| "It's all right. People usually assume that I'm daddy's helpless little girl, but I can handle myself." |
| — Asami accepting Korra's apology.[1] |
Asami Sato is the only child of the former wealthy industrialist, Hiroshi Sato.[5] Although a nonbender, when she discovered that her father was working with the Equalists and he invited her to join him, she stuck to her beliefs and turned against him,[1] later becoming part of the new Team Avatar.[6] She has since become the new leader of Future Industries, planning to bring the company back to the peak of economic dominance and restore its reputation. Two weeks after Harmonic Convergence, she joined her friends in the search for the new airbenders. However, they stopped when the Red Lotus attempted to kidnap Korra in Zaofu, instead working to bring down the anarchist organization.
Quick Answers
What is Asami Sato's role in Future Industries after her father's imprisonment?
How does Asami Sato's relationship with Korra develop throughout the series?
How did Asami develop her interest in engineering?
How does Asami Sato, a nonbender, contribute to Team Avatar's fight against the Equalists?
What led Asami Sato to reject her father's hatred of benders?
History
Early life
When Asami was six, her mother was killed during a break-in and robbery of their mansion by the Agni Kai Triad.[1][7] However, the fact that her father forever held a grudge against all benders for her death was unknown to young Asami. After her mother's murder, Hiroshi had Asami trained by the best self-defense teachers money could buy to ensure she would always be able to protect herself.[1]
170 AG
- Main article: History of Asami Sato (152 AG - 170 AG)
Asami and Mako enjoyed a romantic moment together.
One day in Republic City, Asami accidentally run into Mako who was trying to catch a trolley. Recognizing she met the captain of the Fire Ferrets, Asami became very apologetic and invited him to a dinner at an upper class restaurant. As a big fan of pro-bending, she offered Mako to become the group sponsor. After that, their relationship grew further.
As the arena was attacked, she offered the group to stay at her estate. Korra accused her father as part of the Equalists for a few times early, but she ignored it as they were new friend each other. However, after Lin, Tenzin, and Metalbending Police Force inspected her house, she discovered her father's true identity as part of the revolution, making her disrespect her father and siding the Avatar. Moments later, as Team Avatar were going to protect the innocent nonbenders in Dragon Flats borough, Tarrlok arrested Asami, Bolin, and Mako as interfere of police business. However, Lin freed them shortly after.
Along with Korra, Bolin, and Mako, they formed the new Team Avatar. Asami became the driver of the team's mobile, accompanying the city to fight against the Equalist attack. With Bolin's help, she fought against her father's machines and capturing him. At the South Pole, she was present when Korra learned how to restore bending.
171 AG
Harmonic Convergence
- Main article: History of Asami Sato (171 AG - Harmonic Convergence)
Six months after Amon's defeat and Hiroshi's imprisonment, Asami had assumed control of Future Industries. However, with the reputation of the company low as a result of her father's association with the Equalists, Asami had to take a trip to the Southern Water Tribe to meet the entrepreneur Varrick in order to save her company from bankruptcy. With a civil war between the two tribes brewing, Asami joined Korra in attempting to prevent the conflict.
Along with the others, Asami went back to Republic City in order to meet President Raiko. There, she also checked how her company was performing. Noticing that her company needed more money, Varrick suggested she sell the mecha tanks to the Southerners. However, following the theft of Future Industries' shipments, Asami and Mako set up a sting operation with the Triple Threat Triad to capture the thieves. However, the duo was betrayed and the company's entire stock of equipment was stolen. With nowhere else to turn, Asami sold a majority stake of Future Industries to Varrick. She and Mako also started dating again, though was left in doubt of him when he was charged with the theft of her company's products.
In order to get Korra, Bumi, Kya, and Tenzin into the Spirit World, Asami suggested an aerial attack, with herself, Mako, and Bolin serving as the decoy.
When Korra approached her and Bolin to travel to the South, Asami accompanied them with the battleship they acquired from Varrick. The group planned to attack the compound as Unalaq was executing his plan to free Vaatu in the Spirit World. Using the airplane from Varrick, she invaded the compound but then knocked down by the ice projectiles, having herself imprisoned with Korra and the other. However, Bumi distracted the tent and Korra instructed Asami to fly Tonraq back to the healing huts. Asami remained at the healing hut with Katara, Tonraq, and Senna, watching over Jinora. When the young airbender awoke, she immediately inquired about the safety of her friends and was relieved to hear that Korra had saved the world.[8]
Post-Harmonic Convergence
Asami comforted Korra after a press conference in City Hall, assuaging her displeasure over her approval ratings following Harmonic Convergence.
Following Harmonic Convergence, Asami met with Korra at President Raiko's press conference. Seeing the Avatar lament her poor approval among the citizens, Asami tried to tell her not to take it to heart, believing it to be nothing but frustration. After returning to Air Temple Island, Asami wondered where Mako was, to which Bolin answered that the firebender remained at police headquarters. Soon after, she became witness to Bumi's newfound airbending abilities. She watched the next day as Bumi attempted to airbend again. Lin and Mako soon visited Air Temple Island and gave the group reports of other airbenders in the city. The young industrialist also watched with concern as Mako acted awkwardly around her and Korra.
Asami and Korra went out for a drive, the former offering her friend the keys to a Satomobile, believing she was capable of a relaxing ride. It turned out to be anything but, as she had to give panicked instructions at points. Once they settled, the two talked about everything that had happened while they were each involved with Mako. Soon, they approached a mass of vines, which Asami quickly alerted Korra to, stopping just in time.[9]
Discovering new airbenders
Asami offered Team Avatar the use of a fully-equipped Future Industries airship as a means of transport during the group's search for new airbenders in the Earth Kingdom.
After Team Avatar decided to travel the Earth Kingdom in the search for airbenders, Asami furnished them with a Future Industries airship, believing they should travel in style. When Asami and the group arrived at the first village, they met Kuon, the new airbender, and joined his family for dinner, but the conversation quickly fell apart when he refused to leave his home. As they left, Asami believed they could have tried harder to convince him to join them. Further visits to villages failed to yield any success, and the group decided to perform an "air show" to help convince other airbenders to join them. When Korra used her airbending to "capture" Mako, who was playing a firebending convict, overdid it somewhat, both Asami and Korra chuckled with joy. After the show was complete, they managed to recruit just one airbender, a boy named Kai, who claimed his parents were killed by outlaws. Instead, the young boy was a thief who was being pursued by the town police force. Still, the group accepted him as he said he would make a change.[10]
In Ba Sing Se
As the group neared Ba Sing Se, Asami watched as Jinora attempted to train Bumi as he sparred unsuccessfully with Kai. Upon arrival in the city, the group went straight to the Earth Kingdom Royal Palace, where they were greeted by Grand Secretariat Gun. Later, after Korra was given orders by Earth Queen Hou-Ting to retrieve tax payments, Asami went with the Avatar to the town they were held in. Just as they were about to return to Ba Sing Se, they were confronted by Gombo and his bandits. The girls were able to fight them off, Asami able to shock one of the motorcyclists. After they secured the tax money, Gombo yelled at Korra that the money was for the people, not the queen, causing Korra to wonder to Asami if they were truly on the right side.[11]
Asami served as Korra's sparring partner during their stay in Ba Sing Se.
The next day, Asami practiced sparring with Korra as the Avatar vented her frustrations about the Earth Queen exploiting her and lying about the existence of airbenders in the city. When Korra kicked one of Asami's arm pads out of her hand with an airbending-assisted swing kick, she promptly asked for a break, saying Korra's letting off steam was starting to hurt. At that moment, Mako and Bolin arrived, the latter exhaustively trying to explain what happened to them in broken sentences, before Mako clarified that they learned that the Earth Queen was imprisoning airbenders to conscript into her army. At that point, the queen and Grand Secretariat Gun arrived, the latter of whom told the group that airbenders had been reported in the Yang Province, allowing the queen to insist that they could leave by that evening. Asami, however, bought them time by claiming that their airship needed repairs and they would have to stay one more night.
Back at the team's house, Asami listened as they discussed where the airbenders could be. After finding out they were being held underneath the Earth Queen's Temple, they discussed what they could do to free them. Upon hearing a knock at the door, Asami believed it to be the queen, but it was actually Lin, who came to inform the group of the escape of four dangerous criminals who were after Korra; she insisted the Avatar return to Republic City. However, at Korra's insistence to free the airbenders, Lin joined their plan.
At nightfall, Asami retrieved her airship and, upon Lin receiving word from Bumi that they had the airbenders, took off alongside the police chief's airship. The group was able to flee the city successfully with the freed airbenders and made their way to its outskirts. That morning, the group split off, with Tenzin, Jinora, and the airbenders using Asami's airship to venture to the Northern Air Temple, while Asami continued with her friends and Lin to journey for more airbenders with the police airship.[12]
In Zaofu
While the group was taking a rest stop, Asami informed them that she got word on the radio about another airbender having been reported in Zaofu. The team ventured into the city sans Lin, who told them not to tell anyone of her presence. After disembarking from the airship, they were greeted by the city's emissary, Aiwei. As they ventured through the city by train, Asami viewed all the city's sights with awe and listened as Aiwei explained what had happened to Toph. The team was soon introduced to the city's matriarch, Suyin Beifong. At that point, Aiwei informed Suyin that there was one other person who had come with the team having detected Korra's lie with his seismic sense. Korra acknowledged that Lin was with them, and Asami was shocked to learn that Suyin and Lin were related. They ventured back to the airship where Asami watched as their troublesome relationship was explained.
Asami was surprised to see Varrick in Zaofu and asserted her position as the sole owner of Future Industries.
Asami joined the group again as Suyin led them to her home and introduced her family before being told that their accommodations were ready and that an appetizing meal would be prepared for them. The dinner was relatively peaceful until Lin's sarcastic remarks provoked hostility with Suyin. Varrick soon arrived, irking Asami, who wondered what he was doing there. Varrick danced around the question and asked how "their" company was doing, to which Asami reminded him that Future Industries solely belonged her because of his plot to kidnap the president, though the industrialist contested that he was never proven guilty. Asami listened as Varrick explained that he had been granted refuge by Suyin and was working for her as head of the technology department, while pitching to her the idea of a revolutionary high-speed rail.[13]
The next morning, Asami joined her friends, Suyin, and Opal for breakfast. While they were in the dining hall, they were forced to duck when their dishes were yanked over to Varrick's magnetic suit.[14]
Sometime later, Asami watched as Bolin and Korra sparred with Wei and Wing, respectively. She implored the four to clean up and prepare for Opal's farewell dinner. During the meal, Varrick introduced Asami and Korra to an airbender finder. Asami took the device and pointed it at Korra, but nothing registered, leading her to believe it was broken, to which Varrick explained one would need to airbend into it for it to work. At Suyin's call, Asami joined in a toast to Opal and later watched as the airbender left for the Northern Air Temple.
Asami and Team Avatar devised a plan with Lin and Su to rescue Korra.
That night, Asami awoke after hearing the calamity that stirred from the arrival of the Red Lotus into the estate and the capture of Korra. She found Mako and Bolin down in front of her door, though assured a worried Mako the criminals would not be able to get far because the guards, Lin, Suyin, Wei, and Wing had them surrounded. However, Ghazan divided the groups with a pool of lava. Asami joined the siblings and Lin in hiding behind metal floor decor. They were saved from a combustion attack by P'Li when Suyin and her twin sons bent another panel in its path to shield them. Asami believed there was no way to cross the moat, which prompted Suyin to devise a plan; her and Lin would dive through the metal dome on cables to rescue Korra. The teenager watched as the strategy played out successfully and Korra was rescued, though had to duck when Zaheer led his group's escape under a cloud of dust. Asami joined the team back at Suyin's office as Korra was given antidote to recover from the paralysis of shirshu-spit darts.
The group soon realized that a guard was responsible for allowing the Red Lotus to reach them; specifically, a young man named Hong Li. In investigating his house with her friends and Aiwei, Asami found a book full of guard movements and schedules. With that and a message from Zaheer and company to prepare for rendezvous, Team Avatar believed they had enough evidence, but Aiwei insisted they wait until Hong Li cracked. While investigating the battle scene, she listened as Mako expressed his doubts over the guard's guilt. They were surprised there by Varrick, who had come digging for pumice stones. Asami watched in disgust as Zhu Li rubbed them on the industrialist's feet. He explained to the group that if one was to construct a conspiracy, they would tell everyone that someone was guilty and plant the evidence on them, prompting Mako to realize only one man could keep such a secret: Aiwei.
Asami stood by and watched as Korra pried upon the metal wall using metalbending.
Team Avatar made their way to Aiwei's house and entered in search for evidence. Asami only found an empty book, but when Mako, Bolin, and Korra found a secret passageway behind Aiwei's bookshelf, she saw the emissary returning and alerted the trio, but they were caught by him before they could leave. After Korra explained why they were there, he invited them to sit and share tea, asserting the guard's guilt. When he asked who they thought could be guilty, Asami lied, saying they did not know. Aiwei caught on to their suspicion and began to flee by raising a metal wall. Korra guided the team through by bending a hole in it, but as they entered the passageway, they found a bomb, which promptly detonated. Asami was shielded by Mako while the group as a whole was protected by Korra's air sphere. By the time they recovered, Aiwei was gone.
Regathering in Suyin's office, Asami stood by as Korra and Lin argued over the potential search for the group, and was led to believe they would be leaving Zaofu when Suyin agreed with her half-sibling about ensuring Korra's safety. Later, however, they were again approached by the matriarch, who informed the team she had a fully-loaded jeep for them to use in a search for Aiwei. Asami listened as Suyin explained she had only said what she did to please Lin and instead bought the team time to begin their search. Asami rode in the vehicle with Bolin and Mako while Korra rode on Naga, beginning the journey.[15]
Misty Palms Oasis and capture
With Naga's tracking abilities, the team followed Aiwei's trail to just outside the Misty Palms Oasis and made their way to a tavern, hoping to find information on his whereabouts. There, they saw wanted posters of them issued by the Earth Queen because they had freed her airbenders. As Korra was making threats about the queen, Asami noticed the patrons threatening them, prompting the team to leave.
Asami and Korra looked for Xai Bau's Grove on a map.
On the oasis' outskirts, Team Avatar found Aiwei's jeep. While Bolin and Mako went into the oasis undercover, Asami scrounged around the jeep for clues. While unsure of why Zaheer and his crew were after Korra, she found a note which instructed Aiwei to go to Xai Bau's Grove at sundown. They tried to find the location on a map, Asami shooing some spirits away in the process, but they were unable to spot it. Mako returned to alert the girls they had found Aiwei going into the Misty Palms Inn, while Asami told him about their own findings. Trying to keep the advantage, Mako suggested a stakeout mission.
The four tried to request the room across from Aiwei's at the inn, but the innkeeper initially denied them service because teenagers had previously trashed another room. They were soon spotted by Macao and Lily. Fearful they may have been bounty hunters, all four took an attacking stance, but the two turned out to actually be fans of Bolin's movers and asked him for his autograph. This fact prompted the innkeeper to grant them a room after all, but the room across from Aiwei's proved to be small, cramping the four, Pabu, and Naga in. After Bolin found a Pai Sho board, Asami decided to play the game with him. When Bolin bragged about his learning of the street variation with Shady Shin, Asami told him she was taught by her "diabolical genius" father and would "destroy" him. At her friend's offer, she took the first move. Asami played the game slowly and with strategy as per her beliefs, confusing Bolin, who thought the game was fast-paced and one of chance. She dismissed the variation as not real, prompting the earthbender to pull out the rulebook. After he read off that the game was described as both one of strategy and chance, Asami took the book, reading the game had many different variations in many cultures. Upon him reading winning the game required knowing one's opponent, the young industrialist suggested she knew Bolin well because she had just pulled a winning move. Asami was subsequently engaged in several games, but won every time over the next few hours. Eventually, in the last game, she appeared to have been beaten, but Pabu jumped on the board, sending the game pieces flying.
Asami and Korra were captured by the Earth Queen's forces.
Near sundown, after no break in the stakeout, Asami feared Aiwei may have slipped out, but Mako told her otherwise as he had logged a recent movement. Korra decided to confront Aiwei directly, the others trying to stop her. They instead found Aiwei meditating, which brought the Avatar to realize that, when she and Asami were looking the map earlier, the spirits had come to warn them that Xai Bau's Grove was in the Spirit World, which was where the emissary had gone. Asami and her friends kept watch over her physical form as Korra meditated into the other realm herself. After nightfall, they saw Ming-Hua and Ghazan approaching. Asami was advised by Mako to get Korra to safety, which she did by taking her body and riding out with Naga. However, after getting out of the oasis, they were soon trapped in four slabs of rock and placed in a prison transport. When Korra returned to her physical form, believing the Red Lotus had captured them, she asked Asami where they were. Confused about who that group was, Asami informed her friend they were actually taken by the Earth Queen's forces and being returned to Ba Sing Se.[16]
Escape from the airship and the Si Wong Desert
At Fort Bosco, Korra and Asami were loaded onto a Ba Sing Se airship for transport to the capital city. Being chained to the floor of the prison hold, Asami, fearing discomfort, asked the guard, Arik, to be chained to a railing instead, convincing him she would be unable to go anywhere regardless. She subsequently thanked the guard for doing so before he left.
Although she could easily free herself by ripping a bar off the wall, Asami realized she would need keys to free Korra.
Knowing the queen's airships were produced by Cabbage Corp and thus cheaper than Future Industries' work, Asami came up with a plan. She was able to break the railing off from the wall and jump over it, giving her some freedom to move her hands again, criticizing the ship's construction as "shoddy workmanship". Still, she knew she needed the keys to get Korra out of the locks, and thus used the broken railing to open a floor panel. Heading below the prison hold, Asami instructed her friend to call for help in five minutes.
After getting the keys and hearing Korra's help signal, she knocked out the distracted Arik and unlocked the Avatar's restraints. They made their way to the cockpit and, after Korra beat back the captain and co-pilot, Asami tried to take control, only to find Korra's attacks had damaged the steering and radio system while the airship was descending rapidly. She urged the Avatar to grab onto something as the airship crashed into a sand dune.
When the two emerged on the ship's roof, Asami stated any landing one could walk away from was good, but was skeptical in this case because they were stuck in the desert. She was not sure if the airship could be started again as it needed to be dug out even if Korra metalbent the propellers back into place. After the crew re-emerged and with a need to get to Ba Sing Se as soon as possible, Asami urged the group to work together in getting the airship rebuilt, only to be told by the captain the ship was going nowhere and neither were the girls as they were still prisoners. Asami, however, soon spotted a creature roaming underneath the stand, which convinced the crew to join in an attempt to repair the airship.
The industrialist was able to get the ship functional again and told Kong to get the engine started, but just as this was done, the creature from earlier, a sandshark, emerged and destroyed the airship. Following the initial shock, the group ran as the ship and its supplies fell around them. At the captain's suggestion they would need to wait just a few hours for help, Asami was not sure they had such time. She suggested the construction of a makeshift sand-sailer with the remnant metal, needing a sail and a sled.
Asami was able to build a sand-sailer with the scrap metal of the airship and pilot everyone out of the Si Wong Desert.
Upon completion, Asami commented the ship was not pretty but would do the job. The group appeared to have successfully fled the creature pursuing them, only for it to make an attempt to swallow them whole. However, Korra used her firebending to throw it down, giving them a safe escape to the Misty Palms Oasis. With the sailer breaking upon arrival, she jokingly asked the Sandbender Tribes if they wanted to buy it. The captain thanked her for getting them out and complimented her on having a good head before he and his crew left the girls.
Asami and Korra made their way to a tavern, where they found Tonraq, Lin, and Lord Zuko. Asami asked if they had found Bolin and Mako, to which Lin told them that the Red Lotus had taken them per eyewitness reports she received. The two girls were asked by Tonraq if they heard what had happened to the Earth Queen. Confused, they promptly heard over the radio that the queen was overthrown and Ba Sing Se was in chaos.[17]
Reunion and attempt to warn Tenzin
After Naga and Pabu found that Bolin and Mako had made their way to the Misty Palms Oasis, Asami and Korra emerged from the tavern. Asami hugged Bolin tightly while she was slightly lifted off her feet. She was soon mistaken for the Avatar by Mako and Bolin's grandmother, Yin, who said she was a nice girl. She also grew a bit nervous when Yin asked Mako why he was not dating someone nice like them, turning the conversation to what had happened to the brothers. After they explained the dire risk of Zaheer wiping out the new Air Nation and with the group needing a solid radio signal, Asami went with them to Zaofu.
A worried Asami watched over Korra's body while the Avatar attempted to find and trap Zaheer's soul in the Spirit World.
At Zaofu, the group learned Suyin and her guards had found a signal at the Northern Air Temple, but were not getting any answers. When Korra went to meditate and attempt to find Zaheer in the Spirit World, Asami came along with her, watching over her body while she ventured in. After Korra returned, Asami asked her friend if she found Zaheer, to which she was told she found someone else and needed to talk to another person.[18]
Double-cross and escape
Asami flew to the Northern Air Temple on a Zaofu airship with her friends, Lin, Suyin, Tonraq, and other Metal Clan guards. She stood by as they discussed plans to ambush the Red Lotus, looking oddly at Bolin as he proposed using bird calls and disguising himself as a hiker. When Korra suggested surrendering herself, Asami was shocked, saying she could not expect them to stand by while Zaheer took her. She gave a silent nod in support, nonetheless, toward the suggestion of saving the airbenders first. After Korra radioed Zaheer, Asami and the others were told by the Avatar of his new terms: she go to Laghima's peak alone at noon and turn herself over before he released the airbenders. Suyin suggested using their numbers advantage to launch an attack, telling Asami to go with Mako and Bolin to the temple via airship to retrieve the airbenders. Before they separated, the industrialist embraced Korra, telling her to be careful.
After picking the lock on Tenzin's shackles with a hair clip, Asami supported the wounded airbending master while leaving the Northern Air Temple.
Asami piloted the airship to the Northern Air Temple and landed them in the courtyard. When Ghazan came out to lead the way, she and Bolin looked at each other confusedly and eyed him suspiciously, but followed nonetheless. The two were led to Tenzin and what appeared to be the other airbenders. Asami and Bolin began trying to release Tenzin from his chains when they realized they were double-crossed; what they believed to be the airbenders were actually sacks of water maintained by Ming-Hua. As Mako and Bolin tried to fight off Ghazan and Ming-Hua, Asami used a hair pin to unlock Tenzin's bonds. At that point, Ghazan used his lavabending to block off the exit for the four, resulting in the hot liquid beginning to flood the temple. Asami was able to free the airbending master and asked where Oogi was, only to be told he had fled during the initial attack; he instead pointed them toward secret passageways out. She and Mako helped sustain Tenzin as they tried to outrun the lava with Bolin trying to block the flow with earth walls. They tried to sneak out through another passageway, only to be left at the mountain's edge and lava closing in on them. Bolin, however, saved them by bending the lava back and stopping its flow. At that moment, Kai arrived on his baby bison, Lefty, and led the group away from the collapsing temple.
The entire group reunited at a forest away from the temple, where they were informed that Korra had been taken away by Zaheer, who had recently achieved flight. Kai informed them he had seen the airbenders be taken to a secret cave by Red Lotus sentries. With Oogi having returned to them, the group was able to fly together to the location in question.[19]
Rescuing the airbenders
Finding the airbenders, Asami and her team subdue the Red Lotus sentries.
Asami piloted Oogi as Kai led them to the prison caves. Save for Tenzin, the group went in and ambushed the Red Lotus sentries; the industrialist used her electrified glove to stun one of them. She took the keys and helped free the airbenders one-by-one. While Tonraq, Mako, and Bolin went to find Korra, Asami and the others helped get the captives out. She waited outside the cave and watched as the airbenders combined to make a tornado which helped save Korra and throw Zaheer to the ground. Asami ran over to the poisoned Avatar, watching with worry as Suyin tried to bend the metallic poison out of Korra. She stood over her and Tonraq after the poison was drawn out of her.
Two weeks later on Air Temple Island, Asami helped Korra, who was confined to a wheelchair, prepare for her appearance at Jinora's airbending mastery ceremony. Seeing her friend still upset over what had happened, she assured her no one expected her to recover right away and squeezed her hand, saying she was there for her and urging the Avatar to enjoy the day for Jinora. She wheeled Korra out to meet with her family, Tenzin's family, the Beifong sisters, Raiko, and Zuko. The girls, Ikki, and Meelo were helped up the stairs when Lin used a slab of rock to elevate them.
At the ceremony, Asami watched as Tenzin praised Jinora and Korra for all they had done to help restore and save the Air Nation and as the former's airbending master tattoos were revealed.[20]
After Jinora's ceremony, Asami went to the ferry dock to say goodbye to Korra, though emphasized to the Avatar that she really would not mind accompanying her to the Southern Water Tribe. However, when Korra stated that she needed some time for herself, Asami understood and waved her off with the rest of Team Avatar and their friends. In the following months, she wrote Korra and in one of her letters, she stated that she missed her friend, noting that Republic City was not the same without her. She reported that she was able to land a big contract to help redesign the city's infrastructure, a task that would keep her busy for a while. Asami was the only one out of Team Avatar who received replies to her letters and the one in whom Korra confided about her situation.[21] Meanwhile, Asami also allowed Mako and Bolin's extended family to stay at her family's estate after their own house in Ba Sing Se had burned down during the chaos during the anarchy in the Earth Kingdom.[22]
174 AG
Modernizing Republic City
Asami and her company were thanked by President Raiko in his speech for helping to modernize Central City Station, before she had the honor to cut the ribbon.
Asami continued her work to redeem Future Industries and by 174 AG, she was thanked by President Raiko during a public opening ceremony for modernizing Republic City's Central City Station. After cutting the ribbon for the grand reopening, Asami answered some questions from the press, though her conversation was cut short when she was approached by Prince Wu, who flirted with her using his status as the first in line for the vacant Earth Kingdom throne. When asked to give the prince a private tour of the station, Asami dismissed the request by stating that she was fond of the idea of putting Wu on a train and sending him off. The prince was not deterred and Asami was eventually saved from his unwanted flirtatious comments by Mako, who told the prince that President Raiko desired to discuss the Earth Kingdom throne with him. Asami asked Mako how he tolerated his position as Wu's body guard and afterward expressed her happiness to see him again, asking if he had heard from Bolin. Upon being told that he was set to arrive in a couple of days and that Korra would be returning that night, she expressed her desire to see the Avatar again, happy to be getting Team Avatar back together.
That night, Asami attended dinner on Air Temple Island with Tenzin's family, Lin, Wu, and the presidential couple. She was sitting at the table with the airbending family when an Air Acolyte announced the arrival of a Southern Water Tribe ship, much to her excitement. She and the group gathered at the dock to greet Korra, though after Tonraq stepped off the ship and told them that his daughter had left for Republic City six months prior, Asami was left concerned as no one had an idea about the Avatar's whereabouts.[23] Asami later attended Wu's coronation as the new Earth King and bore witness to Kuvira's declaration of usurping power over the Earth Kingdom, renaming it "Earth Empire".[24]
Facing her past
Asami teared up upon hearing her father admitting that he had been wrong about her and that he was proud of her.
Some time later, Asami traveled to the Republic City prison after receiving several letters from her father, none of which she had opened. Although she was warmly greeted by her father, she did not acknowledge it and merely slid the letters toward him, stating that he needed to stop writing her as she did not want to see or hear him ever again. As she moved to leave, Asami stayed upon Hiroshi's request to hear him out. Hearing him praise her, stating her to be the "greatest thing [he] ever created", she teared up and ran out of the meeting room. She retreated to Avatar Korra Park, where she witnessed a father playing with his daughter. Overcome with nostalgia of how she and Hiroshi used to be, Asami returned to the prison. As a surprised Hiroshi commented on the fact that she came back, Asami admitted that she had initially came to tell him face-to-face that she wanted nothing to do with him anymore in an attempt to hurt him like he had hurt her. However, she admitted that when she had laid eyes on him, she had only felt sadness over how he had tainted their past and destroyed their future together. Although she was unsure if she would ever be able to forgive him, she was willing to try and proposed to play a game of Pai Sho for old time's sake.[25]
A tense reunion
Asami snapped at Korra when she thought the Avatar was second-guessing her judgment in regards to dealing with her father.
Learning of Korra's return to Republic City, Asami made plans to have lunch with her and Mako. She read an engineering magazine while awaiting her friend's arrival. When Korra showed up and asked if Asami had been waiting long, the businesswoman surged to her feet and hugged the younger woman, good-heartedly stating that she had only been waiting for three years. Expressing her joy over reuniting with her, Asami appraised her friend, complimenting her on her new, shorter hairdo, before leading her inside the restaurant to meet up with Mako, who had reserved a table for them. Asami grew annoyed, however, when it became apparent that Prince Wu would be crashing their reunion. As Korra refused to enter the Avatar State on the royal's request, Asami inquired if she had regained that ability, revealing that she had been worried when Korra had told her she could not. This statement sparked frustration on Mako's part, however, since he felt left out by the girls for not having been contacted by Korra or told about the contact by Asami. When Korra progressed the conversation, asking to know everything about their lives while she had been gone, Asami announced that she had big news, revealing that she had visited her father. She grew irritated, however, when Korra asked if she was certain Hiroshi could be trusted and was not manipulating her again, causing her to snap at the Avatar that she was well aware of what her father was capable of. She added that it was not Korra's place to second-guess her actions and decide what was best for her, since she had disappeared for three years. Their brewing argument was interrupted and the subject was changed when Prince Wu announced he needed to go to the bathroom.
Asami worked on Mako's nerves when she ignored his directions, stating she knew the layout of the streets better than him.
When Wu stayed absent for a suspicious amount of time, the team made their way toward the bathrooms, where Asami and Korra remained in the hallway while Mako inspected the men's restroom. As Korra was attacked, having followed a lead on her own, Asami and Mako rushed out the back door to see if they could help, though they promptly turned around to retrieve Asami's car, when Korra announced that Wu had been kidnapped. Asami pulled up next to Korra, urging her to get inside the vehicle, and quickly gave chase. She narrowly avoided colliding against the wall erected by one of the kidnappers in order to shake them. When Mako grew frustrated with her, having told her to take a particular route which she did not, Asami told the firebender that she knew the streets better than he did, having built some of them. As such, she maneuvered her car on a bridge that led them to drive parallel with the kidnappers' vehicle, albeit on a higher road. While Korra jumped down to take care of the kidnappers, Asami followed the road and pulled up next to Korra and the now apprehended suspect moments later.
As it became apparent that Wu was not in the truck anymore, Asami pointed out that the prince was likely placed in another vehicle when they lost sight of them, adding dejectedly that it would be a difficult search as he could be in one of the thousands of cars riding around in the city or any other mode of transportation. She watched as Korra placed a hand on a nearby spirit vine and subsequently declared that Wu was being taken to the train station, prompting her to confusedly ask how Korra knew. En route, she was told that Korra had learned to connect to people's energy via the spirit vines and wanted to know more about Toph Beifong, who had taught the Avatar that technique.
Defending Prince Wu, Asami took down one of Kuvira's agents.
The conversation was cut short when they arrived at the train station, where Asami slid on her electrified glove and followed her friends inside. Not knowing which train Wu was on, the three split up to cover more ground, though after a futile search, Asami approached Korra, noting that they needed to find the prince soon, lest they would never find him again. As the Avatar guided them to the train leaving for Omashu, they jumped on and started searching the wagons. They made their way to the luggage cart, where Asami urged her bickering friends to silence, enabling them all to hear a tapping coming from inside a chest, which turned out to be caused by Wu. When Kuvira's agents started to close in on them, Asami was helped atop the roof of the train by Korra. There, Asami took down one of their attackers by shocking him with her glove. She was pushed back, however, when another assailant started to metalbend the floor from underneath her feet and was grabbed by Korra, who encircled their little party with air, enabling them all to make a safe landing when they jumped off the speeding train and down a bridge.
Moving past the tension, Asami shared a warm hug with Mako and Korra, truly reuniting as a team.
Dusting herself off, Asami noted that their rescue mission reminded her of their old times together, save for the "getting on each other's nerves part". When Korra apologized for the earlier tension, Asami waved it off, since she deemed it natural that they would need a transition period after being separated for three years. Reconciling their differences, Asami, Mako, and Korra shared a hug, while keeping Prince Wu at a distance. Searching for a place where they could safely leave the royal, Asami and the others went to the Sato estate, where the prince would stay with Mako's family already residing there.[22]
Later at Air Temple Island, Asami brought Korra some tea as she noticed the Avatar was tense. Korra admitted to her problems, feeling unneeded in the world as the Avatar after all her mistakes and hearing Toph's words of the world always having conflict. Asami insisted that Korra has done many great things for the world, including restoring the Air Nation. Joining in the conversation, Tenzin appeared and noted that while Toph is not wrong about conflict, it is up to them to stand up against it each time and help restore balance, which ultimately cheered Korra up.[26]
Personality
Asami was devastated after learning the truth about her father.
Asami is a sweet and caring young woman, yet she is also independent and capable of fending for herself in tough situations. Even though she is quite used to luxury due to her wealthy background, she does not think of herself as "daddy's little girl", despite what some may think,[1] and maintains a humble and modest demeanor, using her wealth and abilities to help others. Asami also developed a tough side and is unafraid to stand up for what she believes in. Along with her hand-to-hand combat skills, she also became an expert driver due to her testing Satomobiles for her father's company. She was also a big fan of pro-bending, attending every match she could.[4]
Although the murder of her mother at the hands of a bender could instigate a hatred toward them, like it did with her father, Asami's high morality and judgment prevented her from developing any prejudice against benders in general. She was able to choose the moral high ground above the only family ties she still had left, her father, showcasing her strong character.[6]
Despite having a friendly personality, Asami has shown a capacity for jealousy that surfaced when she saw indications of romance between Mako and Korra. However, her remarkable character resurfaced once again in the face of hardships -in this case of the romantic type- and, although hurt and offended, Asami showed no spite toward Korra even when she was threatening to steal her boyfriend. Her caring nature is still prevalent, shown even after her break up with Mako, as she wishes him well before he embarks on a dangerous mission.[27] Despite this, she felt resentment to her father, burdened by his betrayal, the consequences of which carried through on a personal and business level. In contrast to her usual caring and sympathetic nature, she could muster no sympathy or forgiveness toward her father for years, desiring to hurt him as much as he had hurt her. However, after receiving a heartfelt apology and noticing how much he was suffering, she was willing to at least try to give him another chance.[25]
Abilities
Combat skills
Asami jumped over her attacker while electrifying them.
Asami is highly proficient in hand-to-hand combat. From a young age, her father enrolled her in the best self-defense classes there were, so she would be able to protect herself. Her prowess was great enough to easily disarm the Equalists' Lieutenant and knock him out with his own weapon,[1] and she was similarly able to evade attacks from five chi blockers before using an electrified glove to stun them.[27] Asami has also proven herself to be nimble; she was able to jump over a speeding motorcycle while kicking the rider off and still landing gracefully,[11] and dodged an earthbending attack by a Red Lotus sentry before stunning him in one fluid motion.[20]
Other skills
As an expert driver, Asami often served as Team Avatar's chauffeur.
Asami is an expert driver, having learned through testing her father's Satomobiles, and is fully capable of rivaling Equalist motorcyclists. She can also drive motorboats and sand-sailers, skillfully being able to escape and divert enemies during speed chases.[17][28] Having assisted her father in operating their company, Asami is capable of controlling any other vehicle engineered by Future Industries, such as mopeds, forklifts, and mecha tanks, which she noted were operated similarly. As such, she has developed an keen eye on technology workmanship, being able to discern high-quality products from subpar ones, as evidenced when she criticized Cabbage Corp's airships for utilizing lighter materials, possibly sacrificing passenger safety.
Asami is a practical thinker and a capable engineer, able to repair and construct vehicles with limited resources, such as when she improvised a makeshift sand-sailer using materials from a destroyed airship.[17] She is also a skilled Pai Sho player, proving herself to be a good methodical strategist[16] and can pick locks with her hair pins, able to free Tenzin through this method in the Northern Air Temple.[19]
Relationships
- Main article: Asami Sato's relationships
Relatives
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Appearances
The Legend of KorraBook One: Air (气)
Book Two: Spirits (神靈)
Book Three: Change (易)
Book Four: Balance (平衡)
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Trivia
- The lineage of the Sato family can be traced back to the first Fire Nation colonists.[4]
- Despite being part of a family with Fire Nation lineage, Asami has green eyes, which are usually displayed by people of Earth Kingdom descent, instead of the standard amber for those of Fire Nation descent.
- Bryan Konietzko conceived her as a Hollywood Golden Age actress in the Avatar World, with her hair inspired by Rita Hayworth.[29] Although having designed her before watching the anime series Fullmetal Alchemist, Bryan Konietzko stated he was fine with saying that Asami's design was influenced by Lust and is flattered by the fact that people would think so, as "Lust is such a killer design".[30] He did, however, say that he used Lust's lipstick color for Asami.[29]
- Asami, like Katara and Sokka, lost her mother to a firebender at a young age.
- Asami's femininity serves as a foil to Korra's tomboyish, aggressive tendencies.
- Regardless, the two seem to convey a balance of traits; just as Asami is seen being bold and adept at combat, Korra is likewise shown to have a softer, more feminine side with a curiosity toward make-up and romance. Unlike Korra, Asami is shown to be more stoic and prefers to think before acting.[6][27]
- Asami is the third character, after Zuko and Toph Beifong, to have joined the Avatar and to have a father who is antagonistic toward them and their allies.
- Asami's relationship with her father and history parallels Zuko's such that both their fathers were a part of the series' antagonist. To begin with, they both had to live in the absence of a caring mother. Once Asami, like Zuko, realizes the cruelty of which her father is a part of, she had to choose between helping her father or joining the Avatar; Asami chooses to join the Avatar in ending that cruelty. The actions of their respective fathers led to a loss of their high social status for a period of time. Both Asami and Zuko become sickened by their respective fathers' goals. Both of their fathers wanted to kill their own children for refusing to help their respective causes: Ozai was willing to kill Zuko after the latter makes the Fire Nation's cruelty known, while Hiroshi wanted to kill his daughter for refusing to take part in his revenge. Asami and Zuko renounced their desires for their fathers' love: Asami because her father was consumed by hatred and Zuko because of his father's lust for power. A key difference, however, is that Asami almost immediately rejected her father, while Zuko strove for a long time to regain his father's love, impossible as it was. Also, Asami and Zuko both view their fathers as the worst fathers. Both children duel their own fathers as their fathers prepare to kill them for acts of defiance. Also, like Zuko, Asami assumes her father's mantle after his defeat and during his imprisonment. Moreover, Asami tries to restore the honor of Future Industries similar to how Zuko tried to restore the honor of his country.
- Asami's relationship with her father is also similar to Teo's in the respect that they discover that their fathers were secretly building weapons for a cause that their children opposed.
- Asami is the first nonbender to join the new Team Avatar, as well as the first nonbender shown opposing the Equalists.
- Asami is the only member of the new Team Avatar to have a confirmed last name, and the fourth character overall in The Legend of Korra with a confirmed last name.
- Meelo seems to have a crush on her, as shown when he called her a "beautiful woman" and when he asked for a piece of her hair.
- The concept art for Book Two: Spirits at San Diego Comic-Con 2012 showed Asami wearing a pilot's outfit. This notable achievement as the only known woman to pilot an aircraft in the Avatar universe could be compared to Amelia Earhart, the first woman to pilot an aircraft solo.
- Asami was originally envisioned as an antagonist, like her father, but after developing her character, the creators realized she would be better as an ally of Korra's.[31] Their plan was to make Asami an Equalist spy who would use Mako as a means to get close to the Avatar.[32]
- Prior to confirmation of Book Two: Spirits, an early script for "Endgame" had Asami join the United Forces at the end of the episode.[33]
- Asami is the second person to be mistaken for the Avatar;[18] the first being Sokka in the comic "Sokka the Avatar" and the episode "The Earth King".
| Preceded by Hiroshi Sato |
Chief Executive Officer of Future Industries 170 AG - present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |