The show had its ups and downs, and I know many people would agree that the second book wasn’t as good as the rest. But I still think the series deserves a shout to be one of the best-animated TV shows in the 2010s. I’ve decided to compile a list of my favorite characters on the show, which include most of the main protagonists of the series, as well as a couple of unexpected cameos that usually don’t make it to lists like this. But with so many fantastic characters to see, we might as well get down to business!
20. Kya
Kya is the sister of Tenzin, which makes her the only daughter of Aang and Katara. She makes my list because of her amazing personality. And how free she seems to be without leaving her family behind on any occasion.
19. Katara
Katara was my favorite character in the original Avatar series. But I can’t help but love her even more in The Legend of Korra. She became the Avatar’s waterbending teacher, and she always kept up her amazing personality. Aang might not be around anymore. But as long as she is, things will be fine for all of us!
18. Wan
I know that he’s technically not one of the main characters of the series… but Avatar Wan’s backstory makes him one of my favorite characters in the Avatar universe. As the first Avatar that ever existed, he’s the driving force behind the show’s timeline and an all-time favorite of many fans of the show.
17. Mako
Mako, Bolin’s younger brother, might not share the same resilient views of his brother. But the fact that all of his love interests seem to turn into lesbians makes me just want to add him to my list even more. A fair spot, too.
16. Unalaq
Previously Korra’s master, this guy had one of the biggest falls from grace in the history of the show. An interesting character, but not the most loyal of them all.
15. Meelo
It was clear that Tenzin was looking to bring as many airbenders to the world as possible… But Meelo was one of my favorite characters in the show. He’s the Tenzin child that resembles the most to Aang, at least in terms of his looks and personality, as well as the non-main character that’s the most fun to watch (in my opinion)!
14. Bumi
Bumi is the second son of Avatar Aang and Katara, brother to Tenzin and Kya, and the one with the personality that resembles Aang’s the most. Impossible to argue that he doesn’t deserve a spot here.
13. Zuko
Zuko became the Lord of Fire and ruled the Fire Nation after the passing of his father. A previous antagonist turned friend, he’s one of the most likable characters in the Avatar universe. And certainly one of the more memorable antagonists.
12. Toph Beifong
Of course Toph was going to make my list! Her personality was already great in the first part of the series – imagine how good it is now that she’s much older. There’s also quite a bit of trivia interesting about her.
11. Asami Sato
Even though Asami seems to have been introduced in the Avatar universe with the ultimate intention of making her Korra’s partner, it wouldn’t be fair to leave her out of my list. Her wit and skills as a tactician are unquestionable. And her personality makes her one of the most likable characters in the series – which probably explains why Korra loved her so much. In any case, she’s a great character that added as much to the show as any other of the main characters – even if she wasn’t a bender herself.
10. Pabu
Alright, we all know that DiMartino and Konietzko are truly capable of making us love animated animals like no other pair of writers. We all fell in love with good ol’ Appa in the first installment of the series. And this time, it was Pabu who took my heart. It might have something to do with the fact that I truly love ferrets. But man, Pabu is my favorite animated animal in the series. The quirky and expressive ferret is Bolin’s best friend, and his antics always brought a smile to my face more than anything else that happened on the show. If you love animated creatures as much as I do, then you probably love Pabu just as much as I do, too.
9. Tarrlok
Tarrlok was not a character that I instantly liked. In fact, out of all the semi antagonist characters of the series, I’d say that Tarrlok is one of my least favorites. However, there’s something that made me change my opinion on him, and always made me like him more: he’s a powerful blood bender. This allows him to control and incapacitate some of the strongest people on the continent. A skillful politician, Tarrlok is a member of the Northern Water Tribe and one of the main blood benders in the show.
8. Bolin
Bolin started off the series as quite an interesting character, even though his personality was always a weird one. As time goes by and you get to see how much potential he has, it’s easy to understand why he’s seen as one of the strongest benders in the Earth Kingdom. Once he realizes that he’s capable of bending lava, things get better for him. He’s technically capable of bending fire, but that’s never explicitly said in the show. In any case, his determination and his story of “rags to riches” make him one of the best characters in the Avatar universe and in Legend of Korra as a whole.
7. Jinora
Jinora is not only one of the characters with the best personalities in the series, but she’s also Aang’s first grandchild – Tenzin’s first daughter. She’s one of the most remarkable airbenders in the new world, and one of the most promising characters in the new Air Nation. She was so good during the first book of the series that she was already helping her father teach Korra what she needed to know about air bending, even while being much younger than her. Jinora goes on to become one of the youngest ever air benders to receive the bender’s arrow, too!
6. Lin Beifong
Lin Beifong is one of the most influential characters in the series, and one of the boldest leaders in the Avatar universe. What she did to shape the destiny of the first chapter is beyond what we thought possible at first, even though she didn’t seem to be as much of a good fighter through the series. In fact, have you noticed how Lin basically never won a fight on her own? It always seemed like she wasn’t good enough at fighting, despite being Toph’s eldest daughter. She did know what to do to keep everyone safe, though. And it was clear that she was always willing to sacrifice herself to keep the peace going.
5. Zaheer
Zazheer is one of my all-time favorite animated TV villains. His actions caused so many repercussions during the third book of the series that he was almost directly responsible for the last book itself. In fact, his attempt at creating a reign of freedom in the Earth Kingdom after killing the Earth Queen was so destabilizing that it was the direct cause of the raise of Kuvira and her dictatorship.
4. Amon
Amon is a fantastic antagonist and one of the series’ most remember characters because of his appearances in the first book. Many still see him as the series “main villain” for that exact reason: he was the first one we got to see, and one of the most dangerous bad guys in the show. His personality, character design, and goals are the three main aspects that make him one of my favorite characters in the show. As a master blood bender, he’s the main leader of the revolution that threatens to destabilize the world in the first book, and a very worthy antagonist for the Avatar to deal with as she aims to control her powers. With the ability to take away people’s bending making him an amazing character, I won’t spoil too much in case you haven’t watched the whole series yet. Just a proper villain and a true bad guy.
3. Kuvira
Man, Kuvira was such a fantastic antagonist. Her skills as a metal bender were unparalleled. And the fights that she undergoes with Korra are some of the most epic in the series. But I think the main reason why we see her as one of the best characters in the show is that she led one of the best arcs in the show. This whole “metal benders trying to take over the world” really did bring out the best in the series. Even though many of us still enjoyed the other books, it’s fair to say that the fights against “The Great Unifier” and her army were one of the best parts of the show. Besides, her personality just kicks ass. She’s relentless. And his use of the Spirit Canon just goes to show how far she can take things, as long as she can fulfill her objectives.
2. Tenzin
Look, I know that some of us are so in love with the original Avatar show that we’ll never be as happy with Tenzin as we were with Aang. However, I strongly believe that there isn’t a better character to carry on with Aang’s legacy than Tenzin. Not only is he wise, but he also faces his own demons during the show too. Since he aims to teach Korra to become the Avatar that his father once was. That’s not the only reason why I think Tenzin is a fantastic character, though. We can’t ignore how sick his airbending skills were! Some of the fight scenes that Tenzin goes through in the shows are epic, including some of the countless times in which she saves Korra’s arse. I’d go as far as saying that he’s the best character in the series, but I have my reasons why I still believe Korra is a better character…
1. Korra
The moral dilemmas and the growth that Korra experienced during the series keeps her as my favorite character of the show. She might not be everyone’s favorite, and I do get it. But the lessons she learns along the way, and how she interprets what happens to her, are two of the main reasons why I love her. Besides, she’s a fun character. And she’s one that many of us felt empathy towards during one point or another. She learns how to be the best Avatar she can be, and even though she still isn’t as cool as Aang, her character is still memorable for sure.
