<p>I'm disappointed that Zaheer didn't die.  As in, I'd rather all three of the rest of them had survived (or at least met ambiguous fates) than he had. </p><p>Which is partly because he was the least <i>spectacular</i>, partly because he was the most <i>essential</i>.  If he'd died and the others had lived, they seem like they'd be cut adrift with no leader (ironic, seeing as the Red Lotus are anarchists)...and that's if they hadn't ended up back in their respective prisons.  His death, one way or another, would have broken the team—and, at least from my perspective, in a more poignant and effective manner. </p>

<p>Part of it was that they got rid of the villains in LoK [again], except for Zaheer. Something tells me that he will get the same, or similar, treatment as Aiwei. A new Red Lotus member will tie up "loose ends" before pulling off a grand plan in the EK. </p><p>If there was the decision to just get rid of Zaheer, we have the potential for some interesting situations. P'Li would obviously want revenge on the Avatar or whoever killed Zaheer. Ghazan would most likely lie low until the heat dies down, and I have no idea what Meng Hua would do. The reason is that I never really got to know her in that show. At all. </p>

<p>In light of her little backstory exposition, it doesn't seem entirely improbable that if P'Li had instead outlived Zaheer, she'd have been entirely <i>broken</i> by the loss.  (Not <i>as</i> likely as that she'd go gunning for Korra, but even so—big, ruthless, aloof, and powerful as she was, that woman was <i>wounded</i>.  No one who survives being a child soldier <i>isn't </i>wounded.) </p><p>Ghazan...yeah, would probably have gone into hiding. </p><p>Ming-Hua is indeed a difficult case.  She was a sharp-tongued snark who liked fighting a little (read: <i>way</i>) too much, and I think she was tsundere for Ghazan.  My guess is that if he'd also survived, she'd have hidden with him (and probably written anonymous subversive literature, covertly gone vigilante, or both).  Either that, or she'd have tried to coordinate her own Red Lotus op team, and dragged Ghazan along <i>with</i> her.  (If P'Li had additionally survived and wasn't <i>too</i> much of a wreck, she might have gotten towed along for the ride as well if Ming-Hua could find her.) </p><p>Now, if all three had survived, and P'Li <i>was</i> wrecked by the loss of Zaheer?  The other two would probably have taken her into hiding with them so that they could keep an eye (har de har) on her.  Those a-holes may have been evil, but they weren't entirely without redeeming qualities—chief among those being loyalty to their friends. </p>

<p>Acutally simply killing Zaheer is still not a perfect solution, as he might be able to project himself to the spirit world and remain there just as General Iroh did... He can also escape from the Fog of Lost Souls as he have probably met and dealt with his darkest memories already (P'li's death, imprisonment, loosing against the Avatar, etc). The only way to finish him for good is to catch his soul in the spirit world and then use Unulaq's spiritbending skill to destroy his soul forever... And then to burn his body. That would do. :D </p>

<p>Yeah, killing Zaheer and Fogging his spirit if he pulled an Iroh wouldn't be a <i>perfect</i> solution...but I think it could still slow him down for quite a while. </p><p>For example, I don't think the Fog would just <i>remind</i> him about P'Li's death; it'd rub in exactly how <i>culpable</i> he is.  After all, if he hadn't tried to double-cross Team Avatar and had it backfire, <i>she</i> wouldn't have ended up backfiring <i>herself</i>. </p><p>Imagine this:  Zaheer in the Fog.  No matter which way he turns, he sees images of P'Li looking at him like he's a maggot slug she'd like to step on, saying "you killed me; I loved and trusted you, and <i>you killed me</i>" before turning incandescent and crumbling into ash.  Over and over again, <i>ad infinitum</i>. </p>

He'd also have to fight against the notion that his entire plan and the "rebellion" failed. That might keep him in the fog for a long time.

<div class="quote"><i>Deist Zealot wrote:
Yeah, killing Zaheer and Fogging his spirit if he pulled an Iroh wouldn't be a <i>perfect</i> solution...but I think it could still slow him down for quite a while. <p>For example, I don't think the Fog would just <i>remind</i> him about P'Li's death; it'd rub in exactly how <i>culpable</i> he is.  After all, if he hadn't tried to double-cross Team Avatar and had it backfire, <i>she</i> wouldn't have ended up backfiring <i>herself</i>. </p><p>Imagine this:  Zaheer in the Fog.  No matter which way he turns, he sees images of P'Li looking at him like he's a maggot slug she'd like to step on, saying "you killed me; I loved and trusted you, and <i>you killed me</i>" before turning incandescent and crumbling into ash.  Over and over again, <i>ad infinitum</i>. </p> </i></div>
<p>I doubt that could hold him back.  </p><p>Zaheer is one of the rare people who let go of <i>all earthly attachments, </i>P'Li might have been the last wordly attachment he had, but he got over it.  </p>

<div class="quote"><i>Imagine this: Zaheer in the Fog. No matter which way he turns, he sees images of P'Li looking at him like he's a maggot slug she'd like to step on, saying "you killed me; I loved and trusted you, and you killed me" before turning incandescent and crumbling into ash. Over and over again, ad infinitum.</i></div>
<div class="quote"><i>He'd also have to fight against the notion that his entire plan and the "rebellion" failed. That might keep him in the fog for a long time.</i></div>
<p>That is basically the fate that I wanted Zaheer to meet, yeah. </p> <div class="quote"><i>The only way to finish him for good is to catch his soul in the spirit world and then use Unulaq's spiritbending skill to destroy his soul forever... And then to burn his body. That would do. :D</i></div>
<p>I like that Zaheer is now apparently the Rasputin of the Avatarverse. </p>

<div class="quote"><i>Moon's Haze wrote:
<div class="quote">Deist Zealot wrote:
Yeah, killing Zaheer and Fogging his spirit if he pulled an Iroh wouldn't be a <i>perfect</i> solution...but I think it could still slow him down for quite a while. <p>For example, I don't think the Fog would just <i>remind</i> him about P'Li's death; it'd rub in exactly how <i>culpable</i> he is.  After all, if he hadn't tried to double-cross Team Avatar and had it backfire, <i>she</i> wouldn't have ended up backfiring <i>herself</i>. </p><p>Imagine this:  Zaheer in the Fog.  No matter which way he turns, he sees images of P'Li looking at him like he's a maggot slug she'd like to step on, saying "you killed me; I loved and trusted you, and <i>you killed me</i>" before turning incandescent and crumbling into ash.  Over and over again, <i>ad infinitum</i>. </p> </i></div>
I doubt that could hold him back.  <p>Zaheer is one of the rare people who let go of <i>all earthly attachments, </i>P'Li might have been the last wordly attachment he had, but he got over it.  </p> </div> <p>There was a scene in "Enter the Void" where he was meditating, floating.  Ming-Hua asked about P'Li, and he <i>dropped</i>.  He tried to cover it, but he had to immediately put his feet down.
</p><p>I think watching P'Li die, over and over again, as she <i>held him responsible for her death</i> (which, quite frankly, she'd have every <i>right</i> to) would get to him.  Ditto being informed over and over of just how hard he'd failed in general. </p>

<p>Didn't think about that, but that would explain why he was conspicuously grounded until his fight with Korra. I just assumed that it looked less ridiculous that way. </p>