The third season of The Legend of Korra just ended on friday, and it was by far the best season of the show. There were so many amazing things revealed in this book: new characters, new powers, new plot twists.  The season still offered everything Korra fans love about the show though, from Lin’s snark to Bolin’s comic relief. Like any show there were a few flaws (we definitely think that Mako was a tad boring this season, and Asami needed more screen time), but overall we were blown away (get it?) by book three. We wanted to recap the best moments of the season (in a rather loose order of relative importance) for you to enjoy. Here they are!

(Disclaimer: Serious spoilers ahead if you haven’t watched book three!)

13: The Metal Clan

A few episodes in Korra and some of the gang head to the city Zaofu, which is where an entire clan of metal benders live. It is seriously cool, with the city divided into sections that become enclosed with metal at night for protection. It’s gorgeous and futuristic-looking, and we’re so glad it’s part of the Avatar world.

12: More flying bison!

In Avatar: The Last Airbender we are led to believe that Appa is the last of his kind, just like Aang. But We find out in Korra that not only were a group of fire sages guarding a herd, but that there were wild herds near the temples. They’re often subject to poaching, and at one point this season a group of baby bison is rescued from the clutches of some thieves. But to see them in numbers again is so much fun, and we especially love the adorableness of the babies.

11: The Red Lotus

We ranked this towards the bottom because, even though they are the antagonists of this season, every season has a bad guy, and though they are intense and very good at being bad, we thought that some other moments ranked higher on the scheme of life in the Korra world. However, having said that, this group of escaped prisoner benders (and the rest of the Red Lotus) is nearly impossible to beat, and they prove a believable enemy for the Avatar and her friends.

10: Mako and Bolin find their family.

Mako and Bolin are orphans, and for the first two seasons they are each other’s only family,  but towards the beginning of the season they stumble across their uncle and cousin in a market of the lower ring of Ba Sing Se. Not only do they have a ton of cousins, but their grandma is still alive. The family makes a few appearances throughout the season, and it looks like they’re here to stay!

9: Lord Zuko and his dragon

One of the best parts of Korra is visiting again with the characters from Avatar, and in this season Lord Zuko makes an appearance. Of course he’s still a bad-ass bender, of course he still has his dark humor, and of course he rides a giant red dragon. The artists nailed his small smirk, and even in the old face the younger man is still visible. What a treat, spending time with him over the course of a few episodes.

8: Death of the Earth Queen

First off, the Earth Queen is a giant pain in the butt. This woman is horrible. Still, she didn’t deserve to die the way she did, and the consequential chaos that ensued in the entire earth kingdom is detrimental to the balance of the world. This was one of the biggest loose ends going into Book Four, and it will be interesting to see how things settle down. But for now, things are not okay.

7: Mako and Korra: from awkward to … ?

The season started out with Mako being incredibly awkward, avoiding everyone and not sure how to act around Korra (and Asami). But as the season continued he got better, and there were a few times when he seemed to feel more than just friendship for Korra. Will Korra and Mako end up together? At this point, anything goes, but we’re still rooting for them.

6: Fighting like we haven’t seen since Avatar

The Book Three finale? HOLY. CRAP.

5: Korra’s wounded soul

The final image of the season, depicted above, was heartbreaking. Korra’s battle with the Red Lotus took a toll on her that goes deeper than just physical injury. The fiery spirit that makes Korra her feisty self is gone. Everyone is worried about her, and though most seem to think she’ll recover, there’s still a strong sense of concern. How can she do her job as Avatar like this? When will she start to act like herself again? Sadly we have to wait a year to find out, but we hope Korra isn’t changed permanently from the emotional scars.

4: New bending!

One of the coolest parts of Book Three was the addition of some alternative bending. Korra is now a metal bender. Bolin discovers he can bend lava in the finale. And the big baddie Zaheer can freaking FLY. We love these cool new adaptations to the familiar bending styles, and we can’t wait to see how they’re used in Book Four.

3: Lin has a sister!

Surprise! Toph has two daughters! We meet Suyin Beifong, head of the metal clan, a few episodes in. Lin is not a happy camper; she and her sis have been estranged for many years, and the tension between them is palpable . Over a few amazing episodes we see that barrier slowly break down, and by the end of the season they’re well on their way to being close (after, of course, an epic earth bender fight that Toph would have been proud of, if it weren’t her kids trying to kill each other). Su even saves Lin’s life, and proves to Lin she’s not the immature youngster she used to be. We can’t wait to see more of Su in Book Four.

2: Jinora gets her airbending master tattoos

Starting earlier in Book Three Jinora starts bugging Tenzin about getting her tattoos. He fights her, but time and time again she proves what a brave, capable bender she has grown into. The final scene of the season is her ceremony, and as her tattoos are revealed she’s a spitting image of Aang (minus the grey eyes). I had chills, and teared up a bit at this whole scene. It was powerful, and very well done.

1: There are new Airbenders!

Probably the best unexpected side-effect of Korra keeping the spirit portals open at the end of Book Two is that somehow the world starts shifting back into balance, and suddenly people all over the place magically receive the ability to airbend. Bumi is one of them, and he’s rather entertaining trying to learn how to control his newfound power. The quest the Avatar and her friends take all over the world looking for these new benders is a good chunk of the season, and a lot happens around those with these new gifts. The finale shows some awesome airbending, and it was amazing to see a group of them bending together.

With so many amazing things that happened in Book Three, Book Four has a lot to live up to. Can Korra and her friends finally bring the world back into balance? We’ll have to wait and see. But until then …