The shishi is a chimerical creature from the Spirit World often found near large mountains such as Hai-Riyo Peak.[1][2]
History
Soon after meditating into the Spirit World, Avatar Yangchen and Jetsun encountered three shishi by a brook. Although Yangchen was not afraid of the shishi, a strong memory from one of her past lives overwhelmed her, and the shishi sensed the terror from it, turning dark. As Yangchen regressed in age, the shishi chased after her and Jetsun, and Yangchen's sister threw her into the air, shouting at her to wake up. While Yangchen's spirit made it back to the physical world, Jetsun's did not, and was trapped there.[2]
On her way to Hai-Riyo Peak to return an injured dragon bird spirit to its nest, Korra came across three dark shishi. Although they were initially hostile to Korra, the shishi became friendly once balance was restored and guided Korra to the summit, where they witnessed the young Avatar complete her task.
The shishi followed Korra and the dragon bird spirit to the Tree of Time, where they turned dark yet again due to negative energy surrounding Unalaq. Following the reopening of the Northern spirit portal, one of the dark shishi stood on its hind legs and growled, overwhelmed at the massive release of spiritual energy. The shishi began to attack Korra once she tried to rescue Jinora and bit her down to allow Unalaq to subdue her with waterbending. They watched as Korra was rescued by the dragon bird spirit and chased the creature before it eventually took flight.[1]
Anatomy
When balanced, the shishi is almost entirely blue in coloration, with lighter patches of fur around its paws and facial features, and white fur covering its mouth and eyes. A pink strip of fur runs along its nose and around the outline of its mouth, which features a set of sharp teeth and a purple tongue. A conical feature juts from atop the creature's head, which is purple in coloration and trimmed in red.
When dark, the shishi becomes entirely dark blue in coloration, with its facial contours outlined by a lighter shade of blue. Surrounded by yellow, the shishi's eyes become red, much like the outline of its mouth. The creature's teeth turn yellow upon transformation, and are considerably sharper when compared to the spirit's teeth when it is in its pacified form. In general, the shishi's fur also appears sharper, and its entire body is surrounded by a purple glow.[1]
Behavior
In its pacified state, the shishi is a friendly creature, readily showing affection to individuals to whom it takes a liking, as well as serving as a capable guide and a useful mount. It is also capable of teleportation, readily disappearing into a wisp of blue light and reappearing once it reaches its new destination.[3] The shishi becomes aggressive and hostile when dark, growling threateningly at those who approach its territory. In this form, it is capable of leaping in order to subdue its prey, which it immobilizes by crushing the creature with its jaws.[1]
Connection
The shishi bears similarities to Chinese guardian lions, known as "Shi" (獅) in Chinese, which translates literally to "lion" or "Foo Dogs" in the West. They are most commonly seen depicted as pairs of statues adorning the entrances of several temples, as they are believed to be protective entities representing many dualities that arise from the yin-yang philosophy.
Trivia
- Reference images of design coordinator Lisa Yang's pit bull were used to design the shishi.[4]
- The shishi were inspired by animal-like guardian statues that Michael Dante DiMartino once saw at a Buddhist temple in Bangkok, Thailand.[5][4]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Hedrick, Tim (writer) & Graham, Ian (director). (November 8, 2013). "A New Spiritual Age". The Legend of Korra. Book Two: Spirits. Episode 10. Nickelodeon.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Yee, F. C. (author). (July 19, 2022). Chapter Twenty-Nine, "Dreams Within Dreams". The Dawn of Yangchen. Amulet Books.
- ↑ Legend of Korra: Top 10 Coolest Spirits. Nickelodeon (July 11, 2014). Retrieved on July 11, 2014.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 DiMartino, Michael Dante; Konietzko, Bryan; Dos Santos, Joaquim & Graham, Ian (July 1, 2014). "A New Spiritual Age" commentary. Book Two: Spirits Blu-ray.
- ↑ The Legend of Korra—The Art of the Animated Series, Book Two: Spirits, page 123.