There have been many conversations in Avatar: The Last Airbender fandom surrounding Aang, Korra, and characters who are stronger than them. In the mythological world, the Avatar is the superior power; a person with the ability to bend all four elements. A messiah of sorts who can make all the pain go away and act as the great savior of people. However, among the Avatars themselves, there are a few who are stronger than the rest.
While many would like to believe that Aang is the strongest in the bunch, the truth may be further away from it. There seems to be more than enough proof to suggest Korra is more powerful than the Airbender.
While many argue that Aang is the reason she is as powerful as she is, her arc in the second season shows exactly why this is not the case.
Korra Was Left In The Dark
There is one very important part of being an Avatar that often gets overlooked; past lives. The past Avatars all seemed to have a collective memory, one that could help the Avatars go through the memories of all those who came before them. This one thing has helped the Avatar have limitless knowledge, on top of limitless power.
“It is one flame, and it is many. It changes with every moment. No fire is ever the same fire. No Avatar is ever the same person. You and the flame change with every moment, every generation. You are one flame, and you are many.” said Fire Sage Nyahitha.
They get guided by those who had to hold the title in the past, learning from their mistakes as well as their successes. This is how Korra can learn a lot from Aang, with him helping her where he can. This connection was possible through Raava, the spirit of light and peace.
Unfortunately, in Book 2, Episode 14, Raava was destroyed by Unalaq, severing the connection with the past Avatars. Korra was left on her own to fight the monsters in the dark with no guiding light. Such a huge conflict was never faced by Aang, with his main focus throughout the three seasons being Fire Lord Ozai.
Korra Created Her Own Light
Such a loss was something that no other Avatar had to deal with since Wan, who was responsible for the merging of Raava with the Avatar cycle. She no longer had the experiences and memories of those who came before her at her disposal. Losing something that has been with her for as long as she has been alive could not have been an easy parting.
When Aang was going into battle, he had a guarantee that he was not alone. The same was not the case for her. Despite this, Korra was able to prove herself outside of the Avatar cycle, meaning that all of her achievements that came after this significant moment would have been hers alone. Having restarted the cycle after the rebirth of Raava, she essentially became the first Avatar in another, new line of memories.
On top of this, Korra had to face many different kinds of challenges and foes which were much more complex and morally conflicting; something Aang did not have to do. This is the reason that proves that Korra is stronger than The Last Airbender.
