Lin Beifong's relationships

This page is comprised of Lin Beifong's relationships with other characters in the Avatar World. Lin is a direct, uncompromising, strict, and occasionally hot-headed woman. As the former Chief of the Metalbending Police Force, she regards the city's welfare as her top priority, and her goal is to end all criminal activity in Republic City.

Toph Beifong
"You're talking to her. I'm Chief Beifong."

"Wait, Beifong? Lin Beifong? You're Toph's daughter!"

"What of it?" "Well then, why are you treating me like a criminal? Avatar Aang and your mother were friends. They saved the world together." — Lin Beifong and Korra after Korra was arrested after first arriving in Republic City in "Welcome to Republic City".

Lin is the only known child of Toph Beifong and has inherited her mother's strong and powerful earthbending skills. As the earthbending prodigy's daughter, she was trained in all the various skills and techniques of earthbending, including metalbending and seismic sense. With Toph having passed away, Lin continued her mother's duty as the Chief of the Metalbending Police Force.

Lin and Toph share certain similarities, such as a tough and straightforward attitude. Toph also did not let Aang's status as the Avatar affect her judgment, just as Lin refused to compromise and give Korra special treatment when the girl was arrested for damages to the city. A notable difference, though, is that Toph was quite relaxed about rules, albeit only during her childhood, whereas Lin rigidly follows and enforces them. However, Lin has shown that she is willing to break the rules when the people she cares about are in jeopardy.

Korra
"You alright?"

"Fine, thanks to you."

"Don't mention it, kid." — Lin Beifong and Korra after the former saved the latter in "And the Winner Is...".



When she held the position as the city's police chief, Lin was uncompromising in her duty of stopping crime and protecting the citizens of Republic City. As such, she immediately disliked Korra when the young Avatar flagrantly destroyed public and private property, and caused a great deal of collateral damage during her battle against three members of the criminal Triple Threat Triad, despite having assisted in their apprehension. Korra's stunt at evading arrest also did little to impress Lin, who asserted that the Avatar's style of "vigilante justice" had no place in her city. It was clear her opinion of the Avatar had not changed with her attendance of Tarrlok's gala at City Hall, where Lin stated outright that Korra had done "nothing to deserve" the praise of the city.

When the Fire Ferrets arrived at City Hall to protest against the United Republic Council's stance of appeasing Amon's request and closing down the Pro-bending Arena, Lin agreed with the team, affirming that it was "time the benders of this city displayed some strength and unity" against the Equalist threat, much to Korra's surprise. While guarding the arena alongside her fellow metalbending officers and Tenzin, she noted how different Korra was from Aang, stating that Korra was "tough as nails" compared to the previous Avatar. In turn, Tenzin stressed that Lin and Korra were similar in that regard, and would get along if Lin would give her another chance. When the Equalists attacked and Korra attempted to pursue Amon, Lin came to her aid, propelling her to the roof using her metalbending, thus allowing her to intercept the escaping Equalists. Lin was also a key combatant in the battle on the arena's rooftop against Lieutenant and his lackeys. Korra came to the rescue of an electocuted Lin, and the latter then used her metal cables to take down two Equalist chi blockers that were approaching Korra.

Though her goal was to leave Korra after evening the odds in order to infiltrate the Equalist airship, Lin reacted quickly to save the Avatar from falling to her death through the glass dome of the Pro-bending Arena, revealing that she was concerned for the Avatar's safety more than her duty of pursuing Amon. After witnessing how she had handled herself against the Equalists, Lin came to respect Korra and at least take her opinion into consideration. Following her capture by Amon, Lin was given a chance to keep her bending if she told Amon where Korra was. Lin refused, and Amon took her bending away. Following Korra's access of her spiritual nature, and regaining her own bending from the spirit of Aang, Korra used energybending to restore Lin's own bending abilities, for which she was grateful.

Metalbending officers
"'I'm not giving up. I'm going to find my officers and take Amon down.' — Lin to Tenzin in 'The Aftermath'."



Lin is the daughter of Toph, the founder of the Metalbending Police Force, and so has always had a connection to the law. At some point, Lin joined the force and became the Chief of Police, following in her mother's footsteps. Lin only recruited the most superior metalbenders into her force. When Saikhan became a police officer, she saw potential in him and took him under her wing. Under her tutelage, he managed to rise in the ranks and eventually became her right-hand man. Acts like this have earned Lin the deep respect of many of her men.

After several officers were captured during the fight between Hiroshi Sato and the Metalbending Police Force, Lin stated that she was going to resign from her position as Chief of Police in order to rescue the officers "her way", outside of the law. This further proves that Lin has a strong bond with the rest of the police officers.

Pema
"So, Pema stole you from Beifong. I'm surprised our "esteemed chief of police" didn't throw her in jail."

"Oh, she tried." — Korra and Tenzin about the latter's past relationship with Lin in "And the Winner Is...".

With Lin and Tenzin's relationship growing cold, Pema used this as an opportunity to confess her love to Tenzin, which culminated in marriage. Tenzin claimed that Lin tried to imprison Pema, but failed, implying a hostile relationship between the two women. Years later, Lin appeared to be on civil terms with Pema prior to the Equalist attack on Air Temple Island, accepting the duties of helping Pema and her family, and was even visibly concerned when Pema underwent labor during the attack.

Saikhan
"'It was an honor serving under Chief Beifong for so many years and I wish her a speedy recovery.' — Saikhan in 'When Extremes Meet'."



Saikhan was Lin's right-hand man when she was chief, and also captain of the Metalbending Police Force. Under Lin's tutelage, he rose swiftly in rank, and because of this, he holds her in high regard. Lin trusted Saikhan to the extent where she appointed him as her successor as Chief of Police following her resignation after the Battle at the Equalist factory.

Tenzin's children
"'Nice work, kids.' — Lin Beifong to the children after they saved her from invading Equalists in 'Turning the Tides'."



Lin was friendly not only with Tenzin and his wife, but also with their children: Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo. She did not hesitate to protect Air Temple Island and the kids from the Equalists while Tenzin arranged to meet with the other council members, although she only halfheartedly agreed to bathe Meelo. While the island was under attack, Lin was protective of the children, telling them to hide inside the women's quarters during the assault. However, when Lin was in danger of being captured by the Lieutenant, the children came to her rescue and defeated the intruders with airbending. Later, when the Equalists began pursuing Tenzin and his family, who were escaping on Oogi, Lin came along and even prevented the Equalist airships from capturing the family by launching herself onto the airships and trying to destroy them. She willingly to let herself be captured and have her bending stripped away by Amon. As Tenzin's family went into exile, Meelo acknowledged Lin as his hero.

Tenzin
"I need to protect my family, and get them as far away from this conflict as possible. If Amon got his hands on my children, I hate to even think of it."

"If you're leaving, then I'm going with you."

"But-"

"No arguments. You and your family are the last airbenders. There's no way in the world I'm letting Amon take your bending away." — Tenzin and Lin Beifong in "Turning the Tides".



Lin and Tenzin seem to have a distant, yet professional relationship. They interact contentiously, but she seems to warm up to him at times. She is not so inflexible or unreasonable as to refuse Tenzin's request to let Korra off with a warning at their first meeting. As the past Avatar's son and Toph's daughter, Tenzin and Lin knew each other since they were children. At some point, they had a romantic relationship, but it began to falter when Tenzin realized they had "different goals", according to him; one of which was Lin's lack of interest toward having children unlike Tenzin. Pema confessed her love to Tenzin while he was still with Lin, resulting in him breaking off his relationship with the earthbender, and Lin trying to get Pema jailed, albeit unsuccessfully. Since then, their own priorities in life continued to draw them apart, causing their interactions to become somewhat strained. As noted by Korra, Lin appears to still have some unresolved feelings for Tenzin. On the night of the Pro-bending Championship Tournament match, Tenzin requested they call a truce, to which Lin vaguely brought up their old relation and agreed. When they were both caught off guard during the match and stunned by Equalists, Lin's first action upon recovering was to check on Tenzin. When the Equalists invaded Air Temple Island, Lin fought them off to protect Tenzin's family. They left the island on Oogi but were soon pursued by Equalist airships. She saved the airbenders by using metalbending to destroy one of the airships. However, she was defeated by surrounding Equalists and later lost her bending to Amon.

However even Lin's sacrifice was not enough to save the airbenders, and they were captured and later broken free by Korra. Lin Beifong also attended to Korra's healing session with Katara, however it was unsuccessful. Afterwards Korra was visited by Avatar Aang, who gave her back her bending. Later, Tenzin was present when Korra restored Lin's bending again, appearing shocked but proud.

Amon
"Tell me where the Avatar is and I'll let you keep your bending."

"I won't tell you anything, you monster!"

"Very well." — Amon and Lin before he strips her of her earthbending in "Turning the Tides".



As former Chief of Police, Lin acknowledges Amon as a threat to the safety of Republic City's citizens. When the Pro-bending Tournament was sabotaged by the Equalists, she was rendered unconscious while Amon staged his speech. When she awoke, she pursued him and aided Korra in battling the Lieutenant, as well as a few chi blockers. After the battle, she expressed regret at falling for his plan.

When she was captured and taken to Amon himself, he ordered that she tell him of the Avatar's whereabouts; in exchange, she would be permitted to keep her bending. Lin, however, refused to reveal anything, subsequently losing her earthbending and metalbending abilities with her defiance. Following Korra's access of her spiritual nature and regaining of her own bending from Aang's spirit, the Avatar used energybending to restore Lin's bending abilities.

Hiroshi Sato
"'That source was a setup! You lured us down here.' — Lin Beifong to Hiroshi Sato in 'The Aftermath'."

When Korra stated her suspicions of Hiroshi being affiliated with the Equalists, Lin remarked that the successful businessman did have the means and the motive, helping Tenzin explain Hiroshi's history. She, her metalbending police officers, Korra, and Tenzin executed a search of the Sato estate, after having received a tip that a secret factory was located directly below the mansion; this venture led to the discovery that Hiroshi was a member of the Equalist organization. Having learned that he was affiliated Amon and the Equalists, Lin viewed him as another enemy that threatened the safety of Republic City's citizens.

Tarrlok
"'Chief Beifong was supposed to protect Republic City, but she was powerless to stop Amon's attack on the arena. She has failed us all.' — Tarrlok about Lin in a conference in 'The Aftermath'."

As the United Republic Council prepared to cancel the Pro-bending Tournament Finals after Amon's threat on the arena, Chief Beifong interfered and convinced the Council to keep the arena open. She promised that the Metalbending Police Force would be able to protect the arena from any Equalist attack. Tarrlok then asked Lin if she would personally accept responsibility for anything that happened during the finals, to which she agreed. Tenzin then remarked that Tarrlok did not have Lin's best interest in mind, telling her that he was playing her.

Ultimately, it was shown that Tarrlok made Lin a scapegoat if anything bad happened in the arena: After failing to protect the Pro-bending Arena from the Equalists' attack, Councilman Tarrlok publicly stated at a press conference that Chief Beifong had failed Republic City, and that new leadership was needed. Later, on the way to Hiroshi Sato's estate after receiving a tip that he was manufacturing weapons for the Equalists, Tenzin and Lin realized that if their search proved wrong, Lin would lose her job as Chief of Police. After losing many of her officers during the Battle at the Equalist factory, she resigned as Chief of Police in order to rescue her officers without the law's limitations. Tarrlok began manipulating Chief Saikhan to carry out his desired laws, stifling anyone in his way, including the new Team Avatar. Korra confronted Tarrlok about releasing her friends and told him that what he was doing made him "just as bad as Amon." Enraged, the councilman attacked the Avatar with waterbending, but Korra soon gained the upper hand. Out of a water source and sensing his defeat, Tarrlok bloodbent her into submission and took her to his mountain hideout, far away from Republic City. To cover up Korra's absence, the waterbender planted fake evidence of an Equalist attack. Lin, Tenzin, and the rest of Team Avatar left to look for Korra in an underground Equalist prison, finding only the captured officers, who had already been stripped of their ability to bend by Amon. They deduced that it was actually Tarrlok who had kidnapped Korra and framed the Equalists. Quickly, they ran back to City Hall and confronted the chairman. At first, the waterbender denied the accusations. However, his servant intervened, telling them he had seen Tarrlok lock Korra in his truck. Lin asked the page why he waited until then to confess the news, to which the page revealed that it was because of Tarrlok's bloodbending powers. Lin, Tenzin, and Team Avatar attempted to attack him, but he bloodbent them to unconsciousness and fled the scene before they could do so.