Not really. The old characters aren't as strong a presence as they could be.

<p>One of my biggest problems with <i>Korra</i> as a whole is that, as far as I'm concerned, they're not using the old series <i>enough</i>. Yes, <i>Korra</i> is its own show and should overall be treated as such, but it's also a sequel, and so should in at least some respects behave like one. Book 1, while not perfect, has so far been the only one to really do this well- Korra herself was the focus, but even so, Aang's story was continued and fleshed out. A new villan was brought into the picture with new motivations, but made use of a technique the series had previously established (bloodbending). The old characters themselves were only seen in flashbacks, but their impact on the world was immediately evident. It was its own show, but it made clear and respected the fact that it was part of a bigger story, which TLA had started. </p><p>Book 2 failed to do this, bringing in a slew of new characters, new concepts, new locations, etc. To be sure, some ideas (Wan and Raava being paramount) were welcome additions, but the rest felt like new for the sake of new, and the end result was weaker for it. The biggest mistake was having the past Avatars destroyed- it well and truly severed any ties <i>Korra</i> had to TLA. This was a gamble that could have paid off if the pieces were set correctly, but it failed- because again, <i>Korra</i> is a sequel, and so to remove that element is to basically ignore a key aspect of the show's identity. </p><p>Book 3 went some way toward fixing this by bringing Zuko back and referencing Toph, but this was hardly enough to compensate for another barrage of "new for the sake of new". So far, Book 4 is looking promising, doing what Book 1 did- balancing the old and new and treating <i>Korra</i> like a sequel- it still has its own identity, but it's part of a bigger story and is treated as such. We'll have to see if this continues, but it should (especially with this being the final season and thus basically a curtain call on the franchise as a whole). </p>

<p>So far, old characters are present, but none of them has been crucial in defeating the new villains. That's a good balance. Otherwise, they would have obscured the new ones. </p>

<p>I agree with Dogwalker ... first season I really wanted to see more of the old Gaang, but now we're into the forth and we've finally got Toph I'm more interested in the development of the current characters. We saw enough flashbacks in Book 1 to get an idea of what the Gaang achieved, and we know what Katara and Zuko are busy doing in the world now, and we know Sokka saved Korra. I think Aang's kids and grandkids provide us with more than enough of a link to the old Avatar. </p><p>But severing Korra's tie with the past Avatars, I agree, was a huge mistake. Maybe it's just me, but Korra doesn't feel like 'The Avatar' to me, any more than Bolin does! We always knew Aang was the Avatar, but Korra honestly just feels like another bender. Don't get me wrong, I adore her, but she kinda lacks that ... I dunno, 'something' the past Avatar's have all had. *not being too clear* </p><p>But, then, maybe that's the point. *shrugs* </p>