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. When his brother introduces him to Avatar Korra, his tightly controlled world gets a little more chaotic.

Background
When he was eight, Mako's parents were killed by a firebending thug right in front of him, leaving Bolin as his only family, and his treasured red scarf as the only memento of his father. He was forced to take on adult responsibilities from that point on, costing him his childhood. He often resorted to his firebending to protect himself and Bolin on the streets.

As an orphan, Mako did whatever was necessary in order to survive and protect his brother. This attitude brought him in contact with the Triple Threat Triad, for whom he was an accountant of sorts, though he never did anything outright illegal throughout his employment. After a while, the cooperation between the Triple Threats and the two brothers came to an end, and, 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.

Mako and his brother first began competing in the pro-bending tournaments when a former pro-bender, Toza, discovered Mako fighting in the streets. Toza offered the brothers a place to live in the attic of the arena and let them work odd jobs to pay rent, which allowed them to focus on pro-bending. Mako eventually became the captain of their pro-bending team, the Fire Ferrets.

Meeting Korra
Initially, Mako scarcely acknowledged Korra, assuming her to be another of Bolin's "fangirls". This caused the two of them to get off on the wrong foot; however, he later impressed Korra when he single-handedly defeated the Golden Temple Tigerdillos in the third round of a pro-bending match. Still, he seemed indifferent to Korra's presence even after he learned that she was the Avatar.

When Hasook didn't show up for the final match prior to the tournament, he rejected Korra's offer to join the team, saying he would rather be disqualified than made a fool. However, Korra and Bolin ignored Mako's objections and Korra joined the team, much to Mako's annoyance when Korra had trouble picking up on the rules. However, after Korra held her own against a barrage in round three, enabling them to win the match with a knock-out, Mako thanked her, and for the first time truly accepted and complimented her.

Saving Bolin


Later, Mako, Bolin, and Korra were practicing for the tournament early in the morning when Butakha, the owner of the arena came to give the team their winnings of the last match. However, Mako saw this money disappear as swiftly as it came as Butakha immediately deducted their arrears and informed the team that they had to pay thirty thousand yuans for the championship's pot in order to play in the tournament or they would be disqualified. Bolin suggested that he could let Pabu perform circus tricks at Central City Station, but Mako shot this idea down, commenting that he'd figure something out as usual and found work in a power company. When he returned to the arena after a hard day's work, he could not find Bolin. Believing he was with Korra, he traveled to Air Temple Island to ask her for his location. At her negation, they decided to go looking for him through the city. In Central City Station, they met Skoochy, who told them he had been recruited to the Triple Threat Triad. When Mako and Korra made it to the gang's headquarters, they learned that Bolin had been captured by the Equalists in a raid and then set out to rescue him. However, their encounter with two Equalist chi blockers ended in their defeat. Due to Naga's intervention, they remained unharmed and traveled on to Republic City Park to find the protestor, who told them that Bolin was likely taken to the Equalist rally called "The Revelation".

At the rally, they discovered that Amon was going to demonstrate his power to take away bending forever on the kidnapped Triad members and Bolin. In order to save his brother, Mako ordered Korra to make a large sheet of steam erupt from devices in the side of the rally hall, which distracted the Equalists and allowed himself to rescue Bolin. When the brothers got outside, their escape was thwarted by the intervention of the Lieutenant, who attacked and overpowered them with his electrified kali sticks. Before he could do further damage, Korra disabled him with her earthbending and helped Mako and Bolin escape on Naga.

Meeting the Satos


A few days after the events of the Equalist rally, Mako was hit by a moped driven by Asami Sato when he ran across the street without looking. She quickly helped him to stand up and apologized. Although initially angered by the crash, Mako lost his train of thought and his temper the moment he laid eyes on Asami. After she recognized him as a pro-bender, she asked him on a date to Kuang's Cuisine as a part of her apology. Initially, Mako was hesitant, stating he did not have the proper attire for such a formal setting. However, Asami assured him that it would be taken care of, and Mako agreed, appearing love struck as Asami left.

Upon his arrival at the restaurant later that evening, Mako was given suitable clothes. When the waiter attempted to removed Mako's scarf, he immediately stopped him. The waiter complied with the order and showed Mako the table where Asami was already waiting for him. During their date, Mako learned she was the daughter of the successful industrialist, Hiroshi Sato, and was invited by her to personally meet him, an offer Mako gladly accepted. When Mako met Hiroshi the next day at Future Industries, the industrialist informed Mako that, after hearing Asami about his team and its financial problems, he had decided he would sponsor the Fire Ferrets' bid in the pro-bending tournament, provided that they would bear Future Industries' logo on their uniforms.

Mako later went with Asami to a gala in honor of Korra hosted by Councilman Tarrlok. Their relationship continued to blossom afterwards, and one of their dates took them to Republic City Park for a carriage ride. During this ride, Asami wondered why Mako never wore the scarf she had purchased for him. He confided in her the importance of his red scarf, being that it was the last reminder of his father he still possessed.

Struggles
On the eve of their first match of the pro-bending tournament, Bolin asked Mako's opinion about the idea of him dating Korra. Mako at first mistook the question as Bolin asking him what the former would think of dating the Avatar, but after Bolin clarified that he was asking about a relationship between himself and Korra, Mako was against it, contradictingly said it wasn't a good idea to date a teammate. Meanwhile, Mako continued to remain involved with Asami, leaving a training session early to spend time with her.



After the Fire Ferrets won the first match of the tournament against the Red Sands Rabaroos, Korra spilled out her feelings to Mako, who apologized and stated that he didn't feel the same for her. Though she was discouraged, Bolin cheered her up and took her out for a night in Republic City. Although Asami was with him, Mako eyed them glumly as his teammates left the dressing room together. Following this, Korra returned to an irritated Mako, and they soon started an argument. Mako claimed that he was only worried about what Korra was doing with Bolin as he was looking out for him and didn't want to see his brother get his heart broken. However, Korra accused him of being jealous, and the two departed angrily.

Their conflict almost caused the Fire Ferrets to lose their next match due to lack of teamwork, as neither of them were focused on the task at hand. When the match was brought to a tiebreaker, Bolin overruled Mako's decision to fight it out, which proved to be a smart move. After the match, Mako approached Korra and admitted to having feelings for her, but that he was confused because he liked Asami as well. He was interrupted when Korra suddenly lunged forward and kissed him. Although surprised by her actions, Mako sincerely returned the kiss. However, their romantic moment was witnessed by Bolin, who quickly fled the scene tearfully with a broken heart. After blaming Korra for the entire situation as she was the instigator of the kiss, he gave chase.

The next day, Mako discovered that his brother had spent the night at Narook's Seaweed Noodlery. Bolin refused to come home with him, stating that he was no longer his brother, rather a "brother-betrayer." Mako wound up carrying Bolin out of the establishment against his will. The older brother emphasized again that "dating a teammate was a bad idea", to which Bolin weakly responded, "You're a bad idea!".



The growing rift and mixed feelings began to divide the team, and they struggled in the semifinals. Mako even inadvertently hit Bolin in round two, and the team lost the first two rounds by a large margin. In round three, Mako was knocked out of the ring early for a second time, and an injured Bolin soon followed. Mako helped his brother out of the water, and as they ascended to the locker room with the elevator, they apologized for letting what happened with Korra divide them. They then watched Korra score an improbable hat trick to advance the team to the finals. When Korra joined them, Mako thanked her sincerely for not giving up on the team, and the team promised each other that they could still be friends despite of all the confusion.

The championship
As Mako and his teammates prepared for the final match, they heard Amon interrupt a radio broadcast and threaten the United Republic Council with "severe consequences" if they allowed the tournament to continue. Korra and the team rode to City Hall on Naga to try and stop the council from making this decision, but by the time they arrived, they learned that the council had unanimously agreed to do so, much to their disappointment. Fortunately, just before Tarrlok declared the decision final, Lin Beifong entered City Hall. Demanding the council show backbone and allow the tournament to continue, Lin offered the security of the Metalbending Police Force. The council agreed to Lin's offer, and to the Fire Ferrets' excitement, the match continued as planned.

The championship proved to be a closely contended but controversially officiated match. The White Falls Wolfbats committed a series of illegal moves, which even prompted Mako to suspect that they had paid off the match's official. The Fire Ferrets lost via knockout in round three. After the match, the Equalists attacked the arena, primarily through use of electrified kali sticks and electrified gloves. These attacks also stunned the still water-bound Fire Ferrets, who were then tied up to a wooden post supporting the ring.



Fortunately for the team, Pabu was lurking in the vicinity. Bolin called the fire ferret over and motioned him to bite through the rope, which Mako initially dismissed as his brother making childish animal talk. After Pabu's successful rescue, Mako and Bolin made their way to the arena's concourse and anxiously waited Korra's return from pursuing Amon and the Equalists. When Korra returned following her rescue by Lin, Mako was the first to greet Korra with a big hug, telling her that he was glad she was safe.

A new home
In the aftermath of the Equalists' attack on the arena, the authorities closed down the building, forcing Mako and Bolin to move elsewhere. Accepting Asami's offer, the brothers moved to the Sato estate, where they got a taste of the high life. However, troubles soon arose between Mako and Korra, when she overheard Hiroshi uttering a disturbing message about "striking" something. He refused to believe Korra and bluntly stated that their friendship would be over if she continued her crusade against Asami's father as he thought she only did that out of jealousy of his relationship. When Korra's accusations proved to hold merit, he was ordered by Lin to stay in Hiroshi's workplace together with Bolin and Asami under supervision of Officer Song. However, when he heard a suspicious noise coming from the direction Korra, Tenzin, Lin, and the other police officers went to, he tricked their guard and knocked him over with his firebending. Together with Bolin, he ventured down the underground tunnel and found out that Hiroshi was an Equalist and had manage to overpower Korra and the others. Wanting to help, he hoisted Korra on his back and was about to drag Lin away when he and Bolin got caught by Hiroshi. Cornered with no way out, Mako and the others were rescued by Asami, who overpowered her father and the Lieutenant.

He apologized to Korra afterwards for not believing her, and accepted her offer to come live with her at Air Temple Island.

Personality
Having a 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 be critical and controlling, 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. Living on the streets has given him a "hard-edge". He seems to loosen up a bit when he is with Bolin, Korra, or Asami, or when he achieves something. For instance, when Butakha gave him the winnings of the previous tournament, Mako had a large grin on his face.

Firebending


Mako has shown considerable skill in the art of firebending, implementing a modern style of fighting that he uses predominantly in the pro-bending arena. Critics of the sport note his use of a distinct "cool under fire" technique, primarily involving a series of defensive weaving and dodging followed by quick successive spurts of offense. This technique in combination with his superior agility proves to be extremely effective, rendering Mako capable of defeating an entire pro-bending team by himself. Mako is also skilled enough to generate lightning, which he uses at his job at the city's power plant.

Other skills
Mako also has a considerable amount of raw physical strength, which was made evident when he effortlessly launched an Equalist agent across a great distance and when picking up Bolin by tossing him over his shoulder to take him home.

Relatives

 * Bolin (younger brother)
 * Unnamed father and mother (deceased)

Trivia

 * Mako is named after Mako Iwamatsu, the man who voiced Iroh from Book 1: Water to Book 2: Earth, but died shortly after finishing his lines for Book 2. His name is a shortened form of the Japanese name Makoto (信), meaning "faithfulness".
 * 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 Katara, Sokka, Amon, Jet, Asami Sato and Aang as all seven of them have lost family members to firebenders. However, while Katara, Sokka and Asami only lost their mothers, Mako and Jet's parents - and in Amon's case, his entire family - 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's history is similar to Batman's in the sense that both their parents were mugged and murdered in front of them at the age of eight.
 * Mako seems to show no regret for his powers, even though his parents were killed by a firebender. This also plays a prominent role as Hiroshi Sato's wife was killed by firebenders, who later developed a deep hatred for Mako as he was also a firebender.
 * Mako's scarf is very similar to Katara's necklace in the way that it is the sole memento of a deceased parent, although Mako's scarf came from his father while Katara's necklace came from her mother.