History Recap / TheLegendOfKorraS1E12Endgame

* OhCrap: Amon gets one of these ''with just his eyes'' after he realises the Lieutenant has seen him bloodbending. He gets another after Korra begins airbending and ''yet another'', full-face one after he realises his supporters have seen him waterbending.

* [[WhatTheHellHero What the Hell, Villain?]]: The Lieutenant delivers one to Amon after finding out he's a bloodbender.

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Amon is killed when Tarrlok uses one of the Equalist gloves to ignite the fuel in their escape boat.
** Hiroshi gets this as well, when he's electrocuted by his own gadget by Asami.

** Also partly justified with Korra's airbending, she has been practicing with Tenzin and earlier it's implied that as far as airbending goes he's taught her everything he can without her being able to airbend. But mostly it's played straight as Korra doesn't have enough time to practice but is excellent immediately anyway.
*** To be fair, being naturally skilled at bending (save for their opposite element) seems to be a common trait for Avatars. Aang was one of the youngest (if not the youngest) airbender to get his tattoos. Just as well, Korra's airbending didn't seem ''too'' expert. There was a lot of power but we didn't see enough control to call her an expert.

** Not hosting. "[[ExactWords Entertaining]]".

* KilledOffForReal: Amon and Tarrlok

* ResetButton: [[IncrediblyLamePun Two]]. Korra has her bending restored by the past Avatars. She then restores Lin's bending as well.
* ShesBack: Korra twice, first when she discovers she is able to Airbend after being [[{{Depower}} Depowered]]. And later after Aang returns her other bending skills.

** [[JustifiedTrope Justified]]: Electric fences are pretty obviously new technology at this point.

* WhamLine: "I can airbend!"

* OffingTheOffsping: Hiroshi pretty much lost it by this point. He's so bent on killing benders that even his daughter not worth saving in his eyes.

** We're left hanging on whether Asami and Mako are still technically dating while Mako is declaring his love for Korra, or whether Mako and Asami's last chat before Team Avatar splits up on their separate missions was a nebulously done "breakup". It's even weirder when you consider that this was originally going to be the end of the story, before the Nickelodeon execs were impressed enough to order a second season.

* BigNo: [[spoiler:As Amon grabs Korra by the neck in preparation to de-bend her. And again when she's watching as Mako's about to be de-bended... though that time she [[DiscardAndDraw wasn't as powerless]] to stop it as she was for herself.]]

* BrokenPedestal: [[spoiler:Amon becomes this to The Lieutenant and the Equalists once it is revealed he is a bender]].
* CallBack: Put simply, Mako's been acting different since Korra was kidnapped. The reason? [[spoiler:Mako has had a LoveEpiphany about Korra since her abduction.]]
* CallingTheOldManOut: [[spoiler:Asami to Hiroshi.]]
* CameBackStrong: [[spoiler:Korra loses her bending to Amon, but as a result gains airbending and the spiritual connection she had been lacking. The latter allows Aang to restore her bending and gives her access to the Avatar state, ultimately making her a far stronger Avatar than she had ever been before.]]
* TheCameo: [[spoiler:Commander Bumi enthusiastically arrives towards the end of the episode. Aang and the other Avatars, as well, though only Aang has a speaking part.]]
* DamnYouMuscleMemory: [[spoiler: Amon instinctively waterbends himself out of the bay when he begins to drown, right in front of his followers.]]
* DePower: [[spoiler:Attempted on Korra by Amon. It backfires when it results in a DiscardAndDraw, instead; her main elements are gone, but her airbending is unlocked. Further subverted when it also unlocks her spiritual side, through which Aang restores her other bending powers and she gains access to the Avatar State. Finally, she learns Energybending, allowing her to reverse other cases of de-bending.]]
* DestinationDefenestration: [[spoiler:Amon is thrown out of a window and takes a plunge in the harbor outside.]]
* [[spoiler:DiabolusExMachina: Tenzin and the kids being captured by Amon in the finale.]]
* DiscardAndDraw: Just in the nick of time. [[spoiler:After losing her other bending abilities, Korra's [[BlowYouAway airbending]] finally comes out.]]
* EleventhHourSuperpower: [[spoiler: Airbending, Energybending, and [[SuperMode the Avatar State]] for Korra, and a mech for Asami.]]

* [[spoiler:HoistByHisOwnPetard: Amon is killed when Tarrlok uses one of the Equalist gloves to ignite the fuel in their escape boat.]]
** [[spoiler: Hiroshi gets this as well, when he's electrocuted by his own gadget by Asami.]]

* IncomingHam: [[spoiler:Commander Bumi's entrance where he shouts "woohoooo" and gives a huge clap.]]

** [[spoiler: Also partly justified with Korra's airbending, she has been practicing with Tenzin and earlier it's implied that as far as airbending goes he's taught her everything he can without her being able to airbend. But mostly it's played straight as Korra doesn't have enough time to practice but is excellent immediately anyway.]]
* [[spoiler:KarmicDeath: For Amon at the end of the episode.]]
* [[spoiler:KilledOffForReal: Amon and Tarrlok]]

* [[spoiler:MurderSuicide: Tarrlok kills himself and Amon by igniting the gas in their boat with an Equalist glove. One has to wonder how [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids the creators got away with this]].]]
* NeverTrustATrailer: The preview for the finale actually edited one of Amon's lines to make it appear he had some way of ridding the world of all bending in one evening. [[spoiler:He was actually just talking about airbending.]]
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: [[spoiler:Amon's de-bending of Korra is what helps her unlock airbending.]]

* OhCrap: Amon gets one of these ''with just his eyes'' after he realises [[spoiler:the Lieutenant has seen him bloodbending]]. He gets another after [[spoiler:Korra begins airbending]] and ''yet another'', full-face one [[spoiler:after he realises his supporters have seen him waterbending]].
** Asami gets one herself when [[spoiler: Hiroshi charges for her as her attack misses during their fight.]]
* [[spoiler:RedemptionEqualsDeath: Tarrlok. He's also the first known character to [[DrivenToSuicide commit suicide]].]]
* [[spoiler:ResetButton: [[IncrediblyLamePun Two]]. Korra has her bending restored by the past Avatars. She then restores Lin's bending as well.]]
* ShesBack: Korra twice, first when [[spoiler:she discovers she is able to Airbend after being [[{{Depower}} Depowered]]]]. And later after [[spoiler:Aang returns her other bending skills]].

* SingleTear[=/=]TearfulSmile[=/=][[spoiler:GoOutWithASmile]]: [[spoiler:Amon/Noatak sheds one tear while smiling just before Tarrlok's MurderSuicide.]]
* SoProudOfYou: Tenzin to Korra, when she [[spoiler: connects with Aang and enters the Avatar State.]]
* [[spoiler:TheyDo: Mako and Korra. [[MemeticMutation While it's really unclear]], shippers may assume that the Masami goodbye kiss in "Skeletons in the Closet" was also their breakup kiss.]]
* TakingYouWithMe: [[spoiler:How Tarrlok kills both himself and Amon/Noatak.]]
* ThisCannotBe: Amon, for the only time in the entire season, is completely without a plan [[spoiler:when he sees Korra airbending.]]
* ThisIsGonnaSuck: [[spoiler:Tenzin does '''not''' look forward to the prospect of hosting his brother.]]
* TrailersAlwaysSpoil: [[spoiler:Korra is captured by Amon through bloodbending.]]
* VillainExitStageLeft: [[spoiler:Amon runs away after being blown away by Korra and being exposed as a waterbender to his followers.]]
* WhamLine: [[spoiler:"I can airbend!"]]

** [[spoiler:We're left hanging on whether Asami and Mako are still technically dating while Mako is declaring his love for Korra, or whether Mako and Asami's last chat before Team Avatar splits up on their separate missions was a nebulously done "breakup".]] It's even weirder when you consider that this was originally going to be the end of the story, before the Nickelodeon execs were impressed enough to order a second season.

** Of the main villains in the series [[spoiler: the Lieutenant's fate is the only ambiguous one, as he wasn't killed or captured. He was bloodbent and discarded, no confirmation if it was fatal.]]
* [[spoiler:[[WhatTheHellHero What the Hell, Villain?]]: The Lieutenant delivers one to Amon after finding out he's a bloodbender.]]
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler:Once the Lieutenant finds out about Amon's bloodbending capabilities, he tries to attack Amon, but Amon bloodbends him, says, "You served me well, Lieutenant", and hurls him into the corner of the room.]]

** Of the main villains in the series [[spoiler: the Lieutenant's faith is the only ambiguous one, as he wasn't killed or captured. He was bloodbent and discarded, no confirmation if it was fatal.]]

* {{Gundamjack}}: [[spoiler: Asami takes a mecha for her own to smash the remaining planes while Bolin tears up the runways]].

* [[spoiler:[[WhatTheHellHero What The Hell Villain?]]: The Lieutenant delivers one to Amon after finding out he's a bloodbender.]]

* [[spoiler:KarmicDeath: Amon.]]

* OneSceneWonder: Bumi stands on the top of a ship and shouts: "Whoo-hoo!" It lasts approximately two seconds, but on the basis of this, he's an instant EnsembleDarkhorse.

* [[spoiler:DeusExMachina[=/=]ResetButton: Twice. First when Korra has her bending taken away by Amon, only for this to unlock her Airbending and then in final moments where Aang finally appears to Korra, restores her bending and shows how to restore everyone else's.]]

* DiscardAndDraw: Just in the nick of time. [[spoiler:After losing her other bending abilities, Korra's [[BlowYouAway Airbending]] finally comes out.]]

* IncomingHam: [[spoiler:Commander Bumi's entrance was shouting "woohoooo" and a huge clap.]]

* BookEnds:
** The season begins and ends at the South Pole.
* BrokenPedestal: [[spoiler: Amon becomes this to The Lieutenant and the Equalists once it is revealed he is a bender]].

* ImplacableMan: Amon
* IncomingHam: [[spoiler: Commander Bumi's entrance was shouting "woohoooo" and a huge clap.]]

* NiceJobFixingItVillain: [[spoiler: Amon's de-bending of Korra is what helps her unlock airbending.]]

* TrailersAlwaysSpoil: [[spoiler: Korra is captured by Amon through bloodbending.]]
* VillainExitStageLeft: [[spoiler: Amon runs away after being blown away by Korra and being exposed as a waterbender to his followers.]]

* BackForTheFinale: The Protestor, Katara and Gommu.

* BackForTheFinale: The Protestor.