Is Korra Gay? Here’s What the LOK Creators Say

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Anime expert Megan Blue explains what we know about Korra’s orientation.

Co-authored by Megan Blue and Dan Hickey

Last Updated: March 9, 2026 Fact Checked

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• Korra’s Sexuality
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• Korra’s Relationships
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• Were there signs?
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• More LGBTQ+ Characters from ATLA & LOK
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• Video

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Whether you’re a longtime LOK fan or are watching the series for the first time, you might be wondering what the deal is between Korra and Asami after the series finale. Is Korra gay or bi? Are they together? Were there signs of romance you missed throughout the show? We partnered with anime and LGBTQ+ culture experts to help us answer all of your questions, including what Korra’s sexuality is and how we know, clues about her feelings for Asami, and other queer characters from the Avatar universe that may have slid under your radar.

Korra’s Sexuality in The Legend of Korra

Anime expert Megan Blue says that Korra is confirmed to be canonically LGBT. According to the creators of The Legend of Korra, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, Korra is bisexual. Konietzka posted on Tumblr following the series finale to say that “Korrasami” (Korra + Asami, her female love interest) is real and that “bisexual people exist.”

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Section 1 of 4:

What is Korra’s sexuality?

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   Korra is canonically bisexual, as confirmed by the show’s creators. Although they weren’t allowed to explicitly show Korra in a same-sex relationship by Nickelodeon, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the creators of The Legend of Korra, confirmed that the intentionally ambiguous series finale was meant to indicate a romantic moment between Korra and Asami Sato, Korra’s female friend and another protagonist of the show.

   • Blue says that in the series finale, at the wedding of Verrick and Zhu Li, “Korra and Asami go off alone to the Spirit World as the camera pans up to the sky. This ending perfectly mirrors Aang and Katara becoming a couple in Avatar: The Last Airbender.”
   • Several days after the finale aired, Konietzko posted on Tumblr, saying, “Korrasami is canon” and “Bisexual people are real.” He also indicated the show’s creators were operating under an “unwritten rule” that forbade depicting same-sex relationships in children’s animation.
   • LGBTQ+ culture expert NV Gay confirms that “Korrasami” is the fan-made nickname for Korra and Asami and that The Legend of Korra is a great example of LGBTQ+ representation: “A lot of animated media has actually become very queer-friendly… Legend of Korra is a great one, obviously.”

   Meet the wikiHow Experts

   Megan Blue is an anime expert and content creator known as The Fangirl. She’s spent the last 10 years creating video essays about movies, fan theories, pop culture, unboxings, and more.

   NV Gay is an LGBTQ+ culture expert, activist, and educator whose work explores topics of the human condition bolstered by the words and lived experiences of their artistic subjects.
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   Korra officially comes out to her parents in the graphic novel Turf Wars - Part 1. Turf Wars follows Korra’s adventures after the ending of the LOK. After experiencing the Spirit World together, Korra and Asami return and tell their loved ones about their relationship. Korra’s parents are supportive, but initially tell her she should keep her personal life private.

   • This upsets Korra, but eventually, her parents become fully supportive of her decision to share her romance publicly.
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Section 2 of 4:

Korra’s Relationships in Legend of Korra

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   Mako Korra and Mako meet through pro-bending and develop a crush on each other, despite Mako dating Asami at the time. At the end of season 1, Mako and Asami break up, and he confesses his love for Korra. She initially rejects him, but the two share a kiss and begin their relationship.

   • At the start of season 2, Mako and Korra are having relationship problems and break up. Korra loses her memory after being attacked by a spirit and thinks they’re still together, but Mako doesn’t tell her the truth.
   • By the time Mako revealed the truth, Korra’s memory had come back, and she knew they were no longer together. They decide to stay apart, but tell each other that they will always love each other (platonically).
   • Mako was initially awkward about Korra and Asami’s relationship, but comes around and believes they are perfect for each other.
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   Asami Sato Korra meets Asami through her relationship with Mako and initially dislikes her. However, she comes around as Asami joins “Team Avatar” and proves to be a fierce fighter. Asami becomes suspicious of Korra and Mako’s friendship, but continues to be friendly toward Korra (even as she and Mako argue about his feelings for Korra). Korra and Asami are cordial toward each other after Mako and Korra get together, but don’t spend much time together.

   • After Mako and Korra break up, the two grow closer and closer throughout season 3, with the show’s creators hinting at a potentially romantic relationship.
   • Asami cared for Korra after she was poisoned by Zaheer in season 3, and Korra begins to realize she may have feelings for her. The two exchanged letters while Korra was away for 3 years, hinting that Asami may also have feelings for Korra.
   • The two reunite joyfully, but have a rift when Korra suggests Asami’s father is not trustworthy. The two quickly reconcile, though, and after the war against Kuvira (season 4), Korra apologizes for being gone for so long and comforts Asami about the loss of her father.
   • Asami mentions she could use a vacation, and the two are seen holding hands and walking into the Spirit World at the season finale.
   • Blue mentions even more evidence: "The first official Legend of Korra comic saga, called Turf Wars, shows us Korra and Asami on their date in the Spirit World, including moments of romantic kissing.”
   • Other hints were present, as well, Blue notes. For example, in season 4, after Korra is injured and disappears for awhile, the only person she remains in contact with is Asami.
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Section 3 of 4:

Were there signs Korra was queer in the show?

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   Small, intimate moments in seasons 3 and 4 hint at Korra and Asami’s feelings. Although nothing is stated explicitly, savvy fans may remember these moments that hint at a more-than-platonic relationship. For instance, Blue says, “When Korra and Mako break up, Korra somberly tells Mako that the both know ‘this isn’t working.’ As censorship was more strict back then, the script leaves the issue alone there.” Other indications include:

   • Asami travels with Korra around the world looking for airbenders, even though she has her own company to run.
   • Asami cares for Korra after she’s poisoned by Zaheer and tells her that she’s there for her.
   • Asami is the only one to write back to Korra while she’s away for 3 years recovering from her battle with Zaheer.
   • When the two reunite in Republic City in season 4, Korra blushes when Asami compliments her hair. Korra then apologizes to Asami for being gone for so long.
   • When Korra and Asami decide to go on a vacation in the series finale, Korra suggests that it’s “just the two of us, anywhere you want.”
   • When they enter the Spirit World, they are seen holding hands.
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   Some fans wanted a stronger relationship, while some felt blindsided. Fan reactions to the finale were mixed. Some felt that the relationship didn’t go far enough and wanted to see a kiss in the finale, while others felt the relationship came out of nowhere and should not have materialized since the hints weren’t strong enough.

   • Some argue that the romance had to be portrayed subtly, as depicting two women in a relationship would have been a big no-no for kids’ television at the time (it was 2014, after all).
   • Others add that Asami and Korra’s relationship progressed more naturally than her romance with Mako, which seemed contrived or cliché.
   • “While Nickelodeon felt an LGBT relationship would be too controversial to air in 2014, they have since used Korra in various Pride Month promotions and images,” says Blue.
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Section 4 of 4:

Other LGBTQ+ Characters from Avatar & Legend of Korra

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   Asami and Korra aren’t the only LGBTQ+ characters confirmed in the Avatar universe. Here is a list of other characters shown to be queer in either the animated series or graphic novels:

   • Kya, Aang and Katara’s daughter, reveals she loves women in The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars (graphic novel).
   • Aiwei, who appears in season 3 of LOK, is confirmed gay by the show’s creators.
   • Mingxia, a Kyoshi warrior, enters a lesbian relationship with Meilin, a refugee traveling to Ba Sing Se.
   • Zenko, a side character in a canon short story related to ATLA, invites Team Avatar to his home, where they meet his unnamed husband.
   • Avatar Kyoshi is confirmed to be bisexual in the comics following LOK. Her girlfriend is Rangi.

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