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Zaheer (The Legend of Korra)

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Zaheer is a fictional character in Nickelodeon 's animated television series The Legend of Korra (a sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender ). He serves as the main antagonist of Book Three: Change , and his actions have lingering effects on Avatar Korra and the series' plot in the following book . The character was created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and is voiced by Henry Rollins . The character was well received by critics as a complex and intimidating villain.

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69-491: Zaheer was born after the Air Nomad genocide and grew up as a non-bender, a person who does not possess the ability to manipulate one of the classical elements. However, he became fascinated with the Air Nomad culture and air bending philosophy from a young age and studied it rigorously; by adulthood, he was one of the few experts on the subject outside of Avatar Aang's descendants and an ardent spiritual follower of Guru Laghima,

138-681: A Short Form Comedy or Drama Series for her role on Everyone's Crazy But Us , a web series produced on Funny or Die . Varney was a main cast member on IFC 's Stan Against Evil , playing Sheriff Evie Barret. The show ran for three seasons from 2016 to 2018. She was also the host of ESCAPE! , a web series broadcast on Geek & Sundry where teams of celebrities work together to get out of an escape room . The show ran for one season in 2017. In 2018 Varney created, produced and starred in Fortune Rookie , an 8-episode web series presented by IFC. In 2005, Varney replaced Lisa Kushell as

207-629: A cameo in the Book Four episode "Remembrances". Zaheer was notably the first antagonist to survive the season he served as the primary threat in, a decision DiMartino and Konietzko made early on so that they might use him in the final season. Janet Varney mentioned that in the recording booth for the episode "Beyond the Wilds", Rollins recorded his part in a dark corner of the room, making him look intimidating to Varney and inadvertently helping her accurately portray Korra's fear of Zaheer. Disillusioned by

276-458: A character by both fans and critics. Writing for IGN , Max Nicholson deemed Zaheer "one of the most intimidating and formidable villains yet on the show", praising his effectiveness as an antagonist and his actions that greatly challenged Korra's status as the Avatar. Nicholson also praised Rollins' voice acting in "Beyond the Wilds", declaring that he and Janet Varney had "really knocked it out of

345-481: A failed attempt to capture her in "The Terror Within", Zaheer is confronted by Korra in the spirit world. Admitting that the Avatar deserved the right to know why she was being hunted - and stalling until his friends could capture her body - Zaheer openly tells her most of their plans, but neglects to reveal what their endgame with Korra was. However, to Zaheer's dismay, in the material world, Korra has been captured by Earth Queen Hou-Ting, and he ventures to Ba Sing Se with

414-406: A far more brutal regime than the last. During production of the third book, Konietzko and DiMartino received a call from actor Henry Rollins, who was interested in taking the role of Zaheer and asked several questions regarding the role before auditioning and being cast. The two also noted that Rollins took the role very seriously, and was baffled when the character took on a more comedic role during

483-527: A ferocious fight first. In the Book Three finale, Korra initially accepts Zaheer's terms to turn herself in, until learning of Zaheer's bluff regarding the Air Nation. In the ensuing battle, P'Li is killed, and despite being grief-stricken by his girlfriend's death, Zaheer's loss enables him to unlock the power of flight, which requires the abandonment of all "earthly tethers". Zaheer captures Korra, and

552-583: A legendary air bender who attained the power of independent flight. This expertise brought him into contact with an offshoot of the White Lotus society that came to believe that the Avatar must promote absolute freedom, not balance, as the driving force of world politics. This new society, the Red Lotus, collected masters of each element and plotted to kidnap the next Avatar as an infant and become his or her guiding philosophers and bending instructors; Zaheer

621-407: A mountaintop. After Avatar Korra provided the catalyst for Harmonic Convergence during Book Two: Spirits , which connected the natural and spiritual worlds directly, Zaheer was one of many individuals who spontaneously gained the ability to air bend. In isolation, he quickly became proficient with the element and used his new abilities to engineer an escape. Shortly after, Zaheer freed each member of

690-514: A spin-off of the series Avatar: The Last Airbender . Varney voiced the character of Korra for all four seasons of the show, which ended in 2014. After a decade of voicing Korra in both the series and several video games, Varney later stepped down from the role with her final outing as the character being in Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway in 2022. In 2016, Varney was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Actress in

759-418: A world in which some people can telekinetically control one of the four classical elements , the Avatar is the only individual who can "bend" all four elements and is responsible for maintaining balance in the world. This season focuses on Avatar Korra coming to terms with her role as the liaison between humans and the mystical "Spirit World". Book Two takes place six months after Book One ; its narrative

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828-412: Is almost completely civil to Korra when she visits him in prison in Book Four . Zaheer's intelligence proves crucial to the final step of Korra's recovery, as she stops using him as emotional crutch to blame her slow recovery on and faces her fears of their last encounter head on. It is also Zaheer's way of making penance for his assassination of Earth Queen Hou-Ting, which allowed Kuvira to take control in

897-559: Is also a frequent guest on the puzzle, riddle and lateral thinking podcast Hey Riddle Riddle . Since 2022, Varney has voiced the character of Janet Lubelle on Welcome to Night Vale . Varney is the co-founder, creative director and producer of SF Sketchfest , the San Francisco Comedy Festival, and is also the co-founder of the San Francisco sketch group Totally False People. She is a core member of

966-498: Is also proficient in the art of public speaking, capable of swaying the public opinion to support his goals, as he demonstrated in his speech to the people of Ba Sing Se. Zaheer is highly skilled in Airbending which utilizes aikido and the chinese martial arts techniques of baguazhang and xingyiquan . The series' creators consulted a professional martial artist in the design of the show's fighting style. Airbending represents

1035-404: Is captured and he's sent back to the dungeon, though his claims that the Red Lotus still had numerous operatives around the world causes the world leaders to reflect on the danger his group still posed in the book's final scenes. Throughout the fourth and final book, Korra suffers from post traumatic stress disorder from her final battle with Zaheer, haunted by his attempt to kill her and destroy

1104-886: Is divided between Republic City (the primary setting of the first season) and other locations such as the Spirit World and the South Pole home of the Southern Water Tribe. Korra's uncle Unalaq, the chief of the Northern Water Tribe, seizes control of the Southern Water Tribe as part of a scheme to free Vaatu, an ancient dark spirit. The story follows Korra's friends' efforts to win support for the southern tribe in Republic City, and Korra's quest to foil Unalaq's plans while learning about spirits. A two-part episode entitled "Beginnings" delves into

1173-423: Is leading a revolution that will bring equality to the masses, much like Amon, and is seen hesitating to truly use lethal force unless otherwise necessary to his goals. Zaheer is depicted as having a loving relationship with his girlfriend P'Li, whom he personally saved from subjugation at the hands of an unknown warlord, and enjoys a strong friendship with fellow Red Lotus members Ming Hua and Ghazan. Before attaining

1242-459: Is the second season of the American animated television series The Legend of Korra created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko . It consists of fourteen episodes ("chapters"). It focuses more on spiritual concepts and themes than the preceding season, Book One: Air . Ordered in early 2011, Book Two: Spirits began airing on Nickelodeon in the U.S. on September 13, 2013. In

1311-573: The Maximum Fun network. The podcast released its 500th episode in Jan 2023. Varney has participated on a regular basis on the improv comedy podcast Spontaneanation with Paul F. Tompkins , where she is referred to as "Little Janet" Varney. She is also one of the core cast members of the improvised SciFi podcast Voyage to the Stars , and the podcast Thrilling Adventure Hour . Avatar: Braving

1380-612: The RiffTrax website under the RiffTrax Presents branding, as they are officially sanctioned by RiffTrax founder and Mystery Science Theater 3000 alumnus Michael J. Nelson . She has performed in Rifftrax commentaries for the following films: In March 2012, Varney launched a podcast titled The JV Club , hosted on Nerdist.com from 2012 to 2018. In November 2018, it was announced that The JV Club would be moving to

1449-506: The "Avatar State"; once severed, they intended to kill Korra to prevent any future avatars from being born. Stopped short of killing her, Zaheer managed to cripple Korra physically and severely diminish her abilities; however, Korra's allies eventually fought and defeated the Red Lotus members to rescue her. During their final battle, Zaheer witnessed the death of his lover, P'Li. While devastated, he attained enlightenment in that moment to shed his 'Earthly tether' and achieve independent flight --

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1518-504: The Avatar, and while she was supremely confident in her physical prowess and fighting skills, his questions caused her self-doubt in the core of her spirit. The name “Zaheer” comes from the 3-letter Arabic root ظهر (z-h-r) that refers to support, help, and proponent. In a contrast to previous antagonists, Zaheer is portrayed as a much more sympathetic villain, as he does not desire conquest or oppression. Rather, he desires freedom for all, be they human or spirit. He genuinely believes that he

1587-445: The Avatar. Three years later, in "Beyond the Wilds", Zaheer is visited in his tailor-made dungeon by Korra, who is seeking to overcome her fear of him. Though he initially taunts her, Zaheer realizes the depth of her trauma and instructs her to let go of what he tried to do. Seeking to make amends for his actions that led to the rise of brutal fascist dictator Kuvira, Zaheer helps Korra to overcome her fear of him so she can finally enter

1656-629: The Earth Kingdom to celebrate the tyrant's death by descending into anarchy. As Ba Sing Se burns in the ensuing riots, Zaheer frees Mako and Bolin from the Earth Queen's jail, but asks them to pass along a message to Korra: surrender herself or the new Air Nation would be massacred. The Red Lotus arrives at the Northern Air Temple where they capture Tenzin, his family, and the new Airbenders, though not without Tenzin putting up

1725-625: The Elements , an official Nickelodeon companion podcast to Avatar: The Last Airbender , premiered on June 22, 2021, hosted by Varney (the voice of Korra ) and Dante Basco (the voice of Zuko ). Varney and Basco discuss key moments and behind-the scenes information from each episode. She has appeared on the podcast Hello from the Magic Tavern as the character Braidwynn the Warrior Elf, who disguises herself as Crone Bakeress. She

1794-550: The Order of the White Lotus revealing themselves at the end of the Hundred Year War and turning to serve the Avatar and the world's leaders, Zaheer joined the Red Lotus as a teenager, an offshoot of the White Lotus who sought to bring freedom of the world through chaos and anarchy. Thirteen years before the events of Book One: Air , Zaheer and his comrades plotted with Unalaq, the chief antagonist of Book Two , to kidnap

1863-411: The Red Lotus in captivity and refocused their efforts towards convincing Korra to join them and seeking an anarchist overthrow of the existing kingdoms in the pursuit of 'total freedom' for all. For a short time, Zaheer disguised himself and joined the newly reformed Air Nation in an attempt to locate Korra; during this time, he easily impressed the other new and experienced air benders, though his identity

1932-624: The Red Lotus reveals that they would invoke the Avatar State by poisoning her, only to kill her and end the Avatar Cycle. However, the sheer power of the Avatar State proves too much for the Red Lotus to contain, and Korra escapes her confinements and engages in a lengthy aerial battle with Zaheer. When she begins succumbing to the poison, Zaheer attempts to asphyxiate her, but was defeated by the giant cyclone led by Jinora; and Korra. His plans ruined and his friends and girlfriend dead, Zaheer

2001-533: The Southern Air Temple, Ikki disappears and Tenzin, Kya, and Bumi search for her while recalling their childhood with their late father, Avatar Aang . Part 1 : While being healed by the Fire Sages, Korra has visions of Wan, the first Avatar, who lived 10,000 years earlier. At this time, humans lived on the shells of the giant lion turtles to protect themselves from the spirit wilds that dominate

2070-485: The Southern Water Tribe. In early 2011, during the production of Book One: Air – initially conceived as a standalone 12-episode miniseries – Nickelodeon decided to order fourteen additional episodes to round out a standard 26-episode season. As of June 2012, Book Two ' s writing had been completed and the episodes were in the process of being storyboarded and animated. Joshua Hamilton and Tim Hedrick, writers for Avatar: The Last Airbender , contributed to

2139-624: The Southerners resist Northern occupation, Unalaq offers to protect the southern portal while Korra opens its northern counterpart, claiming that this will deepen the connection between humanity and the spirits and prevent further dark spirit attacks. Eccentric Southern Tribe inventor and entrepreneur Varrick, whose business suffers from Unalaq's blockade, begins a revolt. Korra prevents an abduction of Unalaq by Southern rebels. As she tries to reconcile with her mother, Senna, and Tonraq, Unalaq appears to arrest them for conspiring to assassinate him. At

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2208-425: The Spirit World and reconnect with Raava. Prior to obtaining airbending, Zaheer was a master in several forms of martial arts and had extensive combat experience. Self-righteous and merciless in battle, Zaheer has shown himself a patient and composed man. He was deemed dangerous enough to be detained in an isolated prison and had to turn his back to the cell doors with his hands behind his head while receiving food. He

2277-473: The Spirit World as an ally, agreeing to do so only because he realized that Kuvira , who took charge of the Earth Kingdom after the queen's death, was going against his own beliefs. Korra notes throughout their encounters that Zaheer is physically dangerous due to his skills but stands out from her other enemies as a singularly charismatic, honest, and idealistic foe; more than any other challenge she faced, Zaheer forced her to interrogate her role and intentions as

2346-501: The Spirit World. Mike Hoffman praised the effort made to portray Zaheer as a "particularly human" villain, citing the fact that he (as well as Amon and Kuvira) made "valid arguments" for their actions, as well as his loving relationship with P'Li. IGN also praised the final fight scene between Korra and Zaheer in "Venom of the Red Lotus", listing it as one of the best fight scenes of 2014 and lauding its "distinct superhero feel". The Legend of Korra (Book 2) Book Two: Spirits

2415-573: The action sequences and color treatment". At TV.com , Noel Kirkpatrick commented favorably on how the episode handled the necessary quantity of exposition, and on its introduction of the theme of conflict between spiritualism and secularism . Writing for Vulture , Matt Patches highlighted the loose, handheld-style cinematography – challenging for an animated series – and the "weird, wonderful", wildly imagined spirits fought by Korra; "a Kaiju parade with beasts that mirror velociraptors ". The A.V. Club 's Emily Guendelsberger stated that they kept up

2484-415: The airbending forms and disciplines as part of the Red Lotus' plan to kidnap Korra, he was proficient enough to hold his own in combat against multiple powerful bending opponents at once. Since he is neither an Air Nomad, nor a pacifist, Zaheer consistently utilizes airbending to assassinate his opponents via suffocation . Zaheer developed the ability of flight through the teachings of Guru Laghima, becoming

2553-420: The captured Bolin and Mako. Zaheer initially convinces the Earth Queen to hand Korra over to him lest she suffer the other nations' wrath, but upon hearing Korra had escaped Hou-Ting's forces, lost his patience and kills the monarch by Airbending the air out of her lungs , making Zaheer the first Avatar character to graphically kill another on-screen. Zaheer anonymously announces his deed to the world and invited

2622-474: The character growths of Tenzin and the fleshed-out characterization of Jinora. He lauded the episode "A New Spiritual Age" for a "great character narrative" for Korra and the establishment of Unalaq as a more of a corrupt, twisted, and menacing villain. He was also surprised to see the return of Iroh of Avatar: The Last Airbender ; this time, to help Korra with her journey in the spirit world. Parts 1 and 2 of "Civil Wars" were equally acclaimed by Nicholson for

2691-621: The character of Korra in the Nickelodeon animated television series The Legend of Korra , co-starring as Sheriff Evie Barret in the television series Stan Against Evil , and a recurring role as Becca Barbara in You're the Worst . Varney has hosted The JV Club podcast since 2012 and is also the co-host of the Avatar: Braving the Elements podcast along with Dante Basco . She is

2760-588: The co-founder, creative director and producer of the long-running comedy festival SF Sketchfest in San Francisco . Varney was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona . She graduated as salutatorian from Rincon High School in 1993 and is an alumna of San Francisco State University , where she majored in theater, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1997. She later pursued a career in interior design before eventually finding her way back into acting. Varney

2829-441: The element of freedom, and is categorized as the most elusive of the "four bending arts". Airbending involves "smooth coiling and uncoiling actions"; dynamic footwork, throws, and open-handed techniques; and swift, evasive maneuvers designed to evoke the "intangibility and explosive power of wind". Zaheer is remarkably agile and acrobatic. Zaheer is not proficient as a full-fledged Airbending-master like Aang or Tenzin. Having studied

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2898-436: The end of his review, he opined that "Book 2 has never looked so good.". "The Sting", which premiered before "Beginnings", was equally praised by Nicholson for the improvement of the characterizations of Mako and Asami and their chemistry between each other, in addition to establishing Varrick as a "greedy mastermind" rather than as an eccentric businessman and entertainer as he had been before. For "The Guide", Nicholson praised

2967-500: The first air bender to do so since Guru Laghima over 1,000 years prior. Though the Red Lotus failed in their mission and were eventually killed or recaptured, Zaheer remained powerful influence in Korra's life, and she struggled to psychologically overcome her defeat and crippling at their hands. She retained a personal fear of Zaheer for several years, only finding the ability to overcome this fear when Zaheer offered to become her guide in

3036-409: The first airbender in four thousand years to do so. When his lover P'Li's died at the hands of Suyin during a battle to rescue Korra from the Red Lotus, Zaheer let go of his "final earthly tether" (a reference to Buddhism ) and jumped off the mountain; but did not fall. Zaheer has demonstrated that the power of flight allows for fast and agile movements, being able to out-speed an injured Korra while she

3105-432: The first season's plot's "breakneck pace" and appeared intent on signaling a break with the convention of avoiding death in children's entertainment, by showing a spirit dragging a sailor to his likely death in the sea. She appreciated the nuanced portrayal of Korra's and Mako's relationship and Korra's character flaws, but remarked that Unalaq was being set up as the season's antagonist a bit too obviously. Parts 1 and 2 of

3174-412: The friendship between Bolin and Varrick, the sibling dynamic of Tenzin, Kya, and Bumi, a "strong, complex conflict" for Korra, the respective relationship of Tenzin, Kya, and Bumi, and Korra, Tonraq, and Senna as the heart of the story, and the twist behind Tonraq's banishment from the Northern Water Tribe and his imprisonment. According to him, "Night of a Thousand Stars" brought out the best of Bolin and

3243-450: The history of the Avatar lineage. It tells the story of Wan, the young man who became the first Avatar as a result of his attempts to maintain balance between the material and spirit worlds, and to atone for empowering the dark spirit Vaatu. New characters introduced in this season include Unalaq and his children Desna and Eska; Kya and Bumi, the siblings of Korra's mentor Tenzin; Varrick, an eccentric and wealthy inventor and businessman from

3312-479: The host of the TBS cooking and entertainment show Dinner and a Movie . She appeared with Paul Gilmartin and Claud Mann in each episode, introducing films and injecting humor during the preparation of a creative dinner for some themes. The series was cancelled in 2011. Varney has written and performed several comedic audio commentaries for films along with fellow SF Sketchfest co-founder Cole Stratton . These appear on

3381-410: The medial episode, "Beginnings", were positively received by critics as well. Max Nicholson of IGN rated the episode 9.6/10 and praised "Beginnings" for its "stunning" animation, "top-notch" voice acting, character origins of Avatar Wan, the friendship and heartfelt relationship between Wan and Raava, "great" new insights in the Avatar universe, and as a "masterstroke in storytelling and worldbuilding." At

3450-460: The park." The scene in which Zaheer kills the Earth Queen during the episode "Long Live the Queen" received a strong, often alarmed reaction from critics. Nicholson called the scene "jaw-dropping", surprised at the explicit and on-screen death of Hou-Ting. Kenneth Brown of Blu-ray.com echoed Nicholson's sentiments, deeming scenes of Zaheer's bending "diabolical". Mike Hoffman of The Escapist called

3519-424: The physical world. Wan and his friends live in poverty, under the nepotistic family that rules his city. As a form of protection, the lion turtles grant the power to bend elements for a limited time when humans venture into the wilds. After Wan violates the prohibition against bringing his bending into the city to steal food for his friends, he is banished, but allowed to keep his firebending. He survives by befriending

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3588-434: The power of air, Zaheer became notorious for not only his proficiency in martial arts but his ability to charm or manipulate people with his words, making him just as dangerous as his bender cohorts. Despite his benevolent character traits, Zaheer remains an antagonist seeking to assassinate world leaders. Zaheer's character develops over the course of Book Three , as his well-intentioned and pleasant persona begins to fade as

3657-510: The realm of young adult entertainment, trusting that the viewers are mature enough to see a woman get asphyxiated in rather graphic detail, complete with a close-up shot of the Earth Queen gasping for breath while her eyes bulge out in pain." Zaheer's sympathetic nature and complexity as a character also received analysis and critical praise. IGN called Zaheer an "interesting" character, intrigued by his genuine respect for Air Nomad culture and his affability towards Korra during their conversation in

3726-473: The scene "a turning point" for the series, where the audience discovers just how dangerous Zaheer really was, but an example of the respect the show's creators had for its audience regardless of age. Writing for The A.V. Club , Oliver Sava reflected that the scene's brutality was a reminder of how far the series had come since Avatar: The Last Airbender . Sava elaborated, "the moment firmly pushes The Legend Of Korra out of children's television territory and into

3795-509: The scripts of Book Two , and the season's episodes were directed by Colin Heck and Ian Graham. Voice actors added to the cast for Book Two: Spirits include: After Studio Mir , which worked on the series' first season, initially declined to work on Book Two: Spirits , it was set to be completely animated by Japanese animation studio Pierrot . However, Mir's animation director Yoo Jae-myung said that because of problems with this arrangement,

3864-486: The search for Korra becomes increasingly drawn out and fruitless. Nearing the end of the season, Zaheer drops his pleasantries as he threatens the entire new Air Nation with extinction, and becomes far more malevolent when dealing with his enemies or captives. When his plans are foiled, he angrily rants that the Red Lotus' mission cannot be stopped before being imprisoned once again. After several years of incarceration, Zaheer appears to have made peace with his imprisonment, and

3933-458: The series's producers asked Studio Mir to help step in and animate Book 2 as well, an offer they accepted to preserve their studio's reputation. He said that Studio Mir initially chose to focus on animating the less challenging The Boondocks rather than the second season of The Legend of Korra because of the exhaustion brought about by their work on the first season. Pierrot eventually animated episodes 1 through 6 and episode 9, while Studio Mir

4002-401: The shows Entourage ( HBO ), Burning Love ( Yahoo! Screen ), Country Comfort ( Netflix ), You're the Worst ( FX ), and Take My Wife ( Seeso ). In 2012, she co-created Neil's Puppet Dreams with Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka . That same year, Varney also began her role voicing the main character of Korra on the Nickelodeon animated series The Legend of Korra ,

4071-444: The spirits in the forest. Two years later, while exploring, he encounters two powerful spirits battling each other. One of the spirits, Vaatu, asks Wan for assistance, when he is held down by the other, Raava. When Wan separates the two, Vaatu escapes. Raava, explains that she is the spirit of light and peace, and Vaatu is the spirit of darkness and war; by inadvertently freeing Vaatu, Wan has inadvertently initiated an age of darkness for

4140-414: The teachings of the legendary airbender, Guru Laghima, whom he holds in high regard. Through meditation, Zaheer can enter the Spirit World and freely teleport himself and others to various places in that realm. Due to having practiced, trained, and meditated for decades, he can still communicate with his body in the physical world while his soul is in the Spirit World. Zaheer has been widely well-received as

4209-582: The world. Book Two , overall, received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, with review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes calculating a 67% approval rating for the season from 9 reviews and an average rating of 8.35/10. The premiere episode screened in advance at Comic-Con was positively reviewed by Max Nicholson of IGN , who appreciated the setup of the overarching conflict and the humorous writing. He also stated that "the animation in Book Two has taken yet another step up in quality, with noticeable advances in

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4278-419: The worst of Varrick, as well as setting up the conflict for the last three episodes of Book 2. For "Harmonic Convergence", Nicholson praised its spectacular action sequences, fleshing out more on Unalaq's intriguing evil purpose, the heroism of Bumi, and the animation. Janet Varney Janet Varney (born February 16, 1976) is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer. She is known for voicing

4347-602: The young Avatar Korra, and after indoctrinating her in the Red Lotus' ideology (unknown to Zaheer, Unalaq planned using her to open the spirit portals and release Vaatu so he could become the Dark Avatar). However, Unalaq betrayed Zaheer, and he and his group were captured by Tenzin, Sokka , Zuko , and Tonraq. Shortly after the end of Book Two , Zaheer attains the power of Airbending due to Harmonic Convergence and quickly escapes his imprisonment. After freeing his cohorts Ghazan, P'Li and Ming Hua, they began pursuing Korra. After

4416-408: Was both a prominent member and the candidate to teach the new Avatar about air bending, even though he could not do so himself. After failing in their attempt to abduct the new Avatar, Korra, as an infant, all the present members of the Red Lotus were imprisoned in cells designed to block their bending; Zaheer was the exception as a non-bender, and was instead placed in isolation in a durable prison on

4485-414: Was eventually exposed both by his 'natural' ability and knowledge of air nomad culture and inability to provide details on his past, only narrowly escaping capture. Zaheer managed to assassinate the queen of the Earth Kingdom and threaten to kill all the air benders, drawing Korra out into the open. The Red Lotus captured her and subjected her to a systematic poisoning ritual intended to sever her connection

4554-421: Was followed by Book Three: Changes , which consisted of thirteen episodes. Completed footage from Book Two was first made public in a June 2013 promotional video, in which Korra fights spirit creatures in an Arctic setting. The premiere episode was shown in full at The Legend of Korra panel at San Diego Comic-Con on 19 July 2013, together with the release of a trailer video for Book Two . Part 1 : As

4623-401: Was in the Avatar State and performing airbending attacks whilst airborne. He doesn't appear to expend any physical energy while doing so, being able to defy gravity at will after having "entered the void"; this is in contrast to most other forms of bending, which are summoned through bodily or limb movements. Zaheer is well-versed in Air Nomad spiritualism, philosophy and history; in particular,

4692-537: Was raised Mormon , but left the church at 17 and began to identify as an agnostic . Varney is of English and Scottish descent. Varney made her television debut in 2004 as a guest on the Comedy Central debate show Crossballs . She has appeared as a guest star in series including Bones , Better Off Ted , How I Met Your Mother , Hot in Cleveland , and Psych . Varney has had recurring roles on

4761-460: Was responsible for episodes 7, 8, and 10 through 14. Book Two began broadcast on Nickelodeon in the U.S. on September 13, 2013, after a 1-year hiatus. Airing on Fridays, it initially premiered at 7:00 PM EST but then shifted in mid-October to an 8:00 PM timeslot. Episodes 11 and 12 were shown on November 15, 2013. The Book Two Finale, episodes 13 and 14, were to be broadcast on November 22, 2013, but became available online on November 16, 2013. It

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