Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of the greatest fantasy shows ever made, while The Legend of Korra was a worthy follow-up that didn’t quite reach the same heights as its predecessor. With Avatar: Seven Havens recently showing off its first look, it’s worth looking back on the first two shows in the franchise.
The Avatar: The Last Airbender franchise is perfect for exploring new stories with new Avatars, and seeing how each new Avatar’s growth parallels the franchise’s evolution. While Aang was the focus of the original series, there have been numerous Avatars confirmed to come before Aang, with Korra following in the legacy he left behind.
Avatar: The Last Airbender Is A 10/10 Fantasy Show, Even After 20 Years
The Last Airbender Is One Of The Greatest Animated Shows Of All Time
Premiering in 2005 and running for three seasons, Avatar: The Last Airbender is often considered one of the best animated shows of all time, and continues to leave behind an immense legacy when it comes to Western animation. There is a reason the series is still talked about alongside some of TV’s best shows ever made.
Focusing on the titular character Aang, Avatar: The Last Airbender wasn’t afraid to explore heavy themes for a children’s show, including genocide, war, honor, trauma, and imperialism, truly setting it apart from nearly everything else that was coming out at the same time. Aang is arguably one of the most iconic animated characters of all.
Alongside the themes it explored, Avatar: The Last Airbender had an incredible cast of characters, headlined by Aang alongside Katara, Zuko, Sokka, Toph, and Uncle Iroh, just to name a few. 20 years after Avatar: The Last Airbender initially premiered, the series’ representation, especially when it comes to female benders, still feels revolutionary, a testament to how incredible it is.
Its unique setting, complex characters, overall storyline, and the emotional payoff at the end of the series helped make Avatar: The Last Airbender a 10/10 fantasy show, and set an extremely high bar when it comes to follow-ups for the franchise. There are several projects upcoming, but the first animated sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender helped expand the franchise.
The Legend Of Korra Is A Great Sequel, But It Falls Short Of Perfection
Korra Was A Worthy Follow-up To The Last Airbender That Sometimes Stumbles
It was always going to be a tough task to be the first animated sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender, but The Legend of Korra made a valiant effort to be a worthy follow-up. Korra came out just four years after Avatar: The Last Airbender ended, running for four seasons and a total of 52 episodes.
With how the reincarnation cycle works, Aang ended up dying and the Avatar franchise introduced Korra, the hot-headed water-bending Avatar who had an innate talent for bending. Unlike Aang, though, Korra struggled with the spiritual side of being the Avatar, with a lot of the first season having her attempting to learn air bending, often to disastrous results.
Alongside Korra, The Legend of Korra introduced a new set of characters, given that most of the originals had either passed away or were much older. While Tenzin, Bolin, Mako, and Asami are great, they often failed to measure up to the legacy left by Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s characters, making it one of the show’s biggest blemishes.
Still, The Legend of Korra did a lot of things right to help push the franchise forward. It expanded the lore in interesting ways and included several new powerful bending types, including full-blown metal benders that Toph essentially created. Korra also showed that Avatar could live on without Aang, but it was never able to match its predecessor.
What Would Have Made The Legend Of Korra A 10/10 Series
A Few Changes Could Have Made The Legend Of Korra Even Better
While The Legend of Korra is great on its own, there are still several aspects it could have done to make it even better. The original Avatar was framed around Aang having to master all four elements to stop Fire Lord Ozai, but The Legend Of Korra lacked an overarching antagonist, making the show feel a little aimless at times.
The Legend of Korra could have made up for some of its narrative shortcomings by having an incredible cast of characters, but they weren’t nearly as well-received as Aang, Katara, Zuko, Toph, and others were from its predecessor. This is especially obvious in the love triangle between Korra, Mako, and Asami, which wasn’t as well-written as it could have been.
Korra takes place about seven decades after The Last Airbender, and it strongly explores the sociological and technological changes during that time, but it loses some of the awe-inspiring settings that made the original series beloved. Republic City is a cool setting for The Legend of Korra, but nothing beats the global adventure The Last Airbender took viewers on.
The Legend of Korra was divisive from the very beginning and while it has gained a passionate fanbase over the years, it will always be compared to Avatar: The Last Airbender and the immense legacy it left in its wake. The Legend of Korra is still a fantastic show, though, and pushed the franchise further than ever before.
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The Legend of Korra
- Release Date
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2012 – 2014
- Network
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Nickelodeon
- Showrunner
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Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino
- Directors
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Colin Heck, Joaquim Dos Santos, Ki Hyun Ryu, Melchior Zwyer
- Writers
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Joshua Hamilton, Tim Hedrick
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Janet Varney
Korra (voice)
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David Faustino
Mako (voice)
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Avatar: The Last Airbender
9/10
- Release Date
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2005 – 2008
- Network
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Nickelodeon
- Showrunner
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Michael Dante DiMartino
- Directors
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Giancarlo Volpe, Ethan Spaulding, Lauren MacMullan, Dave Filoni, Joaquim Dos Santos, Anthony Lioi
- Writers
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Tim Hedrick, Elizabeth Welch Ehasz, Joshua Hamilton, James Eagan, Joann Estoesta, Nick Malis, May Chan, Katie Mattila
