What element does Mako bend?

Mako bends fire. He is a firebender from The Legend of Korra and uses fire both in combat and as a professional athlete on the Fire Ferrets pro-bending team.

Mako grew up in Republic City with his younger brother, Bolin. Their father came from the Earth Kingdom and their mother from the Fire Nation, but Mako inherited firebending while Bolin inherited earthbending. Mako's name also honors Mako Iwamatsu, the actor who voiced Iroh in the first two seasons of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

His firebending style is adapted for the fast, defensive movement of pro-bending. Mako later develops advanced lightning skills, including lightning generation and redirection, but lightning is a specialized firebending technique rather than a separate classical element. A common mix-up is confusing Mako with Bolin, who bends earth and eventually learns lavabending.