Ranking 'The Legend Of Korra' Seasons: No. 2, 'Change'

It's time for another chapter in my Legend of Korra countdown--where I analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each season to rank them from worst to best. The second best Korra season is Book 3: Change.

Change fixes a lot of the issues in Book 2; it has a simplified story, the villain's motive is misguided but aligned with his actions, and it has all the good guys on the same page-- for once.

Zaheer made this season. Prior to Book 3, the writers of Avatar tried to shroud the series' antagonists in mystery--creating suspense when they were first introduced.

This worked with Fire Lord Ozai and Amon. Unulaq, however, fell short; they tried to pass him off as a well-intentioned mentor at the beginning, but it was an idea that had run its course.

When the writers introduced Zaheer, there was no misconception--no reason to believe he was anything but the villain. And his first appearance is one of the highlights of the series.

In addition to introducing the concept of evil airbenders, Zaheer showed us that he was articulate and capable of supporting his beliefs. He wasn't just some megalomaniac.

In a sense, this made him one of the scariest villains in the Avatar franchise: Everyone knew what he looked like, and his motives were clearly evil, but nobody could stop him. He was everywhere. He snuck into the Air Temple without anyone knowing.

He escaped authority on countless occasions--making his ferocity a certainty. And, let's face it; his fight with Korra was the most damage we've seen dealt to an Avatar (second to when Azula shot down Aang in The Last Airbender).

Henry Rollins, voice actor of Zaheer, described the character as "smart yet ultimately misguided." Like Amon, his goal was clear, and his actions were logical considering his vision for the world. He didn't like authority, and believed the world's natural state was anarchy.

Hence, he wanted to destroy the Avatar--the world's symbol for order since the time of Avatar Wan. It made sense.

The good guys' story was also more cohesive. Book 2 seemed cluttered with ill-fated romances that went nowhere. In Book 3, they were more unified than at any other time in the show: In Book 1, Asami was unsure of Korra, since the latter was stealing her boyfriend.

In Book 2, Korra and Mako spent a majority of the season arguing. And in Book 4, Korra was estranged from the group--only to be reunited toward the end of the season.

Korra, Mako, Bolin, and Asami were all on the same page throughout the season, and it showed just how much chemistry the characters had when they were all getting along.

Do you agree that Change is better than Spirits and Balance? Let us know in the comment section below.