People Always Say They Want Complex Characters. They Ask For Nuance, For Gray Areas, For Emotional Depth

People always say they want complex characters. They ask for nuance, for gray areas, for emotional depth and realistic growth. But when a character starts feeling too real, so much so that they stop acting like someone in a story and start feeling like someone you could actually meet – that's when the discomfort kicks in. That's when admiration often turns into criticism. And very few in The Legend of Korra walks that tightrope quite like Suyin Beifong.

Su doesn’t follow the typical “lesson of the week” formula. She doesn’t get handed a tidy moment of reckoning, followed by an instant transformation. Her arc isn’t flashy or obvious. It’s slow, subtle, and sometimes contradictory. Just like real people. Because the truth is, most of us don’t change overnight. We grow a little here, slip back there. We learn something, but that doesn’t mean we always apply it in every situation. That’s Suyin in a nutshell.

Look at how she changes as a mother. At first, she tries to micromanage Opal’s choices out of fear, mostly, and a need to protect her. But eventually, she lets Opal go and lets her live her life without trying to control her path. That’s a win. That’s real growth. But then Baatar Jr. betrays the family, and Su reacts by putting him under house arrest. It’s easy to point at that and call it hypocrisy, but that misses the bigger picture. Her deepest fears for her kids came true with Baatar, and so, of course, she tries to regain some kind of control in the aftermath. And yet, she doesn’t try to rope Opal back in. She lets her stay free. That shows her earlier growth wasn’t erased, just complicated by pain.

This is the part people tend to ignore. They rush to call her a hypocrite without stopping to think about what hypocrisy really is. People are full of contradictions. We want conflicting things. We act on emotion. We stumble. We grow unevenly. No one is morally consistent all the time. Su isn’t some moral failure she’s just human. And that’s what unsettles people. They want characters who get what’s coming to them or learn the “right” lesson. But Su doesn’t fit into that framework. She just keeps going, flaws and all.

That’s also what makes her so compelling. She’s not a straightforward hero or a satisfying villain. She’s a complicated woman trying to balance power, family, control, and identity in ways that are messy and real. When people critique her, it’s often not because she doesn’t make sense, but because she makes too much sense.

She’s too familiar. Too human.

Everyone says they want nuanced characters... until they’re faced with someone like Suyin. Someone who holds up a mirror. And when that reflection hits a little too close to home, people tend to look away. But it’s in that raw honesty where her character really shines.

Tags

legend of korra lok su the legend of korra tlok avatar the legend of korra atlok suyin beifong tlok su su tlok suyin tlok suyin suyin tlok suyin the legend of korra the legend of korra suyin pro suyin beifong we love and support suyin we asked for a realistic female character

More Posts from Kendraunderstress and Others

kendraunderstress

1 week ago

I am very clearly deranged I simply couldn't not post this

Tags

avatar legend of korra lok the legend of korra tlok avatar the legend of korra lin mako atlok chief beifong lin beifong bolin tlok mako tlok bolin bolin tlok the legend of korra bolin bolin the legend of korra bolin avatar tlok lin lin tlok the legend of korra lin lin the legend of korra lin avatar detective mako mako tlok the legend of korra mako mako the legend of korra tlok meme

2K notes View Post

kendraunderstress

2 months ago

they can never catch a break 💔 i love them IDCC

*sighs in woc*

Tags

arcane caitlyn kiramman mel medarda caitlyn arcane atla avatar arcane league of legends katara atla katara avatar korra the legend of korra korra avatar tlok korra katara atla mel arcane she ra glimmer tlok korra katara avatar glimmer she ra pro katara korra tlok pro korra pro mel medarda pro caitlyn pro glimmer

2K notes View Post

kendraunderstress

2 months ago

I find it so funny that Zutaras, for generations, wrote entire think pieces about how Mai is:

1. Too Apolitical and apathetic to be a Firelady

2. Completely selfish and always acting in her own best interest

3. Would only hinder Zuko’s progress as a Firelord

All in attempt to diminish her character and try and prove Katara of all people would be a better Firelady.

Now we have CANON to confirm that Mai is fearless and a staunch advocate for undoing years of fire nation propaganda. And that she’s willing to drop everything to help Zuko in a noble cause - including teaching a new generation of kids the truth about the hundred year war.

Suck. On. That.

I Find It So Funny That Zutaras, For Generations, Wrote Entire Think Pieces About How Mai Is:

Tags

atla avatar the last airbender avatar zuko atla zuko zuko avatar mai ashes of the academy atla mai like really atla maiko maiko mai x zuko fire lord zuko zuko atla mai avatar mai atla zuko avatar the last airbender mai avatar the last airbender pro mai i hate zutara maiko4ever

834 notes View Post

kendraunderstress

2 months ago

Do you ever think Aang wakes and forgets he isn't a hundred years in the past...

Tags

zuko aang why must you do this to me aang and zuko kuzon zuko and aang aangst

18K notes View Post

kendraunderstress

2 months ago

ATLA fandom: Aang tried to force his ideals on Katara and stop her from confronting her mother’s killer.

ATLA episode transcript: Katara: Don’t try to stop us. Aang: I wasn’t planning to. This is a journey you need to take. You need to face this man. But when you do, please don’t choose revenge. Let your anger out, and then let it go. Forgive him.

31K notes View Post

kendraunderstress

2 months ago

Tags

crying atla lmao zuko azula atla azula princess azula fire lord zuko zuko and azula azula and zuko atla textposts

392 notes View Post

kendraunderstress

2 months ago

Aang and Zuko's relationship is underrated and that’s sad

They are literally the BETTER Roku and Sozin

Not only there are great parallels/connections between the two since the first series, but is Aang (and Iroh) that ultimately makes him change sides

Let alone that Aang's kindness is the only reason Zuko is even alive. Katara and Sokka would have left him to die in the snowstorm at the north pole 😭

They are precious

Ah, Zuko asked to built an Aang statue (an huge ass statue Imao), this dude was so dedicated!

Tags

atla avatar the last airbender zuko prince zuko atla zuko atla aang avatar aang aang atla my babies zuko avatar aang fire lord zuko zuko atla aang and zuko aang avatar aang avatar the last airbender zuko avatar the last airbender zuko and aang

18K notes View Post

kendraunderstress

2 months ago

Just so we’re clear

Tags

korra defender

4K notes View Post

kendraunderstress

2 months ago

Mai really said "I stand with my cancelled husband"

Tags

atla avatar the last airbender avatar zuko prince zuko atla zuko zuko avatar mai atla mai atla maiko maiko mai x zuko zuko atla mai avatar mai atla zuko x mai zumai zuko avatar the last airbender mai avatar the last airbender maiko atla

198 notes View Post

kendraunderstress

3 weeks ago

My Journey to Escape the War in Gaza

My name is Abdelmajed. I never imagined I’d be sharing my story like this, but life in Gaza has become unbearable. I am a survivor of the war here, and in the blink of an eye, everything I once knew—my home, my safety, my community—was ripped away from me.

The war has transformed Gaza into a graveyard of broken dreams. The buildings that once stood as symbols of life and resilience are now piles of rubble. Every corner is filled with the echoes of explosions. Every moment is shrouded in uncertainty. There is no security. There is no stability. There is no light at the end of the tunnel.

Basic needs have become luxuries. Food is scarce. Clean water is even scarcer. Hospitals are overwhelmed and under-resourced, and there is almost no medical care to be found. Every night, families go to bed hungry, praying they’ll wake up to see another day. The cost of basic necessities has skyrocketed, and it’s become a daily battle just to survive.

I’ve seen things I never thought possible—standing in long lines for a piece of bread, rationing every drop of water, and watching my people suffer in silence. I have lost everything—my home, my safety, my dignity.

Escape from Gaza is my only hope, but it’s almost impossible without financial help. The cost of evacuation is far beyond my means, and without support, I’m trapped in a warzone with no way out.

I’m reaching out to you now, in the hopes that someone, anyone, can help. I am not asking for luxury. I am asking for a chance—just a chance—to live. A chance to escape this never-ending cycle of fear, destruction, and loss. A chance to rebuild my life somewhere safe, where I can begin again, where I can find hope once more.

Chuffed

Help Abdelmajed Escape Gaza and Rebuild His Life

My name is Abdelmajed, and I am a survivor of the war in Gaza. Everything I once knew has been taken away—my home, my safety, and the people

Any amount you can give will help me get closer to safety. Even the smallest donation will make a difference—it could be the lifeline I need to survive. If you are unable to donate, please share my story. The more people who hear it, the better the chance that I can find the support I desperately need.

Your kindness and support mean the world to me. You’re not just helping me escape a war; you’re giving me a chance to live, to rebuild, to breathe again.

Thank you for listening. Thank you for caring.