Although The Legend Of Korra isn't exactly known for handling all of its character relationships well, the brotherly bond between Bolin and Mako is one of the most touching and genuinely heartfelt of the series -- even if it is often used for comedic relief moments. Their parents were cut down by a firebender right in front of them, and from then on, they were the only people in each other's lives that they can trust, at least until the new Team Avatar goes on to be formed.
Both of them are incredibly skilled fighters in their own right, having originally been part of the same Pro Bending team that played professionally in order to cover bills and feed themselves. And while it may originally seem like Mako is the one who has to take care of Bolin, it's a much more balanced relationship than that, especially as the younger brother continues to grow up and develop his own unique strengths.
10 MAKO: Shouldered A Lot Of The Responsibility At A Young Age
Mako was only eight years old when he and Bolin's parents were killed by a firebender. Bolin was only six at the time, leaving Mako to shoulder all of the burden of caring for the two of them despite his similarly young age.
He never allowed this to discourage him, though -- he did whatever was necessary in order for their survival. Even if it meant dipping his toes into shady criminal activities, Mako prioritized only making sure they'd be able to survive another night.
9 BOLIN: His Maintained Sense Of Childlike Innocence Helps Keep Mako From Being Too Dark
Bolin might be the less serious out of the two brothers, but this is actually one of his strengths as well. Their situation is an incredibly harsh one -- they live in a small apartment and have only had one another to rely on since they were only a handful of years old.
It'd be easy to become pessimistic and give up, but this isn't ever something that even crosses Bolin's mind. He's even able to dream like an excited child, coming up with plots to make his pet Pabu an incredibly popular performer, showing that his imagination wasn't dampened by the harshness of the world.
8 MAKO: Always Rushes To His Brother's Side, No Matter How Serious The Danger Is
Mako isn't one to consider how dangerous any situation is when it comes to his little brother's safety. He admits to Korra in the first episode that Bolin is all he really has, and that Mako sees it as his sole job to provide for him and keep him safe.
When the two of them were still living on the streets, Mako saved Bolin from being strangled by a pythonaconda, an in-universe snake. He also doesn't hesitate for even a second to throw himself into action whenever Bolin was kidnapped early on in the series in order to save him.
7 BOLIN: Has Surprisingly Good Business Sense, As Well As A Knack For Public Speaking
No one expected Bolin to be as good of a public speaker as he ends up becoming during the course of the series. It does make sense for his character, though, given his upbeat and charismatic attitude. He ends up becoming relatively popular with fans of his own and is even used by Varrick as the poster boy of the Southern rebellion.
What's even more unexpected is his business sense. He's able to help make decisions regarding Varrick's company numerous times, and his talent in this area is even commented on by Asami, the super-savvy head of Future Industries.
6 MAKO: Able To Channel His Harsh Childhood Into Fuel For Being A Great Police Officer
Mako learned many harsh truths about the world during his time on the streets. It was a large part of his character development, after all, but he doesn't allow himself to continually fall into the darker and shadier side of things.
Instead, he ends up joining the police force in Republic City, and he was an excellent cop who always suggested theories and followed leads no matter what. He was so duty-bound that he actually gave up information that caused a rift between him and Korra, causing one of their numerous splits throughout the series.
5 BOLIN: His Relationship With His Pet Pabu, As Well As How They Met, Is Incredibly Touching
The way that Bolin cares for and interacts with his fire ferret Pabu is incredibly wholesome, and how he came to be under Bolin's care is even more so. Pabu was going to be fed to a snake at a pet shop, and Bolin broke in during the middle of the night to save the poor creature.
Mako disagreed with the entire idea at first, as it was hard enough supporting the two of them, but at this point, their pro-bending career had begun to take shape. With a sigh, Mako agreed as long as the food came out of Bolin's paycheck, and the two of them have been inseparable ever since.
4 MAKO: He's An Excellent Pro-Bender, Able To Take Out An Entire Team By Himself
Mako isn't the primary breadwinner of his family for nothing. Bolin exudes the playful cockiness of someone who's always on top, but Mako is the one consistently showing his results instead.
The earliest example of this is during a Pro Bending match. Both of Mako's teammates are quickly wiped out, but through a skillful mixture of defensive and offensive blows, Mako's able to hold off and beat all three opponents by himself. It's actually watching this scene that helps inspire Korra to learn the basic steps of airbending, by calming herself and simply moving with the chaos around her, rather than trying to force her way through it.
3 BOLIN: Although Unable To Metalbend, He Showcases His Own Talent In The Form Of Lavabending
One of Bolin's biggest insecurities early on is that he never gained the ability to metalbend. He's shown attempting the feat several times, including whenever he's stuck behind bars but is sadly never successful.
However, he more than makes up for this by learning how to lavabend, and he shows impressive control for someone who discovered this skill by complete accident. During his fight against Ghazan, a much more powerful lavabender, he's still able to hold his own, and he continues to hone his craft in the years to come.
2 MAKO: Although It's Rarely Shown On-Screen, He Is A Surprisingly Good Cook & Keeps Bolin Well Fed
In addition to Mako taking on the role of protecting his brother and making sure the two of them could keep a roof over their heads, he's also the one who cooks most of their meals. Though they're more often seen going out and buying meals at restaurants -- something that must seem like a luxury after their past -- Mako's also seen cooking dinner for them while Bolin grooms Pabu. It's a great way to break stereotypes within Team Avatar, as he's really the only one out of the main group who's shown to be able to cook proficiently.
1 BOLIN: Despite His Past, He Has An Unbreakable Optimistic Spirit & Only Wants The Best For Others
Partially due to Mako doing his best to shield Bolin from the true cruel nature of the world after their parents' death, Bolin's positive nature never left him. Even though this side of him can also make him immature and easy to take advantage of at times, he's also someone who can keep the group motivated and looking forward.
Even in the bleakest or most awkward of situations, Bolin always projects an air of confident positivity, even if some of it is feigned at first. He's an idealist who wants to make the lives better of all the people he can, and he doesn't allow the negative experiences he has to dampen this worldview.
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