Is avatar korra gay

Korra and Asami are one of the most divisive couples in the Avatar franchise, but The Legend of Korramade a strong case for their relationship long before it ever became romantic on screen. In an ideal world, this hand-clasp wouldn’t even be a talking point at all because queer creators wouldn’t have to fight for the bare minimum.

And yet, despite its undeniable impact, it’s important to note that this scene wasn’t “a slam-dunk victory for queer representation” either, as Konietzko himself noted at the time. Even across a great distance, Asami is the person Korra trusts most with her inner struggles.

Thanks to years of being forced to read in-between the lines just for crumbs of LGBTQ+ content, most of us watching knew there was something going on with Korra and Asami as far back as Season 1, even when they competed for the same man.

In the aftermath, they choose to step away from the world together.

Facing each other hand in hand, they replicate Zhu Li and Varrick’s nuptial pose as they enter the Spirit World. Their journey doesn’t end with an explicit confession, but expresses all the meaning it could for Nickelodeon in 2014. Rather than allowing romantic history to fracture their bond, they prioritize honesty and emotional maturity.

Korra ultimately belongs to the world, and must maintain balance amidst constant conflict. Her partner must emotionally center her and offer absolute trust, which Asami consistently shows well before they become romantically involved. But by the end of her show’s four-season run, Korra proved herself to be far more unique than we could have ever guessed, and not just in the world of Avatar, either.

By 2014, queerness was still deemed “inappropriate” for children’s animation, regardless of the fact that heterosexual pairings existed—and continue to exist—at the forefront of most cartoon fare.

“I have bragging rights as the first Korrasami shipper (I win!),” Konietzko joked on his blog at the time. After Kuvira’s surrender, Korra and Asami reflect on everything they have endured. Who she initially assumes is another privileged socialite becomes a person who genuinely understands her interests. In body and mind, they trust each other wholly, and make the shared decision to face whatever comes next as a pair.

Editor’s Note: TV moves on, but we haven’t.