Mako


 * This article is about the character in The Legend of Korra. For the voice actor, see Mako Iwamatsu.

"fire"

- I did what I had to do to survive and protect my little brother.

Mako is a firebender from a multicultural family who grew up on the streets of Republic City as an orphan with his younger brother, Bolin. Mako always wore his signature red scarf that was once his father's, who was murdered along with his mother when he was a boy. He formed a pro-bending team with his brother and Hasook and aspired for his new career to bring him fame and fortune. His aspirations changed, however, when he met Avatar Korra, who joined the team to replace Hasook and became a loyal friend. Mako, with the help of his teammates, was able to lead the team to second place in the championship. After the tournament's conclusion, Mako joined Korra in her efforts to stop the Equalists.

In the following months, Mako joined the Republic City Police Force, where he steadily rose up from being a beat cop to a detective. He joined his friends in an effort to stop Unalaq and Vaatu from merging. A few weeks after Harmonic Convergence, he rejoined Team Avatar in their search for new airbenders. However, they stopped when the Red Lotus attempted to kidnap Korra in Zaofu, instead working to bring down the anarchist organization.

After taking down the Red Lotus, Mako returned to his work as a police officer and was later appointed as Prince Wu's bodyguard, a position he continued in after the latter's coronation as Earth King.

Early life


Mako was born the son of an Earth Kingdom man named San and Naoki, a Fire Nation woman, two years before Bolin. When he was eight, Mako witnessed his parents being killed by a firebender, leaving Bolin, his younger brother, as his only immediate family and his treasured red scarf as the sole memento of his father. Being the elder brother, with no knowledge of his relatives, he was forced to take on adult responsibilities from that point on, depriving him of the majority of his childhood.

As an orphan, Mako did whatever was necessary in order to survive along with his brother. He often resorted to his firebending to protect himself and Bolin on the streets. Both of them also ran small-time scams during much of their youth. This attitude brought him in contact with the criminal organization known as the Triple Threat Triad, for whom he collected money for bets and ran numbers. Mako even came into close-contact with the leader of the triad, Lightning Bolt Zolt, and was able to learn the techniques of lightning generation and redirection from him.

One day in 167 AG, during Mako's involvement with the Triple Threat Triad, the young firebender and his brother attempted to pull off a scam on an elderly woman. Posing as a thief, he ran toward the woman from behind and grabbed her purse, before leaving her sight by entering a side alley. When Bolin pretended to chase after him and fight, Mako willingly gave the purse to his brother, deceiving the woman into thinking that the young earthbender had stopped a thief. Bolin returned to Mako with a reward of two yuans and a loaf of bread he had stolen from the old woman; after Bolin gave a piece of the loaf to his brother, Mako reminded him that they had not eaten anything the day before.



Later that day, Mako went to the Triple Threat Triad headquarters with his brother and saw Shady Shin bribe Toza, a pro-bender. When Bolin expressed his disappointment about seeing Toza act this way, Mako became upset – Toza should be happy about being paid, Mako opined; after all, there had been no one to mourn for their losses when their parents died and had left them to fend for themselves, and that one must "hustle or be hustled". Afterward, Shin told them that if they did not acquire enough bets to recover the ten thousand yuans given to Toza, he would abandon Mako and Bolin on the streets, after which the two brothers speedily departed.

While the brothers were collecting bets at a pet shop, a fire ferret escaped and was restrained by its owner, Mr. Feng, because it was to be fed to a pythonaconda. Mako stopped Bolin from buying it as they could not afford to feed it, and felt his younger brother needed to toughen up and realize that bigger animals consumed those smaller than them. Mako collected the owner's bet while Bolin talked to Toza about that night's match; the firebender chastised him because he believed that doing so would get them in trouble with Shady Shin. Bolin angrily responded that Mako was being mean and walked away, leaving Mako to sigh.



That night, after Bolin broke into the pet shop to steal the fire ferret, he was strangled by the pythonaconda, but Mako arrived and yanked the snake away. After again criticizing his brother for getting into stupid situations, the two left, but, at Bolin's urging, with the fire ferret whom the earthbender named Pabu. Mako warned Bolin that Pabu's food would come out of half of his money.

Later that night, Mako and Bolin attended Toza's match, sitting in the same booth as Zolt and Shady Shin. However, when Toza won and Bolin revealed that he had encouraged the pro-bender to not to throw the match, Mako urged his brother to run from an irritated Shin. The brothers were eventually cornered by Shady Shin and two other gangsters and forced into the defensive until Toza helped bring the fight to a standstill and Zolt eventually broke it off completely. Impressed with the brothers' abilities, Mako and Bolin were offered the chance by Toza to live at the gym and train under him to become pro-benders. While Bolin was immediately won over by the idea, Mako doubted and Shady Shin used this to appeal to the young firebender's pragmatic nature and point out that he needed to protect his younger brother. Mako agreed with that assessment and used it as a reasoning to take Toza's offer for a chance at a more honest life. When Bolin wanted to celebrate the abandonment of their criminal lives, Mako reminded him they had to save what little money they had at that point, though due to Bolin betting on a Boar-q-pine victory, they had more than enough to celebrate with.

Acknowledging the dangerous nature and moral ambiguity of their past, Mako was determined never to return to that life and explicitly forbade Bolin from associating with the Triple Threats in any way. Under Toza's tutelage, Mako and his brother began competing in the Pro-bending Tournament and they were also offered the chance to work odd jobs to pay rent which allowed them to focus on the sport. Mako eventually became the captain of a pro-bending team, the Fire Ferrets, which included his brother and his friend Hasook.

170 AG


At age eighteen, Mako was trying to qualify with the Fire Ferrets for the Pro-bending Championship. However, when Hasook was a no-show on the last match, he was forced to allow Korra, a green player, to take the waterbender's place. She eventually managed to help them win the match, and as such, a lasting partnership was formed. When Bolin was kidnapped some time later, Mako set out with Korra to find him. They tracked the earthbender down to an abandoned warehouse, where they witnessed, first hand, Amon's ability to strip a bender of their bending abilities. However, with Korra's help, Mako was able to rescue his brother before Amon reached him.

Heading for the championship, the team needed funding to play, thus Mako got a job at Republic City Power Plant. When he returned home from work one day, Asami Sato nearly ran him over. To make it up to him, she took him to dinner at Kwong's Cuisine, marking the start of their relationship. Due to this connection, Future Industries took care of the Fire Ferrets' monetary issues by sponsoring the team. The team started to train hard for the Pro-bending Championship, and although they had some hard matches due to internal romantic struggles, they managed to reach the finale. However, after their match against the White Falls Wolfbats ended with their defeat due to cheating of the other team, Amon and his Equalists attacked the Pro-bending Arena, effectively destroying the building and leaving Mako and Bolin homeless. Asami offered them a place to stay, but after Hiroshi Sato was outed as an Equalist, both the bending brothers and Asami moved to live at Air Temple Island with Korra.



To make an insecure Avatar feel better about herself, Mako formed a team with her and the others to actively do something about the Equalists in the city. They were successful, though the team was broken up when an angered Tarrlok arrested Asami, and subsequently Mako and his brother as they came to the girl's defense. He was broken out of jail by Lin Beifong soon after, who alerted them, much to Mako's shock, that Korra had been kidnapped. Together with Tenzin, they all set out on a frantic search for the Avatar, and when they found her again, Mako tenderly took care of her, despite being in a relationship with Asami.



In the aftermath of finding Korra, Amon launched his grand attack on the city. Mako and his friends fought back for a while, but the sheer number and power of the Equalists forced them on the run. The foursome retreated into the tunnel system of the city, where they would await the arrival of reinforcements in the form of General Iroh and his United Forces. Mako and Asami's relationship grew more and more tense as he spent more time with Korra doing reconnaissance work by spying on the Equalists. However, after General Iroh too proved to be no match for the Equalists machines, Mako set out with Korra to confront Amon. After having learned that he truly was a waterbender from the Northern Water Tribe, they eventually found him at the Pro-bending Arena, where he was holding a victory speech. They freed Tenzin and his children, though when they were faced by Amon, the Equalist leader managed to take away Korra's bending. When Amon moved to do the same to Mako, the firebender managed to temporarily overpower Amon, and run away with Korra. However, he was stopped by Amon and was on the verge of losing his bending, when Korra saved him with her newly unlocked airbending.

After the Equalists' defeat, Mako traveled to the Southern Water Tribe, hoping that Katara could restore Korra's bending. When it became clear that the old healer was unable to and a heartbroken Korra ran off to grieve on her own, Mako confessed his love to her, though was shot down. Unsure what to do, he followed her and witnessed how she got her bending back, after which she confessed her love for him too and they began their relationship.

Events until Harmonic Convergence


After the Anti-bending Revolution, Mako started as a beat-cop for the Republic City Police Force. As Korra traveled south to attend the Glacier Spirits Festival, he accompanied his girlfriend, though as tensions rose between Korra and her father, Mako found that being the Avatar's boyfriend was not always that easy. After she broke with Tenzin and started her spiritual training under Unalaq, Mako accompanied her on her journey toward the South Pole, where she opened the Southern spirit portal. Returning to the Southern Water Tribe to find it overrun with Northern Water Tribe soldiers, Mako was forced to sit by helplessly as he watched Tonraq and several other Southerners be sentenced to life imprisonment for their attempt to kidnap Unalaq. Although he cautioned Korra that freeing her father from prison would mean the start of a Water Tribe Civil War, he helped her do it nonetheless.

Upon returning to Republic City, Mako resumed his duties as a police officer and when everyone was quick to blame the Northern Water Tribe for the bombing of the Southern Water Tribe Cultural Center, he had his doubts and he started an investigation on his own. Due to maintaining a more distanced view on the brewing conflict between the Water Tribes, Mako soon found himself having relationship troubles with Korra and after he revealed her plans to ask the United Forces fleet for help behind President Raiko's back to the president, they broke up.



Determined to arrest the true culprits of the bombing and help Asami's company the same time, Mako set up a sting operation with the help of the Triple Threat Triad. However, the gangsters ended up double-crossing them and Asami's warehouse was robbed clean while they were being kept busy. While he consoled her, Mako was surprised when Asami kissed him. Mako continued his investigation and eventually grew suspicious of Varrick, though before he could do something about it, Mako was arrested in his apartment for the bombing of the cultural center, incriminating evidence present all over the place. When Bolin came to visit him in jail, he warned him to stay vigilant during the finale of The Adventures of Nuktuk: Hero of the South as Varrick was not whom he seemed. After the businessman was arrested for the attempted kidnapping of President Raiko, Mako was released from prison.



Mako accompanied Korra and the rest of Team Avatar toward the Southern Water Tribe in an attempt to break through the Northern forces guarding the Southern spirit portal and get into the Spirit World. Together with Asami and Bolin, he served as a decoy, though they were eventually captured. Saved by Bumi, Mako and Bolin engaged Unalaq, though they could not prevent him from merging with Vaatu and become the Dark Avatar. After Vaatu had ripped Raava out of Korra and destroyed the Light Spirit, Mako and Bolin tried to stop him, though they were easily defeated. Healed by Kya, Mako helped in the efforts to keep a multitude of dark spirits away from Korra's meditating body in the Tree of Time while she defeated the Dark Avatar.

Post-Harmonic Convergence
During the two weeks following Harmonic Convergence, Mako and Bolin's apartment had been overrun with vines from the Spirit World. Although Tenzin invited the brothers to stay at Air Temple Island, Mako declined the offer and lived at the police station, the main reason being that he did not feel comfortable around Korra and Asami despite their being on friendly terms.

During this time, Mako rejoined the Fire Ferrets and took part in a charity championship organized to help rebuild the city following the damages caused by the Unalaq Crisis. At the start of one match, Bolin insinuated that Mako had been out of practice, to which Mako stated that he had been out fighting crime as a cop, while Bolin was "fake-waterbending" as Nuktuk. As the brothers were busy teasing each other, they were quickly knocked out of the ring once the match had officially begun, leaving Korra to win the match by herself.

One week later, the Ferrets were up against the White Falls Wolfbats in the final match of the championship. During the match, Mako and Bolin cheerfully greeted Korra, as they had not seen her since the end of the last match. They continued to tell Korra what she had missed while she was away, though the Avatar was more concerned in preventing the brothers from being knocked out again. Bolin jokingly asked if the reason Korra broke up with Mako was due to him being the weakest member of the team, inadvertently making Mako feel uncomfortable. Shortly after, they were able to beat the Wolfbats and win the charity championship.



Sometime later, Mako was awoken at night by the phone ringing, and investigated a strange claim at a citizen's home. When the man told Mako his brother somehow airbent the room around him, Mako was skeptical since the Avatar and Tenzin's family were the world's only airbenders. Checking up on the brother held up inside a room, Mako demanded that he come out, only to be knocked aside by a blast of air. The man apologized before running away.

The next day, Mako and Chief Beifong traveled to Air Temple Island to discuss the case with Tenzin. When Tenzin told Beifong that Bumi somehow became an airbender, it only confirmed their suspicions that airbenders were popping up around the world. They left to find the airbender but not before Korra attempted to engage Mako in conversation which went awkwardly, much to Korra and Asami's amusement. The police later found the airbender atop Kyoshi Bridge, with Mako being present at the scene.



When Korra and Tenzin decided to find the airbenders around the Earth Kingdom to recreate the Air Nation, Mako handed Korra a map detailing all the reported sightings of airbenders. Mako initially declined to come along, stating that he needed to focus on his police duties, though Bolin managed to persuade him otherwise, pointing out that they would be headed to their father's birthplace in Ba Sing Se and he would not want to disappoint his paternal grandmother if they run into their extended family. Aboard Asami's Future Industries airship, Mako and the group traveled to all the villages reported to have airbenders. However, their efforts to recruit them were fruitless. In one case, Mako and Bolin went with Korra to recruit Ryu, a lazy and careless airbender. His indifferent attitude infuriated Korra to the point where she almost forcibly manhandled him, leading the brothers to drag her away before causing any more mayhem.



Now desperate, the group decided to perform an "air show" displaying the talents of airbending at the last town. Mako got reluctantly roped to be the bad guy and, as part of the rehearsal, would be incapacitated by Korra's air vortex, though Korra and Asami had some fun in making him even more uncomfortable by slightly going off script. Eventually, a street orphan named Kai came up to the group, wishing to join them, stating that his parents were killed by outlaws. Just as they were about to leave, Mako noticed some suspicious men chasing them and Kai pleaded to run away. Korra easily defeated them but the leader, revealed to be the town's sheriff, told her the boy was a thief. Mako caught Kai and revealed that his bag contained a large sum of money stolen from his adopted family. Despite the crime, Korra and Tenzin allowed Kai to come along and have the money returned, though Mako told Kai he would be watching him, knowing from his experiences as a former hustler.

In Ba Sing Se
Upon arriving at Ba Sing Se, the party was greeted by Grand Secretariat Gun. While Korra was having her audience with Earth Queen Hou-Ting, everyone noticed that Kai had slipped away. Mako realized he had returned to his thieving ways, though he and Bolin agreed to search for him at Tenzin's request. They later spotted Kai using his airbending to con unsuspecting residents. They chased after him but the young airbender gave them the slip on a monorail cart, sending them to the Lower Ring of the city. The brothers later discovered their wallets had been stolen and could not pay for the fare back, forcing them to spend the night on the streets.



The next morning, Bolin attempted to convince Mako to help him steal from a fruit stand. Mako refused, criticizing the rotting state of the fruit, which angered the stand's owner, Tu. He interrogated the brothers and attempted to intimidate them, eventually tackling the two to the ground after concluding that they were planning to steal fruit. Tu's father, Chow appeared shortly after and recognized Mako and Bolin as his brother's children, much to their surprise. The brothers were brought to meet their extended family, but sadly informed them of their parents' passing. After learning their father's reasons for leaving Ba Sing Se, their grandmother Yin showed them the only letter their father sent to them, which included a photo of them as children along with their mother and father. Mako decided to give his scarf to his grandmother, believing that his parents would have wanted her to have it.

When they revealed their mission to find airbenders, Chow revealed that the Dai Li were capturing airbenders in the city and locking them away. Thus, Mako and Bolin decided to go and warn Korra.

The next day, Tu got the brothers passports which allow them to return to the Upper Ring. Mako told Yin he wished they could stay, but they had to alert Korra of the news. Before leaving, he assured her that they would visit again someday before embracing her.

The brothers made their way back to Korra and Asami, where Mako clarified Bolin's breathless explanation of the past couple of days, specifically that they heard of how the Earth Queen was conscripting airbenders. At that moment, the monarch arrived, having Gun tell them about reports of airbenders in the Yung province. Hou-Ting insisted they could leave that evening, but Asami bought the team time by telling her that they had to repair their airship and thus needed to stay another night.

Back at the team's house, they discussed the possibilities as to where airbenders were being held. Mako, who had been reading Jinora's books, suggested Lake Laogai because the Dai Li previously had an underground base there. Ultimately, however, they found out that the hold was underneath the Earth Queen's Temple, and discussed a plan to free them. In the process, Lin suddenly arrived, informing the group that Korra was in danger due to the escape of four dangerous criminals who had tried to kidnap her previously. Mako asked why these criminals were after her, but Lin told him that despite thirteen years of interrogation, they never revealed their motive. Ultimately, Lin joined their mission to free the airbenders as Korra refused to budge from it.



That night, the group sneaked around the queen's temple, easily overwhelming two Royal Earthbender Guards on duty. Upon reaching the base, they split up, with Mako, Bolin, and Jinora searching for Kai. Jinora led the brothers to his cell and kissed Kai on the cheek, which caused Bolin to say that Tenzin would not be happy about it; Mako insisted he not tell. Kai apologized to the two for stealing their wallets, running away, and getting them stuck on the train, though the firebender was still irked because he had a lot of money in his. In the middle of their escape, they were confronted by three Dai Li agents, including the sergeant. A battle ensued; the brothers were able to dodge the initial wave of rock gloves and Mako used arcs of fire to try and beat them back. One of shots was blocked by the sergeant, who was briefly able to seize Jinora before he was promptly defeated by Kai. The four ran out of the hold while attempting to dodge further attacks. Korra directed Oogi toward them, and Bolin launched the group up on to the bison's saddle.

With the entire group and the airbenders in tow, they settled the next morning in the city's outskirts. Tenzin and Jinora took the airbenders to the Northern Air Temple while Mako joined the rest of the team, including Lin, on her airship to continue their search for more airbenders.

In Zaofu


While they were on a pit stop, Mako and Asami got word over the radio that a new airbender had been found in the all-metal city of Zaofu. They ventured into the city sans Lin, being greeted by its emissary, Aiwei. While venturing through Zaofu by train, Mako casually watched its sights pass by, though grew more in awe at the statue honoring Toph Beifong, and listened as Aiwei told them what happened to her. The team was soon introduced to the city's matriarch, Suyin Beifong, who knew who everyone was, prompting Mako to remark that she had "done her research". At that point, Aiwei informed Suyin that there was one other person who had come with the team, having detected Korra's lie with his seismic sense. Korra acknowledged that Lin was with them, and they were all shocked to learn that Suyin and Lin were related. They ventured back to the airship where Mako watched as their troublesome relationship was explained.

Mako ventured with the group to Suyin's home, where she introduced them to her children. Upon meeting Huan, the firebender gazed curiously at his artwork and smirked at his explanations as to what it symbolized. After meeting the airbender, Opal, Suyin informed them that their accommodations were ready and an appetizing dinner would be awaiting them. The dinner was relatively peaceful until Lin and Suyin began bickering. Varrick soon entered the dining hall, slightly irking Mako. When the industrialist pointed out that he was not convicted of plotting to kidnap the president, Mako reminded him it was because he escaped prison.

After dinner, Mako and Bolin made their way to a bathroom, where the former told his younger sibling that he had noticed him and Opal hitting it off at dinner, believing she was in to Bolin. In response to Bolin saying that she was not his type, Mako joked that his brother's type was "dumb mover star" or "psycho ice princess". Bolin soon realized that Opal may be his type after all, and thanked Mako for helping him realize it.

Mako ate breakfast alongside Korra, Bolin, and Asami. Following Lin's confrontation with Suyin, he volunteered to check on Lin after she slept for sixteen hours. Mako accompanied Korra to contact Tenzin at the Northern Air Temple, but did not speak to the airbending master.

Korra's attempted kidnapping and investigation
Sometime later, Mako and Asami came out just as Bolin struck Wei in eye with a pebble, prompting Mako to complement him but also ask if he was supposed to be metalbending. He also watched Korra defeat Wing in a spar. That evening, at Opal's farewell dinner, Mako was annoyed about sitting on the opposite end of the table, unable to hear what Varrick was saying to Korra and Asami. Seeing Aiwei next to him, Mako tried to say it was not because of the emissary, but was caught in a lie. He soon raised his glass in a toast to Opal and watched as she left Zaofu for the Northern Air Temple.



That night, Mako was awoken when Bolin saw the Red Lotus attempt to kidnap Korra. The brothers rushed out of their room. Mako's attack was stopped by P'Li, but he was able to block a shot of water from Ming-Hua. The duo was forced to hide behind a pillar due to the strength of their opponents' attacks, and he warned the guards that Korra had been taken. They were both thrown back by an angled combustion blast from P'Li and attended to by an emerging Asami, who assured them they would not get far because of the guards, the Beifong siblings, Wing, and Wei. They watched as Ghazan lavabent the ground, leaving a moat of the hot liquid between the groups. Mako, Bolin, Asami, and Lin hid behind a small metal barricade, occasionally emerging for quick attacks. P'Li almost hit them with another angled combustion shot, but they were saved by Suyin, Wing, and Wei. In order to rescue Korra, the half-sisters decided to go on top of the dome, but needed someone to disable P'Li's third eye, to which Mako suggested Bolin could. He stayed on the radio with Wing and, upon finding out they were in position, he told Bolin to strike. The two tried to attack, the firebender urging his brother to get a shot. Wing asked if they could go; Mako tried to tell him no, but was misunderstood as giving clearance despite his plea. Seeing the Beifongs make their move, he quickly urged Bolin to make a shot as he firebent at P'Li. Upon Bolin's success, Mako exulted and complemented him on a nice job. The four crouched as Zaheer airbent a cloud of dust. When they emerged, they saw their foes had fled.

The group regathered at Suyin's office, where Korra was treated for her paralysis from shirshu-spit darts. The next day, upon Korra's belief that one of the guards had to have played a role, Mako watched as they were all questioned by Aiwei. He also watched awkwardly as Varrick described what he was doing when questioned. When a guard, Hong Li, was discovered to be lying about his innocence, Mako glared at him and went with his friends and Aiwei to the guard's house. There, he found a small note from Zaheer to Hong Li, noting they were ready to rendezvous. With that and a book filled with guard schedules and movements, Mako wanted to confront him at that point, but when Aiwei suggested they wait things out, he looked suspiciously at the emissary.

Realizing the truth
Back at the battle site, Mako wondered why they were not talking to Hong Li, knowing their enemies were getting further away. He was doubtful about the guard's guilt because he was eighteen, lived in Zaofu his whole life, and the Red Lotus was in prison for over thirteen years. At that point, the team was suddenly encountered by Varrick, who suggested the evidence was "too overwhelming". Mako and the others looked with disgust as Zhu Li rubbed his feet with pumice stones. The firebender went on to ask what the industrialist meant with his remark. After being answered that one trying to construct a conspiracy would frame someone and plant the evidence on them, Mako remembered it was the same thing done to him by Varrick. Though annoyed, he knew Varrick was right, suggesting Hong Li was the fall guy for the only one capable of keeping a secret - Aiwei.



The group ventured to Aiwei's home, where Mako curiously eyed Bolin after he suggested Aiwei was invisible. He knew they needed to find evidence of a link between the emissary and Zaheer or Suyin would not believe them. Inside, when he caught Bolin pulling a jar off a bookshelf, he warned his brother they needed to make it look like they were not there, and placed it back when Bolin could not remember where it was. Next to the bookshelf, Mako found some scuff marks, indicating it slid open. He opened it to reveal a secret passage, which he suspected as the way Zaheer got in to the estate. Asami alerted them that Aiwei was coming back, but the team was unable to leave before they were caught. He told them to sit and talk over tea. As Aiwei asserted Hong Li's guilt, Mako wondered how, at his age, he could have gotten mixed up with Zaheer's group. Once Aiwei realized the group was suspecting him and found they had discovered the passage, Mako tried to attack him before he could escape, but he was able to get behind a metal wall. Mako urged Korra to bend it quickly, but was told to back off. Once she bent a hole in it, the group made their way down the passage, but only found a bomb which promptly detonated. The firebender shielded Asami as Korra protected them all with an air sphere. He soon realized Aiwei had fled. After Lin and Suyin found them, he explained that Aiwei rigged the explosion to eliminate any evidence of his presence.

Regathering in Suyin's office, Mako concluded that, when Kuvira told them Aiwei had escaped, the emissary had such a plan all along. He also realized the group was more powerful and dangerous than they believed. He stood by as Korra and Lin argued over the potential search for the group, and was led to believe they would be leaving Zaofu when Suyin agreed with her half-sibling about Korra's safety. Later, however, they were again approached by her, who informed the team she had a fully-loaded jeep for them to use in a search for Aiwei. She explained that her agreement was merely to let Lin hear what she wanted and to buy them time to leave. Mako joined Bolin and Asami in the vehicle while Korra rode on Naga, beginning their search.

In the Misty Palms Oasis
With Naga's tracking abilities, the team followed Aiwei's trail to just outside the Misty Palms Oasis. Mako suggested they ask around to see if anyone had seen him. When they entered a tavern, upon Bolin seeing a poster of him that he thought to be one promoting his mover role, Mako realized it and other images of them were actually wanted posters issued by the Earth Queen because of their freeing of her airbenders. After seeing the patrons threaten them, the group left the tavern.



When they discovered Aiwei's jeep on the outskirts of the oasis, Mako decided he and Bolin would investigate the oasis for his presence, while telling Korra and Asami to wait in case Aiwei came back and also to protect their cover. At Bolin's suggestion, the brothers covered their upper bodies with yellow ponchos and donned glasses. The firebender stopped his brother as he was making up a fake backstory while refusing one himself because he was a cop and thus did not have one. In the oasis, the brothers first talked to a tavern owner, telling him of Aiwei's physical details. They were told of a customer who looked like him and dismissed his claims of having the best drink as a lie, to which Mako realized it was indeed Aiwei, but learned the owner had no idea where he went. After looking in another tavern, Mako learned from Bolin that two figures were staring them down, potentially bounty hunters. Mako believed they were found out and the brothers ran, ducking into an alley and hiding behind a couple of crates; the firebender decided they should go back before they were recognized. At that moment, Bolin pulled him down into hiding again as he had spotted Aiwei. Instructing his younger sibling they play it cool, they followed him to room 102 of the Misty Palms Inn. Mako returned to Korra and Asami to pass the finding along and suggested to the former that they stake out his room instead of risking blowing their cover with a direct confrontation.

Mako requested a room for the team across from Aiwei's, but the innkeeper denied them because teenagers were responsible for the destruction of another room the last time she had given them a place to stay. They were soon found by the two individuals who had chased the brothers earlier and took an attacking stance, but it turned out they were actually fans of Bolin's mover and sought his autograph. The innkeeper, learning about this fact, told the group they could have any room they wanted, but Mako remained insistent on the one across from Aiwei, despite warnings it was small for their entire party.

The four, along with Naga and Pabu, wound up cramped together in the small accommodation. Mako and Korra looked out the window, keeping their eye out for any potential movements from Aiwei. He turned down Bolin's request for a Pai Sho game in order to keep watching. Mako asked what they would do upon finding Zaheer, warning Korra that trying to get them to talk would likely not work out even with threats because they had not talked for thirteen years. He instead suggested spying because if the two believed they were speaking freely, they would say what the team wanted to hear. For hours, he watched Aiwei's room with Korra for movements, taking down any such action in his log book. Having not seen any movements, Asami suggested Aiwei slipped away, but Mako rebutted her, indicating he had seen him move fifteen minutes prior. Korra decided to go over to the room, Mako fruitlessly warning her that their element of surprise would be blown. They found the emissary meditating, prompting Korra to realize he was in the Spirit World. Mako told her they would keep an eye on them in case Aiwei woke.



After nightfall, Mako spotted Ming-Hua and Ghazan approaching the inn. He told Asami to get Korra to safety while he and Bolin held the criminals off. He blocked Ming-Hua's attempt to reach the Avatar with a fire blast and took her on directly. The firebender struggled to get an offensive, mostly having to dodge Ming-Hua's attacks and running from her. He was briefly able to slice one of her water tendrils but had his left arm frozen in place by the other and was promptly thrown into a door, leaving him unable to continue fighting. The brothers were captured and taken back to the Red Lotus' camp, where they were to be loaded onto their truck and taken with them to Ba Sing Se.

Imprisonment
Aboard the truck with the Red Lotus members, Mako told Ghazan and Ming-Hua they would not be able to use them for leverage against Korra and asked why they did not kill her, only to be told the world would soon change for the better. Hearing his brother have a casual conversation with their captors, Mako told him to stop making friends with them. As they entered Ba Sing Se, the brothers were gagged by the criminals before they were delivered to the queen and sent to the palace dungeon by the Dai Li.



In their prison cell, Mako warned Bolin they needed to get out as soon as possible, attracting a prisoner's attention, who asked the brothers to take him with them. Mako believed his brother could metalbend, saying deep-down, he always had the ability to do so, simply needing the right motivation and that was the time. The firebender led the prisoners in an encouraging chant, but was left to watch as Bolin could not perform the feat.

The brothers listened as Zaheer announced over the communications system that he and his associates had taken out the Earth Queen. With the prisoners riled up, Mako used a small stream of fire to try to blowtorch the cell, but with little success. Knowing Korra was Zaheer's next target, he urged Bolin to try metalbending again, as it was "really" his time. When all the cell doors opened except for theirs, Mako told his excited brother that what happened was not metalbending. Zaheer approached them, promoting the firebender to attack, but they were thrown back by an air blast. Zaheer informed them they would be freed, but only after giving them a message for Korra.

Escaping Ba Sing Se and attempt to warn Tenzin


Afterward, Mako and Bolin left the prison to find the city in chaos and looting rampant. He told Bolin the unrest was not their battle; they needed to get Zaheer's message to Korra. Knowing the difficult journey ahead, Mako suggested they find an airship. The brothers made their way to a ship still docked outside the palace, only to find looters scouring it for parts. He tried to tell them he was with the Republic City police and needed to find the Avatar, but the looters ignored him. After Bolin got the criminals out by giving them a location for the queen's gold, Mako discovered vital parts had already been taken, such as the ship's radio. When Bolin took the controls, Mako asked if he knew how to fly it. After initial difficulty, the two were able to take flight.

Knowing their family was in danger as the city burned, Mako took over the controls and lowered the airship down to the roof of their home and waited while Bolin got their relatives out. He watched as they made their way on board and as Bolin piloted the ship out of Ba Sing Se. Questioned by Yin if their airship would be their new home, Mako told her they did not know where they would go, but they needed to find Korra first. He was subsequently asked by Chow if something happened to Korra, to which the firebender told his cousin about her airship crash.



After several hours, Mako was alerted by Tu that he had found pieces of Korra's airship. Mako recognized the fragments as a Ba Sing Se airship, though wondered where the rest of it was. Tu pointed them to a trail, which they tracked to the Misty Palms Oasis. Once there, Mako was found, tackled, and licked by Naga, much to his annoyance. At that moment, Bolin spotted Korra and Asami; Mako tightly embraced the former. He nervously apologized for the excitement, saying he was just happy to see her. Mako joked to a relived Lin to not get too mushy with her and greeted Tonraq with a bow. Upon seeing Lord Zuko, he bowed to him as well, honored to meet the former Fire Lord. He subsequently saw Yin mistake Asami for the Avatar and properly introduced her to Korra. He was asked by his grandmother why he was not dating someone lovely like them, causing him to feel awkward. At Asami's query, Mako explained his and Bolin's capture and presence for the Earth Queen's removal from power. After telling Asami what had happened to them and Bolin explained the terms surrounding their release, Mako told Korra that Zaheer was on his way to the Northern Air Temple to take out the Air Nation unless she turned herself over. He rebuffed Tonraq's suggestion that Zaheer might be bluffing as he had already taken out the Earth Queen. He knew they would have to radio Tenzin, but noted the airship had no working radio. Without any suitable communication nearby, the group returned to Zaofu to reach a suitable signal.

At Zaofu, the group learned Suyin and her guards had found a signal at the Northern Air Temple, but were not getting any answers. Though Suyin could ready airships for a journey to the temple, Mako realized they could not get up there before Zaheer. When Korra went to meditate and attempt to find Zaheer in the Spirit World, Mako and Bolin stayed behind to assist communication efforts. After getting through, Mako rushed to tell Korra and Zuko before returning with them to the radio room.

Double-crossed and escape


On board a Zaofu airship, Mako stood with his friends and allies as they discussed a plan to ambush to ambush the Red Lotus. He angrily dismissed Bolin's plan to use bird calls, but was left shocked when Korra suggested surrendering herself. While Korra was radioing Zaheer, Mako told his brother to stop pacing as he was already tense. After her discussion with Zaheer was complete, Mako and the others were informed by Korra of his new terms: she would go to Laghima's Peak at noon on her own and the airbenders would be released upon her surrender. Suyin decided to set up a plan of attack with their numbers advantage, telling Mako to go with Bolin and Asami on the airship to the temple to retrieve the airbenders while the others would position themselves below the peak. Before separating, Mako was given a radio by Lin and told to message her upon seeing the airbenders; he also embraced Korra. As he, Bolin, and Asami approached the temple, he took note of the damage, remarking there must have been a significant battle.



Upon arriving in a courtyard, Ghazan approached them, making Mako suspicious. Nonetheless, they followed Ghazan into the hold where Tenzin and the other airbenders appeared to be kept. Mako alerted Korra to their and the lavabender's presence before getting the go-ahead to retrieve the airbenders once the Avatar had surrendered. However, they soon realized that they had been double-crossed; what they believed to be the airbenders were just sacks full of water maintained by Ming-Hua. Mako blocked a prompt attack from her and radioed Korra about the trick, telling her not to turn herself over, while also telling Lin to get Korra out. He and Bolin tried to duel the criminals, but the fight was short-lived as Ghazan converted the floor between the duos to lava, trapping the brothers, Asami, and Tenzin. The airbending master pointed them to another way out, which they followed through Bolin's earthbending.

They made their way up to the meditation room and into a secret corridor with Mako lighting the way with a small ball of fire. The group attempted to outrun the lava pool Ghazan had made, but soon found themselves at the edge of the mountain with nowhere to go. Mako yelled for Bolin as he charged at the lava, but was left in surprise as his brother performed lavabending, stopping the flow of the dangerous liquid. Kai promptly approached them on his baby bison, Lefty, and guided them away from the crumbling temple.



The group landed in a forest with the remainder of their allies. Mako told Lin about Bolin's lavabending, only to be surprised to learn Zaheer had gotten away with Korra and was capable of flight. When Kai suggested he knew where the airbenders and Korra were, Mako asked why he did not say anything. He also realized there were more Red Lotus members when Kai reported seeing several more guards escorting the airbenders into a system of caves. Oogi soon arrived to help provide them transportation to the location in question. Before the group embarked on their mission to save Korra, the firebender expressed his appreciation to Kai for saving them and apologized for giving him a hard time, though jokingly remarking he kind of deserved it when the airbender suggested he did. He boarded Oogi with the rest of the group and made their way toward the caves.

Rescuing the airbenders
Kai led them to where he saw the airbenders go, Mako realizing Korra was likely there as well. The group, save for Tenzin, entered and quickly ambushed the Red Lotus sentries before releasing the airbenders from the chains in which they were held. Mako and Bolin joined Tonraq to find Korra, being tipped off to her exact location by Jinora. After the Avatar, who was in the Avatar State due to the effects of a metallic poison, took off in pursuit of Zaheer, Mako told Tonraq to help her while he and Bolin dealt with Ming-Hua and Ghazan, respectively.



Mako got the waterbender on the run with fire blasts. The two made their way to a corner of the cave; the firebender believed he had the upper hand as he saw no sources of water nearby and his foe now lacked the element after her arms evaporated from Mako's attacks. However, she managed to jump into a fissure in the ground, forcing Mako to pursue her. As the firebender landed in a large underground lake, he generated some fire in order to spot his opponent. However, as he turned around, he discovered the waterbender posed to attack with eight water tendrils attached to herself. Mako had no choice but to flee as Ming-Hua pursued him, trying to stab him with her whips. Desperately, he squeezed himself between two stone pillars, away from direct contact with the water, and used lightning generation to electrify the lake, zapping Ming-Hua and ending the battle, much to his surprise.

Mako quickly made his way back up and assisted Bolin in his fight with Ghazan, throwing the criminal down with two blasts of fire as he tried to defend himself. The brothers cornered their foe, Mako demanding he give up. Ghazan, declaring he would not return to prison, decided to try and take them down with him, collapsing the entire cave in with lava and earthbending. Bolin quickly made an earth ramp to get the siblings out. They emerged from the cave just as the airbenders were working to get Korra out of Zaheer's grip, able to save her and throw the criminal airbender to the ground. He, along with Bolin, Asami, and Tonraq, ran over to the poisoned Avatar, watching with worry as Suyin attempted to bend the metallic substance out of her. He stood by as Korra was saved, looking down on her and Tonraq.

Two weeks later, Mako joined his friends and allies at Jinora's airbending master ceremony, smiling as Tenzin praised Korra for her efforts in restoring and saving the Air Nation and Jinora's for saving the Avatar. He stood and watched as the ceremony was completed with the revealing of Jinora's master tattoos.

After the ceremony, Mako joined Asami, Bolin, Tenzin, and Jinora on the ferry dock to say goodbye to Korra, who was set to board a ship heading toward the Southern Water Tribe. When Bolin said that he could not wait for Korra to leave, Mako snapped at his brother, asking how else the Avatar was supposed to take his comment if not personal. As the ship departed, he waved her off, wishing her a speedy recovery. In the following months, he wrote letters to her, reporting on his life in the city. In one of those letters, he reported that he was staking out the Red Monsoons' hideout, though he never received a reply from Korra.

Life as a bodyguard


Following the insurrection of the Red Lotus, Mako's accomplishments were shown in the local newspapers, which led to Earth Prince Wu handpicking him to be his bodyguard until his coronation as the new Earth King. At the grand reopening of Central City Station, Mako stood behind the prince, ensuring no harm would befall him. When Wu was later flirting with Asami, much to her annoyance, Mako stepped up to the prince and informed him that President Raiko desired to discuss some royal matters with him. As the prince retreated, Mako commented sarcastically to the Sato heiress that the prince was a real charmer, which earned him the question how he could stand being the royal's bodyguard. Mako replied that he dealt with the issue by constantly reminding himself that once Wu was crowned king, he would be back to his role as detective, though added jokingly that he also smashed his head into the wall for an hour to relieve the stress. When Asami inquired about Bolin, Mako revealed that he had not talked to his brother for a while, though knew he was scheduled to arrive at the city in a few days for Wu's coronation. He also added that Lin had mentioned that Korra would arrive that night.



After the ceremony, Mako retreated with Wu to the prince's hotel. As they made their way toward the exit, Mako wondered why they were already heading out, considering the planned dinner at Air Temple Island was not until that evening and the prince was only getting a haircut. However, the firebender was notified that their outing was going to be a complete spa treatment, which would at a minimum take up to four hours. Upon asking what could take up four hours, Mako was told about the specifics involving a rejuvenating tea leaf skin wrap, which he concluded to be disgusting. Upon exiting the hotel, Mako tried to caution the prince about the gathered crowd, posing the idea that not everyone was there to support him. While the prince merrily interacted with some of the people, Mako wearily eyed the crowd and noticed some figures clad in green start to suspiciously stalk toward Wu. Realizing the potential danger, he scooped the prince up and placed him inside the waiting Satomobile, telling the driver to go as the vehicle was being barraged with strawberry pies. When Wu asked what happened, Mako told him that he suspected Kuvira supporters to have been among the crowd. As the prince noticed a stain on his clothes, he panicked, believing he had been hit, though Mako quickly calmed him down by pointing out it was merely a pie stain, emphasizing that being hit by the dessert was not a big deal. When Wu panicked again, dramatically falling to the floor while fearing an allergic reaction upon having ingested strawberries, an annoyed Mako firmly told the prince that he was only allergic to bee stings.



During the dinner at Air Temple Island, Mako grew annoyed upon hearing the prince gush about his spa treatment again and revealed to Lin that he was looking forward to the coronation as that meant that he would go back to being a detective. Much to his frustration and distress, Mako was told by Lin that he was permanently assigned as Wu's bodyguard and would accompany the prince to Ba Sing Se. He wondered how that could happen as he was part of the Republic City Police and not an Earth Kingdom citizen, left to sigh in annoyance as Lin told him that he had become a pawn in Raiko's diplomatic game.

After an Air Acolyte informed the group that a Southern Water Tribe ship was arriving at the dock, Mako and the rest of the group went to greet Korra, but when Tonraq told them she had left for Republic City six months prior, the firebender looked at him confusingly, wondering where the Avatar could be.

Coronation day


The day before Wu's coronation as the fifty-fourth earth monarch, Mako accompanied the future king to City Hall, where he listed to an excited prince gush about the details of the coronation ceremony, which he predicted would be the most "dynamite six-hour show" Mako would have ever seen. Unfazed by Wu's enthusiasm, Mako asked about the preparations the prince had made to be ready to rule the kingdom, though was waved off and told that ministers would handle the actual governing, while the two of them would be living the high life, prompting sarcastic excitement from the firebender. After Raiko and Tenzin arrived and Wu dashed off to perform the "Dance of the Badgermoles", Mako asked the president if he was comfortable leaving the Earth Kingdom in Wu's hands and expressed his skepticism about Kuvira willingly turning power over to Wu.

Returning to the Four Republic City Four Elements, Mako saw Bolin standing in the lobby and the two brothers traded a mock punch before sharing a hug. Mako proudly complimented Bolin for having become "all important" and asked what it was like to work for Kuvira, as he had heard she could be harsh. After Bolin recalled all his accomplishments, Mako was ashamed to admit that all he had done in the meantime was working for Wu. As the earthbender changed the subject and inquired about Korra, Mako informed his brother that she had been missing for months.

The day of the coronation, Mako waited with Wu in the hall of City Hall for the arrival of the Gun and the rest of the royal cabinet. He watched in silence how Wu grew distraught over the news that his ceremony would not be extravagant. During the ceremony, Mako stood on the side with Asami, from where they witnessed Wu being crowned king and Kuvira denouncing his authority and dissolving the Earth Kingdom in favor of the Earth Empire under her rule.



Retiring to Wu's junior suite, Mako began to pack his clothes, listening to Wu lament about how he had lost his suite and throne, though when the king apologized for not being able to take Mako back to Ba Sing Se with him, believing it was crushing Mako's spirits, the firebender urged him not to worry about him, which earned him another compliment from the royal. When someone knocked on the door, Mako answered and found it was Bolin. Although Wu ordered him to get rid of the Kuvira associate, Mako stepped outside of the room to talk and told his brother that he could not keep working for Kuvira now that she was going against the wishes of the entire world. As Bolin tried to explain to he had a wrong view of Kuvira, Mako continued to be skeptical and was invited to join their cause, so he could see first-hand all the good they did and how they were making history. The firebender mused that they were making history by crushing everyone in their way, though was corrected by Bolin who relaying Kuvira's explanation that it was merely tough rhetoric to let people knew the Earth Empire was not to be fooled with. When Bolin drew a parallel between Kuvira and Korra, Mako grew annoyed and labeled Kuvira to be a dictator taking over the Earth Kingdom by force. Bolin retaliated by asking if Mako thought Wu would be a better leader than Kuvira, which forced the firebender to admit that he did not think so. As he wanted to continue voicing his protest against Kuvira, he was cut off by an angry Bolin and was blamed for wasting his time as Wu's glorified butler as opposed to helping make history. Irritated over the outburst, Mako mock-apologized for his unwillingness to work for a "glorious emperor in her military dictatorship", prompting Bolin to storm off. Returning to the room, the firebender expressed his disbelief over what just happened and softly accepted Wu's offer to go to the Little Ba Sing Se Fashion Mall where he would be treated on a smoothie.



Slurping his smoothie in the store's lower ring, a disinterested Mako listened to the king as he was excitedly detailing their shopping plans, though grew surprised as the royal suddenly spat on him and dashed off after two women wearing T-shirts with a Kuvira print on the front. After Wu antagonized a group of Kuvira supporters, hitting one with his smoothie, Mako grew alarmed upon seeing the angry crowd and quickly started pulling Wu along with him. With the crowd close behind them, Mako created a fire barrier under the cover of which he vanished with Wu in one of the mall's alleys.

The two sought refuge in the Upper Ring of the shopping mall, where they found a replica of the Earth Kingdom Royal Palace, which was in reality a restaurant. As Wu excitedly dashed inside, Mako followed him and found the king crying on a replica of the throne, donning the crown, scepter, and royal robe. As Wu declared it to be the worst day of his life, Mako briskly asked him if he truly wanted to be king and told him that it was no wonder that the people favored Kuvira over him, considering that even though she was a "power-crazed dictator", she had worked hard to better the Earth Kingdom, whereas Wu had not done anything of the sort. As Wu calmed down, Mako apologized for speaking out of line, though found the king to agree with him, labeling himself "a joke who got what he deserved". They were forced to flee again, however, when Mako spotted the angry Kuvira supporters. When Wu asked to be carried, Mako denied the request.

A tense reunion


Learning that Korra was back in Republic City, Mako made plans to have lunch with her and Asami. He reserved a table at a restaurant and when the girls arrived, Mako warmly hugged Korra, though glared at Wu when the prince interrupted their reunion by introducing himself as Mako's boss and whisking the Avatar away to their booth. Seating himself as well, he apologized to Asami for failing to ditch the prince before coming to the restaurant, though he did note that he made the royal promise to be on his best behavior. When the business woman revealed that she had been worried when Korra had told her that she could no longer go into the Avatar State, Mako asked when Korra had told her that. Not missing the girls giving each other a look, he inquired what was going on between them, learning that Korra had written to Asami during her absence. As she explained that she had not written to him or Bolin because she did not know what to say to either of them, Mako irritatingly crossed his arms, noting that a "hello" would have been nice. His annoyance increased when the prince tried to console him by pointing out that Korra had not written him either. The growing tension between the friends was interrupted when Wu announced he was going to the bathroom and snapped his fingers to spur Mako to action. The already irritated firebender snapped at his boss, stating that he was not going to hold his hand every time he needed to use the bathroom and told the prince to go by himself for once. As Wu left, Mako started to explain to Korra that he normally went with Wu to the bathroom to stand guard in his general vicinity, though halfway through his explanation, he decided that he did not want to talk about it.



Mako grew suspicious when Wu had yet to return by the time their food was presented, noting that the royal was not one to miss out on lunch. He left to inspect the facilities while the girls waited for him in the hallway. Hearing Korra be attacked after having followed a lead of her own, Mako and Asami rushed out the back door to see if they could help, though they promptly turned around to retrieve Asami's car when Korra announced that Wu had been kidnapped. When one of the kidnappers blocked their path by erecting an earth barricade, Mako told Asami to take the next turn in order to cut them off, though angrily snapped at her when she ignored his directions. Asami's decision brought them on a street parallel to the kidnappers' vehicle, albeit a level higher, and when Korra stood up to jump down, Mako ordered her to stay seated, though she did not listen.



When Asami pulled up alongside Korra, who had subdued the only kidnapper in the truck and informed Wu was not there, Mako roughly slammed the man against the side of the vehicle, demanding to know where they had taken the prince. Not receiving a useful answer, Mako handcuffed Kuvira's agent and threw them in the back of a police car that arrived, telling the officer to book the agent for kidnapping, put out an all-points bulletin, and bring Chief Beifong up to speed about the prince's disappearance. When Asami pointed out that Wu could be in one of the thousands of cars in the city or being smuggled out via any other mode of transportation, Mako groaned in frustration, berating himself for letting the prince be kidnapped during the one time that he did not accompany the royal to the bathroom. His anger was replaced by curiousness, however, when he watched Korra place her hand on a spirit vine and declare that Wu was being taken toward Central City Station. En route, he was explained that she had learned from Toph Beifong to connect with people's energy via the vines and expressed his skepticism over being told that Toph was even more "cranky and miserable" than Lin.



Arriving at the station, the threesome ran inside, though upon witnessing a multitude of waiting trains without any clue on which one Wu was taken, they split up. Regrouping after an initial futile search, Korra urged them all to hop aboard the 4:15 train leaving the station for Omashu. Mako irritatingly asked Korra how she knew Wu was on that train and voiced his skepticism about having to trust her "Avatar feelings" being correct about the location. When Korra snapped back that he would not have to trust her if he had guarded the prince like he was supposed to, he asked in annoyance if it was thus his fault that Wu had been kidnapped. Making their way to the luggage cart, Asami broke up their bickering by ordering them to silence, enabling them all to hear a tapping coming from inside a chest. Mako clicked open the piece of luggage and the prince bolted upright, flailing about. Managing to calm the royal down, he told him that he was on a train. When Kuvira's argents started to close in on them, Mako and the others fled to the roof of the train, where he dragged Wu along with him. Switching carts, he threw the prince over to Korra, before jumping after them himself. Having his hands free to fight off their assailants, he tried to bend at the nearest attacker, though had his footing pulled from underneath him with a metal cable. Rising up, he used his firebending to sever the cable with which Korra was held and forced the attacker to retreat to the previous wagon. He was forced back himself, however, when another assailant started to metalbend the floor from underneath his feet, curling it back. He was grabbed by Korra, who encircled their little party with air, enabling them all to make a safe landing when they jumped off the speeding train and down a bridge.



When Mako pulled Wu to his feet, inquiring if he was all right, he was promptly hugged by the royal and thanked profusely. Being told that he was definitely getting a raise, Mako directed the prince's gratitude toward Korra, noting that they would have never found him if it was not for her. When Asami stated that their rescue mission reminded her of their old times, minus the "getting on each other's nerves part", Mako good-heartedly jabbed that annoying and be annoyed by Korra was normal for him. Mako and Asami readily accepted Korra's apology for the earlier tension and he revealed that it was great to have her back, embracing her warmly.

Searching for a place where they could safely leave Wu, Mako took him to the Sato estate, where he would stay with the rest of his and Bolin's family already residing there. Upon arrival, he had to correct the royal that the mansion was not his, but Asami's. When Yin opened the door, Mako introduced his grandmother to Wu, though had to catch her when she fainted upon receiving a kiss on the hand by him. Explaining to the prince that his grandmother loved royalty, Wu thanked him for looking out for him by bringing him to a luxurious place with people who adored royalty.

Reminiscing about the past


Later, Mako suggested that they "toughen up" the prince, so that he would be able to protect himself in the future. When the prince assumed a poor defensive stance, Mako easily punched him in the stomach, causing the royal to sag down, crying "Wu down". After Wu let himself be cradled by Yin and requested something to eat and drink, Mako berated him, deeming him to be so weak that "Wu down" was his catchphrase. When Wu tried to defend himself by pointing out that he was vastly different than Mako since he was not "raised in the woods by a pack of cops", the firebender noted that the prince did not know anything about him, because he never bothered to ask. Wu started asking Mako some personal questions and, when Mako revealed that he had once dated the Avatar, their self-defense class was promptly turned into a gab session.



Mako started his story with his time as a Fire Ferret pro-bender, though was immediately interrupted by an excited Wu and asked in annoyance if the prince would just let him tell the story. He told how his aspirations of fame and fortune had changed after he met Korra, though was chided by Wu for his rude treatment of the Avatar the first time he met her. He countered, however, by pointing out that interrupting the story was also rude. He continued by relaying how his friendship with Korra grew, admitting that he felt they had a powerful connection after saving Bolin from the Equalists together. Since Wu believed he would then have kissed Korra, Mako revealed how he had met Asami next and was immediately made fun of by the royal for being stumped for words upon laying eyes on the Sato heiress. As Wu good-heartedly jabbed that he needed to work on his introductions, Mako smugly countered that someone with his charm did not need introductions. He continued to relay his budding love triangle with the two girls and when he told Wu about his kiss with Korra, Mako angrily ordered Tu to leave them alone, as he did not care for being chided by his cousin for having kissed Korra while being in a relationship with Asami. After being reprimanded by his grandmother for taking after his grandfather with his behavior, he tried to defend himself by pointing out that things were not so simple as they made it seem and that he was not dating Asami. When Tu declared him to be in denial, Mako relented and acknowledged that he had been dating Asami, though stressed that it was a very confusing situation. He was chided by Wu and Tu for his ambiguous breakup with Asami and later had to tell his grandmother that his relationship with Korra had not turned out well either. When he told everyone that he had kissed Asami again after her warehouse had been robbed clean, he preemptively defended himself by already pointing out that he had no right kissing her, though Wu deemed it acceptable, since he had not been dating anyone at that time. Mako was severely reprimanded by Wu and his family, however, when he told them that he had not explained to an amnesic Korra that they were no longer together and that he had rekindled his relationship with Asami, prompting Tu to point out that he seemed so afraid to disappoint anyone that he ended up disappointing everyone. Mako ended his story by saying that Korra had shown him the importance of placing others before himself and continued to be a source of inspiration to him. Mako was subsequently urged by Wu to resume their sparring match, though he was slapped on the armed by Yin after knocking the prince down with only one light punch.

Supporting Korra


Mako later traveled back to Republic City with Wu, since the royal was invited to attend a meeting between the world leaders, sans the Water Tribes' representatives. He was shocked to find first Korra and Opal and later Bolin and Varrick interrupt the meeting. After the leaders concluded their meeting with the decision to fortify the United Republic's borders, Mako and Korra met up with Bolin outside of the building. Approaching his brother, Mako expressed his happiness over his return as he had been worried about him and embraced him warmly. When Bolin declared himself to be an idiot, apologized to Mako for having left in anger the last time they met after rejecting his advice, and Korra revealed that she felt like no one wanted her around anymore, Mako cheered them both up, telling Korra that if no one else, at least they wanted her around and clarifying to Bolin that he was not an idiot, as he had merely been doing what he thought was right, before they all shared another embrace.



When Bolin left, Mako and Korra continued talking to one another, though their conversation was interrupted by Jinora's spiritual projection, who called for help as the spirit vines were taking her captive. Searching the Spirit Wilds, they were attacked by vines themselves. Although Mako tried to fight them off, he was captured and lifted up in the air. He was saved when Korra severed the vine with her firebending and they both retreated into a nearby building. Inside, Mako noticed some glowing pods and, upon learning they contained the bodies of the captured people, he prepared to forcefully extract them with firebending. He was stopped from doing so by Korra, however, since his action would have provoked the vines. When Korra gasped for air after failing to meditate into the Spirit World, Mako rushed to her side, asking what was wrong. Learning Zaheer's memory was still haunting her, he reassured her that he was there for her, offering his help in any way she needed it. As such, he accompanied her to Zaheer's prison, where she faced the airbender by herself, hoping it would give her peace of mind. As she returned, Korra told Mako that she felt whole again, since she was finally able to accept what had happened to her.

Mako later accompanied Wu to a group meeting with President Raiko, Korra, Tenzin, Varrick, and Asami, during which the latter two revealed their plans to manufacture a mecha suit that could fly in any direction. After the meeting was adjourned, Mako complimented Wu on his suggestion to start evacuation the city in case Kuvira attacked, noting that he was proud of him for starting to act like the kind of king he liked to work for. His mood was broken, however, when Wu stated that he only did so to have a chance of dating Korra.

Defending Republic City


Some time later, Mako sat in on another meeting with Tenzin, Korra, Wu, and Raiko to discuss the progress of the evacuation. When Wu reported that they had barely evacuated eighteen families, Mako noted that the problem was that it was a voluntary evacuation and since the people did not feel like they were in any immediate danger, not many of them were willing to leave their home. After Raiko made the evacuation mandatory upon learning that Kuvira planned to attack the city two weeks later, Mako, Lin, and Wu traveled toward the police headquarters, where Mako was patched in on the emergency broadcast line, which reached every radio in the city. He alerted the people that an attack on the city was imminent and that they were ordered to evacuate. He referred them all to their evacuation handbooks for further instructions on where to go. When the radio operator notified Lin that they were receiving confused calls from all over the city, concluding that Mako was starting a panic, Mako indignantly asked how he was confusing people since he was giving specific instructions straight out of the manual, though nonetheless allowed Wu to take over. Impressed with how the royal managed to calm to people down and stop the influx of calls, Mako placed a supporting hand on his shoulder.

Mako later talked to Korra, Bolin, and Asami and decided that they would try to take out the spirit energy cannon in order to increase the United Forces' chances of winning against Kuvira. Discovering the army the next day to only being hours away from the city, a week before they had been expecting them, Mako was baffled about the speed of their progress, since there were no train tracks to transport the cannon on. Discovering the enormous mecha suit and narrowly missing being shot out of the sky, Team Avatar returned to Air Temple Island, where they reported on Kuvira's progress. With her attack imminent, Mako, Bolin, Asami, Suyin, Wei, and Wing headed toward a Future Industries factory in an attempt to finish construction on a few hummingbird mecha suits. From there, he witnessed in shock how Kuvira destroyed the United Forces battleships in a matter of seconds.



After Korra later brought a kidnapped Baatar Jr. to the factory as well, Mako stood by while she and Suyin tried to convince him to reveal how they could defeat the enormous mecha suit carrying the spirit energy weapon. After Baatar Jr. contacted Kuvira and seemingly succeeded to convince her to cease her conquest of the United Republic, Mako noticed that the enormous mecha suit was aiming the spirit cannon at their location. They all tried to evacuate the factory, though could not outrun the energy beam fired at them.

Mako managed to survive the explosion and emerged from the rubble with everyone else when Bolin lifted a large piece of concrete. He refused to leave the city to Kuvira, however, as he was worried that she would fire her weapon at Wu and the refugees he was with, killing them all. Mako joined Korra and the other benders on their quest to take down the spirit energy cannon, while Varrick and Asami worked on adjusting the prototypes of the hummingbird mecha suits in order to provide them with air support. He watched in worry from the cover of an alley with Bolin, Lin, Wei, and Wing how the airbenders assaulted Kuvira's machine with paint balloons, covering its windows and obscuring the vision of the pilots, enabling the earthbenders on the ground to tie down the suit's legs. When Kuvira shot the spirit energy cannon at the airbenders, who had been trying to blow the machine off balance, Mako rushed to the side of a female airbender who had been knocked down by the energy emanating from the beam that had nearly hit her. After helping her to her feet, he retreated with everyone else to Asami's office at Future Industries Tower.



Mako took part in the new plan that was formed: the benders would relentlessly attack the mecha suit to distract Kuvira and enable the two hummingbird mecha suits to land on the enormous machine and cut a hole in it without being crushed. Their plan only partially worked, however, as he was shocked to see Kuvira crush Hiroshi to death in his hummingbird suit just as he completed his mission. Realizing they now had an opening, Mako used his firebending to propel himself atop the machine. As Korra used her waterbending to prevent the mecha suit from crushing them as well, he managed to dive inside the hole together with Suyin, Lin, Bolin, and Korra.

Inside, Mako was ordered by Korra to climb up to the engine room with Bolin and try to power the machine down. After Bolin cut through the locks on the hatch to grand them access to the room, Mako instantly went after the metalbender guarding one of the levers that could cut the power, while Bolin focused on the other. Dodging the incoming metal projectiles, he retaliated with his firebending, though was knocked back by a small explosion of the spirit vine core, when his bending arm was hit by a metal strip and he accidentally fired at the vines. He quickly recovered, however, and after verifying that Bolin had not been affected by the explosion, resumed his attack. After trading several blows, switching between offense and defense, Mako managed to get close enough to his opponent and throw him roughly to the ground with a shoulder-toss, rendering him unconscious. When Bolin yelled that he had also managed to secure his lever, Mako counted to coordinate their actions, Baatar Jr.'s instructions to simultaneously pull the levers to power down the suit in mind.



When nothing happened, Mako ran over to Bolin and noted that there had to be another way to shut down the power, relying on him to know what to do since he had spent time working with Baatar Jr. and Varrick. As Bolin revealed that all he knew about the vines was that if they were disturbed, they would explode, Mako ordered him to take all the engineers to safety and explained that he planned to zap the vines with lightning. Seeing no other way to shut the machine down, Mako brushed off Bolin's concerns about the dangers of his plan and, after promising him that he would get out as soon as he could and telling him he loved him, started to charge his attack. Hitting the vines with a continuous bolt of lightning, the power core started to overload and explode; even after being thrown back and having his arm burned by the strain the lightning put on it, Mako kept up his attack. He started to move toward the escape hatch, though before he could reach it, he was struck in his chest by a backlash of spirit energy, which rendered him unconscious. He was saved, however, by Bolin, who had returned for him and carried him to the lower parts of the suit to be protected from the devastating explosion of the power core that blasted the suit in half.

After they both regained consciousness, Mako was supported by Bolin and helped out of the wreckage of the mecha suit. As they emerged from a hatch, they were shocked to find that the Spirit Wilds had been blasted open, which happened when Kuvira had fired the spirit energy cannon from within the vegetation, and housed a new spirit portal in its center. Realizing Korra and Kuvira were nowhere to be found, Mako and the rest of Team Avatar set out to search the area for the Avatar. He made his way to the cockpit of the enormous suit, knowing the two women had been battling there, though when Jinora signaled it was deserted, he turned to Tenzin and relayed the news. Urged to keep looking, Mako watched in surprise how the spirits emerged a few moments later from the new portal, followed by Korra and Kuvira. After Kuvira was handcuffed and escorted away, he joined his friends in the group hug they bestowed on Korra.



Mako joined up with Wu and the evacuees and was told by Tu that the royal had been level-headed during the stressful evacuation. He later attended the wedding ceremony of Varrick and Zhu Li at Air Temple Island, where he was seated next to King Wu and Asami. Afterward, during the dinner party, Mako revealed to Wu that he was impressed by the attitude he had sported during the evacuation and believed he would make a great leader, though immediately added that said belief did not mean he would help the royal get a date with Korra. When Wu announced to him and Korra that he planned to abolish the monarchy, Mako incredulously asked if he was joking, though after being explained that it was to establish independent states with a democratically elected government, he declared it to be a wise and mature move of Wu. After the royal left for dance floor, Mako was thanked by Korra for his help with Kuvira. He told her that he would always follow her into battle, emphasizing that he was there for her and always would be.

Personality


Characterized by his stoic and brooding personality, Mako is generally aloof and indifferent, though he is not incapable of genuine kindness and a protective demeanor. He tends to act in a critical and controlling manner, stemming from a life on the streets and a drive to protect his little brother, which forced him to take on adult responsibilities at a young age. In light of the brothers' pasts, he cares deeply for Bolin and is very protective of him. After Mako lost his parents, he was willing to do whatever was necessary to help him and his brother survive the rough environment of Republic City, even going as far as scamming and working for a notorious criminal organization. Eventually, Mako abandoned these immoral activities, but refused to admit the criminality of his past actions to Korra, as he firmly believed he was doing what was necessary to survive. Mako always puts the interests of safety and survival ahead of other things, as exemplified by his reluctance to let Bolin keep a fire ferret as a pet, since that would strain their already small food supply. Living on the streets has given him a "hard-edge", though he seems to relax when he is with Bolin, Korra, or Asami, or when he achieves something important. For instance, when Butakha gave him the winnings from their last match, Mako grinned widely.



Going with his hard edge, Mako has a wrathful side to him as well, having the capacity to kill or harm anyone who wrongs his brother and friends. This was particularly evident when he threatened an Equalist by raising a flaming fist when seeking information regarding Korra's whereabouts. His protective attitude toward his younger brother on the street in the years after their parents' death reflected this side of him as well.

Mako is very dutiful in his job as a cop, having arrested several triad members since joining the force, and was on the fast track to becoming detective. Despite his coworkers' constant belittlement, Mako promptly suggests his theories on open cases, and refuses to take the easy way out to close a case, being adamant in following leads. His commitment and effectiveness on the streets was such that he earned himself praise from President Raiko. His sense of duty also caused him to divulge information that would strain his relationship with Korra, ultimately ending it.

Firebending


Mako has demonstrated considerable skill in the art of firebending, implementing a modern style of fighting that he developed in his pro-bending days. Critics of the sport note his use of a distinct "cool under fire" technique, which primarily involves a series of defensive weaving and dodging patterns quickly followed by successive spurts of offense, rendering Mako capable of defeating an entire pro-bending team by himself. Outside of pro-bending, Mako demonstrated great skill in traditional firebending combat. He can maintain his fire streams for a period of time for feats such as propelling himself through the air. He can also perform more advanced techniques such as the breath of fire. The raw strength of his firebending is also considerable, able to offset a large and point-blank explosion unharmed. His control is also very fine, as he is able to form a sleek dagger for intimidation and the likes.

Lightning


Mako is skilled enough to generate lightning and redirect it, having learned the skills from his former boss, Lightning Bolt Zolt. He is able to generate it from either hand quickly with little charging time and no arm movement and is also capable of maintaining the bolt for several seconds. He has used lightning for a job at a power plant in Republic City and can effectively use it in combat. He can also fire it with considerable aim, being able to hit speeding targets and controlling the charge of it to merely stun targets. While fighting several Equalist mecha tanks, Mako redirected the electricity channeled through their metal cables to disable them. When restrained by Amon's bloodbending, he was able to maintain enough focus and calmness of mind to generate lightning and score a direct hit against the Equalist leader. Amon admitted to Mako that he was impressed with his firebending skill, and that it was almost a shame that he would have to remove the bending of "someone so talented". When he was cornered by Ming-Hua's tendril attacks, he had the clarity of mind to aim lightning at her water tendrils, thus electrocuting her.

Other skills


Mako has noticeable close-range and bare-handed combat skills, able to expertly perform a shoulder-throw. He has also displayed considerable agility, capable of both jumping long distances and performing flips, proving himself difficult to hit at a distance. He has considerable raw strength, as he could effortlessly launch an Equalist agent a great distance, casually carry Bolin over his shoulder or Korra in his arms, and hoist an Equalist into the air with one hand. While under the control of Amon's bloodbending, Mako was able to move his body slightly better than others caught under this technique and managed to aim a bolt of lightning at Amon, something that took the masked man by surprise. Mako is also shown to be quite level-headed in dire situations, and has quick thinking, which was exhibited when he came up with a plan to save his brother from the Equalists during Amon's revelation.

Mako is also good at reading maps, as he figured out where the Equalist rally was located by looking at the maps he and Korra obtained from the Equalist protester. Mako demonstrated this ability again when he discovered where the Equalist airfield was hidden. He also appears to be an adequate cook, preparing meals for himself and Bolin.

As a police officer, Mako uses a motorcycle as his vehicle of choice, displaying great skill with maneuvering it over slick terrain and even incorporating his firebending as a booster to extend the distance of his jumps and to stabilize after a near crash. He is also capable of piloting an airship, though is still an amateur at landing the vehicle.

Appearances
{{Scroll|

Republic City Hustle

 * "Republic City Hustle: Part 1"
 * "Republic City Hustle: Part 2"
 * "Republic City Hustle: Part 3"

Book Four: Balance (平衡)
}}

Trivia

 * Mako is named after the late Mako Iwamatsu, the original voice of Iroh during Book One: Water to Book Two: Earth, as a homage.
 * The creators commented that Mako reminded them of Zuko, but without the angst.
 * Mako's "cool under fire" style of pro-bending bears similarities to the defensive styles of boxing, and the styles of iconic boxers such as Willie Pep and Muhammad Ali.
 * Mako's dark childhood is similar to that of Sokka, Katara, Jet, Asami Sato, and Aang as all six of them have lost family members to firebenders. However, while Katara, Sokka, and Asami only lost their mothers, Mako and Jet's parents were murdered right in front of them, though on the other hand, Aang lost his entire people to firebenders while he was sealed in an iceberg. Jet and Mako also both lost their family at age eight.
 * Mako learning pro-bending from Toza and lightning techniques from Lightning Bolt Zolt were both cut out of the show for time saving purposes.
 * Mako seems to show no regret for his powers, even though his parents were killed by a firebender.
 * He is the first bender shown to stop Amon from taking someone's bending away.
 * Mako is the fourth known person to break free of a bloodbender's hold by their own doing, and the first non-waterbender known to have done so.
 * Mako is the only member of the new Team Avatar to have never been seen crying.
 * Mako is similar to Katara in that both have mothers killed by firebenders, a memento of a parent (Mako's father's scarf and Katara's mother's necklace), both also raised their brothers as a parent would do, a personality contradictory to that of their brothers', and both were love interests of the Avatar of their time.
 * Mako is the only named male love interest of an Avatar.
 * According to his grandmother, Mako takes after his grandfather.
 * Mako is the second known person to use both lightning generation and lightning redirection, the first is Iroh.
 * Mako is the fifth of seven people to be seen using firebending to propel themselves into the air, and the second person to do so in The Legend of Korra; the others were Azula, Jeong Jeong, Ozai, Iroh, Wan, and Korra.
 * Mako has used lightning generation in the finale of each book of The Legend of Korra.
 * Mako is the only core member of Team Avatar who remained single at the end of the series. However, the creators revealed that he was originally written to become romantically involved with Fire Lord Izumi's daughter, though they ultimately decided against it as there were already too many characters in the fourth book.
 * After his breakup with Korra, Mako occupied himself by reading Jinora's books.