This expertise brought him into contact with an offshoot of the White Lotus society that came to believe that the Avatar must promote absolute freedom, not balance, as the driving force of world politics.

After failing in their attempt to abduct the new Avatar, Korra, as an infant, all the present members of the Red Lotus were imprisoned in cells designed to block their bending; Zaheer was the exception as a non-bender, and was instead placed in isolation in a durable prison on a mountaintop.

After Avatar Korra provided the catalyst for Harmonic Convergence during Book Two: Spirits, which connected the natural and spiritual worlds directly, Zaheer was one of many individuals who spontaneously gained the ability to air bend.

Shortly after, Zaheer freed each member of the Red Lotus in captivity and refocused their efforts towards convincing Korra to join them and seeking an anarchist overthrow of the existing kingdoms in the pursuit of 'total freedom' for all.

Though the Red Lotus failed in their mission and were eventually killed or recaptured, Zaheer remained powerful influence in Korra's life, and she struggled to psychologically overcome her defeat and crippling at their hands.

Zaheer is depicted as having a loving relationship with his girlfriend P'Li, whom he personally saved from subjugation at the hands of an unknown warlord, and enjoys a strong friendship with fellow Red Lotus members Ming Hua and Ghazan.

Before attaining the power of air, Zaheer became notorious for not only his proficiency in martial arts but his ability to charm or manipulate people with his words,[1] making him just as dangerous as his bender cohorts.

Admitting that the Avatar deserved the right to know why she was being hunted - and stalling until his friends could capture her body - Zaheer openly tells her most of their plans, but neglects to reveal what their endgame with Korra was.

As Ba Sing Se burns in the ensuing riots, Zaheer frees Mako and Bolin from the Earth Queen's jail, but asks them to pass along a message to Korra: surrender herself or the new Air Nation would be massacred.

In the ensuing battle, P'Li is killed, and despite being grief-stricken by his girlfriend's death, Zaheer's loss enables him to unlock the power of flight, which requires the abandonment of all "earthly tethers".

Seeking to make amends for his actions that led to the rise of brutal fascist dictator Kuvira, Zaheer helps Korra to overcome her fear of him so she can finally enter the Spirit World and reconnect with Raava.

Airbending involves "smooth coiling and uncoiling actions"; dynamic footwork, throws, and open-handed techniques; and swift, evasive maneuvers designed to evoke the "intangibility and explosive power of wind".

Having studied the airbending forms and disciplines as part of the Red Lotus' plan to kidnap Korra, he was proficient enough to hold his own in combat against multiple powerful bending opponents at once.

When his lover P'Li's died at the hands of Suyin during a battle to rescue Korra from the Red Lotus, Zaheer let go of his "final earthly tether" (a reference to Buddhism) and jumped off the mountain; but did not fall.

Zaheer has demonstrated that the power of flight allows for fast and agile movements, being able to out-speed an injured Korra while she was in the Avatar State and performing airbending attacks whilst airborne.

Writing for IGN, Max Nicholson deemed Zaheer "one of the most intimidating and formidable villains yet on the show", praising his effectiveness as an antagonist and his actions that greatly challenged Korra's status as the Avatar.

Sava elaborated, "the moment firmly pushes The Legend Of Korra out of children's television territory and into the realm of young adult entertainment, trusting that the viewers are mature enough to see a woman get asphyxiated in rather graphic detail, complete with a close-up shot of the Earth Queen gasping for breath while her eyes bulge out in pain.

IGN called Zaheer an "interesting" character,[14] intrigued by his genuine respect for Air Nomad culture[18] and his affability towards Korra during their conversation in the Spirit World.