Top Twelve Best Scenes in The Legend of Korra

Despite the title of this post, the following list admittedly encompasses my favourite scenes of The Legend of Korra rather than any objective attempt to rank "the best" moments on narrative or artistic merit. It's just asking for trouble to claim the definitive opinion on any given subject, so consider this disclaimer my insurance policy against potential "NO YOU'RE WRONG" comments.  

There is also no set theme to the entries on this list – these are scenes that could be described as heart-warming, tear-jerking, or just plain awesome. Some are lengthy sequences; others are brief moments that I thought were neat. The only thing they have in common is the impact they had on me: these are the bits that made me clutch my heart, gasp out loud, get a little misty-eyed, or any of the other embarrassing things you do when you're watching a TV show by yourself.

They're in no particular order beyond a rough "least to foremost" ranking, so don't take the placement of these examples too seriously.

12.

Scene: Equalists attack the Pro-Bending Arena

Episode: And the Winner Is...

Book One was a little touch-and-go for me, but one sequence really stands out as the best this season had to offer: while Korra and her teammates fight against the cheating Wolfbats, the Equalists (who have threatened to attack the arena should the match go ahead) slowly arm themselves, having already infiltrated the audience.

The slow-motion reveal and the swift attack that follows were all the more relevant – and frightening – in light of recent terror attacks around the world, and the show develops this analogy by having Amon use the public forum as a platform to spread his message – and stage a demonstration of his power. You have to admit he know how to put on a show when he not only exposes the Wolfbats as cheaters, but identifies them as "the best in the bending world" – and therefore the perfect victims to sacrifice to his cause.

Plenty of components make up the excitement of the scene: the systematic electrocution of the metal-bender cops, Tahno's desperation and terror as his bending is taken away, the beating drums of the score, and the choreography of the fight – particularly in the physics of the cable-work between Korra and Lin.

You can tell that a lot of care was put into how all this would play out, and as a result, the attack on the Pro-Bending Arena remains the best action sequence of Book One.

11.

Scene: Commander Zhao's Cameo

Episode: Darkness Falls

There's plenty of continuity-based in-jokes strewn throughout The Legend of Korra (Iroh's appearances in the spirit world, Professor Zei's skeleton in Wan Shi Ton's library, the frequent call backs to the original series), but none charmed me quite as much as Commander Zhao's brief appearance in the Fog of Lost Souls.

Why? I can't rightly explain. A large part of it is probably because I never expected it; and the best easter eggs are always the ones that take you by surprise. But it's probably also because it answered a question I'd never even considered. After all, Zhao's demise in Avatar: The Last Airbender seemed pretty definitive and most never gave it a second thought.

But having established that the Canyon of Lost Souls is a prison where a person is trapped within their own darkest memories, it makes perfect sense that that's where Zhao ended up. And the continuity is perfect. He's still ranting and raving about killing the moon spirit before he's lost once more in the mists. They even brought back Jason Isaacs to do the voice-work.

This is how cameos should be: unexpected, enjoyable, and bringing resolution to stuff you didn't even know you wanted resolution to.

10.

Scene: The rescue of Korra at Zaofu

Episode: The Terror Within

So in a show that provides a (still rare) example of a female protagonist with strength and agency, it might be somewhat groan-worthy that I'm including this to the list: a sequence in which she's completely incapacitated.

But if we remove the unfortunate implications of this and simply judge the scene on its own merits, the reason Korra's kidnapping/rescue is on this list is because it's a riveting bit of television. The Red Lotus have managed to infiltrate the metal domes of Zaofu and shot Korra with a paralytic dart. With her thrown over Ghazan's shoulder, they make a dash for freedom, only for Pabu – the Evil Detecting Ferret – to sound the alarm.

Soon everyone is caught in a stalemate. The Red Lotus is surrounded, hiding behind a makeshift fort of large metal tiles and a lake of lava. They can't get out, but nobody else can penetrate their defences, and Korra is still unconscious.

One of this show's great strengths was in creating difficult situations and finding genuinely clever and logical ways of getting the characters out again, allowing them to utilize their common sense and the rules of bending as they exist in this world. So we get to see P'Li and Ghazan wield their combustion and lava-bending skills to great effect, while Bolin's pin-point accuracy (rather sneakily introduced earlier in the episode, but we'll let it pass) and Suyin's knowledge of the facility are used to Team Avatar's advantage. Along with some athletic wirework between the sisters and a sneaky introduction to Kuvira, this is an action sequence staged to near-perfection.

It's all so good that it's allowed to conclude with an entirely acceptable use of Off-Screen Teleportation. When the smoke clears, the Red Lotus has disappeared entirely – inexplicably and impossibly – and are next seen well outside the city. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but on a Doylist level it's excusable: the fight is lost but it's far too soon for the antagonists to be apprehended. Did they leap over the walls? Use Aiwei's secret passage? Escape via the spirit world? We don't have to know how exactly they escaped, only that they did.

But what I like most about this sequence has nothing whatsoever to do with the action, but the way in which it demonstrates just how important Korra is as a political figure. Obviously the likes of Mako and Bolin are going to fight for Korra, as is Lin and Suyin (the closest things she has to guardians at the time). But the entire security team of the Metal Clan is also involved in the rescue effort, and all of them are depicted as concerned and committed soldiers.

It's touching to see how much she's valued; not just by her loved ones, but by those who can only recognise her importance in a professional capacity – and are still willing to put their lives on the line to ensure her safety.

9.

Scene: The death of the Earth Queen

Episode: Long Live the Queen!

I recall discussions back when Avatar: The Last Airbender first aired regarding the potential lethality of air-bending. It had the ability to be the most dangerous of all the bending arts considering its capacity for manipulating the very air we breathe. It would seem that Mike and Bryan had been pondering the same conceit.

When Zaheer was first introduced he was portrayed as a man of great intelligence and imagination; someone who could easily warp the values of air-bending in pursuit of his own worldview. When he finally confronts the Earth Queen and coldly tells her "I don't believe in Queens", you could almost feel the collective held breath from the audience. Clinically yet gracefully, Zaheer creates a swirling torrent of air around the Earth Queen's head, and pulls the air from her lungs until she collapses to the ground.

Up there with blood-bending as a perversion of what bending could and should be used for, the animation certainly doesn't hold back on the slow and painful effect asphyxiation has on a person.

The scene is powerful for a number of reasons, not least because it involved the graphic on-screen death of a recurring character in a children's cartoon. It was also wrapped in moral ambiguities – on the one hand the audience knows the Earth Queen is a tyrannical ruler and that Zaheer is a man committed to the (ostensibly) noble goal of freeing the population of Ba Sing Sae from her oppressive reign.But does that really excuse the cold-blooded murder of a fellow human being?

In hindsight we also know that Zaheer's actions have far-reaching consequences, and that far from the anarchic state he hopes to usher in, the death of the Queen instead results in Kuvira's dictatorship.

It's a haunting, disturbing scene that has a number of moral implications to ponder, and also huge ramifications in the course the show takes from this point on. No wonder Nick switched to on-line streaming.

8.

Scene: Korra talks down Kuvira

Episode: The Last Stand

This goes on the list because I had been anticipating/hoping for it since the very start of Book Four: that Korra would one day get the chance to defeat an enemy through diplomatic means (of course, I was also hoping desperately for Korrasami, but this seemed like a much more realistic goal at the time).

And so when Korra and Kuvira emerged in their own private pocket of the spirit world, my heart leaped into my throat. Starting from the moment Kuvira wakes up cradled in Korra's arms (perhaps a reflection of the Aang/Katara moment at the end of The Crossroads of Destiny, which in turn was a nod to the Pietà Pose...?) it was clear that the fight was over, and Korra wanted only to reach Kuvira on an emotional level.

It was an indication of just how much she had grown over the course of the show, and how her own suffering had deepened her capacity for empathy. That she pulls the Not So Different card was a great inversion of how the trope usually plays out (99% of the time it involves the villain mocking the hero with this insight), as was Kuvira's horrified reaction to such a claim.

Of course, the introduction of Kuvira's abandonment issues did seem a little out-of-the-blue, but I appreciate that the scene ends with the women alone together in a mysterious and peaceful environment, suggesting that they might well have engaged in more discussion before they eventually returned back through the portal (after all, Korra's friends seemed to have been searching for quite some time). It leaves a juicy gap for the imagination to fill in concerning what might have been said between them – and I like to think Korra gave Kuvira the time and space she needed to enjoy a last few minutes of freedom before her imminent incarceration.

7.

Scene: P'Li dies and Zaheer masters the power of flight

Episode: Enter the Void

Another one for the bad guys! These two events are so intricately connected that they have to belong to the same example, both simultaneously jaw-dropping and heart-breaking and fist-pumping and awe-inspiring.

Of all the ways P'Li could have met her demise, I was certainly not expecting it to be done like this: the Bei Fong sisters team up to take her down; Lin provides the distraction and Suyin bends her body armour around P'Li's face so that her combustible third eye ends up exploding her own head. Thank goodness for discretion shots, because NOBODY wanted to see the aftermath of that.

But Zaheer senses her death from afar – and with her goes all his attachment to the mortal plane. Although the earlier Zaheer/P'Li love scene felt just a tad too obvious to be completely organic foreshadowing for the big event (the moment I saw it I knew P'Li was not long for this world), the ongoing interest that Zaheer displayed over the course of Book Three in the teachings of Guru Laghima were effortlessly woven into his development. All that talk of "letting go your earthy tether" and "entering the void" was hinting as to where Zaheer's story was going, and by the time he took that plunge off the cliff-face, the possibility of flight was lurking in the back of everyone's mind.

But the sight still made my jaw drop. On a Doylist level it should look silly, but was instead beautiful and alien and a little frightening. In fact, it reminded me of the Smallville episode (I've been referencing that show a lot lately) in which Clark flies for the first time, and all his mother can do is whisper in complete shock: "he flew... he flew away."

For me at least, it was one of those moments that you sorta-kinda see coming, though when it finally happens your enjoyment isn't the least bit diminished (in fact, it's enhanced) for having foreseen it.

6.

Scene: Toph

Episodes: Korra Alone, The Coronation, The Calling and Operation Bei Fong

Here's an unpopular opinion for you: I had mixed feelings about the presence of first-generation characters (now in their winter years) having a part to play in The Legend of Korra. In the case of Katara, it was perhaps necessary to establish continuity between past and present, and she did end up utilizing her gifts as a healer in three out of four seasons. But Lord Zuko always felt a little superfluous to me – a fun addition to the show, but more fanservice than a crucial component to Book Three.

Was it nice to see them? Sure. And I probably wouldn't want to give those appearances up. But it wasn't until Toph arrived that I really got a sense of continuity, characterization and the passage of time when it came to portraying a member of the original cast. Between Philece Sampler's incredible voice acting, which captured the cadence of Toph's voice, as well as the animators' ability to simulate the body language of the character's younger self, there was never any doubt in my mind that this was the same little spitfire we met back in The Blind Bandit, older and somewhat wiser, but still carrying around the same foibles of her youth. Despite some outrage from the fandom, I liked that she was a self-admitted bad mother, that she (presumably) never married either one of the men who fathered her children, and her commitment to the "tough love" stance she took on the fragile Korra.

This is the only entry on this list that is not so much a scene as it is a performance, proving that characters do not have to be young to be interesting, and that age does not necessarily mean all-encompassing wisdom and strength. Toph is still a flawed and thorny individual, and that's what I appreciated most about her portrayal (and what was missing from Katara and Zuko's older selves).

5.

Scene: The Flight of the Phoenix sequence

Episode: Long Live the Queen!

For those not in the know, The Flight of the Phoenix is a movie involving a plane that goes down in the desert, forcing the survivors to scourge among the rubble to construct what they need to survive the ordeal. The film (released in 1965 and remade in 2004) is clearly the inspiration for what Korra and Asami go through in this episode, for after the airship holding them captive goes down in the desert, they're forced to team up with their captors to escape the giant sand shark circling the wreck, relying on Asami's engineering know-how to build a makeshift sand-sailor.

It's hard to pinpoint exactly why I love this sequence; it's basically just light filler designed to slow Korra down so she can't intervene in more important events occurring elsewhere (namely as the Queen's assassination), but it still manages to be engaging and suspenseful in its own right.

It requires logical thinking and teamwork, it lets Asami show off her skills as an engineer, it has a suitably alarming behemoth threatening the lives of our protagonists, and it manages to do the one thing this show always does so well: flesh out minor characters (in this case, the crew of the airship) in a very short space of time. By the time they escape in one piece, Korra has earned that hand (or hook) shake with the captain, and is ready to join the rest of the cast for the final stretch of episodes.

In other words, proof that filler or padding in no way needs to be boring.

I also think it might be the sequence in which I started shipping Korra/Asami in earnest, so naturally it also has that going for it.

4.

Scene: Korra's PTSD

Episode: Korra Alone

Once again I'm bending the rules, for like the inclusion of Toph, this is not exactly a "scene" but an ongoing depiction of events. The realistic portrayal of PTSD and depression is probably The Legend of Korra's crowning achievement, and most of it was captured in Korra Alone, named for one of the original series' best episodes, and a worthy successor to the title.

Korra leaves the Southern Water Tribe to return to Republic City, only to be troubled by the recurring sight of a doppelganger: shoulders slumped, eyes glowing, stance menacing. Sadly, we never get a definitive answer of what exactly this apparition was, but within the context of this episode it was one of the most chilling and eerie images the show has ever come up with.

Its appearance spurs her to turn her back on Republic City and wander the world – crossing seas and deserts, volcanos and forests, searching for – well, herself ironically enough. The show does an excellent job of capturing the chronology of events (the present day and the flashbacks to three years ago) without confusion, and certainly doesn't stint on the depiction of depression and PTSD: Korra's lethargy, the struggle to regain her strength, her isolation, the shadows under her eyes, the nightmares, the complex psychology of secretly not wanting to recover – but also the glimmers of hope and light-heartedness, as when she smiles at the flying fish.

This is hands down my favourite episode of the entire series, and in many ways the one in which Korra came into her own as a protagonist. Over the course of the first two seasons, Korra got a lot of grief from fandom – that she was too brash, too obnoxious, too ignorant (in other words, too human) and that things were handed to her too easily. As dodgy as it sounds, it's not until she faces the consequences of losing something that she's considered deserving of her status as main character.

In many ways this psychological struggle is what was missing from the fallout of Book One and Two, particularly in the wake of Korra's bending loss and the severing of her past lives connection. This is where the show started taking consequences seriously and shaping the plot accordingly (one can imagine much of this occurring in the wake of Book One had Korra not instantly regained her bending abilities).

It was a late turning point, but a turning point nonetheless, in which Korra demonstrates not so much through her suffering as through her resilience that her story is one that deserves to be told.

3.

Scene: The Spirit World

Episode: A New Spiritual Age

I adore the spirit world, and visiting it is my favourite part of both The Legend of Korra and Avatar: The Last Airbender. Whatever else people may think of Book Two, I'll always prefer it to Book One simply because so much of it involves the spirits (plus I do think it had a better ending than the first season).

And this episode is pretty much a bonanza of spirit world related activity. Korra and Jinora meditate into the spirit world in order to close the portal and halt Unalaq's plans, and we're treated to what can only be described as an Asian-themed Alice in Wonderland with a side helping of Hayao Miyazaki and Avatar continuity.

It's absolutely entrancing: the animation, the direction, the setting, the surrealism, the sheer imaginative force – everything that's depicted here is worthy of the big screen, and plenty of it exists simply for the sake of its own beauty and mystery. We get to see irate meerkats that can create whirlpools in the earth itself, massive sea creatures whose insides are a series of rivers swirling down into an abyss, Wan Shi Tong's spirit library, now suspended upside down in the middle of a forest with tree roots poking through the bookshelves, and a Lewis Carroll inspired tea party hosted by none other than Iroh himself.

But as lovely as eye-candy is, you can never rely on it to carry your characters and story. Thankfully, the Korra writers knew exactly what they were doing in using the spirit world as a backdrop to what was going on in Korra's head. In no other setting could we see the literal psychological effect that getting separated from Jinora has on Korra – she reverts back into a little girl.

The relationship between internal emotions and external manifestations continues in the depiction of how Korra's moods or even just Unalaq's presence can affect the state of the spirits around them. Conversely, if Korra responds to threats with kindness and openness, she can quell dark spirits into revealing their more benevolent natures.

The show also has fun with spatial relationships and shifting points-of-view: Korra can traverse miles of terrain in just a few steps – or even less, as when she remains in one place and the environment "sweeps" around her until she's standing somewhere else entirely.

In short, I will never get bored of seeing the ways in which the spirit world is depicted in this show, and the boundless creativity that lies behind its creation.

2.

Scene: Wan defeats Vaatu

Episode: Beginnings Part II

The highlight of Book Two was undoubtedly the extended flashback episodes that explore the genesis of the Avatar, and the highlight of that was the character of Wan. That the very first Avatar was not a wise and detached guru, but a mischievous and kind-hearted Aladdin Expy was a great idea, and he got an astonishing amount of character development over the two episodes in which he featured.

His journey culminates in the spirit world, before the Tree of Time, in which Wan fuses with the spirit Raava to finally master all four elements and attain enough power to defeat Vaatu. The animators go above and beyond the call of duty in capturing the raw power of the very first Avatar and his bending prowess, even when he's up against a massive dark spirit (who for the record, I did find very intimidating despite its resemblance to a kite). It was that terrible discordant blare of his energy beams that did it.

But I get a tingle down my spine when I consider that this is the first Avatar State, the first time someone has grasped all four elements, the first time a mortal has bonded with the spirits to this extent. What the show really captured here was that sense of immense importance; that these events were cosmically significant, that a simple thief changed the course of human (and spirit) history.

But despite all this, it remains personal. We've seen the setup: Wan's commitment to fixing his mistake, the way he reshapes himself into the tool Ravaa needs to defeat Vaatu, his ability to forge a bond with the spirits and earn their trust and loyalty in return – all of which helps ground the massive natural and cosmic forces at work. It's an exceptional bit of television drama, one you could watch without any foreknowledge of Avatar at all and still find captivating.

Perhaps you might be thinking to yourself that it's a little unfair that in a show about Korra, a sequence that doesn't involve her at all ranks so highly on this list of favourite moments. Well, that's as may be, but all I can tell you is that when Wan finally captured Vaatu within a vortex of water, earth, fire and air to the sound of the Avatar theme pounding through my speakers – I burst into tears. So for that reason alone, it has to come second.

1.

Scene: Korrasami!

Episode: The Last Stand

Well, what else was I going to choose? I've already spoken at length on the nature of Korra and Asami's relationship, both in this meta and in one of my Woman of the Month entries, so it's going to be a struggle to find anything new to say.

I wish I could go back in time and re-experience just what was going through my heart and mind when it became obvious just where things were going with Korra and Asami – heck, I wish I could go further back in time and tell myself that it was safe to fully commit to the ship (usually with non-het pairings there's little point in investing too much of your emotions, as creators have no real intention of making things canon).

But against the odds, the expectations, and all my boundless cynicism, Korra and Asami happened. I still get chills just thinking about it, and all those dumbstruck, gobsmacked, jubilant, exuberant and entirely joyful reaction videos. It was like a miracle had just occurred.

As "above it all" as I can sometimes get about shipping and its associated craziness, I honestly do understand the power of it, and been sucked in on more than one occasion. You see the potential for two characters' happiness together, you project yourself all over their lives, you invest in the possibility that one day things might change between them, you vicariously experience the rush and buzz and excitement of falling in love, all from the comfort of your own living room.

Of course, none of that excuses the frequent harassment of writers and actors and non-shippers when what you want doesn't materialize on-screen. But disappointment by vicarious means can be almost as heart-breaking as the real thing.

Which is why when a ship becomes canon, it feels like a cause for celebration. It makes you ridiculously happy for reasons you're too embarrassed to express except on mildly incoherent Tumblr posts affixed with the appropriate GIF sets. I doubt even the most hardcore Korrasami shippers expected anything to happen beyond a few warm smiles and "friendship" hugs (if they were lucky) but instead Mike and Bryan went ahead and made what started as a crack ship fully canon. Wow.

Sometimes I still wake up and smile when I remember that this...

ACTUALLY HAPPENED!