The Legend of Korra brought about many changes to the Avatar universe as fans know it. Many are displeased with the direction the series took, feeling confused and frustrated by the stark differences between it and Avatar: The Last Airbender. One big difference fans object to is the level of skill found in the sequel series' benders, compared to the original.
When the series was first released, there was a lot of hype for the new characters, and fans were excited to see what they could do. Many benders are just as powerful as expected. However, there are plenty of weak benders throughout the series who lack the mastery of those before them. Some are still novice benders, just learning the ropes. Meanwhile, others simply just don't have past benders' genius, never becoming anything more than average.
10 Tarrlok Has Nowhere Near The Skills Of His Brother
Throughout the first season, Tarrlok is a powerful threat Team Avatar must face. However, most of his power comes from his political position. With it, he gains the upper hand on his enemies and comes out of any situation unscathed. He is a skilled bender and proves that many times, but his skills can't compare to more powerful benders, such as his brother Noatok.
Growing up, Noatok was always the more gifted of the two brothers, and his gifts aid him during the revolution. Tarrlok has many of the same skills as his brother but has less use for them. His greatest power is politics, not bending.
9 Mako Is The Least Impressive Bender Out Of Team Avatar
Out of everyone in the main group, Mako is, on average, the weakest of the bunch. He is a good bender, just not as good as the rest of Team Avatar. Compared to both Korra and Bolin, his bending skills don't hold up. Korra is the Avatar and is a powerhouse by default, though she is considered a prodigy even among Avatars. Meanwhile, Bolin is as average as his brother at first but develops his skills and even learns a rare type of bending.
Mako has some unique skills, such as his ability to generate lightning, an ability even Zuko couldn't learn. However, the power to bend lightning appears to be much more common than in Zuko's time and is less impressive than it used to be. Despite being weaker, Mako has his moments where he outshines the others, and he is still considered a valuable member of the team.
8 Lin Does Not Carry On Toph's Prodigious Legacy
Being Toph Beifong's daughter, many expected Lin to carry on her mother's prodigious legacy. However, while she is a skilled bender, her abilities hardly match those of her famous parent. As expected, she can metalbend with ease, and her skills have even earned her a place as the Chief of Police in Republic City.
Despite her notoriety, she fails to deliver when in battle. She loses every on-screen battle she is in, hardly giving fans the impression of a powerful bender, and even is one of Amon's many victims in the first season. She is strong but compared to others within the series, Lin is no prodigy.
7 Tahno Fails To Impress Outside Of Pro-Bending
Pro-bender Tahno talks a big game from his very introduction. He is portrayed as one of the toughest benders around, a threat to Korra and her team in Book 1. His team, the White Falls Wolfbats, reigns supreme at the start as the four-time defending champions. Despite this, Tahno has very little to offer when it comes to skills.
His bending is great during a Pro-bending match. However, when it comes to the battlefield, he doesn't stand a chance. He is powerless in a fight against the more powerful characters of the series, especially Amon. Once Pro-bending no longer holds relevance within the show, Tahno starts to fade into obscurity, showing that his bending skills are only good in the ring.
6 Opal Is Strong But Lacks Experience
Opal is one of the many non-benders who are granted airbending after the Air Nation's revival. While she is one of the stronger airbenders to emerge, she still pales in comparison to the more experienced benders around her. When she first obtains her abilities, she picks up on her first few lessons pretty quickly. She is even able to lend aid to Korra and the rest of Team Avatar in battle.
However, she has a long way to go before she's mastered the element. Though she has potential, she still trails far behind those born with bending.
5 Kya's Bending Is Average Compared To Her Parents'
Kya is the daughter of two extraordinary bending masters, Aang and Katara. Despite inheriting waterbending from her mother, Kya is nowhere near where master Katara is. Her skills are much weaker, falling short even compared to other bending prodigies within the series.
Her most prominent waterbending skill is healing, which she has undoubtedly mastered the most. While she does have an incredible talent for healing, her talents in battle are lacking. She does have skills, but they are underwhelming compared to the feats fans are used to. Though she may be a good bender, she is only average.
4 Kai Makes Little Improvement In His Bending
Kai is another new member of the revived Air Nation. Like Opal, he is one of the more powerful airbenders fans see. He is quick and crafty, able to get out of the toughest situations. Life as a thief has given him skills no other bender has, not even Tenzin or his kids.
While these skills are useful, his abilities as an airbender are still feeble. He is quick to learn but tends to be less effective than others in battle. He makes very little on-screen improvement throughout the series, even while other new airbenders get better and better.
3 Meelo Is Still Just A Little Kid
Since he is still a very young child, fans expect Meelo's bending skills to be weaker than the rest. At the start of the series, he is only five years old, after all. Considering his abilities even then, he actually does have the potential to become a powerful bender in adulthood.
After the three years pass, he improves noticeably and can even lend a hand in battle. However, he is still far too young to be compared to the older benders, and he still hasn't developed his skills enough to do much in a fight.
2 Bumi Obtains Bending Later In Life
Bumi is Aang and Katara's eldest of three children and was born a non-bender. He is much older when he finally obtains airbending, which may account for his struggle with mastering the element. He does slowly get the hang of his new abilities and is even able to put up a good fight.
However, his skills are significantly weaker than the other benders around him, his movements shaky and clumsy. Because he became a bender so much later in life, his skills are nowhere near those of the other adult benders. and he has yet to fully develop his power.
1 The Triple Threat Triad Is Hardly A Threat At All
The Triple Threat Triad is a gang of thugs introduced in The Legend of Korra's first season. They make a name for themselves around Republic City as they terrorize citizens and rob poor, unsuspecting shopkeepers. While they run amok and cause fear at first, it turns out they are just a bunch of big talkers.
When Korra arrives at Republic City, she puts an end to their shenanigans right away. When they start a fight with her, she overtakes them like a walk in the park. Later on, they become Amon's targets and are easily abducted, showing they don't stand a chance against anyone with real skill. They may act tough, but in reality, the Triple Threat Triad is pathetic.