Mako - Blog Posts

I have Lok obsession again.

Avatar / Power Ranger worlds

They casually just said that Naoki's parents were dead and just left it there. Like the brothers had no follow up questions or anything. Judging from the photo, Naoki only look to be around early thirty's at most, probably meaning that her parents died young-ish too.

How did they died? Were they possibly killed by Panzo, as a way to control Naoki? Did they passed from an illness? I am so curious, and the book gave us nothing else on them.

Young mommy Naoki and her firstborn son Mako 🥺❤️

What makes it funnier is how the other descriptions for the Legend NPCs for the pre-generated adventures. Like how its say for Rangi she's the bodyguard and companion of Kyoshi. For Zuko he's the Fire Lord seeking peace. Asami is the CEO of Future Industries. Basic description of their roles.

Then for Mako, the writer is just thristing for him. It just hilarious of the unintentional bias when you compare them.

The Avatar Legends writing room, probably:

"Hey, boss. We have to describe Mako in this NPC list for the premade adventure, but we only have one sentence and he's such a complex character. What should we say?" "Hmmmm well he's really good looking just talk about how sexy he is." "...Really? Shouldn't we mention his selflessness because of his actions to save the city from a weapon of mass destruction?" "No talk about how people faint because of how hot he is." "Uhhh what about his complicated past as a former triad now working for the police...? Or his connections to some of the most powerful people in the world?" "No way talk about how he never shows emotion." "Wait what? He shows emotion, he's very expressive—" "JUST GIVE ME THAT, I'LL WRITE IT!"

Random “what if Bolin and Mako were born in the first series” just because. (Though, their start is the same in the au where Aang died and Korra is born within the hundred year war. Which … maybe I’ll make a post about, maybe I won’t idk.)

They’re born in a Fire Nation colony. It’s small, not overly populated so their family isn’t exactly a secret. Some colonies have less unrest, this isn’t one of them. 

Their family is generally ignored but with Fire Nation troops still prevalent in newer colonies they’re still kept an eye on. 

Mako is born with gold eyes and his complexion is just darker than his mothers. They’re actually a little relieved. But then comes Bolin with warm green eyes who moves pebbles with his wails and they’re suddenly not so at ease in town anymore. 

San is the one who bends a small tunnel under their house. He drills into his boys head that they don’t belong here, that people don’t care for them here. That one day they may have to leave. Go find refuge with his family back in Ba Sing Se. He tells Mako repeatedly that he can’t bend out there. He tells Bolin repeatedly that he can’t bend here.

Naoki doesn’t argue but she hates it, she hates these plans and the fact that they could be necessary. They’re her children, they should belong. 

It’s Naoki who gets them in trouble. He’s passionate and speaks her mind but she’s angry too. She loves her nation and she hates it. Hates how it spits at her husband’s feet and looks at her children like they’re nothing. Naoki hates that in many of her peoples’ eyes she stopped being a Fire Nation citizen the moment she married San. (Or not, who knows if marriage between two nations is legal at this point. Especially concerning Fire Nation.)

Mako doesn’t know why his parents are suddenly fighting the soldiers but he knows what it means when they stop moving. He knows what could come next if he doesn’t get his little brother out. 

And they’re running away and they’re crying and hungry and their feet hurt. Mako struggles to bend to keep them warm, Bolin struggles to make them stable shelter. Neither of them have any idea where they’re going. 

They’re children who have struggled to survive. They have to learn to feed themselves, to keep themselves clothed in any manner they can. They’re rarely ever looked at when they roll into a town. Orphans of war are hardly a new concept, especially on the borders of the Earth Kingdom. 

Mako hates firebenders and he never bends in public view but fire is what helps keep Bolin warm and fed. It’s what keeps him close to his mother. Mako hates firebenders but he trains every second he can. He’s skilled enough to keep them safe but his fire is used only as a last resort. Mako’s good with knives. (He doesn’t generate lightning in this au, doesn’t even know that’s a possibility.)

People tend to love Bolin and then dislike him in a heartbeat. He’s a very “not all firebenders are bad” kind of kid because they’re cursing the Fire Nation right in front of his brother and it’s not fair. Mako’s not like that and Bolin’s Fire Nation too. But he knows well enough he can’t say that. Bolin’s not ashamed of his family but he thinks sometimes that maybe he should be.

It takes them years to actually reach Ba Sing Se and by then Bolin has forgotten why they’re here in the first place. Mako doesn’t remind him. He doesn’t find their family. He doesn’t know them, he doesn’t trust them. Most of all he’s afraid they’ll reject them.

They spend three years in the city. Living on the street and in abandoned buildings. They both take whatever job they can find. Mako’s 16 and Bolin’s 14 and they’re used to hard living by now. 

“These people are Fire Nation!” Bolin’s panic lasts only a moment when he realizes people are gathered on the street. Two teenagers around his brother’s age are sword fighting. The old man is trying to talk the teenager down, trying to tell them that they’re not who he thinks they are. It’s not surprising when the Dai Li takes one of the angry teenagers away. They said they’re not Fire Nation. People defended them. But Bolin can’t help but wonder.

Iroh is slightly worried it’s going to become a frequent occurrence when ANOTHER teenager comes in the shop asking if they’re Fire Nation. The difference is, he buys some tea and when he brings the cup to the counter, he leans over it to whisper his question. The problem is he whispers his question to his nephew who replies with a loud and impolite “no”. Luckily the boy seems unperturbed by Zuko’s brash behavior. Unluckily for them it just seems the boy decided for himself that they are. 

The boy becomes a regular. Not always buying tea but always trying to engage both Zuko and Iroh. Iroh is amused, Zuko is not. But the boy, Bolin, did promise to keep their secret. Iroh believes him, though he never admits to the boy’s claims. Iroh eventually invites Bolin over for tea, much to Zuko’s chagrin. But he’s a hopeful old man and maybe someone as lighthearted as Bolin would be good for Zuko. 

Iroh learns a lot about Bolin in a very short time. Bolin loves to talk, especially about his brother. Apparently Bolin has had a very hard life, traveling, homeless, his brother taking care of them since their parents were killed. Iroh doesn’t really understand how Bolin is so ready to be friends with people he believes to be of the same nation that killed his parents. That is until he sees his brother. 

It’s Bolin’s eyes that threw him. Standing next to Mako with his dark amber eyes and the boys strong family resemblance, Iroh doesn’t know how he missed the Fire Nation in him. Mako politely apologizes for his brother’s intrusiveness and Iroh hopes maybe Zuko’s potential friend count just bumped up to two. But then Zuko remarks that he should be and the look Mako throws at his nephew makes Iroh realize he should focus on one for now. Still Mako somehow finds himself having tea with his brother, his strange old friend and their shithead nephew.

Another potential friend, a potential more, for Zuko comes in the form of Jin. She’s nice and he thinks her date with Zuko went well. But Bolin’s at their apartment the next morning without so much as a hello but a giddy “I knew it!” Iroh is reminded once again about his nephew’s fault in not thinking before he acts when Bolin told his tale about seeing and following Zuko only to see him light up the candles in a plaza without taking a step towards them.

It’s then that Iroh learns that Mako’s a firebender. Iroh is prevvy to a lot more detail about Bolin’s life then and Zuko quietly listens from his room. Iroh isn’t surprised to learn that Mako isn’t a fan of firebenders and wouldn’t exactly be happy about Bolin hanging around them. Mako wouldn’t be the first. 

Iroh is pleased that Bolin is so happy for him when he’s given his own teashop. But Bolin never enters and he’s surprised that Bolin didn’t greet them at their new place. It’s then that he realizes the kind of people he’s suddenly surrounded by. No shoeless, grubby teenagers in sight. He doesn’t get the chance to invite Bolin and his brother into his teashop before they’re invited to see the king.

Since this was technically discussed with you about the HFM, I thought to ask a bit more on the hypothetical of Mako's death. If he did died when he destroyed the mech, do you feel that Korra would still be willing to forgive Kuvira (excluding all the crap from ROTE)?

Interesting question.

My inititial response would be like ‘yeah I think Korra would be more pissed off at Kuvira.’

But thinking about it, I think Kuvira and Korra would still reach an understanding. I think sometimes people miss that Korra doesn’t really offer forgiveness, she offers her understanding and empathy. In a way, pity. This is why I like the ending of the show despite not liking Kuvira much. Korra has grown enough to see herself in Kuvira and that’s why she reaches out. She says what Kuvira has done was wrong, but sympathises with her. So I can see Korra offering this to Kuvira even if Mako dies, even if it’s angrier and colder.

Though I think this hypothetical proves why having Mako dying would be a bad idea. Because Korra talks to Kuvira and then she’s told ‘oh yeah she killed Mako.’ I think it would force something of a different response by Korra after the original surrender by having her acknowledge Mako’s death, or the writers would have to come up with something different entirely, which means a reworking of the whole ending. Because in the show she doesn’t hear that everyone is okay until after the speech with Kuvira. So they either treat Mako’s death as an afterthought to the scene or they re-work the whole thing entirely which means they likely drop the Korra/Kuvira comparisons. Which means reworking the show and themes and this is why I think Mako’s death is just a very messy way to end the show in general.

But say in a hypothetical version where Korra learns of Mako’s death before she confronts Kuvira, I could see a version of what we get in the show, but colder and angrier. Because I still think that Korra after everything she learnt in the show would still want to understand Kuvira even if she’s pissed.

What personally gets me was that the Patterns of Time stories kinda had this theme of using flashback stories or characters reflecting on the past. So why isn't the two characters with arguably the most interesting past aren't here?

There could have been so much potential for a short story of the brothers, (before being orphans, time in the triads, beginning of their pro-bending careers) , but nothing. Mako and Bolin deserves better and hopefully in future projects.

Also the cover was just full pandering and doesn't reflect the stories at all.

It was so disappointing that patterns in time was mostly about the air kids, like they are ok but really the focus was Meelo and Korra(wich korra makes sense but really who wanted 2 Meelo comics???) not even one panel of Mako or Bolin who are 2 of the main characters of the whole series😭 disappointing

Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Bolin & Mako (Avatar) Characters: Mako (Avatar), Bolin (Avatar) Additional Tags: Alternative Universe - 100 Year War, 100 Year War (Avatar TV), Firebending & Firebenders, Earthbending & Earthbenders, Both the Earth Kingdom and Fire nation is Messed Up, Poverty, Orphans, Mako (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Angst, Other Additional Tags to Be Added Summary:

After their parents were killed, two young orphans brothers Ru (Mako) and Bolin will have to learn to survive in the middle of The Great War. If that weren't hard enough, the two of them are benders, a firebender, and an earthbender respectively. With their elements representing the opposite sides of the war, the brothers must learn to effectively use their bending and hide it from the wrong people to avoid being separated and make sure the two stay alive.

Legend of Korra Au where the red lotus successfully kidnap her and raise her per original plan and she gets powerful as all shit because EVIL BENDERS

I will always simp for this man

But if these men came up to me. I would simp for them as well

Cause damn. Why can’t they be in real life?

And I just realized something. They are all firebenders. They got the good genes.

I'm korrasami 4ever but thry're not lesbians. Neither korra nor asami, they're bisexual. They both had a thing for mako and thus they also like men. Let's acknowledge the bisexual characters guys.

another artfight2020 for @rockwell-light

I am very clearly deranged I simply couldn't not post this

The Avatar fandom is always saying that if we get a continuation after Korra they hope we get to see more complex and flawed characters because atla and lok lacked them

Well I don't want that because y'all can't even handle the ones you were already given

mako isn’t particularly one of my favorites and i like making fun of him just for shits and giggles but nobody can make me genuinely hate him. barely anyone in this fandom understands his character and why he is the way he is

the entire comic could have been compete and utter shit and i still would have loved it specially for this scene

this is literally everything i needed and wanted from a mako comic and they absolutely delivered

Mako And Ryuuko // Bunny Girls - 2019 🩷 ⤷ Image found here ⤶