The Legend of Korra/Characters/Republic City

This is a partial character sheet for The Legend of Korra. Visit here for the main character index. Subjective trope and audience reactions should go on the YMMV page.

Chief Lin Beifong
"Voiced by Mindy Sterling"

Daughter of Toph Beifong, and the head of Republic City's SWAT-like Metalbending Police. Forceful and uncompromising, Lin has a soft heart under her metal armour, and will do anything to protect the safety of Republic City.


 * Appeal to Force: Believes the only way to maintain peace and stability in her city is through the use of law enforcement. Also, tried to solve the Love Triangle by Imprisoning The Hypotenuse.
 * Amicable Exes: Tenzin seems to think so. Korra's not so sure.
 * Later on, she seems to warm up a little.
 * Anti-Hero: Type III. Especially cemented in "The Aftermath" when she.
 * Authority Equals Asskicking: Episode 6 shows that there's a VERY good reason she's the head of the Metalbending Police.
 * Badass: Apparently runs in the family. Everything she does in episode 6 proves she's worthy of the title. Episode 7 continues this.  Then, in Episode 9... she frees her officers from an Equalist base. Tenzin, Bolin, Mako, and Asami were there but she never really needed their help. She could have saved her officers on her own. Oh, and did I mention that she does all this while she's injured? She truly is a One Woman Army. How much more Badass can she get?
 * Badass Longcoat: As of Episode 9, she's taken to wearing a trench coat over her armor.
 * Badbutt: "That's ancient history. And it's got diddly-squat to do with the mess you're in right now!"
 * Blade Below the Shoulder: Can use metalbending to make these.
 * Building Swing: One utilization of her powers.
 * Childhood Friend Romance: A failed one with Tenzin.
 * Da Chief:
 * Dishing Out Dirt: As a metalbender, this is a required base skill. She doesn't use it much.
 * Extra Ore Dinary: Her metalbending power.
 * Establishing Character Moment: She directly confronts Korra in the interrogation room of the Metalbending Police HQ, knowing full well that Korra is the Avatar and has already mastered 3 elements, and still talks down to her with not a trace of fear or special treatment.
 * Fan Nickname: She is often called Spider-Lin due to the way she uses metalbending as a Grappling Hook Pistol.
 * Good Is Not Nice: She rather viciously tells Korra that she hasn't done anything to deserve the gala Tarrlok throws her. While this is technically true as the party is a ploy by the councilor to butter her up, that's a little rough, Chief. It's later implied that she's giving Korra a hard time because she's bitter about her former relationship with Tenzin.
 * Good Scars, Evil Scars: Has two small scars on her cheek.
 * Grandma, What Massive Hotness You Have!: Lin is very fit and good looking for a woman in her fifties. If not for her graying hair, we would never imagine her age.
 * Grappling Hook Pistol: In this case, the "pistol" is her metalbending.
 * Green Eyes: A minty green like her mother's. Except without the severe cataracts that came with Toph's blindness.
 * Elemental Eye Colors: See above.
 * Iron Lady: Pun intended.
 * Jerk with a Heart of Gold: While she's initially very disapproving of Korra's presence in Republic City, she's genuinely interested in keeping the peace.
 * Lady of War: She continues to steal the show in most combat scenes. And she does it with a refined style.
 * Like Mother, Like Daughter: She is just as stubborn as her mother, but coming from that is a sense of right and wrong, She is also seen using the same "Earth Sonar" we saw her mother use which allows her to
 * Love Triangle: Believe it or not, she was the second girl in Tenzin and Pema's love triangle.
 * Made of Iron: Puns aside, Episode 6 shows she is this. After being knocked unconscious by electricity, she gets up in time to start chasing Amon with Korra. She is repeatedly shocked again by The Lieutenant, but doesn't let it stop her even when weakened prior.
 * A Mother To Her Men: She genuinely cares about the officers under her ranks. So,  Even after taking a level in niceness she's direct and decidedly brusque to Tenzin and Team Avatar, but speaking to her men in Out Of The Past, her voice and eyes are gentler.
 * Mundane Utility: She can control all metal. She uses this power to put her armor on, and zip Bolin's fly.
 * Not So Different: Tenzin implies that Lin was a lot like Korra at her age.
 * On a more meta-ish level, her initial characterization seemed to be opposite that of her mother. An enforcer of the law, not a rebel. However.
 * One Woman Army: Best shown in episode 9,
 * Reasonable Authority Figure: Definitely not a nice example, but she's trying to keep the peace. If you're not breaking the law, she's willing to listen.
 * Spin Offspring: She's the daughter of Toph.
 * Strong Family Resemblance: Looks a lot like Toph's mother Poppy.
 * Sugar and Ice Personality: To those she trusts and is close to, she is very "sugary" but when on the job, she is ice.
 * Sympathetic Inspector Antagonist: She considers Korra a threat to Republic City and wants her gone. Given that Korra is a Destructive Savior, she has a point. Arguably subverted in later episodes when they start working together.
 * Tall, Dark and Bishoujo: In addition to having black (though graying) hair and dark armor, Lin stands nearly eye to eye with the tall and reedy Tenzin.
 * To Be Lawful or Good:
 * Took a Level In Kindness: Acts nicer to Korra and Tenzin in "And The Winner Is...". She even saves Korra's life. In "The Aftermath" they're all working together without any apparent difficulty.
 * 24-Hour Armor: She even wears it to parties.
 * Unbalanced by Rival's Kid: Played With, Lin Beifong has yet to interact with the children of her ex-boyfriend, Tenzin, but takes out her resentment on Korra, his live-in student, surrogate family member and the Reincarnation of his father Aang, with whom, by Tenzin's account, she got along quite well.
 * Whip It Good: Uses whiplike metal cables, like the rest of the force. Heck, she invented the technique.
 * Wolverine Claws: She can turn her metalbending cables into these.
 * Woman Scorned: Played for Laughs. She apparently tried to have Pema imprisoned for stealing her boyfriend.
 * Working with the Ex: Does this with Tenzin in "And The Winner Is..."
 * She's continuing to work with him in "The Aftermath" and "Out of the Past". They seem quite amicable.
 * She's continuing to work with him in "The Aftermath" and "Out of the Past". They seem quite amicable.

Hiroshi Sato
"Voiced by Daniel Dae Kim"

Descended from the first Fire Nation colonists, Hiroshi came from a poor background but rocketed himself to riches through investment in and development of the consumer automobile (or the "satomobile"). His wife was murdered by a Firebender when Asami was young.

"Hiroshi: (To Mako) So, I hear you're dirt poor!"
 * Brutal Honesty:
 * Brutal Honesty:
 * Brutal Honesty:
 * Brutal Honesty:


 * Cool Old Guy:
 * Expository Hairstyle Change: He keeps up his appearance in public.
 * Honest Corporate Executive: Built his company up from a small loan.
 * The Lost Lenore: He deeply loved his wife, who was murdered by a Firebender.
 * Muggle
 * No Celebrities Were Harmed: He is a fantasy equivalent to Henry Ford, with some parallels to Japanese shipping magnate Iwasaki Yataro, who would later found Mitsubishi.
 * He also bears a striking resemblance to Theodore Roosevelt.
 * Rags to Riches: His back-story.
 * Self-Made Man: Born to a poor family from the city's Dragon Flats district, he worked hard to make ends meet. His company, Future Industries, started out selling Satomobiles, the first cars marketed to the common man. By twenty-five, he'd made his first million yuans.
 * Uncle Pennybags: Agrees to sponsor the Fire Ferrets on the spot when told that they need the financial aid, the only condition being that they wear his logo. While it is arguably good press, especially if they win, he does it because he got his big start in the same way.
 * Walking Spoiler: The Seventh-Episode Twist hit him hard.
 * The Lost Lenore: He deeply loved his wife, who was murdered by a Firebender.
 * Muggle
 * No Celebrities Were Harmed: He is a fantasy equivalent to Henry Ford, with some parallels to Japanese shipping magnate Iwasaki Yataro, who would later found Mitsubishi.
 * He also bears a striking resemblance to Theodore Roosevelt.
 * Rags to Riches: His back-story.
 * Self-Made Man: Born to a poor family from the city's Dragon Flats district, he worked hard to make ends meet. His company, Future Industries, started out selling Satomobiles, the first cars marketed to the common man. By twenty-five, he'd made his first million yuans.
 * Uncle Pennybags: Agrees to sponsor the Fire Ferrets on the spot when told that they need the financial aid, the only condition being that they wear his logo. While it is arguably good press, especially if they win, he does it because he got his big start in the same way.
 * Walking Spoiler: The Seventh-Episode Twist hit him hard.
 * Uncle Pennybags: Agrees to sponsor the Fire Ferrets on the spot when told that they need the financial aid, the only condition being that they wear his logo. While it is arguably good press, especially if they win, he does it because he got his big start in the same way.
 * Walking Spoiler: The Seventh-Episode Twist hit him hard.
 * Uncle Pennybags: Agrees to sponsor the Fire Ferrets on the spot when told that they need the financial aid, the only condition being that they wear his logo. While it is arguably good press, especially if they win, he does it because he got his big start in the same way.
 * Walking Spoiler: The Seventh-Episode Twist hit him hard.
 * Walking Spoiler: The Seventh-Episode Twist hit him hard.

Toza
"Voiced by George Coe"

Toza is a former pro-bender, an elderly man who trains Mako and Bolin and gave them a place to stay when they began competing.


 * Big Ol' Eyebrows
 * Dishing Out Dirt
 * Go Nagai Sideburns
 * Grumpy Old Man
 * Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He may be a grump, but he gave Mako and Bolin a place to stay, and trained them in pro-bending, which qualifies him for "Heart of Gold" status.
 * Meaningful Name: The Tosa Inu is a Japanese dog used in dog fighting matches.
 * The Mentor
 * Perpetual Frowner

Tahno


"Voiced by Rami Malek"

A rival pro-bender of the Fire Ferrets. The captain of the Wolfbats.


 * Agent Peacock: He looks like The Dandy, but he actually is a powerful and quite brutal waterbending champion.
 * Arrogant Kung Fu Guy
 * Badass Baritone: His thin, refined, effeminate appearance clashes with his deep voice.
 * Break the Haughty: He ends up
 * The Casanova: He is already with two women before he hits on Korra.
 * Cheaters Never Prosper: Played with.
 * Chekhov's Gunman: Makes a brief appearance in a newspaper photo in "A Leaf in the Wind".
 * Dance Battler: He and his teammates have an especially extravangent fighting style with a lot of flips and mid-air twirls, to go along with their status as high grade show fighters.
 * The Dandy: Close-up shots of his face make him look like he's wearing eye-liner, he has a minor rose motif, and his fashion choices and way of carrying himself have a rather effeminate swank.
 * Early-Bird Cameo: In "A Leaf in the Wind", you can see a picture of Tahno on the newspaper Korra reads.
 * Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette: Especially notable because those features aren't generally associated with waterbenders.
 * Expository Hairstyle Change:
 * Expy: According to Word of God, Tahno's design is based on top Japanese kickboxer Kizaemon Saiga, known for his flamboyant appearance and "ridiculous antics".
 * The Fighting Narcissist: Like you wouldn't believe.
 * Hellish Pupils
 * An Ice Person/Making a Splash:
 * Jerkass
 * Jerk Jock
 * Laser-Guided Karma: Bribes the referee so his team can cheat to win the tournament,
 * Opposing Sports Team: Part of one.
 * Peek-a-Bangs
 * Phenotype Stereotype: Averted. Tahno is a good representation of Republic City's multicultural nature in that he is a waterbender who, much like Hama from the previous series, doesn't have any of the traditional Water Tribe features. Instead, his pale complexion and black hair suggest Fire Nation heritage, or even Earth Kingdom blood considering the Foggy Swamp Tribe, which was paler than the more isolated Northern and Southern tribes.
 * Pretty Boy: Called such by Korra herself, in "The Spirit of Competition".
 * The Rival: He and his fellow Wolfbats are this to Korra and the Fire Ferrets.
 * Screams Like a Little Girl: Despite his baritone, he does let out a high-pitched shriek when Naga scares him.
 * Screw the Rules, I Have Money: He bribes the referee so his team can use illegal moves in pro-bending. Later,
 * She Fu: Male example, his fighting style has a large number of high jumps and flashy acrobatics.
 * Smug Snake:.
 * Tempting Fate: Not a bright idea to flaunt your cheated victory by declaring if anyone else would like the chance to challenge your team.
 * Took a Level In Kindness:
 * Villainous Breakdown: Twice. First, when Korra humiliates him in a tie-breaker fight by beating him in one shot. Later and more seriously,
 * Tempting Fate: Not a bright idea to flaunt your cheated victory by declaring if anyone else would like the chance to challenge your team.
 * Took a Level In Kindness:
 * Villainous Breakdown: Twice. First, when Korra humiliates him in a tie-breaker fight by beating him in one shot. Later and more seriously,

Tarrlok
"Voiced by Dee Bradley Baker"

A member of the United Republic Council, representing the Northern Water Tribe. Ambitious and manipulative, he is Tenzin's primary political rival.


 * Ambadassador
 * Ass in Ambassador
 * Authority Equals Asskicking: He is the Northern Water Tribe's council representative, and possibly the most powerful waterbender ever shown onscreen in either series.
 * Badass Bureaucrat: His manners at the council suggest a Desk Jockey, but he quickly proves to be a competent martial organizer.
 * Badass Long Hair: Ikki mocks his strange triple-ponytail hairstyle, calling him "Ponytail Man", but when he is battling later the movement of the ponytails is vaguely squidlike -- appropriate for a waterbender.
 * Bad Powers, Bad People:
 * Berserk Button: Hearing he was just as bad as Amon did not go well with him.
 * Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: To the public, he's considered a fair-minded and likable guy. Behind closed doors, well...
 * Braids, Beads, and Buckskins: Heavily Downplayed Trope; the most prominent signifier of his roots is his elaborately triple tailed, beaded hair.
 * Chekhov's Gunman: Makes a brief appearance in a newspaper photo in episode 2.
 * Clasp Your Hands If You Deceive: Steeples his fingers over his desk when Korra confronts him in his office.
 * Color Coded for Your Convenience/Good Colors, Evil Colors: His clothes are the palest shade of blue among waterbenders seen in the Avatarverse, almost silver in tone, which fits well with his Bitch in Sheep's Clothing personality.
 * Control Freak: Especially evident in how frustrated he gets at Korra when she leaves his task force.
 * The Dandy: He is mocked by Ikki for "smelling like a lady" when he joins Tenzin's family for dinner.
 * Does This Remind You of Anything?:
 * Expository Hairstyle Change:
 * Faux Affably Evil: Whenever he seems to act polite, it's usually accompanied with a smug voice tone, so take his "friendliness" with a grain of salt.
 * I Am Not Left-Handed:
 * An Ice Person/Making a Splash
 * Jerkass Has a Point: It's practically his hat.
 * In Episode 4, Tarrlok is using his task force to score political points, but the Equalists are a militant revolutionary group openly advocating the violent overthrow of their country's government and the extermination of bending. Some sort of official response is necessary to that existential threat and Tarrlok is the only council member offering a plan.
 * In Episode 7, Tarrlok's opening narration is politically self-serving yet accurate: the Equalists are warring on benders under the guise of fighting for equality, Chief Beifong did utterly fail to protect Republic City during the arena attack, and new leadership was needed for the police considering how ineffective Chief Beifong had proved against the Equalists..
 * In episode 8, he brings up how Korra is only a "half-baked Avatar in training" because she has yet to master airbending. When Korra later
 * Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: At first, it seems that Tarrlok wants to close down the Pro-Bending arena to spare innocent lives. But when Lin Beifong enters the picture, he realizes someone else can take the responsibility (and the rap) of others, thus relinquishing him from any blame if anything happened..
 * Knight Templar: While personal paranoia is a major factor, Tarrlok definitely invokes this with his rhetoric, claiming that his actions are a righteous crusade against Amon.
 * Let's Get Dangerous: His demeanor makes him out to be just an Attention Whore, but his waterbending isn't half bad.
 * Manipulative Bastard: Very good at manipulating others into furthering his goals. Even knowing that he's up to something won't help you..
 * Meaningful Name: "Tarlock" is a name of Irish origin that means "instigator" or "abettor," which is certainly fitting for his status as a Manipulative Bastard.
 * Not So Different:
 * His approach to dealing with dangerous non-benders is, if anything, more indiscriminate than the Equalists' actions toward elitist benders. Korra calls him on this, likening him to Amon.
 * According to him in a Hannibal Lecture, he and Korra aren't all that different, because they both go to extremes in order to get what they want.
 * Not-So-Harmless Villain: He appeared to be a power-hungry politician. Cue Episode 8 where
 * Not So Stoic: "When Extremes Meet" shows that he has a pretty short fuse. Control Freak above explains more on that.
 * Opening Narration: Replaces Shiro Shinobi in the "Previously On..." recap for "The Aftermath", giving a speech about Lin's failure to stop the Equalists in the previous episode and calling for her to be replaced.
 * Personality Powers:
 * The Rival: To Tenzin, in the political arena, and to Korra in dealing with the Equalists.
 * Sleazy Politician: Everything he does is for his own personal agenda.
 * Smug Snake: His regular attitude gives off this vibe.
 * Villainous Breakdown: Starting with episode 8, he's really starting to lose his calm demeanor.
 * Villain with Good Publicity:
 * Well-Intentioned Extremist: Seems like it at first, with his heavy-handed but arguably reasonable responses to the Equalist threat.
 * Let's Get Dangerous: His demeanor makes him out to be just an Attention Whore, but his waterbending isn't half bad.
 * Manipulative Bastard: Very good at manipulating others into furthering his goals. Even knowing that he's up to something won't help you..
 * Meaningful Name: "Tarlock" is a name of Irish origin that means "instigator" or "abettor," which is certainly fitting for his status as a Manipulative Bastard.
 * Not So Different:
 * His approach to dealing with dangerous non-benders is, if anything, more indiscriminate than the Equalists' actions toward elitist benders. Korra calls him on this, likening him to Amon.
 * According to him in a Hannibal Lecture, he and Korra aren't all that different, because they both go to extremes in order to get what they want.
 * Not-So-Harmless Villain: He appeared to be a power-hungry politician. Cue Episode 8 where
 * Not So Stoic: "When Extremes Meet" shows that he has a pretty short fuse. Control Freak above explains more on that.
 * Opening Narration: Replaces Shiro Shinobi in the "Previously On..." recap for "The Aftermath", giving a speech about Lin's failure to stop the Equalists in the previous episode and calling for her to be replaced.
 * Personality Powers:
 * The Rival: To Tenzin, in the political arena, and to Korra in dealing with the Equalists.
 * Sleazy Politician: Everything he does is for his own personal agenda.
 * Smug Snake: His regular attitude gives off this vibe.
 * Villainous Breakdown: Starting with episode 8, he's really starting to lose his calm demeanor.
 * Villain with Good Publicity:
 * Well-Intentioned Extremist: Seems like it at first, with his heavy-handed but arguably reasonable responses to the Equalist threat.
 * Smug Snake: His regular attitude gives off this vibe.
 * Villainous Breakdown: Starting with episode 8, he's really starting to lose his calm demeanor.
 * Villain with Good Publicity:
 * Well-Intentioned Extremist: Seems like it at first, with his heavy-handed but arguably reasonable responses to the Equalist threat.
 * Well-Intentioned Extremist: Seems like it at first, with his heavy-handed but arguably reasonable responses to the Equalist threat.

Hasook
"Voiced by Sean Gantka"

Hasook is the original waterbender on the Fire Ferrets pro-bending team. He became incompetent during the match with the Tigerdillos, nearly caused the Fire Ferrets to lose, and then almost got them disqualified by not showing up to the match. Korra replaces him and joins Mako and Bolin on the Fire Ferrets.


 * Emo Teen
 * Jerkass
 * Making a Splash
 * Meaningful Name: "Hasook" is Korean for "lodging" or "boarding house," both types of temporary accommodation. This alludes to his being only a short-term member of the Fire Ferrets.
 * One-Scene Wonder: Despite only appearing in one episode, he has received at least one meme.
 * The Pete Best
 * What Happened to the Mouse?: Is never seen again after he leaves the probending match in anger during "A Leaf in the Wind".

Gommu
"Voiced by Stephen Root"

Gommu is a vagabond living in a bush in Republic City Park. He spies Korra eating fish, and asks her for one. He then explains to Korra that Republic City is worse than it seems, before diving back into his bush when a policeman sees them.


 * Fan Nickname: "Sparkly Sparkly Bush Man"
 * Perpetual Poverty
 * The Tramp
 * Wild Hair

Skoochy
"Voiced by Zach Callison"

Skoochy is a crafty and cunning homeless kid who has his ears to the street and is happy to give anyone information, as long as his price is paid. He met Mako and Bolin a few years ago, when they were living on the street as well, soon after he had just escaped from his second orphanage and vowed never to go back. He usually hangs around the Central City Station and picks the pockets of unsuspecting tourists.


 * The Artful Dodger
 * Dishing Out Dirt: Word of God is he's an earth bender.
 * Five-Finger Discount
 * The Informant: Willing to give Mako info, for some money.
 * Street Urchin

Shiro Shinobi
"Voiced by Jeff Bennett"

The non-bender radio commentator for pro-bending broadcasts, with a stereotypical overexcited "newsreel" tone of voice.


 * Awesome McCoolname: It translates as "White Ninja".
 * Alliterative Name
 * Combat Commentator
 * Determinator: Nothing short of unconsciousness will stop him from describing everything going on in the arena.
 * Dissonant Serenity: When  in episode 6, he continues narrating in the same tone of voice right up to the point where he's knocked out.
 * Large Ham Radio: Comes hand-in-hand with commenting on Pro Bending matches.
 * Intrepid Reporter: Was one according to the "Welcome To Republic City" game before becoming the announcer for the Pro-Bending arena, but gave it up after too many years covering the Triads' crimes.
 * Muggle
 * Opening Narration: Provides the narration for the show's "Previously On..." segments -- except in "The Aftermath" where he's replaced with a speech from Tarrlok. He's back in the following episode.
 * Retired Badass: Was an Intrepid Reporter before becoming a commentator.
 * Shoo Out the Clowns: Briefly, when the series hits its midpoint and Wham! Episode.
 * Shoo Out the Clowns: Briefly, when the series hits its midpoint and Wham! Episode.

Saikhan
"Voiced by Richard Epcar"

The captain of the Metalbender Corps working in Republic City under Chief Beifong.


 * The Captain
 * Chekhov's Gunman: In the first episode, he's the one that attempts to arrest Korra for property damage.
 * Extra Ore Dinary
 * Dishing Out Dirt
 * Inspector Javert: Goes along with Tarrlock's more extreme policies, and answers directly to him, and thus opposes the heroes, despite being on the same side.
 * Oh Crap: He gets one after seeing Councilman Tenzin in the lobby after
 * Oh Crap: He gets one after seeing Councilman Tenzin in the lobby after

Yakone
"Voiced by Clancy Brown"

A man who threatened Republic City during Avatar Aang's adulthood. According to Tarrlok, he was such a serious threat that Aang had to deal with him decisively.


 * Bad Powers, Bad People:
 * Chekhov's Gunman: Namedropped by Tarrlok early on,
 * Evil Laugh: Chuckles evilly as he
 * Evil Sounds Deep
 * Meaningful Name:
 * Predecessor Villain:
 * Tarrlok establishes him as Amon's predecessor as Big Bad of Republic City. Whether or not he and Amon have anything to do with one another, however, is unclear.
 * Episode 9 reveals
 * Refuge in Audacity:
 * Smug Snake: He doesn't have a problem with confidence, that's for sure.
 * The Sociopath: A picture perfect example.
 * We Will Meet Again: Threatens this after his plan falls through. Unfortunately for him, that plan also fell through when Aang proved to be too much for him to handle.
 * To be fair, he was correct in that they would meet again. Just that it was far sooner than he expected it to be.
 * Refuge in Audacity:
 * Smug Snake: He doesn't have a problem with confidence, that's for sure.
 * The Sociopath: A picture perfect example.
 * We Will Meet Again: Threatens this after his plan falls through. Unfortunately for him, that plan also fell through when Aang proved to be too much for him to handle.
 * To be fair, he was correct in that they would meet again. Just that it was far sooner than he expected it to be.