INTRODUCTION
July is Disability
Pride Month. It is also the 30th
anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In this month,
much like other marginalized groups, disability is focused on for 31 days (or
less for other groups) and then we go back to being invisible. This is partly
due to the reality that a lot of Disabled people do not occupy a lot of public
spaces. In the words of Activist Stella Young, “Often, Disabled people are not our
teachers, our lawyers or our manicurists. We are not real people...” This lack
of representation is public space allows disability stereotypes and assumptions
to be maintained, especially when that lack of representation is in the media.
Historically, representation
of disability in the media has not been great; pity, inspirational tropes and
stereotypes abound. Add to that the normalization of non-disabled actors
playing disabled characters (even
in current films); and their validation through award
nominations or an
actual win, it becomes clear that disability, in film, is invisible. While
this continues, it is in the field of animation where a lot of diverse and
positive portrayals of disability can be found, (even if they too are being
portrayed by non-disabled voice actors)0. One of the best portrayals of
disability in animation over the last 30 years has been Avatar: The Last Airbender and
its sequel series The Legend of
Korra. These two shows, created
by Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino feature characters with physical disabilities,
dealing with psychological trauma, and mental illness. Much of the shows’ plots
were not about disability, but featured characters living with a disability who
were not coddled, marginalized, infantilized, or left out of the adventures. Rather,
it was just a part of their lived experiences. This is what any marginalized
group strives for in their desired content; to see themselves onscreen. Therefore, in honor of #DisabilityPrideMonth,
this brief essay is focusing on the portrayals of Disability in both Avatar and
Korra.
Here is your mandatory Spoiler Warning! I
will be covering characters from all seasons of BOTH shows. Check out Avatar Now Streaming on
Netflix, and The
Legend of Korra can be found on Amazon Prime Video. Check them both out!
As an additional Note: This analysis will
only be covering the animated shows and not any additional material.
BACKGROUND
Avatar: The Last
Airbender and its sequel series The Legend of
Korra is set in an ancient world heavily influenced by Chinese
Mythology. In this world the earth is divided into four different
nation based upon the four natural elements (water, earth, fire and air). There
is the Northern and Southern Water tribes, The Earth Kingdoms of Ba Singh Se
and Omashu, The Fire Nation and The Air Nomads. Each of these
nations have a culture and rituals that is influenced by their totemic element.
Additionally, some members of these nations are often born with the ability to
manipulate their respective element. This behavior is called
"bending".
The
titular "Avatar" is a single person in the whole world who can
"bend" and master all four elements. Having a life cycle of 170
years, the Avatar acts as a spiritual leader, guide and general force for peace
in the world (i.e. The Dali Lama). At the end of an Avatar's life they are
reincarnated into the next nation in the “Avatar Cycle" (see above).This
not only allows the Avatar to live on throughout history, the cycle of
reincarnation allows the Avatar the ability to tap into the power of all
her/his past lives at a single moment. This is called "The Avatar
State".
REPRESENTATION OF DISABILITY IN AVATAR
Many of the Primary and secondary characters in
Avatar are disabled or go through a disability experiences. Each of them,
throughout the series deal with this in a variety of ways.
The Titular character of the Avatar series,
Aang at first glance, does not have any visible disabilities. Yet, the grief he
experiences as being “ the last airbender” led to the emotional pain and guilt
over being lost for 100 years during which time the Air Nomads were the victims
of genocide. This grief is eventually
dealt with in the Season 2 episode episode “The Guru” when he learns that
his grief is transformed into the new love he feels for his friends, especially
Katara. Aang’s arc at the end of season two is all about healing from the
emotional trauma of his existence and the acceptance of his role as the Avatar.
The episode “The Guru” not only builds out the Avatar lore (and teaching
children about Eastern Philosophy) but also serves as therapy for Aang to deal
with his trauma.
The main antagonist in
season 2, Azula is calculated, determined, and arrogant. While there are signs
of sociopathy from the beginning (burning of Iroh’s gift, bullying Zuko and her
“friends” Mei and Tai Lee, inherit narcissism). Much of that mental state can
also be explained by the parental abuse from Fire Lord Ozai fashioning her into
a carbon copy of himself. Aside from that, what is significant about Azula, in
the realm of disability, is that we see her acquire her disability. We witness
the psychological break she has when she is betrayed by her friends[2]. This is then compounded
when she is rejected by her father[3] to the point that she has
a meltdown. She begins to see enemies everywhere and rejects those that would
help her. This is not resolved by series
end, causing the viewer to have sympathy for Azula.
Not much is known about “The
Combustion Man” inside of the series. He appears in Season 3 as an assassin Zuko
hires to hunt down and kill Aang. He has the disability of being a double
amputee both his right arm and leg are missing, replaced
with prosthetics. The backstory being that, in developing “combustion bending”
he lost his limbs as he participated in Agni Kai’s (Fire bending Duels) While his
presence in the series was short lived, it allowed the creators to show
another form of disability one, which like the rest did not minimize his
character or lead to helplessness.
Teo is the first
character that we meet with a disability in the Avatar Universe. He is the
son of The Machinist, an inventor who has taken up residence in one of the
abandoned Air Temples. Teo acquired his disability during a flood that also
killed his mother. Teo moves around in a makeshift wheelchair. While his
paralysis is a part of his character, it does not define him; nor does it make
him superhuman or “special” in any way. He is has learned to adapt to his
limited mobility and has become an expert pilot. One the best scenes in the entire
series that represents disability well is in Season 3 “The Day of Black Sun: Part
1” in which Teo is leading a group of Earth Kingdom tanks in a wedge formation.
He is not left out of the battle because of his disability, he uses his skills,
to the best of his abilities during the battle. Just. Like. Everyone else.
Toph is blind. Toph
is awesome. Toph is a fan favorite, and one of the best well rounded characters
in Avatar. Unfortunately, she also falls into the disability stereotype
of “the
supercrip”. Her disability giving her abilities that allow her to surpass
any Earthbender (She is literally Avatar’s version of Daredevil). What solidifies
her position as “SuperCrip” is when, at the end of Season 2, she can create the
Earthbending specialization of Metalbending specifically because of her blindness.
Through her seismic “radar” sense, she can feel the earth impurities in metal and
learns to manipulate it. While this is a common trope for people with
disabilities in media, Throughout the course of the show, Toph is shown to have
weaknesses due to her disability. Some of these weaknesses she can overcome
(such as improving her Sandbending), while others (like seeing flying objects)
she cannot. In this way, aside from the
fact that she is a walking trope, it shows how Disabled people adapt to their disability
and deal with the limitations of their disability that they can not minimize.
Zuko’s arc through the entire
Avatar series is not only some of the best writing, it is the template
for the classic redemption arc. Zuko, like Azula, is subjected to parental
abuse by his father. However, because he was a failure, his abuse was not only
psychological, but physical and emotional too. Zuko’s compassion, seen as a weakness,
resulted in his father scaring his face. Then, he emotionally manipulates Zuko
into believing that he has lost his “honor” and the only way to restore it is by
hunting down the Avatar. This is at a point where the Avatar has not been seen
in over 100 years. From this the viewer can be imply that The Firelord wanted
to continue to torment Zuko AND keep him out of the way of Fire Nation business.
Two birds, one stone.
The abuse Zuko suffers at
the hands of his father causes Zuko to develop
rage and obsessive tendencies. Yet, over the course of three seasons he learns
to heal from this trauma, culminating in his confrontation with his father
during “The Day of Black Sun: Part 2” at which time his father tries to kill
him. Zuko’s arc in Avatar is not just one from villain to hero. It is
from emotionally broken, to whole.
DISABILITY IN THE LEGEND OF KORRA
As with Avatar, The
Legend of Korra has positive examples of characters with disabilities.
Firstly, before we get into specific characters, the ability to taking away bending by the
first season’s villain Amon, is treated, in cannon, like acquiring a disability. After Amon takes
a person’s bending away, that person often depicts symptoms of emotional trauma
and depression. While this is unfortunately
not lingered on, it does illustrate a bit of the transition and grief a person
with acquired disabilities goes through as their world shifts from being a non-disabled
person, to one with a disability. Regrettably,
because of the way that Korra was produced (originally as only a 12 episode
miniseries), we did not see a continuation of these possibilities. Instead,
Korra was able to restore all bending to those who lost it. A choice in line
with the medical
model of disability.
Korra is the next Avatar
in the cycle after the death of Aang. She is his reincarnation into the next
element in the cycle; water. Throughout the series Korra experiences a lot of
trauma and brushes with disability. She gets her bending taken away at the end
of season 1, but it is restored through her ability to enter “The Avatar State”.
However, it is Seasons 3 and 4 that Korra experiences trauma and the physical
and emotional consequences that result in her acquiring a disability and mental
illness. At the end of Korra’s
third season, after her poisoning and attempted murder by The
Red Lotus Anomic Zealot Zaheer, Korra experiences paralysis, muscle atrophy
and PTSD. The entire season 4 storyline for Korra is to accept and heal from
these disabilities and traumas. What is particularly interesting is the way in
which Season 4’s recovery arc mirrors the challenges that a lot of Disabled
people experience with physical and psychological therapy. There is a great
deal of commentary about emotional suppression and withholding (Korra keeping
metal in her body); as well as trauma recovery being a process not a product
(Korra experiences PTSD triggers while in treatment). Even when Korra pushes through
her mental blocks and makes it to the spirit world to connect with Rava once
again, she is not fully healed from her experiences. She is, at series end, both
a Powerful Avatar, and a Disabled person.
Ming Hua, is the armless Waterbending “SuperCrip” of Legend
of Korra. Through her abilities she can use waterbending in ways never
thought possible, the technique she is famous for is affectionately referred to
as “the octopus”. She is virtually invincible even against some of the most
powerful benders. She is only taken out by Mako through luck and quick thinking. We do not know much about her background in
the series, or how she lost her limbs. Yet, what is unique to her portrayal of
disability is in the way she not only uses waterbending to fight, but how she
uses it as a method of adaptation to the non-disabled world. She is shown using
her “water arms” to pickup objects and even drive a car; something she could
not do without it. Pretty cool.
CONCLUSION
Avatar: The Last Airbender and
The Legend of Korra has provided solid, three dimensional disabled
characters since 2005. Both series do a fantastic job of showing how to write
disability and sadly “show up” all other portrayals of disability, especially
in live action.
I am not the only one who has noticed this, in fact one could say that I am
kind of late to the party on this Disabled representation in Avatar, and
that my takes could be quite “basic”. Thus, to mitigate that sentiment, I
wanted to “signal boost” a few articles, videos and performers that I think you
should patron (see below). Cheer’s Disability Pride Month and the ADA, here’s
to disability hope and acceptance. We are here. See us.
BOOSTING THE SIGNAL
Stella Young’s Brilliant Ted Talk from 2014:
Also, here is an example of Young’s “Inspiration
Porn” featuring characters in the Avatar Universe
Here is a good Video Essay about
Disability in Avatar:
Here is a Tony Award wining Disabled
Actress:
Here is a great short set by Comedian Josh
Blue:
Additional Reading:
[1] It
could also be argued that Aang’s inability to go into “The Avatar State” during
most of Season 3 could be seen as a disability, but the remedy of that is so
quick and almost deux ex-machina that it is not worth covering here.
[2]
Boiling Rock part 2
[3]
The Phoenix King
