page_title: Zaheer (The Legend of Korra)
section_title: Reception
hierarchical_section_title: Zaheer (The Legend of Korra) / Reception
caption_attribution_description: English: Henry Rollins at Bronson Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, 2010
context_page_description: Zaheer is a major recurring character in Nickelodeon's animated television series The Legend of Korra. While he serves as the main antagonist of Book Three: Change, his actions have lingering effects on Avatar Korra and the series' plot in the following book. The character was created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and is voiced by Henry Rollins. The character was well received by critics as a complex and intimidating villain.
context_section_description: Zaheer has been widely well-received as a character by both fans and critics. 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. Nicholson also praised Rollins' voice acting in "Beyond the Wilds", declaring that he and Janet Varney had "really knocked it out of the park."
  The scene in which Zaheer kills the Earth Queen during the episode "Long Live the Queen" received a strong, often alarmed reaction from critics. Nicholson called the scene "jaw-dropping", surprised at the explicit and on-screen death of Hou-Ting. Kenneth Brown of Blu-ray.com echoed Nicholson's sentiments, deeming scenes of Zaheer's bending "diabolical". Mike Hoffman of The Escapist called the scene "a turning point" for the series, where the audience discovers just how dangerous Zaheer really was, but an example of the respect the show's creators had for its audience regardless of age. Writing for The A.V. Club, Oliver Sava reflected that the scene's brutality was a reminder of how far the series had come since Avatar: The Last Airbender. 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."
  Zaheer's sympathetic nature and complexity as a character also received analysis and critical praise. IGN called Zaheer an "interesting" character, intrigued by his genuine respect for Air Nomad culture and his affability towards Korra during their conversation in the Spirit World. Mike Hoffman praised the effort made to portray Zaheer as a "particularly human" villain, citing the fact that he (as well as Amon and Kuvira) made "valid arguments" for their actions, as well as his loving relationship with P'Li.
  IGN also praised the final fight scene between Korra and Zaheer in "Venom of the Red Lotus", listing it as one of the best fight scenes of 2014 and lauding its "distinct superhero feel".
caption: Henry Rollins received generally positive critical reception for his performance as Zaheer.
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