would the reason be? When Zaheer sneaked into Tenzi's study he took the little medallion thing. What if Laghimas(the dude that knows weightlessness)spirit locked in that medalion and needs avatars help to release it or contact w/e? I know its very far-fetched. But one thing is sure, is that they need korra FOR SOMETHING. Episode 11 is titled "The Ultimatum" "An ultimatum (Latin: the last one) is a demand whose fulfillment is requested in a specified period of time and which is backed up by a threat to be followed through in case of noncompliance." This obviously points that they don't want to point blank kill her but need her assistance. Last episode 12 "Venom of the Red Lotus" this looks to me as the r.lotus want to bring about some effect that is to spread? Something similar to the purple stuff in book 2. I know this is all over the place but just some ideas???

 

[Farseer Lolotea]

Zaheer is weird. I'm fairly sure he's a fallen Air Acolyte, for one.

My guess is that the Red Lotus have a gripe with the Avatar Cycle itself. They're either going to try to depower Korra (or at least bring her down to standard waterbender) somehow, or try to kill her in the Avatar State (although if it's the latter, one wonders why they tried to take her alive rather than try to goad her right then and there).

 

[Asita]

Well just to be completely out of left field[footnote]and almost certainly wrong[/footnote]: Zaheer wants to train Korra. I mean, the guy has a near encyclopedic knowledge of air nomad culture, philosophy and spirituality and apparently knew the forms well enough that he was apparently an effective master of the art upon acquiring it, while his friends are all uniquely powerful benders in their own right, the firebender having mastered 'combustion bending', the earthbender having mastered (and perhaps invented) 'lavabending', and the waterbender having mastered waterbending to an outstanding degree without arms, and are all noted in series as being more than a match for any other bender. Effectively, they're exemplars of their respective elements and under less antagonistic circumstances would be the perfect teachers for the avatar, even potentially teaching her their unique skillsets and immortalizing those skills in the avatar cycle like energybending.

"But wait", you might be asking "if that's all there was to it, why kidnap Korra in the first place?" Answer: SEVERE difference of opinion being outweighed by majority rule and self-righteousness. The White Lotus had taken an atypical interest in Korra and dedicated themselves to her protection, to say nothing of the fact that she grew up knowing her unique nature rather than growing up normal like most Avatars before her. Whereas previous Avatars would master their own element and then travel the world to learn the rest, Korra was being sheltered by the historically secretive and hands-off White Lotus. Kidnap Korra, that problem disappears. Not the most diplomatic solution by any stretch, but one that potentially fosters growth as the Avatar.

(Again, almost certainly wrong. But hey, sometimes it's fun to go off the rails speculative)

 

[LobsterFeng]

I'm guessing Zaheer's group is a group that has the opposite ideologies as the white lotus. The white lotus is all about keeping balance between the nations even amid turmoil. So maybe they want to use the avatar's power to dominate the world and get rid of the balance by bringing everything into one or some shit.

They probably attempted to kidnap Korra when she was little and raise her on their ideology and train her which would explain why Zaheer is such a big windaboo because he was probably planning on teaching her airbending. But they were foiled by the white lotus and they ended up raising her.

Spoiler: leaked spoiler

Someone on /co found a title for a later episode with the words "the red lotus" so it's pretty much assumed that that's referring to Zaheer's group.

 

[Gizmo1990]

Either somthing happened to him/his family as a result of the Fire Nation war and he blames Roku and/or Aang for it or something happened to him/his family as a direct result of something Aang did.

But I have stopped watching for good now so I imagine something has happened in the last few episodes that probebly makes my guesses inaccurate.

 

[Legomaniac91_v1legacy]

I've had a few theories about their motives
1.) Profit. If they were to kidnap the Avatar, especially at a young age, they could have gotten anything they asked for. Simple, but plausible.

2.) To control her or her next life. Between the 4 of them, Zaheer's group has the knowledge of all 4 elements. They could have taught Korra how to bend, then used her for their own ends. I've also heard a theory that they could have been working for the Earth Queen, since earth is the next element in the cycle and she has a grudge against the Avatar and Republic City.

3.) They're actually good guys. If they aren't working for the Earth Queen, then maybe the wanted to use the Avatar to stop her. Zaheer mentioned that his Airbending was "a sign that their cause was just." Maybe their group was gathered to train the Avatar in order to stop some huge threat, like some other dark spirit or maybe the Earth Queen was planning to wage war against the rest of the world.

 

[Avalanche91]

I saw a fun theory floating around that Zaheer's group was in league with the Earth Queen, who wanted to weaponize the Avatar for her own army. Zaheer inc. are all extremely talented benders who would have made the perfect instructors for a young Korra, to not only learn the basics but also the advanced forms (lavabending, combutionbending, etc). If she was found too disobedient they could kill her and she would be reborn in the earth kingdom. Easy prey for the Earth Queen.

It also explains why Zaheer knows so much about airbending, despite only awakening the skill in prison. Because the only other airbending teacher (Tenzin) was with the White Lotus, they needed someone who could teach the avatar the forms and philosophy of airbending, despite obviously lacking the talent himself. He was able to pick up airbending almost instantly after harmonic convergence because he had been studying it, possibly for decades, in preparation to teach the Avatar.

Of course

Episode 9 kinda debunks the theory of them being in cahoots with the Earth Queen. The rest of the theory kinda holds up, but for the sake of the Red Lotus as opposed to the Earth Queen. Their end goal? Allegedly a form of Anarchy.

 

[Scarim Coral]

I just finish watching the lastest episode and it seen most of us were right in a way (althought my theory was just vague enough to be just right or rather Zaheer wanted to "change" Korra views on thing).

Ok so now we know what their motive is and the only mystery left is what is the actual goal once they got hold of Korra?

 

[Megawat22]

I haven't seen episode 9 yet but I'd always figured that they were attempting to kidnap Korra to train her themselves for whatever reason.
Maybe they want to take Korra away from the influence of the White Lotus, Republic City and other forces that may want to use her for their own gain or view the Avatar as outdated? The President has seemed to flip flopped between begging Korra for help and condemning her and the Earth Queen straight up used her to grab some tax money.
I mean Korra's a bit of an idiot, too headstrong and stubborn to see when she's being played (heck the end of episode 8 all I could think was "Gawd, it's so obvious they want you to chase them Korra! Don't go it's clearly a trap!") and like I said she's already been used by the Earth Queen.
Zaheer may be attempting to take the Avatar away from outside influences and help set her on the path of a proper Avatar, helping her master the elements and spiritual side of being an Avatar the same way Aang learned to unlock the Avatar state with the monk at the Air Temple, to ensure that she isn't used as a political tool.
I may be totally wrong, but I'm almost positive Zaheer isn't a complete bad guy in it for himself.