One thing I admire about my favorite characters from The Dragon Prince and Legend of Korra––Viren and Tarrlok––is that they’re willing to actually do the work that’s required of them. Up to and including risking their own lives, if necessary.
Tarrlok is painted as a smarmy politician, and he’s definitely trying to make sure the Council votes his way, but he’s also seen poring over papers and documents. He hasn’t pushed that work onto his page or anyone else. He’s still doing the drudgey paper-pushing necessary to run the United Republic. And when he proposes the Task Force, he’s right in the middle of their raids with them. He’s not hiding in his office, waiting to hear how they did. He’s risking his safety against the chi blockers too. Now, you could argue that since Tarrlok was a bloodbender, he knew he’d be relatively safe, since nothing could really touch him. But then at the end of his story, when push came to shove, he put his life on the line, and ultimately sacrificed it, to do what he thought was necessary.
Viren too dives right in when something needs doing. He can be a little more remote than Tarrlok on some things (like the shadow assassins), since he has the advantage of dark magic, but he still puts in long hours in the library reading and researching to make things work. He still functions on the Council. And he puts himself in danger too, for the Queens of Duren, for Aaravos, and for Harrow. He was absolutely willing to give up his life for Harrow. Aaravos is a slightly different matter, because of how he’s manipulating and enticing Viren into more and more dangerous and questionable situations. But even in that, Viren isn’t sending soldiers out while he sits cozy and cushy in his castle tower. He’s on the front line. Like Tarrlok, he has the advantage of a special power to keep him safer than the people around him, which you could again argue gives him the confidence to stand at the front. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a risk of something out there with even more power, or something that could neutralize his.
And if we’re being perfectly honest, Viren does end up paying the ultimate price for the risks he took. Even if that doesn’t end up being the end of his story.
