Korra(air bending) vs Zaheer

Korra (air bending only)

Zaheer

Round 1

• Start 15 feet apart
• Win by KOh
• 10 mins prep
• Both are in character
• Zaheer cannot fly
• Korra can only airbend
• Both Zaheer and Korra start with their gliders
• No avatar state

Round 2

• Zaheer can fly in this round.
• Morals Off
• Who wins?

Location: The streets of Republic City

@pooty @koays@etheral_dreams@lunacyde@arcus@princearagorn1@juiceboks@killerwasp @metaljimmor @wbr17 @lvenger @nighthunder@rogueshadow@kidphillip@deathhero61@knightofzero@dextersinister@norrinboltagonprime21@solidwall211@scouter @thevivas @rijehu @comicstooge@redbird3rdboywonder@kaang_the_watcher@dreadpool10@arcus@korraspirit@ssj_god@gizmorino@knightofzero@theguywithnoname88@aressword@joewell@nighthunder@justsomerandomkid@hyperlight@mrunsmiley

In theory Korra should be around Zaheer's level of airbending if not better. She's got advanced moves like the airspout, but Zaheer's got more combat showings of just airbending...

Round 2, Laghima's peak is an excellent place for airbending and flight is a significant advantage...I wanna say Korra but I'm not sure

I feel there's a good reason Zaheer made sure the avatar was always handicapped when they fought. He can't handle her if she's at 100%.

Even though I've never seen season 3(I'm working on changing that). I like what @metalJimmor said

@pooty: you can find the episodes online

R1 Idk....Zaheers seems to have more then a few ancient airbending techniques up his sleeve that he learned or studied before his proper training. That and his feat of " not dying" against Avatar state Korra gives him the edge if its strictly airbending.

R2- I'm one of those people who doesn't have much faith in Korra's fighting style, but Zaheer isn't getting her in a fair fight. It might be hard if he gets in the air, but I'm still leaning on Korra for persistence.

Eh, you could make the same point that he didn't fight here at 100 since he didn't want to kill her as his goal wasn't to beat Korra, but to end the Avatar cycle.

BUMP

• Round 1: I haven't watched a bunch of book 4, so forgive me if I don't know much about any new airbending feats that she may have used. However, I see Zaheer taking an edge in this battle, do to his amount of proficiency using airbending. He has enough techniques to keep on his feat during the battle, and eventually, win.

• Round 2: The flight gives Zaheer a huge advantage. The dude was holding his own against a raging Avatar State Korra, whom even though was being wounded by the poison, was still extremely dangerous and rather powerful. With just airbending at her disposal and no avatar state, she loses this....

@gxrevolution96: does Korra have only airbending round 2?

Yep.

@gxrevolution96: in that case she loses round 2, 1's a tossup but I might lean more towards Zaheer

Korra is the superior airbender with superior physicals.

Korra's definitely the superior airbender as far as technique and power goes, but I'd say that Zaheer is the better overall combatant than air-only Korra. Zaheer 7/10 for round 1.

Zaheer stomps 10/10 round 2, Korra can't do anything to him.

Korra round 1 and Zaheer round 2. Not a stomp.

Zaheer both rounds, rather easily too. He's faster, more powerful, and actually has form.

This, although round 2 is close.

And yeah, she still wins both rounds.

Korra's better trained and has shown more overall mastery of airbending. Comic gave her some nice feats too, and by now I don't think there should be any doubt that she's a master.

Zaheer's a crazy good fighter and, for someone with no formal training, he's got good technique and some advanced moves, but Korra's pure airbending abilities should be superior to his. In addition, Korra's just as much a fighter as Zaheer, and while I think it'd be a pretty drawn out fight, Korra should be able to take a win. By now, Korra should be somewhere between Tenzin and Zaheer

Round 2, a morals off Korra can be very powerful, but she's gonna have a very difficult time pinning Zaheer down with just airbending. This'll be another long fight, but I'd back Zaheer for a majority here

@arcus1: Depends on what you define as a "master". Many people have different views on the term and all around, I still wouldn't call Korra a master despite her showings of skill and power. She doesn't have that connection she has with say, waterbending. That'd be like calling Aang a master earthbender.

I don't recall Korra having demonstrated the proficiency (if we take Tenzin as the standard, I wouldn't call either combatant here a master in this element) Zaheer did in pure airbending. He did study the Air Nomad culture and was invested in it but his level of expertise in the few weeks since he gained his powers makes little sense -- at the end of the day though, it is what it is. To me, Korra seems a jack of all trades but not truly dazzling in anything, even in waterbending which is her natural element. She's just very good in most forms. If she has any new airbending feats in the comics or the second half of Book 4, I'll revise my views.

And in the question of mastery, Jinora was pouting during S3 about how amazing she is and was swiftly anointed a master in S4, so in that sense Korra and Zaheer should be freaking airbending gurus.

@morpheus_: She used high level air spouts, and she's strong enough to block explaoions etc. Power and skill wise, she's practically a master comparable to Tenzin. Jinora is a good example for me as to why I wouldn't really call Korra a master. It seems that for some benders (like Tenzin), a master is someone with a lot of spiritual connection and knowledge. That would actually make Zaheer a master, but for me, a master needs to have both the spiritual and physical sode of their elements mastered to actually grant them the title. In that sense, Aang and Tenzin are the only living master airbenders we've seen.

Then again, it seems that like with us, benders have their own different views on the title. Iroh called Zhao a master firebender, and Zhao is genuinely one of the least spiritual people in the series and hisfirebending wasn't impressive either. The term is very vague.

Zaheer, he's the only aggressive airbender in the series to my knowledge and we all know how beastly you can be with airbending if you aren't prohibited to it's full use because of morals

@anthp2000: I do give Korra credit for that and she is by no means weak in any way, but his aptitude for the element seems higher than hers, if that make sense. Granted, that is potential and not realized ability, but relying purely on air while Korra can practically fall back or combine abilities is an advantage. I haven't seen the sheer agility and overall attunement Tenzin exhibited against Zaheer from Korra (or Zaheer himself for that matter). Zaheer and Korra seem to be aggressively trying to bend the element to their will, Tenzin (or Aang) simply go with it, it's instinctual. Jinora becoming a master was in part because of her spirit world powers, but that alone could not make a master, otherwise Tenzin would had never been one at least until he saved everyone from the fog of lost souls.

I believe the only reason Zhao was called a master was to highlight his threat level in the impending fight vs Zuko. And presumably, given his status in Fire Nation army, practically every Admiral or General would probably be referred to as a master, fighting is something supposedly mandatory for them. Iroh also said, "you remember what happened the last time you faced a master" and that was intentionally vague, as Zuko didn't actually fight Ozai.

@back_stabbath95: Airbending can be broken, although by no means unbeatable, when used by a bloodlusted or agressive master. But Zaheer is not a master. As far as bending goes, he's rather weak compared to Korra and she's just as agressive with airbending as he is.

@anthp2000: Zhao was impressive. He was just below Zuko and the only thing holding him back was his attitude.

If Jinora's a master, I don't see why Korra wouldn't be. And I'd say Korra's got the same level of proficiency in airbending that she does in earthbending and firebending, both of which she mastered according to the White Lotus. Sure, she's not a Tenzin level master, but Tenzin level isn't the bare minimum to be considered a master.

She does, do you wanna see them?

As for Zaheer, I always figured that, in part, he was preparing to teach Korra airbending before the Red Lotus attempted to kidnap Korra. Doesn't fully explain everything, but for a fictional character, makes enough sense for me

@morpheus_: She has one mediocre feat of creating an air dome to soften Asami's fall. Hardly impressive and they both should have died or broken their legs if you ask me.

@arcus1: Comics sure, Book 4, I'll finish the season in a couple of days at worst.

I've read the theory before since I started researching Zaheer for any tidbit of info I could find (he is one of my favorite characters from both series as things stand), but it's mostly just a theory. I can ascribe to it given Zaheer's abnormal aptitude, though. I also thought Unalaq being retconned into being a Red Lotus member didn't make much sense given the group's goals and ideals, as well as his personal quest for power. Zaheer should have despised him.

Bump

@anthp2000: I'm sorry but she is not as aggressive as he is with his bending, she does not slam people on their backs using forced air pressure not does she extract all the oxygen from one's lungs like he does

@arcus1: Since Ghazan, Ming Hua and P'Li were meant to teach Korra their elements and since Zaheer has always been studying airbending I don't think it's even debatable that he would teach Korra airbending had they kidnapped her. Even the conversation he had with Kya before their fight suggests that.

I gave my definition of a master. Korra didn't master the spiritual side of airbending. Tho combat wise, I suppose she is a low level master in airbending. If that's what you meant.

@back_stabbath95: Because she doesn't want to kill people like him. If she needs to, she can be just as agressive. Look at her fight with Unalaq.

Zaheer is the only airbender who showed that breathtaking (lol) technique.

Suffocating people isn't a technique that can be used in combat, it's too time consuming. It's only good against stationary or incapacitated targets. Zaheer could win but it's definitely not because he'll force choke Korra. He's not Darth Vader.

@morpheus_: Thank you. I can dig in to battle threads with Zaheer where people argue he wins because of that lol

Anyway, I was referring to the statement of Korra not being as agressive as Zaheer because she doesn't use suffocation which is incorrect since only Zaheer knows how to do that based on what we've seen.

@anthp2000: I know, I just felt like pointing out that the air bubble/suffocation technique is essentially a coup de grace, not the path to victory. We also have no idea if it could work against a skilled bender who can actually fight back, as Zaheer only used it against the Earth Queen and a Korra that was no longer able to fight due to poisoning. I mean, it looks cool as hell, but it's not applicable.

@morpheus_: I'm pretty sure once Zaheer catches you off guard or has tired you down enough, he can begin the suffocation and there will be no fighting back. Exhale all the air from your lungs and try running or using large amounts of energy to move a rock like a bender.

@anthp2000: right but the suffocation is more a testament to his morality as doing that in combat against another airbender is almost redundant to utilize your time in a 1v1. He isn't restrained by his teachings and imo Korra is at least when it comes to airbending

Zaheer wins both rounds

What spiritual techniques does she still need to master? She's shown way more spiritual aptitude than Tenzin, and Jinora's spiritual abilities are something of a special case

@arcus1: The philosophy and connection to airbending, that Tenzin for one doesn't lack. In episode 1 of Book 2, she litteraly called herself a master because she could spam air blasts around wildly.

@anthp2000:

.....yeah but that's the beginning of book 2, early book 2 Korra was dumb. She's progressed since then, both in maturity and skill

@arcus1: She still never showed that connection. You'll find a difference between her water and airbending for example. She's a true waterbending master.

Look anyway, we agree that in a practical way she is master-level. That's important.

zaheer

gets beaten to death.

Zaheer has no chance to win against end of book four Korra, her airbending is easly master level (just look at the feat of her pushing the colossus, she supplied easly half of the force) the only reason Zaheer had a chance in book 3 is that the poison supplemented his hit and run fighting style. Even Zaheer himself believes Korra has all the power in the world and that her power is limitless. Korra is above Tenzin in airbending and speed, and Tenzin was clearly above Zaheer without his flight. In round 2 Korra can use the airspout to match Zaheers mobility and she will be able to tag him eventualy, maybe by using a large scale attack like the one she used against the colossus.

@unlimited1: Korra did not have half the power of forcing back the Collosus. The Air Nation was throwing it off balance and Wei and Wing's wires kept it from recovering. Then, Korra just gave the blow that would move it backwards no matter what.

Korra isn't on Tenzin's level at all.