I Watched The Legend Of Korra Again, And I Still Think It's Way Better Than Avatar: The Last Airbender For A Few Specific Reasons

People like to ask me what my “comfort show” is, and I always tell them that I don’t have one.

But, do you know what? I’m a bald-faced liar (unintentionally), since I DO have a comfort show, and it’s Avatar: The Last Airbender. I was recently informed of this when I was telling my coworker that I just finished my millionth rewatching of ATLA and The Legend of Korra (which I also rewatch religiously), and he exclaimed, “That’s your comfort show!” And, I guess he’s right, since I usually rewatch both series every year or so.

That said, one thing that has always bothered me is that even after rewatching both shows, I still think The Legend of Korra is the better show, even though pretty much nobody agrees with me. I said as such many years ago, and I’m still saying it today: The Legend of Korra is better than Avatar: The Last Airbender, and I have a few reasons why.

Korra's Journey Is Much More Interesting Than Aang's

Now, here’s something that I think only people who have actually rewatched The Legend of Korra can tell you, but Korra’s emotional journey is better than Aang’s.

That said, I honestly don’t think many people have rewatched The Legend of Korra, as a lot of the people I’ve talked to (and from what I’ve read online) feel that one time is enough for TLoK. That’s probably because they don’t feel it has the same enjoyment factor as ATLA.

And, sure. I’ll admit it. Avatar is more enjoyable. It’s why, unbeknownst to me, it actually is my comfort show, since I’ll usually watch some of my favorite episodes even when I’m not going through the entire series. Inversely, I never watch the best The Legend of Korra episodes separately since I don’t think any one episode is really great on its own. It’s either all or nothing for me when it comes to Korra.

But, that’s also because Korra’s character arc takes much longer to develop than Aang’s. That’s not to say that Aang doesn’t have an interesting emotional journey. He does! He goes from being a playful, albeit guilt-ridden kid, to somebody who has to step up in order to save the world. And, I love that about Aang.

However, Korra is a lot more interesting as a character. She learns humility throughout her journey, and goes from somebody who becomes a lot more likable as the series progresses, whereas Aang is likable from the very first encounter. Personally, I prefer the long game. It’s like buying an album just to listen to the singles, or buying it for the full experience. I don’t want to upset any music fans here, but Avatar: The Last Airbender is Michael Jackson’s Thriller, while The Legend of Korra is Prince’s Purple Rain. Make of that comparison what you will.

I've Come To Like Korra's Team Avatar More Than Aang's Over The Years

Okay, this might be my most controversial statement, but…I like Korra’s Team Avatar more than Aang’s.

HERE’S THE THING. Toph is a better character than Bolin, Mako, and Asami combined. This is not lost on me! In all honesty, Toph is the best character to come out of the entire Avatar universe in my opinion (Though, some of us here feel Katara is the show’s real MVP). Be that as it may, Toph doesn’t come until Book 2 of ATLA, which makes Book 1 feel like it’s just lacking something.

Also, while I do love how Zuko gradually realizes the error of his ways (Plus, Iroh is a package deal when it comes to Zuko, which is nice), I also feel like his personal journey is bigger than his role on Team Avatar (Though, he plays a much bigger role in the comics. That said, I’m talking about the show now. Not the comics).

So, while I love Aang’s Team Avatar, it kind of grows too much over time, as one could argue it also includes Suki, Momo, and Appa.

Korra’s Team Avatar, however, feels a lot more consistent (and smaller) throughout the series. We also get the romantic angle of Mako with Korra, and then, toward the end, the tiny hint of Korrasami, so the dynamics feel a bit more interesting to me. I also like how Tenzin and his family could be included in Korra’s inner circle.

Honestly, I know it’s almost apples to oranges, but I feel that ATLA’s characters in Team Avatar are strong on their own, while TLoK’s characters need Korra to be relevant. That may seem like a strike against them, but I think it makes for a stronger TEAM Avatar. If that makes any sense.

Even Though I Think Season 2 Of The Legend Of Korra Is The Weakest, I Still Like It Better Than Avatar's Second Season

When I ranked both TLoK and ATLA’s seasons, I put Book 2: Spirits, as the weakest out of both series. And yeah, it’s mostly the enemy, as Unalaq is definitely the most boring villain we got out of TLoK. However, that’s only because the other villains were SO good!

Be that as it may, I think most TLoK fans would agree that Book 2 is a low point. Even so, it’s not a total wash. We learned about the first Avatar, Wan, in this season, and we were also introduced to some deep lore. Oftentimes, since I watch all of The Legend of Korra whenever I watch the series, I always look forward to this section of the story.

I also really like learning about Vaatu and Raava. Hell, even the big kaiju battle at the end of the season has kind of grown on me, even though I hated it the first time I watched it.

That said, I actually skip episodes when I rewatch Book 2 of ATLA. I’m sorry, but the kidnapped Appa storyline is just so boring for me.

It might be because I’m not really an animal person (my wife cries at this section of the story), but for whatever reason, I just feel like Book 2 is brought down by this arc, and I really have to push myself to even watch these episodes again. So, even though Book 2 of Korra is… fine, I’d still rather rewatch it over ATLA’s Book 2. Sorry, but it’s true.

The Live-Action Show Has Actually Dampened My Feelings Toward Avatar: The Last Airbender A Little, Unfortunately

It pains me to say this, but the live-action version of ATLA has kind of dampened my feelings toward the cartoon. And this sucks, because the live-action show is not bad, per se. In fact, I’m looking forward to Book 2.

Be that as it may, I really wish I hadn’t rewatched the live-action show, because my second viewing was a lot worse than my first. Honestly, a lot of the things people complained about really hit me on my second viewing.

I kind of made myself ignore things like the costumes, or some of the characters, the first time I watched it, but it was all pretty glaring on my second viewing.

This shouldn’t hurt my feelings toward the original cartoon, but it does, unfortunately. I was left just wanting to watch the animated series again, but then when I rewatched Book 1 of the cartoon, it made me take a more critical eye to it, and that made me re-evaluate some of the things that I don’t like.

Plus, as I said before, it’s missing the best character, Toph, which never really bothered me before, but really bothers me now.

Thankfully, TLoK doesn’t have this problem (Though at one point, I wanted a live-action Korra). And I’m really glad for this. Keep Korra a cartoon, please!

Overall, The Legend Of Korra Is Just A More Engaging Show Than Avatar: The Last Airbender

Lastly, TLoK pulls me in much more than ATLA. In fact, lots of times, Avatar will just be on in the background, which I suppose adds to it being my comfort show. I just like hearing their voices.

Not so for Korra. Whenever I rewatch it, I’m always fully engaged, as I’m not looking at my phone, or talking to my kids. I’ll watch it with my full attention since it’s warranted. I mostly follow the villains’ story arcs, because they’re all mostly well-written.

That said, I also feel like the series always keeps its focus on Korra’s growth, which might be a weakness in the show since it doesn’t have great B-stories (they’re more like silly asides) like ATLA, but I still appreciate it.

In every way, The Legend of Korra just grabs me more, and this is coming from somebody who loves Avatar: The Last Airbender.

But, what do you think? Have I convinced you to give TLoK another shot?