Who am I voting for in Avatar Legends?

Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game has officially released, and while I'm busy working my way through the 27 CHAPTERS OF STORY for a different video, I'd like to distract myself with this one question. Who am I going to vote for in the DLC character poll between Bumi, Amon, Kuvira, Tenzin and Asami? ...well, for my personal favorite, right? I imagine that's how most people are going to decide, but not me. I am going to employ cold, hard logic to determine which of these five would bring the most unique gameplay experience compared to the main roster and already confirmed DLC. So let's go through each one in order from least to most interesting, which means we unfortunately have to start with Tenzin. 

This hurts, especially since air is my favorite element, but I find it difficult to argue for Tenzin over the other four. Between base Aang, Zaheer and the recently announced Tagah, there are already three airbenders in the game, each with more unique abilities than the old man overburdened with legacy. Of course, that could work to his advantage. Aang, even wihtout the avatar state, is technically more than just an airbender, and Zaheer and Tagah both gained airbending through unconventional ways and conflict with the martial art and spiritual teachings of traditional airbenders, respectively. These deviations carry over into their gameplay, and alongside their physical differences could definitely leave room for the tall, slender, elder master of real airbending, but he still comes last because he lacks any unique bending skills outside of that and there's just stronger arguments for the other four options. I'd still love to have him in the game, though. 

Up next is King Bumi and to be honest, I still can't believe the devs chose Bolin for DLC over him. Then again, I also kind of agree? Both Bolin and Lin Beifong are confirmed to be coming to the game as DLC, introducing both lava- and metalbending to the game. Outside of maybe the gems, Bumi lacks anything like that. What he would bring with him though, is scale. Bumi's earthbending in the show mostly consists of massive slabs of earth and huge boulders being moved with relative ease by this mountain of a geezer. However, he is competing in that field with THE GREATEST EARTHBENDER ALIVE Toph and the Wedger of Worlds Avatar Kyoshi, both of whom have much more to them than the size of the rocks they can throw. To be fair, much like with Tenzin, that could be an argument in favor of him being added; something that I personally consider to be inevitable anyway should this game last long enough. We all love the King of Omashu, but my cold-hearted utilitarian disposition demands this low placement.

Kuvira, in my opinion anyway, is one of the most impressive metalbenders we have seen in this franchise. Her style is deliberately oppressive; taking the idea of metal restraints people like Lin employ to the extreme. Beyond mere bending ability, Kuvira is a decent manipulator and strategist as well; deliberately throwing her opponents off-balance during combat, which could be adapted to her defensive game fairly easily. She has no trouble standing out against the other earthbenders, and that is before I admit she only beat out Bumi for me because I want the nuclear weapon-super. What? Does anyone else have a platinum mech with a spirit canon on standby? No. She's still only third because there's no way that thing would make an appearance in her moveset outside of chakra arts and we are already getting another metalbender as DLC, so I can only push her agenda so far. 

I'm partial towards Asami for several reasons. First off, there are barely any other reasonable choices for a non-bender left. Sokka is here, Ty Lee is coming and no one but Asami is on that level of relevance. Secondly, her tech would make her unique among the three anyway and, thirdly,  I'd love to see her interact with Korra more. I've already talked about these characters in terms of moveset potential before, so I won't expand further on it here. Asami really isn't lacking anything and would be my top choice, were it not for.. him.

I hate to supply the Amon agenda with more propaganda fuel, but he really just is the perfect choice for a fighter in this game. Being a waterbender larping as a non-bender makes him one-of-a-kind by default, and, of course, he would be introducing blood-bending to the game as well. Furthermore, if being a decent manipulator and strategist makes Kuvira an intriguing addition, Amon matches if not eclipses her in that department and his subtle blood-bending influence already allows him to move like he's in flow stance in the show. Adapting him to this game would be pretty seemless, he is not lacking in support options and, most importantly, basically no other character in or in consideration for the game is anything like him. People on social media were hyping him up mostly just for his immense aura, but I'm afraid they are right to campaign for him. As much as it pains me to say it, the great equalizer gets my vote for the final year 1 DLC.