Korra vs.1

In the following week, Korra continued to struggle with the changes that Harmonic Convergence brought. The spirit vines created by the Dark Avatar had taken over parts of Republic City, leaving countless citizens homeless, and her failure to remove them caused tension between her and President Raiko. Additionally, the shift in the world's energy gave several people across the Earth Kingdom the ability to airbend. After her clash with Raiko reached its zenith and her banishment from the city, Korra and her allies set out to scour the Earth Kingdom in search of these new benders to offer them training and guidance.

Despite initial failures to persuade the new airbenders to abandon their lifestyle in order to rebuild the Air Nation, they eventually managed to persuade Kai to join them.[42] They journeyed to Ba Sing Se, where they eventually discovered that Earth Queen Hou-Ting had been conscripting the airbenders into her army, holding them captive underneath the Earth Queen's Temple. Before they could formulate a plan to free them, Lin joined them and informed them of the escape of four dangerous criminals who were after Korra. She dismissed the threat, however, and decided to stay focused on freeing the airbenders. Successfully fighting off the Dai Li and escaping the city, the airbenders and Tenzin traveled to the Northern Air Temple, while Korra, her friends, and Lin continued the search for more benders.[15] Korra and Naga sedated Korra and Naga were sedated by the shirshu-spit darts. Their search led them to Zaofu, where they met up with Suyin Beifong, Lin's half-sister, whose daughter Opal had become an airbender. Although the plan had been to send Opal to the Northern Air Temple, the team stayed at Zaofu for a while on Suyin's suggestion.[43] While training Opal in the basics, Korra was taught metalbending by Suyin, becoming the first metalbending Avatar.[44] The threat Lin warned her about eventually caught up with her, and Korra was kidnapped by Zaheer and his three companions, Ghazan, P'Li, and Ming-Hua. Before they could escape, however, she was saved by her friends, and after discovering that Aiwei had led the criminals inside the city, Team Avatar left the Metal Clan in order to track him down and find out why Korra was being targeted.

Following him to the Misty Palms Oasis, the team discovered that Aiwei was meeting Zaheer at Xai Bau's Grove. In an attempt to follow them, they staked out Aiwei's room at the Misty Palms Inn, though eventually discovered that the grove was located in the Spirit World. Korra entered the Spirit World via mediation herself and found Aiwei being confronted by Zaheer. Zaheer promptly disposed of Aiwei by throwing him into the Fog of Lost Souls, leaving the two of them to talk. Being allowed to ask questions, Korra discovered that Zaheer and his associates were part of the Red Lotus, who desired to radically change the world by doing away with the separation of the four nations. Meanwhile, Korra's meditating form was taken by Asami on Naga, as Ghazan and Ming-Hua attempted to kidnap her. Although they managed to escape the Red Lotus, however, they were captured by Earth Kingdom soldiers since the Earth Queen had declared them enemies of the kingdom.[14] Korra and Asami captured Korra and Asami were captured by the Earth Queen's forces. Korra and Asami eventually managed to free themselves and prevent being taken back to Ba Sing Se. Their escape left them and the airship crew stranded in the Si Wong Desert, forcing them all to work together to reach the safety of the Misty Palms Oasis, where they once again met up with Mako, Bolin, Lin, Tonraq, and Zuko and learned that Zaheer had killed the Earth Queen[46] and threatened to do the same with the airbenders at the Northern Air Temple lest Korra surrendered herself to them.[47] Their forces were strengthened by Suyin and her security force, and the team set course for the Northern Air Temple. On the way, Korra decided that she would give herself up, as it was the only way to save the airbenders. As such, she met Zaheer atop Laghima's Peak, while Asami, Mako, and Bolin would check on the airbenders at the temple, and Tonraq and the metalbenders would scale the mountain to be her back up. Zaheer double-crossed them, however, and despite P'Li's demise in the ensuing battle, he managed to escape with an unconscious Korra.[48]

When she woke up, Korra found herself suspended in chains in an underground prison hold and was administered poison through pores in her skin. She was told the poison would force her body into the Avatar State, enabling the Red Lotus to end the Avatar Cycle if they killed her in the Avatar State. She tried to fight it off, though she eventually succumbed to the poison's influence, and the Avatar State was triggered. The moment she remained in the state, she was attacked by Ghazan and Ming-Hua. Using her enhanced strength and bending abilities, she managed to free herself from her chains and confronted Zaheer in a duel while Bolin and Mako took care of the others. Korra suffocated Defenseless, Korra was slowly suffocated by Zaheer. With the Avatar State, Korra was able to hold her own against Zaheer, even force him on the defense, though she could not keep up battling both him and the poison, eventually succumbing to its effect. Rendered defenseless, Zaheer took the opportunity to suffocate her, though before he could finish his attack, they were both trapped in a tornado created by Jinora and the novice airbenders. Freed from Zaheer's hold, Korra managed to ensnare Zaheer and pull him down with her, enabling Lin and Suyin to trap him in an earthen prison. Despite her victory, Korra was left on the verge of death due to the poison within her. When Jinora recognized the poison to be a metallic solution, Suyin tried to bend it out of her, saving her life. However, the cumulative trauma from the poison and hitting the ground after Zaheer sent her plummeting off a cliff had taken a great toll on her,[49] confining her to a wheelchair in a physically and emotionally weakened state.

After Jinora's ceremony, Korra changed into her normal attire and was set to board the steamship heading toward the Southern Water Tribe, together with her parents, Naga and Kya. Before boarding, she was given a letter by Bolin, who expressed his delight over becoming pen pals with her. Although Asami inquired if she would be fine on her own as the businesswoman would be happy to accompany her, Korra declined the offer, stating that some weeks by herself to heal would do her good. Tenzin reassured her that he, Jinora, and the Air Nation would try their best to take care of things in her absence so she could focus all her energy on healing.