imma take a moment to sit and talk about korra. this girl is quite possibly one of the BEST avatars to ever live, and y’all sleep on her so much.
when she starts out, she’s a bright, confident and energetic 17 year old girl who had grown up with no friends nor anyone her age.

her entire life revolved around being the avatar. she was taught to fight since she was 4, isolated on a compound with endless guards & protections. when she finally leaves, she’s still a bright & happy young girl who’s eager to make friends & fight for what she believes in

then she had to face amon. amon was a threat to benders everywhere- a man with the ability to take people’s bending away. and the first threat to korra’s status as avatar. but she managed to defeat him regardless, by unlocking her airbending at just the right time.

when we meet her again, a year later, she’s still a bright & energetic girl. she’s fiercely protective of those she loves, enough to cause serious harm or threaten those who endanger her loved ones. then unalaq and vaatu come along.

unalaq and vaatu threaten korra’s attachment to raava- the main part of her being the avatar. and despite her best efforts, her connection to the past avatars are ripped away- but what we fail to realize is that with this, she singlehandedly starts a brand new avatar cycle-

something no avatar before her had ever accomplished. by doing this, she changed the world more than any other avatar had before her.

when we meet her again, her fight with vaatu had caused an energy wave- and like that, korra singlehandedly brought back the airbenders. she quickly vows to help tenzin find the new airbenders, crossing the world to find them.

in the meantime, her biggest threat yet emerged- the red lotus. they attempted to kidnap her multiple times- and yet she and her allies managed to thwart them.

and then korra was captured, and poisoned with what should’ve been more than enough mercury poison needed to kill her. and yet, without the power of any of the other avatars, korra managed to display a stunning display of power, even while poisoned to near-death.

her power in these scenes is entirely her- and yet she still manages to fight zaheer, cut mountains in half and fly through the air while on the brink of death- something that should’ve been impossible. well, not for korra.

and then, when the fight finally ends, we see what the poison has done to her- it’s crippled her horribly, to the point that she lost all ability to walk or move her lower half at all- yet another threat to her status as the avatar.

and then she becomes stuck in a wheelchair, having to relearn how to walk. and those around her tell her not to worry, that they can manage without her- unknowingly confirming her worst fears, that she’s entirely unneeded as the avatar, that the world can function without her.

this completely cripples her further, making her feel as thiugh her existence is unneeded- unwanted. wallowing in her worst fears, she ultimately runs away onto a three year healing journey.

and for those three years, korra struggles with ptsd- something that is a real, crippling issue. and here is is shown as serious, & the creators show just how much struggle & strife korra has to go through. it’s here we get a glimpse of just how strong korra truly is.

as despite the pain, the trauma, the hardships- she still maintains her strength, her love of bending, and her determination. she survives, heals, and finds herself again.

her struggles and trauma have ultimately shaped her- and she’s become stronger as a result. she’s still our beloved korra- if not a bit mature now, realizing that she doesn’t have to fight to solve all her problems. she’s become a bit wiser.

now korra’s stronger than ever. she’s literally been through hell and came out stronger, more powerful. and she fought kuvira with all the determination and strength she had.

and by now, korra has become a fully realized and insanely accomplished avatar. she’s changed the world more than any other avatar had ever managed to- but still kept her strength, courage & true self despite everything. and that’s who korra truly is.

korra is a strong, courageous and determined young woman. she’s an openly bisexual indigenous woman with ptsd, who struggled & fought & survived. she kept on fighting despite everything- and came out as one of the most powerful, accomplished avatars ever- all by the age of 21.

and with that, i will say- yes, korra has her flaws. but overall, she’s an excellently written character wi ty strengths & weaknesses, who fought through hell and came out shining. she’s an underrated character & avatar- and really deserves more love than she gets.