Title: The Legend of Korra.
Season: 3.
Rated: TV-PG.
Number of episodes: 13.
Release Date: 2014.
ORIGINAL NETWORK: Nickelodeon and Nick.com.
Genre(s): Animation, Action, Adventure.
Created by: Michael Dante DiMartino & Bryan Konietzko.
Cast: Janet Varney, Jeff Bennett, Dee Bradley Baker, P.J. Byrne, David Faustino, J.K. Simmons, Seychelle Gabriel, Mindy Sterling, and many more!
My Overall Rating:
Previously in The Legend of Korra:
Season 1.
Season 2.
It takes an equal and opposite force in nature to challenge the Avatar, predetermined as the chosen one that must strive toward peace, prosperity, equality, and balance in the world. As the journey of young Korra continues to send her headfirst into tremendous challenges as the Avatar of this generation, creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko further push the limits of her character in this third season as she faces a formidable adversary. This agent of anarchy thus challenges her in her vision of the world, the very idea of balance between peace and chaos that she assumed she needed to preserve, and wishes to demonstrate another path, one of absolute freedom as the next step towards change for humanity and spirits.
What is The Legend of Korra (2014) Season 3 about? Set a couple of weeks after the eventful Harmonic Convergence, sectors of Republic City are now covered with an incredible amount of spirit vines, nearly impossible for anyone, including the Avatar, to get rid of. Korra’s world-changing decision, maintaining the spirit portals open and merging the realm of humans with spirits, has created conflict among all. Unforeseen, this change also triggered the emergence of new Airbenders among non-element-bending humans, marking the rebirth of a lost art that supposedly continued only with Tenzin’s children. Unfortunately, these trying times don’t end with these novelties as the dangerous criminal Zaheer also escapes from his isolated prison with new airbending skills and a plan to wreak havoc.
This third season of The Legend of Korra is finally on par with the original series Avatar: The Last Airbender. Despite multiple sub-plots allowing various characters to grow, discover, and face new challenges, the driving force themed around change makes for an enticing premise that is further accentuated by the arrival of the notorious band led by the leader Zaheer who has his eyes set on Team Avatar. Whether it’s Tenzin learning to become the mentor he’s always dreamed of being for the next generation of airbenders, the introduction of Kai as the first recruit who seeks redemption from a youthful and lonely life of thievery, or Mako and Bolin finally meeting the family of their late father, there are complex relationships and character arcs developed throughout the season that make for an engaging and thought-provoking narrative.
However, the highlight of the season lies in Zaheer’s role as the main antagonist to the Avatar. His anarchist vision serves as a counterbalance to Korra’s own understanding of the Avatar’s place in the world. Throughout the season, his motives and actions are brilliantly exposed and explored, allowing viewers to ponder on these questions for themselves, unable to completely dismiss his perception of the world that needs to be, however, disagreeing with his radical methods implicating putting to an end the cycle of the Avatar’s rebirth. As his understanding of life among humans and spirits clashes with that of Korra, it is also Korra’s own inability to gauge the strength and the power of her enemy that adds weight and difficulty to the challenge she faces, making the dilemma far more interesting right up to the final act.
As per the previous seasons, Studio Mir in collaboration with Studio Reve continued their formidable job of channeling energy and vitality into the animation. It is especially observable in this season’s action sequences, especially in the final act, as the intensity is cranked up to its maximum output, and synergy between elements is displayed by concerned benders, good and evil, when the going gets tough. Metalbending is also a particularly significant focus in this third season and is beautifully utilized by benders with powerful skills, often showcasing unique abilities and uses with these powers. The music to go alongside the show is also fantastic, not particularly different in tone or strength, but adequately adapted to each scene and its emotional moments. On a technical facet, the show is as spectacular as it gets and shows the grasp on animated effects that the animation team had at that period in time.
The Legend of Korra (2014) Season 3 is a spectacular and thought-provoking season that presents the Avatar with an antithesis to challenge her into unbeknownst change for the world of humans and spirits.
All episodes are available for free on select streaming services!
Have you read any comic book stories from this franchise?
Have you seen The Legend of Korra (2012-2014)? Will you?
Share your thoughts with me!
Roars and Echoes 
Glad tis improved for you. I was afraid after the previous 2 seasons that Korra was going to tarnish the memory of the Last Avatar all together for you. Glad that’s not the case.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yep, this is as good as it gets, unfortunately, the fourth and final season, while decent, doesn’t live up to this season. 😛
LikeLiked by 1 person
Now I have to watch this show. Looks like it is getting better. Amazing review!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Both Avatar and Korra are shows you should totally try and maybe even watch with your daughter in a couple of years! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
You know what Lashaan? You make me want to actually watch it! LOL
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s totally worth looking into, Sophie! 😀
LikeLike
It’s always good to hear when a series gets better the further in you get. How many more seasons are there to watch? Did they create any other side stories to the franchise?
LikeLiked by 1 person
There’s one more season, which I’ve already seen, and nothing else in the animated TV series section. Dark Horse Comics and Nickelodeon did team up to produce comic book stories to bridge the gap between The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. There are also new animated/live-action coming out soon (next 1-3 years), which is a welcome return to this universe after almost a decade without anything new!
LikeLike
Oh, I should definitely get back into this series – and by “this series” I actually mean The Last Airbender, which would then lead me to try The Legend of Korra ahah! It’s also great that it didn’t deteriorate through the seasons!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do hope you get the chance to check out the original series and then this sequel. They’re wonderful animated series to pick up nowadays! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
The only thing I can think of that would improve Korra season 3 would be to add at least a couple more episodes so you could expand on the other members of Zaheer’s gang. They have a bit of character growth here and there, but it’s enough that you would like to know more about them, and maybe how these four extreme anarchists met each other. But considering how fascinating Zaheer is, and how well he and Korra bounce off each other when they interact, that’s not really a complaint. It’s more of a “what if”.
Also, Zaheer’s final moment with the Queen. This season has a number of big shocking moments, especially for a series that originally aired on Nickelodeon, but I will probably never forget the first time I saw that particular scene, and how I had to pause for a few minutes to let that sink in how terrifying air bending suddenly became.
Like you say in your review though, while Zaheer is the real highlight, seeing the rebirth of the air bending nation is also something special, along with the wide variety of characters involved.
Noticed in an earlier comment that you’ve already seen Season 4, so here are some quick thoughts on that. You could probably say the same thing about Season 4 not being long enough, because that’s a story that could easily be expanded on, and it would have been nice to see Korra back at full strength a bit more, but it’s a bit harder to imagine how to expand on Season 4 than Season 3. There’s more to say on that note, but I’ll save that for your Season 4 review.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree. Especially for Zaheer’s love. I think if the season was a bit longer and focused a bit more on them, I would’ve felt even more emotions for that tragic death…
Right? I was impressed that they went all the way with that death. I thought he would just stop the whole thing at the very last second and do it all just to show the threat, as a power move, but nop, that definitely went all the way.
It was a fun side story to have the rise of the air-bending nation!
I was saddened by the main antagonist and the final act of S4 but yes, more on than when I get around to putting up that post.
LikeLike