Light in the Dark

"spirit"

- Let go of your attachment to who you think you are, and connect with your inner spirit.

"Light in the Dark" is the fourteenth and final episode of Book Two: Spirits of The Legend of Korra, and the 26th episode of the overall series. It was released to Nick.com on November 16, 2013, and aired on Nickelodeon on November 22, 2013. On both platforms, it was paired with "Darkness Falls" to form the second part of a two-part season finale.

Overview
''Tenzin urges Korra to connect with her own spirit in order to defeat Unalaq. While meditating in the Tree of Time, she manages to tap into the energy of the universe and astrally projects herself, instigating a fight with Unalaq at Republic City. After an intervention by Jinora's spirit, who brings Raava's residual light back into the world and illuminates her within the Dark Avatar, Korra manages to extract Raava from him, before using his own purification technique to dissipate the Dark Avatar Spirit. She returns to the Spirit World, where she uses the last energy of the Harmonic Convergence to permanently merge with Raava again, though the connection to the past Avatars cannot be restored. Korra leaves both spirit portals open, ushering the world into a new era where spirits and mankind can coexist.''

Synopsis
With Raava destroyed, Unalaq and Vaatu grow into an immense dark spirit and depart for Republic City. The metalbending police and the United Forces have gathered together to defend the city, but Unavaatu easily overwhelms them, hurling the statue of Avatar Aang into the bay, shooting down the airship carrying President Raiko and Lin Beifong with a massive energy blast, and filling the city with destructive vines.

Varrick, exercising in his luxurious prison cell, notices that one of the vines has burst through the wall. Seizing the opportunity, the business magnate tells Zhu Li to commence operation "Winged Freedom". His assistant promptly prepares a glider, jumps on Varrick, and they escape together.

Meanwhile, Tenzin, Kya and Bumi find Korra, Mako and Bolin unconscious and carry them back into the Spirit World to be healed in a pool of water. When they awaken, Korra reveals that Unalaq has destroyed Raava, severing her connection to her previous lives and rendering her the last Avatar. While Korra grieves over the loss of her past lives' wisdom, Tenzin uses the wisdom Aang imparted to him on letting his attachment to his wrong perception of himself go, and encourages her by stating that she has power beyond the Avatar Spirit.



He takes her to the Tree of Time, explaining that before it held Vaatu, it purposed as the location where the ancients would meditate to connect with the cosmic energy of the universe. Inside, Korra sees her memories portrayed by the tree's power. Tenzin explains that the tree "remembers all", and it is said that its roots bind the spirit and physical worlds together. Tenzin explains to Korra that she is not defined by Raava, but by her "inner spirit", referencing her strong and unyielding personality. The tree projects memories of Avatar Wan, whom Tenzin points out to be just a regular person before fusing with Raava, and that Wan became a legend because of his character, and not because of Raava's influence. Upon spotting an image of Unalaq assaulting Republic City, Tenzin encourages Korra to connect to the cosmic energy by bending the energy within herself.

Korra spots memories of Raava explaining to Wan the nature of light and darkness — that one cannot exist without the other, and that should either Vaatu or Raava be destroyed, either spirit would eventually be reborn inside the other. With this knowledge, Korra meditates and energybends her spirit out of her body to form a giant astral projection of herself, and she transports to Republic City using the spirit lights.

Back in Republic City, Unavaatu continues to lay waste, until Korra's spirit appears from the sky and rams him, knocking him over in the bay. He rises and unleashes an energy blast; however, Korra summons a beam of her own which overpowers him, blasting him back. Unavaatu tries to subdue Korra with his tendrils, but Korra is able to grab a hold of them allowing her to gain the upper hand and subsequently slams Unavaatu into a nearby mountain. Pinning down Unavaatu, Korra frantically searches for Raava inside his body, but to no avail. Korra becomes disheartened, giving Unavaatu an opportunity to entangle her with his tendrils, proclaiming that the light spirit is no more, and strikes her with a close-ranged energy blast.

In the Spirit World, a horde of dark spirits advance toward the Tree of Time. Mako realizes that they have come for Korra's defenseless body, Team Avatar repels them. One dark spirit eventually catches Bolin by the leg and begins to drag him away, but is halted and destroyed by Desna and Eska, had decided to turn against their father and come to his rescue.



Unavaatu begins corrupting Korra's spirit using his spiritual waterbending technique. As the dark energy engulfs her, a bright light falls from the sky. Ikki, watching the battle from Air Temple Island with her mother and brother, peers through a telescope and sees that the light is Jinora. Pema acquires the telescope to verify the identity of the observed light and loudly cheers on her firstborn, telling her to be careful. The spiritual projection of Jinora carries a small orb of light, and when she releases it, she showers her surroundings in a brilliant glow, breaking Unavaatu's concentration, freeing Korra's spirit, and illuminating a small orb of light deep inside Unavaatu.

Korra, realizing that it is Raava, beats Unalaq into submission, rips the light spirit out of his chest, and purifies Unavaatu, who vanishes in a swirl of golden energy. Raava, after being freed, warns Korra that Harmonic Convergence is almost over and that they must reunite before it ends. Korra's spirit gathers Raava and Jinora in her hands and leaves Republic City by jumping up toward the spirit lights, back to the Spirit World.

Meanwhile, Team Avatar, with the addition of Eska and Desna, are pushed back by the frenzied dark spirits inside the Tree of Time's hollow in a desperate attempt to protect Korra's still-unconscious body. Suddenly, in a flash of light, Korra's astral projection appears from the overlapped spirit portals, dissipating all the dark spirits as she lands on them. Korra's projection releases Raava and Jinora. The young airbender's spirit floats toward her father, stating that she will see him again soon and dissipates. Jinora's spirit returns to her physical body, where she finds herself in the Southern Water Tribe compound with Katara, Asami, Tonraq, and Senna, whom she informs that their allies are safe, and that Korra had saved the world.



Korra's projection dissipates as well, and as her spirit has completely returned to her body, Korra emerges from the Tree of Time. Raava floats by Korra, prompting the Avatar to ride on her, and sets course for the overlapping spirit portals. Seconds before the portals separate again, Korra touches the energy beam, merging herself and Raava to recreate the Avatar Spirit. The spirit lights covering the planet disappear. Korra is approached by her friends, who congratulate her for her accomplishment. Korra apologizes to Desna and Eska for failing to save their father because of his bond with Vaatu. To her surprise, her cousins state that they will not miss their father due to his misdeeds, calling him a "deplorable man". Bolin interjects the conversation, inviting Eska to move to Republic City to be with him. He even allows Desna to move in as well, upon Eska's initial refusal. Although, the Water Tribe princess declines again and explains that she and her brother must return home. She tells Bolin that he will always have a special place in "the organ that pumps [her] blood" and says goodbye to her "turtle duck".



As Tenzin and Korra head to the Northern portal to seal it, the former asks the Avatar if she has also restored the connection to her past lives. Korra sadly concludes that she believes that link to be gone forever. As she moves to close the portal, she hesitates, wondering if Unalaq had been correct in regards to humans and spirits living together in harmony. Tenzin expresses his faith in Korra's judgment, explaining that, being the Avatar, she has the power and ability to decide.

Back at the Southern Water Tribe, Korra and Mako talk privately at the Southern palace. He confesses the truth about their fight, and Korra admits that being in the Tree of Time brought that part of her memory back to her, though wonders why he had lied in the first place. Mako explains that he kept the fight a secret because he did not want to hurt her again, and that he wished it had never happened. She replies that they have different goals in their lives and that their relationship will never work. They share one final kiss, and express that they will always love each other.



Korra delivers a speech in front of her countrymen, announcing that the Water Tribe Civil War has officially ended and declares that the Southern Water Tribe is now independent from the North, but that the tribes will remain allies. She continues to say that the Council of Elders has voted Tonraq to be the tribe's new chief, and that she has left both portals open so humans and spirits can live harmoniously. She asserts that though she renounces the Avatar's status as the bridge between spirits and humanity, she will continue to use Raava's light spirit to bring peace and balance. She ends her speech by stating that the shift in the planet's energy due to the Harmonic Convergence has ushered the world into a new age, as spirits of various forms and colors roam the skies above.

Credits

 * Written by:
 * Michael Dante DiMartino


 * Directed by:
 * Ian Graham


 * Starring:
 * Janet Varney - Korra
 * David Faustino - Mako
 * P. J. Byrne - Bolin
 * J. K. Simmons - Tenzin
 * Adrian LaTourelle:
 * Unalaq
 * Unavaatu (simultaneous performance with Jonathan Adams)
 * Seychelle Gabriel - Asami
 * Jeff Bennett - Radio broadcaster
 * Richard Riehle - Bumi
 * Aubrey Plaza - Eska
 * Aaron Himelstein - Desna
 * Lisa Edelstein - Kya
 * John Michael Higgins - Varrick
 * Mindy Sterling - Beifong
 * Kiernan Shipka - Jinora


 * Also starring:
 * Darcy Rose Byrnes - Ikki
 * Logan Wells - Meelo
 * Jonathan Adams:
 * Vaatu
 * Unavaatu (simultaneous performance with Adrian LaTourelle)
 * Dante Basco - General Iroh
 * April Stewart - Raava
 * Spencer Garrett - President Raiko
 * Steven Yeun - Wan
 * Maria Bamford - Pema
 * Dee Bradley Baker - Bum-Ju

Series continuity

 * The title is a callback to Unalaq's advice to Korra in "The Southern Lights" on how to open the Southern spirit portal.
 * Korra's vision of her spiritual self in space is the same as Aang had when he was opening his chakras in order to gain control over the Avatar State in "The Guru".
 * Korra asks Tenzin for advice on what to do, and his response that he would support her whatever decision she made, is similar to Korra and Mako's conversation in "Rebel Spirit".
 * Tenzin telling Korra to bend not the elements, but her own energy, mirrors the advice that the lion turtle gave Aang in "Sozin's Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang".
 * Bolin's declaration of love to Eska after she saves him from a dark spirit mirrors his declaration to Mako upon being saved from an Equalist in "The Revelation", right down to his hand gestures.
 * Korra tells the Dark Avatar to go in peace after pacifying him, just as Unalaq did right after first demonstrating his spiritual cleansing technique in "Rebel Spirit".
 * Korra's speech to the Southern Water Tribe about her role as the Avatar mirrors Wan's at the end of "Beginnings, Part 2".

Goofs

 * When Bumi carries Mako and Bolin through the spirit portal, Mako's gloves disappear.
 * While Korra is meditating inside the Tree of Time, her position changes.

Trivia

 * On November 15, 2013, Korra Nation challenged fans to reblog a short video posted by Janet Varney on their Tumblr ten thousand times within twelve hours of its posting; if they did so, "Light in the Dark" and "Darkness Falls" would be available on Nick.com at midnight that same night. The task was completed by Korra fans within two hours, thus prompting the unlocking of the episodes.
 * The large-scale battle between Korra's astral projection and the Dark Avatar evokes movies such as Clash of the Titans, Pacific Rim, and Godzilla.
 * When Mako, Tenzin, Kya, and Bolin are trying to ward off the frenzied spirits, they bend the elements in the order in which they appear in the Avatar Cycle: fire (lightning), air, water, and earth, respectively.
 * This is the second time in the franchise this has happened, the first time being during the confrontation at Tu Zin.
 * This is the first episode of The Legend of Korra in which Katara appears without any lines and the second overall after "Appa's Lost Days".