Tenzin

"air"

- I have done my best to guide Republic City towards the dream my father had for it, but you're right. It has fallen out of balance since he passed. I thought I should put off your training in order to uphold his legacy, but you are his legacy.

Tenzin, the youngest child of Avatar Aang and Katara, is the only living airbending master, and represents the Air Nation on the United Republic Council. A calm and serious man, he carries a great responsibility on his shoulders to protect not only the next Avatar, but also Republic City according to his father's dreams. He resides on Air Temple Island, a secluded sanctuary constructed by his father, with his pregnant wife, Pema, and his three children, Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo.

Background
Born nineteen years after the Hundred Year War to Aang and Katara as the youngest and the only airbender of their three children, Tenzin was taught the traditions and customs of the Air Nomads by his father, eventually acquiring the traditional Air Nomad tattoos symbolizing his status as an airbending master. He and Lin Beifong were friends since childhood, and were a couple for some time. During their slowly deteriorating relationship, Pema approached the airbender and confessed her feelings for him, starting their own. Tenzin and Pema eventually married, and had three airbending children with her; two daughters, Jinora and Ikki, and a son, Meelo. They have another child on the way. At some point in his life, Tenzin became a member of the United Republic Council as the representative of the Air Nation.

Training Korra
In 170 ASC, Avatar Korra moved in with him to start her airbending training. Initially, however, he refused to bring Korra to Republic City with him from the Southern Water Tribe. Despite this, Korra came to the city in pursuit of Tenzin. He later discovered she was detained by Lin Beifong, and proceeded to bail her out and allowed her to stay, after realizing Korra was what Republic City needed.



When Korra read about pro-bending, she was excited to see it, but Tenzin refused as he believed it to be a mockery of bending and would only be a distraction to her airbending training. He later theorized Korra's struggles to learn airbending were because the art was opposite of Korra's nature. They made their way to training, where Tenzin stated that Korra had to make her way through a series of spinning gates, instructing her to be free like a leaf. However, Korra failed several times, and subsequently also had difficulties with meditation. The situation only worsened when Korra continued to be unsuccessful at moving through the gates. When Korra destroyed these gates in frustration, he snapped at her, revealing the gates to be a two thousand-year-old relic. Korra snapped back that he was a bad teacher and stormed off from the scene.

Later, Tenzin discovered that Korra was at a pro-bending match through a radio broadcast. Angered, he went to the arena to retrieve her, but Korra again refused, stating she needed to learn modern fighting, but he stated back that she needed to learn airbending. During round three of the pro-bending match, Korra finally demonstrated airbending movements while dodging attacks from her opponents, rallying her team to win the match. This caught Tenzin's notice, and he even let out a slight cheer before calming himself down.

After the match, Korra returned to the island and apologized to Tenzin for her frustrations, while Tenzin apologized back for stating that he ran out of patience while trying to teach her it. The two then agreed that they had no hard feelings, but he was still left a bit angry when Korra told Tenzin that she was now a permanent team member of the Fire Ferrets and would compete in the pro-bending tournament in a couple of weeks.

After Korra returned from an Equalist rally and stated how Amon had succeeded in taking away someone's bending ability, Tenzin stated that "the revolution is more dangerous than ever".

The task force
Realizing the threat Amon and the Equalists posed to everyone, Tenzin attended an important meeting with the United Republic Council, where a solution about the Equalist movement was going to be discussed. When Councilman Tarrlok proposed the formation of a task force to attack Amon head-on, Tenzin strongly opposed this, stating that such an aggressive action would only cause bigger problems between benders and non-benders. However, the airbender found himself outvoted by the remainder of the council.

When Tarrlok visited Air Temple Island, Tenzin found himself obligated to let him pass during a familiy dinner, much to his wife's irritation. At Korra's refusal to join Tarrlok's task force, he was surprised, and interrupted the Northern waterbender before he could insist and try to convince her to change her mind, saying that Korra had already made a decision. Noting Tarrlok's increasingly extravagant gifts, Tenzin approached Korra and informed her that he, although glad she had refused the offer, hoped she had done it for the right reasons and knew it was okay to be afraid. But at Korra's silence, he assured her he would be there to talk about anything if she needed it.

During a gala Tarrlok threw in Korra's honor, an exasperated Tenzin had to deal with Meelo's antics, and, worriedly watched Korra's announcement to join the task force to the press. After Korra publicly challenged Amon to a duel, Tenzin flew to her location using a glider, trying to dissuade her, but without success. When Tenzin found her on Aang Memorial Island, he was concerned that Amon had taken her bending, but at Korra's denial, he was relieved and offered her comfort when she cried in fear of Amon.

After this encounter, Tenzin and the rest of the United Republic Council were threatened by Amon to shut down the Pro-bending Arena or face "severe consequences". Despite Tenzin's disapproval, the rest of the Council voted to keep the arena open. Tenzin accompanied Chief Lin Beifong as she and the Metalbending Police Force protected the arena from the Equalists.

Tenzin and Lin watched the match together, and he even protested a series of controversial calls made that allowed the White Falls Wolfbats to defeat the Fire Ferrets. After the match, the two were electroshocked and knocked unconscious by two Equalists with electrified gloves. After everyone was reunited safely, Tenzin tried to ease Lin's regrets of playing right into Amon's hands by suggesting that everyone was. He then declared that "Republic City [was] at war."

Personality
Tenzin is far more calm and stern in demeanor than his father; however, he does have a sense of humor at times. He always tries to be a calm person, an attempt that is sometimes thwarted by his three "crazy" children. He finds his patience severely tested with the arrival of the impetuous Korra. He works hard to transmit the Air Nomad teachings and culture, while taking his leadership role in Republic City very seriously. He does embody the Air Nomad nature of being peaceful and calm, but can sometimes be riled when around his children or towards Korra due to their differing perspectives. Tenzin is a very staunch traditionalist, and at times can come across as rather inflexible and stubborn. This also shows in his disdain for pro-bending, which he considers violent, irrelevant, and a perversion to more traditional forms of bending. However, after Korra joined the Fire Ferrets, he brushed up on the rules of the game and seems well versed in the sport. By doing this, he shows that he is willing to show a liking in the interests of those close to him.

Abilities
Tenzin is the only child of Aang who is an airbender. He mastered the art through his father and, at some point in time, earned his arrows, making him one the only airbending master in the world. To this day, he passes on the teachings to his children and Avatar Korra. He is also able to use a glider by bending air around the glider.

Relatives



 * Aang (father)
 * Katara (mother)
 * Sokka (maternal uncle)
 * Hakoda (maternal grandfather)
 * Kya (maternal grandmother)
 * Kanna (maternal great-grandmother)
 * Pakku (maternal step-great-grandfather)
 * Korra (spiritual reincarnation of Aang)
 * Kya (older sister)
 * Bumi (older brother)
 * Pema (wife)
 * Jinora (eldest daughter)
 * Ikki (youngest daughter)
 * Meelo (son)

Trivia

 * Tenzin is an extremely common Tibetan name meaning "defender of the faith" or more applicably, "upholder of the teachings". Its popularity derives from the fact that it is the first name of the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, who also served as the inspiration for Monk Gyatso.
 * It is interesting to note that Tenzin learned airbending from his father, Avatar Aang, and that the next Avatar, Aang's reincarnation, will seek out his tutelage to learn the art of airbending, meaning that in a way, Tenzin is passing on his father's teachings back to him.
 * He owns a flying bison named Oogi.
 * Oogi is similarly heard like Sokka's "oogies", Tenzin's uncle.
 * He leads his family in prayer before dinner.