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This Hero was proposed and approved by Heroes Wiki's Pure Good Proposals Thread. Any act of removing this hero from the category without a Removal Proposal shall be considered vandalism (or a "villainous" attempt to demonize said character) and the user will have a high chance of being | ||
| “ | Earth. Fire. Air. Water. When I was a boy, my father, Avatar Aang, told me the story of how he and his friends heroically ended the Hundred Year War. Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko transformed the Fire Nation colonies into the United Republic of Nations, a society where benders and non-benders from all over the world could thrive and live together in peace and harmony. They named the capital of this great land Republic City. Avatar Aang accomplished many remarkable things in his life, but sadly, his time in this world came to an end. And like the cycle of the seasons, the cycle of the Avatar began anew. | „ |
| ~ Tenzin explaining the story of his late father, as well as introducing every episode. |
| “ | I am not a reflection of my father. I am Tenzin. | „ |
| ~ Tenzin finding his spiritual enlightenment. |
Tenzin is one of the two deuteragonists (alongside Mako) of Nickelodeon's 2012 animated fantasy series The Legend of Korra.
He is the youngest son of Avatar Aang and Katara, younger brother of Kya II and Bumi, and the airbending teacher to Avatar Korra, who serves as the leader of the Air Nation. He is also the husband of Pema, and father of Jinora, Ikki, Meelo, and Rohan.
He was voiced by J. K. Simmons, who also voiced Ford Pines in Gravity Falls and Omni-Man in Invincible.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Tenzin posed for a photo with his family when he was just a baby.
As the only Airbender to be born in over a hundred years, Tenzin was extensively taught the traditions and customs of the Air Nomads by his father and eventually earned the traditional Air Nomad arrow tattoos, symbolizing his status as an airbending master and lead to him and his father forming a stronger bond than Aang and the rest of his children.
Tenzin is the youngest child of Avatar Aang and Katara and the oldest living air bending master. He lives on Air Temple Island with the Air Acolytes, his wife Pema, and their four children: Jinora, Ikki, Meelo, and Rohan. However, with the resurfacing of airbending across the Earth Kingdom after the Harmonic Convergence, Tenzin and his family temporarily relocated to the Northern Air Temple in hopes of recruiting the new air benders. Due to being a calm man, he represented the Air Nation on the United Republic Council in Republic City before its dissolution and was responsible for educating Avatar Korra in both the art of airbending and spirituality.
The Legend of Korra[]
Book One: Air[]
In Book One, after a teenaged Korra successfully completed her training in the other three elements, Tenzin took her on as his pupil and trained her in the art of airbending and in spiritual matters. Korra left her home and moved in with Tenzin's residence on Air Temple Island, which is part of Republic City. Initially, the training sessions went poorly with the master and pupil arguing frequently. However, after Korra was incapacitated and nearly rendered powerless by Amon, the leader of a subversive movement who specialized in taking away the bending abilities of people, she revealed to Tenzin her deep-seated fears of Amon, crying on Tenzin's shoulder. Tenzin offered her comfort and a higher level of trust was established between the two. Later when Republic City came under attack from Amon's forces, Tenzin, his wife and their children were ultimately captured by Amon and were facing the real prospect of losing their bending when they were rescued by Korra and Mako. Korra would subsequently lose most of her bending abilities. After Korra regained her bending and restored Lin's earthbending through energybending, Tenzin told her "I am so proud of you, Avatar Korra."
Book Two: Spirits[]
In Book Two, Tenzin's relationship with Korra would once again be strained with Korra effectively dismissing Tenzin as her spiritual mentor, replacing him with her uncle Unalaq. While she chose to remain at the South Pole, he left for the Southern Air Temple with his family and siblings, Bumi and Kya. While at the Southern Air Temple, Tenzin, Bumi and Kya would discuss past familial conflicts and eventually find closure to past hurts and sleights. Tenzin would eventually reunite with Korra, with the latter restoring the former as her spiritual mentor. Later when his daughter Jinora's soul was trapped in the Spirit World by Unalaq, who was revealed as a villain, Tenzin and his allies set out toward the South Pole to enter the Spirit World through the spirit portal there. In the Spirit World, Tenzin would encounter his father Aang's spirit. When Tenzin shared with Aang that he felt he was failure in following his father's footsteps, Aang encouraged Tenzin to be himself and not try to be someone else. Tenzin, encouraged by this would eventually find Jinora's soul in the Spirit World. During Harmonic Convergence (a moment where all the planets in the solar system aligned perfectly), after Tenzin learned that Raava had been destroyed, severing Korra's connection to her past lives, he helped Korra learn how to bend her own spirit and fight Unalaq, who at this point was consumed by Vaatu and became the "Dark Avatar". Tenzin and others successfully defended Korra's body against countless evil spirits while her spiritual essence was locked in battle against the "Dark Avatar" until she returned. Korra, with the help of Jinora, emerged victorious.
Book Three: Change[]
Book Three saw the rebirth of the Air Nation. Many non-benders, including Tenzin's brother Bumi, suddenly acquired the art of airbending. Tenzin along with Korra, Asami Sato, Mako, Bolin and Bumi would go on a quest to recruit the new airbenders to rebuild the Air Nation. Initially the effort was met with limited success with only an orphan boy named Kai joining the Air Nation. However at the Earth Kingdom capital of Ba Sing Se, the group discovered that a number of airbenders were imprisoned by the Earth Queen. The group would successfully liberate the captive airbenders who all agreed to join the Air Nation. At the Northern Air Temple, Tenzin attempted to impart cultural knowledge to his pupils, but they generally showed little interest in learning about Air Nomad culture. The group would soon be joined by Ikki, Meelo, Pema, Kya and other airbenders who made the lengthy trek from Air Temple Island. Tenzin began to employ military-style training on his new recruits as well as Bumi, who was the one who suggested that Tenzin needed to employ harsher training methods if he was to become a successful teacher. Initially, the recruits did not respond favorably to his strict regimen. Later the training would pay off as his students, led by Bumi, were able to fend off a group of earthbending rustlers who were illegally capturing the Air Bison in the area. Subsequently, Zaheer and his allies arrived at the Northern Air Temple. After Zaheer revealed that he planned to capture the Air Nation and use them as leverage against Korra; Tenzin, along Bumi and Kya engaged in a battle with Zaheer, Ghazan, Ming-Hua and P'li in a desperate attempt to protect the rest of his family and his students. In his duel with Zaheer, Tenzin gained the upper hand. Soon however the tide of the battle turned when Ghazan and Ming-Hua joined the fight, the two having handily beaten Tenzin's siblings. P'li would subsequently join the fight. Despite being badly outnumbered, Tenzin fought valiantly, refusing to yield. He was eventually overcome by the four, sustaining severe injuries in the battle. The four took all the residents of the Northern Air Temple as prisoner, save Kai who was thought dead, but ultimately survived. Tenzin was essentially incapacitated for the rest of his time at the Northern Air Temple. He was eventually rescued by Asami, Bolin and Mako. Weeks later, a fully recuperated Tenzin presided over Jinora's ceremony, installing her as an airbending master. He announced that while Korra, who sustained serious injuries in her brutal fight with Zaheer, recuperated, the Air Nation would assist in restoring peace and balance to the world, essentially taking over the Avatar's role.
Book Four: Balance[]
Book Four saw the Air Nation make good on Tenzin's promise to assist others. They primarily focused their efforts around the Earth Kingdom which had fallen into disarray after the murder of the Earth Queen. Tenzin, who in effect was the political head of the Air Nation, was present at Wu's coronation ceremony when Kuvira appointed herself as the leader of the new Earth Empire. Concerned about Kuvira's declarations, Tenzin and the world leaders convened after the coronation and agreed to send Suyin Beifong, Lin's half-sister, as their representative to speak with Kuvira and convince her to step down. However, Kuvira was unmoved, holding on to her position. Tenzin subsequently tasked his children with a mission to locate Korra, whose whereabouts at this point were unknown, and bring her to Republic City. The children would successfully complete their mission returning Korra back to Republic City. When Korra shared with Tenzin that she felt like a failure in being badly outclassed by Kuvira in a battle, Tenzin stated no one expected her to face the dictator alone and that it was everyone's responsibility to resolve the Kuvira crisis. Several days later, Tenzin attended a meeting to discuss the Republic City's evacuation process in the scenario that Kuvira attacked the city. The meeting was interrupted by Lin, Suyin, Zhu Li, and Bolin, the latter who informed him the existence of Kuvira's powerful cannon. When Zhu Li added that Kuvira planned to invade the city two weeks later, Tenzin returned to his family at Air Temple Island to encourage them to leave the city. Instead, Pema and his three eldest children elected to stay and assist in any way possible. Later, Tenzin was chosen by Korra to be part of a stealth airbender team tasked with kidnapping Kuvira's fiancé, Bataar Jr, with the intention of using him as a bargaining chip against Kuvira. Utilizing their wingsuits, they successfully acquired their target, dumping him in a large traveling bag and transporting him to their hideout. Tenzin stood by as Korra eventually managed to force Baatar Jr. to contact Kuvira to call off her attack. To everyone's surprise, Kuvira traced the radio signal back to their location and decided to destroy it with her cannon. Tenzin narrowly escaped certain death. Tenzin and his friends would eventually emerge victorious over Kuvira and her army. In the series denouement, Tenzin hosted and attended Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding ceremony on Air Temple Island. Outside the after-party, Tenzin engaged in a conversation with the Avatar. Tenzin complimented his pupil noting that she transformed the world more in the few years than most of her predecessors did in their lifetimes. Tenzin was pleased to hear Korra confide that she felt her journey had only begun and that she desired to learn and do more. The moment was interrupted by Asami, however, who informed him that Varrick desired to borrow a wingsuit and jump off a tower. Tenzin immediately ran off to stop Varrick.
Comics series[]
Turf Wars[]
In part one of Turf Wars, Tenzin and the Air Nation help out at the evacuee camp for people whose homes were destroyed in Kuvira's assault. Upon Korra and Asami's return from the Spirit World, Tenzin fills them in on the situation at the camp. Tenzin notes that President Raiko was too preoccupied with his re-election to help the evacuees. Tenzin then accompanies Korra when she goes to reassure the evacuees and lift their spirits.
Ruins of the Empire[]
In part one and three of Ruins of the Empire, Tenzin makes a cameo appearance as an attendant of Kuvira's trial.
Personality[]
Tenzin meditated alongside Korra and his three eldest children.
As the only Airbender to be born in over a hundred years, Tenzin was taught the traditions and customs of the Air Nomads by his father, eventually earning the traditional Air Nomad tattoos. Tenzin inherited most of his father's mementos before his father's death. After Korra (who would eventually become Tenzin's student) was revealed at a very young age as the new Avatar, Tenzin, along with Sokka, Zuko, and Korra's father, Tonraq, thwarted an attempt to kidnap the child. The kidnappers, led by Zaheer, were apprehended and imprisoned. Because of this threat and the potential for future threats, Tenzin and Tonraq elected to move Korra to a compound at the Southern Water Tribe where she could live and train in safety.
Tenzin has a longstanding friendship with Lin Beifong, who is the daughter of Toph Beifong, and at one point the two characters were romantically involved. Tenzin offered her comfort and a higher level of trust was reached between the two. However, their romantic relationship deteriorated, partially because Tenzin wanted children while Lin did not and because of Lin's abrasive nature. It was during this time that Pema, who was an acolyte of the Air Nation, approached Tenzin and confessed her feelings for him. This indirectly led to the end of Tenzin's romantic relationship with Lin and the beginning of his relationship with Pema. The two eventually married and would have four children: Jinora, Ikki, Meelo, and Rohan.
In stark contrast to his father Aang, and his siblings Bumi and Kya, Tenzin is described as a stern and serious character. However, he still does possess a sense of humor, which he shows at times. Tenzin projects a calm demeanor but can be flustered by perceived foolishness or madness. The character is also characterized as prideful, particularly when it comes to addressing his shortcomings. Tenzin is also described as a traditionalist, though he has shown openness in breaking with tradition.
Powers & Abilities[]
Tenzin's airbending prowess means he can easily subdue his assailants.
As the first Airbender among Aang's three children, and the only one during Aang's lifetime, Tenzin has been trained extensively in all of his father's airbending knowledge and prowess. After his father's passing, he became the only airbending master in the world of his era and his abilities, despite being a pacifist at heart, were proven to be incredibly formidable indeed. Despite his rare participation in battle, Tenzin's abilities allowed him to effectively pass on the art to his Airbending children and Avatar Korra, all of whom became powerful in the art themselves, ensuring that the teachings and techniques would live on and despite his new recruits who have just acquired airbending abilities. Tenzin is well-versed in all airbending techniques and may have even created his technique such as a previously unseen variant of Aang's air scooter technique, conjuring a "wheel" of air that not only allowed him to evade attacks but was powerful enough to deflect the claws of the mecha tanks. He is also able to use a glider by bending the air around it. Tenzin is skilled in creating extremely powerful tornadoes that are strong enough to throw the mecha tanks in the air. He was also capable of creating an air dome of sorts to protect himself and others from any harmful gases. Tenzin has also displayed the ability to use air bending to conduct a spiritual cleansing of an area, which can restore a place's connection with the Spirit World.
Despite being a pacifist at heart, Tenzin has proved to possess incredible combat prowess, in addition to being in excellent shape for a middle-aged person. During the first confrontation with the Equalists' mecha tanks, Tenzin alone was able to single-handedly hold them off for a time, releasing air blasts that were powerful enough to knock his opponent back. When the Equalists launched a sneak attack to capture him, he effortlessly dodged their initial assault with ease, and even when his hands were bound, he was able to calmly dodge all of a chi blocker's close-range attacks before swiftly defeating them with a tornado that easily defeated his restrainers and the last Equalist. Tenzin was also the first one to overpower Amon, delivering an airbending kick that knocked him and the Equalists off. Likewise, he easily overwhelmed the highly proficient Airbender Zaheer, who had earlier defeated Kya and Tarrlok, powerful master waterbenders, in a fight, casually countering all of Zaheer's attacks without being hit once and landing blows that steadily wore him down. Even against Pli, Ghazan, Ming-Hua, and Zaheer all at once, he was shown to be able to fight off the latter three, with the only reason he lost is due to Pli's combustions overwhelming him whenever he was about to attack the others.
Other skills[]
Tenzin is shown to have excellent stamina, especially for his age as he can go for a ten-mile hike without tiring. Tenzin is also shown knowledgeable regarding locations in the Spirit World, such as the Fog of Lost Souls and the Tree of Time despite never entering the Spirit World before.
Gallery[]
External Links[]
- Tenzin on the Avatar Wiki
- Tenzin on the Pure Good Wiki
