Insurrection of the Red Lotus

The Insurrection of the Red Lotus is a revolution brewed by the Red Lotus, a splinter faction of the Order of the White Lotus, instigated to free the world of its rulers and bring forth the organization's brand of harmony through anarchy. The organization tried to capture the Avatar numerous times in an attempt to indoctrinate her to their agendas, but with the White Lotus successfully upbringing her, it expanded to envision the destruction of the Avatar Cycle instead.

Formation of the Red Lotus
Following the Hundred Year War, the Order of the White Lotus assumed its operations in a more public capacity. One member, Xai Bau, felt that the order no longer followed its true purpose, and he broke from the organization and established his own. The Red Lotus was created from this split, designed to eliminate world leaders and usher an era where spirits and humans would cooperate through anarchy.

Years passed, and the Avatar reincarnated as Korra in Southern Water Tribe. To achieve their objectives, they attempted to capture Korra and raise her in the ways of the organization. Otherwise, they would put an end to her and the Avatar Cycle by trying to kill her in the Avatar State.

First kidnapping attempt
Knowing that his niece was the Avatar, Northern Water Tribe Chief Unalaq informed the other members of Red Lotus and planned to kidnap the Avatar to teach her the ways of their secret society. These associates, Zaheer, Ghazan, P'Li, and Ming-Hua, launched their machination to abduct Korra, albeit unsuccessful due to the intervention of Tonraq, Councilman Tenzin, Chief Sokka, and Fire Lord Zuko. The four members of Red Lotus were then separated and confined in specialized maximum security prisons, each specifically designed to hinder each of their abilities. Unalaq managed to hide his involvement, mostly because he was not at the kidnapping attempt. The Northern chief then left the organization to pursue his niece himself to fulfill his ulterior ambitions: to have her open the spirit portals, release Vaatu and fuse with him to become the Dark Avatar, something that was not in the organization's plans. The four prisoners were interrogated for the next thirteen years, but none of them disclosed anything.

After the failed kidnapping attempt, the Order of the White Lotus secluded the Avatar in the Southern Water Tribe compound in most of her pursuit of the bending arts, giving her the best mentoring without the need to travel the world and risk her safety. When Korra stowed away to Republic City to learn airbending from Tenzin in 170 AG, her White Lotus sentries continued their duties as her security detail. A year later Unalaq instigated the Water Tribe Civil War as part of his grand scheme to release Vaatu during Harmonic Convergence, and although successful in becoming the Dark Avatar, Korra managed to defeat him. Unalaq was killed in the process.

Prison breakout
Following the energy shift caused by the Harmonic Convergence in 171 AG, several nonbenders across the world began manifesting airbending abilities. Zaheer was among those who benefited and used his newfound abilities to escape and then proceeded to liberate Ghazan and Ming-Hua by disguising himself as a White Lotus sentry. Disturbed by the prison breaks, Lord Zuko and Chief Tonraq headed to the Northern Water Tribe and warned its new chiefs, Desna and Eska, of the impending arrival of the Red Lotus in an attempt to free P'Li. However, Tonraq, Zuko, and the twins were defeated by them, and the Red Lotus headed to Republic City in hopes of finding Korra there.

Second kidnapping attempt


After arriving at Republic City, Zaheer traveled to Air Temple Island to find Korra. Posing as a new airbender named "Yorru", Zaheer learned that she was no longer in the city and fled. While discussing whether or not to kill President Raiko, Zaheer decided to save that for a later time after learning that Korra was in Zaofu. With the help of Aiwei, the Red Lotus were able to covertly enter the city and sedate Korra. As the Red Lotus were leaving with the Avatar, they were thwarted by Bolin, Mako, Lin and Suyin Beifong. Frustrated by failure, Zaheer set up a meeting with Aiwei in the Spirit World, chastising him for allowing Korra to discover his role in the plot, before condemning him into the Fog of Lost Souls as punishment for his mistakes. Soon after, he met Korra and discussed the Red Lotus' agenda of assassinating world leaders in order to bring peace. During this, he relayed Korra's location at the Misty Palms Oasis and Ghazan and Ming-Hua went to capture her once more; however, they only were able to take Bolin and Mako, as the Earth Queen's guards had captured Korra first. Realizing what happened, the Red Lotus began to head toward Ba Sing Se.

Assassination of the Earth Queen
As Korra headed to the city inside the Earth Queen's airship, the Red Lotus presented the two brothers as a gift for Hou-Ting. They agreed to reveal the location of the escaped airbenders in exchange for Korra. However, they learned that Korra had presumably escaped the airship taking her to the city and decided that instead of chasing down the Avatar, they needed to get the Avatar to come to them. Barging into the throne room, the Red Lotus dispatched the Dai Li agents protecting the Earth Queen and Zaheer airbent the air out of Hou-Ting's lungs, suffocating her. Later, they broke into a radio operator's room and broadcasted that the Earth Queen was dead; while this was happening, Ghazan destroyed a section of the wall separating the lower and middle rings. With the walls down, Zaheer proclaimed that they brought the city back to the people, prompting many to start rioting and looting the middle and upper rings of the city.

Fall of the Northern Air Temple
Frustrated with their failed attempts to capture Korra, Zaheer decided to change strategy and make the Avatar come to them. He releases Mako and Bolin from prison to send a message to Korra, revealing that the Red Lotus will massacre the airbenders at the Northern Air Temple if she does not surrender to him. The Red Lotus then take an airship to the temple and capture its inhabitants, intending to use them as leverage.

Tenzin, Kya, Bumi, and Kai attempt to fight them off to give their companions a chance. Kai acts as a diversion so the others can avoid P'Li's attacks but is ultimately hit himself and the bison are captured. Kya and Bumi manage for a while but are soon forced off a ledge and fall down a cliff, rendering them unconscious. While Tenzin fares better against Zaheer, he is soon overpowered once all three attack him together. Kai was the only one to escape to safety.

Capturing the Avatar
Zaheer subsequently moved the hostages, excluding Tenzin, to a mountainside hideout. He then arranged to accept Korra's surrender at Laghima's Peak, claiming he would release the airbenders after he has her. As Korra arrived, P'Li slaps platinum cuffs on her wrists and legs so she cannot metalbend. Ghazan stood waiting at the temple for the rest of Team Avatar, thus leading them into a trap, as Ming-Hua used waterbending to fill several airbender clothes and make them seem lifelike. When their deception is exposed, Ghazan turns a section of the temple into lava to bury their enemies and he and Ming-Hua fled the temple. Team Avatar and Tenzin are able to escape the collapsing temple.

Meanwhile, Tonraq and the Metal Clan engaged the other Red Lotus members. P'Li is ultimately killed as Suyin Beifong covers her head with her metal vest as she is about to fire. With his last earthly attachment gone, Zaheer unlocks the ability to fly and escapes with Korra.

Defeat of the Red Lotus


Bringing the Avatar to their mountainside hideout, they began to administer a metallic poison into her system to coerce her into the Avatar State, at which they would then murder her, ending the reincarnation cycle.

Meanwhile, Team Avatar locates the hideout with the help of Kai and free the airbenders. At the same time, Korra enters the Avatar State and breaks free, pursuing Zaheer in an aerial battle. Meanwhile, Mako and Bolin engaged Ming-Hua and Ghazan respectively. Mako is able to kill Ming-Hua by electrocuting her while she was in a pool of water. He then returned to help his brother against Ghazan. Overpowered and refusing to go back to prison, Ghazan used lava and earthbending to collapse the cave around them, though the brothers make it to safety.

The aerial battle slowly goes in Zaheer's favour as the poison weakens Korra. But as he attempts to bend the air out of her lungs, the airbenders, under Jinora's direction, create a tornado which catches Zaheer, enabling Korra to whip her chain around his ankle and pull him down to the ground. He is subsequently encased in earth by Lin and Suyin. However, when it seemed like Korra had succumbed to the poison, Jinora reveals its metallic properties, prompting Suyin to bend the poison out of her body. Zaheer is subsequently returned to prison.

Aftermath
The existence of the Red Lotus was exposed publicly, with President Raiko deemed them as enemies-of-state of the United Republic of Nations. The insurrection left the Earth Kingdom in a state of anarchy and chaos due to the loss of the Earth Queen, while the Avatar weakened from the poison even after two weeks had passed. In response to the world's growing descent into chaos, Tenzin decided that the Air Nation would follow Korra's example and help keep balance in the world.