While The Last Airbender established the rules of the Avatar universe, The Legend of Korra went beyond the rulebook and introduced fans to new ways of wielding the elements. The Legend of Korra featured another cast of benders who took water, earth, fire, and airbending to new levels of power and skill.
From heroes to villains, there were quite a few characters in The Legend of Korra with jaw-dropping bending abilities. However, there are always two sides of a coin — meaning not every bender was up to snuff. Who were the best and worst benders of the series?
Weak: Meelo
In the first season of The Legend of Korra, Meelo was only five years old. Though he clearly showed potential at a very early age, Meelo is too young to be considered a powerful bender.
Unfortunately, fans don't get to see Meelo at his peak. For this reason, he's considered one of the weaker benders on the show. If Meelo were to battle any of the powerful benders, especially any of the series' villains, he would undoubtedly lose. Though when it comes to fartbending, he will always be the reigning champ.
Powerful: Amon
As the first villain to step onto the scene in The Legend of Korra, Amon set the bar incredibly high. The most compelling antagonists to watch are those who give the protagonists a run for their money, and Amon definitely provided both Korra and viewers those tension-filled, nail-biting moments.
Amon was an ominous threat throughout the first season, even more so considering he is arguably the best bloodbender in the entire Avatar universe. No one else has bloodbending abilities like Amon, which makes him a terrifying adversary.
Weak: Bumi
As unfair as it is to compare siblings, it's undeniable that Aang's son Bumi is no Tenzin — or Kya for that matter. While Bumi was originally the only non-bender child of Aang's and Katara's, he later developed airbending abilities after the Harmonic Convergence.
Unlike Zaheer, who was also born a non-bender but ultimately developed bending abilities, Bumi's skills never progressed enough to consider him a powerful threat amongst the cast of benders on The Legend of Korra.
Powerful: Tenzin
Like his father Aang, Tenzin spends most of his life as one of the last airbenders. While some crumble under pressure, Tenzin rose to the occasion and truly emerged as one of the most powerful airbenders in The Legend of Korra.
It took the entire Red Lotus to take down Tenzin in a fight. And he fought while injured. While viewers don't get to see Tenzin fight often, when he does show off his abilities, it's always impressive.
Weak: Kai
Viewers first see Kai as a mischievous thief. He's quick on his feet and able to squirm out of almost any situation. However, while Kai's sticky fingers are impressive, his bending abilities were less so.
Kai is one of many who developed airbending abilities after the Harmonic Convergence. However, Kai never emerged as a serious contender and his capabilities were never all that powerful.
Powerful: Ming-Hua
The Red Lotus as a whole is pretty powerful, with Zaheer and P'Li also ranking as the most powerful benders on The Legend of Korra. Ming-Hua, however, is the sole Red Lotus member to make this list because of her incredible waterbending abilities. Not to mention, she's also one of the best characters introduced after season one.
In fact, some fans speculate she is the best waterbender in the entire Avatar universe. Ming-Hua wields her element in ways viewers have never seen before. Combined with her ability to bend in multiple different ways at once, Ming-Hua is an obvious frontrunner in a list of powerful benders.
Weak: Mako
The original Team Avatar set the bar really high in The Last Airbender. Aang, Zuko, Toph, and Katara were all prodigies in their respective elements, with the entirety of the Gaang ranking as some of the most powerful people in the Avatar universe.
Long story long, every member of Korra's Team Avatar couldn't hold a candle to the Gaang — Mako especially. That's not to say pro-benders aren't talented. It's just that Mako's skills pale in comparison to other benders (like Bolin) featured in The Legend of Korra.
Powerful: Kuvira
Kuvira is one of the strongest benders in The Legend of Korra. While she was a background character in the third season, she showed up and out as a legendary antagonist and expert bender in the fourth and final season.
Toph may have invented metalbending, but Kuvira took this subset of earthbending to new heights. Every fight featuring Kuvira is a case study on new ways to metalbend. Imagine what she could have helped the good guys accomplish if she hadn't been on the wrong side of Avatar history.
Weak: Lin Beifong
Lin Beifong is undeniably a strong earth-and-metalbender. She's the Chief of Police after all. However, in comparison to the other benders from The Legend of Korra, Lin's abilities left viewers wanting.
As the daughter of Toph, Lin could have been just as much of a prodigy as her mother. However, it's clear Lin is just good. And, with villains like Kuvira reinventing the scope and scale of metalbending, Lin Beifong just doesn't hold up as a powerful bender — though she still ranks as one of The Legend of Korra's strongest female characters.
Powerful: Korra
While there are still some fans who hold tightly to the original series, most viewers are in agreement that the stakes were considerably higher in The Legend of Korra. This is especially evident with every Korra story arc.
Korra didn't always win every fight or beat every opponent every time. However, she is one of the most powerful benders to emerge from The Legend of Korra series. With every mental and physical journey she took, Korra emerged as a stronger character with clear growth in both her bending abilities and worldly outlook.