Avatar: The Last Airbender was a tough act to follow. But, creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino successfully expanded the world of Avatar with The Legend of Korra, a show set seventy years after the original that follows the adventures of Aang's successor, a waterbender named Korra, and her own Team Avatar.
The Legend of Korra received positive reviews and became a fan-favorite similarly to its predecessor. Over the course of four seasons, the show has dealt with important issues like race, gender, and sexual orientation. A number of episodes were especially praised for their writing, themes, and animation. Today, we're counting down the ten best episodes of The Legend of Korra, according to IMDb.
Updated On August 17, 2020 By Amanda Bruce: With The Legend Of Korra's arrival on Netflix, even more fans are still being introduced to the show. The fluid nature of ratings on IMDb means that as more fans are able to see the show, ratings for the episodes continue to change. As a result, the top episodes have been updated with their current IMDb ratings.
"THE TERROR WITHIN" (SEASON 3, EPISODE 8) 8.9
While Korra and Bolin got some training in metalbending in this episode (with varying degrees of success), Opal prepared to head to the Northern Air Temple for her own training. The celebrations and goodbyes took a turn, however, when Zaheer came after Korra.
The attack made the group realize that someone around them couldn't be trusted as not too many people knew about their specific plans. It's one of many episodes in the series that provided a twist as the result of trust. It also shares its 8.9 rating with a few more episodes.
"TURNING THE TIDES" (SEASON 1, EPISODE 10) 8.9
This was one action-packed episode for the series, and considering how many enemies Korra faced off against over the four seasons, that's saying something.
Though Korra was still trying to recover from her own kidnapping and imprisonment, she was forced to cut her recovery time short to defend the city. The attack on Republic City didn't come from benders, but from followers of Amon. The attack on the Air Temple forced Tenzin's family to flee after just welcoming a new addition to their family (and the children defending their home). Most surprising of the episode, however, was that Lin Beifong found herself stripped of her bending abilities by Amon himself.
"SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET" (SEASON 1, EPISODE 11) 8.9
Korra was never the most patient of Avatars. This time around, her impatience actually served her. When she charged out instead of waiting for reinforcements, she ended up finding Tarrlok imprisoned by Amon.
Korra's impatience meant that she and Mako got to get Tarrlok's story from him. Not only did he reveal that Amon was a waterbender, but also his brother. He also explained just how the two ended up on their different paths to power. It was a big reveal for the series, so it's no wonder it landed amongst the top episodes.
"AND THE WINNER IS..." (SEASON 1, EPISODE 6) 8.9
Early in the series, Korra's focus was split between her airbending training and her probending attempts. She teamed up with Mako and Bolin when their teammate deserted them, and by the sixth episode, the Fire Ferrets had made it into the finals.
The probending finals were threatened by Amon, as he warned the city that they shouldn't go through with it. Though Korra, Bolin, and Mako managed to hold their own against a cheating team, they then had to contend with Amon's followers attacking everyone in the arena, making for an all-out brawl.
"LONG LIVE THE QUEEN" (SEASON 3, EPISODE 10) 9.0
There wasn't any love lost between Korra and the Queen of Ba Sing Se. That didn't mean Korra wanted to see the monarch fall to their mutual enemies.
When Korra and Asami were kidnapped with the intention of taking them to Ba Sing Se, the episode allowed the two women to bond in the midst of a dangerous situation as they had to work together when the airship they were on went down. They managed to create a makeshift sand sailer to find their way to freedom. In Ba Sing Se, however, the Red Lotus went back on their trade agreement with the Queen, deciding to murder her instead.
“OPERATION BEIFONG” (SEASON 4, EPISODE 10) 9.0
Book Four: Balance, or the fourth season, of The Legend of Korra, saw the rise of Kuvira, formerly a security officer at Suyin Beifong’s services, who decided that her talents are being squandered working for someone else and that she wanted more out of life. Well, something like that, anyway. In order to stop Kuvira, everyone had to join forces, and that included the estranged Beifong family as well.
In the tenth episode, titled “Operation Beifong,” Lin, Opal, and Bolin travel to Zaofu to rescue Suyin and her family, where they accidentally run into grandma Toph. For the mere fact that we got to see three generations of Beifongs together, this episode deserves the 9.0 rating and its spot in the top ten.
"THE LAST STAND" (SEASON 4, EPISODE 13) 9.0
The Legend of Korra series finale was positively received by the critics, with special praise given to the show for pushing the boundaries of LGBT representation in children’s TV. Titled “The Last Stand,” the finale sees the conclusion of the battle against Kuvira and her giant mecha. After a long and arduous fight, Korra manages to convince Kuvira to surrender.
Sometime later, Varrick and Zhu Li are married, Prince Wu reveals his plans to abolish the monarchy, and Korra and Asami decide to take a vacation in the Spirit World. The show ends with the two of them holding hands, walking into the light of the portal and gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes. The importance of this episode cannot be overstated, and it definitely deserves a palace in the top ten.
“DAY OF THE COLOSSUS” (SEASON 4, EPISODE 12) 9.2
In the second to last episode of The Legend of Korra, “Day of the Colossus,” it becomes painfully clear that Kuvira’s behemoth will not go down easy. After metalbending, paint bombs, lavabending, metal cables, collapsed buildings, Korra’s bending, and electromagnetic pulses all prove to be ineffective, Lin turns to an unlikely source for help.
She gets Hiroshi Sato out of prison and he hatches a plan to take the mecha down from the inside. With the help of his daughter Asami, and Varrick and Zhu Li, Hiroshi’s plan works but comes at the cost of his life. “Day of the Colossus” is an exciting and action-packed prelude to the slower finale. It has a score of 9.3 and ranks as the fifth-best episode of the show.
"ENDGAME" (SEASON 1, EPISODE 12) 9.3
In Book One: Air, Korra was up against Amon and his anti-bender revolutionary group The Equalists. Amon's vision of equality meant ridding the world of benders, so that everyone can be equal in his brave new world. However, he failed to mention one kind of crucial detail, that he himself is a bender – a bloodbender, to be precise.
In the finale, Amon is exposed as a bloodbender after a rally at which he planned to rid the world of airbenders. Team Avatar manages to foil his plans and Korra comes face to face with Amon who takes away her bending. Meanwhile, Asami faces her villainous father in a mecha duel. The episode ends with Korra finally connecting with her spiritual self, thus regaining her powers, and sharing a kiss with Mako.
"THE ULTIMATUM" (SEASON 3, EPISODE 11) 9.3
To say definitively that the third season of The Legend of Korra, known as Book Three: Change, is the best season of the show would probably turn some heads. But, hands down, it’s undeniably amazing. This season introduced new members of the Beifong family, an elderly Zuko, and, of course, the villains Zaheer and the Red Lotus.
In “The Ultimatum,” Zaheer comes closer to his goal, aka killing the Avatar, by threatening to kill the airbenders at the Northern Air Temple unless Korra surrenders to him. Zuko and his uncle Iroh make an appearance and offer Korra guidance, Tenzin and his siblings try to fight off Zaheer's allies, but the odds appear to be against our heroes. On a completely unrelated note, Bolin meeting Zuko, as well as other members of the original Team Avatar, is hilarious.
“KORRA ALONE” (SEASON 4, EPISODE 2) 9.3
“Korra Alone,” a nod to Avatar: The Last Airbender’s “Zuko Alone,” is often hailed by the critics as the best episode of The Legend of Korra. The episode, which has a 9.3 score on IMDb, tells us how Korra ended up in an underground bending arena. In mere twenty-two minutes, “Korra Alone” takes us on a poignant journey that explores Korra’s PTSD and the effect Zaheer had on her physical and mental state.
RELATED: 10 Things The Last Airbender Did Better Than Korra (& Vice Versa)
After spending two years in the Southern Water Tribe with Katara, Korra’s body recuperated and she decided to leave for Republic City. However, she’s still haunted by her former self, Nega-Korra, who looks like her in the Avatar state, chained and poisoned by Zaheer. Eventually, Korra must fight Nega-Korra in a mystical swamp where she was lead by a spirit. Korra loses the fight and wakes up in the company of none other than Toph Beifong. "Korra Alone" and season four in general dealt with some pretty heavy stuff, especially for a kid's show, which earned critical acclaim.
“BEGINNINGS, PART 1” (SEASON 2, EPISODE 7) 9.3
Book Two: Spirits isn’t most people’s favorite season of The Legend of Korra. The highlight of the second season is the two-part episode titled “Beginnings” that expanded the Avatar universe by telling the story of the first Avatar, Wan, and the spirits Raava and Vaatu.
When Korra became infected by a dark spirit that threatened to destroy her Avatar Spirit, she had to find Raava, the spirit of peace and light, to reconnect with her Avatar Spirit. In order to do so, she had to learn about the origins of the first Avatar, Wan. For the most part, "Beginnings, Part 1,” is a beautifully animated story about Wan and how he became the Avatar when he tried to maintain the balance between the material and spirit world. The first part scored 9.3 on IMDb.
“ENTER THE VOID” (SEASON 3, EPISODE 12) 9.4
“Enter the Void” picks up where “The Ultimatum” left off with Zaheer holding the airbenders hostage to force Korra to surrender herself to him. Team Avatar comes up with a plan to fight Zaheer and the Red Lotus and heads to Laghima’s Peak where Korra is supposed to turn herself to Zaheer. Unfortunately, nothing ever goes according to the plan.
While Suyin does manage to take down P’Li, her death only makes Zaheer grow stronger by destroying his earthly tether and thus allowing him to unlock the power of flight. Zaheer succeeds at overpowering Korra and her father, flying away with the unconscious Avatar in tow. The action-packed and surprising penultimate episode of Book Three: Change sets the stage for the shocking finale, and for a job well done it gets a score of 9.4.
"BEGINNINGS, PART 2" (SEASON 2, EPISODE 8) 9.6
At the end of part one, Wan had just released the negative spirit Vaatu. The second part tells the story of how Wan gained the ability to bend all four elements and how and why he merged with Raava, hence becoming the first Avatar. Wan’s story helps Korra realize what she has to do in order to restore the balance between the physical and spirit world.
On the other hand, this double episode also serves the purpose of further building the world of Avatar and developing the show’s mythology. And, on top of that, it also works as an excellent origin story for Avatar Wan. According to IMDb, the second part of “Beginnings” is the second-best episode of The Legend of Korra.
“VENOM OF THE RED LOTUS” (SEASON 3, EPISODE 13) 9.6
Unsurprisingly, the highest-rated Legend of Korra episode, with a 9.6 score, is the finale of Book Three: Change, “Venom of the Red Lotus.” In the previous episode, Zaheer kidnapped Korra, leaving it up to Team Avatar to save her.
Zaheer administered the poison to Korra, forcing her to enter the Avatar State and battle him. Ultimately, Korra manages to defeat and recapture Zaheer. And while Suyin successfully gets the poison out of her system, the poison had already gravely damaged Korra’s body. Unable to move without a wheelchair, Korra falls into a state of depression. With the Avatar out of commission, the Air Nation takes the role of world’s ambassador for peace and balance. The season three finale ended on a shocking and depressing note, setting the tone for the fourth and final season.