Avatar: The Legend of Korra

[Serra]

It's finally here! The episode I've been waiting for all season (partially because I thought it was the episode the season was going to start with..)!

[Corrderio]

Holy shit I think I got a new favorite episode....

[Serra]

So that episode was incredible..

Spoiler: show

From the first season and then going into this one, there was a certain sense that Korra's story was not going be nearly as epic as Aang's -- which really shouldn't be a big deal, but it's a TV show, so it was. It's really cool seeing that this part of Korra's story is essentially dealing with the core mission of the Avatar, not just a civil war between the water tribe.

My only complaint was that we didn't see Wan learning about the elements from the proper animals. We saw him learn how to properly control fire from the dragon, but I would have liked to see him learn about controlling water from the moon spirit, air from air bisons, and earth from badger moles. It was also weird that the air turtle wouldn't give him the power directly while the others did..

and.. OMG, New Appa!!!

[synistar]

Faith renewed in the show! Honestly, I kept thinking in the back of my mind that the Avatar Wan story was being told by Iroh or someone in the White Lotus lol.

Also the animation was so fitting. I remember seeing the preview video and was kinda turned off by it. Afterwards, I can only think of how it was so well done with an awesome music track to boot.

[Takiwaki]

I wish the entire season would be about Wan. That was so amazing

[Vaspinne]

I wish the entire season would be about Wan. That was so amazing

Came here to say the exact same thing. Those were 2 amazing episodes. Hopefully Korra will be less hormonal bitchy teenage Korra, and more awesome Wan Avatar Korra

[SamanosukeShiva]

Best 2 episodes of the season, korra isnt in it.

[Juben]

Definitely wasn't feeling the episode, gave us some background not sure how it was truly helpful in the end got an hour episode for another quick solution like last season's finale

Spoiler: show

where everything is fixed. Even worse felt seeing the 1st avatar starting out as a criminal. Found it funny where he talks about peace but they stop on a still shot of him using all four elements against people.

[Akiyama]

OMG. I just finished watching and.. that was amazing. Wan is awesome D:

@Juben

Spoiler: show

Well, just like Aang and different Avatars before him.. it's not like you can have the powers of the elements and do nothing with them while people go to war with one another. I'm sure he did whatever it was that he felt was right to stop the conflict and as we see at the end.. he dies in battle But he lived a long life. Still, though.. criminal or not, I look at him as a more noble Robin Hood than anything.

[Athas]

Episodes were pretty interesting I have to admit, though for the cynic in me they brought up more questions. There were many more lion turtles in the world then four, so there must be even more powers like the one who taught Aang soul bending, so what happened to them? And if lion turtles stopped giving humanity elements how did bending endure, if there were some who were allowed to keep their elements and it passed though bloodlines why isn't there a nation of soul benders and even others? And why the heck were Fire Sages raising Air Bison and have a pool of Spirit Water, they branching out? And when Wan closed up the spirit world, are we just glossing over the part where they killed all his friends? The bit with the merging of a human and the light spirit to create the avatar makes sense and all but if Wan could still speak with the spirit even after they joined permanently it's odd looking back that it's never come up before, considering the battle with the dark spirit is the primary mission of the avatar. I mean with the next death battle only like 70 years away you'd think she'd pop up and mention it to Aang to sort this 100 year's war shit out and get to back to fighting the ultimate evil, or even to Korra herself somewhere down the line.

Again these are mostly surface nitpicks around a pretty solid core but just wondering if anyone else thought at all the same.

Also - calling it now that Korra's uncle was trying to open the spirit world and have either Korra or himself or both destroy the evil spirit permanently thought some unknown means which of course wouldn't work anyway, blah-de-blah-de-blah.

[Akiyama]

Episodes were pretty interesting I have to admit, though for the cynic in me they brought up more questions. There were many more lion turtles in the world then four, so there must be even more powers like the one who taught Aang soul bending, so what happened to them? And if lion turtles stopped giving humanity elements how did bending endure, if there were some who were allowed to keep their elements and it passed though bloodlines why isn't there a nation of soul benders and even others? And why the heck were Fire Sages raising Air Bison and have a pool of Spirit Water, they branching out? And when Wan closed up the spirit world, are we just glossing over the part where they killed all his friends? The bit with the merging of a human and the light spirit to create the avatar makes sense and all but if Wan could still speak with the spirit even after they joined permanently it's odd looking back that it's never come up before, considering the battle with the dark spirit is the primary mission of the avatar. I mean with the next death battle only like 70 years away you'd think she'd pop up and mention it to Aang to sort this 100 year's war shit out and get to back to fighting the ultimate evil, or even to Korra herself somewhere down the line.

Again these are mostly surface nitpicks around a pretty solid core but just wondering if anyone else thought at all the same.

Also - calling it now that Korra's uncle was trying to open the spirit world and have either Korra or himself or both destroy the evil spirit permanently thought some unknown means which of course wouldn't work anyway, blah-de-blah-de-blah.

Gonna try to answer what I can. There may have been more lion turtles, or.. there may have only been four. They did say there were 'other lion turtles' around, but it's not like they specifically said each turtle only has one power, or soul-bending.. what have you. As that goes, I think bending was just kept due to the bloodlines passing them down, etc.

Fire Sages raising sky bison.. it was certainly interesting, but who knows the reasoning. Maybe Aang gifted some to Zuko who had them there to raise or something? Gotta be sort of a reason. That or just plot device.

Doin't think they 'glossed over' the spirits (controlled by Vaatu) killed his friends, but it's not really like there's anything he could do about it.

We saw Aang as a 12 year old boy and onward, and have seen Korra as a bullheaded teenager. I don't think they really had the ability to talk to their spirits inside of them, especially since nothing of note like the Convergence was coming up. As for the war coming.. I'd say death battle was about 80+ years away. Who knows, maybe that's why Aang died at a relatively young age, knowing he wouldn't be able to take on Vaatu.

[Qeomash]

Yeah, the lack of animal teaching was sort of a let down... But my guess is after the lion turtles stopped giving out the abilities, they may have died out and slowly were relearned from the animals.

So, with the huge tree prison, can I assume that Koh is the spirit formerly known as Vaatu?

[Akiyama]

@Qeomash - I thought of that because of this from tumblr

Spoiler: show

http://24.media.tumblr.com/edfda4cae...y5pco1_250.gif

http://25.media.tumblr.com/39c24c750...y5pco2_250.gif

[Uzor]

I really hope they make an Avatar: Origins series after Korra about Wan.

That being said, assuming the original Avatar was created roughly 10000 years ago, my bet is on Vaatu taking this opportunity to create an anti-avatar using Korra's uncle. Would set up the story for the rest of the books.

[Serra]

Even if Vaatu empowers her uncle, he won't really have any special powers, so it wouldn't really make for an anti-avatar. Raava didn't give Wan the ability to bend multiple elements, it was the lion turtles.

As far as Raava goes, I wonder how similar she is to Fi from Skyward Sword (and since it's almost two years old, I'm not spoilering it). By the end of the game, she still embodies the Master Sword, but you never see her interact with any other Links. It's possible that over time, Raava's ability to communicate with the avatars has decreased and they've become a single entity.

I don't see where you're getting that Vaatu is Koh.. I see the tree as merely coincidence

[Jesifromgaruda]

One of the interesting things in this episode is that they seem to hint that everyone gets reincarnated, not just the Avatar. It's just that the Avatar's soul was joined with the spirit, so when it passed into a new body that person could use all 4 elements.

[Uzor]

Even if Vaatu empowers her uncle, he won't really have any special powers, so it wouldn't really make for an anti-avatar. Raava didn't give Wan the ability to bend multiple elements, it was the lion turtles.

Vaatu and Rava are basically the same being though. She said that if she defeats Vaatu, the darkness inside of her (eg. him) will grow until it once again splits off from her. So he may very well have the powers inside of him, too.

Besides, since Vaatu and the avatar are forever linked together, there's also the possibility that Vaatu splits off from the avatar or something like that, as Rava and the Avatar are basically one and the same.

[Sunrider]

I don't see where you're getting that Vaatu is Koh.. I see the tree as merely coincidence

I feel like the similarities between Koh and Vaatu's trees aren't coincidental. The creators have done a decent enough job of drawing connections between TLA and LoK, this could be one of them.

But saying Vaatu and Koh are the same is a big stretch. Vaatu is the spirit of chaos, Koh has a way of spreading chaos and misery. It's possible that a chaos spirit's prison would be a natural place for dark/evil spirits to congregate.

[Serra]

One of the interesting things in this episode is that they seem to hint that everyone gets reincarnated, not just the Avatar. It's just that the Avatar's soul was joined with the spirit, so when it passed into a new body that person could use all 4 elements.

So, I thought about that as well (the way that Raava says I will be with you in all your lives, not that you will be reincarnated seems to suggest it), but the problem is the fact that bending powers are inherited genetically. If people are all being reincarnated, when someone is reincarnated, they should keep the same bending powers, regardless of who their parents are.

Vaatu and Rava are basically the same being though. She said that if she defeats Vaatu, the darkness inside of her (eg. him) will grow until it once again splits off from her. So he may very well have the powers inside of him, too.

Besides, since Vaatu and the avatar are forever linked together, there's also the possibility that Vaatu splits off from the avatar or something like that, as Rava and the Avatar are basically one and the same.

Ok, but this Vaatu didn't come from within her, this one was trapped by Wan. So for something like that to happen, they would have to destroy Vaatu, and then 10,000 years from now the new Vaatu might have those powers.

[Serra]

Spoiler: show

http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/193p...g/original.jpg

Edit: Anyone notice that Korra's bison has a broken horn like Appa's mother?