When Avatar: The Legend of Korra ended with Korra and Asami stepping into the spirit world together, it left plenty of fans wishing there was another season of content to binge. Though those who’d shipped Korrasami were vindicated, they had been denied an on-screen kiss between the two female characters by Nickelodeon, even though the writers had wanted it to take place. As a result, many felt that ending the series where it did was a bit of a letdown for fans of the show and queer representation in general. Also, although Kuvira’s defeat was a nice bookend to the show, the fact remained that Korra still had plenty of work to do as the Avatar, especially with Republic City decimated by Kuvira’s last stand and political unrest continuing in the Earth Kingdom.
While the creators didn’t have any more television content to pump out, TLok‘s world was expanded upon in comic books and graphic novels. This includes Korra and Asami’s adventures after they step into the newly opened spirit portal in Republic City, as detailed in the graphic novel The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars, which was released in 2016.
If you’re intrigued to know what happened to Korra and Asami after the events of TLoK, then read ahead!
How was the new spirit portal in Republic City opened?
First, a quick refresher on how the television series ended. Kuvira was attempting to take over Republic City, the last holdout against the “Great Uniter” in the Earth Kingdom’s territory. Emboldened by the most powerful weapon ever seen on earth — a huge robotic suit with an attached spirit gun — the powerful earth bender came within a whisker of achieving her aims. Thankfully, Korra and the rest of Team Avatar were able to destroy the robot, with bits of the deadly machine being sprayed all over Republic City, including into the spirit wilds.
Kuvira, blinded by power and with an iron will that even the best metal bender couldn’t break, tried to use the spirit gun to continue her rampage. Because of the weapon’s immense power, she lost control of it and came moments from killing herself. Korra, despite all the death and destruction Kuvira had caused, stepped in the way and bent the spirit energy, opening up a new portal right in the heart of Republic City. Both women were launched into the spirit world, where Kuvira was able to realize the error of her ways. She agreed to head back into the physical world with Korra and face trial for what she’d done.
A few days later, during Xhu Li and Varrick’s wedding in the rubble and ruin of Republic City, Korra and Asami decided to take a break from the real world and head into the spirit world together. In the cut of the finale that was aired, they held hands and walked into the portal, although writers wanted to end it with what would have been a seismic first queer kiss in a children’s television show.
The fate of Korra and Asami
Korrasmi became a thing
In the spirit world, Korra and Asami admitted their feelings towards one another and explained when they’d first realized there might be more than friendship between them. For Korra, it was when Asami took care of her after Zaheer had poisoned her. Asami only understood the extent of her feelings once Korra disappeared for three years, leaving her plagued by longing.
Emboldened by their new happiness, Korra brought Asami to the Southern Water Tribe to meet her parents. At first, it appeared they were accepting of the same-sex relationship, but then Korra’s father pointed out that some people were bigoted and suggested it might be best to not flaunt their partnership in public just yet — especially in the Southern Water Tribe, which was full of socially conservative folk. While Korra was hurt by this suggestion, Asami saw it came from a place of love and experience and was able to placate the angry Avatar.
Korra, still a little angry at her dad, spoke with Aang and Katara’s daughter (and season three TLoK favorite) Kyra, who revealed she’d also had romances with women. She gave Korra a better understanding of how the four nations saw queer relationships, noting that those from the Earth Kingdom were usually the most repressive, whereas the Air Nation leaned more the other way. Feeling more comfortable in herself, Korra left for Republic City with Asami. She departed before she and her dad had a chance to clear the air.
Real-world concerns
While all this was going on, a property developer named Wonyong Keum had created plans to turn the land surrounding the newly opened spirit portal into a tourist attraction, claiming that the funds it would create would allow Republic City to rebuild. However, spirits and the newly bolstered Air Nomads argued otherwise, leading to the air benders taking up a vigil outside the portal to prevent any development of the land. As Korra returned, the spirits, led by a dragon-eel spirit, urged her to close the portal, but she refused, steadfast in her belief it would eventually become a force for good in the city.
Aside from issues around the spirit portal, there were plenty of other problems facing Republic City, the most pressing being the refugee crisis caused by Kuvira’s destruction. As a result, Korra and Assami joined Zhu Li and Tenzin in an attempt to help the new homeless population via a fast-building campaign. However, they ran into a roadblock in President Raiko, who was in the middle of an election campaign and more worried about appearances than actually sorting out the city’s problems.
In the meanwhile, Keum paid the Triple Threat Triad to attack the Air Nomads protecting the portal. The ambush took place that evening. Korra and Asami heard about it and rushed over, aided by Mako and Bolin, the latter of whom had joined his brother on the police force. During the fight, spirits appeared and attempted to quell the Triad’s attacks, turning an already messy battle worse. In the chaos, Asami nearly lost her life, but she was just about saved. While Korra was distracted with helping her girlfriend, the dragon-eel spirit who’d asked her to close the portal attacked the leader of the Triad, Tokuga. Instead of killing him, the attack just mutated him into a human-spirit hybrid, similar to the ones we saw in TLoK’s season two episodes about the origin of the Avatar.
Eventually, the Triads were repelled. In a rush of relief after the fight, Korra and Asami kissed in front of their close friends. While surprised, most of them were incredibly happy for the pair, although Mako had a bit more of an emotional reaction, having previously dated both women. With that said, his love for his friends quickly won the day. All the while, trouble brewed as the new human-spirit hybrid Tokuga hunted down Keum, kidnapping him.
The wrath of the spirits
The next morning, Korra took a group of air benders into the spirit world to try and get the spirits onside, but they were rebuffed. Returning to the city dejected, their moods became worse as they discovered Raiko had ordered the United Forces to protect and fortify the land surrounding the newly opened portal. Tenzin and Korra confronted the president and implored him to put his foot down unless he wanted to further alienate the spirits, but he refused to change course. In a final bit of shameful politicking, he went on to publicly blame Korra for the unrest.
In the meantime, Zhu Li and Asami had decided to skip asking Raiko for permission and used their wealth and influence to begin building shelters for residents displaced by Kuvira. Raiko, ever the politician, took credit for the new housing in the press. Annoyed by the incumbent president, Korra, Tenzin, and Asami urged Zhu Li to run against him in the upcoming election.
While all this was going on, police chief Lin Beifong had ordered Bolin and Mako to stay away from Keum until they had irrefutable evidence of his crimes. Rebuffed, they tried to focus on Tokuga. They quickly received a tip-off about the gangster’s location, but it turned out to be a trap. The brothers barely escaped with their lives, and as a result, decided to ignore their orders. However, once they began looking into Keum, they discovered he’d been missing since the fight with the Triads the previous night.
Things only got more mysterious when later that evening Asami stood Korra up for a date. The Avatar told Bolin and Mako what had happened and the trio quickly realized that Asami had been kidnapped. However, before they could do anything about it, the Triple Threat Triad raided an arms depot, hoping to steal and then utilize the weapons that remained in the city after Kuvira’s attack. The three free members of Team Avatar rushed straight there to stop the gang, but just as they were gaining the upper hand Tokuga appeared and told them he’d taken Asami, adding that if they want her to survive they needed to let his goons take the weapons.
The final battle
Back in his hideout, Tokuga forced Asami to build a gas weapon that he could mount on his airship, coercing her by claiming he’d kill her fellow kidnapping victim Keum unless she agreed. Korra, Mako, and Bolin eventually found out where Tokuga was keeping the hostages, but they arrived just as the weaponized airship took off with Tokuga, Asami, and Keum onboard.
Using her bending abilities, Korra managed to board the airship, where she battled Tokuga. All the while, Asami used the chaos to free herself, before she showed off her kick-ass fighting skills to take on Tokuga’s goons. Once she’d dispatched them, she took control of the ship and piloted it into the spirit world, hoping to stop the Triad leader from terrorizing the already battle-hardened people of Republic City further. Tokuga, distracted by his plan slipping away, was overpowered by Korra, who sent him flying from the ship. However, he survived the fall and escaped into the spirit world.
Keum, thankful for having his life saved, told Korra and Asami he’d give up the land around the spirit portal, finally pacifying the spirits. Later that evening, at an election party in honor of Zhu Li’s candidacy, Korra and her father finally had a moment alone. He told her he wouldn’t let Southern Water Tribe traditions get in the way of his relationship with his daughter, and the pair shared a hug.
Turf Wars ends with President Zhu Li addressing her constituents in a victory speech, and Korra and Asami once again standing in front of the spirit portal, where they confess their love for one another. So, TLoK fans finally did get the ending they craved.