Legend Of Korra: 25 Important Facts About Korra And Asami's Relationship

Summary Korra and Asami's relationship started as rivals turned lovers, showcasing a dynamic growth in their friendship.

Asami fell in love with Korra first, showing a deep emotional connection that strengthened their romantic relationship.

Korra and Asami's bond was built on being best friends first, emphasizing the importance of communication and support in their relationship.

In the Avatar universe, one of the most talked-about couples is Korra and Asami from The Legend of Korra.

Set decades after the events of The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra follows the titular Korra as she struggles to find her place in a world that she doesn't think needs the Avatar. Because she's older than Aang when he went on his journey, there is a particular focus on relationships in the series. During much of the show, Korra has feelings for her friend Mako, but the romantic relationship between them didn't work out.

Over the next few years, a dark horse romance came out of that heartbreak: Korra and Asami. As best friends, the pair grew as companions and eventually started becoming more. At the end of the series, they walked off into the sunset together. The couple only got so much screen time, so their relationship is more mysterious than most end-game romances. There was a comic series about the duo following the events of the animated series, but not every fan had a chance to read through them. There are still a lot of gaps to be filled and Korra and Asami's relationship.

Related The Legend of Korra: What Happened To Korra After The Series Ended After The Legend of Korra ended, Korra's adventures continued in comic book form. Here’s everything that happened to Korra after the show's ending.

Korra And Asami Were Rivals Turned Lovers

Asami and Korra weren't always fans of each other, and the pair are one of the best rivals-to-lovers couples in television. Asami and Korra first met through Mako. At the time, both women were interested in the firebender. Asami was dating him, and Korra was friends with him, but wanted more. Over the course of the next year or so, Mako flip-flopped between them depending on his mood. The experience hurt everyone involved in the love triangle.

During that time, though, Asami and Korra learned a lot about one another and even became very close friends. Once they both had officially moved on from Mako, they started to see attractive qualities in one another. As time went on, Korra and Asami fell in love, finding great support and companionship in each other.

Asami Fell In Love First

In The Legend of Korra, the first three books take place over the course of a year much like the original Avatar series. Book four, however, has a three-year time jump. In the first year, Korra and Asami struggled through their feelings with Mako more than their feelings with one another. That changed following the time jump.

When Korra gets poisoned with mercury in one of the most rewatchable episodes of Legend of Korra, she goes back to the South Pole, leaving her friends behind. Through letters and time, Asami realized that she had feelings for Korra and wanted to tell her, but she knew that Korra already had to deal with her recovery, so she didn't say anything. That didn't stop Asami from complimenting and keeping Korra close the second she got back, however.

Korra and Asami Lived Together Before Dating

Throughout Korra's Team Avatar run, the group was in near-constant danger even though it had initially seemed like the new world didn't have the same need for an Avatar. Depending on the threat, the group tended to stick together and stick to one place. Living together offered them security.

When Asami's father turned out to be an Equalist, Bolin, Mako, and Asami went to live with Korra on Air Temple Island. There, they were safer and more sheltered from Amon's people. Though Asami and Korra didn't fall in love while they were living together, this time was paramount in helping the two women grow close and understand one another beyond their mutual interest in Mako. While bonding, they learned how to support one another and grew to be friends, closer friends than even Korra and the brothers.

When Korra first met Asami, it was as Mako's surprise girlfriend after Mako had already rejected Korra's advances. Asami was gorgeous, rich, and cool. That led to Korra making a lot of assumptions about Asami. Of course, the young Avatar felt intimidated by her. Asami may not be an all-powerful Avatar, but she was everything Korra wasn't: extra feminine, charismatic, and polished. Korra felt that she couldn't measure up - especially in Mako's eyes.

Obviously, the pair eventually discovered the commonalities between them, and Korra grew more comfortable around Asami. After Asami was kind enough to show off her family's awesome racetrack that Korra loved, her tone started to change about the other young woman. She was happy to admit that her assumptions about Asami were wrong. That doesn't change the fact their relationship started off rather frosty, though.

Asami And Korra Learned To Be Best Friends First

Because of the age range of the heroes in The Legend of Korra, characters rush in and out of relationships fairly quickly. After all, they are just teenagers for most of the series. In the original series, it was clear that Aang had a crush on Katara, and Sokka had a lasting relationship with Suki, but for the most part, romance wasn't a big part of the story because those characters were so much younger than Korra and her friends.

Against the status quo in Legend of Korra, Asami and Korra took a long time with their relationship. They spent a lot of quality time together, wrote years' worth of letters, and supported each other through thick and thin. Asami became the Avatar's best friend long before she became her girlfriend. For these two strong women, the progression worked for them and helped build a great foundation for their romantic relationship.

Asami Taught Korra To Drive

Korra may arguably be a more successful Avatar than Aang, but she isn't good at everything. Understandably, driving isn't a top priority among the Water Tribes. They simply don't have the infrastructure that larger cities and nations have. They travel by foot or by boat most of the time. Ergo, when Korra went to Republic City, she didn't know how to drive. Instead, she uses her polar bear dog, Naga, to get places, but Naga is not exactly inconspicuous.

Luckily for Korra, Asami Sato is a driving pro. Throughout her life, she's practiced racing, motorbiking, and all manners of driven transportation. She happily steps in to help the Avatar learn how to drive. However, despite Asami's good teachings, Korra is still easily the worst driver of the bunch. Riding with Korra is not usually a smooth trip.

Enemies Of The Avatar Tried To Use Asami Against Her

Despite the couple's best attempts to keep their relationship out of the public eye, their closeness doesn't go unnoticed. After they start dating in the comics that follow the show, the residual chaos in the Earth Nation starts to bubble. In a time of tension, mobs take their opportunity. Tokuga, the new leader of the Triple Threat Triad, decides to abduct Asami to try to force the Avatar's hand. After all, if she retaliates, all they have to do is hurt her girlfriend.

Unfortunately for the criminals, Asami is no damsel in distress. She manages to break free, disarm many of Tokuga's men, and hijack their airship. It seems like stealing the Avatar's girlfriend is a pretty terrible idea - especially since she's more than just the Avatar's girlfriend. Asami was already accomplished in defending herself and using air machines before she met Korra.

Related Avatar: The Last Airbender Timeline Explained (Including Legend of Korra) Avatar: The Last Airbender was the start of a new universe. Here's a complete timeline of what happened before Avatar and through Legend of Korra.

They Have Similar Tastes In Men

Korra and Asami have only been linked to one other person: Mako. Neither of them had other romantic relationships during the run of the show. For a whole year, the two women battled with their feelings for the firebender. Stoic and brooding, he's every teen girl's dream tough guy with a handsome face when relationships are approached through the lens of tropes in a teen drama series. They appreciated his protectiveness, his rare tenderness, and his loyalty.

However, his protectiveness also came with his need to control how the people he cares about are protected. His controlling nature wore on both of them. As highly independent people, they grew tired of him making decisions because "it was what was best for them." They had the same taste in men, but eventually, they found a stronger attraction to the independent, supportive woman at their side.

Asami Is The First Non-Bender On Korra's Team

As far as Avatars go, they certainly seem to attract abandoned/orphaned. Aang had Katara and Sokka, while Korra had Mako and Bolin. They also seem to attract at least one friend from a wealthy background who finds that the life they've been leading isn't the one they want. For Aang, that's Toph. For Korra, that's Asami. Both Team Avatars are full of young people searching for purpose.

Also similarly, there seems to always be one non-bender in the main quad of friends. Both Sokka and Asami joined the Avatar's side, despite not having any bending powers of their own. That didn't stop them from having some of the best fighting abilities of any characters on Legend of Korra. Asami's mechanical knowledge, driving skills, and hand-to-hand combat prowess have shown themselves invaluable time and time again. Without an element to bend, she still does great work in helping Team Avatar accomplish its goals.

Korra Ruined Asami's Relationship

While it's not Korra's fault that she got in the middle of Asami and Mako's relationship, her existence is why their relationship eventually crumbled. After all, Mako's growing attraction and adoration of the Avatar is exactly why he and Asami broke up the first time. Mako might have initially rebuffed Korra because he wanted to be her friend first, but he couldn't deny that he did care for her, and it was obvious to Asami that something was going on between them.

It's very likely that Asami and Mako would have broken up anyway because of incompatibilities, but his conflicted feelings were a driving force. If Korra wasn't around, maybe they could have worked things out. Ultimately, Korra really put the nail in the coffin when she and Asami fell in love. After all, Mako can't be with either of them if they're together.

Korra And Asami Tell Each Other Their Problems

One of the biggest failures of Korra's relationship with Mako, and most people in general, is poor communication. Whether it be on both ends or just hers, she does have an issue with opening up to people and being her most honest, authentic self. She and Mako actually have that same problem as he has a hard time communicating as well.

Over time, that changes with Asami. Though they are hesitant to talk about their romantic feelings at first, Asami becomes the only person Korra can tell her deepest fears and secrets to. Despite the fact that she once loved being the Avatar, Korra first turns to Asami when she considers retiring from the role. This aspect of their relationship is one of the most important reasons why Korra and Asami work so well together.

Mako Approved Of Their Relationship

As the guy who dated both Korra and Asami, Mako is obviously impacted when they reveal that they're dating in the comics. Though he is initially surprised, and he seems a bit uncomfortable with the whole thing, Mako really just wants both women to be happy. He did love them, so he just wants what's best for them, even if it's not him. This is almost entirely the summary of his and Korra's breakup, so Korra moving on isn't unexpected for him.

He just never expected both of the women he most recently dated to move on and date each other. Mako has maintained friendships with both women, and he didn't see the sparks between them until they talked things out. Understandably, that's a curveball that he needed a bit of time to process when they first revealed their new relationship status to him.

Korra Rejected Taking Asami To The South Pole

After the Red Lotus poisoned Korra with mercury, she decided to return to the South Pole to heal. The people of the Water Tribe, particularly Katara and her daughter Kya are the best healers. Waterbending can be used to teach healing in addition to teaching combat skills, and Katara excels at it the first time she tries it in The Last Airbender, passing the skills on to her daughter.

When Korra announced that she would return to the South Pole, Asami wanted to go with her. The Avatar vehemently disagreed and tried to reassure Asami, saying that she wouldn't be gone long. However, she left for three whole years to heal from the poisoning. If it weren't for letters, Asami would have lost any sense of how Korra was doing. Though she barred Asami from going because she didn't want her to see that she was so weak, she probably could have used her best friend's support.

Korra And Asami Vacationed To The Spirit World

Between saving the world multiple times, having to heal from mercury poisoning, and all the various traumas that came with that, Korra needed a vacation by the end of the animated series. After Zhu Li and Varrick's wedding, she planned to head into the Spirit World and just explore it for a little while. It wasn't a place humans had spent significant time in for hundreds of years. With a smile on her face, she invited Asami.

During their vacation, they finally gave in to the romantic feelings that had been growing between them. They started dating and enjoyed their new time as a couple. For both women, it was a revolutionary comfort to be able to enjoy their love without the threat of the world falling apart around them. It was a very different experience than what they had up to that point.

Related 10 Korra & Asami Cosplays That Make A Case For Live-Action Legend Of Korra These incredible Korra and Asami cosplays make quite the case for a live-action Legend of Korra adaptation, especially in the wake of Netflix's ATLA.

Asami Almost Wrote To Korra About Her Feelings

Over the three years of Korra's recovery, Asami began to understand her feelings for her better and better. In her absence, Asami missed Korra, wanted to comfort her, and wished they could be together. Being together just made life feel better for her. Asami considered writing to Korra about how she felt while Korra was in the South Pole for three years.

However, Asami knew that Korra had enough on her plate since she had to ultimately recover from acute mercury poisoning. Though Asami wanted to confess her feelings, she also wanted to comfort her friend more than anything else at the time. No matter how much she wanted to tell Korra the true extent of her feelings, she kept those feelings to herself. Once they were alone and safe again, she happily shared her affections.

They Quickly Confessed Their Love To One Another

There can be a bit of a confusing dynamic when it comes to falling in love with a best friend whether that's in a fictional story or in reality. Though the romantic feelings are new and elating, that comfortable closeness and bond are already there for the friends. Friendship makes a great foundation for a romantic relationship, but it can sometimes accelerate a relationship as well.

For Korra and Asami, this was exactly the case. They finally started dating, spent a few blissful weeks together, spent a few harrowing weeks apart, and then they confessed their love to one another. All of it might have seemed a little fast to some fans of the characters, but these women already knew and loved each other. They just needed to grow the romantic side of it before they could be madly, openly in love.

Asami Took Care Of Korra When She Was In Danger And Ill

Whenever Korra was in danger or sick, Asami did everything in her power to help her get better. She might not have had the healing powers of waterbending, but she found whatever way she could to help. With mercury poisoning, it was offering her letters, her friendship, and her support, even if it had to be from far away. During Asami's relationship with Mako, she didn't get in his way when it came to caring for Korra, even though she knew that he was falling deeper in love with the Avatar because of it.

Whether she thought of Korra as her lover or her friend, Asami always made caring for her a high priority. For a hero like Korra who struggles with caring about her own safety, it's important for her to have someone in her life who is always looking out for her.

Korra And Asami Are Known For Being Very Intense

Korra and Asami are initially presented as oil and water with Korra as a stereotypical fictional tomboy and Asami showcasing more feminine traits. As they get fleshed out in the series, however, it's clear that they have more in common than viewers might initially think. While Korra and Asami do have a lot of conflicting traits, they line up perfectly when it comes to ideals and world views.

Both women are very intense, heroic people who want to help others in any way they can. They're both blunt with their opinions, which comes from their intensity. However, this works for their relationship and helps them communicate effectively. Though other people might be surprised by how passionate, serious, and intense they can be, they match each other in that fire. Finding an equal to love is a great and powerful thing, especially for the Avatar. It's pretty easy for someone like the Avatar to feel isolated.

Asami Didn't Want Their Relationship To Be Public

When Korra tells her parents that she and Asami are in a relationship, her father supports her privately but asks her to keep it quiet publicly. After all, Water Tribe laws didn't quite agree with it. He doesn't want negative attention aimed at his daughter, and Korra fans in the real world will likely understand his feelings of wanting to protect her. Despite not agreeing with his reasoning, Asami does agree that she doesn't want to go public.

Asami wanted to keep her love with the Avatar to herself for a little while longer. She also wanted to avoid scrutiny or threats while the Earth Nation was still in the middle of some political unrest. Though Korra didn't like it, they tried to keep things quiet for a while. That is until Asami got hurt in battle and her girlfriend couldn't help but kiss her, of course.

Korra And Asami Started Dating When The Series Ended

Korra and Asami's ending up together is one of the plot endings that Korra fans have considered perfectly in character for the two. While The Legend of Korra is very much its own series, it does take notes from its predecessor when it came to finding friends with siblings, highlighting the awesomeness of non-benders, and, of course, ending the series on a happily ever after note.

When Aang's story ended, the last shot of the series had him kissing his beloved, Katara, as they started their lives as a couple. Similarly, The Legend of Korra ended with Korra and Asami gazing lovingly at each other at the Spirit World portal, ready to move forward together. For two series full of action, disputes, and character growth, it's a sweet note to end on, as every fan wants to see the Avatar live their happily ever after with the person they love most.

Asami Supported Korra At Her Worst

Since the Avatar has the job of bringing balance and peace to the entire world, it's understandable that it can wear down any person in the Avatar role. When Aang was the Avatar, he embodied the role after he was missing for a century, but also when one nation was steadily eroding the power balance of the world. He had a concrete path to follow: stop the Fire Nation and then pick up the pieces of war.

In the case of Korra, she didn't have that concrete path. She had many smaller issues presented to her and villains that operated quite differently. She struggled. It sometimes frustrated her and made her doubt her ability to carry out the role. From poisoning to politics, to contemplating retirement, this Avatar seriously questioned her aptitude and capabilities when it came to saving everyone. Throughout all of these struggles, though, Asami stayed by her side. Even when Korra was irrational, horribly insecure, or stubborn, Ms. Sato supported her and made sure she had someone to rely on no matter what.

Related Avatar: Why Korra & Asami DIDN'T Kiss In The End Despite hints of romance, Asami and Korra never shared an onscreen kiss nor declared their feelings in The Legend of Korra. Here's why.

Korra And Asami's First Kiss Was Among Spirits

When Asami agreed to go to the Spirit World with Korra, the pair had an understanding that this would take their relationship to a new level. Before they walked through the portal, though, they hadn't outright spoken about their feelings or even shared a kiss yet. Everything was implied for the audience.

Once the two of them are in the spirit world, it doesn't take long before the couple starts to enjoy their new feelings. They explore places they haven't been to before, have romantic picnics, and, for the first time, they lock lips. There's nothing more romantic than being all alone somewhere and spending time with your significant other. Not being surrounded by the conflict of the world or even their friends would have alleviated some of the pressure for Korra and Asami as well.

Korra Only Wrote Asami During Her Mercury Poisoning

The Red Lotus contains several of the best villains from Legend of Korra, and they severely injured the Avatar, even though she ultimately beat them. After their altercation, the Avatar ended up wheelchair-bound, disconnected from the Avatar cycle, and saturated with mercury. Suffering under the effects of the poisoning and everything else Korra endured, she traveled back to the South Pole to work with the best healers and get better.

As weeks turned into months and those turned into years, she was sent letters from all of the people who loved her that weren't in the South Pole with her. The only one she ever really replied to, though, was Asami. While she loved the boys, she couldn't bring herself to tell them about how things weren't going well and how much she was in pain. She felt like Asami was the only person she could talk to.

They Have Conflicting Opinions About Asami's Father

In the first season of The Legend of Korra, one of the biggest hurdles and/or twists that Team Avatar ran into was the revelation that Asami's father, Hiroshi Sato, was one of Amon's Equalists. Hiroshi was bitter about his wife's death at the hands of a firebender, and it had made him an easy recruit for Amon. Asami and the rest of her friends fled and found refuge on Air Temple Island. During his time with Amon, Hiroshi said many hurtful things to Asami because of her involvement with the Avatar.

After the Equalists were disbanded, Mr. Sato was jailed. Despite all that he'd done, Asami still visited his cell and hoped that there was still good in him. However, Korra thought otherwise. Though they disagreed, Korra didn't get in Asami's way, and they reconciled before he perished while trying to help save his daughter.

Asami Stopped Korra From Retiring

Once the final villain of the animated series, Kuvira, was defeated and the spirits were in balance again, Korra had time to reflect and enjoy time with her loved ones. While sitting quietly with Asami, they discussed the role of the Avatar and all that she had done with the title. Less cocky than when she first came to Republic City, Korra wondered if she should retire and let the world figure out things on its own.

Though Asami agreed that she needed a rest, she urged Korra to remain connected to her identity and her role. After all, no one else in the world could do the things she did. Furthermore, despite any trouble she had caused, she also did a lot of good, too. It's Asami's belief in her that keeps Korra going when she thinks she might be done, and one of the many interesting aspects of Korra and Asami's relationship in The Legend of Korra and the comics that come after it.