•Since her debut, people have been hating on Korra. The protagonist of The Legend of Korra, the follow-up to Avatar: The Last Airbender, is regularly criticized for a number of perceived issues.
Seven Havens, the latest Avatar series, seems to lean into this Korra hate, casting the former avatar as a world-destroyer whose death is celebrated. Some have taken this as confirmation that the Avatar creators themselves hate the character, a claim they have been quick to shut down.
Talking to Teen Vogue, franchise creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko discussed Korra’s touchy legacy.
“The idea that we hate Korra? I would say watch the show,” said Konietzko, with DiMartino adding, “That’s definitely not true. She’s one of my favorite characters.” The two also dug into a persistent claim that Korra failed as the avatar because she severed her connection to her past lives. “Her uncle did that to her,” Konietzko responded. “Aang’s entire people were wiped out, but no one seems to hold that against Aang.”
Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino
As to why people hold Korra to a different standard, he explained that “there’s a lot of misogyny. I think there’s a lot of homophobia.” It’s pretty refreshing to hear the creators put it so clearly, as this has been a constant problem in the fandom since Korra’s debut in 2012.
There is clearly a metatextual dimension to how Korra is portrayed in the first three episodes of Avatar: Seven Havens. After hearing DiMartino and Konietzko’s comments, it feels obvious that the show’s negative portrayal of Korra is a knowing nod to how a lot of the fandom treats her — that is to say, baseless hatred with little evidence to back it up. Although not confirmed, it’s likely we don’t yet know exactly what motivated Korra to plunge the world into chaos. There is sure to be a reason that flips what fans expect on its head. DiMartino teased as much, “There’s more to Korra’s story than you see in the first couple of episodes.”
The Avatar franchise is growing even more following Seven Havens’ premiere.
At New York Comic Con, DiMartino and Konietzko announced that Seven Havens would be getting four seasons. That’s good news for fans, since it means they won’t have to spend each season wondering if this will be the end. That also means we will likely see the story dive even further into Korra’s history. An avatar Kurok show is also coming, following Aang’s predecessor on a swashbuckling adventure.
Korra fans will be pleased to hear that DiMartino is writing a new graphic novel trilogy called The Long Game. It will go into the history of the Red Lotus, who served as the antagonists of Legend of Korra’s third season. Hopefully, the series will also give some more hints as to why Korra eventually plunged the world into chaos.
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