The Legend of Korra continued the tale of Avatar: The Last Airbender, taking place 70 years in the future where technology and innovation became dominant in the world -- but not always for the better. Avatar Korra had her hands full, often looking to her past selves for guidance.
Korra usually consulted her direct predecessor, Avatar Aang. But in a two-episode filler sequence in Book Two: Spirits, Korra met the very first Avatar, a fellow from a previous era named Wan. As Tenzin the Air Nomad noted, Wan became the Avatar not just because of what he was, but who he was. The Legend of Korra's two flashback episodes make this clear.
How Avatar Wan Wielded The Four Elements In His Heart
100 centuries ago, humanity lived on the massive lion-turtles. On the fire-based turtle, however, all was not well. The greedy Chou family kept everyone else in poverty, inspiring the young thief Wan to strike back. He often stole from the Chous to feed himself and his animal friends, and one day rallied the people and launched an unsuccessful revolt against them, which got him exiled into the Spirit Wilds. Even then, Wan was acting like a non-bender Avatar in trying to restore balance to the world and standing up for the common folk.
This trend continued after Wan became a permanent Firebender and sought to defend the Spirit Wilds from hunters. Wan earned the trust and respect of the spirits; when humans later moved into the Spirit wilds, Wan tried to get the two parties to cooperate. Once again he failed, but he was already thinking like an Avatar, and this time he had the power of the four elements on his side. In anyone else's hands, wielding these elements simply means having four different weapons. Wan's heart made him the true first Avatar, making him truly unique in his era.
Wan embodied the key traits of all four elements during his journey, starting with his burning passion for justice and curiosity as a fire native. Then he learned Airbending and embodied its detached nature and patience. Wan needed many months to make his dream come true, and unlike reckless Firebenders, he didn't rush anything -- his monk-like attitude allowed events to happen as they came.
He also had no personal attachments to anything or anyone except a higher cause, making him even more like an Airbender. Wan later learned to bend water and earth as well, proving a flexible and defense-oriented character who valued protecting others over fighting for his own sake -- virtues Katara would embody centuries later in The Legend of Korra's present day.
How Future Avatars Continued What Wan Started
During the climax of Book Two: Spirits, Tenzin told Korra that Wan became the Avatar because of who he was and not what he was. With that in mind, Korra performed Energybending and gained the power necessary to vanquish Unalaq and halt his villainous plans. Like Wan before her, she was a true hero because of her heart, not just mystic powers. Also like her distant predecessor, Korra learned that bending arts are just tools; what matters most is who wields them and what's inside. Even Aang understood that, refusing to use his bending to kill Fire Lord Ozai during the final battle for the world. Both embody the very best of the four elements within them.
In Avatar: The Last Airbender, Aang was detached and free-spirited as a native Air Nomad, flexible and defensive like a Waterbender, passionate and curious like a Firebender and stubborn and tenacious like an Earthbender. At times this made him childish and a headache for his friends, but when the world needed him most, Aang wielded the four elements in his heart and became worthy of wielding the Avatar State -- just like Wan.
The Legend of Korra's titular lead did the same some 70 years later. At first she was primarily a Firebender at heart, with reckless and passionate ways. She later became detached and free like an Airbender when fighting Kuvira, then used her power for defense like a Waterbender. Korra was aggressive, defensive, detached and stubborn all at once, and could switch between them as the situation demanded. This is how she managed to bend energy inside the Tree of Time, just as Tenzin expected.
