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Suyin Beifong is the founder and leader of Zaofu, the daughter of Toph Beifong, and the younger half-sister of Lin. She is a powerful metalbender, as well as a skilled and nimble dancer. Suyin is happily married to an architect named Baatar, with whom she has five children; she considers family of utmost importance.[1]


Early life

Born in 126 AG, six years after her half-sister, Lin,[2] Suyin also inherited the earthbending prowess of her mother, Toph Beifong, and eventually mastered the art and its sub-skills of metalbending and seismic sense. Having endured constant restriction during her own childhood, Toph gave Suyin and Lin much more freedom, though she did not divulge to them their respective fathers' identities. However, Toph's carefree approach to raising the two led Lin and Suyin to compete for her attention. Lin became a police officer while Suyin became a delinquent.[1]

Growing up with her mother's indifference, Suyin would act out by hanging with members of the Terra Triad.

At some point around 138 AG,[4] a twelve-year-old Suyin became associated with members of the Terra Triad, to Lin's disapproval. Eventually, in 142 AG, she was roped into aiding a robbery by driving the getaway car, only to be stopped by Lin. When her half-sister reprimanded her for her involvement in the robbery, Suyin said that she was doing her friends a favor and began walking away. As Lin caught her with a metal cable, losing her cool, Suyin cut the line by metalbending her wrist guard, which snapped back at Lin and scarred her face, much to Suyin's shock. Afterward, the two sisters were brought before a distraught Toph, who expressed her anger at them both. Not wanting Suyin to go to jail, Toph destroyed the police report and sent Suyin to live with her grandparents.[5]

In 143 AG, around the age of sixteen, Suyin went to travel the world. Her adventures included sailing on a pirate ship, joining a traveling circus, and living in a sandbender commune. Eventually, she decided to settle down and start a family, and bought a large plot of land where, with the help of her future husband Baatar's architectural skills, she created the city of Zaofu. Suyin went on to have four sons and a daughter.[1] She later also took in an eight-year-old Kuvira, whose talents she nurtured. Suyin came to see her protégée as a daughter and recognized herself in the smart young woman, who, as a natural leader, quickly rose through the ranks.[6] Taking up many hobbies, Suyin also created a successful dance group.[1] At some point after her retirement as police chief, Toph began visiting Suyin often and during one such occasion reconciled with her daughter, though they were both disappointed that Lin refused their invitation to do the same.[5]

171 AG

Family reunion

After Harmonic Convergence, Suyin gave shelter to Varrick, who was on the run from Republic City, and her daughter, Opal, gained airbending abilities. Learning that other airbenders were emerging, Suyin sent a request to Avatar Korra to help train her daughter. Upon their arrival in the city, Team Avatar found Suyin rehearsing with her dance troupe for a performance to be held the following month, although the latter quickly ended practice when she noticed the team's presence. Aiwei quickly informed her that the Avatar had lied about how many people were in her group. To Suyin's surprise and delight, Korra confessed that Lin had also come to Zaofu. When asked by the Avatar how she knew Lin, Suyin revealed that the two were sisters, which Lin later clarified as half-sisters.

Suyin reunited with her half-sister after nearly thirty years.

Suyin and the group ventured to the police airship, from which Lin had not yet disembarked. She hoped for a simple hello out of her half-sister after being able to see her for the first time in nearly thirty years, but Lin bitterly asserted that she had nothing to say to her. Suyin claimed that she had been trying to mend relations, to which Lin responded by accusing Suyin of tearing the family apart, prompting Suyin to counter that Lin had kept it that way.

Desiring not to argue about the past, Suyin decided to bring Korra's group to her estate to meet her family, beginning with her twin sons Wei and Wing, who were in the process of playing a game they themselves had invented called power disc. When Wei scored on Wing, Suyin congratulated the former before saying she was proud of both of them. She next led them to her son Huan, who made art through metalbending and asked him to meet the Avatar's group and his aunt. Finally, Suyin introduced them to an excited Opal, though when Lin grew impatient to leave with the airbender, Suyin described her half-sister as "the woman apparently trying to abduct [her]". Afterward, she explained that the rest of the group was set up for their stay while insisting that Korra train Opal. A nervous Korra believed that Opal should get training at the Northern Air Temple, but Suyin remained insistent, believing that it could be done right at home. The Avatar ultimately relented, and tried to explain Lin's impatience by saying that four criminals were after the group. Suyin assured them that there was plenty of security around before telling them to prepare for dinner, saying that her chef would prepare an appetizing meal.

Suyin was very critical of Earth Queen Hou-Ting, whose rule she described as being old-fashioned and outdated.

Just as they started dinner, Suyin's husband, Baatar, alerted her that he and their eldest son, Baatar Jr., would have to skip on eating with them due to a major breakthrough in the remodeling of a tram station. Suyin let her husband head off, not desiring to stand in the way of success. She subsequently expressed what a blessing it was to have five children, to which Lin remarked that their mother said the same thing but never really meant it. Suyin later asked Korra about the search for new airbenders, to which the Avatar answered by explaining that she had recently freed a group of them from the Earth Queen's possession. The metalbender promptly chastised the queen, calling her a horrible woman who believed she could do whatever she wanted, and referring to the monarch's rule as outdated. She asked Korra what she thought about the monarchy, and after hearing that Korra had not thought much about it, Suyin advised her to gain an understanding of it, due to the evolving world, which she believed was reason enough for the queen to step aside. Lin responded by making a facetious comment about Suyin's apparent expertise in global affairs, to which Suyin challenged her sister to say what she wanted to say to her face. They were promptly interrupted by the arrival of Varrick and Zhu Li. Suyin explained to the group that Varrick was heading up the technology division. When Lin lashed out at her sister for harboring a criminal, Suyin defended the industrialist by saying that he did not deserve to be imprisoned for the rest of his life and reasoned that her own chef was once a pirate, declaring that people could change. Lin coldly stated that her half-sister had not changed at all and stormed out of the room.

Suyin explained her childhood to Korra, expressing regret over her strained relationship with Lin.

After dinner, Suyin found Korra observing a model of Zaofu in her office, and explained why she built the city. Korra thanked her host for giving them a place to stay and apologized for Lin's behavior. When asked by Korra what had happened, the matriarch explained hers and Lin's difficult childhood and the many occupations she held before settling down. Though the Avatar commented that she had created the perfect life, Suyin remarked that it would have been as such if Lin had been a part of it, but she gave up any hope of reconciliation long ago. Korra attempted to mend the sisters' rift by asking Opal attempt to connect with her aunt but she was rudely sent away.[1]

The following day at breakfast, Suyin expressed her disapproval with her sister's behavior toward Opal. As Wei and Wing join them for a quick bite before their power disc match, Suyin asked if they were ready. After Korra rejected the twins' offer to join them for the game because she did not know metalbending, Suyin was surprised that Lin did not teach her. Suggesting with a laugh that Lin would have been a bad teacher, the matriarch offered to teach Korra, something she eagerly accepted. With Bolin not so sure about his own desire to learn the art, Suyin kept an offer open for him. She soon noticed the metal neck plating around her gown being pulled along with the rest of their dishes, and she ducked as the latter went toward Varrick's magnetic suit.

Later that morning, Suyin led Korra to a courtyard where she kept pieces of meteorite, one of which she used as a demonstration of metalbending for her. After showing a few shapes, the metalbender gave the fragment to Korra. They soon noticed Bolin sneaking around to watch them, and Suyin again offered to teach him, telling him that the only thing that could stop him from performing the act was his attitude. Bolin decided to just watch, and Suyin turned her attention to Korra again, advising the Avatar to focus on the pieces of earth within the metal. Once Korra completed the act, Suyin congratulated her.

With old tensions overflowing, Suyin and Lin battled each other, until Opal intervened.

The matriarch continued to watch as Korra continued to catch on to metalbending, complimenting her on being the first Avatar to perform it. Bolin soon approached Suyin and shyly asked her to train him as well, to which she happily agreed. At that moment, however, Lin confronted Suyin about the incident that led to their separation. Responding to Lin's claim that she let their mother threw her career away, she reminded her that Toph retired a year as a hero, but Lin counter-claimed that what Suyin had done left their mother ashamed to wear the badge. The matriarch claimed she was not perfect but had changed and reconciled with Toph, telling her half-sister that she had the chance to do the same. When accused of having not changed, Suyin said Lin was the one who had not done so; she was still a bitter loner who only cared about herself and that was why Tenzin left her. No longer able to keep calm, Lin attacked Suyin, and the latter decided to counterattack, sparking a full-fledged duel. As Lin had been weakened from just having had a session with Guo, unbeknownst to Suyin, Suyin steadily proved to have the edge over her older sister, easily dodging rocks and metal and, at one point, knocked over Lin with a meteorite fragment, but was unable to keep her half-sister down, although her full focus allowed her to dominate in the end, using the metal walling to send Lin back several feet. Suyin angrily asked if Lin had vented completely, but when she refused to stand down, prepared to hurl a giant rock at her against Lin raising the metal stairs. At that point, Opal interfered, blowing their weapons away with airbending and demanding to know why they wanted to hurt each other. Soon after, Suyin watched as her sibling passed out.

Suyin and Lin reconciled after thirty years, in front of a statue of their mother, Toph Beifong.

Later, Suyin and Baatar were approached by Opal, and they each gave their daughter permission to travel to the Northern Air Temple and train with Tenzin. Suyin soon approached Lin in front of a statue of Toph, believing she had a role in Opal's decision, and expressed her approval of Opal's honesty and desire for her to be happy. She lamented about having too much freedom from their mother but giving her own daughter too little, wanting for her to choose her own way. The metalbender subsequently apologized for giving Lin a hard time when they were younger, unable to imagine her life without having been sent away, chuckling at her sibling's joke that she would be in prison. Suyin also told Lin that Republic City was happy to have her and that their mother was proud of them too. She expressed her desire to move on and for Lin to join her life, hoping to have the kids be joined by their aunt and a co-director for her dance troupe. Lin advised her to take things slow, starting with a promise not to show up and attack her again. Suyin agreed and shook her sister's hand.[5]

Sometime later, Suyin hosted a farewell dinner for Opal. She expressed her pride in her daughter while complimenting her on being a good daughter, sister, and friend. She expressed her belief that Opal would become an airbending master. Suyin kissed her on the side of her forehead before raising her glass to lead the toast. After dinner, Suyin, her family, and their guests helped see her off as Opal departed in an airship.

Red Lotus attack

Suyin devised a plan to retrieve Korra without the need to cross Ghazan's lava moat.

That night, the estate was infiltrated by the Red Lotus, who sought to kidnap Korra. Hearing the ruckus, Suyin, Wei, and Wing joined in the effort to surround them, covering them with metal panels, only for Ghazan to divide the sides by turning the ground into a pool of lava. Suyin and her sons were able to save Team Avatar and Lin from a combustion attack by P'Li by shielding them with a metal panel before joining them behind another. Unsure as to how they got in, Suyin declared they would not escape. She planned for her and Lin to descend from the dome on metal cables, telling Bolin he would need to disable P'Li's third eye before the siblings dropped in. Suyin, Lin, and the twins made their way to the dome's roof, warning Wei and Wing to metalbend them up in case of trouble. Upon getting the go, Suyin and Lin dropped in. Bolin was able to land a pebble on P'Li's third eye at the last second, blocking her chi, and giving the half-sisters the opening they needed to rescue Korra. As they ascended, Zaheer pursued on his glider, but Suyin shot four arrows into it, causing their foe to fall to the ground, which Lin thanked Suyin for. After getting Korra safely to the roof, Suyin called on the radio for her guards to search the estate. A short time later in her office, the matriarch was left unsure as to how the incident happened, calling the operation well-planned. At Korra's suggestion that one of the guards helped them, Suyin demanded they be questioned.

Suyin berated Hong Li for supposedly betraying the Metal Clan.

The next morning, Suyin watched as Aiwei interrogated the guards on duty and even Varrick. At Lin's suspicion, the metalbender agreed to be questioned, declaring she had nothing to hide. She calmly stated she had nothing to do with the attack; Aiwei determined she was telling the truth. The next guard in was Hong Li, whom Aiwei found to be lying about not having any role. Suyin threw the guard into the wall, demanding to know how they got in and out as well as their whereabouts before calling him a traitor to the clan.

Later that day, Suyin and Lin made their way to Aiwei's house after hearing an explosion. The matriarch asked where Aiwei was, to which Korra and Mako told her of his betrayal of the clan, having allowed the Red Lotus entrance and exit through a secret passageway while lying about Hong Li and destroying any evidence of his presence. Suyin was shocked as she trusted Aiwei, Lin laying a hand on her shoulder in comfort. Regathering in her office, she recalled trusting the emissary with her life and thought they were all a family. When Lin and Korra argued over the Avatar's safety, Suyin stated her agreement with her half-sister, assuring Korra that Aiwei and his associates would be brought to justice. She told Team Avatar that her staff would prepare their airship for a morning departure.

Suyin gave Korra a hug after giving Team Avatar a chance to track down Aiwei.

A short time later, however, Suyin stopped by to visit the team again, asking Korra if Naga could track Aiwei. After being given an affirmative response, she handed Korra the key to a fully-loaded jeep, which they could use to find the traitor. She explained her agreement with Lin was just to let half-sibling hear what she wanted to hear, instead being a ploy to buy them time to begin their search. The metalbender assured them she would deal with Lin's wrath in the morning and embraced Korra before they left.[7]

The next morning, Suyin was approached by Lin, who was wondering where Team Avatar was. Suyin assured her Korra was fine and was waiting to hear word on if she tracked down Aiwei. An angered Lin accused her of stabbing her in the back, but Suyin only replied by saying Lin could not control the Avatar's movements. She watched as her half-sibling walked away to decide to try.[8]

Stopping the Red Lotus

Worried about Opal's safety, Suyin was comforted by her half-sister.

Sometime later, Suyin was radioed by Team Avatar that they were on their way back to Zaofu and that she needed to try to get in contact with the Northern Air Temple to warn them of the Red Lotus' approach. She had her men continue to contact the temple while awaiting the arrival of the team's airship. She reported that they had not had any luck so far and voiced her worries about her daughter, prompting Lin to comfort her. Unable to keep waiting around, she announced that she would ready her airship, intending to travel toward the temple with a full force of the Metal Clan's security as back up to take on the Red Lotus.[9]

Onboard the Zaofu airship bound for the Northern Air Temple, Suyin suggested an ambush attack from the west, dropping in on metal cables and quickly defeating the "lowlifes". Lin dismissed the plan because of the risk P'Li posed, but Suyin rebuffed her, asking if she had a better plan, to which she suggested dropping the valley and catching them off-guard by climbing up the mountain. Suyin was skeptical as it would give the Red Lotus the high ground and Ghazan the opportunity to melt them off the mountainside. When Korra stated any effort would be in vain because Zaheer would wipe out the airbenders upon sighting the team, Suyin stated her sympathy with her because of the danger posed to Opal. At Korra suggesting she turn herself over, the matriarch told her they would give her whatever she needed. After learning of Zaheer's desire to meet Korra alone at Laghima's Peak, Suyin came up with a new plan: aware that Zaheer did not know their strength in numbers, she suggested Mako, Bolin, and Asami head to the air temple while she, Lin, Tonraq, and her metalbenders would wait at the base of the peak.

Being told by Lin that she loved her, Suyin was tasked to take P'Li out while Lin distracted her.

While Suyin's group was slowly climbing the mountain, Mako radioed Lin to inform them of the Red Lotus' double-cross. The metalbenders rapidly ascended and confronted Zaheer and P'Li, the latter of whom moved to hold them off. Suyin and Lin fired large slabs of rock at the combustionbender while dodging her dangerous attacks. However, the half-siblings were forced to take cover behind a large rock due to P'Li's continuous strikes. Suyin was told by Lin to take their foe out while she distracted her, much to the matriarch's dismay. Lin told her she loved her before initiating the plan. After her sister was knocked to the cliff's edge and P'Li got ready to finish her off, Suyin removed her armor and bent it around the combustionbender's head, causing P'Li's blast to blow up in her face, killing her instantly. The Beifong sisters promptly swarmed in and surrounded Zaheer; Suyin threatening him to surrender. When Zaheer intentionally slipped off the edge, they ran toward it, only to see the airbender floating in mid-air. Suyin and Lin tried to capture him with metal cables, but the criminal flew away, much to their shock.

The group reunited in a forest away from the temple with Kai having help saved Mako, Bolin, Asami, and Tenzin. When Mako told the group of Bolin's lavabending feat to get out of the collapsing structure, Suyin expressed her faith in him, saying all he needed to do was believe in himself. She also told the rest of the group about his ability to fly. Kai subsequently told them about the location of the airbenders and probable location of Korra: a secret cave. With Oogi having arrived, the group had a means of transportation to reach the location in question. Kuvira told Suyin she wanted to come along, but the latter told her and the guards to stay behind and help the wounded.[10]

Rescuing the airbenders

Kai led the group to the cave. Tenzin stayed behind and told them to find both the airbenders and his family, to which Suyin assured him they would not come out without any of the captives. The group burst into the cave and disabled one of the Red Lotus sentries. Suyin blocked an attack from the second sentry, allowing Asami to leap in and disable him with her electrified glove. She promptly rushed over to Opal and hugged her, though was pushed away by an eager Bolin, much to her annoyance. The metalbender subsequently helped in getting the captives out of the cave while Mako, Bolin, and Tonraq searched for Korra.

Being notified that the Red Lotus poison within Korra is metal-based, Suyin metalbent most of it out of her, saving the Avatar.

After the airbenders saved Korra and threw Zaheer to the ground with a tornado, Suyin and Lin quickly ensnared the criminal in an earth shell. The Avatar, however, had been poisoned, severely weakening her and leaving her on the verge of death. Jinora told Suyin the poison was metallic, prompting the metalbender to rush over and feel for the substance. She began bending up her body and was able to draw most of the liquid out, saving Korra.

Two weeks later on Air Temple Island, Suyin joined her half-sister, Tenzin and his family, Korra's parents, Lord Zuko, and President Raiko, watching as Asami brought out a debilitated Korra. She later attended Jinora's airbending mastery ceremony, smiling as Tenzin praised both the airbender and the Avatar for their efforts in saving the Air Nation, and watched as Jinora's tattoos were revealed.[11]

Rift in the ranks

Suyin's adamant refusal to help reunite the Earth Kingdom by introducing Zaofu's progressive ways to the rest of the nation caused a rift between the matriarch and her protégée.

In the wake of Hou-Ting's death, Suyin was asked to help restore order in the Earth Kingdom, as she had the trust of the world leaders backing her up and, as a Beifong, had credibility in the Earth Kingdom. Although she was honored by the request, she declined, as she was not interested in "imposing [her] ideals on an entire nation". As Kuvira argued that it would be an opportunity for Suyin to share Zaofu's progressive ways, the Zaofu matriarch posed that marching an army down to Ba Sing Se would be met with nothing but war. Although her captain of the guard stressed that there were already wars and that this was an opportunity to change things,[6] Suyin's answer remained the same as she did not want to seize power for herself.[12] Although she did not realize it at that time, her disagreement with Kuvira led to a rift between the two women.

After some time, Kuvira and Suyin's eldest son, Baatar Jr., as well as a large part of Zaofu's security force and some of the city's wealthiest citizens, decided to march to the Earth Kingdom capital and take on the task that Suyin refused. Angered over the betrayal, Suyin ordered them all to stay, lest they would never be welcomed back. Despite the threat, Suyin was left alone as they left.[6] Baatar Jr.'s leaving led to a falling out between him and Suyin, who felt betrayed by him.[13]

174 AG

Wu's coronation

Suyin traveled to Republic City in order to attend Prince Wu's coronation as the new Earth King. As she was checking in to the Republic City Four Elements, she was greeted by her eldest son, whom she greeted in return as "Baatar Junior", which he dryly corrected to being just "Baatar". When he gloated about all of his and Kuvira's accomplishments, Suyin refuted his statements of them "doing good" as them conquering the Earth Kingdom. Although her son attempted to further enhance Kuvira's status, pointing to the fact that she would become an official member of the Beifong family through a marriage with him, Suyin did not react to the announcement and merely pointed out that she was glad Kuvira was stepping down the following day due to Wu's coronation.

After Kuvira's declaration of usurping power in the Earth Kingdom, Suyin confronted her about it as the representative of the world leaders.

Suyin attended Wu's coronation and bore witness to Kuvira's declaration of usurping power in the Earth Kingdom, which she renamed the "Earth Empire", although she was not impressed by the words. Afterward, she attended a meeting with the world leaders, who let her talk to Kuvira as their representative. When Kuvira scolded her for having assumed a passive attitude when the Earth Kingdom crumbled after Hou-Ting's death, Suyin corrected her former captain of the guard by pointing out that she did not want to seize power for herself as Kuvira had done. She declared that it was necessary for the greater good that Kuvira stepped down as leader of the Earth Empire as she was just another tyrant. When she stated that she knew what happened to cities that denounced Kuvira's rule, she was warned about the fate that would befall Zaofu if she would not follow Kuvira.[12]

Protecting Zaofu

Suyin ordered Kuvira to leave as Zaofu would never accept her as its leader.

Suyin returned to Zaofu and after some time, a guard alerted her to the emergency that she had been expected. Although her husband, Baatar, stated he would contact President Raiko to receive help from the United Forces, Suyin did not particularly see the point in that as Kuvira had already arrived with the full force of her army. Facilitating a meeting with Kuvira, Baatar Jr., and Bolin, Suyin made it clear to her former protégée that she was not giving up her city, regardless of the military pressure Kuvira brought with her. She tried to reason with her son, saying that he must have realized that all he had done the past three years had gone directly against what she and Baatar had tried to teach him. When Baatar Jr. coldly refuted her, Suyin wondered how he did not realize that he had been brainwashed by Kuvira. As tensions rose high and Bolin tried to defuse the situation, Suyin angrily walked up to Kuvira, expressing her disbelief over the fact that the latter had attempted to use Bolin to sway them into surrendering the city. She ordered the military officers to leave, emphasizing that Zaofu would never accept Kuvira as its leader, though received the warning in return that she had twenty-four hours to agree to join the Earth Empire, lest the city would be taken by force.

While she was conversing with the rest of her family, Suyin was glad and relieved to find Korra entering her home. She promptly moved to embrace the Avatar and asked where she had been. Korra waved off the question to be answered at a later time and asked Suyin how she could help in stopping Kuvira. The Zaofu matriarch took the Avatar on a walk, during which she was asked how her relationship with Kuvira had grown sour. Suyin briefly relayed her history with Kuvira, from the start of their relationship until the betrayal three years prior. When Korra declared that she wanted to fix the situation, Suyin stated that she needed to access the Avatar State and destroy Kuvira's army in order to remove Kuvira from power.

After Korra left to attempt reasoning with Kuvira, despite Suyin's warning that there was no talking to her former protégée, the Zaofu matriarch, together with Wei and Wing, sneaked out of the city to take care of the military threat themselves.[6]

Suyin and her twin sons were caught by Kuvira and her army.

Under the cover of the darkness and completely clad in black, Suyin took Wei and Wing into the woods surrounding Zaofu, near the army's camp. After they took out a guard on patrol, Suyin and the twins propelled up a tree with the aid of a metal cable. Overlooking the camp, she reassured Wing that their plan to take out Kuvira would work, despite the size of the army, considering that most soldiers had been forcefully enlisted and would have no reason to fight without their commander. Covering her face, she announced that it was time to end Kuvira's reign of terror and the threesome infiltrated the camp, avoiding being detected by patrolling mecha suits and spotlights. After Suyin verified that Kuvira was alone in her tent by using seismic sense, they all tunneled their way into the army commander's quarters. The Zaofu matriarch used a metal cable to entangle and flip the sleeping woman, though was shocked to learn she had captured Zhu Li. When the sides of the tent fell back, they realized they had walked into a trap as they were surrounded and outnumbered by Kuvira's soldiers. Suyin was chastised for being a coward by the army commander, who believed she had been afraid to step up to lead the Earth Kingdom, to join Kuvira when she became the leader, and to participate in a fair fight as opposed to a sneak attack. Suyin and her sons were incapacitated by an electrical charge from a mecha suit and imprisoned in a metal contraption that prevented them from bending their way out.

An imprisoned Suyin, Wei, and Wing were presented to the citizens of Zaofu and brandished as traitors.

At dawn, the imprisoned Suyin, Wei, and Wing were placed on the front line of the army by Kuvira during her negotiations with Korra, Opal, and Jinora. When Kuvira answered Opal's demand to release Suyin and the twins by stating that she would not harm the Beifong clan if Suyin agreed to bow to her, the Zaofu matriarch heatedly told her former protégée that she would never do such a thing. She was forced to watch helplessly as Korra lost the battle for the fate of Zaofu, though when Opal intended on facing Kuvira's army in order to save her, Suyin called out to her daughter that she should leave them behind, assuring her that they would be fine. Suyin and her sons were afterward taken back into their city to serve as an example to the citizens as to what would befall them if they would not accept Kuvira's rule. Suyin slanted her head and closed her eyes in defeat as her eldest son ordered Baatar and Huan to be imprisoned for refusing to bow to Kuvira and urged everyone to hail the "Great Uniter".[14]

Escaping imprisonment

Upon being rescued from Kuvira's factory, Suyin immediately greeted her mother with a hug.

Suyin, together with the rest of her family, was moved to a cavern underneath Kuvira's factory near Zaofu. They were placed inside a wooden cell that was suspended with ropes over a seemingly bottomless chasm to prevent them from earthbending. As Toph, Lin, and Bolin created a makeshift tunnel toward the cave, Suyin noticed their presence and alerted Baatar of their imminent rescue. After Lin had swung all her sons through the air with her metal cables for Bolin to catch them, she tried to convince her acrophobic husband that everything would turn out all right, though with no success. After Lin swung Baatar over the chasm against his will, causing him to scream out and alert the guards, Suyin and Lin quickly exited the cell as well. Before they too could swing themselves to safety, however, a mecha suit attacked them, prompting Lin to sever two of the ropes suspending the cell and grab ahold of Suyin, letting the entire structure swing toward the other side of the chasm. Right before they would have slammed against the wall, the two sisters jumped inside the tunnel, where the rest of their family was waiting for them. Suyin warmly embraced her mother before they all made their way to the surface.

Exiting the tunnel, Suyin was delighted to be reunited with her daughter, whom she warmly embraced. Before they could all escape to safety, Opal and Bolin left to save Zhu Li, prompting Suyin, Lin, Wei, and Wing to attempt to stop Kuvira and her spirit energy cannon themselves. Since Toph refused to fight with them, she asked her to keep an eye on Baatar and Huan.

Fighting Kuvira in a one-on-one battle, Suyin was eventually defeated by her former protégée.

The foursome left toward where Kuvira was testing the cannon in the presence of her troops and, just as the weapon fired its deadly beam at the abandoned town to which Opal and Bolin had traveled, they used their earthbending to rattle the piece of artillery, distorting the beam's trajectory and causing it to miss the town. Working with her sister and sons, Suyin barraged Kuvira's soldiers with rocks and boulders. While the others continued to attack them, Suyin sneaked toward the cannon and jumped on, launching a rock at Kuvira's head, who only narrowly avoided it by rolling out of the way. With Suyin having fashioned herself a metal armor with one of the cover plates of the machine's engine, the two metalbenders started to barrage each other with small, metal strips, each alternating between offensive and defensive maneuvers. The Zaofu matriarch managed to catch Kuvira off guard by bending one of the metal containers atop the cannon to her, though Kuvira disposed of it and retaliated by assaulting her with a blade she made out of the metal bands over her left bicep. Only narrowly avoiding being struck, Suyin used her agility to avoid the sword and intercepted one of Kuvira's thrusts, tossing her over the side of the cannon. Kuvira managed to hold on, however, and swung herself underneath the railing and into Suyin, knocking her down. Suyin was subsequently caught by the wrist with Kuvira's metal whip, smacked down, and propelled against the loading barrel of the cannon, before completely being launching off the machine altogether. Suyin was immediately threatened by four soldiers, though Wei came to her rescue by catapulting them into the air. Grabbing hold of her son, they launched themselves into the air as well and managed to return to the safety of their defensive circle. Their protective barrier was soon brought down by the advancing soldiers, however, and although Suyin prepared to continue fighting, she found herself outnumbered and surrounded. Before the battle could proceed, they were saved by Toph, who shifted the earth underneath the feet of their aggressors, bringing them all down. As Opal returned on Juicy, Suyin escaped to safety with the rest of her family, Bolin, and Zhu Li.

Touching down at a bamboo forest, Suyin thanked Toph for coming to her rescue and was glad to see her and Lin reconcile their differences. She was shocked to learn, however, that Kuvira planned on attacking Republic City two weeks later.[15]

Defending Republic City

Having returned to Republic City, Suyin, Lin, Bolin, and Zhu Li immediately set course for City Hall, where they interrupted a meeting between President Raiko, Avatar Korra, Prince Wu, Mako, and Tenzin. As she entered, Suyin was immediately hugged by Korra, who apologized for what had happened at Zaofu. Before she could explain how she had escaped her imprisonment, Bolin relayed a brief overview of the event and Zhu Li announced that Kuvira planned to attack Republic City in two weeks. Afterward, Suyin went to Air Temple Island, where she donned a typical Zaofu uniform.

Suyin shed a tear when Baatar Jr. dismissed her plea to return home with her and declared Kuvira to be his new family.

When Team Avatar informed everyone a week later that Kuvira's attack on the city would happen that day, Suyin and her twin sons joined Asami, Bolin, and Mako at the Future Industries factory where Varrick and Zhu Li were overseeing the manufacturing of the hummingbird mecha suits. After Korra later brought Baatar Jr. there as well after having kidnapped him with the help of an airbender stealth team and failed to force him with physical threats to reveal the weaknesses of the enormous mecha suit that carried the spirit energy cannon, Suyin requested to be allowed to talk to her son. Although Baatar Jr. instantly dismissed her, she asked him why he was still siding with Kuvira, since he was no longer improving the world as he had originally set out to do. When Baatar Jr. made it clear that he and Kuvira were willing to kill for their ultimate goal of a united Earth Empire, Suyin apologized for whatever it was that she had done to hurt him and cause him to turn on them as he did. She revealed that he had broken her heart when he had left Zaofu and that his departure had taken its toll on their family. She pleaded with him to return to them, though shed a tear when he dismissed her, declaring Kuvira to be his new family. Suyin stepped back and let Korra talk to Baatar Jr. again, this time with more success. Suyin was forced to run for her life, however, when Kuvira traced Baatar Jr.'s radio call toward the factory and blew it up with her spirit energy cannon.[16]

Suyin tried to comfort Baatar Jr., noting that they will work through his betrayal as a family.

Suyin managed to survive the explosion and emerged from the rubble with everyone else when Bolin lifted a large piece of concrete, carrying an unconscious Baatar Jr. together with Bumi. As the benders of the group decided to face Kuvira and her army in an attempt to stop them or at the very least, slow them down, Suyin was told by Korra to take all the wounded back to Asami's office. She placed her eldest son on a camp bed and, while Asami, Varrick, and Zhu Li attempted to adapt the prototypes of the hummingbird mecha suits to get them airborne, never left his side. When he awoke in confusion, she emphasized that she was there and urged him to rest. As he apologized for betraying her and their family, Suyin tried to ease his confusion in regards to Kuvira's actions against him by pointing out that she was a complicated person. When Baatar Jr. lamented that Wei, Wing, and Opal would never forgive him, she comforted him by emphasizing that, while it might take some time, they would work to mend their broken bond as a family.

When the others returned, Suyin and Baatar Jr. joined them in Asami's work office, where a new plan was formed: the benders would relentlessly attack the mecha suit to distract Kuvira and enable the two hummingbird mecha suits to land on the enormous machine and cut a hole in it without being crushed. As such, while standing atop a building and working together with Lin and Bolin, Suyin severed the top stories of a large building and toppled it on Kuvira's mecha suit. While the machine was buried under the rubble, she used her metal cables to lower herself and Bolin back to the street, where Korra, Wei, and Wing where awaiting them; they were all shocked, however, to discover that the mecha suit uncovered itself without so much as a scratch. As Kuvira resumed her rampage, Suyin saved her sister and twin sons from being crushed by debris by erecting an earth tent for cover. She was saddened to watch Hiroshi Sato be crushed to death by Kuvira upon completing his mission of cutting a hole in the suit's armor, though took on a hardened expression as she rappelled atop the machine with her metal cables and dove inside the hole together with Lin, Bolin, Mako, and Korra.[17]

Together with Lin, Suyin destroyed the loading mechanism of Kuvira's spirit energy cannon from within.

Inside, Suyin was ordered by Korra to climb up to the weaponized arm together with Lin and disable the spirit energy cannon. When Korra announced that she would take on Kuvira in the meantime, Suyin asked if she was certain, referring to what had happened the last time they had faced each other. After Korra reassured her that it would go differently that time, Suyin and Lin used their cables to quickly ascend toward the right arm of the machine. Upon arrival, they were immediately attacked by a guard, who barraged them with metal strips. Suyin briefly watched how her sister took on their assailant, before turning to the cannon's loading mechanism and tear down the chain containing the spirit vine power cores with her bending, causing the capsules to explode within the arm. When Lin joined her and complimented her on the action, Suyin noted that while the outside of the mecha suit was constructed out of platinum, the inside was metallic, making it vulnerable to their metalbending. The sisters worked together to cause as much damage as they could, effectively disabling the weapon and severing Kuvira's connection to the arm as a whole. Suyin was knocked unconscious, however, when she was thrown against the metal wall as Kuvira ripped the arm off the suit and tossed it away; Lin saved them both from being flung free by bending the interior wall around them to strap them in.

Suyin helped Lin to lead Kuvira away so she could be held responsible for her actions.

After they recovered, Suyin and Lin made their way to the Spirit Wilds, which had been blasted open when Kuvira had fired the spirit energy cannon from within the vegetation and now housed a new spirit portal. Realizing Korra and Kuvira were nowhere to be found, Suyin and the rest of Team Avatar set out to search the area for the Avatar. She watched in surprise when the spirits emerged a few moments later from the spirit portal, followed by Korra and Kuvira. After Kuvira surrendered and apologized to her for everything she had put her and her family through, Suyin sternly told her former protégée that she would answer for everything that she had done and helped Lin lead her away.

Suyin later attended Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding on Air Temple Island, sitting at the end of a row with Lin to her right, and smiled when the couple sealed their union with a kiss. During the dinner party, she sat at a table with her family.[18]

Gaoling crisis

Suyin was present for the beginning of Kuvira's trial three months after her defeat, along with her husband, Huan, Opal, Wei, Wing, and Team Avatar. She watched on as the Earth Empire's former leader was brought before a tribunal, and saw Kuvira plead not guilty to her crimes. Suyin was quick to confront Kuvira, telling her that the whole world knew what the Earth Empire did. Kuvira told her that Suyin's family turned her backs on her long before the rise of the Earth Empire and that she had apologized for her actions numerous times. Suyin told her that being sorry was not enough and that she needed to take responsibility for what she had done.[19]

Kuvira radioed Suyin after escaping from Guan's attempt to brainwash her.

Team Avatar later left with Wu and a temporarily-released Kuvira to Gaoling to promote the first free and fair elections in the state. After Mako, Bolin, and Asami were kidnapped and brainwashed, Kuvira radioed Suyin for help. Suyin asked what was happening, as she heard that Asami was bringing Kuvira to Zaofu, and Kuvira told them they were still in Gaoling. Suyin disbelieved Kuvira when she told her that Asami, Mako, and Bolin had been brainwashed, but Kuvira told her she had no-one else to turn to for help.

Suyin brought Opal, Wei, and Wing on an airship to pick up Kuvira. Opal asked her mother why she did not send Metal Clan soldiers to pick her up, but Suyin informed her that it was important she picked up Kuvira herself. Opal asked her mother how she could have a soft spot for Kuvira after all she put their family through, but Suyin simply told her that it was not the right time to ask.

Opal accuses Suyin of acting naive toward Kuvira.

When she met with Korra, Kuvira, Wu, and Toph, Suyin was pleased to see her mother again, though Toph noted that she wished it could be under better circumstances. As Commander Guan's forces encroached on Suyin's, Korra and Opal tried to capture Mako, Bolin, and Asami by stunning them with an airbending attack and having Suyin, Wei, and Wing snag them with metal cables. However, Guan snapped the cables, and Suyin ushered everyone onto the airship to escape. The party had only been able to retrieve a brainwashed Asami, who was confined in a platinum pod designed for Kuvira. When Wing asked if Suyin wanted to restrain Kuvira, she told the twins that she was not a flight risk, and Wei told his mother that he hoped she was right.[20]

Upon their arrival in Zaofu, Suyin had Wei and Wing escort Opal to her room and had them call the medic, and asked Korra to take Asami inside. Noticing Kuvira's anxiety about meeting Baatar Jr., she told her that she was going to have to face him sooner or later. Inside her estate, Suyin spoke to Asami when she was released from her platinum pod, informing her that she would be confined to the estate. When the brainwashed businesswoman retorted that it was simply another way of being imprisoned, Suyin denied her allegation but adding that she would be watched for her own safety, as well as that of others. After Baatar Jr.'s confrontation with Kuvira, Suyin had Metal Clan guards escort the former Great Uniter to her quarters.

Suyin later joined her family, Korra, and Kuvira for a meal together. When Wei and Wing raised why the Metal Clan could not simply take down Guan's army in Gaoling, she told them that they could not be seen as aggressors, noting that the democratic movement could be thrown into turmoil should Zaofu intervene in another state's elections. Toph despaired at the already weak state of the movement, noting that Guan had likely brainwashed both the voters and the Earth King. Suyin shut down Opal and Kuvira's argument over Guan's plan to brainwash Wu and reiterated that they needed to let the vote go forward and see it play out. Toph told her daughter not to get her hopes up, noting that she essentially forfeited the election as soon as they left Gaoling, and believing Guan's victory to be almost certain. However, Baatar Jr. entered, noting that if he could restore Asami's mind, then he could use the knowledge to free the brainwashed citizens, Kuvira and Suyin adding that Guan would lose all support once they realized what he did to them, leading to Toph's victory, which her mother sarcastically cheered.

Suyin later came to Asami's quarters and informed her and Korra that Baatar Jr. was ready to begin the process. She was present through the multiple unsuccessful attempts to free Asami's mind. When Baatar Jr. considered testing the process on a subject who had not been brainwashed, Suyin cautioned Kuvira from it after she volunteered, but she was resolute to go ahead, stating that she was responsible for defeating Guan and the Earth Empire.

After Baatar Jr. had what he needed from Kuvira, Asami's brainwashing was successfully undone the next time they tried the process. However, Opal, Wei, and Wing rushed in, asking their mother to turn on the radio, as Guan had unexpectedly won the election by having Wu move up the election date. While Toph nonchalantly dismissed her loss, Suyin told her that it was not funny, as Guan had outright stolen the election and had used the Earth King to help him do it. President Moon planned to discuss the situation with Suyin and other world leaders.

Suyin later entered Korra and Asami's bedroom, informing them that the guards outside Kuvira's bedroom had been left unconscious, and she had stolen a Metal Clan plane and escaped Zaofu. As the three women moved outside the estate, she asked Korra if she had any ideas where Kuvira may have gone. The Avatar speculated that Kuvira was returning to Gaoling, having been livid when Guan refused to surrender to her.

Suyin, Korra, Asami, and Toph flew to Gaoling, guided by Opal on Juicy. Suyin spotted Kuvira's plane with her telescope but could not see her. Opal asked her mother to admit that Kuvira had taken advantage of her goodwill and betrayed her again. Suyin told her that they did not know for sure and that she would give Kuvira the benefit of the doubt until she learned otherwise, to Opal's chagrin. Her mother then told her to make a pass over the city so she could try to spot her. Suyin spotted Kuvira at the reeducation camp, noting that she was in trouble, as a brainwashed Mako and Bolin began to attack her. Suyin prepared to fight alongside her mother and daughter and disabled a mecha suit by wrapping its legs in metal cables. Suyin found Kuvira levitating a sharp piece of metal, ready to kill Guan, but advised her to stop, telling her that his death would not solve anything, nor would it give Kuvira peace. She accepted the truth of Suyin's words and spared Guan's life while successfully getting him to surrender and have the Earth Empire army stand down.


Suyin assures Kuvira that she will always be a member of the Beifong family.

Suyin and her family returned to Republic City once more when Kuvira's trial resumed. Suyin was delighted when Kuvira confessed to all her charges, entering a guilty plea. As White Lotus sentries escorted her outside the courtroom, she approached Kuvira, apologizing, raising that she could have guided her along a different path was she a better mentor and mother. Kuvira told her that she should be the sorry one, and thanked Suyin for taking her in and never abandoning her even at her worst. The two women embraced, Kuvira wishing they had more time. Suyin told her that they would, as President Moon and the tribunal agreed to release her into Suyin's custody under house arrest for her remorse and her actions in ending Guan and the Earth Empire. The Beifong's gathered around Kuvira, as Opal told her that despite not being born a Beifong, she would always be a part of their family.[21]


Suyin holds a deep love for her family.

A direct opposite of Lin's uptight and blunt personality, Suyin was a more carefree and upbeat individual who acts akin to her mother in both their youths. She enjoys many hobbies as a means to express herself and is also very open with her opinion, showing personal distaste for political control being centered around royalty. She also has a deep love for family, even for her estranged half-sister and eldest son.

She is very much a humanist in her beliefs, seeing the potential in other people and encouraging them to pursue their passions and talents to the ultimate extent of their capabilities. She does a good job of this, especially in regards to encouraging her very diverse children and their respective interests: from her eldest son's engineering projects with her architect husband to Huan's sculpting career, Wei and Wing's athletics, and her daughter Opal's airbending. In addition, Suyin believes in giving others a second chance at redemption, as she does with Varrick even though he is a wanted fugitive,[1] and was willing to do the same with her estranged son, Baatar Jr.[16][17] However, she did not offer Aiwei such leniency following his personal betrayal of her and Zaofu,[7] nor did she forgive Kuvira for usurping power in the Earth Kingdom and causing a rift in her family.[18] As a progressive humanist who favors technology as the driving factor for a nation, she does not believe in spreading change through subjugation and opposed those who claim power they are not entitled to for themselves.[12]

Realizing that many of her youthful troubles stemmed from her mother allowing her and Lin too much freedom when they were younger, Suyin is more controlling and protective of her own children, much as her grandparents had been to Toph. She did, however, accept that she had perhaps been too controlling after Opal decided to leave home to train at the Northern Air Temple.[5]

When dangerous matters arise, she is extremely loyal to her allies, willing to help them in any way as long as she believes they are doing the right thing. However, she is not above going behind their backs, as she helped Team Avatar load a jeep full of supplies so they could track down Aiwei and the Red Lotus despite Lin having protested the plan.[7] Suyin is willing to do whatever it takes to keep those that she holds dear safe, as she attempted to take out Kuvira on her own despite Korra's efforts at negotiating a peaceful solution.[6][14]



Like her mother and half-sister, Suyin is a proficient earthbender, having mastered both the traditional style and its sub-skill, metalbending; she is able to seamlessly shift between styles or utilize both in perfect unison during battle. She is capable of maneuvering her way through a barrage of earth projectiles with no wasted movement,[5] as well as employing the seismic sense technique with precision.[14]


Suyin is capable of using earth and metalbending simultaneously during battle.

Suyin's prowess in metalbending enabled her to construct an entire city out of metal. She also has great precision, able to curve several metal shards in the air in order to pierce a glider staff[7] and fashion armor out of a metal plate.[15] Her control over metal is also fine enough to bend even liquid metal that she cannot see, as exemplified by her bending most of the mercury out of Korra's body.[11] Suyin could also use her metalbending to great use in combat, even holding her own against Kuvira in a lengthy fight, though the younger metalbender did eventually overpower her.[15] Furthermore, her mother, Toph, did not believe Suyin picked up all the specifics of metalbending.[12]

Other skills

Suyin rehearsed with her dance troupe for an upcoming performance.

A skilled dancer, Suyin is extremely agile, graceful, and resilient, maintaining both her balance and posture while swinging down a metal cable in synchronization with her dance troupe.[1] She regularly integrated her agility and acrobatic skills into her fighting, effortlessly launching herself around the battlefield and making herself a difficult target. She was even able to keep up with younger opponents such as Kuvira,[15] herself a highly skilled metalbender, and dodge multiple combustion blasts from P'Li.[10]

Suyin is also a skilled tactician, able to plan battle strategies and pick out key points of attacks, which she demonstrated in her and her metalbenders' attempt to rescue Korra from the Red Lotus.[10] She is also versed in bōjutsu[15] and familiar with healing arts to a certain extent.[22]


The Legend of Korra

Book Three: Change (易)

Book Four: Balance (平衡)

Graphic novels


Baatar Jr.


  • Suyin and her sister are the first known siblings in The Legend of Korra to be half-siblings, as well as the second pair in the franchise, after Zuko and Azula and their younger half-sister, Kiyi.
  • Suyin is the first master to instruct the Avatar in the art of metalbending.
  • Unlike her sister and mother, Suyin is able to use seismic sense with her feet covered.
  • A young Suyin was voiced by Jessie Flower, who also voiced her mother, Toph, in Avatar: The Last Airbender.
  • Suyin is the second known character in the Avatar universe to scar a close relative, the first character being Ozai in Avatar: The Last Airbender. However, Suyin accidentally scarred Lin, whereas Ozai deliberately scarred Zuko.
Preceded by
Position established
Avatar's metalbending master
171 AG - present
Succeeded by

Preceded by
Position established and shortly taken by Kuvira in 174 AG
Leader of Zaofu
Unknown - 174 AG
Succeeded by


  2. 2.0 2.1 Ng, Philiana (July 10, 2014). 'Legend of Korra': Anne Heche's Character Debut. Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved on July 10, 2014.
  3. Nickelodeon (September 26, 2014). Legend of Korra: Book Four: Balance Official Trailer. Nick.com. Retrieved on September 26, 2014.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Mattila, Katie (writer) & Graham, Ian (director). (July 18, 2014). "Old Wounds". The Legend of Korra. Book Three: Change. Episode 6. Nickelodeon.
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 Hedrick, Tim (writer) & Zwyer, Melchior (director). (November 7, 2014). "The Battle of Zaofu". The Legend of Korra. Book Four: Balance. Episode 6. Nick.com.
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 Hedrick, Tim (writer) & Zwyer, Melchior (director). (December 5, 2014). "Operation Beifong". The Legend of Korra. Book Four: Balance. Episode 10. Nick.com.
  22. Bryan Konietzko on the DVD commentary for "Venom of the Red Lotus".