by “The Productive Procrastinator”

PREFACE: The aim of this analysis is to explore and better understand some of the overarching themes behind the show. The opinions expressed are not an attack on, promotion of, or disrespect directed towards any religion or belief system. I have no formal background in philosophy or theology, so if I’ve gotten some things a bit off I apologize in advance. Also, Korra’s recovery arc is heavily featured. I want to make it clear that I am discussing a work of fiction through a lens of existentialism and wish to be respectful to actual survivors of trauma. Lastly, a huge recognition to @lokgifsandmusings for her valued feedback and advice that enabled this analysis to come to fruition. Thank you for reading.

It’s a common practice that through the hero’s journey of the monomyth universal themes are safely formed, explored, and reaffirmed. The Legend of Korra resonates across demographics and touches the hearts and minds of its audience because of its many universal themes that deal with the fundamental issues of human existence. Korra’s story offers a perspective into the human condition, showing many hallmarks of life as she comes of age: aspirations, obstacles, loss, love, growth, and mortality. Like so many have pointed out, a major aspect of Korra’s story is about learning to be human. Through Korra’s arc the most human question that any person might face constructs the very backbone of her legend: Does life have meaning?

Korra’s story is an overview of existentialism.

In The Legend of Korra the existential themes can be and likely are compounded with both the Western and the many Eastern philosophical influences in the show. At first glance what might come to mind is the Buddhist slant of breaking the reincarnation cycle (samsara) in order to stop the cycle of suffering and gain Nirvana. At second glace maybe it’s the Christian slant of self-sacrifice, resurrection, and redemption. Clearly there are a multitude of various influences to be found within the show and a lot of overlap within all these separate philosophies. Existentialism seems to be the broadest and most palpable across the entire series. There can be a lot of misperceptions as to what existentialism entails, so to provide clarity here’s a pretty complete description.

Existentialism is a philosophy that emphasizes individual existence, freedom and choice. It is the view that humans define their own meaning in life, and try to make rational decisions despite existing in an irrational universe. It focuses on the question of human existence, and the feeling that there is no purpose or explanation at the core of existence. It holds that, as there is no God or any other transcendent force, the only way to counter this nothingness (and hence to find meaning in life) is by embracing existence. Thus, Existentialism believes that individuals are entirely free and must take personal responsibility for themselves (although with this responsibility comes angst, a profound anguish or dread). It therefore emphasizes action, freedom and decision as fundamental, and holds that the only way to rise above the essentially absurd condition of humanity (which is characterized by suffering and inevitable death) is by exercising our personal freedom and choice (a complete rejection of Determinism).

The abridged version is that through a combination of awareness, free will, and responsibility, the individual is able to construct their own meaning within a world that intrinsically has none of its own. From this understanding three basic pillars that make up key existential views emerge.

Freedom: Individuals have the freedom and responsibility to choose how to live authentically.



Death: Life ends but existence still has the meaning individuals give it.



Meaning: Living with free will within an absurd existence causes angst.



What does this all imply in terms of Korra’s story?

Let’s first look into some main corresponding concepts. Korra represents humanity, and her actions and life as the avatar represent overcoming the futility of an absurd state of being. Various factors have made Korra doubt herself. She reconciles this through embracing her existence and freely choosing to find her own meaning, giving life and herself purpose. Throughout the four books Korra’s most basic assumptions of what it means to be the avatar are challenged, she faces her own death, and she comes to ask what the point of it all is. As Korra comes to question the underlying meaning of the avatar’s seemingly hopeless quest for balance, this existential theme of whether or not life has purpose in the face of futility rests at the heart of her answer.

Perhaps the most existential scene in LoK is the severance of the Avatar lineage in “Darkness Falls” and Korra’s response to it in “A Breath of Fresh Air.” In the world of the Avatarverse the metaphor of the avatar as a divine figure is set up – a spirit joined with a human, who is a political symbol and has great world influence. Within this framework the past avatars function as a spirit guide to the current avatar; this similar type of pattern exists widespread in fiction, commonly found within the monomyth, to mimic the concept of a higher power of some kind bestowing a purpose and goal in life. This sort of theme recurrence speaks to a human need to have meaning and significance in life and to be guided by some external agent.

LoK diverges from this pattern once the connection is severed and Korra no longer can access the past lives of the Avatar. It’s now up to her to find meaning and purpose, and it becomes a deliberate choice on her part to create a path in life for herself as the avatar. It’s noteworthy that Book 2’s ending also marks the point in Korra and Tenzin’s dynamic that the power balance between them shifts to become a friendship of equals and not one of a master and a student. Zuko, Toph, and others offer advice and help but they never cross the line into becoming a controlling factor in the way a mentor figure would. It’s a strong existential statement that Korra is the one to guide herself and does not look to a higher authority – be it the avatars of the past or a human equivalent.

Korra: I thought if I really tried I might be able to contact my past Avatars, someone who knows something to help me, but I can’t. They’re gone and I’m all alone […] It’s scary. I have all this power and all these people depending on me, but I don’t know what I am supposed to be doing half the time. It seems like I should be … wiser. - “A Breath of Fresh Air”

The responsibility for herself, her morality, values, perspectives, and her choices all derive not from a higher power who leads her in determining them but from her. Existentialism provides the outlook that individuals are their own higher power and all matters of life are their responsibility alone. As Korra says, it’s scary and existentialism calls this fear of responsibility angst. The rest of this analysis deals with existential angst and the various ways it manifests and is overcome throughout Korra’s arc.

All through Book 1 Korra is shown to be struggling with her role as the avatar in a world dictating to her and society what the ideal for an avatar is supposed to be like. Because she doesn’t yet have the context to understand how to approach being the avatar, she looks at the heroic roles performed by those around her (mainly her idealized version of Aang) and winds up drifting away from her own truth. The insecurity and distress Korra goes through at this point illustrates how hard she is fighting to conform to every definition but her own. Existential ideas follow the thought that individuals should look within in order to determine the type of person they will be. Existentialism is all about being who you are regardless of social norms, culture, religion, or other ideas of who you should be. It’s about recognizing that people have the freedom to choose who they want to be and only they can make that choice. To live authentically is to stay true to one’s own chosen morals, values, or character despite external pressures. Korra is deriving her understanding of herself based not on conclusions she freely arrives at but upon a spoon-fed archetype. She was living an inauthentic life and was basically trapped under the yoke of unintentional self-deception.

It’s not really until Book 2 “Light in the Dark” that Korra goes through this existential milestone and chooses to seek her own meaning about who she is. Tenzin’s recognition that he can’t and shouldn’t be Aang lead him to see that Korra needs to connect with her own inner spirit. He understands that Korra must discard the notions of who she thinks she is because they are all not of her own choosing. They are not Korra.

Tenzin: I know I haven’t been the best mentor to you. But I realized it was because I had a lot of spiritual growth to do myself. […] Let go of your attachment to who you think you are, and connect with your inner spirit. […] Korra, the most powerful thing about you is not the spirit of Raava, but your own inner spirit. You have always been strong, unyielding, fearless. [Korra notes Avatar Wan’s heroic qualities.] Tenzin: [Wan] became a legend because of who he was, not what he was. He wasn’t defined by Raava any more than you are. - “Light in the Dark”

Existentialist philosophy upholds the outlook that each person is the controlling force of their own destiny and identity. They must create their own meaning, and, in order for it to be authentic, it has to be something arrived at on one’s own rather than being provided by someone else. Korra connecting with her inner spirit is her recognizing she exists independently from Raava and that she has freely chosen how to define herself. Korra recognizes her self-value and accepts that she can still be a hero without being attached to the Avatar Spirit. Giant, blue, spirity Korra is symbolic of Korra accepting that her essence – who she is and what defines her – is something that can only be arrived at by herself. Life is a creative endeavor of seeking truth and distinguishing one’s individual essence, free of outside influences. Being the avatar does not define Korra’s essence, nor does it determine who she is or what actions she takes. Korra existed first, and her choices and actions inform her essence. She forms her identity as the avatar through deliberation and not through default.

gif source @cloudbending



Another major element of existential thought is the angst one feels once they gain an awareness of death. “Beyond the Wilds” deals with Korra’s recovery via acceptance of death. After the events of Book 3, years of grieving intermingled with physical recovery pass; Korra survived a near-death experience and copes with the resulting PTSD, searching for a way to regain her old self back. Korra struggles with feeling out of control, victimized, powerless, depressed, and disillusioned as she works through her recovery to eventually find a way to make peace with the new self that she has been disregarding in favor of her past, pre-trauma self. Once she accepts who she currently is, she regains a sense of wholeness. Being guided into the Spirit World by Zaheer allows Korra to reach this understanding that she must give up control and allow her post-trauma version of herself to exist as part of her instead of fighting against it. Once she accepts herself as she is, Korra is able to move forward.

The scene of Korra’s dialogue with Zaheer as he guides her into the Spirit World is laden with existential meaning. The vision plaguing Korra is of her death and the inability to come to terms with it. Even though the vision shows her asphyxiation, it is not entirely the focus of Korra’s fear. While her vision of being suffocated signifies that Korra feels smothered or oppressed, and her fight with Zaheer and the fallout is holding her back, the main focus is revealed to be Korra plummeting from a cliff to meet to her violent, earth shattering death. A cliff symbolizes the pinnacle of power, life and control, and Korra is forcibly removed from it, falls out of control, and smashes into the ground, flinging up rocks from the force of the lethal impact.

Zaheer: Let it play out. Korra: I can’t! Zaheer: You can. Accept what happened to you. Don’t fear what might have been. Korra: I have no control! - “Beyond the Wilds”

The impression here is that she fears failure, being powerless, and, perhaps most of all, uncertainty. Allowing the vision to play out means that she acknowledges the message it is showing to her: She has to accept her fears and her own mortality, fallibility, and lack of control despite being the all-powerful avatar. Likewise, in existential philosophy, acknowledging one’s inevitable end is vital to fully embrace existence. One cannot be fully alive until they accept the foregone conclusion of their death – their literal death but also their figurative death as they transform during the course of living.

In one way what follows in Korra’s vision suggests an internal death of the barriers holding her back. Once Korra is able to cede control and allow the vision to show her fall into the ground, those barriers are crumbled and she finds herself in the Spirit World. This death has sent her into the realm of the spirits and into a new realm of understanding. She was struck down from the height of power and was poisoned, tortured, and nearly killed. She responded to this by becoming a stranger in her own skin, longing for a return to “normal.” The existential angst of death could only be met with unrest and overpowering fear surrounding the finality of death, loss of worldly connections, and failing to complete her life’s work. Once reunited, Korra asks where Raava has been all this time and the reply is that Raava was always there with her. It might as well have been said that Korra was the one who went missing, not Raava. Her whole search for Raava was actually a search for acceptance of herself. With her recognition of death and her new self, Korra is aware of Raava within her, made whole again, and her rebirth is complete. Through the course of Korra’s recovery she developed a new response to her traumatic experience as she grappled with and eventually came to terms with her fears surrounding death, loss of self, and lack of control.

Existentialist notions hold that death is not to be viewed negatively for it is a basic human condition which gives significance to living. To fear death is to fear life and vice versa. What complicates this view is the fact of Korra facing death not through natural means but through the means of human cruelty and ambition. Korra reflects and finds meaning from her suffering, which is about to be discussed further along more in depth. Over the progression of Korra’s arc she’s found the power of her own will, has been destroyed, and has restored herself to life. Finally, what remains is Korra questioning if is there is any point to the endeavor.

In addition to arriving at the understanding of death and to freely choose how one exists, there is also the existential angst involved in the burden of living and making moral choices as a consequence of free will. The natural conclusion to being able to freely make choices is that those decisions will always have repercussions that one is responsible for. Existentialist philosophy recognizes that one’s actions have consequences and are not meaningless. Often this acknowledgement is paralyzing and anxiety inducing. Is it possible for anyone to know how to choose well and true? Individuals might have good intentions, but they act on limited knowledge and with limited truth. All actions and choices are imperfect, flawed, and have unknown significance. Since others see or are impacted by one’s actions, those choices influence others’ perception of truth which has a potential ripple effect. Existentialism states that since there is no divine will everything that occurs is a consequence of deliberate human action. Nothing happens for a higher reason or because of fate, so the sheer responsibility one is faced with at this realization is understood as part of existential angst.

In “Remembrances” Korra is neck deep in this angst as she tells Asami that her actions seem to have worsened world harmony. The entire sequence that sums up the main plot of LoK shows Korra’s conflicting feelings over her decisions she’s made as the avatar. This can be paralleled to the concept of the existential dread one experiences when making free choices that affect both oneself and others. Even as Korra fights to bring balance, discord develops. Negatives arise from positive outcomes. No action can be wholly “good.” The challenge to existence is to then accept this and strive to overcome the angst of living.

To better capture this meaning and compare constructing the individual to the wider context of how choices shape the world, here’s an excerpt from Dryden’s Handbook of Individual Therapy.

The existential approach considers human nature to be open-minded, flexible and capable of an enormous range of experience. The person is in a constant process of becoming. I create myself as I exist and have to reinvent myself daily. There is no essential self, as I define my personality and abilities in action and in relation to my environment. This impermanence and uncertainty give rise to a deep sense of anxiety (Angst), in response to the realization of one’s insignificance, and simultaneous responsibility to have to create something in place of the emptiness we often experience. Everything passes and nothing lasts. We are never able to hold on to the present. We are always no longer or not yet what we would like to be. We find ourselves somewhere in the middle of the passing of time, grappling with the givens of the past and the possibilities of the future, without any sure knowledge of what it all means.

Korra and every villain she’s faced all have acted on the world and brought about widespread change for good or ill. Korra’s issue is with the fact that she doesn’t seem to be making any positive difference, nothing contributing towards balance is actually being accomplished, and her mission as the avatar is a vain, hopeless quest disguised as being heroic and meaningful. Toph’s message in Book 4 essentially states that no matter how much Korra accomplishes towards bringing peace and harmony to the world, balance can never be obtained. All of Korra’s efforts fail to amount to anything that creates harmony, and she’s doomed to be going in circles. Is the avatar’s quest (aka life) devoid of purpose?

Toph: Listen, when I was Chief of Police in Republic City, I worked my butt off busting criminals. But did that make crime disappear? Nope. If there’s one thing I learned on the beat, it’s that the names change, but the street stays the same. Korra: So, basically, you’re saying that everything I’ve ever accomplished has been pointless. - “The Coronation”

The implications eat away at Korra until she talks with Asami and expresses her distress that she fears her efforts are futile.

Korra: I’ve just been thinking about something Toph said. She told me that the world doesn’t need me and it’s basically pointless to try and stop Kuvira. Asami: That’s ridiculous. Korra: At the time, I thought so, too. I figured she was just being her normal, cranky self. But I’m beginning to think she had a point. Asami: No, she doesn’t. The world does need you. You’re the Avatar. Korra: But no matter what I do, the world seems to always be out of balance! - “Remembrances”

Korra fears that she’ll be going in circles no matter what she tries to do since it always ends up with balance being threatened by bigger and bigger threats. Going in circles. Circular movements. Doesn’t that bring to mind the visual of that scene of Raava spiraling up towards the spirit beam to fuse with Korra in Book 2? Going in circles is the path of the avatar - nonlinear, spiral progress. Even if Korra believes she’s going in circles, what she doesn’t first realize is that she’s truly moving in an upward spiral. Progress is not a line - it’s a series of retreading old ground with new knowledge. Looking back to move forward. Korra simultaneously sees that being the avatar is both full of purpose but also meaningless. Existential philosophy says the exact same thing about life. It appears to be meaningless yet individuals are faced with the responsibility of choosing to give it meaning.

This seemingly futile path of bringing harmony can be linked to the continual pattern of violence Korra finds herself facing as the avatar. Just as life lacks meaning on its own and is considered absurd, the cycle of suffering Korra undergoes can be seen as a metaphor for life as understood by existential philosophy. Going back to the definition of existentialism, absurdity is the “…condition of humanity (which is characterized by suffering and inevitable death).” Korra is challenged to find both meaning in continuing the avatar’s quest for harmony but also in finding meaning from the pain that quest has brought.

The plot structure of LoK revolves around a repeating cycle of Korra confronting her big bad of the season then moving on to another, each time somehow escalated in some way. First it costs her bending, then her avatar lineage connection, and then very nearly her life. In the fight with Kuvira over the fate of Zaofu in mid Book 4 there are two main impressions emerging: Korra’s recovery arc is incomplete and she’s in figurative chains binding her within a cycle of violence because she is the avatar. Kuvira cuffs her, lifts her into the air and visibly parallels Korra in chains to call to mind Book 3’s poisoning and torture. Her recovery from that event is not resolved at this point and the question of whether or not it ever will be is subtly presented. Is this another futile situation Korra finds herself in? Being the avatar appears futile since balance can’t ever truly happen. Finding herself the target of violence because of her role as the avatar seems to be inevitable as well…

In the duel with Kuvira, Korra fights, is losing, and is forced to use the avatar state to defend herself. She hurls a gigantic boulder over her head, ready to strike, but then she sees Kuvira take on the visage of the Dark Avatar. There’s more than a few thoughts on what Dark Avatar Korra is supposed to represent: a manifestation of her PTSD, a symbol of Korra’s unbalanced spirit, her rejection of herself, guilt, shame, failure, duty, you name it. It seems to be all of these, and its meanings change over time and is dependent on context. In her fight over Zaofu with Kuvira, it is especially symbolic of Korra in relation to her biggest fights with the series’ antagonists.

Through seeing Kuvira represented as her younger self, particularly a self that is in pain and is also a source of pain to herself now, Korra has gained an awareness of the viewpoint of her own foes. Korra is aware that she’s playing the part of the villain to Kuvira’s hero. Korra sees that all of her antagonists are people fighting with conviction in what they believe in, and Korra was their antagonist. Back in Book 2 Korra didn’t want to use her bending on her own tribesmen because they were part of her tribe, her family. Toph tells Korra her past enemies may have all been out of balance but Korra can still learn something from what they wanted to accomplish. At this point Korra can only see the harm her enemies caused both herself and others, yet the idea that their, however misguided, goals can offer value begins to take root. She can see past the one-dimensional aspect of her antagonists and begin to humanize them.

Toph: You said you saw your past enemies, now why do you think that is? Korra: I don’t know. Because they made me and a lot of other people suffer. Toph: Sounds like you’re carrying around your former enemies […] You maybe consider you could learn something from them? Korra: Sounds like the swamp is messing with your mind, too. Toph: My mind is just fine, thank you. Listen, what did Amon want? Equality for all. Unalaq? He brought back the spirits. And Zaheer believed in freedom. Korra: I guess… Toph: The problem was, those guys were totally out of balance and they took their ideologies too far. - “The Calling”

Korra’s able to expand this concept when she confronts Kuvira at Zaofu. Korra sees Kuvira as the Dark Avatar, her younger self, especially her self in the avatar state desperate and facing certain doom, because Korra understands that she is in a position to offer mercy to her enemy. If any of her foes – Amon, Unavaatu, or Zaheer – offered Korra just a scant bit of mercy, understanding or compromise would Korra have suffered as much as she has? Korra does not want to inflict the same devastating pain that she’s been through on another, and she’s now willing to extend the olive branch even knowing it could blow up in her face. Her whole life she’s been taught to strike first and pulverize any opposition. This is set up in the very first episode “Welcome to Republic City” during her firebending test. It’s a great irony that the White Lotus hopes for Korra to learn restraint when she’s clearly been taught to be unrelenting and severe in her bending arts. While some of this could be contributed to Korra’s understanding of power, status, and heroism structures, a large part can be traced back to the White Lotus. In any case, by the end of Korra’s arc she’s discovered the wisdom in keeping her strength in reserve. Existentialism is about celebrating existence and ceasing man’s inhumanity to man. Korra arrives at a mindset that is technically pacifistic, and she holds the value of others’ wellbeing as a priority, no matter if it’s friend or foe.

Caring about her enemies is nothing new for Korra though. The manner and degree of care that’s directed at the caliber of enemy is what’s changed as Korra has matured and realized both her own and her foes’ self-worth. Tahno, Tarrlok, Eska, Desna, and even Unalaq – all waterbenders oddly enough – have been on the receiving end of Korra’s compassion despite being in opposition to her. Zaheer was the first major villain, who Korra knows is definitely a dangerous threat from the start, that she attempted to reach out towards and understand, as shown from their lengthy conversation in “The Stakeout.” She even told Zaheer that he could make a positive difference in the world as a new airbender, recognizing him as a person and his potential. By showing a respect and hope that they didn’t need to be enemies, Korra also showed how much she had grown from where her story first started. Kuvira also invoked ambivalence in that Korra did not want to have to make an enemy of her. In spite of Kuvira’s actions in her campaign for power Korra still saw value in her life that she ultimately risked herself for in the finale.

All of her experiences leading up the series’ end manifested into Korra maturing into the type of person who would shield her enemy. Taking into account her own journey of discovering her identity, coming to terms with death and the value of life, as well as understanding the web of individual and collective actions influencing the future of world harmony, Korra somehow put it all together to form an answer to her biggest question about life and being the avatar.

The conversation in “Korra Alone” between Katara and Korra is a noticeable origin point of Korra’s arrival at her answer and accomplishes a twofold purpose. One is that it addressed Korra’s recovery, but it also addresses her struggle to find meaning in life.

Korra: I am trying to understand why this happened to me. But nothing makes any sense. I’m tired, Katara. I’m so tired. Katara: Korra, I know you feel alone right now, but you’re not the first Avatar who’s had to overcome great suffering. Can you imagine how much pain Aang felt when he learned that his entire culture was taken from him? Korra: That must have been so awful. Katara: But he never let it destroy his spirit. He chose to find meaning in his suffering, and eventually found peace. Korra: And what am I gonna find if I get through this? Katara: I don’t know, but won’t it be interesting to find out? - “Korra Alone”

On the surface this conversation is about Korra being poisoned and trying to recover from the physical and mental trauma of that. Looking deeper this conversation takes on the subtext of Korra finding meaning from life, from being the avatar, and ultimately from the human condition that is existentially absurd. Katara tells Korra she must discover her own meaning, a mantra that existentialism subsists of.

As we all know, Korra’s answer to life’s meaning in the face of futility and pain is to always try to restore balance and to embrace living knowing that there is so much more to learn and do – this is basically an existential stance to life. She means this in several ways; Balance for the world, balance for herself, and also balance for the people who cross her path - friend as well as enemy. It’s a form of revolt: to realize the absurdity of life yet continue on even more fiercely. Her meaning helps her to take the pain and hurt inflicted on her and transform it into a stronger compassion for others, even the people who would be the ones inflicting that pain on her.

Korra’s understanding that she alights upon is that suffering is the great equalizer. All people hurt, feel weak or helpless, face misfortune, and struggle in some form or another. The quickest, most effective way of connecting with someone is through a basic, meaningful common experience. Suffering is a universal experience that existentialism points out as being a given in human existence by its very nature. All people bleed even if they don’t all bleed the same. Korra applies this understanding not to compete or press her advantage over others, but instead she decides to channel it as a way to unite and strive for peace. She eventually is able to use this common bond to defeat Kuvira in the Spirit World.

The key motifs of the show all center around Korra’s identity and it evolving as she learns from life experiences. It’s fitting that Korra as a character is set up as having mastery over all but one of the four elements. Once she gains the ability to airbend Korra’s next challenge is to master herself which she spends the bulk of the series doing. Self-mastery is naturally open-ended but generally it is a form of self-acceptance that involves fulfilling one’s talents and potential on a physical, mental, and spiritual level. Questions of Korra’s identity being formed from her self-worth being conditionally based on her perceived effectiveness as the avatar are more or less answered by the series’ end. Korra knows that being the avatar isn’t all she is because - through everything that’s happened and everyone who has played a part - she’s learned that she can be more.

Her existential adventure of self-discovery is powerful from a storytelling standpoint because Korra as a character construct represents so many foci of real world oppression and pain that a wide array of viewers can identify with. Korra is a woman, young, of color, bisexual, and copes with recovery from physical disability and mental illness. The fact that such a powerful, life affirming message is coming from a character like Korra, who is unquestionably a subversive creation, seems absolutely key to the existential themes working as well as they do. Korra, both the character and show, undermines coded expectations and normalized social conventions. Sexism, ageism, racism, biphobia, and mental and physical health impairment stigmas are all significant factors in society that stifle self-expression, freedom and individuality within people. Depending on one’s social intersection, Korra’s story might not connect as strongly or be as validating. Whether or not it’s in correlation with one’s intersection, for any who may be struggling with self-doubt, anxiety, depression, loneliness, fears, or a general dark, low point in life, the show does serve to comfort and encourage; the thematic level of positive messaging in concern to self-acceptance is evident across the board.

There’s countless reasons LoK resonates with its audience. The messages Korra’s story offers show someone who is defiant in response to a world with the one constant of change as she fights and sacrifices to maintain balance, if only for one fleeting moment. It shows someone who says no to the cycle of the avatar’s futility and says yes to the power of her own will. It is a show about discovery. It’s about Korra finding her footing in circumstances that are constantly shifting and often beyond her control. It’s about her stumbling as she learns to walk through the darkness; it’s her realizing the power of her own existence as well as others’ and how together it can and does change the world. The Legend of Korra seemed in a lot of ways about weathering the storm called life, surviving the moments of dread and awe, and coming out the other side, for the better despite experiencing the worst. It’s a reflection of what it means to live, to endeavor, to struggle, and ultimately, to take heart in confronting the unknown.