Avatar Aang vs Avatar Korra
Round 1: Backstory
Born into the Air Nomad tribe, Aang was raised by peaceful monks at the Southern Air Temple, who taught him to value human life over everything else. But when he discovered his destiny, his life took a sudden turn. Saddened by how his friends now saw him, and scared of what other effects this role would have on his life, Aang ran from his responsibilities. Capitalizing on his disappearance, the Fire Nation initiated the devastating Hundred Year War. Seeing how people were impacted by his mistake made him realize that his role was bigger than himself and fueled him to fully embrace becoming the Avatar. Korra’s journey to embracing her role as the Avatar was more straightforward. As a member of the Water Tribe, Korra was taught the value of familial strength while growing up in the South Pole. Like many Avatars before her, she received teachings from various masters on each element. She was also raised with protection from the White Lotus. She was so well-protected, in fact, that she never even realized there was an attempt made on her life by the Red Lotus when she was a child. Aang and Korra have contrasting personalities, but there’s no doubt that Aang’s upbringing and his choice to run away made for the more layered backstory. Since Korra craved the Avatar mantle from an early age, her backstory was more forthright and, therefore, the less interesting of the two. WINNER: Aang 1 / Korra 0
Round 2: Powers
Top 10 Best Super Powers in The Boys
Both Avatars were shown to perform impressive feats with each form of bending. Aang mastered airbending at a very young age, even inventing his signature air scooter. However, given that he had to stop the Fire Lord quickly, he only had a summer to learn the other three. He did have excellent teachers and was naturally gifted, which is why he was able to learn each element so quickly. But he would never be as comfortable with them as he was with airbending. Since he came from such a non-confrontational background, Aang often used his bending to avoid fights, rather than dealing with them head on. Korra, on the other hand, loved to fight. She could bend three out of four elements at an incredibly early age. She would struggle with airbending for a long time, but eventually became as adept with it as she was the other three. Because of her natural skill and training, she could switch between bending styles in a fight at the drop of a hat. This often led to trouble as she preferred to solve her problems with her fists rather than words. But there were few enemies that could go up against her and come out victorious. She also learned metalbending, a skill Aang never learned despite being close friends with the person who invented it.
Round 3: Allies
Even Avatars need allies. Each of Aang’s was completely unique. Waterbender Katara was a fierce defender when the war-torn world became too much to handle. And her comedic older brother, Sokka, proved himself to be an expert strategist. Toph used her earthbending to see her environment, and taught Aang to do the same. One of the most emotionally complex characters, however, was the firebender Zuko. Starting out as a villain, he had an incredible redemption arc that was helped along by his lovable uncle Iroh. And let’s not forget the adorable Momo and the irreplaceable Appa, whose connection with Aang couldn’t be matched by anyone. Korra had a strong group of friends as well. Her relationship with her airbending master Tenzin was often strained, but they cherished their bond when it really mattered. Even more fraught was her relationship with Lin, daughter of Toph and Republic City’s chief of police. A mutual respect would develop, but both were too hard headed to call each other “friend.” Korra’s closest friends were brothers Mako and Bolin. Firebender Mako was the brooding type, whereas earthbender Bolin was the lovable goof. Both would make welcome allies. So would Asami, a non-bender but an excellent hand-to-hand combatant, pilot, and eventual love interest. Rounding out Korra’s partners was her animal sidekick, the ferociously loyal polar bear dog, Naga. Neither of these Avatars would’ve been able to accomplish what they did without their allies. But Aang’s were much more dynamic characters. Each one not only brought unique skill sets, but personalities as well. WINNER: Aang 2 / Korra 1
Round 4: Enemies
Top 10 Cartoon Enemies Turned Lovers
Both Avatars had some pretty despicable foes to face. Aang’s mission was to end Fire Lord Ozai’s rule and bring balance to the world. While Ozai was indeed powerful, his goal of ruling the world was a tad one-dimensional. However, it was his children who took centre stage for much of the show. First there was Zuko, the cast out prince who would stop at nothing to regain his honor, but who eventually became one of Aang’s strongest allies. His sister Azula, however, was one of the most formidable villains either Avatar would ever face. Her increasingly unhinged demeanor and penchant for violence brought fear to even the strongest of benders. Korra faced off against new villains each season, all with different motivations. First there was the secret bloodbender, Amon, who sought to strip benders of their powers. Season two saw the return of Vaatu, a dark spirit who’d been sealed away by the first Avatar and freed by Korra’s treacherous uncle. Then there was the Red Lotus, an anarchist organization that wanted to destroy borders and monarchies. And finally there was Kuvira, a metalbending dictator who could’ve become the next Ozai. Each villain had a different and long-lasting effect on Korra, such as when Vaatu destroyed her connection to past Avatars, or when the Red Lotus’ poison left her lost and traumatized for three years. Both Avatars had tremendous villains seeking their demise, but it was Korra who had to face the higher quantity and quality. Aang’s villains simply sought world domination, but the goals of Korra’s villains were often much more personal. Even Amon, who wanted to rule Republic City, had his goals tied to his emotionally abusive father. WINNER: Aang 2 / Korra 2
Round 5: Spiritual Prowess
Raised by monks in the Southern Air Temple, Aang was taught how to get in touch with his spiritual self from a young age by meditating. Later, Aang would be able to meditate into the spirit world and did so for the first time without any guidance. Of course, the most powerful thing that mastering the spiritual side of the Avatar can unlock is the Avatar State. This comes from connecting with Raava, the light spirit that lives inside each reincarnation. Without training, Aang could normally only go into this state during the most dire of circumstances. But he would eventually learn to tap into it with ease. Korra’s relationship with her spirituality is rocky to say the least. She had trouble excelling at meditation for a long time. However, once she got over that hurdle in season one, she could go into the Avatar State as easily as flicking on a switch. This doesn’t mean that she’s remain totally in touch with her spirituality, as she needed Jinora’s help to enter the spirit world in season two. Losing Raava soon after would cause her to tap into her own spiritual self, unlocking a form that seemingly no other Avatar had reached. Even so, she would still struggle to deal with spiritual problems in later seasons. While Korra undoubtedly accomplished remarkable spiritual acts, Aang was always much more naturally aligned with this side of being the Avatar. Even though he sometimes didn’t fully understand it, he always treated it with respect and sought to better himself. WINNER: Aang 3 / Korra 2 It looks like Aang just pulls ahead at 3 to 2.
