Avatar:History of Toph Beifong (174 AG)
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| Book Two: Earth (Spring 100 AG) Book Three: Fire (Summer 100 AG) Post war (100 AG - 102 AG) Book Four: Balance (174 AG) |
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| Toph Beifong's relationships |
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| Toph in the games |
After spending many years in the Foggy Swamp seeking enlightenment, Toph Beifong was visited by Avatar Korra in 174 AG, helping her recover after her poisoning. The same year, Toph helped to rescue her family from Kuvira after the Fall of Zaofu, and was convinced to run as a gubernatorial candidate in the State of Gaoling during the democratic movement in the Earth Kingdom.
Meeting Avatar Korra
By 174 AG, Toph resided in the Foggy Swamp, where she one day found Korra passed out in a pool of mud. She took the unconscious Avatar back to her home and laid her to rest in her bed while she made a meal. When Korra awoke and requested to know what had happened, Toph answered that she was hoping Korra would be able to tell her that. She revealed that she had known about Korra's presence due to being connected with her surroundings. Upon being asked if she was the person Korra was supposed to find, Toph merely stated that if Korra was led to her by her Avatar senses, she probably needed to listen to them. When Korra grew surprised over being recognized as the Avatar, Toph revealed that she had been good friends with her in a previous life and greeted the young woman as "Twinkle Toes".[1]
The following day, Korra asked Toph to help her get back into Avatar fighting shape, as she was currently in no condition to help the world, which she believed to need her. Upon hearing Korra say that, Toph briskly told the young woman to get over herself as the world did not need her at all, clarifying that she had worked relentlessly to stop crime while she was Chief of Police of Republic City, but it never made crime disappear entirely. Despite this and wanting to soak her feet in mud for a few weeks, Toph still decided to train Korra, stating that she simply could not stand the Avatar to be "so pathetic and getting [her] butt kicked all the time". As Korra surged forward to embrace her, she created an earth wall against which Korra crashed and fell down, stating that if the young woman wanted to hug something, she could go find a tree as they were there to work.
Toph faced Korra in a sparring match, during which she easily sidestepped three of Korra's airbending attacks and a water strike, before knocking the Avatar down with a mud pillar. As Korra was gathering her bearings, Toph asked her to reflect on what she did wrong and pointed out that the young woman should not think during battle. Turning her back to Korra, she ordered her to go again. She easily avoided Korra's elemental barrage and defeated her with one mud pillar once again. Walking up to Korra lying in a shallow water pool, the earthbender berated her for her "pathetic" performance, declaring her to be by far the worst Avatar she had worked with. As Korra defended herself by pointing out that it merely looked like Toph was enjoying to have someone around to beat up, the elderly woman agreed with her, since the local swampbenders could not take a punch in her opinion. She took offense to Korra's insinuation that she was disconnected from the world by having retreated into the swamp, declaring that she was more connected than Korra had ever been as she could tap into the swamp's vines to see all that went on in distant cities, like Zaofu and Republic City. As Korra attempted to test that statement by attacking her from behind, Toph knocked her down with a mud stream, stating Korra to be the blind one compared to her.
Walking through the swamp, Toph giddily talked about how much fun she had had tormenting the Avatar again, although she wished the girl had put up more of a fight. As Korra dejectedly noted that Toph had tossed her around like a ragdoll the entire time, the elderly woman laughed heartily at it, urging the Avatar to imagine how it would have been if she would still have been in her prime, saying she would have destroyed Korra. As Korra lamented about her inability to recover her old form, Toph told her there were still traces of mercury in her body. Realizing Korra had been oblivious to those remnants, she berated the young woman for "truly" being the worst Avatar ever. When the Avatar revealed to have been under the impression that Suyin had extracted all the poison, Toph stated that she believed neither of her daughters had picked up metalbending well. As Korra excitedly latched onto her, asking if Toph would be able to remove what Suyin could not, the elderly earthbender pushed her away, peeved about the fact that Korra even needed to ask about her abilities.
Returning to Toph's home, Toph ordered Korra to relax in order for her to complete a successful extraction. The moment she started, however, Korra shot up and grunted in pain, prompting Toph to berate her for not being relaxed. She ordered the young woman to stop fighting her and tried again, though with the same result. Annoyed about Korra's subconscious resistance, Toph gave up and stated that Korra would have to bend the metal out herself, since she was adamant about keeping it in her body for the time being. When a perplexed Korra asked her why she would want to keep poison in her body, Toph believed Korra to use it as an excuse to forsake her duties as the Avatar out of fear of getting injured again. Toph walked away as she did not want to deal with Korra's issues. Upon being asked by Korra what she was supposed to do, the elderly earthbender deferred Korra to the spirit that brought her to the swamp in the first place. Toph added that if Korra's wish was to find a place where she could disappear, she had come to the right swamp.[2]
In the following two days, Toph resumed her old habits of passing her time by relaxing. When Korra asked about their plans for the third day, Toph hinted that she wanted to continue doing nothing. This was not entertaining enough for the restless Avatar, who asked the elderly woman to retell the story of how she taught Aang to earthbend. Toph dismissed the question as there was no story there, considering she merely "threw some rocks at the Avatar, he got all whiny, and Sokka fell in a hole". As an excited Korra asked to hear the story about how Team Avatar had taken down the Fire Lord, Toph grew annoyed and relayed the story in a few sentences, saying that "it was hot. [She] was on a blimp. And [she thought] a giant turtle showed up." Upon being berated for being a terrible storyteller, she defended herself by declaring Korra to be a terrible listener. Although Toph tried to resume relaxing, she grew irritated by Korra restlessly tapping her foot on the floor. Raising the earth underneath the Avatar's feet to stop the tapping, she ordered the young woman to leave and collect some mushrooms for dinner, giving her directions as to where to go.
As Korra failed to return, Toph set out to search for her and found her sitting on a root while staring into the water. Upon learning that Korra had been plagued by visions, Toph casually answered that she had figured something like that would occur. She was unfazed by Korra calling her a "twisted, old lady" for having wanted Korra to have those visions and explained that the swamp could sense her to be out of balance. If Korra was willing to listen, the swamp would teach her what she needed to learn. Asking why the Avatar believed she kept seeing her old enemies, she offered the advice to learn from them. Toph walked Korra through her visions, stating that Amon wanted equality for all, Unalaq brought the spirits back, and Zaheer believed in freedom. She reasoned that their problem had been that they were out of balance and took their ideologies too far. Although Korra acknowledged the reason in Toph's words, the young woman still did not understand why she was haunted by their visions and thus Toph explained that she needed to face her fears and stop fighting her old enemies if she ever wished to be able to deal with future enemies. Since Korra revealed that she did not know how to do that, Toph noted with irritation that Avatars needed "a lot of hand-holding", before ordering Korra to get up and follow her to the banyan-grove tree.
Arriving at the heart of the swamp, Toph explained that the roots of the banyan-grove tree connected the entire swamp and added that Korra's problem was that she had been disconnected for too long from those who loved her and from herself. As Korra tapped into the connection of the swamp and excitedly revealed that she had seen Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo, Toph commented dryly that she hoped the three were there to take Korra home. Upon being introduced to the young airbenders, Toph revealed to them that their grandfather had been a "real pain in [her] butt". When Meelo recognized her due to her age, crankiness, and blindness, Toph commented that she liked the young boy.
The five of them returned to Toph's dwelling in the swamp, where Toph reminded Korra that she was not going to bend out the mercury, as it was something the Avatar needed to do herself. She instructed Korra to close her eyes and clear her mind in order to focus her energy and find the metal. As Korra panted in pain, Toph reassured her that the vision she was seeing was of a fight in the past and that she needed to release the fear connected to it. When Korra succeeded to bend all the residual mercury out of her system, Toph enclosed it into a rock and complimented the Avatar on her achievement. She allowed Korra to embrace her, deeming that the young woman had earned that right, though only reciprocated with a mild pat on the back. When Tenzin's children and Korra said their goodbyes and left the swamp on Pepper, Toph was glad to have some peace and quiet again.[3]
Saving her family
By keeping an eye on Zaofu via the vines of the Foggy Swamp, Toph saw that Suyin and her family had been captured by Kuvira. She traveled to the metal city, though by the time she arrived, her daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren had already been moved to a prison camp. She later found Lin, Opal, and Bolin surveying the area around the city in order to determine where Suyin and the rest of the Beifong family were held captive. Approaching them, she told her daughter they should not bother trying to get closer to the city since the prisoners had been transported elsewhere. When Lin greeted her as "chief", she acknowledged her daughter in the same fashion, before being warmly hugged by Opal. Disentangling herself from the embrace, Toph fondly noted that Opal only reached to her waist the last time they had been together. Her demeanor switched to annoyance, however, when Bolin started to hysterically squeal and hop up and down over being in her presence, and she abrasively asked him if he needed to use the bathroom. Ignoring Bolin's antics, she informed the threesome of her discovery that Suyin and her family had been moved to a prison camp. When Bolin pinpointed its location to be that of a nearby factory and reeducation facility, Toph asked her granddaughter how she had ended up dating the kind of "dipstick" that worked for Kuvira. Now knowing where to go, Toph was introduced to Juicy, though she immediately noted that the "leaky, nasty thing" smelled worse than Appa.
En route to the factory, Toph told Bolin that it had been a "little while now, couple years" since she had seen Lin. As her daughter specified that it had been twenty years, she casually waved the comment off, noting that time flew for someone her age, and changed the subject to her wonder that Lin had come to save Suyin. She was pleased to learn that her daughters had moved past their grievances with each other, though Toph still failed to take note of Lin's grudge toward her.
Arriving at the factory, they all sneaked in and Toph used her metalbending to tear a hole in the hangar's wall, before seamlessly sealing it again. She used her seismic sense to deduce Suyin and her family were being kept in a cavern underneath the factory; although it felt empty, she could sense the mecha suits guarding the place. When Kuvira entered the hangar, they all hid and overheard her conversation with Baatar Jr. and Zhu Li. When the latter told Kuvira that she was doing everything she could to fix the problems with the spirit energy cannon, Toph noted that she was lying, much to Bolin's delight.
Retreating back to the hills surrounding the facility, Toph noted with irritation that she had not come to fight with Kuvira or destroy a cannon, as Opal and Bolin, respectively, suggested to do and emphasized that she was solely there to save her family, adding that it would already take everything that they had to survive the endeavor. The foursome decided to postpone their rescue mission until the next day after Bolin reasoned that the most ideal moment to strike would be during the testing of the cannon, since Kuvira's desire to have all the troops and workers present would leave the factory mostly deserted.
During dinner, Toph told Bolin that she used to have a metalbending academy where even a "blockhead" like him could have learned metalbending, ignoring Lin's sarcastic jab about her being a "real sensitive instructor". She was surprised to hear that Bolin had learned the rare skill of lavabending, complimenting him on the possibility of being talented after all, much to his excitement. When Lin scoffed at the conversation, sarcastically noting that Toph was "real encouraging", Toph bit back that she was blind, not deaf. Upon being asked who Lin's father was, she casually answered that he was a nice man named Kanto with whom it did not work out. Sensing her daughter's "enraged breathing", Toph ordered her to say whatever it was she wanted to say so they could "get it over with". Infuriated even more by that comment, Lin snapped at Toph that growing up without a father and never even discussing him weighed heavily on her, though her mother waved it off by stating that those were all things of the past. Being blamed for not knowing or caring why Lin was furious with her, Toph solemnly accepted her daughter's decision of not wanting anything more to do with her after they had saved Suyin if that was what would make her happy.
The following day, after Opal alerted them that the demonstration was about to start, Toph, Lin, and Bolin burrowed themselves a tunnel toward the underground cavern where the Beifong family was being held captive. Warning everyone that the guards were on the other side of the door at the opposite side of the chasm, she noted that they had to be quiet, lest they would be discovered. With Bolin's help, she catapulted Lin atop the wooden cell, so she could swing back all the prisoners on her cable and Bolin could catch them. Everything went well until the acrophobic Baatar inadvertently alerted the guards to their presence. Despite this setback, they managed to free the entire family and Toph warmly hugged her youngest daughter, before they all made their way back to the surface and reunited with Opal. When Bolin declared he would save Zhu Li at the abandoned town that was to be blown up by the cannon, Toph stated that he did not know for sure that she was on their side as she could have been lying before to cover up a mistake she had made as opposed to deliberately sabotaging the machine as Bolin believed. After he and Opal left anyway, Toph declared to be through with fighting and refused to join Lin, Suyin, Wei, and Wing in their attempt to stop Kuvira. She stayed behind with Baatar and Huan, though when the former tried to make small talk, addressing her as "mother", she quickly shut him down by reminding him that he should never address her as such. Despite her initial refusal, Toph ultimately interfered in the battle when the foursome found themselves outnumbered and surrounded and saved them by shifting the earth underneath all their opponents, bringing them down. As Opal, Bolin, and Zhu Li returned on Juicy, Toph shouted at Kuvira that she gave metalbenders a bad name, before escaping to safety on the bison.
Landing in a bamboo forest, Toph was thanked by her daughters for having come to their rescue. When Lin apologized for all she had said the previous night, Toph acknowledged that she had not been the best mother, though she was nonetheless proud of the women her daughters had become. She noted that if they could find it in their hearts to not hate her, that would be enough for her. She and Lin shared an embrace, though found their moment ruined by Bolin, who hugged them both, while emphasizing the importance of family using his own as an example. Irritated, Toph entangled herself from the embrace and sarcastically wished her family an enjoyable ride back to Republic City with the "gumflapper". Upon being asked by Opal if she was not joining them, Toph light-heartedly explained that her fighting days were over, due to her old age and while walking away, she joyfully added that it was their time now.[4]
Entering politics
Some time after Toph learned of Kuvira's defeat, she was approached by Korra and King Wu. They explained to Toph that Kuvira's subordinate Guan had refused to stand down and was planning as running for governor in the first democratic elections in the State of Gaoling. Wu and Korra asked Toph to run for governor, but she refused to enter the world of politics. However, Wu and Korra convinced her to agree by sharing Wu's vision of Queen Hou-Ting mocking him. Convinced that she had to change and step outside her comfort zone, Toph reluctantly agreed to stand against Guan.
Toph returned to her hometown of Gaoling where she officially signed documentation confirming her as a gubernatorial candidate. However, she, Korra and Wu soon recognized that the town's citizens had been brainwashed by Guan and Doctor Sheng. Toph was present when Korra confronted a temporarily released Kuvira outside Gaoling and confirmed that she was telling the truth about her capture by Guan and Mako, Bolin, and Asami's brainwashing. Toph was reunited once more with Suyin and Opal, who had arrived as backup. However, Guan's forces quickly advanced and were able to kidnap Wu. Toph bent a wall of earth to protect the group from Guan's army but retreated with Korra, Kuvira, and a brainwashed Asami onto Suyin's airship. As the ship took off, Toph comforted her granddaughter, who had been knocked unconscious during the fight.[5]
As the group arrived in Zaofu, Toph joined her family, Korra, and Kuvira for a meal. When Suyin began to tell Wei and Wing that the Metal Clan could not intervene in Gaoling without throwing the democratic movement into turmoil, Toph despaired at the current weak state of the movement, with Guan having likely brainwashed both the voters and the Earth King.
When Kuvira and Opal argued about Guan's plan to brainwash Wu, Suyin reiterated that they needed to let the vote go forward and see it play out. Toph told her daughter not to get her hopes up, noting that she essentially forfeited the election as soon as they left Gaoling, believing Guan's victory to be almost certain. However, Baatar Jr. entered, noting that if he could restore Asami's mind, then he could use the knowledge to free the brainwashed citizens, Kuvira and Suyin adding that Guan would lose all support once they realized what he did to them. Toph let out a sarcastic cheer when her daughter emphasized the possibility of her victory.
After Asami's brainwashing was undone, Toph and Suyin listened to a radio report about Guan's unexpected victory after Wu moved up the election date. Toph nonchalantly disregarded her loss, though Suyin told her that the situation was not funny given that Guan had outright stolen the election and used the Earth King to help him do it. When Korra called President Moon about the situation, Toph sarcastically remarked that it sounded like Zhu Li was taking the news well when the president exclaimed in shock and surprise about the brainwashing.
Toph joined Korra, Asami, Suyin, and Opal in flying to Gaoling on Juicy's back after Kuvira stole a Metal Clan plane and fled Zaofu. When Suyin spotted Kuvira at the reeducation camp, Toph asked her daughter and granddaughter if they were ready to attack, before she bent slabs of earth at two mecha suits, proclaiming that it was what happened when someone messed with three generations of Beifongs. At the end of the battle, Kuvira forced Guan into surrender, and the entire Earth Empire army stood down.
Toph was present outside Gaoling City Hall when Wu gave his speech, proclaiming that the Earth Kingdom would need more time to move to democracy, with each state setting its own timetable according to its citizens' wishes. At the end of his speech, Toph approached the king, asking if she was off the hook. Wu confirmed that she was for now, but hoped she would consider running for governor when Gaoling held its election. Toph told him not to get his hopes up, declaring she had had enough of political shenanigans and that she preferred the swamp, as predators there were at least honest about wanting to eat someone.[6]