Every Season of Avatar: The Last Airbender & The Legend of Korra: RANKED
#7: Spirits
“The Legend of Korra” (2012-14) Well, we had to start somewhere, and sadly Korra’s second outing stumbled as opposed to expanding on the solid foundation of her debut. So, what went wrong? Well, given how Korra was supposed to only be a single season, the sudden need for subsequent sequels annihilated the chance of a more cohesive story. The concept of a civil war between the North and South Poles along with a deeper dive into the relationship with spirits sounded incredible, and yet they ultimately felt shallow by the end. It didn’t help that Unalaq was a woeful excuse for a villain. Did we mention the filler? There is so much unnecessary filler in this season! We love Bolin but his mover career was not interesting, and dare we even discuss the disaster zone that was the Korra/Mako/Asami love triangle? So, does Season Two do anything innovative or compelling? Yes it does, and his name is Avatar Wan. The flashback to the time of the first avatar wasn’t only a visual treat with its art style, but greatly developed the mythos in ways fans were not expecting but adored nonetheless. In fact, the strength of its storytelling alone has had many claiming that Beginnings is the best episode in The Legend of Korra hands-down. So at least Spirits has that going for it!
#6: Air
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“The Legend of Korra” (2012-14) Korra was always going to struggle right out of the gate, given that diehard fans wanted nothing more than to see the Gaang again, and not a new Avatar. But you’ve got to give her credit, not only did she prove herself a natural leading lady, but was made all the more compelling given how she was Aang’s diametrical opposite; a hot-headed adolescent wanting to prove herself worthy of the Avatar name, whose emotional outbursts often got her into a whole heap of trouble. Thankfully, Republic City made for a fun setting for the new Avatar to stretch her legs in, made all the better by a brilliant supporting cast, especially the likes of Lin Beifong and Tenzin. Amon was also a solid antagonist, whose anti-bending rhetoric and duplicity made for some nifty social commentary. We can’t exactly call this season perfect, the Korra/Mako/Asami love triangle wasn’t so much compelling as it was a detriment to all players involved, and the fact the world seemed so much smaller compared to the sprawling wonder of The Last Airbender rubbed some the wrong way. Still, an okay start for the newest Avatar.
#5: Balance
“The Legend of Korra” (2012-14) It may have been filled with ups and downs, but we’ll be damned if Korra’s ultimate conclusion wasn’t satisfying. In the wake of the events of the Red Lotus, the fourth and final season spends much of it’s time addressing Korra’s trauma and internal conflict over her readiness to continue as Avatar, all the while the metalbending dictator Kuvira declares Earth Kingdom supremacy, and lays the groundwork for another potential war. Balance certainly has a…sluggish start, with it taking a very long time for Korra to get her head back in the game. With the exception of certain episodes, such as Korra Alone – which was amazing – the slow pace of the opening episodes does drag the final outing down a touch. But when it gets going, it is non-stop! We’ve got a battle with a giant colossus, we have the return of the Queen herself – Toph Beifong, and lest we forget, the series ended on the confirmation that Korrasami was officially canon. And much rejoicing was had in the fandom that day!
#4: Water
“Avatar: The Last Airbender” (2005-08) The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, or in this case, a boy trapped in an iceberg. The first season of Avatar does a wonderful job of presenting the world of bending, the four nations, and the budding relationship between our leads. The only thing that Water has against it is that, like every other show out there, it was still very much finding its feet. The world wasn’t as lived in, the characters weren’t as fleshed out, and the stakes were somewhat lessened. That, and it does feature the worst Avatar episode ever in the form of the Great Divide. That being said – everything else here is great! Episodes such as The Storm revealed just how dark the show was willing to go and the Siege of the North was a fantastic way to conclude the season. We just can’t help but be nostalgic over watching Aang, Katara, Zuko and Sokka come into their own during their early days.
#3: Change
“The Legend of Korra” (2012-14) In a perfect world, every season of The Legend of Korra would have matched the same quality as its third outing, because Change is exceptional across the board. Characterisation is vastly explored and infinitely compelling, from Korra’s newfound purpose in seeking the awakened airbenders all the way to Lin having to deal with old wounds in regard to her family. The locales are grander, especially Zaofu. We got to see our boy Zuko make a grand return. How about the villains? Oh, you mean the Red Lotus – the best antagonists since the likes of Azula! This season is also the darkest, since its conclusion, while ending in a hard-fought victory for Korra, physically and mentally breaks her, and while the world around her starts to heal – she’s left as a shell unsure of her future. Don’t pretend that final shot didn’t shatter your heart.
#2: Fire
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“Avatar: The Last Airbender” (2005-08) Let’s just get the obvious out the way – why isn’t this – the celebrated final season of The Last Airbender, not at the top? Well, for these final two entries we really had to split hairs, and while they certainly had their fun moments, episodes such as The Headband, Nightmares and Daydreams and The Painted Lady didn’t ultimately move the story along. We good? Okay, now we can gush about how amazing this season is, which isn’t surprising since it does have some of the franchise’s best moments! You’ve got the long-built up yet ultimately doomed invasion during the Day of the Black Sun. The history of Roku in the Avatar and the Fire Lord. The haunting reveal of Hama and introduction of bloodbending in The Puppetmaster. The hilarious satire of the Empire Island Players. Katara’s vengeful journey and touching reconciliation in the Southern Raiders. And of course, one of the greatest finales in all of television with the four-part epic that is Sozin’s Comet. Not to mention, across all of this, we got to see Zuko’s redemption come full circle, Aang completing his destiny, and the world finally balanced. So, what couple possibly top it?
#1: Earth
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“Avatar: The Last Airbender” (2005-08) This is when Avatar went from being a very-well written, kid-friendly cartoon, all the way to a generation-defining piece of animated godhood. Building off what made the first season so captivating, Earth not only contains incredible action, but has superb storytelling, successfully tackles mature themes without simplifying them, and above all, excels with the individual journeys of its characters, without being afraid to weave in darkness and despair when needed. You want specifics? This season marked the start of Zuko’s long, tormented journey to find redemption, filled with more painfully human moments than we care to count. It gave us Toph Beifong, arguably one of the greatest female characters in animation, who’s sass and strength made her a standout. Oh, and also Azula; Zuko’s twisted sister whose violent sense of superiority quickly catapulted her up as arguably Avatar’s greatest villain. Need more? Okay, episode highlights! We’ve got Zuko Alone – an incredible character study that explores Zuko’s conflicted mentality. The Blind Bandit – Toph’s unforgettable introduction. Lake Laogai – a terrifying look at Ba Sing Se’s shadowy underbelly based on actual accounts of real world labor camps. Tales of Ba Sing Se – leaves from the vine will always make us cry. And, The Crossroads of Destiny – a finale filled with tension, intimacy, betrayal, and dared to allow its heroes to lose, on the darkest of cliffhangers at that. Yeah, Avatar’s second season is the furthest thing from a sophomore slump.
