One of the biggest changes The Legend of Korra made to the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender came with Harmonic Convergence -- the spiritual event that revitalized the airbender population by granting the power to control air to several nonbenders throughout the world. The mystical circumstances made the logic behind which nonbenders did and did not become airbenders hard to determine, but there's one character never seen in The Legend of Korra fans can be almost sure about: Teo.
Teo barely appeared in the original series, but he made quite an impact in the few appearances he had. In fact, he proved that if any nonbender deserved the gift of airbending following Harmonic Convergence, it was him.
Initially appearing in the first season's "The Northern Air Temple," Teo and many of his fellow Earth Kingdom refugees were originally believed to be airbenders by those who saw them from afar. Thanks to his father's inventions and the inspiration of the Air Nomads' gliders, Teo could affix special wings to his wheelchair that allowed him to soar through the air. Aang not only complimented Teo's skills but told him that he had "the spirit of an airbender." By The Legend of Korra, fans would find out just what the spirit of an airbender could offer someone.
Following Harmonic Convergence, many nonbenders gained the ability to airbend. Although many of those who gained the ability seemed to appear randomly from the population spread across the world, there are a few indications that a deeply spiritual proximity to airbending made it likelier for a nonbender to gain the abilities. Most notably, this included Zaheer, a philosophical villain who studied ancient airbender teachings for years before Harmonic Convergence, and Bumi, Aang's eldest son who forever felt guilt for not being able to continue his father's legacy.
Although Teo was not seen in the sequel series, he was roughly around the right age to survive into the next season. Many of Aang's friends, such as Katara, Toph and Zuko all did. Wherever it was he ended up following the original series, and regardless of how he may have continued his own father's legacy creating inventions and helping the world, it seems likely that he would have retained his airbender spirit all the while.
It's easy to imagine how freeing and joyful the days following Harmonic Convergence would have been for Teo if he gained the abilities. The flood that took both his home village and the use of his legs away never seemed to weigh on Teo's attitude, as he immediately joined the Gaang's efforts against the Fire Nation. Especially as an old man in the waning days of his life, the gift of airbending would have offered him much the same high-flying thrills that first introduced audiences to the character in "The Northern Air Temple."
The Legend of Korra had a far more limited scope in its story than Avatar: The Last Airbender often had. Whereas the sequels series primarily stuck to a handful of locations, the original series spanned the entire world to meet different places and characters like Teo.
If Avatar Studios were to recapture that adventurous spirit, re-visiting Teo would be a valuable way to continue the legacy of the character. He had far too little space in his original appearances, but in future stories, there's no telling how high he could fly.
