Although it's no secret that The Legend Of Korra had relatively big shoes to fill, it manages to work some incredibly compelling characters and themes into its more modern take on the Avatar: The Last Airbender universe. One of the more interesting and beloved characters is actually Asami Sato, despite the fact that she happens to be a non-bender.
Even early on, she's shown playing a large role in helping the main characters and going through immense amounts of development herself with her father. She's shown to be wealthy, intelligent, beautiful, and smooth, quickly winning over Mako and most others throughout the course of the show. Despite this, she isn't perfect, which is one of the strongest suits of the series' writing.
10 STRENGTH: Her Empathy & Generosity Know No Bounds, Even For Those She Just Met
Typically, one of the biggest problems with characters born into wealth is that they lose their ability to connect with those less fortunate than themselves. Thankfully, for Asami, this never seems to be a problem whatsoever. Almost immediately after meeting Mako, she's offering to help upgrade his wardrobe, and convinced her father to sponsor his pro bending team when she learned of their financial hardships. Later on, she even offers her home to both Mako and Bolin when they don't have anywhere else to go.
9 WEAKNESS: She's Prone To Holding Grudges, Even When She Doesn't Know The Full Situation
Asami is one to fiercely stand up for those who are close to her, and while this sounds like a net positive trait, she does this without knowing the full situation. This happens not once involving the shady business her father dealt with, but twice, and both times ended with her being incredibly angry at a party that didn't deserve it.
The first was with a potential business partner of her father's that ended up dropping out of the deal because her father wanted him to make weapons. The second was Korra herself, and though Asami eventually came around to the truth, she was still irrationally upset for a short time.
8 STRENGTH: Her Skills Behind The Wheel Are Practically Unmatched
Back in the original Avatar days, there were some methods of transportation, but automobiles themselves hadn't yet been seen. It was far more common for a character to get around by ship or by some form of animal, but as technology and cities evolved, so did the methods by which characters traveled.
Korra herself saw just how impossible it now was to get around using the old ways, as her giant polar bear dog was far too big for bustling city streets. This makes Asami's know-how behind the wheel invaluable, and she's shown to be able to handle herself well under heavily stressful situations.
7 WEAKNESS: She Brings Up Her Feelings Passively, Then Blows Up, Rather Than Communicating Properly
Asami became aware of the fact that Korra had a crush on Mako--whether that was still presently true or only something in the past, she wasn't fully sure. However, this didn't stop her from watching all of their interactions to try to catch something between them rather than simply asking Mako about this.
Sure, she may not have believed what he had to say, but at least she'd be forming an opinion after communicating with her partner rather than immediately becoming suspicious of Korra. This was also after she'd been offered a place to stay on Air Temple Island, so it just feels off-putting for Asami to be so mistrusting.
6 STRENGTH: She's Confident & Isn't Afraid To Go After What She Wants
Asami's confidence is quite refreshing in a show full of people who don't quite know how to express what they want just yet. Korra has been almost completely sheltered until recently, Mako isn't good at expressing his feelings healthily in general, and Bolin is incredibly awkward in general.
In direct contrast to this, Asami isn't afraid to make even an unfavorable situation into one that she can control with confidence so simply that it looks easy. Even when she accidentally crashed into Mako, she handled the encounter incredibly smoothly and was able to not only patch things up but successfully flirt with him as well.
5 WEAKNESS: She Lets Her Jealousy Over Mako Get In The Way At Unnecessary Times
Mako and Asami's relationship is one of the rockier ones present within the series. Their emotions and status seem to fluctuate quite regularly after a very short-lived period of stability when they first got together, which isn't helped by the fact that Korra confessed and they shared a kiss while Mako was already going out with Asami.
It's understandable as older teenagers that romance and feelings would become points of conflict, but there are moments where Asami should know to put aside feelings like this. She went as far as to lash out at Mako after he coldly brushed her off because he was busy after being tasked with leading a squad to search for the missing Korra.
4 STRENGTH: She's Able To End Relationships On Good Terms Without Entirely Cutting People Out
Although she has her moments of weakness when it comes to handling the rougher parts of her relationship with Mako, Asami shows high levels of emotional maturity when they end their relationship. The two state that they'll always care for one another and she gave him one last peck on the cheek, continuing to be friends afterward. Many people in their teenage years--or even older--wouldn't be able to handle this, showing that Asami is incredibly mature.
3 WEAKNESS: She's Prone To Letting Her Loyalty Blind Her, Even If It Puts Her In Danger
Asami was completely unaware that her father was hiding any resentment towards benders throughout her life. However, as soon as he was outed and she was questioned by Korra and the others, she admitted that it made perfect sense that he'd want to take away benders' powers after a family tragedy.
This shows that while she's highly intelligent, Asami is also prone to ignoring details and red flags about people if she fiercely wishes to believe in them. While this is admirable, it's a trait that gets her into life-threatening danger, as her father ended up trying to make an attempt on her life.
2 STRENGTH: Although She's A Non-Bender, She Can Hold Her Own In A Fight
Asami and her family being attacked by firebenders at an incredibly young age scarred her without a doubt. However, it also caused her father to put her through all sorts of self-defense training, so she could hold her own against benders despite not having powers of her own.
This makes her an incredibly capable fighter within the group despite not having any actual bending capabilities. Combining this with her family's reign on cutting-edge technology and her engineering smarts, she's able to make herself a technical powerhouse that can match her bending counterparts.
1 WEAKNESS: She Rushes Too Fast Into Relationships & Can Make Things More Complicated Than Needed
Asami only knew Mako for all of about a minute before she was offering to take him out to a fancy restaurant and buy him a new outfit to match. This isn't a negative trait in and of itself, but it does raise the question of how much conflict the group could have spared themselves from if they simply hadn't rushed into wanting to be together. Especially considering the fact that both Mako and Bolin were harboring confusing feelings for Korra- and while Asami couldn't have known this, she could have been the more mature of the two and suggested they take it slow before getting too close.
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