[TV] Avatar: Legend of Korra

[Alraml]

Its the season, its because the first TLA was also air, she is mastering it, doesnt mean she will JUST learn it, it means she gets the basics atlesat.
Also the normal avatar had 16 if I recall.... not 20+

Well Aang hadn't even mastered earth by the end of book 3 by Toph's own words. The book names are just a rough guidline

[Tastyfish]

If the dragon turtle thing showed Aang how to energy bend ( imparting knowledge INTO a person and how to end the ablity to bend) whats to say this thing did not at some point before it died, gave someone else the skill or had it taken form it via mental rape ( since we know there was at least one fire bender who could do it by mind) Then what about the possiblity of being tainted in the transfer too..

[Deleted]

I honestly stand by Amon being a puppet of Koh the Face Stealer, or Koh the Face Stealer in human form, having possessed his body. The thought of Aang becoming so monstrous and twisted is just reprehensible to me, and although the writing team is good at pulling awesome twists and wham episodes, I think that would be going way too far.

The Koh theory fits in my mind because Amon claimed to have gained his powers from 'the spirits', as much as we can take that as truth. He wears a mask, despite having no real need to hide his identity, as far as we're aware. If Koh took his face as part of their pact, that would make a lot of sense. Koh was also a monstrous force that was never really brought up again after the couple of times that Aang interacted with him. If the spirits are slowly losing out to modern technology and the expansion of industry, it is conceivable a spirit so evil would fight back.

It isn't a PERFECT theory, mind you, but we're working with what little evidence we have at this point. Aang being Amon is something I can't fathom, though.

Actually, a tiny adjustment: I don't think industry/technology affects the spirit world, but like someone else posted, it's the underdeveloped link of Korra with the spirit world, that causes disturbances there.

[Xuvial]

If the dragon turtle thing showed Aang how to energy bend ( imparting knowledge INTO a person and how to end the ablity to bend) whats to say this thing did not at some point before it died, gave someone else the skill or had it taken form it via mental rape ( since we know there was at least one fire bender who could do it by mind) Then what about the possiblity of being tainted in the transfer too..

At this point it's safe to assume that he simply has that ability and he isn't some angry spirit or reincarnation of someone that died.
Sokka clearly stated there's exceptional people everywhere, and he's right considering you look at Toph inventing metalbending, Combustion Man firebending with his mind and super-bloodbending that flows in Tarrlok/Yakone's bloodline. Every now and then someone comes along and breaks the "rules" of bending.

At this rate I wouldn't be surprised if we came across a person who could bend more than one element without ​being an avatar.

[Vavivo]

---------- Post added 2012-06-10 at 07:53 PM ----------

[/COLOR]

At this point it's safe to assume that he simply has that ability and he isn't some angry spirit or reincarnation of someone that died.
Sokka clearly stated there's exceptional people everywhere, and he's right considering you look at Toph inventing metalbending, Combustion Man firebending with his mind and super-bloodbending that flows in Tarrlok/Yakone's bloodline. Every now and then someone comes along and breaks the "rules" of bending.

At this rate I wouldn't be surprised if we came across a person who could bend more than one element without ​being an avatar.

That would definitely be interesting.

I hope they add a couple or so more episodes than originally planned in the second season. I wouldn't mind a plot unrelated~fun~filler episode from this series.

[ijffdrie]

At this point it's safe to assume that he simply has that ability and he isn't some angry spirit or reincarnation of someone that died.
Sokka clearly stated there's exceptional people everywhere, and he's right considering you look at Toph inventing metalbending, Combustion Man firebending with his mind and super-bloodbending that flows in Tarrlok/Yakone's bloodline. Every now and then someone comes along and breaks the "rules" of bending.

At this rate I wouldn't be surprised if we came across a person who could bend more than one element without ​being an avatar.

However, Amon seems to have more than just one special bending ability. In addition to the energy-bending, he can also resist extra-strong bloodbending and, in episode 6, he appears to be able to resist firebending as well (the fireball knocks back everyone in the zeppelin bay except Amon, despite him being the closest to it). If I were to make a very crazy guess, I'd say that the Amon is Aang crowd is partially correct. When Aang took the bending of Ozai and Yakone, he took part of their spirits. When he died, he himself reïncarnated as Korra. However, the splinters of Ozai and Yakone also remained in this world, reincarnating as a seperate person, who would become Amon.

Of course, that theory is just crazy. A far more logical theory is that he is the incarnation of all Zutara shippers, gaining the fire and water bending powers from that ship. His ultimate goal is to debend everyone but Katara and Zuko, to show them that they are perfect for each other.

[Fudge]

I suppose since they do like to preach yin-yang in this... it's possible he's simply an anti-avatar.. Not able to control any element, but also immune to most of the element's effects, letting him gain the spirit removal would just be the opposite of the same coin that the avatar has (assuming she learns that ability too.. which she should since Aang knew it, and the Avatar pulls from previous lives knowledge).

[Deleted]

I still have a feeling that Amon is a counter-avatar/bender in a defensive way (yet he is offensive). With all the shizzle about balance, a new in-depended circle of avatars has been created to counter 'evil benders'.
Since Aang could stop Ozai only by energy bending/ taking away his power, there is a chance the 'universe' decided to control the balance by creating an 'anti-bender'.

Or he could be a random guy that aang secretly trained to counter extreme benders, and that guy went evil. Maybe that was what Aang tried to say too when he energy bended to take away the power in the flashback. To warn her about not only one but two threats.

---------- Post added 2012-06-11 at 01:17 AM ----------

I suppose since they do like to preach yin-yang in this... it's possible he's simply an anti-avatar.. Not able to control any element, but also immune to most of the element's effects, letting him gain the spirit removal would just be the opposite of the same coin that the avatar has (assuming she learns that ability too.. which she should since Aang knew it, and the Avatar pulls from previous lives knowledge).

and yeah ^

[Shadowcrash Umbra]

I still think the spirits are involved, but the creation of an anti-Avatar is a really interesting theory. There could be some kind of imbalance which has twisted the world, due to technology, forgetting the spirits, Korra's general spiritual inexperience (and clear difficulty even making a brief connection), or any other number of possibilities.

I think one interesting thing I read on another site was someone mentioning how a lot of the specialty bending we've come to know and love is a fairly recent thing...as in Aang's lifetime recent. This is pure speculation, of course, but people seem SHOCKED about metal bending, and even about Aang's ability to remove people's bending, even if it is a part of the arsenal of the Avatar. Yakone and Tarlok prove that blood bending can develop into a weapon capable of incapacitating and/or killing an entire room full of people. Perhaps this surge in the strength of bending is actually empowering whatever is behind Amon in making him an anti-Avatar, able to resist the elements and take away people's bending, to try and bring balance back (in a kind of twisted way?)

Speculation is fun.

[ijffdrie]

I doubt it's Korra spiritual inexperience. Aang spent an entire century in a coma, not doing anything to appease the spirits. By that count, Korra's 16 years are relatively short.

[ElAmigo]

"A true mind can weather all the lies and illusions without being lost..
A true heart can tough the poison of hatred without being harmed..
Since beginning less time darkness thrives in the void, but always yields to purifying light.."

This quote is basically a prerequisite for energy bending, the second line is my short speculation as to why he withstood blood bending. Chances are though that I'm probably wrong.

Edit: "In the era before the Avatar, we bent not the elements, but the energy within ourselves. To bend another's energy, your own spirit must be unbendable, or you will be corrupted and destroyed"

Maybe the second sentence in that one could aid to my speculation as well.

[pickley]

Agree. I just think Amon isn't as powerful as some people portray him. Doesn't matter if it's Koh, Aang or Suki and Sokka's son.

Remember in TLA the main bad guy was Ozai and he wasn't really special. Sure he was a master at firebending and with Sozin's comet his power grew tenfold.

So yeah I wouldn't think Amon is this godlike pseudo-avatar or something. He may just be a normal guy that know some secret stuff.

He powered through Bloodbending...The same thing took down all of Team Avatar at the same time... It just didnt really effect him.

And for someone that doesnt know bending he can sure haul ass when he runs.

Hes totally related to an Airbender in some way IMO

[Xuvial]

I'm a bit let down by EP9, it made very little sense. How the hell did Tenzen/Lin conclude that they were being played by Tarrlok? Just because they didn't find Korra in ONE equalist hideout and one of them said "we don't have her"? Tarrlok did an excellent job in formulating that story and planting the evidence, I didn't see any holes in it. But Tenzen and Lin were all pointing their fingers at him...what evidence did they have? None. This was BEFORE the secretary finally spoke up. The whole scene from "where's Korra?" to "Tarrlok took her!" felt extremely rushed. It would've made a lot more sense if the secretary had approached Tenzen in secret and told him the events of the previous night, THEN Tenzen and Lin set out on the right track.

Also Tarrlok single-handedly disables what happens to be the strongest benders in the city (Lin, Tenzen, etc) and after waking up they're like "lets get him!" Errrr what? Not a single question about how they got their asses handed to them by 1 guy? What were they supposed to do when they caught up with Tarrlok, get the blood drained out of their heads and faint again? Tenzen seems to be a bit dim for an airbending monk.
Anyway Korra escaped on her own and Tarrlok's powers are now gone. That absolutely sucked. I wanted to see if anyone even stood a remote chance against Tarlokk, if his bloodbending was really the most ultimate form just short of a fully realized avatar. All I got from the story so far is that Tarrlok > Korra/Tenzen/Lin/everyone, none of them had a counter to his bloodbending....and then Amon had to come along and ruin the fun. Boooooo.

Regarding Amon, I find it a bit silly how his entire tactic revolves around just dodging/evading/jumping bending attacks, running up to the person and disabling them. He has zero ranged attacks and seems to depend entirely on melee, like in EP9 where gave up chasing Korra once she rocketed off down the snow.
So beating Amon is just just a matter of being able to pin the guy down, sure he makes it difficult due to moving like an enraged kitten...but its doable.

[pickley]

Also Tarrlok single-handedly disables what happens to be the strongest benders in the city (Lin, Tenzen, etc) and after waking up they're like "lets get him!" Errrr what? Not a single question about how they got their asses handed to them by 1 guy? What were they supposed to do when they caught up with Tarrlok, get the blood drained out of their heads and faint again? Tenzen seems to be a bit dim for an airbending monk.
Anyway Korra escaped on her own and Tarrlok's powers are now gone. That absolutely sucked. I wanted to see if anyone even stood a remote chance against Tarlokk, if his bloodbending was really the most ultimate form just short of a fully realized avatar. All I got from the story so far is that Tarrlok > Korra/Tenzen/Lin/everyone, none of them had a counter to his bloodbending....and then Amon had to come along and ruin the fun. Boooooo.

What do you mean? Bloodbending is banned for a reason. They didnt have to question why they were all knocked out. They knew what he did.

If they got the jump on Tarrlok, they would have found Korra and Lin could have binded him. Again, bloodbending is that OP. Its banned for a reason, no regular person (bender or non bender) could resist it. It took the Avatar to go into Avatar state to resist it. Its more showing off how powerful Amon actually is.

Regarding Amons lack of range. Would you like him to carry a gun?

[Xuvial]

Not question why they were knocked out, I meant question what they were supposed to do once they caught up again. Yakone successfully controlled an entire courtroom of ~20+ people at once including some of the strongest warriors/benders, while being able to stop Aang (an avatar) behind him and making Toph float over and unlock his cuffs without losing his grip on others - he did this all at the same time. I would call that overpowered as fuck. It had NO counter short of Aang going avatar state.
Tarrlok would've been able to do the same, Lin would've failed to bind him similar to how Toph failed to bind Yakone. And this time there was no fully-realized avatar to stop Tarrlok thanks to Korra being in training. If Amon hadn't come along, lets just say someone of Tarrlok's caliber could simply TOY with benders (and non-benders) alike, be a god amongst them. It would've been very interesting to see what they could've done to stop him.

And yes it would be nice if Amon did something other than simply jump out of the way. So that's what it takes to defeat a seasoned bender? Just dodge their shit? It makes it seem that everyone has really pathetic aim and can't seem to land a hit on Amon with any element. What's the point of launching awesome bending attacks if you can't hit anything? If Amon did succesfully get trapped in a block of ice or a chunk of earth, I don't think he would be able to get out on his own.

[pickley]

And yes it would be nice if Amon did something other than simply jump out of the way. So that's what it takes to defeat a seasoned bender? Just dodge their shit? It makes it seem that everyone has really pathetic aim and can't seem to land a hit on Amon with any element. What's the point of launching awesome bending attacks if you can't hit anything? If Amon did succesfully get trapped in a block of ice or a chunk of earth, I don't think he would be able to get out on his own.

This is why i think hes related to an airbender (or knows airbending and is just subtle as hell about using it)
You cant see Air, he moves like an airbender when dodging/running. Hes fast as hell (Airbenders can use the air to boost their speed)

I dunno, I just have a feeling.

[Poppincaps]

Not question why they were knocked out, I meant question what they were supposed to do once they caught up again. Yakone successfully controlled an entire courtroom of ~20+ people at once including some of the strongest warriors/benders, while being able to stop Aang (an avatar) behind him and making Toph float over and unlock his cuffs without losing his grip on others - he did this all at the same time. I would call that overpowered as fuck. It had NO counter short of Aang going avatar state.
Tarrlok would've been able to do the same, Lin would've failed to bind him similar to how Toph failed to bind Yakone. And this time there was no fully-realized avatar to stop Tarrlok thanks to Korra being in training. If Amon hadn't come along, lets just say someone of Tarrlok's caliber could simply TOY with benders (and non-benders) alike, be a god amongst them. It would've been very interesting to see what they could've done to stop him.

And yes it would be nice if Amon did something other than simply jump out of the way. So that's what it takes to defeat a seasoned bender? Just dodge their shit? It makes it seem that everyone has really pathetic aim and can't seem to land a hit on Amon with any element. What's the point of launching awesome bending attacks if you can't hit anything? If Amon did succesfully get trapped in a block of ice or a chunk of earth, I don't think he would be able to get out on his own.

You act as if they are aiming at a stationary target... Amon is incredible at dodging attacks, and he has to be due to his disadvantage... I mean Ty Lee was the exact same way. The equalists employ sneak attacks in alot of their raids as well. Whenever it was equalists vs benders when the equalists didn't have the jump on them, then the benders would usually win.

By the way... why would they need to learn chi blocking? I mean I suppose it would be a useful skill to have, but it seems a little unnecessary. Although Korra needs to learn martial arts or something to get Amon off her when he closes in. Overall I think you are underestimating Amon, and being to harsh on the benders.

Although, I completely agree that bloodbending is way too OP, and I don't think they implemented it very well.

[Xuvial]

Hey I'm sticking up for the benders here :P
If you think about it, almost all weapons in the equalists' arsenal require physical contact. I'm having a hard time getting convinced that benders who can launch elemental attacks from 50 feet away are getting their ass handed to them by a jumping bunnies who are easily able to get close enough to use block chi or use a freaking electric glove. They're not even using guns, they're using punches and gloves (or two extremely short electric rods like that one guy).

Once a bender knows chi blocking, he will inversely know how to defend against it - combine that with acquiring equalist weapons and the equalists are left with nothing unique.

There was never a question about who wins a fight between a normal person and a person who can control the freaking elements, yet the producers seem to be trying to convince us that it's an equal matchup, like with Katara losing to Mai or Piandao being on the same level as the other old masters. Sorry but I refuse to believe Mr. swordsman can fight at the same level as Mr. create a goddamn tidal wave, Mr. lift a mountain or Mr. dragon of the west.
I have respect for warriors like Sokka, Suki, Ty Lee, who represent the strongest in the non-bending crowd. But the gap between benders and non-benders is vast, which gets even bigger if we're talking bending masters. And benders can also choose to excel at non-bender fighting techniques....look at Zuko - his sword skills were good enough to rival Jet in a 1v1 (a non-bender who excelled with swords). I adored him as the blue spirit, he was like a precise deadly ninja who could take on non-benders even without firebending :P

[Carmakazie]

He powered through Bloodbending...The same thing took down all of Team Avatar at the same time... It just didnt really effect him.

And for someone that doesnt know bending he can sure haul ass when he runs.

Hes totally related to an Airbender in some way IMO

When Tarlok started to bloodbend Amon, I thought It wouldnt work on him. Then I thought Amon might be a MACHINE!!!

but then it worked a little bit. He is jsut so badass, he has no blood to bend

[shimerra]

@ Xuvial:

Knowledge of how to chi-block doesn't necessarily mean they'll be able to stop it. I'm sure a handful of the chi-blockers know a thing or to about the idea behind bending but the answer to not getting shit on by fire is to block/avoid it. Knowing that fire burns or the general idea behind the form doesn't give them the magic ability to make it less hot. Same thing with chi-blocking, as far as I can tell it is simply the combat equivalent of acupuncture. Maybe some folks will be able to use force of will to stop it but the answer for most folks is going to be the same: don't let it connect.

And as for them chasing Tarlock he's a blood bender he's not omipotent or omniscient. It's still perfectly possible for them to get the jump on him and subdue him. While I wouldn't doubt he's as proficient at it as Yakone look at the huge advantage yakone had: everyone in the courtroom wasn't expecting the move and he had plenty of time to "prepare". Same thing with tarlok, he made the first move on a group of people conveniently grouped up in front of him. Tarlok fighting person X gets smashed in the back of the head by person Y/Z before he notices isn't an unreasonable situation. Not to mention it's not like they can sit there and do nothing when a man has demonstrated he has the ability to blood bend without the full moon and is as far as you know the only person who knows the location of the avatar.


I see persons like Ty Lee and Amon like Boba Fetta or Thrawn from Star Wars. Do you really think even a run of the mill jedi is going to be able to deal with Boba Fett? Or out maneuver Thrawn? Your average bender has an advantage against your average person, but all the examples you cited aren't average and that's part of why we find their character's so endearing.