Korra: Changes

I've been following it, at first it started off a bit iffy to me, but so far it's been pretty great and I love how we're exploring more and more of the characters.

Also the trailer from SDCC has also made me curious on what to expect going into the end of season 3.

The Legend of Korra season 3 new trailer

 

Yeah, no definitely. And that's my biggest thing is the whole spirit thing, and we haven't been seeing that many spirits. Like episode 1 there were a ton of spirits hanging out in Republic City but upon exploring the Earth Kingdom, not too many spirits have been popping up. Like did they all vanish? Did they decide to all want to live in Republic City?

 

That would be great if that could happen. Crossing my fingers for something like that to occur. It actually upset me severing the tear between the past avatars, I would love it if they would come back in.

 

Giving you a heads up Kitty, if you haven't seen season 2 of LoK then this post will be totally spoilerrific for you.

Not quite. Aang didn't lose connection to the past Avatars. He lost connection to the Avatar State. He was still able to communicate with the past Avatars, as shown when he was on the back of the lion turtle and was still unable to go into the Avatar State.

Korra, on the other hand, had Raava torn out of her and the connection to every past Avatar completely severed. I don't think they're coming back. And to be completely honest, I like the idea of the entire Avatar line essentially being reset to Korra. I'm not sure how to put it into words, but to me there is a certain appeal in Korra being the first in the next line of Avatars.

 

You know I didn't think to look at it this way, but you got a good and valid point. It makes Korra more independent and definitely a legend as the first next generation type of deal, Avatar.

Though I'm still going to miss those flashbacks....

 

I don't recall Aang ever trying to communicate with the past Avatars until confronted with the dilemma of how to completely stop Ozai without killing him. Aang never actually died. Katara saved him before that happened. But Azula's lightning did a number on his chakras, causing at least one of them to be locked and that is what prevented him from going into the Avatar State until Ozai forced it open accidentally with that rock. It is what that monk said to him as they were going through the training to open up all of his chakras. Once Aang started opening them up, he wouldn't be able to access the Avatar State until he opened all of them. And then when he finally opened up the last one, Azula shot him with lightning and closed that chakra up again.

Also, it was only ever mentioned in some side comics and not the actual cartoon, but during the time Aang was unconscious after Azula's lightning strike, he was in the Spirit World and talked to some of the previous Avatars and then totally forgot about his experience after he woke up. It may not mean much in terms of his connection to the past Avatars, but I think it would at least show towards him having never lost the connection.

 

This doesn't prove anything. In Korra, Aang tells Korra that when as, an Avatar, are at their lowest point, they're able to connect to the past Avatars. That's the only way they're called out. Korra didn't purposely call Aang out, only her current state of being low and essentially giving up did they pop up. Therefore I think the Avatar connection is more like a morale booster when needed.

Anyways the point here then with is, Aang was trying to contact the past Avatars, but the past Avatars don't work like that. It doesn't mean he lost his connection.

See here I agree and disagree with both of you. I think at this point, Aang, the avatar was dead, while Aang the kid was unconscious in a coma type of thing. When Aang comes to I think he's referring to that as an Avatar, he was dead. I think also there's a few ways as an Avatar you can die and at this point I think it's referring to all of his chakras shutting off/ going offline. Katara being a rather spiritual girl in her own right, through her loving friendship, and her water bending chakra healing powers, she was able to rebalance Aang and his chakras, therefore bringing back the Avatar.

 

You also gotta remember it also has to do with the chakras. Like the monk/guru/guy who was training Aang said, once you begin opening up the chakras, Aang would be unable to enter the Avatar State until he opened ever chakra. He opens the last one, starts the Avatar State, and then gets shot by Azula which ends up shutting one of the chakras. Therefore he could logically still have the connection while being unable to access the Avatar State. Which means he didn't necessarily die. Aang telling Katara that he was completely gone doesn't mean he actually died. Katara could have just as easily saved him from the brink of death as she could have brought him back to life.

I think that talking to the Avatar's past lives requires a certain level of spirituality. And we all know Korra isn't the most spiritual Avatar ever.

Roku wasn't wrong, but at the same time I think his explanation of the Avatar State isn't 100% correct either. Thinking back throughout the entire series, the only time we ever see an Avatar bend more than one element at once is when they are in the Avatar State. And as the flashback stuff with Avatar Wan showed, he could only bend multiple elements simultaneously when merged with Raava. So while the Avatar State is a method to draw upon the experience and strengths of previous Avatars, it would make sense that it is also a method to draw upon Raava's strengths and be able to bend two or more elements at the same time. Which would explain why Korra can still enter the Avatar State and having permanently lost the connection to the previous Avatars.