The Legend of Korra: The Art of the Animated Books in Order

The Legend of Korra: The Art of the Animated Series books are behind-the-scenes companions to the four seasons of the show. They are built for readers who want to know how Republic City, the Spirit World, the Metal Clan, the characters, and the action sequences took shape before they reached the screen.

These are art books, not new story chapters.

Each volume gathers concept art, character studies, environmental designs, storyboards, color work, and commentary from the creative team. Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko explain choices made along the way, from early visual ideas to designs that changed during production.

Air covers the first season and the arrival of Korra in Republic City. It is especially useful for seeing how the team balanced the world of the original Avatar series with a new era of pro-bending arenas, automobiles, radio towers, and city politics. Korra’s early designs, her friends, and the Equalist threat all get attention.

Spirits looks at the second season’s larger spiritual story. Readers can see development work for the Spirit World, its creatures, the Southern Water Tribe, and the older history behind the Avatar cycle. It shows how much work goes into making a world feel ancient, strange, and still connected to the characters.

Then the books turn to change.

Change follows the third season, with its new airbenders, the Metal Clan, Zaofu, and the threat posed by Zaheer and his allies. Balance covers the final season, including the years after Korra’s recovery, the return of Kuvira, and the visual planning behind the show’s closing conflict.

The collection is full of details that are easy to miss while watching an episode. A costume adjustment, a vehicle sketch, or an early background painting can show how the team solved a storytelling problem. The commentary stays accessible, so the books work for casual fans as well as people interested in animation and design.

Read them in season order: Air, Spirits, Change, and Balance. The books are best read after, or alongside, the corresponding season, since they discuss characters, settings, and story developments from the show.