A character in The Legend of Korra
Played by J. K. Simmons
The Legend of Korra · 160 quotes
2nd most-quoted character in The Legend of Korra: in 45 of its 160 quotes
Most scenes with: Korra (21), Lin Beifong (11), Bumi (10)
[To an Equalist he's holding] I'll ask you one more time! [Lifts him in the air with one hand and prepares a fire blast with the other] Where is she?!
We don’t have the Avatar. And the Equalists didn't attack City Hall. Tarrlok's lying.
What?
I scanned the entire prison. Korra's not here.
Why would Tarrlok make up a story about getting attacked?
TenzinBecause he has Korra. He fooled us all.
TenzinThank you all for being here under short notice.
(Looks at Chief Saikan) [flatly] Chief.
(Looks at Lin) [flatly] Lin.
(Tarrlok comes in) Have you news of Avatar Korra?
TenzinWe do. [points his finger at him] You kidnapped her, Tarrlok!
I am shocked you would accused me of such evil act. I already explained, Chi blockers attacked us and took her!
TenzinBut there were no Chi blockers here last night! You planted the evidence, didn't you?
That is a ridiculous accusation.
It's true! He took her! I was here when Avatar Korra arrived last night but... Councilmen Tarrlok ordered me to leave. I was on my way out when I saw her bring her down to the garage. [Shows the end of "When Extremes Meet, from the Page's point of view.]
Say goodbye to Republic city, Avatar Korra. You'll never see it again! [Korra furiously breathes fire on Tarrlok when he shuts the door while Page looks on and it flashes back to the present day, furiously] That is nonsense! Everyone knows you're nothin' but a squeaky voice liar, or I will KILL MYSELF!!!
TenzinNEVER, TARRLOK! YOU'RE FIRED!
Why did you wait until now to fess up?
I was terrified to tell because... Because Tarrlok is a Bloodbender! He bloodbent Avatar Korra!
Tenzin[Everyone gasps as Tenzin angrily looks at Tarrlok] Don't make this worse on yourself. Tell us where you have Korra.
(To Tenzin) Wake up! (Slaps him in the face which wakes him up)
Man, I had this awful dream that Korra was taken by this evil bloodbender. So weird.
Bolin, that really happened. He knocked us out.
Are you serious? where is he? is he here right now?
Tarrlok is gone. I'll alert the whole force
We've been only been out for a while. But we can still pick up Tarrlok's trail
TenzinIt could lead us to Korra! Let's go. (They left)
[Lin, Tenzin, Pema, Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo are on Oogi, while being chased by Equalist airships]
They're gaining on us!
Tenzin Faster, Oogi!
[A net is launched at them on a rope from one of the airships. Lin uses one of her cables to shred it then ties the other around the rope. She looks back at the worried airbender family with sorrow, before looking away and back at them.]
[Determined] Whatever happens to me, don't turn back!
TenzinLin, what are you doing?!
[Lin jumps off of Oogi and destroys one of the airships. She tries to do the same to the other but Equalists ambush her and render her unconscious. The airship turns around to return to Air Temple Island. The family looks back at the sight of Lin's sacrifice with shock.]
That lady is my hero.
Tenzin[Sadly] Yes. She is.
Not now Tenzin. I just wanna be left alone.
But you called me here.
[Korra looks up and sees Aang, not Tenzin, standing beside her.]
Aang.
You have finally connected with your spiritual self.
How?
When we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change.
[Behind Aang, the spirits of the past Avatars appear to Korra. Korra closes her eyes as Aang enters the Avatar State and restores Korra's bending. The past Avatars fade away. Korra opens her eyes, which are now glowing white. She has unlocked her ability to enter the Avatar State. Korra rises into the air using airbending, and unleashes waves of airbending, firebending, and earthbending, then uses waterbending to crash waves against the cliff. Korra lowers herself to the ground, and exits the Avatar State. She notices Mako behind her. He smiles at her. She runs to hug him.]
I love you, too. [Mako and Korra kiss.]
[Later, at the Avatar Temple, Lin kneels on one knee in front of Korra. Korra touches her hands to Lin's forehead and upper chest, and she enters the Avatar State, restoring Lin's bending. Lin demonstrates her newly-restored earthbending by levitating the rocks surrounding the temple. She lowers the rocks.]
Thank you.
[Korra bows to Lin]
TenzinI am so proud of you, Avatar Korra.
[Korra has just won an air scooter race, using the Avatar State]
No fair. You can't go into the Avatar State to win.
[blows a raspberry]
TenzinYou did what? The Avatar State is not to be used as a booster rocket. You are toying with a dangerous power that you obviously do not appreciate.
It's the "Avatar State," and I'm the Avatar. Who appreciates it more than me?
TenzinClearly, you need more training to grasp the depths of your spiritual connections, not to mention that you're still a long way from mastering airbending.
I have mastered airbending. Punch, punch, punch! [Throws three rapid air punches] See? Mastered.
Looks pretty good to me.
Tenzin[sighs] Is it too late for you to un-retire from the United Forces?
The paperwork's gone through, little brother. From now on, it's 24/7 Bumi time!
TenzinYou've mastered Korra-style airbending. Now you need to master real airbending. Hopefully, our visit to all of the Air Temples will give you the inspiration you need to delve more deeply into your studies.
Can we see where grandpa Aang was born?
How many lemurs can I have?
I want to get tattoos, but instead of arrows, I want lightning bolts.
You can't get lightning bolts. That doesn't make any sense.
You don't make any sense!
Fight, fight, fight!
TenzinNo one's fighting. We're going to have a wonderful time. [groans] Now that the President is in office and I'm not needed on the Council, I can finally relax with my family and give Korra the attention she needs.
Great. More attention.
[laughs] Relax? I'd pay money to see that. Maybe I'll tag along just to see "vacation Tenzin."
TenzinYou're not invited.
We missed you, aunt Kya.
Oh, I missed you too. Your father doesn't bring you to visit nearly enough. He's probably scared I'll beat him up like when we were kids.
TenzinI'm not scared of you... Anymore.
Looks like someone's trying to take your place as the Avatar's stick-in-the-mud mentor.
Bumi, don't pick on Tenzin. You know he's always been sensitive.
TenzinI'm not sensitive!
[Kya and Bumi both laugh]
[while healing Bumi] I told you those rocks were slippery. You're lucky you didn't kill yourself.
You done with the lecture, mom?
Oh, grow up. You haven't changed one bit since we were kids. You're still trying to prove you can do everything a bender can. Well, you can't. Deal with t.
And you're not our mother. You don't get to tell me what I can and can't do. Deal with that.
[dumps the water on Bumi's head] Good luck healing yourself with your special non-bending powers.
Hey, back me up here, Tenzin.
TenzinKya's right. You're the oldest of us, but you always acted like the youngest. I had to become the responsible one.
You think you're the responsible one? Where were you after dad died and mom was all alone? Because I was the only one who packed up and moved my whole life to be with her.
TenzinSure, after years of flitting around the world, trying to find yourself. It was time for you to settle down somewhere. You two have no idea how it feels to have the future of an entire culture on your shoulders.
Oh, boo-hoo. Must've been real hard for you, flying around the world with dad, riding elephant-koi all day.
TenzinOh, so that's what this is all about.
That's what it's always been about. You think you're some savior who has to carry on dad's legacy.
TenzinWho else is going to do it?
How about all of us?
Yeah, we're Aang's kids too.
We never should have come on this vacation.
I couldn't agree more.
TenzinWell, I didn't want you to come in the first place. I can't be around you two right now. Go back to the temple and see if Ikki returned. I'll keep looking out here.
Fine.
Fine.
Juniper Lightning Bug, paws off the table! This is going to be a civilized breakfast. Daddy always says a blessing before we eat, so be quiet and listen up! We are thankful for this super yummy food and for being the best-est new friends in the world. But we are most thankful because Meelo and Jinora aren't here because they stink. [notices Tenin entering] Oh! Hi, daddy. I guess you found me. Do I have to go now?
TenzinActually, is there room for one more?
Uh, sure. You can sit next to Blueberry Spicehead.
TenzinNice to meet you, blueberry spicehead.
[pointing out all the other sky bison] And that's Princess Rainbow, and that's Twinkle Starchild. And that's Juniper Lightning Bug. They're my new brothers and sisters.
TenzinNew ones, huh? Can they be my new brothers and sisters too?
Maybe, but only if they say it's okay. [holds her head to the baby sky bison] Uh-huh, uh-huh. No, no, he's nice. [to Tenzin]] They say it's okay.
TenzinJust tell us everything!
Everything? Okay. [speaking very quickly while everyone looks at her, stunned] I opened a spirit portal at the South Pole, but then Unalaq turned out to be bad guy and wanted to take control of the South. So I sort of started a civil war, but when I went to find some help, I was attacked by my cousins and then by a giant, dark spirit, and then I forgot who I was, and then I met the first Avatar, and then I realized I shouldn't have opened the portal in the first place, and now I need to close it again!
...
TenzinI knew this would happen!
Tenzin... Your spiritual training has come a long way.
Unalaq may be a horrible person, but his spirit powers are no joke.
Tenzin(sadly) He taught you how to transform dark spirits. I can't even get you into the Spirit World.
Everything Unalaq taught me was to help himself; everything you've done was meant to help me. I am so sorry for turning my back on you as my mentor. I need you now, more than ever.
Tenzin... I won't let you down.
Tenzin(stunned) Bumi, how did you manage to take out this entire encampment on your own?
I did it all with my trusty flute, and... ah, never mind, you wouldn't believe it anyway.
Jinora's spirit, do you hear me? It's your Uncle Bumi.
TenzinAh, this isn't working. We can't just randomly wander the spirit world, call out for Jinora, and expect to find her!
We just need to employ the simple rules of tracking. First we locate her footprints... then we follow them.
Do you even know what spirit footprints look like? Do spirits even leave footprints? Face it, your tracking skills won't work in the spirit world. Let me try something. [sits down and meditates] Ommmm... Jinora is over there. I feel a lot of spiritual energy coming from that direction.
We're in the spirit world. There's spiritual energy in every direction!
TenzinWe're walking in circles! I've seen that same spirit mushroom five times!
That's not the same mushroom.
Yes, I am.
TenzinSee? Even it knows we're lost.
Oh, sure, listen to a fungus over your own brother. [they hear a noise]
What's that?
Mushroom, is that you?
Nope. Wasn't me.
KorraJanet Varney · 73 quotes
BolinP. J. Byrne · 24 quotes
MakoDavid Faustino · 23 quotes
Lin BeifongMindy Sterling · 22 quotes
Asami SatoSeychelle Gabriel · 16 quotes
ZaheerHenry Rollins · 12 quotes
BumiRichard Riehle · 11 quotes
TarrlokDee Bradley Baker · 10 quotes
AmonSteve Blum · 9 quotes
UnalaqAdrian LaTourelle · 9 quotes
Hiroshi SatoDaniel Dae Kim · 8 quotes
KyaLisa Edelstein · 8 quotes
These quotes come from Wikiquote's The Legend of Korra pages and are available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.
