| "When your father and I found each other, all we wanted was to live a simple life and raise a family. But then we discovered you were the Avatar, and simple was over. We knew one day the world would need you, and you wouldn't need us any more." |
| — Senna to Korra.[1] |
Senna is a waterbender residing in the Southern Water Tribe. She is married to Chief Tonraq, and together, they have one daughter, Avatar Korra.[3]
History
Early life
Some time before 153 AG, Senna became acquainted with Tonraq, who had been banished from the Northern Water Tribe. She fell in love with the ex-general, whom she ended up marrying. By 153 AG, she gave birth to their only daughter, Korra.
After they found out that Korra was the Avatar, Senna and Tonraq requested the presence of the Order of the White Lotus in 157 AG to ascertain that fact officially. After the White Lotus leader voiced the abundance of prior false claims about the Avatar's identity, Senna proudly stated that their search had come to an end. When the leader skeptically questioned her confidence in this claim, Senna called out to Korra, who immediately burst through the wall, proving her bending prowess to those present in the room.
Spectating one of Korra's early waterbending training sessions with Katara, Senna rushed to the elder's aid when Korra accidentally buried Katara under a pile of snow. She helped Katara back on her feet, apologizing for her daughter's actions, noting that the child simply did not know her own strength. As Katara headed home afterward due to an incoming storm, Senna wondered if the distinctive howling the wind carried across the frozen tundra belonged to polar bear dogs, an assumption Tonraq agreed with.
Waking up the next morning to Korra's empty bed, Senna, Tonraq, and Katara searched for Korra. Scouring the frozen wasteland, Senna spotted mound of snow that struck her as being bent and drew her husband's attention to it. As Tonraq ripped it open with his own bending, they discovered their daughter safe and sound asleep, curled up with a polar bear pup. Relieved to have found Korra, she expressed her disbelief over the young child having spent the night alone out in a storm. However, she was quickly corrected by Korra, who pointed out that she had not been alone as Naga, the polar bear pup, had been with her and she desired to keep the animal. At a loss for what to do, Senna deferred the question to Tonraq at the same moment he deferred to her. Both parents were convinced by Katara to let the youngster bring the animal home, noting that every Avatar had had an animal guide and that raising Naga may be exactly what the high-energy Avatar needed.[4]
170 AG
Senna and her husband bade their daughter goodbye.
In 170 AG, Senna sadly bid her daughter goodbye, as the Avatar had decided that she was needed in Republic City. Senna embraced Korra and emphasized her love for her daughter, before sending Korra on her way.[3]
Several months later, Senna was accompanied by her husband and Korra's friends in the healing hut as they anxiously awaited Katara's attempt to restore Korra's connection to all the bending arts, save for airbending. She was sad to see her heartbroken daughter take off after the attempt had failed. However, after Aang was successful in reconnecting Korra with her bending, Senna proudly stood by her daughter and watched as she restored the bending of Lin Beifong at the Avatar Temple of the Southern Water Tribe.[5]
171 AG
Family troubles
Six months later, Senna was reunited with her daughter when Korra returned to the Southern Water Tribe to attend the Glacier Spirits Festival. Senna awaited her daughter on the docks and joyfully greeted her when she finally arrived. As Tonraq became annoyed over the subsequent arrival of his brother, Unalaq, she calmly soothed her husband, consoling him that his brother would soon be gone. Senna later attended the royal banquet that was thrown in honor of Chief Unalaq.[6]
As tensions rose between Korra and her father, Senna sneaked out during the night to visit her daughter in an attempt to find out what had been bothering them. When Korra stated that she was mad at her father due to his secrecy in regards to his path, Senna sadly disclosed the reasoning behind their previous decision. She emphasized to Korra that they wanted to merely keep their family together, and by keeping her secluded at the Southern Water Tribe, they could offer her an as normal as possible childhood. When Korra got angry with her, Senna told her that it was unrealistic of Korra to believe that she could undo the problems between the Northern and the Southern Water Tribes in a day, when the core issues had been around for decades. She voiced her fear for her daughter to be caught in the middle of the brewing tensions between the tribes, but Korra would not listen and ran out on her.
Senna and Tonraq were shocked upon hearing Unalaq order their arrest.
When Korra returned the following day to apologize, Senna stated that they had always knew that there would come a day when the world needed Korra and Korra would no longer need them. However, she was quickly refuted and hugged by her daughter, who exclaimed that she would always need them. The happy family moment was interrupted when Unalaq entered Senna's home with four of his soldiers, announcing that she and Tonraq were to stand trial for conspiring to assassinate him.[1] She was subsequently led away with her husband in chains, as Korra watched on sadly.
False accusations
During the trial, Senna listened as Unalaq and Korra were questioned by Judge Hotah about the events that occurred on the day of Unalaq's kidnapping. After he returned, the judge announced that Senna had been acquitted of all charges, and after her chains were removed, Senna rushed over and embraced her daughter. Her joy at being released disappeared, however, after the judge found Tonraq and the other rebels guilty, sentencing them to death, though upon Unalaq's request, he changed their sentence to life imprisonment.
Senna, distraught at Tonraq's imprisonment, was comforted by Korra.
Senna and Korra later visited Tonraq in prison, who hugged them. Korra wanted to break him out but Tonraq advised against it, fearing it would ignite civil war and the North would crush the South. Upon returning home, Senna broke down crying, and was consoled by her daughter. Seeing her mother so distraught prompted Korra to confront Judge Hotah, who confessed under pressure that Unalaq had orchestrated a sham trial, acquitting Senna to keep Korra on his side while getting Tonraq out of the way.[7]
Harmonic Convergence
Senna sadly informed Korra of the dire fate that had befallen Tonraq and the Southern Water Tribe rebels.
When Korra returned to the Southern Water Tribe compound several weeks later, Senna greeted her daughter with a hug, expressing her relief over her daughter's return. When asked about the whereabouts of her husband, she tearfully informed Korra, Bumi, Kya, Tenzin, Mako, Bolin, and Asami that Unalaq had wiped out the Southern Water Tribe rebels and captured Tonraq. She directed them all toward Katara in the healing hut, where the old waterbender was tending to the many wounded. Senna accompanied them all to the healing hut, watching anxiously as Jinora received healing from Katara.[8] Senna remained in the hut with Katara and Jinora, where she was later joined by her husband and Asami. She was present upon the return of Jinora's spirit to her body, and happily hugged her husband upon hearing the news that their daughter was all right and had saved the world.[9]
Korra's recovery
Two weeks after Korra took down Zaheer, Senna hugged her daughter warmly, who was still confined to a wheelchair due to the battle, before following the others into the temple and watched Jinora's anointment ceremony as an airbending master.[10]
Worried about her daughter's well-being, Senna urged Korra to pay Katara a visit to help her recover.
After the ceremony, Senna waited with Tonraq, Naga, and Kya on the dock of Air Temple Island while Korra said goodbye to her friends. She later boarded the steamship heading toward the Southern Water Tribe and looked on while they were being waved off. Three weeks later, she found her daughter sitting on a terrace at night by herself and approached her, asking if she could once again not catch sleep. She knelt next to Korra and lovingly caressed her hair while outing her worry over Korra's well-being. Although she did not want to push her daughter, with Korra barely eating and sleeping, she urged her to visited Katara. When Korra agreed to go, Senna outed her faith in Korra's ability to get better, before she moved to hug her while stating how much she loved her.
173 AG
Two years into her daughter's recovery, Senna noticed Korra playing with her food and asked if everything was all right. Upon receiving the request to be allowed to return to Republic City, Senna was unsure, knowing that her daughter was not fully recovered yet. However, since Korra insisted that it would be good for her, she did not oppose her departure. She waved her daughter off while Korra left on a small boat.[11]
174 AG
After Kuvira's defeat during her attack on Republic City, Senna attended the wedding of Varrick and Zhu Li at Air Temple Island. During the dinner party, she was seated next to her husband at a table with Tenzin and the presidential couple, Raiko and Buttercup.[12]
Learning that Korra and Asami started dating, Senna was happy and supportive though also cautioned that not everyone might feel that way.
Senna and Tonraq returned to the Southern Water Tribe, where they were visited by Korra and Asami several days later. Surprised but happy with their presence, Senna warmly greeted Asami and asked her about her thoughts of the Spirit World. When Asami revealed that they had had to cut their adventure short, Senna proposed to move the conversation inside over dinner, reasoning that the two young women could do with a good meal. At the table, she reiterated her inquiry about details of their trip but soon picked up on the nervous vibe coming from her daughter. Ensuring Korra that she could talk to them about anything, Senna was happy to discover that her daughter had started a relationship with Asami and gave her a warm hug. The atmosphere took a turn for the worse, however, when Tonraq suggested to keep their relationship private, a sentiment Senna quickly clarified to be necessary because not everyone would be as supportive of them as they were. Korra and Asami did not did not agree and left in a hurry, much to the disappointment of Senna, who would have liked to spend more time with her daughter.[13]
Personality
Senna has a calm and loving personality. Being the mother of the Avatar, she has to exert patience with the energetic girl, and she supports her daughter in any way possible.[3] She is also a rational thinker, which helped her to calm her husband down as well when the strong man was agitated over the arrival of his brother.[6]
Relatives
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| Senna |
| Tonraq |
| Unalaq |
| Malina[14] |
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| Korra |
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| Desna |
| Eska | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Appearances
The Legend of KorraBook One: Air (气)
Book Two: Spirits (神靈)
Book Three: Change (易)
Book Four: Balance (平衡)
Avatar comicsOther comics
Graphic novel trilogies |
Trivia
- While confirmed as a waterbender, Senna has never been shown bending.