Bahamut i completely agree with how you feel about aang. The way Aang fills the "reluctant hero archetype" is the way Korra fills the "shonen hero archetype" that I see in so many Anime, like Naruto- a Brash, passionate and caring hero who has a great power inside him but has a lot of learning to do, which sounds a lot like korra to me, but i guess since i've been exposed to that archetype so much I've become bored of it.
I hadn't really thought of this. I can see the similarities, but I don't know that I'd agree, for a few reasons:
1. This seems to be a relatively modern re-invention of the archetype. Goku & Kenshin were soft-spoken pacifists. Yusuke, Naruto, & Ichigo are more punkish. It could be coincidence, but it seems like a shift occurred at some point. The reluctant hero, by contrast, goes back potentially thousands of years. So, even if she does fit, it's not quite as worn.
2. Also not quite as well worn because, let's face it, girls don't normally get this role.
3. When I think about it, most shonen heroes that DO fit that description are sort of troublemakers. Yusuke gets into fights, Naruto acts out with pranks, Ichigo kind of flirts with it in that he gets into fights that are strictly defense of self or others & keeps authority figures off of him by behaving in school...but Korra, while a little rebellious, isn't renowned for it & is actually trying to be a responsible Avatar.
4. It also tends to be made a point that, for all of their potential, they actually kind of suck at fighting. Korra was designed to be a great fighter, in opposition to Aang.
5. She has a character arc. Yusuke really didn't & neither does Ichigo, as far as I can tell. But Naruto is at least supposed to have one, so maybe this isn't a disqualifying factor.
AtomicPsychology wrote:
Adding on to Korratastic45's AMAZING defense it's also worth noticing that Korra's attitude towards authority figures has changed dramatically. The scene where Raiko banished Korra, if this were Book 1 Korra I'm pretty sure she would have tossed him over the bridge and probably wage war on the paparazzi. But she didn't. She took it with grace and little resistance (even the citizens were shocked) and saw the positives of leaving the city.
Every scene where Korra confronts Earth Queen Hou-Ting is a prime example of her attitude change. Book 1 Korra would have slammed her fist into the Earth Queen's face in a heartbeat (even I want to!). But she restrained herself.
I know it would be bad for development, but I honestly kind of want to see that.