17 shows that positively discuss mental health

The Legend of Korra

In both Avatar the Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, mental health depictions are subtle but revolutionary. From psychology of inspirational women characters to Korra’s PTSD, The Legend of Korra resonants with viewers because the main character has relatable struggles.

The Legend of Korra: Book 4 visibly shows Korra’s emotional exhaustion after her encounter with Zaheer. Beyond her emotional fatigue, she goes through intense flashbacks that break her emotionally (and us too).

Because she’s spent so much time training, fighting, and learning new techniques, she never got a chance to process her emotions since she first learned she is the Avatar. However, her PTSD forces her to recognize her pain and anxiety. It makes her confront her mental health because she can’t enact peace across the globe if she can’t find some solace in herself.

To cope with her trauma and to find peace in herself, she enters with Spirit World where she talks to a manifestation of mental health and her inner self. There, she learns to work through her fears and confront her traumas.

Book 4 personifies mental health to show that it’s apart of us. In order to treat our mental health, we have to first acknowledge it.