Since it began on Nickelodeon 15 years ago, the Avatar franchise has become one of the most beloved animated epics of the 21st century. Both the original Avatar: The Last Airbender and its sequel series The Legend of Korra are impressive in their own ways. While both are monumental shows, however, it's time to admit that Legend of Korra stands above The Last Airbender as the better overall series.

THE STORY OF THE AVATAR

Avatars Aang and Korra in ATLA and LOK

The first Avatar series, The Last Airbender, focuses on Aang, the titular last Airbender. Born the Avatar (the only being capable of bending all four elements), Aang ended up being frozen for a hundred years - during which time the Fire Nation became a dangerous and expansive empire, wiping out the Air Nomads. Aang is found by a pair of Southern Water Tribe siblings, Katara and Sokka. They set out on a globe-spanning journey to help Aang master the elements and save the world. Along the way, they are pursued by Zuko, the exiled Prince of the Fire Nation, who sees capturing the Avatar as the best way to regain favor with his father, but his quest forces him to confront his own morality and role in the world.

Picking up decades after the events of Last AirbenderLegend of Korra centers on Korra, the next reincarnation of the Avatar after Aang. The setting is more steampunk, with technological advances such as cars and planes being introduced to the world at large. However, the peace brought by Aang is threatened - not by just one powerful enemy, but by a number of disapparate threats with their own goals and motivations. Recruiting a group of allies (including the pro-bending brothers Mako and Bolin, the gadgeteer genius Asami and Aang's Airbender Master son Tenzin), Korra finds herself confronting new kinds of threats.

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WHY KORRA IS BETTER THAT AIRBENDER?

The Legend of Korra doesn't exist without The Last Airbender, and there's no denying the artistic merit of Last Airbender. It's thrilling and charming, building to an epic conclusion that feels almost unique for the sheer scope and personal stakes of the final battles. Legend of Korra received an increased production budget (which shows in the often-times beautiful artwork and choreography) and is as good as it is thanks in part to The Last Airbender.

But Legend of Korra isn't content to repeat those story beats or concepts, instead of using them as a springboard to delve into new ideas. Korra is ambitious and at times messy, much like the titular hero. But Legend of Korra is able to take all the fantastic world-building that came from Last Airbender and expand on it. It finds natural places of growth, without ever feeling forced. Revelations about the past (such as the two-parter "Beginnings," which ranks among the best episodes of the entire franchise) and changes for the future means this is a fantasy world that gets to do what so few have in the past - actually change in the ways that real life does.

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The show doesn't paint a typical "good vs evil" conflict with a faceless villain. Korra instead confronts a number of villains who each come with their own goals and form of morality. While Vaatu and Tonraq (the villains of the second season) have clearly dark intentions, the other villains have warped versions of morality behind their actions - notably Kuvira, who proves to be a dark reflection of Korra's own ambition, fighting prowess and commitment to "fixing" the world. It makes the series more compelling as a result, with Korra's ultimate lesson not being "just be a good guy!" but rather "try to understand your enemies, so you may properly contend with them and even make peace with them."

While the characters from Last Airbender all develop over the course of the series, they mostly have traditional coming-of-age arcs. The emotional arcs of the Korra characters are far more complex and compelling. There are shifts in the goals of the characters. The characters are all older than the Last Airbender heroes, giving the show a slightly more dramatic and mature feeling. The characters bicker, fight and grow in ways Last Airbender never attempted, with their arcs becoming more interesting and unique as a result.

The most radical character development across The Last Airbender is that of Zuko, the deposed prince. His journey to becoming a redeemable man is compelling and he has plenty of highs and lows in that journey, but it's ultimately a relatively basic story arc of someone overcoming their villainous roots to become a better person. Morally ambiguous characters like Varric and President Roku (who never really become outright allies) or even the complex villains like Zaheer and Kuvira (who suffer a genuine loss and grief during their missions) can exist in Legend of Korra in a way that they couldn't in the more straightforward Last Airbender.

Korra especially goes through a unique arc for Western animation during the fourth and final season of the series, contending with her own PTSD from her near-death experience in the previous season. She pushes away her friends and goes on a quest of self-discovery that doesn't go as well as planned - and it's not treated as an epic Western like Zuko's journey, but rather a sad and difficult period of self-loathing and doubt. It brings questions of trauma and overcoming it to a fantasy family setting, making the most important element of the show Korra's growth in a truly inspiring way. Legend of Korra doesn't happen without The Last Airbender paving the way and creating a beautifully realized world. Legend of Korra, however, takes everything that works about Last Airbender and makes it more interesting.

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