Avatar: The Legend of Korra is a beloved show, and while it is often not considered to be as good as its predecessor, every season has some amazing episodes. Because there are so many great episodes, it can be hard to find a consensus between fans about which ones are the best.
However, Reddit has become a place for fans to discuss their opinions, meaning that it is arguably the best place to find a consensus. Discussions of the best episodes can be found on the site, and all of these episodes are so good that they are definitely worth discussing.
"Korra Alone" - Season 4, Episode 2
"Korra Alone" epitomizes one of its quotes, "The mind can be a powerful ally, or your greatest enemy." This episode is the first time viewers really get to see how much pain Korra has gone through over the last three years, and because of this, it has managed to resonate with audiences long since it first aired online.
As stated by one Reddit , "It's sad, beautiful, poignant, emotionally resonant... it's hard to put "Korra Alone" into words, honestly. It refocuses the series into an actual legend of Korra, by making her into an inspirational figure for the mentally ill and physically disabled."
"Venom Of The Red Lotus" - Season 3, Episode 13
"Venom of the Red Lotus" is the culminating episode of season 3, and Redditor RunicLordofMelons states why it is so great, as "The action setpiece is breathtakingly glorious, but at the same time really heartwrenching as we watch Korra dying from the poison. It's an unforgettable episode that perfectly ends book 3. The greatest part is the end scene, it's another tearjerker moment that reminds us why this series is so great."
The episode is filled with epic highs and lows and includes one of The Legend Of Korra's saddest quotes, when Korra's dad Tonraq is begging his daughter to stay alive. These moments managed to be incredibly impactful, hence why it is one of the best episodes.
"A New Spiritual Age" - Season 2, Episode 10
Book 2 is often thought of as the worst season amongst fans, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't have great episodes. One Redditor believes that this episode is book 2's crowning episode, as "Korra reaches a higher level of spiritual maturity. The Spirit World can be a hostile place for someone with a difficult time seeing the positive in difficult situations (like Korra), so Korra learns from Iroh (YES!) how to face her fears with confidence."
Being able to see Iroh again is likely what makes this episode so beloved amongst fans, however the spirit world environment and the journey that Korra makes also add some wonderful elements to this story.
"Endgame" -Season 1, Episode 12
While the season 1 finale is often controversial amongst fans, according to Redditor TheGroovyDeadite, "it was absolutely fantastic. Amon was as threatening as he'd ever been and the scene where he takes Korra's bending was a genuinely suspenseful scene. Korra airbending was also better done than people give it credit for. Add on to this with Asami confronting her dad, Dante Basco coming back to play the kick-ass iral Iroh, and I'd say it was a majorly satisfying finale."
The episode also features one of The Legend Of Korra's saddest moments, as Tarrlock kills both himself and his brother to end the cycle of violence. It's definitely a memorable moment in a memorable episode.
"The Last Stand" - Season 4, Episode 13
According to one Redditor, the series' final episode "did exactly what it was meant to do: bring Korra's series-long developmental arc to a close. In the end, Korra broke Kuvira's will with a display of power and comion, which taught Kuvira the equal importance of both. Man, I got chills just from typing that sentence. Oh, and there's Korrasami! And Zhurrick. And Mako embracing Korra's philosophy of self-sacrifice for the greater good."
Clearly this episode brought a lot of character arcs to a satisfying conclusion, and it did so in an epic way with the number of battles that the episode had. Plus, fans love Korrasami, therefore they love the episode that confirmed them.
"Welcome To Republic City" - Season 1, Episode 1
"Welcome to Republic City" did an amazing job as the first episode of the entire series, and many fans seem to agree. There are so many things to love about the episode, from its humor, to its action sequences, to its successful show of setting up the season's story. It made Korra an instantly iconic character, and fans couldn't wait to see more.
But according to Redditor tiger66261, the thing that makes this episode one of the best is its animation: "That first episode was so wonderfully done in of art & animation, there's just so many assets put into the landscape shots that you can almost mistake it for the first 20 minutes of a Ghibli film."
"The Ultimatum" - Season 3, Episode 11
"The Ultimatum" is one of the best episodes because of how it features Tenzin and the newly growing Air Nomads. As stated by Redditor carlotta4th, "I have a special place in my heart for the air nation, and I just love seeing Tenzin at his absolute best. He was willing to risk everything he loved to save the Avatar. And the fact that he did almost die trying to protect everything is so tender for his character, and so sweet and tragic at the same time. It set up the finale beautifully."
The episode also has arguably the best airbending fight in the whole Avatar universe, as Tenzin and Zaheer battle it out, which is just amazing to watch.
"Beginnings Part 1 & 2" - Season 2, Episode 7 & 8
This two-parter was different from the rest of the show as it solely featured the lore of the Avatar world, and also introduced Avatar Wan, who is one of the best characters introduced after season 1. It features amazing stylised animation, epic battles that set up the plot of the season, and a lot of incredible backstory about how the Avatar came to be.
The majority of fans love this episode, and this includes Reddit Taravangian, who states, "The animation, the music, the lore, the action sequences, it was just incredible. For me, it was the first undeniably great episode of LoK, and it upped the ante for the rest of the series."
"And The Winner Is..." - Season 1, Episode 6
While Book 1 is now a decade old, this action-packed episode definitely still remains in the minds of viewers, including one Reddit who argues the merits of the episode, stating, " when Amon had a point and the pro-bending arc came to a pretty good close with Spider-Lin and Pabu saving the day? That was this episode. And it was, in my opinion, easily the best episode of Book 1."
This episode was definitely a highlight of Amon's time as a major villain. It also displayed some comeuppance for Tahno, and an epic fight scene between Korra, Lin, and the equalists.
"The Terror Within" - Season 3, Episode 8
According to one Redditor, this season 3 episode is great "Mostly for the action setpiece in the first half, though the ensuing investigation is well executed as well. This was the first time we saw what the Red Lotus could do together, and everything about that fight in the middle of the dome - the staging, the editing, was extremely satisfying and tense. I could watch Suyin spinning Lin around and knocking out Zaheer's glider all day."
The episode's central fight scene certainly was tense and spectacular, and since the fight was about capturing the Avatar, it could be argued that the episode is a nostalgic callback to the early fight scenes of The Last Airbender.