With The Legend of Korra season 2 in full swing, we look at our favorite non-romantic relationships in the series so far.
While shipping is a major part of any fandom experience, romantic relationships aren’t the only types of love we see in our favorite shows. In honor of that often underappreciated side of fandom, we look at our top five canonically platonic relationships in The Legend of Korra.
Asami and Bolin
Asami and Bolin did not have a lot of one-on-one interaction in Book 1, with Asami dating Bolin’s brother, but the opening of Book 2 saw the potential for growth between the two of them.
Bolin accompanied Asami to a business meeting and ending up securing financial support for the struggling Future Industries just by being himself and speaking up. And this was exactly what Asami needed at a time when she was, in many ways, alone. We hope to see more of the budding friendship between these two as the series continues.
Asami and Korra
These two ladies seemed bound to butt heads at every opportunity with the romantic tension in the Asami-Mako-Korra triangle, but when it was revealed that Asami’s father was an Equalist supporter, Asami cut ties with him and joined Team Avatar — in essence, giving up everything to support Korra and her mission. Even when her boyfriend left her for Korra, Asami remained loyal, proving her worth as one of the best allies and friends an Avatar could have.
Bolin and Korra
While this twosome started out one-sided with romantic undertones when Bolin rescued Korra after she snuck into the Pro Bending arena, by Book 2 Bolin seems to have moved on from his crush while remaining a steadfast friend for and supporter of Korra.
We saw from their aborted date in Book 1 that Korra and Bolin have a lot in common, though it quickly became apparent they were destined for a great bromance rather than romance. We loved that he was the first person to greet Korra after she opened the spirit portal in the Book 2 premiere and look forward to more displays of their friendship.
Tenzin and Korra
Tenzin and Korra have a fascinating dynamic. In Book 1, Tenzin found himself training the reincarnation of his father. Korra is the polar opposite of Aang in almost every way, which must have made things incredibly strange for Tenzin.
Yet through various ups and downs, he and Korra developed a combination of mentor-mentee/father-daughter dynamic. Korra bonded with his family, and she turned to him for guidance and support. This relationship has become strained in Book 2, but we’re confident that the strength of the bond between the Avatar and her Airbending teacher will prevail.
Lin Beifong and Tenzin
As another pair that started out on the romantic end of the spectrum, Lin and Tenzin struggled to work together to fight the Equalist threat on Republic City. And though sparks flew from their shared history, they put it behind them for the greater good.
Tenzin entrusted Lin with his family safety during the Equalist invasion, a measure of trust of the highest order. And Lin sacrificed herself — and her bending — so Tenzin and his family could escape from Amon, a sacrifice of the highest order. No matter the hurt between them, the strength of their bond was obvious, and we hope to see more of it through the remainder of the series.