September 22, 2013 11:33 PM EDT
This is essentially the same as the age old Goku vs Superman argument. It's really gonna come down to what each fan boy/girl prefers since most people just say that their favorite thing is superior.
Each of the fighters in this contest would have advantages and disadvantages. Depending on who's fighting whom you'd have very different results. If say you had Aang vs some random student from the college of Winterhold Aang would destroy them. However, if you had some extremely powerful mage like a Psijic or Arch-Mage vs someone like Bolin then it'd be a massacre as well. This whole thing is just highly situational.
For the sake of the argument I'm going to use three people that I would consider to be relatively equal in terms of their power:
1) The Avatar Korra who is capable of using fire, water and earth control but has yet to master air. She has the Avatar state which is extremely powerful, but she cannot really control when it happens.
2) The Arch-Mage of the Arcane University who defeated Mannimarco. The Arch-Mage of Oblivion defeated an evil cult that had the power of the King of Worms on it's side and could raise an army of the dead. He almost certainly would have known every school of magic and been highly adept at using them in combat. However, he would have the disadvantage of needing mana to use his abilities, and while as the Arch-Mage he probably has a sizable mana pool it could still run out in a long fight leaving him defenseless (I'm assuming that he would have been a pure mage and not a battle mage for the sake of this argument because if I took into account everyone's characters that finished that questline I'd have to make him a Mary Sue and a half).
3) "The Full Metal Alchemist" Edward Elric. He has the power to use alchemy without the need of a transmutation circle and has proven his abilities in battle against the Homunculus and many other enemies. He can create weapons out of everyday objects and even the ground he walks on, and is damn near unstoppable when enraged. His weakness would come from not being able to use his powers without equivalent exchange, so if their wasn't something around that was worth the object he needed he'd be s.o.l.. Ed is also extremely hotheaded and doesn't seem to think things through before doing them which could be a problem in a fight with ranged attackers like his opponents in this fight.
I see things being fairly even at first with the Arch-Mage causing massive damage after emerging from an invisibility spell and unleashing the fury of arcane fire, lightning and frost. Ed would have no problem avoiding serious damage by creating shields out of the earth through alchemy. Korra could avoid much of this as well with her earth bending. Korra's attacks would be easily repelled at first by the Arch-Mage's wards, and Ed's agility would keep him on his toes and out of danger. Ed's attacks wouldn't be as effective in the beginning because they're almost all physical and close range so he'd be playing D for a good while.
I see the Arch-Mage tiring faster then the others due to age (yes we don't know his actual age, but it's fair to say that he's older than both Korra and Ed who are in their late teens or early 20s). If he doesn't get lucky and make a hit early on then the Arch-Mage is the first to go in the fight. His mana would run out and without it he'd be blasted to Oblivion by Korra or cut down by Ed. After the Arch-Mage's attacks are out of the way I see Ed being able to focus more on dodging Korra's attacks and closing the gap to attack. Korra, however, is no slouch and wouldn't be an easy target. Korra also seems to have a sense of humor and almost certainly would piss Ed off with insults.
Ed being a hothead would fall for the name calling and begin to attack in a fury without really thinking causing him to be open for multiple attacks from Korra. Korra's pride I think would play a role though and I see her getting in close to meet her attacker head on for the final blow. This mistake would be her downfall, however, as when she went in to meet the unarmed Elric she'd be met with his automail being transmuted into a blade.
As Ed moves in for the kill though a bloodied and beaten Korra is saved as the Avatar state engages. In shock Ed tries to run, but the unstoppable monster that Korra has become destroys the entire area and Ed along with it.
Winner: The Avatar Korra!
In the end I see Korra's Avatar state being the deciding factor here. -If- she was somehow ended early on by say the Arch-Mage's fireballs or something (which is a possibility seeing as she isn't a flawless fighter and one hit from the Arch-Mage could be enough to cause an instant kill) then the Avatar state wouldn't have time to engage and the fight would go in a completely different direction. I think the fight would, however, come down to either Korra or Ed winning. The Arch-Mage is powerful and probably the heaviest hitter of the three, but mana dependency and lack of physical skill means that he's a master of only one trade. Unless his initial surprise attack with invisibility worked or he got a lucky hit he'd be quickly worn out by the younger and more fit combatants.
Ed and Korra both suffer from being hotheaded and headstrong, and both would likely taunt each other during the fight. However, I see Ed being effected by this more and letting himself slip up. Korra would not win though without the Avatar state as I just don't think she has it in her to end someone. At least not without being forced to or doing so when in the Avatar state's rage. Ed I don't think would have as much a problem with this, though it wouldn't be a cakewalk for him either.
Anyway it's like I said, this is all situational. If Korra hits the Avatar state she wins, but if she doesn't then it's probably Ed's game. The Arch-Mage is going to factor in, but unless he gets lucky early on I just don't see him (or any pure mage from the Elder Scrolls) winning this fight.
