The Legend of Korra - Book Two: Spirits

[Agent Richard07]

Jinora's penchant for spirituality made me overthink it.

Anyone else think it's a little creepy that they just left the professor's body there to rot? Also, if you can't loose or gain weight in the spirit world, what exactly did he die of? Old age? Terminal case of irritated spirit owl? I know there's a difference between entering the spirit world physically and spiritually, but I'm still a little confused as to the rules.

I think that if you're there in spirit, you don't gain weight since you're there in an ethereal form, but if you go there physically, you still have a body and the rules of the physical world apply.

Actually, I may be mis-remembering but didn't Koh also dwell is a gnarled, ancient looking tree like the one Vaatu was trapped in?

I don't know, but someone on another board pointed this out. They said it looked like he was trapped in the same tree that Koh lives under.

A prediction... If Raava does in deed have to rejoin with Vaatu, that leaves Korra without an avatar spirit. So what of the avatar? Maybe Korra's spirit on its own will be strong enough to carry the four elements and continue to be the avatar. The training wheels will come off after 10,000 years, so to speak.

 

[Christopher]

^Or, both Raava and Vaatu will be joined within the Avatar.

 

[RoJoHen]

I have been kind of hoping that Koh would make an appearance. He should show up and steal Unalaq's face. SOB has it coming.

 

[SG-17]

I am a bit surprised that they included this scene in the episode.

 

[Agent Richard07]

Or, both Raava and Vaatu will be joined within the Avatar.

Then Korra will really have to learn to control her anger.

"The Legend of Korra - Book Three: Anger Management"

 

[FPAlpha]

Good episode (judged by a non expert )

What i was wondering (and maybe i've missed it) was why Korra couldn't bend yet Unalaq could?

He mentioned she should have entered via a portal so she could bend but Wan bended left and right when he fought Vatu in the two parter.

Can anyone explain this please?

However i really dug the spirits.. reminded me much of Miyazaki movies which i love to death.

 

[SG-17]

Good episode (judged by a non expert )

What i was wondering (and maybe i've missed it) was why Korra couldn't bend yet Unalaq could?

He mentioned she should have entered via a portal so she could bend but Wan bended left and right when he fought Vatu in the two parter.

Can anyone explain this please?

However i really dug the spirits.. reminded me much of Miyazaki movies which i love to death.

Unalaq (and Wan in Beginnings) entered the Spirit World physically, as such they could bend. Throughout ATLA and this episode, Aang/Korra, and Jenora have only been in the Spirit World, literally, in spirit. Only their essence and consciousness was present (their spirits).

Physically entering the Spirit World changes nothing for humans, as seen by the ability to bend and how Professor Zei starved to death in the Library. Compare this to Iroh and the past Avatars, only their spirits are present in the Spirit World. Their physical bodies left behind on Earth long ago.

 

[Reverend]

[EDIT] ^ Ninja'd

Good episode (judged by a non expert )

What i was wondering (and maybe i've missed it) was why Korra couldn't bend yet Unalaq could?

He mentioned she should have entered via a portal so she could bend but Wan bended left and right when he fought Vatu in the two parter.

Can anyone explain this please?

However i really dug the spirits.. reminded me much of Miyazaki movies which i love to death.

Korra didn't physically enter the spirit world, she got there through astral projection or some-such. That's why her body stayed with Tenzin at the Air Temple. This was touched on in the old series as Aang couldn't air bend when he went to see Koh the face stealer.

Unalaq walked through the portal, so he's actually physically there, in body *and* spirit, hence he can still bend.

I think there's also a danger with being separated from one's body for too long, or becoming lost an unable to find the way back. One assumes that if someone dies in the spirit world, the body dies too. Not sure if that's one of the things that interrupts the Avatar cycle or not, but I want to say maybe-probably.

 

[JD]

I really enjoyed this episode. I love the spirit world.

 

[Mr Light]

Another great episode! I can't believe they did a direct sequel to "The Library", that is awesome! I also liked that Korra became a little girl. And Iroh returns!!! Though the backup actor just does not sound good. I miss Mako.

Doesn't this raise a huge issue, though? If a human just decides to go into the Spirit World they become immortal? Assuming you can manage it. Why wouldn't everybody be trying to do this? And if you walk through the physical portal does this also happen? You'd think Unaloq would invade the Spirit World with his tribe or something.

 

[ChowdaHead]

Considering how little character devolpment Unalaq and Vaatu have had during this season, I think it would be a mistake to have them become the dark avatar and the ultimate villain of this season. I like the idea of dark avatar, I just don’t want it to manifest in that form. I have faith in these writers. I really respected them acknowledging how bratty Korra can be and throwing in the idea that her being more positive in life is going to improve the balance of the world. MY THEORY: Vatuu gets released, Unalaq pleads with him to enter his body. Vatuu decided its better to enter JINORA. I think this is why there has been so much set up for Jinora being so in tune with her spirituality. This will draw Vaatu to her. And the emotional weight will be incredible. Our heroes will be fighting for and against someone they deeply care for. You saw it here first folks!

 

[Christopher]

Doesn't this raise a huge issue, though? If a human just decides to go into the Spirit World they become immortal?

On the contrary -- we were clearly shown the corpse of Professor Zei, who died in Wan Shi Tong's library. If you go physically into the Spirit World, you're as mortal as you are in the material world. Iroh said he "left his body behind." His spirit crossed over through meditation, the way Korra's and Jinora's did, and he left his physical body -- which must've been quite old by that point -- to die. So Iroh is dead, not immortal. But his spirit lives on. Presumably if his spirit had still been in his body when he died, his spirit would have been reincarnated in another body. But by making it into the Spirit World, he's apparently left the reincarnation cycle behind, i.e. attained nirvana.

 

[Mr Light]

Given that Wan had to allow Raava into his body for the joining... can Vaatu force himself into Jinora's body and take possession that way?

Have they established that reincarnation is for people other than the Avatar? The Avatar only reincarnates because of Raava going into another person's body and retaining the memories of the previous hosts.

 

[Christopher]

Have they established that reincarnation is for people other than the Avatar? The Avatar only reincarnates because of Raava going into another person's body and retaining the memories of the previous hosts.

I don't think that's true. Just before Wan died, Raava said that she would stay with him through all his future lives. That implies that the reincarnation was a property of his own human spirit and she was tagging along for the ride.

 

[Reverend]

Given that this world works along the lines of Eastern philosophies, I think it's safe to say reincarnation isn't just for the Avatar. It'd make sense since Bolin is clearly the reincarnation of Momo.

 

[Mr Light]

You mean Momo is the reincarnation of Giatsu!

I think I read somewhere that they originally planned that and later changed their minds.

 

[Hound of UIster]

Given that this world works along the lines of Eastern philosophies, I think it's safe to say reincarnation isn't just for the Avatar. It'd make sense since Bolin is clearly the reincarnation of Momo.

And undoubtedly Asami is Appa.

 

[Reverend]

Given that this world works along the lines of Eastern philosophies, I think it's safe to say reincarnation isn't just for the Avatar. It'd make sense since Bolin is clearly the reincarnation of Momo.

And undoubtedly Asami is Appa.

Well that's just silly...Mako is Appa. Asami is unquestionably Foaming Mouth Guy.

 

[SG-17]

Have they established that reincarnation is for people other than the Avatar? The Avatar only reincarnates because of Raava going into another person's body and retaining the memories of the previous hosts.

I don't think that's true. Just before Wan died, Raava said that she would stay with him through all his future lives. That implies that the reincarnation was a property of his own human spirit and she was tagging along for the ride.

It could be simply the result of their merging. Raava and Wan are one in the same. They are a single spirit (just with distinct personalities), they can't die... unless they enter the Avatar State, in which it seems that the Avatar Spirit (Raava and the other Avatars) live in the Spirit World until they are called upon and then physically possess the current Avatar. Similar to how Tui and La could die because they possessed the bodies of Koi fish or how the Spirits in Beginnings could be killed because they were in the physical world.

Which makes me think...

Spoiler: Vaatu and Unalaq

That Vaatu and Unalaq WILL become the "Dark" Avatar and the only way that Korra can save the world would be to kill Unalaq/Vaatu while he is in the "Dark" Avatar State.

 

[Agent Richard07]

I agree with Reverend. I think reincarnation is the norm for everyone. And as mentioned, the way Raava told Wan that they'd be together through all his lifetimes supports this.