In Avatar: The Last Airbender, the White Lotus was a secret organization formed to share ancient knowledge between all four nations while seeking wisdom, beauty, and truth. Before the events of The Legend of Korra, the White Lotus society went public, hoping to assist the Avatar and the world after the defeat of Fire Lord Ozai. But revealing themselves to the general public caused major changes within the organization, and by the time Korra was born, the White Lotus was not the same secret society introduced in The Last Airbender.
In Avatar: The Last Airbender, the White Lotus society stayed away from politics and focused on sharing ancient bending secrets. Known members included Jeong Jeong, Pakku, King Bumi, and Piandao, but the leader of the White Lotus was Iroh, Zuko’s uncle and Ozai’s brother. It was under his leadership that the society decided to free Ba Sing Se from Fire Nation control while Aang and the rest of Team Avatar fought Ozai and his invasion during Sozin’s comet. After Aang’s victory and the end of the war, the White Lotus society decided to go public and directly help the Avatar in his efforts to keep balance and peace.
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However, the White Lotus’s close collaboration with Avatar Aang was not well received by some members of the society, who opposed working with world leaders. Dissatisfied, these members created a new faction, the Red Lotus. Their goal was to end the four nations and truly unify the world by opening portals to the spirit world. Despite Iroh’s best attempts at unification, members of the Red Lotus became more and more radicalized. When Korra was first discovered as the new Avatar, they tried to kidnap Korra in an attempt to raise her to fulfill their goals. Thankfully, Tonraq, Tenzin, Sokka, and Zuko rescued her.
After Aang’s death, the White Lotus took on the responsibility of finding the new Avatar and protecting her until her training was complete. They watched over Korra as she practiced her abilities at a compound in the Southern Water Tribe, where lower-ranking members acted as sentries ready to face any threats. Along with taking care of a young Avatar, the White Lotus also constructed and guarded maximum-security prisons that held powerful criminals, including those who attempted to kidnap Korra years before. Each prison was built with the abilities of its prisoners in mind, and it was only after the Harmonic Convergence that Zaheer, now an airbender, was able to escape.
Although no longer a secret society, the White Lotus remained a force for good in The Legend of Korra. People of all four nations were welcomed to join, and their help was vital to keep Korra safe while she was young and untrained. They also continued to assist the Avatar and the world by transporting and securing Kuvira before her trial in the sequel comics Ruins of the Empire.
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