Bolin

"earth"

- Wish me luck! Not... that I'll need it.

Bolin is an earthbender from a multicultural family who grew up on the streets of Republic City under the protection of his older brother Mako. Despite a tough childhood, he always has a smile on his face and a lady on his arm.

Background
When Bolin was six, he lost his parents to a firebender mugger, leaving Mako as his only family. To survive, Bolin depended heavily on his brother who, as the oldest, took on the parental role. To generate some form of income, the brothers even consorted with the Triple Threat Triad, albeit they stayed clear from any illegal activities.

At some point, Bolin found a fire ferret scrounging for food in the garbage and decided to take him in. He later named him Pabu, and soon the pair became close friends, constantly playing practical jokes on Mako. Some time later, Bolin, along with Mako and Hasook, formed a pro-bending team called the Fire Ferrets and competed in Republic City.

Meeting Korra
Bolin first encountered Korra when Toza caught her exploring the training gym inside the Pro-bending Arena. He introduced himself to her and invited her to stay for the match that his team was competing in, much to Mako's displeasure. After his team defeated the Tigerdillos, he found out Korra was the Avatar and taught her a few pro-bending basics.

Later, the Fire Ferrets' spot in the championship was endangered when Hasook did not show up for a match. Korra volunteered to take his place and Bolin agreed, forging the new team. In round three of their match against the Platypus Bears, he and Mako were cornered while Korra fell back to zone three. However, after Korra held her own and the opposition exhausted themselves, Bolin and Mako fought back, eventually winning by knockout and clinching a spot in the tournament.

Kidnapping


Despite receiving a large sum of prize money for winning their last pro-bending match, the Fire Ferrets were still short on the funds they needed for the championship pot, having exhausted their funds by paying for gym usage, and other necessities required as a pro-bending team. Bolin decided to use Pabu to earn some money at Central City Station utilizing some circus tricks he had taught him, but his efforts were futile. Downcast over the lean yield, he was approached by Shady Shin, who offered him big money in exchange for helping the Triple Threat Triad with security. Later that day, Lightning Bolt Zolt, Shady Shin, some other triad members, and Bolin were captured by Equalists to be the benders that would be exhibited in Amon's "revelation". There, Bolin witnessed Amon's ability to take away one's bending, using the captives to showcase this. Just as Bolin's earthbending was about to be removed permanently, Korra caused a steam explosion to cover Mako's rescue. The brothers escaped the building, but once outside they were intercepted by Amon's lieutenant. After both were defeated, Korra launched a surprise attack against the Lieutenant, incapacitating him long enough to call Naga. Bolin was carried out of there in Naga's mouth, much to his displeasure.

A few days later, Bolin showed up at Air Temple Island to give Korra a rose and a pastry to thank her for helping him escape Amon. Simultaneously, a messenger of Tarrlok arrived with flowers and a large gift basket which overshadowed Bolin's small gift. Jealous, he asked Korra if Tarrlok was bothering her, stating he could "have a word with him". Amused by his suggestion, Korra refuted his claims, stating that Tarrlok was just some "old guy", which eased his mind considerably.

He attended a gala Tarrlok hosted in honor of Korra, where he excitedly told her the news about Hiroshi Sato sponsoring the Fire Ferrets.

Struggles
Prior to the Pro-bending Tournament, Bolin attempted to approach Korra after a training practice. They were alone since Mako had left with Asami for a date. His advances were in vain however, as Korra explained she needed to go back to Air Temple Island for airbending training with Tenzin. Back at home, while giving Pabu a bath, Bolin talked to Mako about his feelings for Korra. His brother advised against pursuing a relationship with her however, as there was too much at stake with the tournament.



During their first match, Bolin and the Fire Ferrets, very much in-sync, defeated the Rabaroos in short order. After the match, he approached a slightly depressed Korra, who had just been rejected by Mako, reassuring her with compliments, and asked her to go with him on a date; Korra, encouraged by his compliments, and deciding she "could use some fun," agreed. Bolin took Korra out to Narook's Seaweed Noodlery, a noodle shop that serves Water Tribe cuisine. During their date, they encountered Tahno. Bolin explained that he was a member of the reigning pro-bending champions of three years: the White Falls Wolfbats, and advised Korra against confrontation. Korra, ignoring his advice, glared at Tahno, which resulted in his approach. Once at their table, he trash-talked the Fire Ferrets, and almost succeeded in getting a rise out of Korra. Before things could get out of hand, Bolin warned her that fighting Tahno would lead to their disqualification from the tournament. Korra instead called on Naga, who growled at the Wolfbats' waterbender, startling him. Bolin had never seen Tahno that scared, and seeing Korra's approach to the situation he declared her "one of a kind". Shortly after, the pair shared a drink at a bar. Bolin accidentally belched, and was slightly embarrassed, but was pleased when Korra imitated him. This led to a belching competition, which continued until they burst into laughter. Afterwards, they went sight-seeing at a nearby tower which overlooks several locations of Republic City.

In the quarterfinals of the Pro-bending Tournament against the Boarcupines, the team struggled. Bolin noticed that Mako and Korra were clearly out of sync, and he stepped up his attacks in light of this. He led the team to a critical second-round victory to keep them alive after a first-round defeat. When the third round ended in a tie, Mako stepped forward to fight out the tiebreaker, but was halted by Bolin, who, commenting that Mako was not in the game, volunteered to take his place. He successfully defeated the Boarcupines' earthbender, Chung, clinching the match for the Fire Ferrets.



That night, Bolin went to deliver a large bouquet of flowers to Korra, but was shocked to see her kissing Mako. The sight left Bolin devastated, and he ran away from the arena crying. Bolin went to Narook's with Pabu, where he spent the night. The next morning he was found by Mako, who had come to take him home. Bolin refused, stating Mako was no longer was his brother, rather a "brother-betrayer", and Pabu was now the only one he could trust. Despite his protests Mako lifted him onto his shoulders and carried him home as the earthbender continued to cry.

During the semifinal, Bolin vomited in the middle of the first round after being pelted in the stomach. The Fire Ferrets continued to fall out of sync as the match progressed. Bolin was knocked out of the ring in the second and third rounds. In the last, his shoulder was seriously injured by the opposing earthbender before he was thrown out of the ring, following his brother. This left Korra to face the other team on her own. On the way out of the water, the brothers apologized to each other for letting their interests in Korra divide them. They then watched the Avatar score a "hat trick" in one fell swoop, allowing the team advance to the final of the tournament.

Once they were out of the ring, Korra apologized as she healed Bolin's shoulder, and he forgave her, reaffirming their friendship.

The championship
Bolin and his team were later preparing for the final match when they heard Amon interrupt a radio broadcast. The Equalist leader made a request to the United Republic Council to shut down the Pro-bending Arena or they would face "severe consequences". The team traveled on Naga to City Hall, hoping to discourage the council from shutting down the arena, but by the time they got there, the council had already unanimously agreed to do so, much to their disappointment. Fortunately, Lin Beifong entered the meeting just before Tarrlok declared the decision final. She offered to bring the Metalbending Police Force along for security detail if the match continued on as planned. This offer was accepted by Tarrlok and most of the council, who decided to allow the match to continue, much to the Ferrets' excitement.

Bolin dressed Pabu up in a miniature uniform and brought him out to the arena floor to perform tricks before the match started. In a close but controversially officiated match, the Fire Ferrets lost via knockout in round three.

After the knockout, the Equalists attacked the arena. By use of their electrified gloves, they stunned several members of the Metalbending Police Force. Bolin and the Fire Ferrets were stunned by the Lieutenant through use of his electrified kali sticks and then tied up against a wooden post that held up the ring.



Bolin then spotted Pabu swimming in the water, and motioned for him to bite through the rope that held the team together. After Pabu broke them free, Bolin and Mako awaited Korra's return from going after Amon and the Equalists. Lin brought the Avatar to safety, and the brothers met her for a hug.

A new home
After the attack at the championship, the Pro-bending Arena was shut down and Bolin and Mako were forced to leave their home. Accepting Asami's invitation, the brothers went to live at the Sato estate, much to the earthbender's excitement, stating it was going to be "the lap of luxury" for them. After Korra refused Asami's offer to visit them the next day, Bolin, manipulating Pabu's legs and making his voice higher to make the fire ferret look like he was talking, encouraged the Avatar to take a break from the Equalist investigation and visit them at the estate, to which she finally agreed. When Korra arrived to the mansion, the group was swimming in the house's indoor pool. Bolin then proceeded to show Korra the comforts and luxuries of the place by asking a butler to dry him and Pabu off. He and the rest of the group were then invited by Asami to watch the racetrack where new Satomobiles are tested out.

After Korra overheard Hiroshi talking about a "strike" plan, his connection to the Equalists began to be suspected. When the investigation eventually yielded substantial evidence to incriminate Hiroshi, Lin, Tenzin, Korra, and some metalbending officers searched the Sato estate, to finally find a tunnel that led to a secret factory. The chief then ordered Bolin, Mako, and Asami to wait outside under the watch of Officer Song. However, when they heard a clangorous sound underground, Bolin and Mako tricked their guard and managed to subdue him. The brothers then left Asami and made their way down the tunnel, successfully being able to sneak in the factory.

Once inside, the two discovered that Hiroshi had knocked Korra, Tenzin, Lin, and the officers unconscious. Bolin managed to carry Tenzin on his back in order to save him, but he and his brother were soon cornered by Hiroshi as they heard how the businessman confirmed that supporting the Fire Ferrets had been all a ruse in order to gain their trust. Asami then entered the underground factory and confronted her father, thus saving Bolin and the other benders. The three helped the others escape the Sato estate via airship, but were forced to leave Lin's officers behind.

While on the airship, Korra and Mako smoothed things over, and Korra invited her now homeless friends to live on Air Temple Island with her and Tenzin's family.

Personality
Despite his tough childhood on the street, Bolin is still a laid-back, naive, and fun-loving person, in contrast to his older brother Mako. He has a good sense of humor, but is still a very capable earthbender. He is also expressive, 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 gets from his fangirls, though he is a novice in the world of dating. Bolin says that he is strong, fun, and gorgeous.

What gets under Bolin's skin is that he is second to Mako in everything, such as age, fighting rank, and even getting girlfriends. His naive and immature personality is attributed to his past, as Mako tried 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.

Earthbending


As a skilled pro-bender, Bolin has developed good earthbending skills. 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, sending rectangular blocks flying at the Lieutenant and then defending himself with an earth wall. Bolin also appears to possess sharp aim, as he was able to ricochet an earth disk off a guard rail and squarely strike an opposing player.

Other skills
Bolin also has some knowledge of wrestling and grappling as shown from his one on one tiebreaker match with an experienced Boarcupine earthbending opponent.

Furthermore, Bolin has also shown to be resilient to pain as shown in his semi-final pro-bending match as he took a hit to his right shoulder by an earth disk, but fought on nonetheless with one arm until being knocked out of the ring.

Relatives

 * Mako (older brother)
 * Unnamed father and mother (deceased)

Trivia

 * Bolin (波霖) is a Chinese male name non-literally meaning "gentle rain".
 * Bolin's appearance was inspired by the early ideas of Toph, who was originally going to be male.
 * When Bolin and his brother started to compete in the pro-bending tournament, they were given a place to stay by Toza, a former pro-bender.
 * According to Mako, Bolin apparently has a habit of bringing "crazy fangirls" to the Fire Ferrets' changing room.
 * Korra notes that his "light on your feet" style of earthbending is more useful than the traditional style.
 * Bolin and his brother lost their parents to a firebender, much like Amon lost his entire family to one.
 * Bolin is occasionally nicknamed "Bo" by Mako and the kids in the streets, like Skoochy.
 * The name "Bo" means "precious" in Chinese, or "handsome" in anglicized French, much to the endearing name's connotation.
 * Narook's Seaweed Noodlery and Central City Station are some of the places Bolin usually hangs out.