Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko have rejected the idea that they hate Korra. Some viewers read Avatar: Seven Havens as evidence of that: the latest Avatar series depicts the former Avatar as a world-destroyer whose death is celebrated.
Speaking with Teen Vogue, Konietzko responded, “The idea that we hate Korra? I would say watch the show,” and DiMartino added, “That’s definitely not true. She’s one of my favorite characters.”
They also pushed back on the longstanding claim that Korra failed as the Avatar by severing her connection to her past lives. “Her uncle did that to her,” Konietzko said. “Aang’s entire people were wiped out, but no one seems to hold that against Aang.” He pointed to “a lot of misogyny” and “a lot of homophobia” as reasons Korra is judged by a different standard. That’s been a persistent problem in the fandom since Korra’s 2012 debut.
Against that backdrop, Seven Havens’ negative portrayal of Korra reads as a knowing nod to how parts of the fandom have treated her, rather than a verdict from the creators. The article characterizes that treatment as baseless hatred with little evidence behind it. What drove Korra to plunge the world into chaos hasn’t been confirmed, and the eventual explanation may overturn viewers’ expectations. DiMartino hinted at more to come: “There’s more to Korra’s story than you see in the first couple of episodes.”
The Avatar franchise is growing even more following Seven Havens’ premiere
At New York Comic Con, DiMartino and Konietzko announced a four-season order for Seven Havens. The series will likely explore more of Korra’s history over that run. Another Avatar series is also in development, following Aang’s predecessor Kurok on a swashbuckling adventure.
DiMartino is writing The Long Game, a new graphic novel trilogy about the Red Lotus, the antagonists of season three of The Legend of Korra. The trilogy may offer further clues about how Korra’s story leads to the chaos shown in Seven Havens.
