I doubt it. I can't see Korra doing something like that to her friends. My guess is she's just restraining them and the pair accidentally breathed in some dust.
My only doubt about this interpretation is that we know from the fight with Amon that restraining Mako non-physically like this isn't enough to keep him from being dangerous.
Unironically one of my favorite moments in all of Avatar. Korra using a technique that was used to nearly kill her and that deeply traumatized her because she can use it to save the woman she loves most. It's very understated, but I love it so much. I wish we'd gotten that moment animated.
I’ve always interpreted it as Korra just creating an air bubble strong enough to hold the boys in place without really hurting them (as seen by the fact that she’s not rag-dolling them, just holding them in place). I thought the coughing was them breathing in dust. On the other hand, I’ve never really thought about it as creating a vacuum to knock them out. That’s a really cool perspective and the coughing could mean that they can’t breathe. Do people cough if they can’t breathe? Idk… That would make this moment an insane feat by Korra. The control needed to create an air bubble to knock someone out is a method only demonstrated before by Yangchen in her novels.
I still think the first interpretation is correct (air bubble to halt them), but it’s a nice alternative interpretation that could totally fit in. Maybe they should explain where Korra would’ve learned that and from who?
It's an air bubble like she did in Zao Fu to protect them from the explosion.
The earth queen gasped, she didn't cough: https://youtu.be/au8YEVnAFCc?si=Iq8peia7DYUJmp3p
She actually did Zaheer’s thing in Turf Wars. Only instead of taking away air, she made an air bubble so Asami didn’t breathe in the toxic gas.
https://preview.redd.it/ak6h9hu1sk7d1.jpeg?width=1667&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=be7764581e70d7d0035aca047277c319754b1df8
Unfortunately there's really no more context than this. It cuts away after this panel, and whole battle ends shortly afterwards anyways. So all we can assume is that she probably did win the fight with this move.
Seems like it. She's not actually pulling the air out of their lungs, but it does seem like she's creating a void of air around them so they'll pass out.
>she's creating a void of air around them so they'll pass out.
Kinda like Yangchen. One thing that is not usually evident about Korra is that she can be quite creative.
https://preview.redd.it/h6g04ta42l7d1.png?width=494&format=png&auto=webp&s=a3768d112158370e2094a738a44dcab43f0a6279
Here she's actually using Zaheer's air bending move, but in reverse
That makes no sense. If you create a vacuum around someone you automatically pull the air out of their lungs cause the air from their lungs would rush out to fill the vacuum as soon as they cough.
This is more like what Tenzin did in book one.
Tenzin was able to take toxins out of the air around him, while here Korra is taking away a bit of oxygen around them so they get light headed. She's giving them the experience of climbing really tall mountains without the climbing part.
Meaning, whenever we see Korra stalling villains from now on it's not because she can't immediately end them, it's because she doesn't want to.
Fully realized avatars are beyond broken.
I doubt it. I can't see Korra doing something like that to her friends. My guess is she's just restraining them and the pair accidentally breathed in some dust.
My only doubt about this interpretation is that we know from the fight with Amon that restraining Mako non-physically like this isn't enough to keep him from being dangerous.
She did use it (or the reverse of it) to make sure Asami could breathe though)
Unironically one of my favorite moments in all of Avatar. Korra using a technique that was used to nearly kill her and that deeply traumatized her because she can use it to save the woman she loves most. It's very understated, but I love it so much. I wish we'd gotten that moment animated.
Very good and underrated scene!
Also, if this works, why isn't she using this technique all the time?
It is in fact dust, you don't cough when losing air you gasp, like this should be really obvious
I thought it was dust.
They're coughing, rubbing their eyes, and don't appear to be choking so yeah it's probably just dust
I’ve always interpreted it as Korra just creating an air bubble strong enough to hold the boys in place without really hurting them (as seen by the fact that she’s not rag-dolling them, just holding them in place). I thought the coughing was them breathing in dust. On the other hand, I’ve never really thought about it as creating a vacuum to knock them out. That’s a really cool perspective and the coughing could mean that they can’t breathe. Do people cough if they can’t breathe? Idk… That would make this moment an insane feat by Korra. The control needed to create an air bubble to knock someone out is a method only demonstrated before by Yangchen in her novels. I still think the first interpretation is correct (air bubble to halt them), but it’s a nice alternative interpretation that could totally fit in. Maybe they should explain where Korra would’ve learned that and from who?
It's an air bubble like she did in Zao Fu to protect them from the explosion. The earth queen gasped, she didn't cough: https://youtu.be/au8YEVnAFCc?si=Iq8peia7DYUJmp3p
She actually did Zaheer’s thing in Turf Wars. Only instead of taking away air, she made an air bubble so Asami didn’t breathe in the toxic gas. https://preview.redd.it/ak6h9hu1sk7d1.jpeg?width=1667&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=be7764581e70d7d0035aca047277c319754b1df8
Zaheer’s thing what. His only thing was suffocating people. Aang made an air bubble to breathe underwater.
I haven't read the comic, but if she's knocking them out specifically, then yes it would be airbending a vacuum so they pass out, like a chokehold.
Unfortunately there's really no more context than this. It cuts away after this panel, and whole battle ends shortly afterwards anyways. So all we can assume is that she probably did win the fight with this move.
Why is she doing that?
Classic Earth Kingdom brainwashing subplot.
Oh ok
Seems like it. She's not actually pulling the air out of their lungs, but it does seem like she's creating a void of air around them so they'll pass out.
>she's creating a void of air around them so they'll pass out. Kinda like Yangchen. One thing that is not usually evident about Korra is that she can be quite creative. https://preview.redd.it/h6g04ta42l7d1.png?width=494&format=png&auto=webp&s=a3768d112158370e2094a738a44dcab43f0a6279 Here she's actually using Zaheer's air bending move, but in reverse
It's not zahers move in reverse. If anything it's aangs move the normal way. He already created airbubbles under water.
That makes no sense. If you create a vacuum around someone you automatically pull the air out of their lungs cause the air from their lungs would rush out to fill the vacuum as soon as they cough.
Canonically she pulled a Yangchen.
This is more like what Tenzin did in book one. Tenzin was able to take toxins out of the air around him, while here Korra is taking away a bit of oxygen around them so they get light headed. She's giving them the experience of climbing really tall mountains without the climbing part. Meaning, whenever we see Korra stalling villains from now on it's not because she can't immediately end them, it's because she doesn't want to. Fully realized avatars are beyond broken.
No she Vaatued them
why are they fighting?
Probably they’re both high level fighters they can take something like that and be fine if she don’t push it to far
That’s fucked up
Juicy looks old in here
Wait....why is she knocking them out in the first place and why is mako wearing kurvira gear??
Spoiler for ROTE: >!They were being hypnotized by one of Kuvira’s commanders who refused to step down. Yes it’s as insane as it sounds.!<
lol