Thanks to its recent resurgence on Netflix, The Legend of Korra is having a moment. Out of all the characters in The Legend of Korra, Bolin is perhaps one of the most beloved. With his boyish charm, cute hairdo, idealistic outlook, and journey towards finding out he has the ability to lavabend, Bolin is an excellent addition to Korra's Team Avatar, even when he's off making movers or helping Kuvira create her empire.
Nobody's perfect. Like anyone, Bolin has his strengths and he has his weaknesses and flaws. But what could those flaws possibly be? Let's take a look.
10 Worst: Flighty and Fickle
Throughout The Legend of Korra, we saw Bolin go through many different occupations. Pro-Bender, movie star, underling to Varrick and Kuvira, police officer, and secretary to President Zhi Li Moon (the last two happened in the post-show graphic novels). While Bolin saw his varied resumé as trying to find his true calling, his brother and friends criticized him for not thinking about his future. Another example was his confession of love to Eska, which he admitted was just him being caught up in the moment.
9 Best: Relationship with Pabu
Few relationships or OTPs in The Legend of Korra stand as strong as the one between Pabu and Bolin. Not Korra and Asami or even the brotherly bond of Mako and Bolin comes close to what Pabu and Bolin have. Pabu the fire ferret, the mascot of their pro-bending team, is an ally, a cute pet, and a great friend to Bolin, whose own ability to chitter at and communicate with the tiny beast has saved the members of Team Avatar's lives more than once.
8 Worst: Blabbermouth
There's always at least one character in a TV show who can't keep a secret but wow, Bolin really cannot keep a secret. He revealed Korra and Mako's kiss to Asami when she was still dating Mako and he has absolutely no filter for his mouth or his emotions.
While it has sometimes helped him (being a "straight-shooter" got him an in with Varrick in season two) it has mostly been an embarrassing character flaw, especially when he fanboys over the OG Team Avatar.
7 Best: Goofy
Much like Sokka before him, Bolin is the indisputable comic relief of Korra's Team Avatar. Always the one to try to ease tension, crack a joke, or defy the bleak odds (who else but Bolin would try to figure out if Ming-Hua and Ghazan of the Red Lotus have something going on while he and Mako are being held hostage?), Bolin's goofiness is one of his best qualities. The best part of Bolin's charm and silliness is that he knows when to switch it off.
6 Worst: A Bit Thoughtless
While Bolin is generally selfless and puts others before himself, he does have a tendency to be thoughtless in his words and actions. Part of this counts for blabbermouth but also his semi-obliviousness to social cues.
Like in season three, he didn't hesitate to complain about the distance that would be between him and Opal even after they've just met, or when he quite literally threw Suyin, Opal's mother, out of the way so he could hug her after they rescued her and the airbenders.
5 Best: Team Player
One of the most impressive things about Bolin and Mako's relationship is how in sync they are with each other, whether it be taking out the pro-bending competition or the evil Red Lotus.
While Bolin isn't much of a leader, he is definitely a team player and he works well with just about everybody. From Mako to Korra to Suyin's Metal Gang to even Varrick, Bolin brings a can-do attitude and grit that any team would be absolutely lucky to have on their side.
4 Worst: Naïve
This was most apparent during season four when we learned that Bolin was working for Kuvira as she "united" the Earth Kingdom. While Bolin is a good person, his naïveté naivety really shone through when it became increasingly obvious that Kuvira's tactics were authoritarian.
Even when his brother Mako and his girlfriend Opal told him that what Kuvira's doing wasn't right, Bolin explained it away by focusing on the good he thinks they've done. He finally saw the truth, but his naïve nature blinded him.
3 Best: Brave
One thing to know about Bolin is that he's not afraid of a fight. From his early days as a street kid where he and his brother fought to survive to his commitment to doing good, Bolin is certainly brave. Even when he, Tenzin, Mako, and Asami were facing imminent, melting doom, he kept his cool and did everything he could to keep them safe with his earthbending. He didn't hesitate to take on Ghazan's lava, not knowing that he had the ability to lavabend.
2 Worst: A Little Dense
There's a reason there are so many memes about Korra's team avatar and how Asami is the only one with any real brains. While Mako and Korra have their moments, it's clear that Bolin was set up to be the least tactical.
One good example is his less-than-creative use of his earthbending abilities, particularly when he was straining to bend a slab of concrete over his head to save the others when he could have used his bending to create pillars to support the debris.
1 Best: Kind
While Bolin has a few negative personality quirks, he is still one of the least problematic characters of The Legend of Korra and it all stems from his kindness. When Korra told him she just wanted to be friends after their date, he was understanding and still remained a good friend to her.
Even when his girlfriend/master Eska was controlling and dismissive of him, Bolin still showed kindness to her. Bolin may be a bit dumb but he's also nice, which makes him king himbo.