#the beifong family is wasted potential

[wilcze-kudly]

Beifong babies appreciation post

This is gonna be a more self indulgent post. But if you spend any time on my blog, you know how much I adore the Beifong family, particularly Suyin and her children. And you know what I don't see enough appreciation for Suyin's babies, which makes sense, since they're side characters, but here's a lil ramble about them and some reasons why I love them.

Baatar Jr

Actually, I think Baatar is actually a very underutilised character for being Kuvira's supposed right hand man, as well as her fiancé.

He's technically the brains behind Kuvira's collosus, and probably much more.

As damaging as living in his father's shadow was for him, I do find it extremely adorable how he engineered all Baatar Sr's projects, it's really cute!

His loyalty to Kuvira and his love for her is admirable. It's honestly adorable, how much she means to him.

Btw mans stared into Korra's eyes while she threatened him im the Avatar state and laughed. Say what you want about him but he has balls.

The angst surrounding his involvement with Kuvira is absolutely delicious.

Like imagine turning your back on everyone you know and love for one person, only for then to turn on you and try to kill you with upur own creation?

And then everything you've worked for for 3 years is null and void? Gnarly

Also him being under house arrest with the family he betrayed? You could argue he got off really easy, which he did... but goodness gracious the angst.

Huan

I'm like 75% sure that he's a reference to The Dark One, one of Toph's metalbending students, which is actually really fun I love you emo metalbenders.

I always found non combative benders very interesting, especially when they use their bending for things like art, it's very cool.

While I think a Huan's character is made to mock "tortured abstract artists" a bit, he actually isn't terribly caricaturised?

Like... he has a pretty clear ideology and moral compass, and he sticks to his guns, even when threatened. He clearly values personal freedom and freedom of expression, and is willing to stand up for it.

I also love headcanoning that he had a close relationship with Aiwei. Since some of Huan's ideals match up more or less with Red Lotus ideology, which makes me wonder if Aiwei did subtly indoctrinate Suyin's children.

Huan and Ikki's friendship is really cute too lol.

His design is also really cool ngl

Opal

MY BABY AHHH 🧡 honestly my fave female tlok character.

Free her from the heterosexual love interest dimension she deserves so much better lol.

Like, I really dislike Bopal as a ship, and part of it is because of how much of a disservice it does to both characters. But most anti Bopal takes I see are also horrifically anti Opal.

Honestly, Opal just gets a surprisingly large amount of hate in genral? Like why? People call her annoying and a brat/ a knockoff Korra and she's barely done anything lmao

Opal's is very interesting, her journey to independence, her unseen development between B3 and B4, her firece loyalty to her family despite her separation from them

A lot of people criticise her attitude towards Kuvira, but honestly, she was quite rational in her anger? I also think she should have been allowed to hold a grudge against Bolin for longer, like yes he redeemed himswlf somewhat when rescuing her family, but it does feel really shallow and a fast way of tying up a pretty complex storyline.

Her arc reminds me very much of Toph's in atla, which is bittersweet since we see how that ended for Toph.

I love her lil pouty face ahh.

Wei and Wing

Genuinely. Might be my fave underdeveloped side characters.

Avatar has a habit of making very interesting twin duos and these two are no exception.

I really like their strong bond with their mother, they really are the most mamma's boys to ever mamma's boy.

Similarly to Opal, the twins' firece loyalty to their family and city is really sweet, but also there's a lot of potential for angst here. Like, Opal gets to see the world and adventure, but the twins are probably stuck in Zaofu forever.

The twins also are the only ones of their siblings upholding that "Beifong metalbender" archetype that Toph started. I think there is a bit of pressure on them, ad they are the "golden boys" of the family

I'm also a sucker for when benders work together/combine their skills so seeing the twins work together is really sweet.

Also. Gay™️. [Insert longass ramble about weilin lol]

I actually find the small differences in personality between them that we are shown. Where Wei is a bit more snooty and competitive, Wing is very playful and outward with himself. I like picking their differences apart.

Okk.. that's it my ramble for today us over 😭 I love the Beifong babies so much and wish there was more appreciation of them lol

[nobodysdaydreams]

For the Character Bingo Game!! Please feel free to mix and match and disregard as you please:

Milligan, Isaac the Messenger, Susan Pevensie, and Toph Beifong

Hope you are having an amazing day, and that the Tasks go smoothly :)

Done! Sorry the highlights on this look so terrible, I'm bad at filling these out. But I very much appreciate the ask! 🥰🥰🥰

Milligan:

I don't know if Milligan and I would be friends irl (I suppose it depends if you're talking about my fic's version, canon, and whether he has memories or not), but assuming there's nothing crazy going on, then yeah, I could see us getting along. Not a big sports fan though. As you know from my fic, I have a lot of head canons, and rotating 24/7, and all MBS characters need therapy let's be real. They also all need more screen time, had wasted potential, and canon did them all dirty by cancelling the show, but I highlighted these for Milligan specifically because he never got closure and answers as to what Curtain did to him and why he was working there. As for my half filled in "my opinions are unpopular", that's mostly because of SOS: people either love it, or it's not for them. So I'm not sure what to call that. I relate to him (positive) because I head canon him as having ADHD (even though I have ADHD-I and I head canon him as having ADHD-HI, but close enough).

Isaac the Messenger:

I feel like Isaac and I would be friends irl since I have a lot of friends doing STEM things. All MBS characters go to therapy, and I clicked canon did him dirty and wasted potential because... did he just wait in the woods forever? I feel like they could have done something with that. I wasn't sure whether to click "needed more screen time" because I feel like it wouldn't be a lot more screen time, just enough to give a little closure on that. I say my opinions are unpopular because I haven't seen any other fics with him as a main or even major side character (if they exist lmk) and I half filled in "so many head canons" because...I do expand on his character a bit in SOS, but I don't know if I'd say I have a ton of head canons for him.

Susan Pevensie:

Ohhh....the problem of Susan. That's what all these highlights are based off of btw. I understand Lewis was using her to reflect his own issues, but why couldn't he have lived to write her story? The arrow over rotating is because when Narnia was my primary childhood hyperfixation, Susan's story was one I was really interested in. (Spoilers Ahead for The Last Battle). She has to live with all her friends and family dying, and figure out how to get back on the right path without them. I would have loved to read a story about Susan and her husband and kids where Susan tells them about her time in Narnia and her younger kids and her husband believe her, but other relatives think it's a manifestation of her grief, and even her older kids are like "mom, seriously?" but then either someone who used to live in Narnia but found a portal to our world or another world shows up, or Susan and her family get sucked through a portal to another world that still exists (not Narnia or Charn because those worlds were destroyed but maybe someplace else), and you could have them go on this whole new adventure and I would love to see that happen. However, I am worried about how people would handle the story, hence the half filled boxes for "the fandom is wrong" and "my opinions are unpopular", because I do see the occasional posts that are like "Lewis was just being sexist and hates Susan because she likes boys and lipstick" or "Lewis was 100% right about girls who like boys and lipstick being terrible" which...respectfully, no to both of these. If I remember correctly, Susan wasn't on the train and is still alive, she can have a redemption arc, and she was always described as pretty and liking stereotypical girly things, that itself was never the issue. The issue was her becoming materialistic and caring too much about what other's think of her and mocking her siblings for not acting otherwise. Look, I never related to Susan very much, and I'm not sure that I'd be friends with her irl, based on interests and personality, maybe not, but she's not a bad person just because she's stereotypically feminine and she's certainly not irredeemable. Would have loved to see a sequel where she goes on other adventures and shows off her awesome archery skills and we get to meet a bunch of new fun characters, but I'm so worried that someone who focuses on the wrong aspects of her character would try to make the message of her story about how Lewis was wrong about something he never said or about how Susan was terrible for something that was never a problem in the first place. Sorry to rant, but these are my thoughts.

Toph Beifong:

She's not the ATLA character I rotate the most, but I do love her. She's insane, but I love her. For this, I kept it ATLA (I know some people would put "wasted potential" or "canon did them dirty" for stuff that happens in Korra, but I'm gonna put that on hold for now). I would love to adopt child her because I have a younger sibling like her and as for the irl we'd be friends, that would 100% depend on whether Toph decided she liked me, and I have no control over that. She needs therapy, but so do all those war surviving children and she has never done anything wrong ever (was using her earth bending to scam people).

[itscalledbisexualcrisis]

Legacy

Request: Hii! Could you do a angst/fluff with Kuvira where r is like from an important family and they meet when they're young but then r joins the avatar? Finish how you'd like! Thank youu

Thank you to depressed-bi-bitch for the request, this was a lot of fun writing!

When Suyin was creating Zaofu, she knew she needed a dependable supply of metal. The valley, where eventually Zaofu would be erected, was a small mining village. It had an abundance of precious metals, but were predominantly used in trade with neighboring villages. There, Suyin met your family, the esteemed owners of one of the largest mines of the village. Suyin was eloquent with her ideas and clear passion for leading people. Her husband, Baatar, had already made a name for himself as an architect from Ba Sing Se. Meanwhile your family was one of the established families of the village, producing most of the metals and negotiating with outsiders trade deals. Together, your family and the Beifongs created Zaofu, a technological city of the future.

Growing up in a sprawling metal city was like living in a story tale. Big spiraling metal structures, an abundance of art and culture blooming all around you, and spending most of your childhood with the Beifong family were your earliest memories. You were surprised one day, while playing with Opal in the Beifong estate, to find Suyin bringing in another child. The girl seemed older than both you and Opal and she had a firm pout on her lips. Her clothes were more plain compared to what usual Zaofu citizens wore and she wouldn’t make eye contact with anyone. 

“This is Kuvira. She’ll be living with us and be part of our family now, Opal. Think of her like your sister,” she introduced.

From being the adored only daughter to having to share with another little girl was not easy for Opal to adjust. Including sharing you, her childhood best friend.

“I don’t want a new sister!”

The way Kuvira’s face was already apprehensive, turned into a scowl quickly as she looked between the two of you before running off.

While Suyin sat down with Opal and tried to explain Kuvira’s situation, you went off to find Kuvira. She was sitting down under a low hanging awning by the river. You could hear small sniffles coming from her. Six year old you approached her without caution, bumbling up to her with the perkiness only a child could contain.

“Hi.” You introduced yourself to her with a wide toothy grin and a welcoming outstretched hand. She jumped and turned around, quickly wiping away a stray tear. Her deadpan glare penetrated your outstretched hand left open. Being a child, you didn’t let it affect you. Instead you asked, “Do you want to come to my house? I have a dollhouse we can play with!”

Kuvira hesitated, looking from your still extended hand to your beaming face.

“Opal doesn’t like me.”

“Opal’s not coming.”

Oh to grow up with Kuvira. She was quite hot tempered as a child. And you admit, some days it was hard being her friend. She let her emotions take control, most of the time not realizing that she was bending until the dolls were disfigured under her metal grip. You never blamed it on Kuvira though, and you always came back to each other at the end of the day. It took a long time under Suyin’s guidance for Kuvira to gain a better understanding of her own earthbending. But once she did, it was like a flip switched.

While gaining more control, she became more reserved. She pulled farther from the Beifongs and moved out of the estate, choosing to live with the guards in the dormitories instead when she became a teenager. It didn’t change your close relationship though. From running around your estate playing games to her joining you in your metals lab in your research to helping her study for her test to join the Metal Guards; you and Kuvira supported one another through everything.

In the back of your mind you always knew things weren’t great for Kuvira at the Beifongs. But it was always something so hard to bring up to Kuvira whenever you tried to get her to talk about it. It also complicated your friendship with Opal, navigating between their polar personalities was always a challenge. So you opted not to, instead playing mostly neutral grounds and after she moved out, things did get better. 

As you got older, there was more pressure on you to take on the family business. Your whole life you’ve studied metals and how different properties of metals work together to create new things. An inventor, truly gifted, but there were always parts of you that wanted to leave Zaofu.

“I don’t want to study rocks my whole life. I want to learn from other cultures, get a bigger insight!” you confessed one day to Kuvira. You lay back on the soft grass of the lawn. You were visiting the Beifongs casually one afternoon when you ran into your favorite guard. It took minimal convincing for her to take a break from duty to lie with you. It was known that Kuvira always had a soft spot for you. It took one big smile to get her to crumble to you.

But seeing you smile was something she could never get enough of. “You wouldn’t leave me here alone, would you?” Kuvira semi joked.

“I’d take you with me, of course,” you laughed. “See the world together. Maybe fight some bad guys, who knows?”

Kuvira knew that would never be possible. Not with how Suyin ran things, but she didn’t say that, choosing instead to have a lighter hearted moment with you.

Going through the ranks, she saw potential in the Metal Guards, in the people of Zaofu actually. The fact that Suyin rejected most international requests, slowly infuriated her over the years. She watched as her fellow soldiers grew in strength, but all of it went to waste within the metal domes. Kuvira had long surpassed everything Suyin taught her, choosing to go off in her own studies to continue growing as a bender. When not on duty, you’d find her studying different types of bending in the Zaofu library or coming to your lab to practice with rarer metals. Sometimes it seemed like Kuvira never stopped at bettering herself.

You were mesmerized every time you saw Kuvira use her bending. Something as simple as making casual shapes from a slab of meteorite could keep you entertained for hours. It was times like these that were your favorite. She had her armor off and was sporting a long green sleeved spandex shirt with her dark green uniform pants. Her braid was slightly disfigured and helmet thrown off to the side somewhere. She was playing with a piece of meteorite, leaning forward on the bench as she manipulated it with firm concentration. The way her hands moved delicately through the air with precision; every crook and bend of her fingers and knuckles; how soft yet also strong they looked as they bent the metal into a small flower. It rested perfectly in her slender palm as she handed it to you.

It made your stomach flutter and a heat build in your chest. You reached out to take it from her and suddenly feeling nervous. Almost immediately, a gust of wind blew Kuvira over the bench making her tumble down and the metal flower scattering somewhere on the ground.

You both were left gaping. You were born as a non bender, so suddenly being able to airbend made you freak out. Kuvira grabbed your wrists, telling you to breathe as you started rambling off about never being able to bend before and not being the daughter of Avatar Aang and what if your mother had secretly had an affair with the AVATAR and oh god what would your father think-

“We need to find Suyin.”

Learning that Opal also gained airbending made you feel better, and it was something you two could bond over. Suddenly you were spending more time with Opal, trying to learn more about this new weird power to Kuvira’s dismay.

When Avatar Korra and her crew came to Zaofu to rebuild the Air Nation, you laughed off the idea of becoming an Air Nomad. Your future was set in the metals your family mined. You were supposed to live your life in Zaofu, continue your legacy here to grow the city.

“This is where I belong,” you said sheepishly. Korra seemed disappointed, but if that’s what you wanted there was nothing she could do. Although she did debate dragging you on to the ship, kidnapping an heiress to an empire would definitely cause an international crisis that Korra frankly couldn’t afford.

Kuvira was relieved to say the least. The fear of losing her closest friend didn’t sit well with her. But she also saw how you were with your new bending, carefully exploring what your bending could do; how it frustrated you when you couldn’t gain your own footing straight or when wind would blow back in your face.

“Maybe you should consider it.” Kuvira’s response surprised you. It was another day at your estate this time laying on the grass. It was one of Kuvira’s few days off. When she became the Captain, her free time became very limited, but this afternoon was a peaceful rarity. Tonight would be Opal’s farewell dinner, where you would be saying your final goodbyes before she boarded the airship to the Northern Air Temple. You were casually bending a circle of air above your heads, watching as leaves swirl around in a hypnotizing way. It immediately dissipates upon Kuvira’s confession, leaves slowly falling around the two of you.

“What?” you snort. “I thought you’d be the first person to ask me to stay.”

It left a lump in Kuvira’s throat. She never wanted to be the reason you held back your potential. She knew how talented you were as an inventor, but to bring that strength as an airbender? And the opportunity for you to build a nation that was up until recently deemed extinct? Kuvira knows an honor like that is something you’d thrive in, and the only way you could do that is to leave Zaofu.

So with some more convincing from Kuvira, you came around to the thought of being an Air Nomad. Sure shaving your head wasn’t the most appealing thing, but to be able to explore the world outside of Zaofu? It felt like this was your true calling all along. And Kuvira was the one to help you realize that. You gaze softly at her face, trying to find any hint of doubt you could. But she wholeheartedly believed in you and that in the end is what had you knocking on Korra’s door before the big dinner.

“Avatar Korra, I’ve changed my mind. I will join Opal to the Northern Air Temple and help rebuild the Air Nation.” Korra’s face broke into a wide grin and she gave a big cheer, deeming another success in her Avatar duties. You smiled back, feeling giddy at the thought of finding something more than rocks and metals for your future.

Seeing you and Opal boarding the aircraft shattered Kuvira’s heart. Her face is stone and her back is straight, watching the two of you talk wildly about your new adventures to come.

It seemed like at the last second, you pulled away from Opal and turned around, catching Kuvira’s unwavering gaze. You bite your bottom lip and tell Opal to go on without you, that’d you catch up momentarily. She was confused, but realized what you were doing when you ran back down the ramp and towards Kuvira.

Before she knows what’s happening or can ask what in the spirits you were doing, you nearly plow Kuvira over with a bone crushing hug, knocking her helmet right off her head. Burying your face into the crook of her neck, you feel her muscles tense under your touch, and then melt right into your hug. Strong arms wrap around you and clunky armor gets in the way.

But Kuvira can’t picture something more perfect.

She is speechless and squeezes her eyes shut, willing any tears to hold back. This was a momentous day for you, and she didn’t want your potentially last moment with her to be a sniveling mess. Instead she tries to memorize the way your hair smells, how firm your torso feels under her arms, how soft and warm your skin is. Everything she possibly can in these fleeting seconds with you.

“This isn’t goodbye,” you whispered in her ear. The way your breath fanned across her neck made Kuvira’s eyes flutter. She could stay in this embrace forever. “I will see you again.”

“I know,” she breathed out, suddenly finding it hard to find her voice. “I know.” It was something she had to tell herself more than to you.

You hesitated, wanting to say more. But how could you tell Kuvira that most nights you fell asleep thinking about what her lips would feel like against yours? How could you tell her that you still dreamed of traveling the world with her one day? How do you tell your childhood best friend that you’ve been in love with them when you’re about to board a ship to a new life?

Instead you take the chance and lean in, placing a soft quick kiss on her cheek just below her mole under her eye. With one last watery smile, you turn and board the ship. Your future terrified you, but you know for certain that you will keep your promise and return to Zaofu for her. One day.

If you had turned around you would’ve seen Kuvira steeled in stoicism, seemingly unaffected by your gesture. Meanwhile, inside she was on fire. Her cheek was burning where your lips touched. She had to replay the moment again and again in her mind to make sure it wasn’t her own imagination making it up. But it was real; the feeling of your hesitant lips pressed against her cheek made the flush in her chest grow. Her breath comes out in one shaky stream as she lifts the radio to her ear for the guards to close the domes.

And as the metal flower-like structure enclose her in, Kuvira can’t help but let her eyes linger on the sky where your ship disappeared.

This isn’t goodbye.

[low-budget-korra]

Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar - Fandom Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Korra (Avatar), Asami Sato, Tenzin (Avatar), Mako (Avatar), Bolin (Avatar), Lin Beifong, Jinora (Avatar), Zhu Li Moon, Varrick (Avatar) Summary:

This is a Rewrite of the first trilogy of Tlok comics, where i did change the way some things are treated in the history and a few more significant changes to the original plot. Where I tried to make a better use of characters that I thought had their potential wasted, and the plot in general, and since is a fanfic i dont have to make things family friendly so i can explore things in a more mature way.

ITS HERE Y’ALL i hope u guys enjoy

[wishingforatypewriter]

3, 4, and 9 for korrasami and baavira

Korrasami

3. Describe their relationship dynamic.

The big, strong avatar is soft as hell for her girlfriend and everybody knows it. Korra is certainly not above using her unique abilities and privileges to make her girlfriend smile. Bending Asami a new necklace out of meteorites? Naturally. Taking Asami for flights around the city on her glider? Of course. She once even convinced Fire Lord Izumi to let her reserve the entirety of Ember Island for a romantic getaway.  

Although she doesn’t make as many grand gestures as Korra, Asami is also a very caring and supportive girlfriend. She will spar with Korra and allow her to vent when her avatar duties are weighing on her. When Korra is sitting outside, meditating into the spirit world, Asami brings blankets or sweaters to make sure her physical body doesn’t catch a chill. She also takes great pride in doing her girlfriend’s hair and makeup before formal events. 

4. What was their relationship like before they got together?

After the got to know each other, they developed a really strong friendship. Even when all the Mako bullshit was going on, they never saw each other as love rivals or let it come between them. From driving lessons to sparring sessions to trying new restaurants in Republic City together, they were sort of inseparable. It wasn’t much of a surprise to anyone when they got together. 

9. What made them realize they were in love?

For both of them, it was the time they spent apart after the whole Zaheer saga. Because they had become so close, Asami deeply felt Korra’s absence in the three years she spent back in the Southern Water Tribe. While she was recovering, Korra felt the most herself when she was writing to Asami, and reading letters from her motivated Korra to keep trying to regain her strength. 

Baavira

3. Describe their relationship dynamic.

These two certainly aren’t the type to go all in with public displays of affection, but behind closed doors the relationship is quite affectionate. Baatar can be pretty romantic at times. He once arranged a picnic lunch for them in the crystal catacombs of old Ba Sing Se. Kuvira will usually say that things like that are a waste of time, but she secretly enjoys the romantic gestures a lot. Kuvira is also kind of Baatar’s biggest fan. All over the Earth Empire Kingdom, she’ll point out buildings and rail stations and power plants to people and be like, “You see that? My brilliant fiance built that.” She’s too much lol. 

4. What was their relationship like before they got together? 

Kuvira and Baatar were childhood friends, if only because of their closeness in age and physical proximity. It’s funny because they were both pretty picky when it came to choosing companions (read as they actively disliked most people), but each of them never seemed to mind the other. Kuvira was always the first person Baatar wanted to tell when he came up with a new invention, and Kuvira would show Baatar every new bending form and dance routine she learned from Su. 

When Kuvira was around fourteen, she joined the Zaofu guard. At around the same time, Baatar started assisting his father in a more professional capacity and they didn’t have time to see each other quite as often. They rekindled the friendship when they got a little older, and Baatar saw Kuvira’s apartment—which wasn’t in the central pod of Zaofu—as an oasis away from his family. 

9. What made them realize they were in love?

Baatar has been in love with Kuvira since they were kids. Growing up as a nonbender in a city like Zaofu and within a family like the Beifongs, he often felt pretty invisible. But when he was with Kuvira, she always made him feel seen without really thinking about it. She was the only one who called him by his name when they were young. One day when they were like 11 and 12, he asked her why she didn’t call him Junior like everyone else. In response she just shrugged and was like, “When do I ever speak to your father? You’re Baatar. He’s Baatar Sr. It’s just easier that way.” For Kuvira this was just a practical thing, but it made him love her and he never stopped.  

For Kuvira, the feelings developed a bit later, when they were teenagers. She had always had a temper, and while most other people just wrote her off as wild or troubled, Baatar always took the time to try and understand why she was upset. He was always pretty good at calming her down, and she felt content and at ease in his presence. It wasn’t until he left to study at the university in Ba Sing Se—and she felt his absence deeply—that she even registered the feelings as potentially romantic. Opal actually teased her about it once, asking if she was just going to stand around and pout until Junior came home. 

[seyaryminamoto]

Who do you think are the most useless characters in LoK?

Ha, damn, you guys really do love making me a controversial blogger!

As with all controversial questions, this goes under a Read More

There’s different kinds of uselessness at play here, if you ask me. Most characters are skilled at one thing or another, so your typical definition of uselessness doesn’t work. Useless, though, as in “provided nothing to the plot”, is something that certainly happened in LOK. And useless as in “could have been amazing and was a huge disappointment”  is even more prominent than the previous one.

So, shall we split this question in those three sections?

Useless #1: no skills to speak of, too much screen time was wasted on them:

Wu: I actually considered having him in the third category instead, but why lie? His character only had potential because of his position in the world. When you weigh his character and his development for themselves, without focusing on his role, you realize he’s absolutely irksome and unnecessary as a character. When even Bryke asked themselves how on earth did they keep the badgermole singing scene, which is, LITERALLY, the only useful thing Wu ever did, you come to the conclusion that in order to make Wu a good character, his entire concept had to be utterly different from what it was. Ergo, yes, he earned this spot fair and square.

Unalaq: oh yes he had skills, skills to bend spirits, which was probably the biggest disservice to spirits ever done in the entire saga. Unalaq was a waste of time, and, as the entirety of Book 2 is a spit in the face of everything Avatar, it’s safe to say this entire franchise would have been better off without him. Heck, people in general seem to forget he even exists and I’m glad they do. He’s just that useless.

Useless #2: provided nothing to the plot, caused the show to drag on pointlessly:

The entire Su Beifong branch of the Beifong family: I’m not even going to apologize for being as blunt as I am about my distaste of Su Beifong and everything about her. The drama she provided the show with was seriously a waste of time. Imagine how many things could have been developed better if all of the Su Beifong family drama from both seasons 3 and 4 hadn’t happened? Her very existence was simply… so unnecessary? After two seasons, bringing in another daughter of Toph’s as they did was utterly pointless. Nobody ever made a reference to her before, zero insinuation of her very existence, let alone of the existence of her family. Why were they necessary at all? Well, they weren’t. They derailed the show and half of the FINAL SEASON was wasted on trying to unravel their ridiculous drama. Excuse me, but I would have rather had Kuvira being an independent agent, not in love with Bataar, so all the pointless melodrama could be scrapped altogether. Maybe that way Korrasami would have had enough screentime to develop properly.

Varrick in seasons 2 and 3: I will give him a pass in season 4 as that���s the only one where he did SOMETHING. But honest to gods Varrick was painful to watch for me in seasons 2 and 3. I wasn’t amused by him in the slightest. The whole matter of the civil war between tribes got shoved under such a huge rug that I literally don’t remember anything about it. Or about the Movers. And if him making a magnetic suit would have come in handy eventually, his appearance in season 3 might have served SOME purpose, but no. So yes, he goes in this list. He absolutely earned his spot.

Zaheer: oh yes, a lot of people loved/feared/revered this asshole, and indeed, perhaps he fits in the “wasted potential” category just fine. But frankly, I couldn’t bring myself to put him there. Truth be told, Zaheer was a pain in the ass for me. His character felt flat and irritating, a mere attempt to make an “intellectual” villain that backfired entirely because his literacy didn’t make him more interesting in the slightest, he legit came off as an edgy communist teenager in the body of an adult, playing at being wise while knowingly sending the world to shit. There was a story behind everything he did, yes he had motivations, yes, he had skills… and yet you have no idea how the blazes he came into acquiring those motivations and skills. He saved P’li from enslavement? Is slavery a problem in the Avatarverse now? If slavery has been happening, why hasn’t it been developed more as a seriously bad issue in the Avatar world? Well, screw that, turns out the only function for “he saved P’li” is so he looks cool and noble. Same as his interest in Air Nomad culture and knowledge, that just makes him cool! Also, ironically, his attachment to his goal of killing Korra should have kept him from flying because AMBITIONS ARE ALSO ATTACHMENTS. Basically, Zaheer is an improvement on Unalaq and yet still a failure of a character in a thousand ways where Unalaq failed, too. He wasn’t believable for me at all: in the end he was only around to play at being Korra’s worst foil. Both Amon and Kuvira get believable motivations and their villainy goes beyond playing Final Boss for Korra. This is not the case with Zaheer. Everything about him seems to revolve around Korra.

Useless #3: absolutely wasted potential, deserved better than what they got:

Bumi: I am still SO PISSED regarding how horribly this show mishandled Bumi. His first appearance was so promising, showing a character who outright looked crazy…! And suddenly turns out he’s dorky, not crazy, and his quirks are simply stupid-funny, which is what his character was all about until he becomes a rookie airbender. Did they seriously introduce a character to us as COMMANDER BUMI… just to make him a laughingstock? Just to make him funny? What military skills did he have? How did he make it so far in life when all we know of him is that he can play the flute? Someone, please, explain. And his story regarding feeling inferior for not being an airbender, just for him to end up being an airbender all the same in the next season? I HATED IT. Waste of screentime, right there. No development needed, let’s just forcibly kill his insecurities by making him an insta-airbender. Ugh.

Asami: this is even painful. We’re talking about a girl who had ten thousand skills and could do all sorts of jobs, with insanely high quality training in combat… and what did she do for this show? Provided the money for the Fire Ferrets in season 1, then the air crafts needed for every other season, and became a love interest. The majority of the stuff she did with her skills are off-screen. We HEAR about Asami, we seldom see her in action and she is CONSTANTLY, CONSISTENTLY, removed from important events in every season. She literally gets written out of Book 2′s finale as a whole. In Book 1 she faced her dad, wasn’t involved in the final, main conflict. In Book 3 she couldn’t do anything to help with Zaheer in the final fight. In Book 4 she got written out of the fight too after her dad becomes a martyr. How. Just. How?? This character HAD potential. It got squandered and thrown to waste because the biggest bigots when it came to bending and non-bendng were the show’s writers.

Bolin: this guy had a completely incoherent arc and development, mainly because his character had no clear motivations and no obvious interests throughout the entire story. No doubt, he wanted to make something of himself, but it isn’t until Book 4 where he finally channels his motivation into something productive. Otherwise, he was only ever following Korra around. Adding to this that most his presence in the first seasons was about turning him into a laughingstock, with only a handful of serious moments, and that his love life was even more messed up than his character arc, and he’s just one big pile of wasted potential.

P’li: I am singling out P’li specifically, despite Ghazan and Ming-hua also should be included here. But P’li is the one that bugs me the most because she could have provided countless answers regarding combustion bending if only the show had included her as something other than Zaheer’s explosive girlfriend. The fact remains that I was mainly interested in her character because of the expansion of lore she could offer, and in the end she provided nothing new for us. It’s beyond disappointing. As for Ming-hua and Ghazan, yes, they were underused and their storylines cheapened too. All three of them are exponents of wasted potential.

Kya II: she was cool, could’ve been a much more complex character, and yet I think she must have had less screentime than Zuko? I don’t even know, but the point is, she was around only for a couple of seasons, wasn’t particularly prominent in either one, got ZERO lines in book 4... she’s an immediate candidate for this category.

Iroh II: basically the same as above. It’s kind of sad because he was the leader of armed forces that achieved nothing at any point in the show? I’ve never seen a show that brings up armies and warfare as much as LOK did while also never allowing full-blown armed conflict to unfold. I mean, I’m not asking for Helm’s Deep, but every single time Iroh brought out his troops he was either wiped out or left to watch things unfold from the sidelines. Honestly, he was around to cater to Zuko fans and nothing more, while having the potential to BE much more. Fans used this character a thousand times more than the show ever did.

Desna and Eska: not a lot of people liked them, but the fact remained that they had potential, especially after turning against their father and becoming leaders of their tribe at such young age. The conflict Desna showed when it came to Unalaq was actually pretty nice, and for me to say such a thing about ANYTHING in Book 2 is a shocker. And yet they practically did nothing else in the other seasons, aside from a creepy joke that sounded like incest was being hinted at. Neat-o.

Senna: it’s actually embarrassing that the show did next to nothing with Korra’s MOTHER. I have no doubts she had potential, honest to gods. It’s disappointing to no end that all we know about her, by watching the show, is that she’s someone’s wife and someone’s mom. She’s cute and adorable and just... there. Cool. What a waste. 

I suppose there are more characters worth sorting in here, but if I keep going I won’t get to any other asks. So here you go :’D