Bolin

"earth"

- Maybe I just can't turn my back on people when they're down!

Bolin is an earthbender from a multicultural family. He grew up on the streets of Republic City under the protection of his older brother, Mako, after their parents were murdered by a firebender. Eventually, he and his brother founded a pro-bending team, the Fire Ferrets, that would later include Avatar Korra. After the Pro-bending Tournament ended, Bolin joined Team Avatar in an attempt to stop the Equalist organization. In the following months, Bolin became friends with the Southern Water Tribe industrialist Varrick and starred in The Adventures of Nuktuk: Hero of the South, a propaganda film series created by Varrick in an attempt to drum up support for the Southern Tribe within Republic City during the Water Tribe Civil War. After reuniting with Team Avatar, Bolin attempted to help his friends stop Chief Unalaq from merging with Vaatu, the spirit of darkness, during Harmonic Convergence.

Early life
Bolin was born to a multicultural family in Republic City two years after Mako; his father, San, was from the Earth Kingdom, and his mother was from the Fire Nation. Sometime after learning earthbending, inspired by Toph Beifong, the creator of metalbending, Bolin attempted to learn it himself but never succeeded. At the young age of six, he lost his parents to a firebending mugger, leaving Mako as his only family. To survive, Bolin was heavily dependent upon his brother, who as the oldest, took on a parental role. To generate some form of income, the brothers initially ran small-time scams on the streets of Republic City during their youth and, for a time, also consorted with the Triple Threat Triad.



One day in 167 AG, during Bolin's involvement with the Triple Threat Triad, the fourteen-year-old earthbender and his brother attempted to pull off a scam on an elderly woman. After Mako snatched the lady's purse, Bolin posed as rescuer and retrieved the item after pretending to fight for it with his brother. The woman gave him only two yuans, infuriating Bolin and prompting him to steal a loaf of bread from her as well. He returned to Mako with the bread and gave some to him, attesting that it tasted better than what they had consumed the day before, even though they had not eaten anything that day.

Later that evening, Bolin 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, believing Toza should be happy about receiving the bribe. Afterward, Shin told them that if they did not acquire enough bets to recover the ten thousand yuans given to Toza, he would abandon Bolin and Mako on the streets, after which the two brothers speedily departed.

As the brothers collected bets for the match at a local pet shop, they found that a fire ferret was trying to escape. It ran onto Bolin's head but was quickly reeled in by its owner, Mr. Feng, who thanked the earthbender for catching him. The owner told Bolin that the ferret would be fed to his pythonaconda, much to Bolin's dismay. He asked Mako if they could buy him for five yuans, but the firebender denied the request because they could not afford to feed him, and that Bolin needed to realize that larger animals consumed those smaller than them. While his older brother collected the owner's bet, Bolin noticed Toza signing autographs. He walked up to the pro-bender, who quickly recognized him as one of the Triple Threat's workers. Bolin tried to tell Toza that he did not need to throw the match because "he [was] the best", but Toza brushed him off, remarking that he was no longer an apt competitor, and that he needed the money. The earthbender sadly watched his idol walk away before Mako chastised him. Bolin angrily responded that he was not as mean as his brother and could not turn his back on those who were down.



That night, Bolin broke into the pet store in an attempt to rescue the fire ferret. He opened his cage and it appeared as if the two would get away easily. However, the pythonaconda came out from the cage and wrapped itself around Bolin. Just as the snake was about to choke him, Mako arrived and unwrapped the serpent, stuffing it back into the cage, while Bolin spun around and stumbled over a few boxes. When Mako told him that he had a knack for getting into stupid situations, Bolin agreed and thanked his brother for saving him. Still, the earthbender refused to leave the pet shop without the ferret. Mako agreed to keep it, but the money to take care of it would come from Bolin's half. A happy Bolin left the shop with his brother and the ferret, whom he named Pabu, saying that he got the idea for the name while the pythonaconda was strangling him. Soon, the pair became close friends, constantly playing practical jokes on Mako.



The following night, Bolin attended Toza's match with his brother, Shady Shin and Lightning Bolt Zolt. Initially the young earthbender disheartened witnessed the match, seeing his favorite pro-bender beaten and pushed around without resistance. However, when Toza suddenly turned the tide and defeated his opponents single-handedly, Bolin was overjoyed, loudly telling his brother that he had told Toza not to give up. However, Shady Shin overheard the conversation, enraged about its content. Bolin briefly tried to calm Shin down by saying that "there [were surely] other factors", but he escaped with his brother, causing the mobster to chase after them. The siblings eventually escaped into a gym, but soon Shin and two other gangsters found them. During the following fierce fight, Shin almost overcame Bolin's defenses, before he was interrupted by Toza. The pro-bender came to help the siblings, effectively bringing the battle to a standstill. However, Zolt entered the gym and brought the duel to an end. After a short conversation between the criminals and Toza, the pro-bender, having witnessed their skill, offered Mako and Bolin a home in the arena and to train them in pro-bending. The young earthbender enthusiastically asked his brother if they could accept the offer, and after some initial insecurity, he agreed. Bolin suggested to celebrate the fact that they were no longer criminals, prompting Mako to remind his brother that they had to save their money. Bolin, however, revealed that he had bet everything they had on the Boar-q-pines, because he had a "good feeling" about it, thus winning lots of money.

Some time later, Bolin, along with Mako and Hasook, formed a pro-bending team called the Fire Ferrets, which competed in Republic City's Pro-bending Tournament.

170 AG


At the age of sixteen, Bolin became infatuated with Avatar Korra from the first moment he saw her at the Pro-bending Arena. He immediately befriended her and showed her some pro-bending tricks. He was thrilled when she helped the Fire Ferrets to reach the Championship Tournament and join the team on a more permanent base. When the team needed to come up with the thirty thousand yuans to enter the Championship, Bolin accepted Shady Shin's offer to do some muscle work for the Triple Threat Triad. He was kidnapped along with four other triad members and taken before Amon to have his bending removed. Before that could happen, though, he was rescued by Mako and Korra.

Grateful for his rescue, Bolin decided to make a move on Korra and took her on a date, although the Avatar did not share his romantic feelings. The romantic tensions were tampering with the Fire Ferrets' effectiveness during the Tournament, though they managed to reach the finale regardless. 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 Bolin and Mako 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 Bolin 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 that Korra had been kidnapped. Together with Tenzin, they all set out on a search for the Avatar, during which Bolin accidentally let slip to Asami that Mako and Korra had shared a kiss.

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.



However, after General Iroh too proved to be no match for the Equalists machines, the team split up, and Bolin accompanied Asami and Iroh to the Equalist airfield in order to stop more planes from taking off. Their attempt was cut short as they were captured rather quickly, though with the help of Naga, they managed to escape and destroy the airfield nonetheless, as well as capture Hiroshi Sato.

171 AG
Six months after the defeat of Amon and the end of the Anti-bending Revolution, things were looking up for Bolin and his brother. Bolin became the new captain of the Fire Ferrets, and using his earnings and Mako's, the bending brothers acquired a decent apartment in Republic City. After the Fire Ferrets were defeated numerous times, Bolin hoped to give an inspirational speech to his fellow team members, but he seemed to doubt himself afterward. As soon as his team entered the ring, they were knocked out in the fastest defeat in pro-bending history. Upset with the circumstances, Bolin wondered to himself where Mako was when he needed him.

Meeting Varrick
Days later, Bolin was invited to join Korra, Mako, Asami and Tenzin's family by traveling to the Glacier Spirits Festival at the Southern Water Tribe. He rode on a boat with all of them, and when he arrived at the docks, he was surprised that there were a lot of people waiting for them. However, upon expressing this belief out loud, Korra corrected him and showed him that the people were there for Unalaq, Desna, and Eska. He was immediately infatuated with the twins, until Korra informed him that Desna was male.



Later, Asami requested that Bolin accompany her into Varrick's ship so that she could create a deal that would help her save Future Industries. Bolin said he was a natural assistant, but Asami still told Bolin that he should not talk, to which he agreed. When Bolin and Asami entered, they found Varrick sitting on a pillow, surrounded by several people. Varrick asked the earthbender what he thought of the businessman's levitation, but Bolin responded that he had not been levitating, causing shock throughout the room. The entrepreneur approached Bolin, seemingly angry, questioning what Bolin had said, to which he repeated that Varrick had not been levitating. Varrick's attitude quickly changed and he asked aloud why nobody had bothered to tell him and fired his levitation instructor, Swami. Varrick told Bolin he liked him and invited him to look at his moving picture of an ostrich horse running. Bolin was very impressed, but Varrick declared it old news and instead showed off a girl working for him, Ginger. Shortly afterward, he made the deal with Asami, who hugged Bolin, agreeing that he was a natural assistant.

Becoming Eska's boyfriend


Bolin later attended the feasting part of the festival, where Unalaq made an announcement that the South had become spiritually unbalanced and that he planned to fix it in the future. After the feast, Bolin attempted to accompany Mako and Korra, but became annoyed with the two of them feeding each other and said he was going to try and make a move on Eska. He approached the twins, introduced himself to Eska and attempted to relate to the fact that she was from the Northern Water Tribe by saying that "north [was his] favorite direction". Desna did not seem to like this, but Eska said that she was amused and dragged him by the hood to go off and win her prizes.

Later that night, the area Bolin was sleeping in was disturbed by a dark spirit that attacked the area. This caused Bolin to wake up, and he attempted to fight it with Mako and Korra, but the three of them had no success. Their efforts were soon aided by Tonraq, Korra's father, and later Tenzin, but all of their efforts proved futile until Unalaq entered and used a special waterbending technique that spiraled around the spirit, causing the water and the spirit to glow, and moments later the spirit vanished.



Given a snowmobile and new gear by Varrick, Bolin accompanied Korra, Unalaq, Tonraq, the twins and Mako to the southern tundra so that the Avatar could open a portal to the spirit realm. After meeting up with the group, Eska inquired as to whether the sidecar of the snowmobile could hold two passengers, with Bolin giving a definite yes. He was less than amused afterward as the waterbender brought her brother along for the ride. That evening, the group sought cover in a cave for the night. Prior to turning in, Bolin became uncomfortable when Unalaq explained the situation regarding the dark spirits, as he did not like to hear ghost stories. He scooted closer to Eska, who promised to protect him, labeling him her "feeble turtle duck".

On their way to the site, the group was set upon by dark spirits, one of which sabotaged the motor of Bolin's vehicle, causing him to lose control. As the snowmobile headed for a mountainside, the twins pulled the earthbender out of the driver's seat. As they dropped him on the ground, his special snowsuit inflated to cushion the impact, and he slid down the rest of slope. Arriving at the bottom, Bolin asked for someone to deflate the suit, with Eska complying by puncturing the suit with three ice spikes. With his snowmobile destroyed, Bolin was pulled the rest of the way by Desna and Eska's arctic camel, while he sat in the wreck of the snowmobile.

When Korra returned from opening the portal, Bolin welcomed her back with a hug. However, his action was interrupted and halted by Eska, who waterbent an ice wall between him and her cousin. She pulled him back to her, asking why he was initiating physical contact with another woman. Bolin smiled nervously, and Eska dropped him to the ground and walked away with her brother.

An unbearable relationship


The party returned to the Southern Water Tribe, arriving to find the Northern forces occupying the city. As the occupation sat in, Eska continued to treat Bolin more and more as a manservant as he chauffeured the Water Tribe twins on a rickshaw cart. As the three and Pabu arrived at their destination, Bolin sarcastically commented to Eska that he will miss her after she left, but much to his dismay, Eska revealed her plan to move back to the North with Bolin, where they would live together in "icy bliss". As the twins part his company, Bolin ran up to Mako, pleading his brother not to let Eska take him away. Mako suggested that he break up with Eska.

However, this was easier said than done, as every time he brought up the subject, Eska threatened to freeze him in a block of ice and feed him to dolphin-piranhas. Accompanying the twins on a double-date with Mako and Korra, Bolin despaired his troubles as soon as the twins were out of earshot and futilely pleaded Korra to help him.

The next day, Bolin chose to hide from Eska in Varrick's residence, when at the same time, his friend was late for wrapping up his deal with Asami. The room was searched by Desna and Eska, who claimed that Varrick was wanted for treason. As their search of the room turned up nothing, they left, but not before Eska ordered Bolin to grovel as she exited. Asami disapproved of how he easily kowtowed to her every whim and urged Bolin to stand up for himself. However, Varrick, revealed to be hiding in a stuffed platypus bear, told him he should instead flee.



Varrick passed Bolin a wad of yuans for the purpose of bribing guards to release the captive rebels, suspecting that Unalaq had rigged the trial. Bolin, however, made the mistake of bribing two random spectators instead of Judge Hotah. As the trial progressed, Bolin attempted to object only to be ignored every time. During the recession, the earthbender once more attempted to break up with Eska, only for his attempt to backfire, as she decided to marry him at sunset and wrapped a betrothal necklace around his neck. She dragged him off, forcing him and Pabu to wear Northern Water Tribe robes.

Official breakup and escape from the South
Bolin and Pabu returned to their friends, who were plotting to break Tonraq and the rebels out of prison. While Korra, Mako and Asami infiltrated the prison where they were being held in, Bolin led the others to Varrick's yacht, the billionaire and his assistant, Zhu Li, hiding in the stuffed platypus bear. Bolin was stopped by Northern troops, asking if the platypus bear was licensed. Varrick caused a distraction by scattering money about, enabling them to get onto the yacht. Korra's party rejoined them, explaining that the prisoners were being transferred to the North. Bolin remained on the bridge with Varrick while the others took to the air on a biplane so Korra could waterbend the harbor blockade out of the way. After rescuing the prisoners and dropping them off to continue resistance against Unalaq, Bolin thanked Korra for making the breakup between him and Eska official. However, Varrick spotted an enraged Eska heading toward them and, at Bolin's urging, set full speed away from her.

Bolin's new calling


Upon arriving in Republic City, where Korra intended to get the United Forces to aid the South, news of civil war had already spread. While everyone had their own preoccupations for the day, Bolin was unsure of what to do, so Varrick decided to treat him to a night on the town. They attended the Pro-bending Arena as spectators and Bolin was personally interviewed by Shiro Shinobi, earning his fans' applause whenever he spoke of them or Republic City. After the interview, Varrick told him that he found his true calling.

The next day, after Varrick was done with his meeting with Korra and President Raiko, he returned to his yacht to show Bolin he could fire an arrow at his target blindfolded, only to miss several times, including nearly hitting Asami when she and Korra came on board to discuss their respective problems. Varrick began brainstorming by eating a hot pepper and hanging himself upside-down and hit an epiphany. He also proposed using his moving pictures as propaganda, with Bolin starring as Nuktuk, the hero character in the film.

Bolin returned to his and Mako's apartment to tell him of what their friends had planned. Mako deplored their plan before focusing on trying to identify one of the bombers of last night's attack on the Southern Water Tribe Cultural Center. Bolin indirectly helped by flipping a page of Mako's book, allowing him to identify the culprit.



Bolin later started up his acting career as he and Varrick started filming, though he criticized why his character would be wearing light clothing. Then suddenly, Korra came in, asking Bolin to watch Naga for her and Varrick for a speedboat, explaining that Raiko had found out about their plan and stopped her, so she intended to go to the Fire Nation to aid. She also wondered who could have tipped Raiko off, forcing Bolin to confess that he told Mako, prompting the Avatar to storm off to confront him.

Bolin attended the premiere of the Nuktuk film, which earned positive reception among the young audiences. Varrick predicted that their film series would eventually pressure Raiko into assisting the South. Bolin turned to Ginger and attempted to court her but she was obviously uninterested.

Bolin soon began enjoying the perks of being a star, as he redecorated his and Mako's apartment with a marble statue of himself that double as a hat stand and a hot tub. When Mako arrived home, he attempted to enlist his brother's aid in determining who is intercepting Future Industries shipments, Bolin spitefully refused, wanting to continue relaxing and to get back at his brother for refusing to help him in the past. Mako left, but not before spitefully firebending his tub's heater, causing it to erupt with hot steam, leaving Bolin in pain.



While doing another scene with Ginger, Bolin deviated from the script to kiss her instead of freeing her. Though initially disapproving, Varrick quickly changed his opinion to Bolin's on-set improvisation. Afterward, Bolin made another attempt at Ginger, but she coldly told him that her interest in him was only from her character to his, and not in real life as well, though Bolin appeared to be confused as to what the difference was.

The next day, Mako came by the set looking for Varrick, but Bolin refused to acknowledge him until he was addressed as Nuktuk. After a brief conversation, he excused himself to do another scene, in which Nuktuk was running to save Ginger, while explosions were going off behind him due to the use of pyrotechnics.



A few days later, Bolin shot a scene in which Nuktuk was captured and suspended upside down. However, even after the filming had ended, he was left hanging there, and it was in this position that he encountered Asami venturing on stage, who had been invited by Varrick to spectate the filming process. The duo was soon joined by Mako, who informed them of his suspicions about Varrick being the mastermind behind the attacks on Future Industries' warehouses. Protective over his new friend and producer, Bolin refused to believe his brother. When the firebender snapped at Asami for pointing out that he was stressed, Bolin calmly stated that Mako's stress level was exactly the reason why he had needed to move out. The earthbender quickly grew suspicious, however, when he noticed the closeness and brewing intimacy between Mako and Asami. Concluding that the two were dating again, he indignantly shouted out against it, pointing out that Korra had only been gone for a week. Mako and Asami refused to go deeper into the subject, and when Mako continued to incriminate Varrick, Bolin told his brother to just let it go, much to the annoyance of the firebender, who snapped at the earthbender.

Saving the president
On the night of the final Nuktuk mover, Bolin paid a visit to Mako in jail, who was accused of working with triads to steal from Future Industries. Though Mako insisted that Varrick framed him, Bolin thought he was pleading insanity. However, his brother warned that Varrick may be planning something at the finale, though Bolin did not take him seriously. He then left, promising to later bring him an attorney.



Arriving at the Pro-bending Arena with Ginger, Bolin grew excited when Shiro announced the both of them as a couple, to which Ginger criticized him for failing to see that they're only a couple in public. As the mover reached the part where Juji, Pabu's character, dies, Bolin gets up and goes outside. As Asami joins him, Bolin laments how broken Team Avatar has recently become. As Asami returned inside, Bolin spotted a boat docked nearby, before discovering Detectives Lu and Gang bound and gagged in a locker, warning that waterbenders are after President Raiko. Bolin manages to save Raiko and his wife from being kidnapped and engaged the waterbenders on the pro-bending floor. When he knocks out all but one, he manages to get his opponent to confess that Varrick was the mastermind behind this attempt.

While Varrick is arrested, Bolin is lauded as a hero, in which Ginger runs up an kisses him, to his confusion. Just then, Korra arrives with Tenzin and his family, appealing to Raiko for military aid to the South, explaining that Unalaq was planning on unleashing the dark spirit Vaatu, who would destroy the world. However, Raiko once again refused, believing it best to hold the United Forces to defend the United Republic. Bolin attempted to sway him, quoting a line from his mover, but Raiko, though grateful to the young earthbender for saving his life, would not be swayed. Bolin then immediately regretted saving him in the first place.

Bolin then returns to police headquarters to see his brother released and reconciles with him. He then was surprised to see Korra run up and kiss Mako, unaware he was recently seeing Asami, as she explains that a dark spirit wiped away most of her memory, including their recent fight. They then get onto the subject of how to break through to the South Pole. Bolin brought everyone before Varrick, who provided them with his battleship, the Zhu Li, which held all of Future Industries' machines.

Harmonic Convergence
En route to the South Pole, Bolin quickly took to the luxuries aboard the Zhu Li, but lost the back of his pants in a catgator tank. He then asked Mako whether to inform Korra about their breakup, reminding his brother of his previous advice regarding his breakup with Eska. However, Mako hesitated after witnessing Korra firebend a practice dummy's head off.



Arriving at the White Lotus compound, the party discussed how to break through to the spirit portal. Asami came up with a plan for them to attack by air. She, Mako and Bolin rode a biplane in the assault. Bolin earthbent a number of explosives against mecha tanks and remotely detonated them; he remarked that if Varrick were there, they'd be able to caption Nuktuk as a sky hero. Soon Desna and Eska joined the fighting and crippled the trio's biplane, causing it to crash, and captured them. They were soon freed by Bumi, Naga and Pabu, and they continued onto the spirit portal. As Korra devised a plan to stop Unalaq and Vaatu, Bolin asked whether they'd face a worst-case scenario where she fails and they all get trapped in the Spirit World, the Avatar said that it'd be an honor to fight beside them. They then entered the Spirit World. While Tenzin, Kya and Bumi went searching for Jinora, Mako and Bolin fought against Unalaq while Korra closed the Southern portal. Ultimately, the brothers were beaten, as the Harmonic Convergence freed Vaatu from the Tree of Time.

Korra used firebending to separate Unalaq and Vaatu before airbending her uncle back through the portal, and ordered both Mako and Bolin to keep him out of the Spirit World. The two brothers briefly held off the Northern Chief for a time before being ambushed by Desna and Eska, enabling Unalaq to re-enter the portal. The brothers managed to escape and followed the waterbender back through the portal, but they barely made a few steps before being encased in ice by the twins, and thus helplessly witnessed Unalaq succeed in merging with Vaatu, becoming the Dark Avatar. While Mako failed to reason with the twins, Bolin, emotionally distraught about the end of the world, admitted his regret over not marrying Eska. Shocked by this, Eska demanded to know why Bolin ran away, to which he simply stated he was afraid of his feelings. Finding Bolin's words true, she kissed him and let the brothers go free. While Mako believed it to be an act by Bolin, Bolin realized that he truly meant it all. They returned to the physical world and rushed to aid Korra as the Dark Avatar ripped the light spirit Raava right out of her, but were too late to save the light spirit. As they helped Korra up, the three were witness to Unalaq transforming into a massive dark spirit and reached toward the spirit lights and vanished, causing a shockwave that knocked them out.



The trio were recovered by Tenzin and his siblings, who brought them back to the Spirit World to use spirit water to heal them. As Korra explained her failure to save Raava, Bolin asks if she could ask one of her past lives for advice, to which she says that she had lost that connection. However, Tenzin assured Korra that there was still hope and guided her into the Tree of Time. The group were then witness to Korra's spirit manifesting to giant size and vanishing through the combined spirit portal. They then spotted a horde of dark spirits attempting to attack Korra's body, so the group fought in her defense. In the midst of the fighting, Bolin was snagged by the leg but was saved by Desna and Eska. Bolin proclaimed his love for Eska and kissed her on the cheek. But eventually the dark spirits started to overwhelm them, forcing the party into the Tree of Time's hollow. Thankfully, Korra's spirit, Raava and Jinora returned, causing the dark spirits to vanish in a bright light. The party were then witness to Korra re-fusing with Raava, recreating the Avatar Spirit.

After Korra addressed her cousins over Unalaq's demise, Bolin walks up to Eska and suggests that she move back with him to Republic City, only for her to decline. Thinking that she would not want to leave her brother, Bolin agrees that Desna can join her. However, Eska clarified that she and Desna had to return home and confessed that she was only caught up in the moment when she kissed him, but promised that he would have a special place "in the organ that pumps [her] blood".

Returning to the physical world after Korra decided to keep the spirit portals open, Bolin gave Mako a hug after he and Korra parted on good terms.

An unexpected discovery


The Dark Avatar's rampage on Republic City left Bolin and Mako's apartment covered in vines. As a result, Tenzin invited the brothers to live on Air Temple Island, but only the earthbender accepted; Mako chose to stay at the police station.

One night, at dinner with Korra and Tenzin's family, Bolin informed Korra and Asami of Mako's decision and Bumi's claims of being able to airbend. As Bumi had only airbent previously when he was in danger, he requested that Bolin bend a boulder at him, but he thought this to not be a good idea. When the retired commander did airbend, Bolin, like everyone else, was left in shock. The next day, he watched as Bumi again tried to airbend, but to no avail.

Bolin and Lin Beifong later watched as Korra attempted to clear away the vines with spiritual cleansing. When the vines regenerated, the two earthbenders raised a large slab of rock to keep a building from collapsing. After Korra eased the situation, Bolin remarked, "I think that could've gone better." That evening, he interrupted Tenzin and Korra's talk about her decision to leave the portals open to alert the two that Mako called, saying a newly-found airbender had run to the top of Kyoshi Bridge and would not come down. He also apologized for interrupting the "Avatar wisdom" session, though Korra called it a thing of the past, and the three ventured to the bridge on Oogi. Bolin played spectator as the Avatar was able to talk the bender, Daw, down from the bridge and save him after he slipped.

Searching for the airbenders
A day later, Bolin and the rest of Team Avatar was prepared to leave for Ba Sing Se on a Future Industries airship given to them by Asami. Before they left, Mako arrived with a map which marked the sightings of airbenders in the Earth Kingdom before setting off to return to the police station. Bolin, however, wanted his brother to come along to help the Avatar restore balance and also return to the place where their father grew up and the home of their grandmother. Mako gave in and joined the team on the journey.

Their first visit led them to a small village, where the group dined with the new airbender, Kuon, and his family. Kuon accidentally airbent a pie in Bolin's face, but he did not mind as both he and Pabu enjoyed it. However, after Tenzin overpressured the bender to help rebuild the nation, the group left the village. Aboard the shop, Bolin joked that they could have tried to stuff him into a potato sack.

After several failed attempts by Tenzin to recruit the new airbenders, Bolin, Korra, and Mako decided to visit the next airbender's home. They visited the home of Ryu and his parents; his mother was anxious to get him out of the house. The threesome's initial excitement faded though after Ryu showed a non-committal attitude toward his bending and the Air Nomad culture. Korra tried to get him to forcefully join, but after the airbender blasted himself away, Bolin and Mako restrained Korra from any further attempts.



Aboard the ship, the group lamented over their lack of success. Bumi suggested some "razzle-dazzle" to excite the new airbenders, which prompted Bolin to suggest an "air show". The next day, Bolin hosted the show, introducing Tenzin, Korra, Bumi, and Jinora as the airbenders and Mako as a firebending convict, whom Korra airbent with a tornado to show the power of the art. Bolin advertised the gliding of Jinora and Bumi's air blasts as what one could accomplish in just a few weeks of training. His pitch ultimately attracted one young airbender, Kai. Bolin became quickly sympathetic toward him upon learning that he was an orphan and believed his story that his parents were killed by outlaws. The earthbender was eager to accept him as a little brother. Just before they were about to leave, the men Kai claimed to be as outlaws showed up on motorcycles. After Korra defeated them, however, the men revealed themselves as the town's police force, and that Kai was a lifelong orphan who had stolen his foster family's life savings, which Mako recovered upon apprehending him. Kai tried to convince the group that his thieving side was the old him, and his airbending represented a change for him. When Korra accepted him, Bolin was again excited to welcome him to the family and initiate a group hug.

At Ba Sing Se
As the team entered Ba Sing Se, Bolin maintained his excitement to pass over the wall and into the capital. He was disgusted with the smell of the Lower Ring, understanding why his father left the city in the first place. He became excited again upon getting to the Middle and Upper Rings of the city. Upon arriving at the Earth Kingdom Royal Palace, the group was greeted by Grand Secretariat Gun, who informed Bolin that the Earth Queen did not care for pets and gave the group a long list of rules for interacting with her as he led them to their quarters. The earthbender was impressed with the accommodations, though frustrated with the no-pets rule.

While Korra met with Earth Queen Hou-Ting, Asami noticed that Kai had gone missing. Realizing the young boy was their responsibility, Mako decided that he and Bolin would try to find him. While searching, Mako caught Kai scamming a citizen by blowing his clothes up and stealing the money that fell, prompting the brothers to chase him. The chase made its way to a train station, where Kai trapped the two on a train en route to the Lower Ring. Bolin nervously referred to Kai as a "loveable little scamp", which reminded Mako of Bolin himself. Upon arrival, the brothers tried to buy tickets for a train back to the Upper Ring, but noticed that Kai had stolen their money. The conductor also threatened them with Dai Li intervention, causing the two to leave the station. Bolin made an attempt to find a brighter side, saying they could use the bathroom where ever they wanted.



The next morning, Bolin and Mako awoke from sleeping on a pile of trash. The earthbender expressed his concern for Kai, believing he may be scared and lonely. Feeling hungry and venturing upon a fruit stand, Bolin suggested they pull off an old hustling trick: Bolin would push Mako into the stand and faint upon his older brother screaming. Mako did not want to take part, however, especially as the fruit was disgusting. Tu, the proprietor of the stand, overheard them and at first wondered why they were attempting theft, only to be offended by the firebender's disparaging remarks about the fruit. After Tu showed off his muscles and tried to antagonize them into theft, Bolin wondered if they were pulling off the robbery, which prompted Tu to tackle them. At that moment, Tu's father, Chow appeared and wondered what was going on. He soon recognized Mako and Bolin as his brother, San's kids, and thus Tu's cousins.

Chow brought Bolin and Mako, along with Tu, to his home, explaining that San had sent a letter with their names, but did not hear about them until learning of their pro-bending successes. Chow and his family also enjoyed the Nuktuk movies, though much to Bolin's disappointment, they took the films as humorous. Tu thought the brothers were well-off as sports stars living in a mansion, only for Bolin to reveal that they too had a life on the streets. Chow quickly pulled them into the home, where they were greeted by their large family, particularly their grandmother, Yin, who was thrilled to meet them. She wondered where their parents were, leaving for the brothers to explain that they lost their parents when they were young.



The siblings enjoyed a feast; Bolin was excited to have such a large family to go along with it. Chow explained to the two that San left Ba Sing Se in order to pursue larger dreams and see the world, which was much to the frustration of their grandfather. Yin invited the brothers upstairs to show them a letter from San talking about his marriage and two sons, along with a photo of the family which showed San wearing Mako's trademark scarf. Yin believed their mother to be a "wonderful bride", and the three embraced after Mako gave their grandmother the scarf.

Upon returning to the feast, Chow told Bolin and Mako that San would be proud of them for journeying and working with the Avatar to help keep the world at peace. After Mako revealed that they were looking for airbenders in the city, Chow informed them that their neighbor began airbending a week earlier, and the Dai Li took him within a couple of days. Tu also informed them of a rumor that the Earth Queen was retaining them for experimental purposes. Bolin agreed with Mako to go back to the Upper Ring and inform Korra, with the earthbender continuing to hope that Kai was okay.

The next day, Tu had managed to procure two passports which allowed Mako and Bolin to return to the Upper Ring As they shared a goodbye hug with their extended family, Bolin tried to acknowledge each relative by name, but soon lost track.



Returning to the palace, an exhausted Bolin quickly explained to Korra and Asami in a quick summary made of broken sentences of what happened to them before slumping to the ground in exhaustion. After Mako explained that the Earth Queen was harboring airbenders for her army, they were approached by her and Gun, forcing Bolin to hide Pabu in his shirt. However, as his torso was sweaty, his pet started fidgeting around, briefly exposing his tail, but the earthbender was able to get Pabu out of sight. Gun told the team of a report of airbenders in the Yung province and Hou-Ting informed the group they could leave by evening. As she was explaining this, though, she began sneezing. Aware that the queen was allergic to animals and seeing Pabu's tail sneak out again, Bolin quickly slipped away from the scene.

After the entire team reconvened at their home, they began discussing where the airbenders could have been taken. When Jinora feared for Kai's safety, Bolin replied by saying that he was hard to catch, like a "little greased hog monkey". Ultimately, the group was able to discern that the airbenders were being held beneath the Earth Queen's Temple. While discussing plans on how to bail them out, they heard a knock at the door and believed it was again Hou-Ting, prompting Bolin to encourage Pabu to hide in his shirt again. However, their guest as actually Lin, who came to warn Korra about four dangerous criminals who were after her, but instead joined their rescue mission after Korra refused to leave Ba Sing Se.



Later that night, the party infiltrated the temple, first easily overwhelming two Royal Earthbender Guards. After reaching the airbenders' hold, Bolin, Mako, and Jinora split off to find Kai while the others freed the other airbenders. When they found him, Jinora gave Kai a kiss on the cheek, amusing Bolin, who had a feeling that Tenzin would not be happy. After the young airbender apologized to the brothers, Bolin forgave and hugged him before they began to make their way out. The four, however, quickly found themselves confronted by three Dai Li agents, including the sergeant. The brothers dodged initial attacks of rock gloves and fought them. Bolin was able to defeat two of them by slamming them into walls with rocks, but the sergeant was able to briefly capture Jinora, though Kai quickly freed her. The four ran out of the hold, Bolin calling for help as Dai Li agents continued to try and attack them. Spotting Korra and Tenzin coming to them on Oogi, Bolin earthbent them onto the bison and they flee the city.

The next morning, outside the city, the team broke apart, with Bolin joining his friends and Lin to continue the search for airbenders in Lin's airship while Tenzin and Jinora ventured to the Northern Air Temple to help train the ones the team freed.

In Zaofu


During a pit stop, Bolin watched as Korra and Naga played a game of fetch before Mako and Asami emerged from the police airship, reporting that they had heard on the radio about an airbender being found in the city of Zaofu, home to the Metal Clan. As they neared the city, Bolin was excited to see that it was made entirely of metal and told Lin she should feel right at home, but only received a non-committal mumble from the police chief. The team made their way off the airship without Lin, who warned them to tell no one she was there. Once disembarked, the group was greeted by Aiwei, the city's emissary, and led on a train through the city. Bolin beamed at the city's sights as they passed by and became shocked at the statue of Toph Beifong. The earthbender asked Aiwei if Toph lived in the city and if they had a chance to meet her, but was left disappointed upon being told that she had left in search of enlightenment and had not been heard from since.

They eventually made their way to a building where a group of metalbenders was preparing for a dance recital. There, they were greeted by Zaofu's matriarch, Suyin Beifong. However, Suyin was informed by Aiwei that Korra lied about how many people were in their group. After the Avatar confessed that Lin was with them, Bolin and the others were shocked upon Suyin informing them that she and Lin were related. They made their way back to the airship so Suyin could reunite with Lin. Bolin watched as the half-siblings argued briefly over their past, but the group was soon invited by Suyin to her estate in order to meet her children, including the airbender.

The group first met the twins Wei and Wing while they were playing their own game called power disc. They proceeded on to Huan, who was using his metalbending to create art inspired by Harmonic Convergence. Bolin eyed Huan's work curiously, believing his most recent piece looked like a banana and calling it lifelike. After Huan told Bolin it was to represent a new age, the earthbender awkwardly answered he could see that, though quietly told Mako he still believed it to be a banana. Upon meeting the airbender, Opal, Bolin said her name was beautiful and introduced himself to her. Suyin soon told the group that their accommodations were ready and to prepare for an appetizing meal.

At dinner, Bolin remarked that, despite his initial skepticism, the food was delicious. When Opal told him she never had a bad meal, he replied by telling her jokingly about what he and Mako did to get food while living on the streets, calling "dumpster food" disgusting. After Opal apologized, Bolin assured her it was all in the past and told her about his journeys since, such as pro-bending, his mover career, and helping Korra rebuild the Air Nation. Afterward, Varrick entered the dining hall, pleasantly surprising the earthbender.

Following dinner, the brothers cleaned up in a bathroom. After Mako told Bolin how he noticed him hitting it off with Opal, the younger brother suggested that she was not his type. However, after being hurt by Mako's joke about that being "dumb mover stars" and "psycho ice princesses", he took a second to think over it, and soon believed that maybe Opal was his type. He thanked Mako for helping him realize it before heading out to visit the young airbender.



Bolin approached Opal in a flirtatious tone while making airbending noises in reference to her training shots. Opal was confused and asked him why he was acting weird, but Bolin asked the same thing back, prompting her to walk away. Bolin quickly got into her path, apologizing and saying that he got self-conscious and acted stupid whenever he knew a girl liked him. Opal wondered where he got the thought that she liked him, upsetting him, before he was told that she was just joking around, though he was advised to just be himself. Bolin agreed to try it and the two gazed into each other's eyes, but their moment was interrupted by Korra, who needed Opal's help with another matter.

The next morning, as the team gathered for breakfast without Lin, Bolin questioned as to if anyone had seen her. While Suyin was discussing with Korra about learning metalbending, Bolin was suggested by Opal to try as well. Bolin declined, saying he was more of an earth guy, though Suyin kept an offer open for him to learn as well. The group soon had to duck as their dishes were pulled away from them by Varrick's magnetic suit.

Bolin later tried to secretly watch as Suyin taught Korra, but was spotted by the Avatar. He tried to explain by saying he was looking for Pabu, whom Korra pointed out was on his shoulder, to which he lied by saying that he felt the ferret biting him and would need a shot. He was asked again by Suyin if he wanted to try metalbending, but again declined, believing only one out of a hundred earthbenders could perform the act. Suyin suggested only his attitude could limit him, but Bolin just decided to sit and watch. When Korra did metalbend, Bolin was dejected, believing she was that one in a hundred.

Later that day, Bolin made his way out to the courtyard and picked up a chunk of meteorite, trying in vain to metalbend it. To his shock, Opal joined him, prompting him to hide the space rock behind his back and attempt to put it back on its pedestal while trying weakly to distract a questioning Opal. He soon admitted his frustration about his lack of ability to metalbend and told Opal not to tell anyone. When asked why, he believed it was embarrassing and it was not the first time he attempted the act, having wanted to since he heard about Toph, his biggest hero. Opal advised him just to stop being scared and train with Suyin, but the earthbender countered by suggesting she too was afraid to leave home despite her desire to learn airbending from Tenzin. Opal realized he was right, and Bolin took notice of the fact that they were discussing their feelings and supporting each other before they embraced.

Having overcome his fear, Bolin joined Korra and Suyin, deciding he indeed wanted to learn the art. He was still nervous about a "waiting list", but Suyin decided they could start right away. Before they could, however, Suyin was confronted by Lin with a wave of rocks, prompting Bolin to tell Korra that she was mad about something. The two watched as the half-siblings fought verbally and physically. When Korra wondered if she could do something top stop the fight, Bolin told her to wait it out, telling her the fighting was just how siblings relieved tensions.

Sixteen hours after Lin passed out as a result of exhaustion from the duel, Bolin went with Korra and Mako to her room, but neither he nor the Avatar wanted to risk disturbing her sleep. After Mako entered, Lin emerged, greeting the three in a pleasant tone, much to their collective shock. Later, while Korra was speaking with Tenzin over the radio, Bolin briefly interrupted to fawn over Opal. Upon seeing Korra's annoyed look, he apologized and slipped away from the microphone.

Attempted kidnapping of Korra and investigation
Sometime later, Bolin was set up with Wei for a practice spar, but again could not metalbend. His meteorite was knocked out his hands by his opponent, who told him a "trial by fire" was the best way to learn. He dodged an attack and resorted to using a pebble to strike Wei, prompting Mako to complement him but also question if he was supposed to be using metal instead of earth. Bolin responded by saying metalbending was hard to get right away, if one could do so at all because the art was not normal. Upon seeing Korra defeat Wing with the art, he remarked she was not normal because she was the Avatar. Asami soon advised them to clean up for Opal's farewell dinner, saddening Bolin as he knew it was goodbye. At dinner, he told Opal he would always think of her whenever he ate kale, noting his upset over her leaving as they were getting to know each other. Though they would be able to visit the Northern Air Temple eventually, he knew it was still in the future. After taking a bite of kale from Opal, he declined relationship advice from Varrick. At Suyin's call, the earthbender raised his glass in a toast to the airbender, and later waved a sad goodbye as she departed. Bolin was comforted by Korra as he walked away.

That night, Bolin was stirred from his sleep when Pabu began squealing and looking out the bedroom window at something. Seeing nothing, he told his pet to go back to sleep and laid back down. Moments later, he was jumped on by the fire ferret and watched him go to the window. At first, the earthbender told him it was not playtime, but he soon saw Zaheer's gang taking Korra. His shouts awoke Mako and the brothers went outside to free her. His attack was broken by Ming-Hua and he shielded himself and Mako from their counterattacks. They hid behind a pillar while the guards spotlighted their enemies. They were hit by an angled combustion shot by P'Li, landing them in front of Asami, who had just emerged from her room. They watched as the guards, Lin, Suyin, Wing, and Wei attacked the criminals and surrounded them, only for Ghazan to separate the groups with a pool of lava. Bolin was dazzled but also realized the threat they faced, remarking the lavabending to be "awesome...-ly not good for [them]." He, Mako, Lin, and Asami hid behind a piece of the metal ground decor, occasionally emerging to attack the foursome but to no avail. They were nearly hit again by combustion, but Suyin and her twin sons stopped the attack by bending another piece of metal to them for shielding. The half-siblings came up with a rescue plan by dropping in from the dome on cables. Needing someone to stop P'Li's attacks, Bolin, much to his dismay, was picked to be the attacker. Once the Beifongs and the twins were in position, the earthbender tried to strike, but could not find a clean shot. As the Beifongs descended from the dome despite Mako warning they were not ready, Bolin had to take his shot. He fired a pebble which directly struck P'Li's third eye, disabling her combustion ability, much to his happiness. The group ducked as Zaheer and his associates fled under a cloud of dust. After Korra was rescued, Bolin and the team returned to Suyin's office as Korra was treated for paralysis caused by shirshu-spit darts.

Discovering the truth
Having realized a guard was likely responsible for the gang's penetration, namely Hong Li, Bolin joined the team and Aiwei on a search of the guard's house, looking in his oven and cabinets and taking two cookies. When evidence was discovered, Bolin joined the rest of the group as they discussed their plan of action, ultimately deciding to wait to question at Aiwei's suggestion that he would break eventually. At the scene of the attack, the members of the team wondered about the evidence, Mako unsure of Hong Li's guilt, when they were surprised by Varrick. He watched in disgust with the rest of the team as Zhu Li rubbed pumice stones on his feet. Afterward, the industrialist explained what one planning a conspiracy would do: tell everyone a person was guilty and plant evidence on them. Bolin wondered who could be framing the guard, to which his brother realized it was the only one who could keep a secret: Aiwei.

Outside Aiwei's home, Bolin peeked through the windows to see no one home. He suggested Aiwei was likely out or could have even been invisible, though when Mako expressed annoyance, he went back to "just not home". They entered the house in search of evidence. Bolin picked a stylized jar off a bookshelf, to which Mako told him not to move anything, lest they get discovered. Mako had to put it back for the earthbender as he did not remember where it went. This, however, led to the discovery of scuff marks in the floor. They soon realized the bookshelf slid open to reveal a secret passage way. Bolin believed it could be a storage cellar, but Mako countered it was the entryway for Zaheer's gang. Asami promptly warned the group of Aiwei's return, but they were caught before they could leave. Bolin gave a weak explanation, saying they knocked and heard him say "Come in! I'm in the bathroom!" in a high-pitched voice, but stopped because he knew Aiwei realized he was lying nor did he sound like that. After Korra gave the correct explanation, Aiwei sat them down for a tea and talk. As the emissary realized he was being suspected, he began his escape by raising a metal wall. Korra bent a hole in it and led them through to the passageway, only for them to find a bomb, which promptly detonated. Bolin, Asami, and Mako were kept unharmed as Korra raised an air sphere around them for shielding. He and the Avatar used their earthbending to clear the rubble around Aiwei's escape tunnel before Lin and Suyin came down to find out what happened.

Regathering in Suyin's office, Bolin 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 ensuring Korra's safety. Later, however, they were again approached by the matriarch, who informed the team she had a fully-loaded jeep for them to use in a search for Aiwei. As a confused Bolin tried to speak up, Suyin explained that her agreement was merely to let Lin hear what she wanted and to buy them time to leave. Bolin joined Mako and Asami in the vehicle while Korra rode on Naga, beginning their search.

Personality


Despite his tough childhood on the street, Bolin is still a laid-back and fun-loving person, in contrast to his older brother Mako. He possesses a good sense of humor, but is still a very capable earthbender. He is also expressive, naive, high-spirited, enthusiastic, and quite comfortable in his own skin. According to Mako, he has a "knack" for getting himself into trouble. He is typically an optimist and enjoys the attention he receives from his fangirls, though he is a novice in the world of dating. Bolin affirms that he is strong, fun, and attractive. He does readily admit he's not good at reading other people, which could be the reason his relationships never work out.

His naive and immature personality is attributed to his past, as Mako attempted to shield him from the harsh realities of the world after their parents died. Despite differences between Mako's personality and his own, Bolin shares a close bond with his brother.

Although helpful and friendly, Bolin is also protective of the people about whom he cares and will spring to the defense of his friends and family. A prime example of this would be when he rode in on Naga to Asami's rescue at the Equalist airfield, employing ferocious and brutal earthbending attacks on Hiroshi Sato, who was nearly able to kill her with his mecha tank. On the other hand, Bolin is generally forgiving of others, even if they have wronged him or those he cares about, such as Korra, Varrick, or Eska.

Bolin is shown to be gullible at times; his affection for Eska caused her and her twin brother to take advantage of him. He was very grateful to Korra for starting a war just to get away from Eska, but his joy immediately turned into fear upon seeing Eska coming for him in a fit of rage.

Furthermore, Bolin is not the best at keeping secrets, as he carelessly told his brother that he, Varrick, Korra, and Asami were planning to seek General Iroh's help behind Raiko's back.

Earthbending


As the earthbender for an official pro-bending team, Bolin has become highly skilled in the art of earthbending. Bolin describes his earthbending style as "light on his feet", which grants him greater maneuverability and evasiveness during matches. Bolin also employs pro-bending-like attacks along with more traditional earthbending outside of matches, as made evident by him sending rectangular blocks flying at the Lieutenant and defending himself with an earth wall.

Bolin also possesses a sharp aim, being able to direct an earth disc at the exact angle to make it ricochet off a guard rail and squarely strike an opposing player. His aim is so great that he can bend a tiny pebble and strike P'Li's third eye, thus making her combustion explode, which affected Ghazan and Ming-Hua. He can also fire small chunks of earth in rapid succession to take down a speeding motorcycle, thus demonstrating the ability to earthbend without touching the ground at all. He has also shown himself capable of subduing three waterbenders in tandem, using only the small discs available in the Pro-bending Arena.

Other skills
Bolin also has some skill in wrestling and grappling as shown from his one on one tiebreaker match with an experienced Black Quarry Boar-q-pine earthbending opponent. He also has a degree of resilience to pain, as during his semifinal pro-bending match, he was able to continue fighting despite being hit in his right shoulder by an earth disk.

As noted by both Asami and Varrick, Bolin has strong business sense. Bolin is a talented and charismatic public speaker, able to draw huge positive reactions from crowds. Varrick decided to exploit this ability by casting Bolin as the star of his propaganda films, making him the poster boy of the Southern rebellion.

In addition, he is known to be able to communicate with his fire ferret, Pabu, by chattering with his teeth, which helped save his pro-bending team from Amon when Equalists attacked the Pro-bending Arena.

Appearances
{{Scroll|

Republic City Hustle

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

Book Three: Change (易)
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Trivia

 * According to San's letter to Yin, Bolin's name is written in Chinese as . The characters mean "abundant" and "forest".
 * Bolin's appearance was inspired by the early ideas of Toph, who was originally going to be male.
 * According to Mako, Bolin apparently has a habit of bringing "crazy fangirls" to the Fire Ferrets' changing room.
 * Korra noted that his "light on your feet" style of earthbending is more useful than the traditional style.
 * Bolin is quite similar to Sokka, as they both:
 * Serve as comic relief from time to time.
 * Have a sibling who dated the Avatar.
 * Lost a mother to a firebender.
 * Came up with the name of their respective Team Avatar.
 * Had a romantic relationship with a Northern Water Tribe princess.
 * Bolin is occasionally nicknamed "Bo" by Mako and the kids in the streets, like Skoochy.
 * Narook's Seaweed Noodlery and Central City Station are some of the places Bolin usually hangs out.
 * Bolin is the only bending member of the new Team Avatar to not have demonstrated any specialized bending techniques.
 * Bolin is particularly bad at lying.
 * Bolin's hairstyle resembles a "ducktail", a very popular American hairstyle in the 1950s. "Greasers" often had their hair styled in a ducktail.
 * Bolin admires Toph as his biggest hero and wanted to learn metalbending ever since learning about her.