Amon is probably one of the most ruthless and emotionless villains on the Avatar Saga, including Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. His backstory provided even more credibility to Amon and why he chose this path. Amon was also the first true villain in the truest sense that a young Korra faced. And after their first encounter, when Korra saw Amon remove a person’s bending, she even started to have nightmares about him. Amon deliberately let Korra go as he believed that the Avatar spreading word about his powers was the best way to put fear in everybody’s hearts.
Amon is the main protagonist for the first season of The Legend of Korra. And was the leader of an Anti-Bending Movement that called itself the Equalists. This movement had support from non-benders around the four kingdoms who believed that bending should not exist.
After the non-benders witnessed the cruelties of The Hundred Year War, they were already against the benders. And Amon used this sentiment to launch his movement and gathered support from even the richest of the people. In this article, we will look at Amon and how he became the leader of the Equalists and how he was ultimately defeated.
History
The actual name of Amon was Noatak, and he was the son of Yakone. Yakone was once the most fearful crimelord of Republic City and used Bloodbending to control the city. After being exposed, Avatar Aang took his bending away, and he was arrested.
His gang broke him out of prison, and he came to live at the Northern Water Tribe, the place of his birth. He married there and had two sons. The older was Noatak, and the younger was Tarrlok. Noatak was a very caring child. But when Yakone discovered that both of his sons were Waterbenders. He started training them rigorously and ultimately revealed to them his criminal history. And started training both his sons in Bloodbending.
Noatak was a natural and was considered a Bloodbending prodigy by his father. At the same time, Tarrlok was constantly criticized by his father for being weak. During their training Yakone made both brothers duel against each other with Noatak complying but Tarrlok refusing.
This incurred the wrath of Yakone and he started punishing Tarrlok. Noatak stopped his father by using Bloodbending and called him weak as he was the one who lost his bending at the hands of Avatar Aang. He also shouted that they were his sons and not some tools for vengeance.
After this, Noatak offered Tarrlok to run away, but Tarrlok refused for the sake of their mother. After Noatak ran away, Yakone and Tarrlok searched for him, but he was not found and was presumed dead. Nevertheless, Noatak kept practicing his Bloodbending skills to the extent that he figured out how to take a person’s bending away.
Equalists Movement
After mastering the art of taking anybody’s bending away, Noatak started the Equalists movement by appealing to the non-benders. For this reason, he hid his true identity and concocted a fake story saying that a Firebender killed his parents and that Firebender burned his face. And used makeup to make a fake scar on his face. And started using a mask to hide his face. He also revealed to his followers that the heavens blessed him in compensation for his hardships by being able to take anybody’s bending away.
He also declared that he would take every bender’s bending away to make this world equal for everyone. His mission resonated very strongly with everyone who was ever wronged by a bender. He was even supported by Hiroshi Sato of the Future Industries who supplied the Equalists with mecha suits and Electric gloves to neutralize Republic City police and Avatar Korra. We get to see Noatak’s backstory in The Legend of Korra before he adopted the Amon persona.
Attack On Pro-Bending Arena
He went to the Air Temple Island with his battalion of Equalists and cornered Korra, saying he would take her bending away in the last as he did not want to make her a martyr. After this, he attacked the Pro-bending Arena using his airships.
Equalists neutralized the Republic City Police Force by using Electric gloves to penetrate an otherwise impenetrable metal suit that is even safe from chi-blocking attacks. And made an example out of this attack for anybody who tries to stop the Equalists. This was the first time when Amon launched a full-scale invasion in The Legend of Korra.
Attack On Republic City
He attacked Republic City and took over the city in a single day. Amon also captured Korra and repurposed the Air Temple Island as his base of operations. He proceeded with his plan and took away Korra’s bending. After this, he held a victory rally at the Pro-Bending arena where he retold his fake story. After the story, he was going to take away the Bending of Tenzin and his family when Korra confronted him. She exposed his true identity as Yakone’s son and a Waterbender.
Ending
At this time Mako threw a lightning bolt at him which Amon dodged. But Tenzin and his family were freed, and in the ensuing battle, and Korra and Mako followed him. He had cornered Mako and started to strangle him via his bloodbending when Korra unlocked her Airbending ability. And struck Amon with various Air attacks. Korra threw him off the building into the water and he passed out. But suddenly woke up due to shortness of breath. His mask was lost in the water, and his makeup washed away. Without noticing this he used his Waterbending to create a tornado and lift himself out of the water.
His supporters saw him as a bender and saw the now fake scar removed in the water. As a result, his supporters felt betrayed and cheated and left his support and became against him.
At this sight, he ran away and freed his captive brother Tarrlok and escaped with him once again offering to start a new life. However, this time Tarrlok left with him. Still, it caused an explosion on their escape ship to kill his brother and sacrifice himself to end the first season of The Legend of Korra with Amon’s defeat.
Conclusion
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