How ‘The Legend of Korra’s Ending Changed LGBTQ+ Representation in Animation

At long last, The Legend of Korra is on Netflix, meaning a lot of fans are about to discover or rediscover this incredible series. But more than its awesome fight scenes and funny characters, there’s one small moment that will forever define this cartoon, and cement it as one of the most important series in animation. Korra and Asami holding hands in the finale’s last moments paved the way for television to broaden its LGBTQ+ representation in a more loving way, particularly when it came to animation.

It’s remarkable enough that a major children’s cartoon on a network ended with a same sex couple falling in love. But what made Korra (Janet Varney) and Asami’s (Seychelle Gabriel) relationship extraordinary is the care that was taken in building their love story. Their relationship was given all of the delicate flourishes that actually come with falling in love. There were no ham-fisted conversations about wanting to date or forcing a relationship to work as there were with couples like Korra and Mako, or even Bolin and the creepy Eska. There were just quiet moments filled with trust and understanding. By Book Four, Korra and Asami seemed able to read each other’s minds with a glance. They worked seamlessly together, whether Korra was jumping off of Asami’s car or they were in the middle of a heated conversation with Mako. Their close relationship was never highlighted; it merely was.

Mimicking falling in love is a difficult thing for any series to accomplish. But doing so while in the middle of multiple world-ending catastrophes and between two women in a children’s cartoon is a stroke of brilliance. What made Korra and Asami’s relationship so realistic and swoon-worthy is how organically it progressed.

Korra and Asami first met while pining over the same man: Mako. Yet even when Korra and Asami were in the midst of their most jealous impulses, they still respected one another. After initially dismissing Asami as being “kind of prissy,” Korra came to appreciate her intelligence and unparalleled driving and mechanical skills. Similarly, Asami felt some resentment toward Korra at first, rightfully guessing that her boyfriend secretly had feelings for his friend; but she never blamed Korra for this betrayal. In her eyes, Korra was incredible and someone worthy of loving. Because of this high opinion she shifted the blame to her boyfriend. Their feelings for Mako had every reason to drive these two women apart, and yet that never happened.

That respect continued even as the women bounced between dating Mako. As Mako worried about his exes being in the same place, those aforementioned exes all but ignored him. Korra and Asami became fast friends who genuinely seemed to enjoy each other’s company, whether they were joking with one another, sharing secrets, or planning yet another world-saving scheme. Yet it wasn’t until the worst happened that their friendship started to transition into something more.

After Zaheer poisoned Korra in Book Three, she entered a deep depression. Unable to walk and afraid that she would never regain her Avatar powers, Korra healed with the Southern Water Tribe and ignored her friends for months. During the three years that Korra spent hiding and recovering she was only seen writing two letters: one to her parents; and one to Asami.

In that latter, she expressed all of her fears and frustrations, the demons it was clear she was battling with that Korra never acknowledged out loud. When she was at her most vulnerable and terrified Korra didn’t turn to Mako or Bolin, friends she had known for longer than Asami. She didn’t even confide in her longtime master Tenzin. She only sought out Asami, and Asami in turn kept her confidence.

Asami’s turning point was even more heartbreaking. In “Chapter Thirteen: The Last Stand” she told Korra that she couldn’t stand the thought of losing both Korra and her father in the same fight. Asami’s heartbreak over her father’s sacrifice was shown on screen, but that seismic shift in her priorities wasn’t. Instead it was presented as a quiet confession. At some point along the way Korra became as important to Asami as her father, just as Asami became as important to Korra as her own parents.

That’s the evolution that colors every second as Korra and Asami walk toward the portal to the Spirit World together. When they hold hands, we’re not witnessing a whirlwind of emotions and hormones; we’re witnessing two people who slowly fell in love, finally admitting their feelings to one another. And it’s beautiful.

Even today, it’s rare to see same sex relationships handled with as much care and gentle romance as The Legend of Korra’s final moments. That this sort of sweet, romantic happiness premiered over half a decade ago on a children’s TV show still feels shocking.

Even more importantly, The Legend of Korra‘s finale turned the gay subtext present in many animated shows into overt text, and paved the way for other revolutionary LGBTQ+ series. After Korra’s finale, Adventure Time started to become bolder, exploring the friendship between Princess Bubblegum and Marceline the Vampire Queen. Much like with Korra and Asami by Adventure Time‘s end it was indisputably clear that the two were a couple. That was followed by Steven Universe, undoubtably one of the most queer inclusive shows ever brought to television. Steven Universe didn’t merely imply through fusion that the relationships between its same sex couples made them stronger. It literally had a wedding between two of its gems, introduced a non-binary character voiced by a non-binary voice actor, and questioned the constructs of gender through Steven and Connie’s fusion Stevonnie.

But Korra’s true spiritual successor will always be She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Every episode of Noelle Stevenson’s diverse show hinged on the complicated relationship between Adora and her former best friend Catra. In the saga’s final moments, when the world was on the verge of ending, Catra was the only one who was able to ground Adora, causing her to save the world and herself. She-Ra raised Korra‘s charged hand-holding with a kiss between its leading women, making it abundantly clear what Adora and Catra meant to each other.

That’s what Korra and Asami’s sweet, simple hand-holding inspired. The Legend of Korra ended on a small, quiet moment that mirrored this couple’s own journey of finding each other. But that moment made its intentions abundantly clear. As Korra and Asami turned to face each other, hand in hand, certain that they would be accepted, so too did Konietzko and DiMartino seemingly turn towards the audience, hoping for a broader acceptance of LGBTQ+ content in animation. And turns out, it worked. All of the good that mainstream cartoons like Adventure Time, Steven Universe, and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power have brought to the world can be traced back to Korra’s one, revolutionary grasping of hands.

Where to stream The Legend of Korra