Mako (The Legend of Korra)
Stoic firebender and orphan who rose from the streets.
Mako is a major character in the animated series *The Legend of Korra*, which aired on Nickelodeon from 2012 to 2014. He exists in the world of *Avatar: The Last Airbender*, with both the character and the series—a sequel to the original show—created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. David Faustino provides his voice. As a firebender, Mako can create and control fire, and he also possesses the ability to generate and redirect lightning. The character was named in tribute to the late Mako Iwamatsu, who voiced Iroh in the first two seasons of *Avatar: The Last Airbender*.
Mako is a skilled firebender from a multicultural family. He and his younger brother, Bolin, grew up as orphans on the streets of Republic City. In contrast to his brother, Mako is stoic and brooding, with a rough edge from his upbringing on the streets, though he relaxes around friends. He is outspoken, smart, and a dedicated worker who sometimes prioritizes his career. He is guarded with strangers and lacks his brother's naivety. For about half the series, he wore a signature red scarf that once belonged to his father, San, who was murdered along with his mother when Mako was eight.
Mako formed a pro-bending team with Bolin, hoping for fame and fortune, but his goals shifted after meeting Avatar Korra, who joined the team and became a loyal friend. He later joined the Republic City Police Force, rising from beat cop to detective. He helped Korra and his friends stop several global threats and was later appointed as Prince Wu's bodyguard, a role he kept after Wu's coronation as Earth King. Mako eventually returned to detective work, while his exes, Asami Sato and Avatar Korra, ended up together.
Ryu Ki-Hyun designed Mako and Bolin. Mako underwent several design changes. Joaquim Dos Santos originally wanted both brothers to have strong noses, but that idea was dropped. As the older brother and provider, Mako was designed to be reserved, brooding, and serious, while Bolin was given a more simplistic, naive worldview. The brothers live in Republic City, a modern metropolis in the United Republic, which the creators said was founded by Aang and Zuko after the Hundred Year War as a place for benders and non-benders from all four nations to live together.
Quick Facts
- Series
- The Legend of Korra
- First
- "A Leaf in the Wind" (2012)
- Creator
- Michael Dante DiMartino / Bryan Konietzko
- Voice
- David Faustino
- Full Name
- Mako
- Species
- Human
- Gender
- Male
- Occupation
- Pro-bender (season 1) · Police officer (seasons 2-3, Turf Wars) · Bodyguard (season 4)
- Family
- San (father; deceased) · Naoki (mother; deceased) · Bolin (brother)
- Significant Other
- Korra (ex-girlfriend, seasons 1-2) / Asami Sato (ex-girlfriend, season 1)
- Relatives
- Chow (paternal uncle) · LiLing (aunt) · Chow Jr. (first cousin) · Tu (first cousin) · Meng-Meng (first cousin) · Grandfamily: · Bohai (paternal grandfather) · Yin (paternal grandmother)
- Nationality
- United Republic of Nations / Fire Nation / Earth Kingdom
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Mako is a talented firebender from a multicultural family who grew up on the streets of Republic City as an orphan with his younger brother, Bolin. In sharp contrast to his brother, Mako's personality can best be characterized as stoic and brooding. Living on the streets has given him a 'rough-edge', though he relaxes somewhat when he's with his friends. Mako is also described as being outspoken, generally not afraid to share his opinions with others. He's also characterized as smart and a dedicated worker who at times puts his career before anything else. Additionally, Mako is very guarded in his dealings with strangers, lacking the naivety of his brother. For roughly half of the series' run, Mako wore a signature red scarf that was once his father San's, who was murdered along with his mother when he was eight years old.
Mako formed a pro-bending team with his brother, dreaming that it would bring him fame and fortune. However, his aspirations changed when he met Avatar Korra, who joined the team and became a loyal friend. In the following months, Mako joined the Republic City Police Force, where he steadily rose in rank from a beat cop to a detective. He joined his friends, including Korra, on numerous occasions in stopping various global threats. Mako was later appointed as Prince Wu's bodyguard, a position he continued after the latter's coronation as Earth King. Mako eventually returns to detective job as his exes, Asami Sato and Avatar Korra end up together.
Reader's Guide
Mako's significance lies in his role as a grounded, complex character within the rapidly modernizing world of The Legend of Korra. As a firebender from a multicultural family—son of an Earth Kingdom father and a Fire Nation mother—he embodies the ethnic blending of the United Republic, a nation founded by Aang and Zuko after the Hundred Year War. His journey from street orphan to pro-bending athlete, police officer, and detective illustrates themes of resilience and duty. Mako's romantic entanglements with both Korra and Asami Sato, and his eventual return to detective work after both relationships end, highlight his personal growth and the series' exploration of young adult relationships. He was the only core member of Team Avatar to remain single by the end of the series. The character was named in honor of the late Mako Iwamatsu, who voiced Iroh in the first two seasons of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Did You Know?
- Mako's signature red scarf once belonged to his father San, who was murdered when Mako was eight years old.
- Mako was originally intended to become romantically involved with Fire Lord Izumi's daughter during the fourth season, but the idea was scrapped.
More in Characters & Avatars
Elsewhere in The Legend of Korra
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