Season 4

1. After All These Years

Three years after the defeat of Zaheer, the vain Prince Wu is about to be crowned Earth King, and Mako is assigned as his bodyguard. In the Earth Kingdom, Opal and Kai try to protect a community from bandits with limited success. Kuvira, who now styles herself the "Great Uniter", appears at the head of an army that includes Bolin, Varrick and his assistant Zhu Li. She offers the governor supplies and protection – if he submits his state to her sovereignty. The governor reluctantly agrees, and their conversation reveals that this has become a pattern as Kuvira consolidates more and more of the Earth Kingdom under her authority, which begins to appear increasingly despotic. Elsewhere, a despondent Korra is fighting and losing cage matches, having apparently renounced her identity as the Avatar.

2. Korra Alone

Over the past three years, a despondent Korra has been slowly recovering her health with the aid of physical therapy and healing administered by Katara at the South Pole, following her torture and poisoning at the hands of the Red Lotus. However, the effects of the assault and the other suffering and losses that she has faced has left her psychologically traumatized, and haunted by doubts that she will ever be the same again, and she has not been into the Avatar State since the assault. Tricking her family and friends into believing she has returned to Republic City, she is in fact wandering aimlessly throughout the world, isolating herself as much as possible from human contact.

She is haunted by a dark vision of herself as she appeared in the fight with Zaheer, which appears to watch her wherever she goes. A spirit leads her into the banyan swamps which previously featured in Avatar: The Last Airbender, where her doppelganger apparition chases her down and attacks her, and she suffers a hallucination of drowning, but regains consciousness in the abode of Toph Beifong.

3. The Coronation

At Wu's coronation in Republic City, Kuvira refuses to yield power to him, instead announcing that she will consolidate the territories under her control into a new Earth Empire. This creates a rift between her and the other world leaders including Suyin, as well as between Bolin and Mako, who has to protect the unpopular Wu from angry supporters of Kuvira. Meanwhile, in the banyan swamp, Toph agrees to help Korra regain her strength, though her methodology largely consists of browbeating Korra and beating her up with still formidable earthbending. She finds residual metal poison inside Korra but can't remove it – Korra subconsciously resists, scarred by her previous traumas. Meanwhile, Tenzin sends Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo to search for Korra, and Varrick experiments on spirit vines for Kuvira.

4. The Calling

While the young airbenders look far and wide for Korra, Ikki is briefly captured by two Earth Empire soldiers. Based on what they say, Ikki leads the trio to the Foggy Swamp. There, Korra is still haunted by visions of being hurt by her past enemies, but manages to connect to the siblings through the great banyan-grove tree's roots. After they beg her to resume her Avatar duties to face Kuvira, Toph's advice helps Korra to let go of her fears, bend the rest of the poison out of herself and re-enter the Avatar State.

5. Enemy at the Gates

As Kuvira's army marches on Zaofu, Suyin refuses to let her city join the new empire, and Korra tries in vain to negotiate a peaceful outcome. Varrick and Bolin come to realize the totalitarian nature of Kuvira's rule, but their escape is foiled by Kuvira's fiancé, Suyin's son Baatar Jr. ( Todd Haberkorn ). While Zhu Li pledges her allegiance to Kuvira, Varrick is forced to weaponize the spirit vines for her, and Bolin is to be sent to a " reeducation " camp. In Republic City, Asami reconnects with her imprisoned father, Hiroshi.

6. The Battle of Zaofu

After Suyin and her twin sons are captured while infiltrating Kuvira's camp to take her out, Kuvira agrees to a duel with Korra to decide control of Zaofu. Although now free of the effects of the Red Lotus poison, Korra remains off-balance and Kuvira goads her to gain further advantage, consistently outmaneuvering Korra. Unable to otherwise gain the advantage, Korra enters the Avatar State and prepares to deliver a devastating blow, until she hallucinates a vision of her dark spectre in Kuvira's place and collapses to the ground. Opal, Jinora, Ikki and Meelo save Korra and flee with her on the back of an air bison. Meanwhile, Varrick and Bolin escape after Varrick improvises a spirit vine bomb. Kuvira forces Zaofu's citizens to submit, and has Baatar Jr. and Zhu Li continue work on the vine superweapon.

7. Reunion

As Korra reunites with her friends in Republic City, Wu is abducted on Kuvira's orders. Korra, Asami, and Mako rescue him from a train and hide him with Mako's family in Asami's mansion. Meanwhile, Bolin and Varrick encounter escapees from Kuvira's prison camps, which now house anyone not of Earth Kingdom blood, and help them escape from the now walled-in Empire. In the swamp, Kuvira's forces begins harvesting the spirit tree's vines.

8. Remembrances

At the Sato estate, recalling his kidnapping, Mako attempts to teach Wu how to protect himself from his enemies. The prince, however, is knocked down after Mako lands a gentle punch on him; Yin enters the room with Tu and runs, worried, to the young royal, scolding Mako for injuring him. When Mako makes a remark about how weak Wu is, the prince justifies himself by saying that he "wasn't raised by a pack of cops in the woods" like Mako. The firebender states that Wu knows nothing about him because he has never asked, but the prince responds by asking him a number of questions, including if there is a special lady in his life. Mako answers that he has not dated anyone since he and Korra broke up; the prince, his interest piqued as she is the Avatar, asks to know everything that happened between them.

Mako begins his story, explaining that he and Bolin grew up poor and that he wanted to become a pro-bender for the fame a riches, until he was introduced to Korra, courtesy of Bolin, at the Pro-bending Arena. He explains to Wu how Korra joined their team, the Fire Ferrets, and how she had inspired him with her bending skills, as a Pro-bender and a loyal friend. Wu asks him if they had kissed, but Mako answers negatively, countering with the story of how he and Asami had met when she hit him with her moped.

They had started dating, but that made Mako's relationship with Korra very complicated because they had kissed, something on which Wu, Tu and Yin all offer opinions: the prince takes Mako's side, but Tu and Yin believe it was wrong because he was dating Asami at the time. Mako continues saying his feelings became clearer when Korra was taken by Tarrlok, leading to his breakup with Asami. Mako says that he and Korra defeated Amon together and after that, he was finally able to declare his feelings for her, starting their relationship.

Yin asks Mako if they were able to live happily ever after, causing Mako to remember the rough stretches their relationship endured, as Korra repeatedly asked him whose side he was on. Finally, an angry Korra confronted Mako at his his workplace; after an furious argument, in which they both decided that their jobs were interfering with their relationship, Korra broke up with Mako, with the former leaving the room in tears.

Their breakup allowed Mako to focus more on his work. A sudden rash of attacks on supply ships heading to the Southern Water Tribe, which was having a negative effect on Asami's company, led him and Asami both to carry out a sting operation with the help of the Triple Threat Triad in an effort to uncover the culprit. He says it was the perfect way to help him get his mind off Korra, recalling that it was an intense night. After discovering that the triads had double-crossed them, they barely escaped; when they returned to Asami's warehouses, they found them completely emptied.

He remembered that Asami was ready to give up, but he assured her that he was not giving up on her, and she kissed him. Mako says he knows what he had done was wrong, but Wu objects: Mako had already broken up with Korra, giving Mako, Wu says, the right to choose what he wanted. Mako counters by continuing his tale; when Korra, suffering from amnesia, returned, she had forgotten their breakup and kissed Mako in front of Asami, angering her. Making things worse, when Korra asked him if their fight was bad, Mako had lied and assured her it was not.

Wu voices his disapproval of Mako's behavior, stating simply that Mako should have told her the truth about their breakup; Yin again points out that Mako is just like his grandfather, but Mako points out that he and Asami were never officially back together. Tu says that it seems Mako is so afraid of disappointing anyone that he ends up disappointing everyone; while his assessment annoys Mako, Tu gets a high-five from Wu, who opins that "truer words have never been spoken." Mako clarifies that he did end up telling Korra eventually, but by the time he did so, she had already regained her memory, and thus knew he had lied.

He had justified himself to her by saying that he did not want to hurt her, and that a part of him might have wanted to forget about the breakup. Korra bluntly reinforced that their relationship would not work, bringing it to an end.

After Harmonic Convergence, Mako remembers, Team Avatar left Republic City in search of airbenders. He recalls that being around Korra and Asami was awkward, but that he realized he needed to figure out who he was without a lady in his life. Wu says that he knows what needing distance from women is like, claiming that he is consistently pursued by them; Mako, after a moment of un-enthused silence, continues his story. He was able, he tells them, to help Korra defeat Zaheer and save the airbenders, and to do so not as her romantic interest, but as her friend.

He says that Korra taught him the importance of putting others before himself, and that she continues to inspire him when he thinks of her. As Mako finishes his anecdote, Wu, getting to his feet, comments that the story was amazing, and that he really learned a few things: he really did not know anything about Mako, and that, while not intending to offend Yin, "ladies are complicated". Wu further says that he intends to focus simply on being a better king; getting into a fighting stance, he tells Mako to attack him again, believing he can withstand it. Mako's first, soft punch causes Wu to collapse straight to the floor, shouting "Wu down!" As Mako stands over the fallen prince, Yin sharply slaps his arm.

At Air Temple Island, Korra watches the sunset with a serious expression on her face. Asami brings her a cup of tea; sensing something is wrong, she asks if she is okay, and Korra repeats to her the sentiment of Toph regarding their current situation: the world does not need the Avatar, and confronting Kuvira is purposeless. Asami tells Korra Toph's assertion is ridiculous, but Korra tells her Toph is right; despite everything she has done, the world is still in imbalance. She explains herself through a flashback of her own, telling Asami her own history.

When she learned she was the Avatar, she remembers, she greatly anticipated her future, believing that she "was really gonna change things", but she had been naïve. When she saw Amon remove Lightning Bolt Zolt's bending, she was utterly terrified, and when he did the same to her, her worst nightmare was realized. Asami interrupts Korra's train of thought for a moment, reminding her that after Korra exposed Amon and stopped the Equalist Movement, the free elections that followed in the United Republic gave nonbenders a voice, and people had found their hope again.

She states that good things came of her struggle; Korra counters by reminding her that, although she had beaten Amon, Unalaq followed soon after, and his threatening Jinora's life led her to betray Tenzin and open the portals, which further threw the Spirit and human worlds into chaos and led to, not only the fusion of Unalaq and Vaatu, but a temporary separation from Raava and a permanent loss of her connection with her past lives. Asami retorts that, by the end of the conflict, she had become more stronger, as UnaVaatu had been, and that by opening the portals, she brought back the Air Nation and caused a positive shift in the world.

Again doubting herself, Korra moves on to Zaheer, who also received airbending; besides nearly killing her with his newfound power, he had thrown the Earth Kingdom into chaos by killing the Earth Queen, and nearly done the same to the rest of the airbenders. In the wake of his defeat, Kuvira gained power, and the world was, again, thrown out of balance. From the beginning of her recollection to the present, she notes with frustration, nothing has changed.

Tenzin, silently joining the two, interrupts them and, to the surprise of both of them, agrees with Korra's assessment of the world. He continues by stating that she should learn from her enemies and conflicts, adding she has changed a lot since he first met her, from a selfish person to a thoughtful young woman who cares about others and puts their needs before her own. He claims that her sacrifices for the new Air Nation serve as a testament for that. Korra thanks them both for their encouragement, and says that, no matter what happens in the future, she will do whatever she must to restore balance to the world.

As Baraz and Ahnah 's boat makes its way across the Mo Ce Sea, Bolin and Varrick, along with the rest of the escapees, listen as Baraz tells a story about eating bark-onion soup. Everybody is very bored by the tale; Bolin asks if anybody else wants to throw themselves overboard. Varrick, jumping to his feet, replies that he does not; while the others have been telling "incredibly boring stories", he tuned them all out, crafting, he claims, the most exciting tale ever told, "soon to become the greatest mover ever made!" He presents Bolin to them as Nuktuk, Hero of the South, to be the lead in Bolin, Hero of the World; he labels it as Bolin's "incredible true story".

Bolin, confused, asks whether he is playing Nuktuk or vice versa, and Varrick responds that both will be true: it is his true story, but they will use the popularity of Nuktuk to boost its profitability. Bolin, suddenly downcast, asks how he could be labelled a "hero of the world", having abandoned his family and friends and joined the ranks of a psychotic dictator, who imprisoned him and he was now running home with his tail between his legs. Varrick, persisting, tells Bolin to stop "emphasizing the wrong story beads".

Varrick launches into his story. In it, Zaheer, a resurrected "Zombie- Amon ", Vaatu, and Unalaq all participate in a conference call, expressing their willingness to join forces to take out their common nemesis, Bolin, deeming him to be "way too powerful and awesome"; although the former three repeatedly try to drop Unalaq from the talk, they soon discover that the Chief of the North has been listening in on their conversation, at which point the three companions hang up on him. Nuktuk eventually defeats the villains by destroying UnaVaatu, whose dissolving form becomes the stars, and trapping Zaheer in a tornado, turning him into wind.

Amon's fate, however, remains unresolved and unaddressed. As Varrick hastily wraps the story, making Bolin turn into a dragon, go into the Spirit World, and save the Avatar, he receives a standing ovation from the fugitives, much to Bolin's displeasure. Varrick grows slightly annoyed when Bolin starts to point out the plot holes in the script, such as the discarded storyline of "Zombie-Amon", but jovially tells his friend to "never let the truth get in the way of a good story."

9. Beyond the Wilds

In Republic City, Fire Lord Izumi and Tenzin refuse to endorse Raiko's proposed offensive against Kuvira even after Bolin and Varrick bring word of her vine weapons research. Reacting to Kuvira's harvesting of the spirit vines in the swamp, vines in Republic City begin to attack random people, Jinora included, trapping them in the Spirit World. Korra's psychological trauma prevents her from meditating to enter the Spirit World. Unable to think of another way to let go of the fear that continues to handicap, Korra decides to confront the real Zaheer in his prison.

Zaheer, disgusted with the rise of a tyrant like Kuvira, who stands as the antithesis to the philosophies of the Red Lotus, proposes to help Korra. He assists her in learning to pass beyond the trauma of her past hardships, and helps her step into the Spirit World, where Korra speaks with Raava for the first time in many years. Using her restored ability to communicate with the spirits, Korra calms the volatile vines and frees Jinora and the other human captives. Meanwhile, Bolin attempts and fails to make up with Opal, but agrees to help her and Lin rescue their family.

10. Operation Beifong

Near Zaofu, Opal, Lin, and Bolin are joined by Toph and track the Beifong prisoners to a facility where Baatar Jr. and Zhu Li are testing a vine energy supercannon. A rescue plan takes form, but tensions run high between the previously estranged Toph and Lin. Zhu Li proves to have been feigning her loyalty to Kuvira and attempts to sabotage the weapon, but her effort is discovered by Kuvira. The rescue team frees the captive Beifongs, who engage Kuvira and her forces together, before being forced to flee by Kuvira's superior numbers. Lin and Toph find a measure of reconciliation. Zhu Li reveals that Kuvira is planning an imminent attack on Republic City; she is determined to retake all of the lands which the Earth Kingdom had once ceded to the United Republic. Meanwhile, Korra tries and fails to convince the spirits to help defend Republic City.

11. Kuvira's Gambit

Wu and Mako help evacuate Republic City, and Asami and Varrick build a fleet of flying mecha-suits to defend it. But Kuvira's forces attack earlier than expected. Her superweapon, now mounted on a giant mecha, devastates the Republic's navy, forcing Raiko to surrender. Korra and the airbenders capture the mecha's creator, Baatar Jr. After Korra threatens to keep him from Kuvira forever, he attempts to convince Kuvira to end the attack, but she has the mecha fire on his position, in an attempt to take out the Avatar and her allies.

12. Day of the Colossus

Barely surviving Kuvira's attack, Korra and her friends look for ways to take down the colossus. They discover that the exterior and joints of the behemoth mecha tank are made entirely of rarefied platinum and thus immune to metal bending. After paint bombs, lavabending, metal cables, collapsed buildings, Korra's bending, and an electromagnetic pulse set up by Varrick all fail to stop the giant mecha for long, Lin frees Hiroshi Sato, who proposes to take the mecha down from the inside. Asami, Hiroshi, and the newly engaged Varrick and Zhu Li attach plasma torches to the two remaining flight suits, then engage the colossus. After Hiroshi sacrifices his life by allowing the mecha to crush his flight suit in order to gain enough time to cut open a hole to the interior of the colossus, Korra's assault team is able to enter it.

13. The Last Stand

In the mech's control room, Korra and Kuvira fight one another. Meanwhile, Team Avatar begin to take the giant apart from the inside. Suyin and Lin disable its arm and weapon, and Bolin and Mako detonate its power source, with Mako risking and nearly losing his life to blow the colossus into several pieces. Korra and Kuvira crash-land in the city's spirit wilds, and Kuvira activates the discarded cannon, triggering a staggering and self-sustaining release of energy powered by the vines surrounding them. Leaping to block the beam of the weapon from annihilating Kuvira, Korra enters the Avatar State and channels the massive outpouring of spirit energy, redirecting it and miraculously creating a third portal into the Spirit World.

Emerging into the spirit world, Kuvira and Korra commiserate over their hardships and the mistakes they have made, and Kuvira concedes defeat and is arrested upon returning to the physical world. Weeks later, at Zhu Li and Varrick's wedding, Wu announces his intent to abdicate in favor of democratic Earth states. Korra and Asami plan a trip together to the spirit world; in the last scene of the series, the two walk hand-in-hand into the new spirit portal.