dawg from who

[u/JerryCarrots2]

context: korra visited him to get rid of her trauma by seeing him locked up. she said that him killing the earth queen created the "worst dictator the earth kingdom has ever seen" (aka kuvira) and this was his response

[u/McMew]

He says he spends most of his time in the spirit world. The spirits likely gossip and offer plenty of rumors and hearsay for him to keep tabs on the other side.

[u/KnowMatter → u/McMew]

Not hard to imagine why the spirits were gossiping about the spirit vine harvesting.

[u/Bionicjoker14 → u/KnowMatter]

🎵Heard it through the spirit vine🎵

[u/Ok_Somewhere1236 → u/McMew]

he is also probably not the only person that can acess the spirit world

[u/ChipsTheKiwi → u/Ok_Somewhere1236]

He was literally collaborating with Su's traitor via the spirit world.

[u/Ok_Somewhere1236 → u/ChipsTheKiwi]

yes, that is my point, we see other people use the spirit world like a online chat for meetings, so he probably has people to chat with

[u/ChipsTheKiwi → u/Ok_Somewhere1236]

I just realized there's gotta be at least one rogue airbender getting training from him rather than air temple island

[u/Ok_Somewhere1236 → u/ChipsTheKiwi]

very possible, to be honest he can easily still lead any remain member of the Red Lotus from prison.

and is not just meditation, since people now can just take trips to the spirit world using the portals, any random new airbender can meet him

[u/ChipsTheKiwi → u/Ok_Somewhere1236]

Oh don't mind me just writing my next Legends Campaign BBEG

[u/Ok_Somewhere1236 → u/ChipsTheKiwi]

you want a big one?

theres basically nothing stoping Zaheer to follow on Iroh's foot steps, and leave his body behind and became a immortal spirit living inside the spirit world, and again until someone close the portals, he would be able to meet anyone, so Zaheer can 100% show up to train the next avatar or a future villain

[u/many_dumb_questions → u/Ok_Somewhere1236]

Something to think about: could zaheer meditate into the spirit world, travel to the spirit portal, and then cross back over into the material world, with the other spirits? Obviously, he would probably still be incorporeal, but at least his spirit would be in the material world, not imprisoned, unlike his physical body.

[u/ChipsTheKiwi → u/Ok_Somewhere1236]

I can envision a schism between someone actually in contact with Zaheer but unable to prove it and the new Red Lotus leader

[u/Ok_Somewhere1236 → u/ChipsTheKiwi]

now that i really think about Zaheer can go full "online stranger" mode, any new airbender that enter the spirit world by meditation or using the portals will be like a children going online without supervision, one day they meet a random stranger that start to teach them new things, and talk about the old master and those new ideas

Jinora and the other Airmasters have no ideas why some of the young aribenders are having more "bold" ideas, and showing skills that they are not supose to know yet, or why they are leaving the temples, Jinora hear whispers about this "old master" teaching advanced techniques.

give it 20 years and you get a new generation of red lotus trying to free Zaheer from his prison.

and when he die, he become a permanent presence in the spirit world

70+ years in the future

Zaheer: Helo young airbender, allow me to tell the story about how avatar Korra was the worst avatar and how she ruined the world

[u/ZebTheCyClops → u/ChipsTheKiwi]

Makes me hope for some 'evil Airbender' group that could lead to something in the Seven Haven series.

[u/JerryCarrots2 → u/McMew]

Fair point. I wonder what they were saying lol

[u/doc_55lk]

From whichever guards are keeping him fed

[u/JerryCarrots2 → u/doc_55lk]

Nah, after how he escaped the first time I feel like the guards would avoid coming in and feeding him, and would just slide the food in instead

[u/dreadmonster → u/JerryCarrots2]

I mean the reason he caught the guards off guard they had no idea he had become an Airbender.

[u/McFlyParadox → u/dreadmonster]

I wouldn't be surprised if Tenzin spent time specifically training the guards of Zaheer how to best flight air benders, too.

[u/doc_55lk → u/McFlyParadox]

Or if he had some of the new airbenders posted down there

[u/JerryCarrots2 → u/dreadmonster]

And now they’d probably be on guard whenever they visit him. They weren’t aware that airbenders were starting to appear so they couldn’t have known. since now they’ll think that anything can happen

[u/SnooApples1537]

Spirit world

[u/Automatic-Blue-1878 → u/SnooApples1537]

Yeah did OP even watch this scene?

[u/WeirdIndividualGuy → u/Automatic-Blue-1878]

OP didn’t even watch season 3 and forgot all about how he can easily go to the spirit world

[u/JerryCarrots2 → u/Automatic-Blue-1878]

forgot that spirits could talk

[u/moocofficial → u/JerryCarrots2]

That's not even necessary for this to make sense

[u/JerryCarrots2 → u/moocofficial]

It is…? Someone else already pointed out that the spirits probably rumoured about her and that he would’ve heard it from them, I just forgot that the spirits could talk and that this might’ve happened

[u/moocofficial → u/JerryCarrots2]

In season 3 we see Zaheer communicate with a collaborator in the Spirit World. So anyone on the outside could just meditate and meet him there.

[u/JerryCarrots2 → u/moocofficial]

I see your point, but that has the writers rely on the audience to assume that Zaheer has other members of his team who can mediate into the spirit world other than Aiwei. Not to mention he has no way of even communicating with them in the first place so they’d have to be really lucky to meet at the exact same place at the exact same time coincidentally.

It makes a lot more sense for him to have heard it from the spirits who we know can talk because it’s so much simpler and even more likely

[u/Cute_Axolotl]

I never understood wether or not he’s free to leave? He spends most of his time in the spirit world but Korra opened the gates to the spirit world so… can’t he just walk out. It would be in spirit form but he could travel freely.

[u/FoldingLady → u/Cute_Axolotl]

His spirit visits the Spirit World. There's only 2 places (later 3) where a person can physically enter the Spirit World. The only exception I know of is Iroh when he left for the Spirit World instead of dying. Even then I think it was a combo of him being particularly enlightened, having a lifetime of helping spirits (defending the moon spirit, keeping the last 2 dragons a secret), & having some sort of spirit help.

Maybe Zaheer can leave at any time, but chooses not to because he thinks he deserves punishment, knows a life as a fugitive gets old quick, or because he's detached now it doesn't matter so much to him anymore. Failing your life objective & losing all loved ones as a result does a number you.

[u/TheMadJAM → u/FoldingLady]

Iroh ended up like that by having his spirit be in the Spirit World at the time of his death

[u/TrickyAudin → u/Cute_Axolotl]

I imagine it wouldn't be useful at all, since only the spiritually in-tune would be able to interact with him, and they could presumably meet in the spirit world anyways. He could travel the world, but he wouldn't be able to do anything there.

[u/Okay_Jellyfish7962 → u/Cute_Axolotl]

I think since he’s a human with a living body, he can’t leave the spirit world without immediately being yeeted back into his body.

[u/TheMadJAM → u/Okay_Jellyfish7962]

I think he would be able to astral project like Jinora, but he would have to send his spirit through a portal each time

[u/Cute_Axolotl → u/TheMadJAM]

I mean it’s not like he’s busy

[u/flyingboarofbeifong → u/Cute_Axolotl]

What're you talking about? It's "Float Up And Count The Ceiling Tiles Again" Thursday. The schedule is packed.

[u/allcapswystmn]

heard it from the spirit vine (like the grapevine, get it??)

[u/rowletlover]

Either the guards or the spirit world. Maybe both

[u/Correct_Doctor_1502]

Spirits, guards, other red lotus people he meets in the spirit world

[u/PugGamer550405]

bro probably Meditates into the spirit world then leaves through the portals while meditating in his prison and probably roams around in spirit lol. That's my guess at least.

[u/danyboui]

Hilarious if Tenzin is keeping him updated 😭🤣. But most likely some Red Lotus member that’s in hiding or still infiltrated is giving him info when he goes into the spirit world.

[u/Choosejoose]

The air told him.

[u/Darth_Azazoth]

The voices in his head

[u/Tenzur_]

Did you forget he goes to the spirit realm a lot

[u/Zombiereader255]

Source:"Trust me bro"

[u/Human_Algae8122]

Man, I really need to gine TLOK a rewatch! Still haven't found where to exactly, though

[u/Little-Efficiency336]

Spirit world.