"I don't care about the oath! I have to save my family!" |
— Opal to Jinora.[1] |
Opal is an airbending member of the new Air Nation[2], the daughter of Suyin Beifong and Baatar, half-niece of Lin Beifong, and granddaughter of Toph Beifong. At some point after the insurrection of the Red Lotus, she began a romantic relationship with Bolin.[3]
Quick Answers
What is the name of Opal's mother?
Who is Opal's romantic partner?
What is Opal's relation to Toph Beifong?
What is the story behind Opal's conflict with Kuvira?
What is Opal's role in the new Air Nation?
History[]
Early life[]
When Opal was young, Suyin took in Kuvira after she had been abandoned by her parents. One day, Opal's playtime with her dollhouse was interrupted by Kuvira, who demanded her to leave the room so she could play with the toy herself. Opal refused and told Kuvira to get out instead. Kuvira promptly destroyed the dollhouse with her metalbending, reasoning that if she could not play with it, no one could. Angered and upset, Opal called for her mother, who chastised Kuvira for her dangerous actions. As the young metalbender stormed away, Opal wondered if her mother was not going to punish Kuvira more but was told to cut her sister some slack. Opal angrily retorted that Kuvira was not her sister but rather a stray dog that nobody had wanted, including her real parents.[4]
171 AG[]
Meeting Team Avatar[]
Like many other people around the world, Opal gained the ability of airbending after Harmonic Convergence. Sometime later Opal was reading when her mother came up to her and introduced her to Korra and her friends. Upon noticing the group, Opal excitedly greeted the Avatar, uttering her disbelief upon her being there and stating that Korra was amazing. When Bolin complimented her name, she shyly blushed and after he introduced himself, she reintroduced herself, causing her blush to intensify. Opal was slightly shocked when Lin announced briskly that they would take her back to their airship now that they had found her. When Suyin introduced Lin as Opal's aunt, Opal was eager to meet her, stating that her mother had told her many stories about Lin. She was taken aback, however, when the Chief of Police showed no interest in making her acquaintance but rather wanted to leave as soon as possible. When Korra revealed that they had originally planned to bring Opal to the Northern Air Temple where she would train with Tenzin and the other airbenders, Opal was delighted at the prospect, though her mother brushed it off and suggested that Korra trained her at Zaofu.
Just before dinner, Opal admitted to Korra that she was not good at airbending, though Korra tried to set her at ease by revealing that she was a first-time teacher, so they were both novices. Opal was subsequently shown the basics and invited to run through the routine with Korra. The two slowly walked around in a circle and made eased swirls of air around each other. Opal was complimented by Korra, being referred to as a natural, for which she thanked her instructor.
At dinner, Opal sat next to her aunt and Bolin and when the latter expressed his enjoyment of their meal, she readily agreed, proclaiming she had never had a bad meal in her life, only to be told by the earthbender of Mako and his street life and their encounters with disgusting food. Opal apologized for her lack of awareness, though Bolin assured her it was all in the past. As he relayed all his adventures and accomplishments, Opal was impressed by his life, calling it exciting.
After dinner, Opal was practicing some airbending katas when she was approached by Bolin. As he talked to her in a flirtatious manner, she asked him why he was acting strangely. Receiving the same question as a response, Opal said she did not like how he was talking to her and began to walk away. Her retreat was quickly halted when Bolin jumped in front of her apologized, saying he got self-conscious when he knew a girl liked him and ended up acting stupid. Opal wondered where he got the idea that she liked him, but soon revealed that she was joking. She told Bolin to stop trying so much and just be himself. The two gazed each other deeply in the eyes, though Opal quickly put some distance between her and Bolin when Korra cleared her throat to reveal her presence. When asked for assistance, Opal left with the Avatar.
Opal and Korra made their way over to Lin's quarters. When Lin gruffly allowed them to enter, Opal apologized to her aunt, acknowledging that the visit would be hard on her. She admitted that she had been excited to meet Lin due to the stories she had been told by her mother and grandmother, Toph, and was thus saddened when Lin did not want to get to know her. She continued by saying that her family could be "crazy and overwhelming" at times, but it would mean a lot to her if her aunt would be a part of it. Opal was shocked when Lin's only reaction was to coldly tell her to get out. She apologized, asking if she had said something wrong. After Lin snapped at her to get out a second time, she ran out of the room in tears.[2]
The next morning, Suyin offered Korra lessons in metalbending, prompting Opal to suggest to Bolin that he should join them, though he declined, stating he was more of an "earth guy". She later found him in the yard where Suyin kept her meteorites, though she frightened him upon greeting him. Inquiring what he was doing, she received an evasive answer which she labeled as him being weird again, upon which he told her the truth, namely that he had been trying in vain to metalbend. When he implored her not to tell anyone, deeming his failure an embarrassment because Toph was his hero, Opal advised him to go train with her mother, since she had learned directly from Toph. As she told him to stop being afraid, he threw her own words back at her, saying that she had been too afraid to leave to train at the Northern Air Temple as she desired to do. She acknowledged the truth in his words, as she did not want to leave her family and disappoint her mother. When Bolin draped his arm over her shoulder, she labeled their conversation as nice and hugged him back.
Sometime later, Opal discovered her mother and Lin locked in a duel, both charging each other with large pieces of earth held above their heads. Horrified that the sisters would want to hurt each other, she intervened by blasting the rocks away and reprimanding both women for their actions. Before she could get a reaction, however, she watched Lin collapse. Sixteen hours later, Opal found her aunt in the dining hall. She moved to leave, though was called back and invited to sit down, so they could talk. Lin apologized to her niece for snapping at her the other day, explaining that she and Suyin had a complicated relationship. Opal concluded that being in Zaofu made Lin uncomfortable, which prompted Lin to compliment her intelligence. When her aunt suggested that she go to the Northern Air Temple to train, Opal confided in Lin that she wanted to go, but at the same time, she did not want to disappoint her mother by leaving her home. However, she was subsequently told that she needed to make decisions based on what she wanted, not to make someone else happy. Thankful for the advice and the talk, Opal hugged Lin, before leaving the dining hall to find her parents and tell them about her desire to go train with Tenzin.[5]
A farewell dinner was held in Opal's honor during which the chef made Opal's favorite meal of raw vegi-wraps. As Bolin told her he would think of her whenever he ate kale, she called him sweet. When he expressed his displeasure about her departure, she assured him that they would be together soon, verifying in a hopeful tone that Team Avatar planned to go to the Northern Air Temple after finding more airbenders. Making light of the situation, she offered Bolin a bite of her kale wrap, stating that until they would meet again, they would always have kale. She was subsequently praised in a toast by her mother for being an incredible daughter, sister, friend, and soon to be airbending master. After dinner, Opal departed on an airship, waving goodbye to her family and friends.[6]
Joining the airbenders[]
Opal was meditating with Kya and some other airbenders at the Northern Air Temple when Bumi burst in, alerting them of the Red Lotus' presence. As they made their way over to the flying bison stables to escape, Opal was grabbed by Ming-Hua, who constricted her with one water tendril while using the other to threaten her life if the others would not comply. She was placed in a courtyard together with all the inhabitants of the temple until Tenzin attacked Zaheer, Ming-Hua, and Ghazan and ordered everyone to head toward the stables once more. Although they were fired upon by P'Li, who was stationed in a Ba Sing Se airship, they managed to make it to the stables. However, just as they got there, one of P'Li's combustion attacks scared off the bison, leaving Opal and the others at the mercy of the firebender.[7]
Opal and the others were ushered into an airship by P'Li and taken to a cave-complex a few miles away from the temple, where they were released into the custody of four other Red Lotus sentries, who chained them to the floor by their wrists. As Jinora returned from her astral reconnaissance trip, Opal asked if she had been able to discover a way out of their predicament. Although the answer was negative, she was told not to worry. The group devised a plan to escape, using their airbending to steal a set of keys from their guards and direct them into Opal's hands, who promptly hid them out of sight. As the guard turned his back on her, Opal swiftly unlocked one of her cuffs, but before she could free herself completely, she was discovered by the guards. However, at that moment, Team Avatar and her mother burst into their prison and swiftly took out the guards, before freeing them all. Opal happily called out to her mother and she received a warm hug. Their moment of intimacy was interrupted, though, when Bolin interjected by pushing Suyin back and hugging Opal himself.
After being freed, Opal and the others were led outside, where they witnessed Korra's battle with Zaheer. When it became apparent that Korra could not fight both the Red Lotus' leader and the poison she had been administered, Opal followed Jinora's lead and started to create a tornado, which eventually enabled Korra to break free from Zaheer's grasp and slam him against the rocks. After her mother and aunt trapped Zaheer in an earthen prison, she complimented Bolin on his typical Bolin action after the young earthbender put a sock in Zaheer's mouth to refrain him from talking.[8]
After the insurrection of the Red Lotus was put down, Opal was upset to learn that her oldest brother, Baatar Jr., had joined Kuvira on her journey to unite the Earth Kingdom under her rule, growing bitter with her sibling over the years for betraying their mother.[3]
174 AG[]
Helping the Earth Kingdom[]
Over the next three years, Opal worked with the Air Nation to help dispel gangs of bandits roving throughout the chaotic Earth Kingdom. During this time, she also got romantically involved with Bolin, though the long distance between them and his support of Kuvira put a strain on their relationship,[3] and gained a flying bison named Juicy.[9] One day in 174 AG, she and Kai were sent toward the state of Yi to help out. As they arrived at its capital, they noticed a robbery in progress. Without hesitation, Opal and Kai jumped off Lefty and soared down on their wingsuits. After Kai tipped the bandits' jeep, sending the three criminals flying, she softened their impact with a small blast of air. With the bandits tied up, the duo was approached by the governor of the state, who was happy about their arrival, though wondered where the other airbenders were. Opal revealed that she and Kai were all there was since the Air Nation was spread thinly over the kingdom and emphasized that they would do everything they could to help.
While feeding Lefty, Opal and Kai noticed the arrival of a train to the town, prompting Opal to voice the hope of it bringing food and supplies. When they checked it out and noticed Bolin disembarking from the train, Opal deduced that he was there with Kuvira and Baatar Jr., remarking that it could not mean anything good. Nonetheless, she was happy to see her boyfriend again, ruffling up his stiff hair before hugging him warmly. However, when Kuvira and her older brother walked up to her, she snapped at her brother for pretending to care about their mother, reminding him that Suyin had not forgiven him for his betrayal. When Kuvira tried to defuse the situation by pointing out that they were not there to bicker with her but to help the town, Opal briskly told the metalbender that she had heard of how Kuvira saw "helping towns", namely by conquering them. Her anger was quickly replaced by shock, however, when she learned that her brother and Kuvira were engaged. She was subsequently urged to forgive and forget about the past by her future sister-in-law, though their conversation was cut short by the intervention of the governor.
When Kuvira ordered her army to head out after failing to strike a deal with the governor, Opal pleaded with Bolin to not turn his back on the people of Yi, but when the earthbender insisted he was powerless since the governor wanted the army gone, she grew upset and pushed him away when he wanted to give her a goodbye hug. Telling him to leave, she turned her back on him while he boarded the train. Determined to save the town, Opal agreed with Kai that they did not need the army's help as they could fly on Lefty to the nearby towns to gather supplies themselves. When a farmer apologized for not being able to give more, Opal quickly put him at ease, assuring him every little bit helped and the combined supplies would keep the townspeople held over until reinforcements arrived. The two airbenders bowed in gratitude before taking off on their flying bison.
En route to the state capital, Opal was asked by Kai whether she and Bolin were doing okay, to which she admitted that a long-distance relationship was challenging and that she could not stand him working with Kuvira. When Kai suggested that it seemed Bolin had found his calling, Opal remarked that he had indeed changed and feared she and Bolin were growing apart. In turn, she inquired how Kai and Jinora were doing, though before Kai could elaborate, they were approached by a biplane piloted by bandits who tried to hook their supplies away. While Kai tried to fight off the thief, Opal steered Lefty. After Kai jumped after the retreating biplane that took off with their supplies and plummeted to the ground due to a tear in his wingsuit, Opal launched herself off the flying bison and used her airbending to swiftly reach a spiraling Kai. As she grabbed hold of him, she deployed her own wingsuit, acting as his right wing, which enabled them both to safely land on Lefty.
Upon returning to the state capital, Opal sadly informed the governor about the aerial attack and the subsequent loss of their gathered supplies. As the governor signed Kuvira's contract, Opal grew angry and stalked off. When Kuvira and her army returned to the town, Opal was sad to hear the metalbender declare Yi to be under her protection. She noticed Bolin distributing supplies not too far from her, though while he gave her a bright smile while blushing, she averted her eyes and retreated dejectedly.[3]
Defending her home[]
When Kuvira marched her army to the gates of Zaofu, Opal returned home to support her family. When Bolin later arrived at the estate as well, he excitedly approached her, though she turned her back on him, angrily declaring that he had chosen his side. When Bolin gushed about the aid Kuvira's army had given people, Opal coldly enlightened him about what happened to the people after the army left. While she acknowledged that the citizens might have been happy initially, she revealed that they were also forced to perform slave labor, while dissenters were sent off to reeducation facilities.[10]
At nightfall, upon hearing Jinora urge Korra to prevent Suyin, Wei, and Wing from going through with their mission to take out Kuvira, Opal stated that they should be trying to help her mother instead of stopping her. However, since no one knew the exact details of Suyin's plan, they were forced to wait, lest they invoked unwanted consequences by exposing the threesome. When Kuvira announced over the city's communication system that Suyin and the twins had been captured, a distraught Opal turned to Korra, pleading with her to take action as she could not let the army commander get away with the arrest. Declaring that they had to break out her mother and brothers, she was reminded by Jinora that she should not resort to violence as she had sworn an oath of nonaggression upon becoming an airbender. Although she dismissed the oath in favor of her family's safety, she was urged to remain calm by Korra, who agreed with Jinora and pointed out that Kuvira had merely defended herself. Hearing Korra claim self-defense, Opal snapped at the Avatar, refuting the claim by pointing out that Kuvira was planning to attack Zaofu and expressing her incredulity at Korra's refusal to fight back. She calmed down, though, and when Korra announced that she and Jinora would try to negotiate with Kuvira at dawn, Opal stated she would come along.
At dawn, the three women walked up to Kuvira and her army and Opal ordered the commander to release her family. Inquiring about Bolin's whereabouts, she was led to believe that he was completely on board with Kuvira's plan to forcefully annex Zaofu to the Earth Empire and that she had failed to realize how much he had grown up during their time apart. Upon hearing Kuvira announce that her actions were to gain "equality" for her people, Opal denounced the leader as only being interested in control and turned to Korra, urging her to take Kuvira down, emphasizing she believed it was the right thing to do. When Korra accepted Kuvira's challenge to a one-on-one duel for the fate of Zaofu, Opal warned her about the master metalbender's prowess. She advised Korra to finish the battle quickly by utilizing the Avatar State, but Korra replied that she would only enter the state as a last resort.
Witnessing Korra being tossed around and barraged with earth and metal attacks, Opal rushed to her aid though was ordered by the Avatar to stand down. When Kuvira was on the verge of finishing Korra off, Opal and Jinora intervened by blowing the army commander back with a powerful gust of wind. Their action broke the peace treaty, however, and they were forced to create a large whirlwind to keep the advancing soldiers at bay. While Jinora used her spiritual projection power to call for help, Opal maintained the vortex by herself. As Meelo and Ikki arrived on Pepper, she helped Jinora carry Korra to the bison's saddle. As Pepper took to the sky, Opal lunged forward, intending to jump down and free her family, though was held back by Jinora and Ikki. When Suyin shouted for her to flee, a teary-eyed Opal yelled back that she loved her and would be back for them.[1] Upon arriving on Air Temple Island, Opal reported to Tenzin and Bumi that Kuvira had marched her entire army to the gates of the city and arrested her entire family. When Bumi inquired about Bolin's whereabouts, Opal stated she did not know where he was and dejectedly noted that she could not believe he would stay with Kuvira after what she had done to her family.[11]
Tensions and worries[]
Worried about her family, Opal vented to Korra that it seemed no one else was concerned about their fate. While Korra tried to reassure her that everything would turn out all right, Jinora flew up to them, alerting them to a strange energy surge she had sensed emanating from the Spirit Wilds. The three women set out to investigate, though after an initial search resulted in nothing out of the ordinary, Opal asked Jinora if she was certain that she had sensed something as opposed to suffering from a bad reaction to something she ate. She rushed to Korra's side, however, when the Avatar read the energy in the vines and jolted back upon witnessing Kuvira harvest the roots of the banyan-grove tree. Opal noted that they had to disclose that information to President Raiko, hoping he would be able to use it to spur the other world leaders to take action against Kuvira.
While Jinora continued searching for Ryu and his tourist group, Opal and Korra made their way to City Hall, though before the could relay their discovery to the gathered world leaders, Bolin and Varrick barged in as well, much to Opal's surprise. Despite the news of the Kuvira's spirit vine-charged superweapon, the world leaders settled on only taking defensive measures for the time being and Opal dejectedly left the building. Bolin stopped her from leaving, however, as he wanted to apologize to her for all he had done to her and her family. Although she was glad that he was okay, she rejected his apologies as they came too late. The conversation was interrupted when Lin asked if she could have a private word with Opal, who promptly left Bolin standing by himself. After her aunt told her that they would have to save their family by themselves, Opal's suggestion to ask some of their friends to accompany them was shut down, since Lin did not want to risk anyone else's life on their unsanctioned and dangerous mission into enemy territory.
Opal retreated to Air Temple Island, where she passed the time by reading a book. Her leisurely activity was interrupted, however, when Pabu ran up to her and demanded her attention. Friendly greeting the fire ferret, she noticed that he was carrying a message around his neck. Reading that Bolin had broken both of his legs, she grew alarmed and followed Pabu back to the place where Bolin was, only to find the earthbender in perfect health, pouring a cup of tea, while sitting on a picnic blanket. Realizing it had been a ruse to get her there so they could have a romantic date, Opal rejected him by sarcastically noting how his gestures would completely make her forget that he had worked for Kuvira. As she walked away, she only turned to apologize to Pabu for having subjected the ferret to her outburst.
Later, Opal handed Lin the last of the supplies they would take with them on their rescue mission to load on Juicy's saddle when she was once more approached by Bolin. Upon being asked where she was heading, she vaguely answered the question that they had some family business to deal with before turning her back on him. After Bolin apologized once again and declared his love for her, she was touched by his gesture and gave him the opportunity to win her back by accompanying them on their mission to save her family.[12]
Saving her family[]
As they arrived at the outskirts of Zaofu, Opal was unimpressed by Bolin's continuous dramatic exclamations of how he was going to save the Beifongs and his relationship. Surveying the city, she wondered why Kuvira had torn down all the domes that formerly protected Zaofu. When Toph arrived as well, Opal excitedly embraced her grandmother and giggled in amusement as she abrasively wrote off Bolin's overly excited attitude as him needing to use the bathroom. As Toph revealed that Suyin and the others had been taken to a nearby prison camp, Opal coldly turned to Bolin and asked him where that facility was located, explaining to Toph that he knew that because he used to work for Kuvira. Now knowing where they were headed, Opal introduced Toph to Juicy, though as her grandmother second-guessed her choice for that particular flying bison, she clarified that the bison had chosen her and good-heartedly added that she had checked whether or not she could change that decision.
Opal steered Juicy toward the factory and they all sneaked in, allowing Toph and Lin to deduce with their seismic sense that their family was being detained in an underground cavern. Retreating back to the hills surrounding the facility, Opal noted that they should also try to take Kuvira down now that they had the chance, a suggestion that was supported by Bolin, who added that they should at least try to destroy the spirit energy cannon that they had discovered in the hangar as well. She complimented him when he proposed to attack the following day when most of the troops and workers would be attending the demonstration of the cannon, leaving the factory mostly deserted. That night, she witnessed a falling out between her aunt and grandmother.
The following day, Opal positioned herself on a vantage point overlooking the testing area of the cannon. She alerted the rest of her team via a portable radio that the demonstration was about to start, prompting them to commence their rescue mission. After Bolin radioed that their mission had been a success, she soared down to the meeting place and called for Juicy, before rushing to embrace her parents. She thanked Bolin for his help, though when Lin urged them all to move, Opal alerted everyone of Zhu Li's arrest and imprisonment in the town that was about to be blown up by the cannon. As Bolin promptly left to save her, Opal decided to follow him. Taking Juicy, the two flew toward the abandoned town and tried to free Zhu Li. Before they could, however, the cannon fired a beam at them, though due to the intervention of her family, it missed them and blew a hole in the hill overlooking the town. Not wasting any more time, Opal and Bolin freed Zhu Li and returned to the factory to pick up the others, before flying off to safety.
Touching down again in a bamboo forest, Opal witnessed in delight as her aunt and grandmother reconciled, though glared at Bolin when he ruined the moment. She was sad to learn that Toph would not accompany them back to Republic City, though grew amused to find out it was because she felt too old to continue fighting due to a sore back. When Zhu Li thanked them for saving her and urged them to not be too hard on Bolin for having worked for Kuvira, emphasizing that his heart had been in the right place, Opal noted that Bolin had worked his way out of the "polar bear doghouse", kissing him on the cheek, much to his delight. Her good mood was broken, however, when Zhu Li revealed that Kuvira planned on attacking Republic City two weeks later.[9]
Stopping Kuvira[]
A week later, after Korra, Tenzin, Bumi, Kai, and Jinora kidnapped Baatar Jr. from his airship, Opal joined her family in confronting him at a Future Industries factory. She was saddened when her mother told Baatar Jr. that his departure from Zaofu had taken a heavy toll on their family. Opal later had to run for her life when Kuvira blew up the facility with her spirit energy cannon.[13]
Opal managed to survive the explosion and emerged from the rubble with everyone else when Bolin lifted a large piece of concrete. While Asami and Varrick attempted to adapt the prototypes of the hummingbird mecha suits in Asami's office to get them airborne, she and the other benders faced Kuvira and her army in an attempt to stop them or at the very least, slow them down. On Meelo's urging, Opal and the other airbenders equipped themselves with balloons filled with paint. Upon reaching the Colossus, they dropped the balloons on the suit's windows, momentarily obscuring its vision and enabling the earthbenders on the ground to tie down the suit's legs. As Bolin gave the signal, Opal and the other airbenders blasted the suit with air currents in an attempt to topple it over. The suit managed to stabilize itself, however, forcing Opal and the others to flee when Kuvira aimed her spirit cannon at them. She was knocked unconscious due to the near miss of the blast, though slightly opened her eyes when Bolin and Lin rushed to her side and the former carried her off to the relative safety of Asami's office, where she heard the new plan being formed: the benders would relentlessly attack the Colossus to distract it and enable the two hummingbird mecha suits to land on the enormous machine and cut a hole in it without being crushed.[14]
Later, Opal attended Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding at Air Temple Island; she sat between Korra and Tonraq during the wedding ceremony. When the dance floor was later opened during the dinner party, Opal dragged Bolin onto it.[15]
Defending Republic City's spirit portal[]
In the aftermath of Kuvira's defeat, Opal joined Jinora and several other airbenders in a meditation session at the new Republic City spirit portal. Their session was interrupted, however, by the appearance of Wonyong Keum and his construction workers, who threatened to call the police if they did not get off the land he had purchased to turn into an amusement park. Opal supported Jinora's opposition, when the young airbending master, refusing to leave, informed the businessman that the land was sacred as it belonged to the spirits. The heated discussion was interrupted by Korra and Asami's return from their vacation in the Spirit World, and when the dragon eel spirit approached the Avatar, asking her to close the portal lest she would be held accountable for the fate that befell the spirits, Opal assured Korra that the airbenders were on her side and ready to help protect the portal.
Later that night, Opal had to make good on that promise, as the portal came under attack by the Triple Threat Triad, hired by Wonyong to scare them off. The battle came to a quick end, however, when Team Avatar and, much to her surprise, several angry spirits arrived and drove away the Triple Threats. As the chaos died down, Opal was shocked to see Korra and Asami sharing a kiss and turned to Bolin in wonder. When Asami confirmed that she and Korra were now a couple, Opal told them she was happy for them and that there was no pressure to go on the double date that Bolin had already scheduled for the following Tuesday.[16]
Gaoling crisis[]
Opal was present for the beginning of Kuvira's trial three months after her defeat, along with her parents, Wei, Wing, Huan, and Team Avatar. She watched on as the Earth Empire's former leader was brought before a tribunal, and saw her mother confront Kuvira after she plead not guilty.[17]
Team Avatar later left with Wu and a temporarily-released Kuvira to Gaoling to promote the first free and fair elections in the state. After Mako, Bolin and Asami were kidnapped and brainwashed, Kuvira radioed Suyin, and Opal joined her mother, Wei, and Wing in picking up Kuvira. Opal asked her mother why she did not send Metal Clan soldiers to pick her up, but Suyin informed her that it was important she picked up Kuvira herself. Opal asked her mother how she could have a soft spot for Kuvira after all she put their family through, but Suyin simply told her that it was not the right time to ask.
When she met with Korra, Kuvira, Wu, and Toph, Opal was delighted to be reunited with her grandmother again. As Commander Guan's forces encroached on Suyin's airship, Opal tried to reason with Bolin. Seeing reasoning with the victims of brainwashing would be futile, Korra and Opal tried to capture Mako, Bolin and Asami by stunning them with an airbending attack and having Suyin, Wei and Wing snag them with metal cables. However, Guan snapped the cables and Bolin began to attack Opal by launching rocks at her with earthbending. She deflected one rock with airbending, but the second struck her on the shoulder before she collapsed unconscious. Her brothers rushed to her aid, and she was carried back onto the airship before it made its escape. As the ship took off, Opal's grandmother comforted her.[18]
Upon their arrival in Zaofu, Su had Wei and Wing escort Opal to her room and had them call the medic, despite her daughter's insistence that she would be fine. Opal later joined her family, Korra and Kuvira for a meal. When Korra told Kuvira that Baatar Jr. still felt guilty for everything he did when he was part of the Earth Empire, Opal raised that the same could not be said about everyone present, and disapprovingly looked away from Kuvira. After Kuvira remarked that Guan brainwashing the king and control the kingdom was a brilliant plan, Opal retorted that she supposed Kuvira wished she had thought to brainwash everyone so she could still be in power, though she denied the implication, and Su asked both of them to stop arguing.
Opal and her twin brothers rushed to find Su after Asami's brainwashing had been undone. They told their mother to turn on the radio, as Guan had just won the election in Gaoling.
After Kuvira stole a Metal Clan plane and escaped Zaofu, Opal flew Korra, Asami, Su and Toph to Gaoling on Juicy. When Su spotted Kuvira's plane, Opal asked her mother to admit that Kuvira had taken advantage of her good will and betrayed her again. Su told her that they did not know for sure, and that she would give Kuvira the benefit of the doubt until she learned otherwise, to Opal's chagrin. Her mother then told her to make a pass over the city so she could try to spot her with her telescope. Su spotted Kuvira at the reeducation camp, and Opal brought Juicy down. Opal prepared to fight alongside her mother and grandmother, and propelled several Earth Empire soldiers back with her airbending. At the end of the battle, Kuvira managed to force Guan to surrender, and the entire Earth Empire army stood down.
After Korra reversed Bolin, Mako and Wu's brainwashing, Opal rushed to embrace her boyfriend, delighted that he was okay.
Opal returned to Republic City when Kuvira's trial resumed. After Kuvira confessed to her crimes and entered a guilty plea, Opal was pleased that Kuvira had accepted responsibility. When Kuvira learned that she had been released into Suyin's custody under house arrest, Opal told her that they all thought Su was crazy, but they came around, and told Kuvira that despite not being born a Beifong, she would always be a part of their family.[4]
Personality[]
As a child, Opal was rather insensitive and spoiled, refusing to share her dollhouse with her adoptive sister, Kuvira, and refusing to acknowledge her as a sister. She went as far as calling her a stray dog that nobody, not even her own parents, wanted around. While she said this after being understandably upset with Kuvira for breaking her dollhouse, it still had an impact on Kuvira later in her life.
However, as she grew up, Opal became genuinely friendly and easygoing, quickly extending a hand of greeting to the members of Team Avatar when they arrived in Zaofu. She also exhibited some shyness to the group, as she blushed and looked down when introducing herself to Bolin. While practicing her airbending after dinner, she joked around with Bolin after the latter attempted to flirt with her, displaying a little bit of her easygoing side. Her easygoing side disguises her passion and discipline in her interests, such as her focus and training in her newly acquired airbending abilities. At the same time, she also possesses a strong belief in honesty and in a person simply being themselves.
She has also demonstrated a more serious demeanor, such as when she stopped the fight between Lin and her mother and angrily questioned why they would be fighting each other after so many years of separation, or whenever the subject of Kuvira was touched upon.
Opal also seems curious and interested in the outside world, reveling in Bolin's tales about his days living on the streets of Republic City. Having spent her life within the safe confines of Zaofu, she seemed impressed by his adventures, calling his life exciting.[2] She also inherited much of her mother's humanistic way of thinking, encouraging Bolin to pursue training in the art of metalbending, believing in his potential to do so.[5]
Abilities[]
Despite being a new airbender, Opal has demonstrated considerable skill in the bending art, able to seamlessly create swirls of air in tandem with Korra, who referred to her as a natural. While practicing after dinner, Opal was able to perform multiple blasts of air and create a powerful airwave by striking the ground.[2] She was even strong enough to break up a duel between her mother and her aunt Lin, two powerful earth- and metalbending masters, in a single move.[5] Over the course of three years, Opal improved her airbending skills, as evidenced during her time with Kai in their patrol around the Earth Kingdom[3] and during her battle with Kuvira's army, where she and Jinora protected Korra by creating a strong whirlwind, which she was able to maintain by herself.[1]
Appearances[]
The Legend of KorraBook Three: Change (易)
Book Four: Balance (平衡)
Avatar comicsOther comics
Graphic novels |
Relatives[]
- Main article: Beifong family
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| Baatar Jr. |
| Huan |
| Opal |
| Wei |
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Trivia[]
- Opal's hairstyle is based on a look popularized by Dolly Haas.[19]
- While growing up, Opal had an Aang and Kyoshi doll.[4]
- Steam buns is Opal's favourite food.[12]