Top 10 Most Heartbreaking Avatar & The Legend of Korra Moments

Around here, every day is Avatar Day, even when it hurts. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Most Heartbreaking Avatar & The Legend of Korra Moments.

For this list, we’ll be looking at two shows that never play it safe when it comes to the darker side of life, and all the tearbending moments that grabbed us deepest in the feels. Warning: spoiler alert!

#10: Jet Is Redeemed

Though they’re technically on the same side, Jet and the gAang haven’t always seen eye to eye, but when he resurfaces in Ba Sing Se, Jet is a changed man. True, that’s partly because he’s been brainwashed, but he does genuinely seem to want to make amends for his past wrongs. After leading Team Avatar to the Dai Li’s secret base under Lake Laogai, Jet does epic battle against Appa’s kidnappers, and even his own brain, breaking free of his brainwashing to try and take out Long Feng. Tragically, his heroism costs him his life, and the fresh start he had rightfully earned. Jet’s greatest moment was also one of the show’s saddest.

#9: The Death of Wan

A big turning point in “The Legend of Korra,” was the introduction of the first Avatar, Wan. Though we only get to spend two episodes with him, we still see an incredible journey as he evolves from a reckless thief into a compassionate hero. When he accidentally releases the dark spirit Vaatu and its chaos on the world, Wan devotes the rest of his life to working with the light spirit Ravaa to restore balance, but even with all his power and courage, he is just one person. In his last moments, Wan can only see what he thinks is his failure to fix his mistake, and our hearts ache knowing that he can’t understand all the good he still managed to do.

#8: The Avatar Connection Is Destroyed

When Korra takes on her uncle Unalaq and the dark spirit Vaatu, the stakes are too high to escape without intense consequences, but we weren’t expecting anything quite so… cosmic. Unalaq manages to gain the upper hand, tearing Korra’s Avatar connection -- the light spirit Ravaa — right out of her body and pummeling it, each strike erasing a little more of the Avatar line. We see thousands of years of spiritual connection just vanish, including Roku, Kyoshi, and the newly introduced Wan. But nothing is more upsetting than seeing the spirit of Aang blown into karmic dust . . .except maybe realizing what this means for the Avatar cycle itself. It was crushing to think that it really might be gone for good.

#7: Yue Sacrifices Herself

She may not be a bender or a warrior, but Princess Yue commits what might be the most selfless act of heroism in the entire series. Saved as an infant by a blessing from the Moon Spirit, Yue is the only person on Earth who can bring it back to life after Admiral Zhao destroys it. In returning the Spirit’s gift, she knows that she will give up her own mortal life and everyone that she loves, but Yue steps up without a second thought, saving her people and restoring balance to nature. We’re in awe of her commitment to what is right, and that’s what makes her sacrifice such a heavy one.

#6: Zuko Is Disgraced

Zuko seems like a pretty clear villain when we first meet him, but halfway through Book One we get a whole other side of the angry Prince. Through Iroh, we learn that Zuko once spoke out of turn in a war meeting, and how his father, Fire Lord Ozai, tried to force him to duel as punishment. When Zuko refused, not only did Ozai banish him with a crazy mission to find a long-lost Avatar, but he gave Zuko the massive scar that dominates his face. Once the source of Zuko’s anger and obsession had been revealed, it’s impossible to see him as evil; he was a traumatized teenager in way over his head, and we feel deeply for his suffering.

#5: Aang Discovers the Fate of the Air Nomads

When Aang comes out of the iceberg after a century, he seems to be the last Airbender anyone can remember seeing, but it isn’t until he returns to his former home at the Southern Air Temple, that he learns the awful truth. Finding the skeleton of his beloved mentor, Gyatso, surrounded by Fire Nation remains, Aang is faced with the horrifying realization that his people haven’t just disappeared, they were slaughtered. Aang can’t take it. As he spirals into the Avatar State, his grief and the guilt are overwhelming. It’s the first time we viewers really understood that Aang was not just some goofball, and Avatar was more than just a cartoon.

#4: Appa Is Lost and Abused

As hard as it was to watch Aang and his friends struggle over losing Appa, it was a million times more devastating to see what poor Appa had to go through. Our sweet sky bison had never known a life away from his best friend, Aang, and unfortunately, the world he discovers out on his own is not a nice one. Being sold to a circus owner who uses fire to frighten and control him, a run-in with Azula, getting captured by the Dai Li, being chased and attacked, Appa just can’t catch a break. It would hurt to see any of our favorite characters go through this, but when it happens to our gentle giant, it’s all just too much to handle.

#3: Zuko Reconciles With Iroh

Zuko has made a lot of mistakes, and the most significant one was when he betrayed his Uncle Iroh, his biggest champion, to chase his father’s approval (xref). In season three, though, Zuko finally gets his priorities sorted out, and making things right with Iroh is high on the to-do list. Not only is it a huge moment of personal growth when Zuko admits he was wrong and begs for forgiveness, but it’s truly beautiful to see how easily Iroh is ready to give it. The unconditional love he has for his nephew is the kind of thing that would melt the hardest heart, and seeing this relationship repaired is a moment that we all needed to experience.

#2: Korra Dies

By far the most personally difficult villain Korra ever faced is Zaheer. Sometimes it was hard to imagine how she would beat him, but it was still a huge shock when she almost didn’t. When the Red Lotus poisons her, Korra is already devastated, thinking that her father has been killed, and though her Avatar State enables her to fight back and defeat them, it’s almost too much for her body to withstand. Without Suyin, Korra wouldn’t have survived at all, and even though she does, the effects of Zaheer’s physical and emotional torture would haunt her for a long time. Though Korra can seem invincible, this reminded us that she has a breaking point too, and that’s rough to watch.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Hiroshi Sato Sacrifices Himself

Lin Loses Her Bending

Sokka Doesn't Remember His Mother

Katara Becomes a Bloodbender

Ursa Vanishes

#1: Iroh Mourns His Son

It wouldn’t be unreasonable to say that Iroh is the soul of “Avatar.” Throughout the series he can always be counted on for good advice, good tea, and good humor. The man has the biggest, kindest heart of any character, but you’d never know that it’s a broken one. When Iroh sings for the son he lost, we realize just how much pain he keeps hidden inside. It’s clear that some things can never be fixed, or overcome, and how unfair life can be to good people. There is nothing more heart-shattering than hearing Iroh’s voice break as he relives his terrible loss. This is someone who deserves so much more happiness than he’s had, and we can’t do anything to help.