Absolutely nobody was surprised when Netflix announced that The Last Airbender was one of the streaming service's most highly-rated animated shows of 2020. The series that continued the saga of the Avatar, The Legend of Korra, is for a more mature audience but holds its own when it comes to a dedicated fanbase. The detailed animation and immersive world are part of what fans like about both series, and that's what makes it fun to watch them more than once.
The Legend of Korra calls back to the previous series with a number of clever Easter eggs— hidden in the background, written into dialogue, or drawn in plain sight and used as a symbolic plot device. It also references other popular cultural media properties and public figures. Some of these are so subtle that many viewers probably didn't see them the first time. With both series currently available on Netflix, it's easy to binge them both and catch all the Easter eggs missed the first time.
10 Bumi & Bunnies
This one flies under the radar because viewers are distracted by how the world's environment has changed after Korra opened the spirit portals. Most of the attention here is on Jinora anyway. It's also easier to notice if Korra is watched immediately after The Last Airbender because this Easter egg happens close to the beginning of the first series.
When Aang is trying to figure out the King's riddles in the episode "The King of Omashu," one was to find the King's pet, Flopsy, who is a bunny. A very large bunny with horns and teeth— but yet still adorable, fluffy, and devoted to his master. Once the spirit portals are opened in TLoK, Aang's son Bumi, whose named for his father's earthbending friend, gains a spirit companion who also happens to be a bunny.
9 Varrick & Various Insane Millionaires
Every time one watches TLoK, Varrick seems to be channeling yet another outspoken, rich nutcase. Since The Legend of Korra was running concurrently with several of the Marvel movies, most people referenced Tony Stark, and they weren't wrong.
However, Tony himself is a version of infamous millionaire Howard Hughes, and the reference isn't lost on Varrick but that's not the only real-life character being referenced here. His initial role, as a producer of "movers," recalled media magnate William Randolph Hearst and his newspaper empire.
8 Zuko & Korra, Alone Together
Part of what made the latter half of AtLA so interesting to watch was the character arc of Zuko, a villain that had a compelling character arc to become a good guy and even one of our favorite heroes. Korra herself has a similar arc in Season Four of TLoK. In fact, they have so much in common that the writers and animators deliberately left a few Easter eggs in Korra's journey to call back to Zuko.
To start with, their adventures and trials are chronicled in episodes with similar titles: "Zuko Alone" and "Korra Alone." They both cut their hair, partly out of practicality to hide who they are but also in a symbolic way to alter their identities. The scene in which Korra looks into the mirror and sees a fractured reflection of her bruised face, including a black eye, is eerily reminiscent of Zuko's distinctive scar.
7 Return to the Library
The return to the mysterious library of Wan Shi Tong, the one who isn't as smart as he thinks he is, not only calls back to the previous series but includes some chilling foreshadowing. It's funny but sad to see the remains of Professor Zei, and Wan Shi Tang makes a passing reference to Admiral Zhao, the human that made him so angry he forbade them from ever coming into the library again.
The library appears again in "A New Spiritual Age" and a few episodes later, in "Darkness Falls," the Admiral appears again and we learn of his ultimate fate, in the Fog of Lost Souls, an inescapable spirit prison.
6 Hannibal Korra
Korra has to spend the episode "Long Live the Queen" tied up, and naturally, the Earth Kingdom forces are paranoid about giving her any chances to escape. The binds they have her in are deliberately designed to be a callback to Hannibal lector's distinctive restraints in The Silence of the Lambs.
In a way, these over-the-top bindings are intended as a joke to poke fun at how terrified these big strong soldiers are of the Avatar. Thankfully, they're so worried about her that they forget about Asami, one of the most badass non-benders ever, who engineers their getaway.
5 The Truth is in the Teapot
When Wan, the first Avatar, put the small and weakened Raava into a teapot, most viewers probably didn't catch the reference. When Korra met Uncle Iroh in the Spirit World, sooner or later, he would ask her if she wanted some tea. Of course, the teapot he's using is none other than that same one Wan had.
As soon as Wan picked up the teapot, however, everyone should have recognized the callback to Uncle Iroh. It fits that the beloved character who preached that much of life's wisdom could be found in a steaming cup of tea would be able to help Korra find Raava, a spirit who lived in a teapot.
4 Prince Wu Channels Beyonce
Some might have caught this one right away if they're a Beyoncé fan— and more than a few people are. But for those that still managed to miss it the first time, Prince Wu actually steals some of the pop star's more distinct dance moves to be used at his coronation ceremony in TLoK, Book Four.
When he demonstrates, a whole sequence of the choreography is all but copied from the video for the Beyoncé song "Run the World." It's one of the few times Prince Wu is actually a likable character.
3 The "Instrument" Joke
When Toph was training Aang, one of the early lessons was Growing a Spine 101. She stole his glider in an attempt to push him, and when Aang saw her using it to crack nuts, he came close to losing his cool, calling it a "delicate instrument."
A similar thread is repeated again between Bolin and Mako in the TLoK episode "The Sting." Bolin is enjoying his hot tub, and when Mako asks him why he needs a hot tub, Bolin explains that he needs it to "maintain his instrument," but this time he's referring to his body. On the other hand, was that what Toph was also talking about?
2 "Found someone, you have!"
A mentor that lives in a vast swamp and is wise in the ways of an obscure martial art. An anxious student looking for enlightenment in a vast universe. Is this description about Toph, or someone else? It's true that the story of the student and master relationship is an old plot device, but this one looks familiar for a reason.
The encounter that Korra has when she finds Toph is deliberately designed to resemble Luke Skywalker seeking out Master Yoda on the swamp planet of Dagobah. In particular, the scene where Korra awakes and sees Toph from behind looks almost the same as the scene from one of the best movie sequels of all time.
1 The Legend of Prometheus
There's an Easter egg for fans of Greek mythology hidden in the legend of Wan, the first Avatar. The first element he is able to possess is fire, and that's not just an element the writers chose at random. This is a reference to the classical legend of Prometheus, the Titan who defied his fellow deities and stole fire to give to human beings.
This runs parallel with Wan's story, who stole firebending from the Lion Turtle— and upon getting caught, asked for permission to keep it.
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