Climbing the Alpine Path: Legend of Korra Finale: My Reflection on the Ending

In case the title of this post doesn't make it clear enough, there are major spoilers ahead.

Ever since The Legend of Korra ended, people have been talking about the ending scene. In this scene, Korra and Asami hold hands and walk into the light of the new spirit portal.

At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about the ending. I felt something was lacking. I guess I wanted something more all-encompassing. It wasn't just saying goodbye to The Legend of Korra, it was also saying goodbye to the avatar universe. I wasn't as emotionally impacted by the ending as I wanted to be.

I was left feeling slightly empty, because I wanted to see a reunion between Katara, Toph, and Zuko. I also wanted to see how the Fire Nation was doing, but since book 4 is the last season of Korra, I will most likely never get to see that. I was very disappointed that Korra never regained her connection with her past lives. Aang's connection with his past lives was an element I loved in Avatar the Last Airbender, so I was a little upset that Korra lost the connection.

I like Asami, but I'm not as invested in her character as other fans of the show, which is why it seemed weird to me that The Legend of Korra ended with Korra and Asami's relationship. I wanted to see Team Avatar together one last time.

Overall, I felt that I needed more. I kept thinking: "This can't be it! I need more! Is this really the last time I'll ever see these characters?"

After some thinking, I realized that the ending of Avatar the Last Airbender also focused on the avatar's relationship with one other character. And yet, that ending didn't bother me at all. Probably because I was (and still am) a big Kataang shipper.

After I had time to accept that The Legend of Korra was over, I began to look at the ending in a different light. I am now an avid lover of the ending scene, and will defend it to anyone who disagrees with me.

One of the reasons I love the last scene is that it directly parallels with Aang and Katara's scene in the ending of Avatar the Last Airbender:

Also, the music playing during the last scene is absolutely beautiful. It never fails to make me emotional. I really like this quote regarding the music from Bryan Konietzko, one of the creators of the show:

"We asked Jeremy Zuckerman to make the music tender and romantic, and he fulfilled the assignment with a sublime score. I think the entire last two-minute sequence with Korra and Asami turned out beautiful, and again, it is a resolution of which I am very proud."

The reason the ending scene has received so much attention, is because it suggests the beginning of a romantic relationship between Korra and Asami. When I watched the scene, I immediately sensed the romantic undertone. I was surprised when I discovered that not everyone interpreted it as romantic, because I thought it was clearly romantic. I was overjoyed when Bryan confirmed that it was intended to be a romantic scene, and that Korrasami (Korra x Asami) is canon. Even if I did not ship Korra and Asami before, I now see the beauty in their relationship and support them as a pairing completely.

The ending scene is a huge step forward for animated TV shows. Not only animated TV shows, but TV shows in general. Representation in the media is extremely important. The Legend of Korra has been a very progressive show from the start, with a woman of color as the main character, who is not overly sexualized, and falls in love with another woman.

So many people can see themselves in Korra, and that makes me so incredibly happy. Alright, I'll move on before I get too emotional...

I have heard some complaints, mostly from Makorra (Mako x Korra) shippers, that the ending was out of nowhere, and that Korra and Asami's relationship was not developed enough beforehand. I completely disagree with this. Korra and Asami's relationship received a lot of development in book 3 and 4. Their relationship becoming romantic feels very natural to me. Also, there's this scene to take note of:

I squealed when I saw this scene.

I'm just saying. I don't blush like that when my friends compliment me.

I'm going to leave a link to Bryan's letter (which is beautifully expressed by the way) to the Legend of Korra fandom confirming Korrasami as canon right here. I was very moved when I first read it. I think everyone needs to read it, and it's very important that they do.

I am so proud of The Legend of Korra for taking such a big step forward and making history. This show will always hold a special place in the organ that pumps my blood.

Well, I think that's it. I think I had more to say, but I can't remember any of it. This post ended up being a lot shorter than I thought it would be...

I'm going to end with a few of my favorite Legend of Korra fan videos. I really admire how well edited they are.

"Rule the World"