You can always rely on Fortnite to bring our world into theirs. The game has evolved from being just a Hunger Games style free-for-all into a legitimate cyberspace for virtual concerts, pop-culture collabs, and much more. In working with the world’s biggest stars and brands, Fortnite keeps itself relevant by tying real IPs into its tried-and-true gameplay.

You may be wondering how shows, movies, musicians, and more are implemented into Fortnite. Many franchises partner with Fortnite to get their characters available to unlock through gameplay of a themed Battle Pass or to directly purchase. This encourages players to complete in-game missions that tie into whatever is the collab-of-the-month. Star Wars, Lego, and Marvel have all been worked into the game before and now it’s Avatar’s turn.

Beginning April 3, 2024, the Avatar franchise is going to be implemented in the game with awesome unlockables. Riding the success of the new Netflix live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender and the resurgence of popularity for the original series (and its sequel series, The Legend of Korra), this new battle pass is sure to make fans happy. While much more is yet to be shared, the first wave of this partnership puts a really huge emphasis on Avatar Korra.

Get To Know the Avatar

I’m thrilled that the game is giving a ton of attention to Avatar Korra! Korra is a headstrong and confident leader who has trouble navigating love throughout the show but finishes her journey in a happy relationship with another bisexual woman. Her burgeoning romance with friend-turned-lover Asami was a wonderful addition to her character’s arc throughout the series. After seasons of watching Korra suffer in both romance with trash men and against evilly strong villains, it was a relief to watch her walk into the proverbial sunset with her now-girlfriend Asami Sato.

The brief story of The Legend of Korra: it is a four-season show that takes place more than seventy years after the end of the original series. Avatar Aang is reincarnated into Avatar Korra, a headstrong young woman from the show’s isolated Southern Water Tribe. She’s grown up isolated mastering waterbending, firebending, and earthbending. All that’s to say- we show her grace for being brash and a little awkward! Like a rebellious princess, she sneaks out of her metaphorical castle across the world to the bustling Republic City, which brings Avatar into a steampunk 1920s aesthetic. After getting in trouble with the cops (icon) to begin her Avatar peacekeeping duties and learn airbending from Aang’s son, a freaking terrorist group dedicated to wiping out benders enters the fold. From there, Korra faces a new major threat each season, always having that passion within her to protect the world from falling into even more chaos.

Season three, often regarded as the best, has Korra facing an elite team of bending terrorists that poison her. That very close call with death shook her entire world, leading Korra to temporarily lose the use of her legs. She’s spiritually defeated and closes herself off to almost everyone. Except she’s been writing letters to just one person, her friend (and future lover) Asami Sato. This is our first big clue that their bond may be more than platonic.

After a three-year time jump that explores Korra’s journey of self-healing and improving mental health, she narrowly defeats the final antagonist of season 4. After exchanging physical blows, Korra appeals to the villain's humanity and empathizes with her pain. After undergoing the past season’s poisoning, Korra admits that she too is afraid of feeling weak. She’s able to win the fight with her words for the first time, and Korra’s truly grown from that firebrand teen we first met years ago. The antagonist, a metalbending dictator named Kuvira, is defeated through genuine sensitivity. As a tough, fight-first-ask-questions-later Avatar, she finally learns that being the best doesn’t necessarily mean flexing your muscles the hardest. And boy does she have awesome biceps!

Korrasami Forever

In the show’s finale, Korra (in a stunning dress) looks out at a beautiful new spirit portal she created when her mentor notes “You’ve transformed the world more in a few years than most Avatars did during their lifetimes.” Reflecting on the hard times she’s faced and the adversity she overcame, Korra declares “There’s so much more I want to learn and do”, she’s hopeful again. The Avatar is back. “I know I was in a pretty dark place after I was poisoned. But I finally understand why I had to go through all that. I needed to become more compassionate to others, even to people like Kuvira”. Finding purpose through her pain is just another reason to love Korra.

Then it happens, the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Asami comes out (in an even MORE stunning dress) and offers to sit with Korra. They’re proud of each other for conquering so much and decide to plan a vacation together. They set off into the aforementioned spirit portal, holding hands and stepping into a brand new world, relationship, and life together. It’s subtle and sweet, but effective nonetheless.

Korra Meets Fortnite

Korra’s bisexuality shocked and rocked the internet in 2014. Tumblr was basically a free-for-all warzone, ironically much like Fortnite. People sourly expected Korra or Asami to end up with their ex-boyfriend Mako, falling into the hetero hell we’re all used to seeing, but like always our girls defied expectations and followed their hearts to each other. It’s known now that the show was pressured by upper management to tone down queer elements and that the creators couldn’t give ‘Korrasami’ the full build-up to satisfy all fans. But the reveal was enough for so many of us, and along with the subsequent comics of their romantic adventure in the spirit world together, these two are clearly meant to be together. Later comics explore the couple’s coming out journey and touch on homosexuality in the lore of the show.

That’s why it’s so great to see Fortnite, one of the biggest online games with a near-global audience of 221 million active monthly players, giving Korra so much love in the new Battle Pass. She’s fully embraced by the game, having two awesome cosmetic skins for fans to unlock and wear. Her glider is also available to unlock, along with a beautiful loading screen of the Avatar herself. A lot of toxicity online about Korra comes from people bitching about her character, so it’s refreshing to see the incels STFU and be forced to see Korra shine in the spotlight she deserves.

Avatar fans are all too familiar with the deluge of discord comparing Aang and Korra, but lately, I've noticed the fandom embracing both heroes. “Aang was a kid in a world that needed an Avatar, Korra was an Avatar in a world that needed a kid” or something like that. The growing empathy and hype for Avatar Korra may be connected to people’s increasing acceptance of the bisexual community. I hope all members of the LGBTQ+ find solace in Korra’s journey- I sure did.

Korra represents a lot to a lot of different folks. Though the Southern Water Tribe is fictional, it’s based on Inuit cultures and traditions that have long been too under-recognized in the media. She’s also a trauma survivor who battles severe PTSD and a legit poisoning attempt. Combined with her unexpected sexual identity, she stands as a pillar of inclusion, power, and awesomeness.

Korra may live in a fictional world, but her presence in ours makes kids know that their skin color, culture, and sexuality only add to their badassery. And being that Fortnite skews younger, it's a great introduction to one of the coolest characters on TV who happens to be bi.

Avatar Korra in Fortnite will get people talking. The haters who perpetually blame her for losing that battle in season 2 or whoever thinks the show is ‘too far advanced from the original series’ can take a break from drinking their Hate-orade and just appreciate that the Avatar is back.  

What To Get In Korra’s Battle Pass

Here’s everything you can unlock in the Avatar Korra Battle Pass (via Polygon):

KORRA PAGE 1 CHALLENGES

- Emerge from water (rewards Korra loading screen)

- Collect 4 Mythic items (rewards Avatar’s Descent contrail)

- Do 2,000 damage opponents before the second storm circle (rewards Determined Korra spray)

- Mantle, hurdle, or slide during the daytime 50 times (rewards Water Tribe Colors item wrap)

- Hit the same player with a Mythic and non-Mythic weapon (rewards Waterbender’s Battle Fans pickaxe)

KORRA PAGE 2 CHALLENGES

- Eliminate an opponent while below 50 health three times (rewards Balanced Korra loading screen)

- Collect or spend 1,500 bars (rewards Korra Reacts emoticon)

- Travel 500 distance on the train (rewards Avatar Cycle back bling)

- Hire characters or squadmates 20 times (rewards Korra’s Air Glider)

- Earn or pick up a Victory Crown (unlocks Avatar’s Flourish emote)