A Thousand Lifetimes

Finally got myself to draw

“No, you really seem familiar”

Ship Painting I, 51" X 43", 2017

Expensive Painting (Ship), 64" X 64", 2016

Ship Painting II, 41" X 49", 2017

Warning: spoilers for The Legend of Korra below!

Hey guys!I’ve been seeing a lot of Myers-Briggs related discussion around LOK and Kuvira in particular. Is she an INTJ or an ENTJ? I’m going to offer the alternate suggestion that she is neither. Sorry, this is a little long, but please read on if you’re interested :)

Is Kuvira more likely to be INTJ or ENTJ?

I’d go with INTJ, because she has a lot of inferior Se issues that I don’t think an ENTJ would have. In Season 3, we see that she enjoys dancing and can react quickly in battle, but I don’t think that’s her forte. In Season 4, Kuvira is basically left to her own devices: she isn’t working for Suyin anymore, so we get to see how she chooses to act. Kuvira’s movements are very controlled, and have you noticed how she always wears gloves? Physically speaking, she interacts with the world on an indirect level.

Her invasion of Republic City in Day of the Colossus and The Last Stand is a good example. Compare that battle to the other season finales, where each villain fights Korra in a direct, physical confrontation. For instance, Amon is also an Ni-dom (INTJ) and has Se problems (he legit wears a mask all the time), but how does he fight? Still hand-to-hand combat. And what does Kuvira do? She creates a giant freaking mecha suit- it’s like saying, Hey, guess what? If you thought I was weak, look at me now. The catch is that nobody thinks Kuvira’s weak. Only she does. She builds the mecha suit to compensate for the lack of physical security she feels. Her actions under extreme stress are also very Se-driven, like aiming the spirit vine cannon at Korra and (surprise!) not being able to control it.

So what’s her type?

With all of that being said, I think Kuvira is an INFJ.

Umm… What? XD

Although Kuvira is domineering and increasingly power-hungry, that doesn’t mean she isn’t an Fe-user. It isn’t difficult for her to be interpersonally warm, comforting someone with a hand on their shoulder. Kuvira quickly gauges other people’s feelings, whether to console them or to manipulate them to her advantage. She pacifies Opal and keeps Bolin’s trust for a surprisingly long time. She completely plays Baatar (granted, I don’t think Kuvira anticipated having to sacrifice him to achieve her goals, but still). Moreover, Kuvira’s actions are motivated by a need for emotional validation (see her entire relationship with Suyin) and the desire to help the Earth Kingdom achieve stability and comfort.

Just look at some quotes:

“I want to help.” Season 3, when they’re fighting the Red Lotus. Does Su (ENFP) let her? Nope, and Kuvira gets upset.

“I know things got heated with your family when Baatar and I left Zaofu, but don’t you think it’s time to forgive and forget?” (to Opal)

“I know the rumors about me can be pretty nasty, but I am giving everyone in this nation a better future. And with Bolin’s help, and my fiancé’s ideas, we’re laying the groundwork for the people to achieve their own greatness.”

“That was just some… tough rhetoric to let people know that we mean business. Believe me, conflict is the last think I want. Will you help me make history, Bolin?” (It’s actually kind of funny how often Kuvira uses the word “help” XD)

Resemblance to Korra

Perhaps what’s most convincing is Kuvira’s relationship to the Avatar. She was designed to be similar to Korra, who is an ESTP… Oh, look! Same functions, inverted order! And it’s kind of incredible how many parallels there are between the two. That’s a story for another time, though.

In the season finale, Korra offers Kuvira a few empathetic words, and Kuvira gives in very quickly. Of course, knows that she’s lost at that point, but what’s important is how she responds to Korra. At first, she’s all, You don’t understand anything! and I would have gotten away with it, if it weren’t for you meddling kids! But then a shift happens…

But then a shift happens…

Korra: “You had to know what you were doing wasn’t right.”

Kuvira: “I was trying to help my people.”

She gives an Fe-based justification, criticizing Su and Korra for not helping the Earth Kingdom. Kuvira just lost a war, but she can still moralize! :P Not only does she think she knows what’s best for the Earth Empire, but she projects her own feelings onto it: “I was cast aside by my own parents like I meant nothing to them! How could I just stand by and watch the same thing happen to my nation when it needed someone to guide it?”

How does Kuvira’s story end? With empathy received and given. She is thankful to Korra, acknowledges that she was wrong and seeks Suyin’s forgiveness. Although the neatly tied-up ending seems like a cop-out for such a complex villain, perhaps these realizations have been a long time coming. For Korra’s own story arc, it’s not only necessary for her to empathize with Kuvira, but also for Kuvira to empathize with her. Kuvira’s is a redemption story; in a way, it’s classic INFJ.

In the Streets of Ba Sing Se

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wips and extras below the cut!

The Fire Palace

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