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This Hero was Headlined on {{{Date}}}. | ||
| “ | I was...more of a rebel. Mom wasn't too happy with how either of us turned out. When I was sixteen, I left home to explore the world. I sailed the seas on a pirate ship, joined a traveling circus for a while, and lived in a sandbender commune in a desert. It took me a while, but I finally realized what I was looking for was a family. So I bought this plot of land, found a brilliant architect who later became my husband, and created a place I could truly call home. | „ |
| ~ Suyin to Korra |
Suyin Beifong, also nicknamed Su, is the major supporting character in The Legend of Korra. She is the daughter of Toph and half sister of Lin Beifong. At a young age she rebeled against her mother, and was sent away when she broke the law. Later she raises a family of five children in the metal city of Zaofu.
Background
Growing up with her mother's indifference, Suyin would act out by hanging with members of the Terra Triad.
Born six years after her half-sister, Lin, Suyin would be born an Earthbender like her mother, Toph Beifong, legendary ally of previous avatar Aang. After years of train Suyin would become a master of the style. Since Toph was given a very strict up-bringing she went out of her way not to put preasure on her children. Toph's refusal to actively guide her daughters lead Suyin and Lin compete for her attention. While Lin tried to impress Toph by becoming a police offer, Suyin took up a delinquent life-style, both hoping to get some reaction from their mother. Eventually, Suyin's life-style lead her to become associated with the Terra Triad. Suyin was eventually pressured into acting as a get-away driver during a robbery, Lin would be the officer to arrest the entire crew. Lin used her mother's refinement of Earthbending, Metal bending, to capture the crew with steel hand-cuffs and cables, Suyin, also trained in the style of-course, manage to cut the cable, but the sudden release of preasure caused it to snap-back at Lin leaving a scar across her face. Suyin was guilt-ridden about the affair and in her shock she would get bought-in. When brought before her Toph expressed her anger at both, Suyin for scarring her sister and becoming involved with the Triads in the first place and Lin for forcing her sister into a corner. Toph would not allow Suyin to go to jail so she destroyed the police-record and sent Suyin immediately to go live with her grand-mother back in the Earth Nation. In light of her part in covering up a crime for personal reasons, Toph later stepped down as chief.
Suyin would still travel the world and get into adventures, included time on a pirate ship, roaming with a traveling circus, and embracing a sand-bending clan. She would eventually meet her future husband Baatar, an architect, and settled down. But Suyin was not going to settle down just anywhere, she created her own city, the city of Zaofu - a city refined from sand to glass. The two would have four sons and a daughter. After her retirement as police chief, Toph started visiting Suyin frequently. The two would reconcile during their extended time together and invited Lin to join during the visits, however Lin had cut both out of her life after Suyin scarred her and Toph allowed her to get away with it.
Encounter
Suyin Beifong rehearsed with her dance troupe for an upcoming performance.
Suyin will be encountered by Avatar Korra in the episode, The Metal Clan. Suyin gives shelter to Varrick, Korra's former ally later proven con-man and escaped jail during the event called Harmonic Convergence - when the spirit world was merged with the physical world due to the schemes of a previous foe. Korra explained the situation with Varrick, which lead to an explanation of Harmonic Convergence. When Suyin heard from Korra that lost art of Airbending was being reconstituted to a handful of previously non-bender as a side-effect of Harmonic Convergence Suyin revealed her daughter Opal was an Airbender, though they were previous unclear why. Suyin formerly requested that Avatar Korra help train Opal. Upon Team Avatar's arrival Suyin greeted them and asked about her friends, when Korra tried to play-down the crowd that the team would entail, Aiwei, Suyin's advisor quickly informed her that the Korra was lying about the group size. Suyin explained Aiwei was adept at reading body-language and Korra admitted Lin was also on her way. Suyin is initially delighted upon hearing her sister was finally going to visit. Suyin told Korra they were sisters, though Lin was quick to argue they were half-sisters, something that had not meant anything to the two growing-up but demonstrating Lin was eager to put as much distance between them as possible at that point.
Suyin told Korra her and Lin's background. And reliving the account quickly caused both sisters to descend into bickering. In an effort not to go on arguing, Suyin shifted her attention to Korra's group to show them to her estate to meet her family; Her twins Wei and Wing, who were testing out a new game they invented; her son Huan, who used Metalbending to create sculptures; And her daughter Opal who was still a little confused at her new status as an Airbender. With Opal revealed, Lin quickly escorts her out to take back to Republic City and out of Zaofu as soon as possible. Suyin offered the group a place to sleep for the night so Korra train Opal there. Hesitant at first, Korra, believed that Opal should train at the Northern Air Temple, but Suyin remained adamant they train her at home. Korra soon explained four criminals were after them and it would not be safe there. Suyin is unworried saying Zaofu had experienced guards, all of which were Metalbenders, who could restrain any criminal, non-bender or bender.
Suyin trained Korra in the art of metalbending and congratulated her on becoming the first metalbending Avatar.
The following day as Wei and Wing asked Korra to join them for a quick test of their game, which involved Metalbending a disc but Korra had to turn down the offer as she did not know Metalbending, Suyin was surprised that Lin hadn't taught the Avatar Metalbending but quickly followed up by offering to teach Korra the style. Metalbending had been an elite form of training Korra never had the opportunity to study and so she quickly agrees. Suyin also offered to teach Bolin the art, though he was a little unsure, Suyin let him know the offer would remain open. After a day and a half of training Korra had mastered the style, an adaptability that impressed Suyin.
Witnessing Korra's progress Bolin got up the courage to ask to be trained as well. Suyin agrees to the request but first sees her sister and goes to try to sort their issues out first. Lin let's Suyin know her mother retired less than a year after Suyin left out of shame of having to cover-up for her. Suyin admits she had made a lot of mistakes and she had changed, though she points out clearly Lin had not - That she was still an anti-social loner and that was likely why she had lost her former boy-friend, Tenzin, the Korra's Airbending tutor. Eventually Korra is able to convince Suyin Opal needs professional training and she and her husband tearfully bid her fair-well.
Betrayal
The night of Opal's departure, the criminals of The Red Lotus attacked as Korra had feared. The group arrived inside the walls of the palace, seemingly out of nowhere. Korra and her friends were just barely able to fight the team off but The Red Lotus escaped. Though Suyin was glad everyon was alright, the real worry was none of the Red Lotus were Metalbenders and everything was either metal or glass so there was no way for them to get inside without being seen. Korra posited that one of the guards must have helped them. With no other alternative Suyin orders them all questioned by Aiwei.
Su berated Hong Li for supposedly betraying the Metal Clan.
Aiwei interrogated each guard on duty and even as well as Varrick given his background. Lin raised suspicion of Suyin's involvement with none of the guards turning up responsible. Suyin states she has nothing to hid and agrees to be questioned as well. Suyin states she had nothing to do with the attack, which Aiwei confirms as true. Proceeding on with the guard roster the following guard was a young man named Hong Li. When Hong Li states he was no involved Aiwei states he was lying. Suyin immediately lashes out at the youth for being a traitor. However Korra and Mako are left unsure as Hong Li seemed to have no motive and was denying involvement even as Suyin was threatening his life.
Mako and Korra go to check on Aiwei about Hong Li but discover a hidden passage while there. Aiwei sees he is caught and makes a get-away. Korra and Mako inform Suyin of Aiwei's treachery and get set to go after him, but Suyin states she does not want them to be risked. Lin backs-up her sister and the two have their first agreement in years. As for Aiwei Lin tells Korra not to risk her life of waste time chasing him when the Airbenders needed her more. Suyin assures Korra the police will bring Aiwei justice with him exposed.
Worried about Opal's safety, Suyin was comforted by her half-sister.
Korra would contact Suyin later with concerns about the Red Lotus. Korra asked Suyin to radio the Northern Air Temple to warn them the Red Lotus might be on it's way. Suyin agrees but after she breaks contact with Korra she has her troops ready her private airships and go looking for the Red Lotus themselves before they can find Opal, or if not avenge her. Suyin would reveal later she had only backed up Lin's claims to trust the police because she know it was what she wanted to hear.
Attempt to rescue Korra
With an airship on her side Suyin soon found that tactically they were in no position to do anything as one of the Earth Benders could heat-rock to the point is became magma, making the mountain-ranges a danger and their leader Zaheer, would take any delays as an opening to kill Opal and the others. With nothing else to do Korra seriously trading herself for Opal's safety. Upon hearing that Zaheer wished to to meet Korra alone on the peak of mount Laghima, Suyin comes up with a new plan: In light of the fact that Zaheer did not know their numbers, Suyin suggested Mako, Bolin, and Asami head to the air temple while she and her troops waited at the base of the mountain.
While Suyin and her Metalbenders slowly krept up the mountainside until Mako radioed that Zaheer had double-crossed them, at which point Suyin leads her troops full charge up the mountian side to crush the Red Lotus. The battle against the four specialized benders was fierce but due to their unconventional styles of bending they Lotus are able to hold off Suyin's Metalbenders and escape. However during the ordeal, Bolin had inadvertently learned Lavabending, imitating the Red Lotus's Lavabender in the literally heat of the moment.
Kai, one of the newly awakened Airbenders, managed to save Mako, Bolin, Asami, and Tenzin. As Mako explains what happened to Suyin expresses admiration in Bolin, for where she had not been able to teach him the discipline of Metalbending he had adapted to a form or Earthbending new to her, Lavabending, which she believes was brought on by his confidence. But more than Bolin adapted to the battle as Zaheer had perfected a new form of Airbending that allowed his to take flight, previous Airbenders had taken flight with gliders and manipulating the air around them for perpetual flight, but Zaheer had simply levitated into the air and soared off. Kai explained where Korra had likely gone and that if Zaheer could take flight that meant the Airbenders were not safe. With Korra and the Airbenders in potential danger in light of Zaheer's revelation, Suyin takes the team to save them at top speed.
Rescuing the airbenders
Kai leads the team to a cave that was being used by the Red Lotus as an improvised prison. Tenzin stays outside to prevent anyone from getting away that time and gives him her word he would recover the Aibenders, including his family. Suyin and Team Avatar disable the the Red Lotus guards and manage to save Opal and the other Airbenders - Leaving only the rescue of Korra and defeat of Zaheer.
Being notified that the Red Lotus poison within Korra is metal-based, Suyin metalbent it out of her, saving the Avatar.
With the newly freed Airbenders freed they go to help Korra against Zaheer. Once Zaheer is finally thrown to the ground with a tornado he is quickly ensnared in an earth shell. Even with Zaheer at last restrained, Korra had been posioned. When Tenzin's daughter, Jinora, tells Suyin the poison was metallic, she tries to Metalbende out of Korra's body and was able to draw the liquid out, saving Korra's life After two weeks of recovery Korra is presented to Suyin and the others, though the metal had damaged her body internally and she could no longer move under your own power Suyin had saved her life from the poison.
Skills & Abilities
Earthbending and Metalbending Mastery as well as Combat Skills
Suyin is capable of using earth and metalbending simultaneously during battle.
Well-trained by her mother, While in combat Suyin can shift between Earth and Metalbending effortlessly and her time as a dancer has given her great agility and fluidity, able to fluidly flow in perfect synchronization from one move to the next and can easily avoid projectiles and make not a single wasted movement, and she is also quite adept in hand-to-hand and armed combat. When dueling Lin, Suyin was able to steadily overwhelm her in her exhausted state, easily dodging and stopping each and every single one of her launched projectile and launching her own rapid attacks, such as an avalanche strong enough to bend metal and then instantly hurling liquified meteorite to successfully knock her down, a swift barrage of hurled metal panels that Lin had trouble deflecting and finally decisively knocking her far away down by bending the metal wall to tank a projectile from Lin and then swiftly bending it at her with such speeds she was completely caught off-guard. She was also precise enough to launch 4 metal daggers accurately at Zaheer's glider. When fighting with Kuvira, Suyin was able to effectively hold her own for a lengthy period of time against the younger Metalbender, able to launch metal daggers at speeds equaling Kuvira and spin a metal plate with enough force to block several daggers unscathed before easily shaping it into an armor as well as rip off a piece of metal rail to deflect all the metal plates fired at her and nearly managed to defeat her by pushing a cart at her fast enough that she was unable to counter effectively. She also lasted quite awhile despite being surprised when Kuvira managed to catch her off-guard, dodging all of her metal sword attacks and even able to knock her off the cannon, before she was ultimately defeated and knocked down. Out of combat she has refined Metalbending to such a point that she uses it to construct cities and created sculptures as a art-form. She could even bend even liquid metal that she cannot see, as exemplified by her bending most of the mercury out of Korra's body. However, her skills are not equal to her mother's, who stated she never fully reached her level of mastery and indeed Toph displayed capabilities superior to her own.
Intelligence
Suyin, from her maturity, was quite intelligent and knowledgeable. She was an effective leader and strategist capable of effectively leading all of Zaofu and commanding respect from all her followers despite their desire to be free of her until Kuvira managed to turn them to her side. She successfully led the whole Metal Clan and Team Avatar into repelling an attack from the Red Lotus and rescuing Korra from them. She is also known for being familiar with the healing arts and knew of the weaknesses of Combustion Benders.
