Many fans criticize The Legend of Korra harshly compared to Avatar: The Last Airbender. Despite its perceived narrative shortcomings, there are a few areas in which the sequel series outdoes is predecessor. Among them is the animation. With better technology behind it, The Legend of Korra looks cleaner and more fluid than the show that came before it. This leads to several intense battles that are marked with gorgeous animation that are just pure joy to watch.
There are numerous fights in the series, but we'll be looking at the cream of the crop. Here are the 10 best fights in The Legend of Korra ranked.
10 SU VS KUVIRA
Kuvira was one of the metalbenders in Zaofu, but she went mad with power in The Legend of Korra's final season. Being a protege of Suyin Beifong, Su felt that it was her responsibility to stop Kuvira. She, Lin, and her sons all went to fight Kuvira, who was prepared for them.
That didn't stop Su from getting a one-on-one battle with the villain. Being a daughter of Toph, it was clear that Su knew what she was doing. However, Kuvira's precise movements gave her the edge at all times. Still, it was a stunning fight to watch, leading to Su's extraction from the fight.
9 KORRA VS AMON'S LIEUTENANT
Korra knows how to fight with or without bending, and her battle with Amon's lieutenant just proves it. Despite him wielding chi-blocking weapons, Korra is able to bob and weave around his strikes and effortlessly retaliate with a few good punches of her own. This battle showed that Korra is the real deal and knows how to battle just about anyone.
The lieutenant was also known for having impressive evasive skills, which lead to some excellent choreography. The fight also took place above the streets of Republic City, leading to an impressive backdrop behind those two characters. This fight proved where The Legend of Korra would shine.
8 TONRAQ VS UNALAQ
The Southern Water Tribe had come a long way from its simple days in Avatar: The Last Airbender. Led by Korra's father, Tonraq, things had been much brighter for the tribe and more prosperous. However, Tonraq's brother was the chief of the Northern Water Tribe and had his sights set on taking his brother's position.
With a coup in the cards, Tonraq and Unalaq battled it out. Tonraq was exhausted from fighting other waterbenders, but he still proved a match for his brother. Seeing him adapt to everything Unalaq threw at him was great, whether it was punching through icicles or weaving through streams of water. This was an exciting, personal fight.
7 AVATAR WAN VS VAATU
Season two of The Legend of Korra gave us a look at the beginning of the Avatar. The first Avatar, Wan, was tied to a spirit, Raava, who held all four elements for him. When Vaatu, the spirit of chaos, was growing while Raava's power was waning, Wan knew he had to try and stop Vaatu.
The battle that ensued was visually striking, showing how Wan was still trying to learn all four elements. Still, he couldn't compare to Vaatu's strength. When he and Raava bonded and the Avatar State was unlocked, though, the battle changed. Wan now had the power of a massive spirit and placed Vaatu in bondage for many years.
6 THE FIRE FERRETS VS THE WOLFBATS
Pro-bending was a major component of season one of The Legend of Korra, showing that the world had celebrated bending as a serious sport. Korra joined a pro-bending team alongside Mako and Bolin, leading to a final confrontation between them and their rivals: the Wolfbats.
The animation for pro-bending is always top-notch, taking notice of the game's layout and rules and using them to enhance the combat. The Wolfbats were cheating and did inevitably win, but it wasn't without plenty of amazing moments. Seeing Korra give Tano a waterbending uppercut remains one of the best moments in the entire series.
5 MAKO AND BOLIN VS GHAZAN AND MING HUA
There were some pretty awful villains in The Legend of Korra's third season. Team Avatar had to take on four benders who were masters of their respective elements and then some. Ghazan was an earthbender who could bend lava and Ming Hua was an armless waterbender. Nonetheless, Mako and Bolin were prepared to take them on.
They fought a few times, losing until the season finale. Bolin countered Ghazan by learning to lavabend himself, and Mako had to cleverly avoid Ming Hua's strikes and use his lightning to get the edge. That final battle was exhilarating, leading to a collective sigh of relief when our heroes won.
4 KORRA VS TARRLOK
The first major bending battle in The Legend of Korra remains one of its best. When Republic City Councilman Tarrlok was weaseling his way to political power, he got on Korra's bad side. She went straight to his office (which had a gorgeous waterfall in the background) to try and set things straight.
However, this led to an intense and beautifully crafted battle. The two master waterbenders were throwing everything they had at each other, and the setting made for some gorgeous visuals. When Korra gained the upper hand, the battle was over when Tarrlok unleashed his bloodbending, leaving viewers on the edge of their seats.
3 KORRA VS KUVIRA (FIRST ROUND)
Korra fought Kuvira two times in The Legend of Korra, but it was the first battle that we believe is the superior of the two. Korra fights Kuvira outside Zaofu in a one-on-one to try and stop her from taking over. This fight shows both characters' distinct fighting styles.
Kuvira's precise motions contrasted with Korra's aggressive assaults, and it was mesmerizing to watch. Korra nearly beat Kuvira with the help of the Avatar State as well. With the fate of Zaofu in the hands of this battle, it was one of the tensest ones in the series. The whole time, Kuvira fought with a smirk.
2 KORRA VS ZAHEER
Zaheer had spent the entire third season of The Legend of Korra looking to destroy the Avatar. He nearly succeeded with the help of some mercury poison. However, he underestimated the power of the Avatar, and Korra broke free.
Still in chains, Korra and Zaheer battled in the air. She still managed to get him on the run, using her amazing powers as well as her own chains to get the advantage and bring him down. The new Air Nation would later join the fight, summoning a tornado that was strong enough to throw Zaheer off course and cause his defeat at the hands of the Avatar.
1 TENZIN VS THE RED LOTUS
When Zaheer and the Red Lotus was looking for Korra, they decided to go straight to the Air Temple to try and snuff out the budding Air Nation. None of them were ready for a serious fight, which led Tenzin to make his stand. What made this fight so great to watch is that it showed just how powerful Tenzin was.
Despite Zaheer being talented with his new skills, he didn't compare to an airbending master. Tenzin brought back memories of watching Aang fight by evading attacks, keeping balance, and being one step ahead of his opponents. The feeling of desperation clung to every minute of this battle, and Tenzin would've won if it weren't for P'Li.