My take was that he brought knowledge. His understanding of history and especially spirituality allowed him to guide the group in a way no one else could. It’s also what allowed him to master airbending as quickly as he did. His knowledge of the avatar specifically would have been invaluable to their goals.
Dude probably had an intricate knowledge about martial arts and history. Being able to bullshit your way through things based on knowing your enemy before even throwing a punch is a huge advantage when you're outnumbered like the RL.
I assume his martial arts style was very similar to that of airbending even before he got the power to airbend, so he would've been a competent fighter nevertheless. Not to mention, he was highly spiritual.
I reckon he was the mind of the group. His skillful use and deploying of strategy was quite prominent in his season. He is evidently very intelligent even if misguided in his views.
It's heavily speculated he played a Sokka-like role as the strategist and the generally good non-bending fighter. As people have been quick to point out, when we see him in his jail cell he's not allowed go anywhere near the bars out of fear that he could escape. He's clever and agile enough that they are afraid he could escpape being anywhere near people and that's before becoming an airbender. He's a very learned man, knowing alot about history, politics, philosophy, etc on top of all those other things. I would love to see a prequel to when the Red Lotus were after Korra because it's likely that a battle of wits insued between Sokka and Zaheer and it was a battle of ideologies as Zaheer and Sokka are so similar and yet Diametrically opposed.
There are plenty of powerful non-bending fighters in the ATLA world, and he could have primarily been their leader. And despite what videogames would have people believe, a team's leader doesn't have to be the strongest fighter.
I had a very similar question in mind after watching season 3: why makes Zaheer cool enough to be the leader of the Red Lotus and why could he pose a threat to any bender 1v1?
It always confuses me when people say Zaheer was a master Airbender. Did we watch the same show? His fight against Tenzin is a clear display of master vs novice. Zaheer was already a dangerous master martial artist. Once he gets airbending he's just slapping air blasts onto his normal fighting style. Tenzin is an actual airbending master and he has Zaheer on the ropes the entire fight.
Accounting mainly, maybe a bit of Social Media Management; really good guy to talk to if you felt spirituality exhausted at the office, really good at trivia night, his team almost always won.
Aside from his martial arts, I think he was the ringleader whom's convictions lead the RL down the path it did, his obsession with guru lahgima only informed his already extremist attitude.
I think he was the equivalent of Ty Lee, a non-bender who got up close and personal to negate Bending's range advantage but more physical and brutal, a brawler more than a dancer. He was quick and agile but where Ty Lee was a scalpel he was a crowbar.
Do you mean for his crew or for the organization? For the former he sounds like the brains of the operation, the guy who planned and coordinated it all.
I always figured he was the Sokka of the group. A skilled fighter even though he is a non bender, he focuses more on overall planning and keeping the team focused rather than raw power. I mean they had a combustion bender which is a lot of raw power, you really don't need a whole lot more.
He was their mastermind, and was a martial arts prodigy, he was capable of downing several master benders at once without chi blocking. His prison also shows he was the most dangerous member, a mountain top with no way down.
The Red Lotus was going to kidnap and train Korra, I believe Zaheer would have been her airbending teacher. Even though he wasn't a bender at the time, he had studied airbending culture and techniques extensively.
I cannot believe that zaheer really was okay with destroying major airbender artifacts and temples even tho he pretty much appropriated air bender culture and just held no regard or respect for the cultire.
My take was that he brought knowledge. His understanding of history and especially spirituality allowed him to guide the group in a way no one else could. It’s also what allowed him to master airbending as quickly as he did. His knowledge of the avatar specifically would have been invaluable to their goals.
He was also a pretty insane martial artist
Yeah, he was the Sokka for sure.
So essentially an evil Uncle Iroh?
Dude probably had an intricate knowledge about martial arts and history. Being able to bullshit your way through things based on knowing your enemy before even throwing a punch is a huge advantage when you're outnumbered like the RL.
Mostly made snacks.
Damn Zaheer, that fruit pie smells so good it could lift me off my feet for 40 years
I’d give your answer an award if I had any left
I assume his martial arts style was very similar to that of airbending even before he got the power to airbend, so he would've been a competent fighter nevertheless. Not to mention, he was highly spiritual.
“Look, I'm the plan guy. You three are the cut or blow stuff up with bending guys. Together we're Team Anti-Avatar!”
Every group needs leadership! It’s a rare talent
The Red Lotus is a small group as far as we know and P'li mentions that Zaheer rescued her as a kid, so maybe Zaheer is the founder of the Red Lotus.
He bored their opponents with tales of Guru Laghima as a distraction while the other Red Lotus members attacked from behind.
Did you hear the legend of Guru Laghima the wise?
He was their lead singer in their punk band
I see what you did there.🏴
I mean he had the hair for it.
You've probably never heard of them
Taxes
He was the Sokka of the red lotus
Yeah, cracking jokes was his thing. Before the incident...
I reckon he was the mind of the group. His skillful use and deploying of strategy was quite prominent in his season. He is evidently very intelligent even if misguided in his views.
It's heavily speculated he played a Sokka-like role as the strategist and the generally good non-bending fighter. As people have been quick to point out, when we see him in his jail cell he's not allowed go anywhere near the bars out of fear that he could escape. He's clever and agile enough that they are afraid he could escpape being anywhere near people and that's before becoming an airbender. He's a very learned man, knowing alot about history, politics, philosophy, etc on top of all those other things. I would love to see a prequel to when the Red Lotus were after Korra because it's likely that a battle of wits insued between Sokka and Zaheer and it was a battle of ideologies as Zaheer and Sokka are so similar and yet Diametrically opposed.
Zaheer is that you?
I would absolutely love to see a Sokka vs. Red Lotus spin off
i bet he was still really good at martial arts and smart
There are plenty of powerful non-bending fighters in the ATLA world, and he could have primarily been their leader. And despite what videogames would have people believe, a team's leader doesn't have to be the strongest fighter.
I had a very similar question in mind after watching season 3: why makes Zaheer cool enough to be the leader of the Red Lotus and why could he pose a threat to any bender 1v1?
Prolly like Sokka
Logistics, logistics are important and some one has to do it.
He's wise, and I bet he could throw a decent punch.
I'm guessing his was already a master of the airbending martial arts even without the airbending itself. Kind of like the Kyoshi warriors.
It always confuses me when people say Zaheer was a master Airbender. Did we watch the same show? His fight against Tenzin is a clear display of master vs novice. Zaheer was already a dangerous master martial artist. Once he gets airbending he's just slapping air blasts onto his normal fighting style. Tenzin is an actual airbending master and he has Zaheer on the ropes the entire fight.
Accounting mainly, maybe a bit of Social Media Management; really good guy to talk to if you felt spirituality exhausted at the office, really good at trivia night, his team almost always won.
he seemed to be their sokka.
Familiarized them with the poetry of the great Airbender Guru Laghima
He was the plan guy, and Ming-Hua is the chop-stuff-up-with-waterbending guy!
Had a podcast
Red Lotus, brought to you by Liquid IV!
I like to think he might’ve been a chi blocker or something
The same thing Sokka did for the Gaang, only without a Boomerang..
We have enough examples of non-bender who are great fighters.
Umm...
Aside from his martial arts, I think he was the ringleader whom's convictions lead the RL down the path it did, his obsession with guru lahgima only informed his already extremist attitude.
Pestering a certain melon merchant.
He was enough of a threat as a nonbender to justify the crazy secure prison they had him in
I have theory he was air acolyte that know the martial art (bending is martial art in the end) and philosophy of air bender better than most
He was a martial artists and student of the original Red Lotus before betrayal from Unalaq. Also he fought a lot hence the cauliflower ear
He was their Sokka
I think he was the equivalent of Ty Lee, a non-bender who got up close and personal to negate Bending's range advantage but more physical and brutal, a brawler more than a dancer. He was quick and agile but where Ty Lee was a scalpel he was a crowbar.
I like to think he actually was an Airbender and Aang took his bending away, just head canon though
The only problem is he didn’t show until after Aang’s death to try and kidnap Korra as a kid
Not Aang gate keeping air bending lol that would be funny
Opened doors for the others
He was a Philosophy Major.
My guess is he was the muscle.
He gave really good motivational speeches
Kicked ass the old fashioned way
He was a spell checker
Strategy, tactics, and charisma. The guy was brilliant. So brilliant three of the most powerful benders of their generation followed him.
Do you mean for his crew or for the organization? For the former he sounds like the brains of the operation, the guy who planned and coordinated it all.
He was the “sokka” of the group
Didn’t he try to capture Korra as a baby? I think that’s how he ended up in prison, isn’t it?
Serviced the explosive materials
"What did he did?"
he was their sokka
Janitor. He was the Argus Filch of the Avatar universe
I always figured he was the Sokka of the group. A skilled fighter even though he is a non bender, he focuses more on overall planning and keeping the team focused rather than raw power. I mean they had a combustion bender which is a lot of raw power, you really don't need a whole lot more.
I imagine he was the sokka of the group. Plans, great ideas, probably not as funny
mastermind
Was he part of White Lotus? Did he bring conflicting ideas to White Lotus, resulting in schism?
Probably pretty good fighter. Like Sokka's sword master
He bended his fists into mofos faces
Absolutely totally agree that we should have seen Zaheer in his youth and the formation of The Red Lotus. Spin-off series/mini-series is a MUST
He's a rainmaker business man, as well as a non-bending martial arts fighter and occult knowledge expert.
He was a master martial artist, and the brain/heart of the group.
He leaded it and figured out things on the low level
He was an insurance broker
He was an Edge Lord.
He was their mastermind, and was a martial arts prodigy, he was capable of downing several master benders at once without chi blocking. His prison also shows he was the most dangerous member, a mountain top with no way down.
The Red Lotus was going to kidnap and train Korra, I believe Zaheer would have been her airbending teacher. Even though he wasn't a bender at the time, he had studied airbending culture and techniques extensively.
Same thing as Sokka in ATLA and Harley Quinn in the Harley Quinn series?
He used to be a cashier at Walmart. /s
he was emotional support :)
I cannot believe that zaheer really was okay with destroying major airbender artifacts and temples even tho he pretty much appropriated air bender culture and just held no regard or respect for the cultire.
He was a prisoner.