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1For theories about other subjects, see [[WMG/TheLegendOfKorra The Legend Of Korra Wild Mass Guessing Index]].
2
3%% Please add new Wild Mass Guesses at the bottom of the page, not the beginning. This way people will know which Guesses are newer and which ones are older.
4
5[[foldercontrol]]
6
7[[folder: Amon is Aang]]
8[[WMG: Amon is AANG.]]
9The flashback Korra had at the end of the fourth episode clearly shows that the grown-up Aang was having some sort of a disagreement with the city. Maybe the ruling elite really do favour benders; and he faked his death and started the Equalist movement to restore balance to the world. It fits; ''that's'' why Korra can't master airbending and that's also why Aang hasn't appeared to her as a bSpirit Guide, like Roku did for him. Amon has the same build as you'd expect from an adult Aang, and, if you watch his fight closely you'll see that even his FIGHTING STYLE is strikingly similar to what we've seen from Aang in the original series. Amon is '''AANG!'''
10* This makes perfect sense! Minus the fact that if Aang was dead there wouldn't be a new avatar...
11** Maybe Aang knew enough to pass on the Avatar Spirit itself to maintain the cycle. That way he could work on a non-bender revolution while his duties as Avatar would be taken over by another. Come on, look at his fight with Lightning bolt Zolt - the way he does the sidestepping with the hand movements - how many times have we seen Aang do that against Zuko? Also remember Amon is only targeting criminals; and we've already seen that taking away a criminal-bender's powers instead of killing him is a solution Aang favours...
12*** Whut? The Avatar Spirit isn't some parasite that sets up shop in hosts that are otherwise unrelated. Each Avatar is the physical incarnation of the Avatar Spirit. Aang is Korra's *past life*.
13** Additionally, there is the possibility that Aang somehow energybended himself. While this would logically remove himself of his bending, it might also pass on the Avatar state to someone else. Plus, energybending seems so far removed from normal bending it might not be able to affect itself. This would allow Aang to truly fake his death, while allowing for the passing of the Avatar state. Alternatively, this is an unaffected side affect. Perhaps he WANTED to stop the Avatar state from continuing.
14** Here's an idea to add to this: Aang kept the Spiritual part of being an Avatar. Why didn't Korra go into the Avatar state when Amon attacked the Pro-Bending arena? It's not like it was a minor cut and then she was tied up.
15*** Because it's not like Aang didn't get into fights and captured all the time without slipping into the Avatar State? That's a pretty weak guess.
16* Perhaps when Aang [[spoiler: energybent Yakone, some of Yakone's inner corruption found its way into him, like it almost did with Ozai. It took a while, but that corruption overtook Aang and he became Amon. The Avatar, the champion of purity and peace, was then no more in a spiritual sense, and so Korra was born.]]
17* The evidence for this WMG is mounting:
18*** Aang was pretty pissed about Yakone's bloodbending and the harm it caused, and probably realized how underrepresented and how defenseless non-benders were as he saw more and more events like this. He pretty quickly resorted to energybending Yakone, with a pained expression that can be interpreted as him thinking 'perhaps bending is not a force of good in the world. perhaps it is more trouble than it's worth'. Bending having brought about the genocide of his people, the Hundred-Year War, etc. etc. too.
19*** Amon's mask and outfit completely conceal Aang's airbender tattoos so that their glow when Aang energybends or when he breaks bloodbending attacks cannot be seen.
20*** Except that his eyes don't glow through those holes.
21*** He could simply be closing his eyes to make it appear that way.
22*** Amon's sidestepping-dodging fighting style and energybending are indeed both Aang traits.
23*** Given the esoteric nature of energybending, it is entirely possible that Aang faked his death, and took away his own airbending, waterbending, earthbending and firebending abilities, and forced the Avatar spirit to pass on to Korra.
24* ^ ''Exactly''. He might actually have kept his airbending - in the scene where Amon bursts through the snow-cloud which Korra throws at him; the snow curves a bit just before he appears, and it has a clear likeness to an air-scooter/airbending sphere.
25* In the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjhaRGcGVu0 trailer]] to the season finale [[spoiler: The large statue of Aang has an Amon mask on it. This symbolizes him taking over, and him becoming the new savior, but it could also foreshadow him being Aang]]
26** The only argument that effectively opposes this theory is that it's difficult to imagine Aang doing the things Amon has done; especially taking away Lin's powers like that in episode 10. Would he really do that to Toph's daughter, no matter what the circumstances? Oh well, we'll know on the 23rd, one way or another.
27
28[[WMG: Amon is Yakone]]
29* It would explain his vendetta against the Avatar, bloodbending resistance. Maybe his ability to take bending away isn't chi blocking or energy bending but advanced bloodbending
30** {{Jossed}}. [[spoiler:But being his son's close enough, wouldn't you say?]]
31
32[[WMG: Amon is AANG, and Korra isn't the Avatar]]
33* Related to the above, the biggest objection to Aang being Amon is that Aang has to have died in order to have reincarnated as Korra. You could try and explain how Aang may have triggered the next cycle of the avatar without dying... or it could be that Aang is still the current avatar.
34** Why? Because Aang realized that in order to bring balance, he needed to go undercover, and to do that effectively he needed to fake his death. But everyone knows that when the avatar dies, a new avatar will be born. He needed a fake avatar to allay suspicions, since everyone would take the appearance of the new avatar as proof positive that Aang was truly dead. Then he would be free to continue his plans.
35** How then to come up with a convincing fake avatar? Anyone who could bend more than one element should do the trick. And just as energybending can take away someones bending, perhaps it can be used to grant a non-bender bending, or to grant additional bending powers to someone who is already a bender. Perhaps people only ever get one bending power hereditary, but can be granted additional powers through energybending?
36** So Aang finds a watertribe girl and an opportunity to energybend her the power to warter-, earth- and firebend... not airbend though. Perhaps energybending can only transfer powers, so every power Aang gives he has to give up, or perhaps he just wants to make sure that he has an edge if they ever end up in a fight. He's quite an old man by this point after all.
37** Aang also takes this opportunity to plant key memories that will be unlocked at the appropriate time.
38** As a result, Korra is a bending prodigy at everything by airbending, having been artificially granted the powers rather than developing them naturally. It also explains why she is completely unable to airbend and has no spiritual abilities. The only thing she gets is the occasional glimpses of Aangs memories he left in her mind.
39** Since the girl is an innocent victim in this whole scheme, Aang wants to do what he can to protect her from coming to harm as a result of her unwitting role in his deception. Before he faked his death and went undercover to enact his plan, he instructed the White Lotus that they should take extra protective measures for the next avatar. Ideally Aang wanted Korra kept safely at the compound away from all the action until his plan was over Korra coming to Republic City threw a wrench in his plans, meaning they had to be accelerated before Korra got hurt.
40** As promised, when everything is over, Aang will take Korras bending away... the artificial bending powers he gave her in the first place. Most likely he'll take away fire and earthbending, leaving her as the waterbender she would have been naturally. Aang will then reveal himself and reclaim his title as avatar, after having brought balance back to the world as Amon.
41*** The biggest flaw in this theory is the question why Aang, who's a powerful bender, who's best friends (not to mention his wife, kids, and grandkids) are mostly powerful benders, who as the Avatar is personification of the forces that give birth to bending, would feel the need to go undercover and start a movement that wants to get rid of all bending? What sort of balance is he trying to bring about? Why would a pacifist whose entire culture was wiped out by war think starting another war is an effective way of solving problems?
42*** See the arguments in favour of the above WMG for that.
43*** It's also possible that, because of all the mixed-culture marriages, ANY powerful bender can now control more than one element, and Korra is the first of these. But these benders cannot master since airbending, since it requires a certain level of spiritual enlightenment. Although, yes, as far as we know Korra's not from a mixed-culture lineage...but who knows?
44* {{Jossed}}. [[spoiler:Amon (birth name Noatak) is Yakone's son and Tarrlok's older brother.]]
45
46[[/folder]]
47
48[[folder: Alternately Amon is...]]
49
50[[WMG: Amon is [[Fanfic/MyImmortal Ebony/Enoby]]]]
51Because all benders are preps. She'll probably be defeated once darkbending is invented, or by doing it with Draco.
52
53[[WMG: Amon is Koh possessing Aang]]
54Amon's "revelation" came from Koh the Face Stealer, patron saint of MalevolentMaskedMen, who managed to finally get Aang in his clutches once Aang passed away. (And probably tried, with Kuruk, to rescue Kuruk's wife Ummi from Koh's clutches) Koh elected to [[DealWithTheDevil gift]] Amon with [[spoiler:the skill inherent in Aang's captured soul. ''chi-bending'',]] because no matter the incarnation, he hates the Avatar. This is why Korra finds airbending so difficult. Her immediate airbender incarnation, Aang, is cut off from her, and being forcibly channeled via Koh's mediumship into Amon.
55* This theory has added plausibility, for unlike the above two theories, it explains accurately why Korra would have had such powers (I mean c'mon, wouldn't the parents have seen some weird masked guy hanging about their village if he'd given them out? Obviously, the reincarnation cycle went through, but something has gone wrong) and why Amon is trying to work counter to Aang's original plans. Also it explains why [[spoiler: Amon is immune to bloodbending, he doesn't have a living body with '''blood''' in it! If it were simply Aang, he would have fallen victim, as he did before in the flashback.]]
56** The Face Stealer is also the only character who wouldn't be terribly aged at this point and unable to do much more than limp around, being a creepy immortal being from the Spirit World. ChekhovsGun is a given here, and this is one of the few beings (besides the lion-turtle who gave him the powers in the first place, ruled out because the personality type is wrong), who might be able to carry this out 75 years later.
57
58[[WMG: Amon is that whistle blower working in the factory who closes the door and gives Korra the note and then directs them to Hiroshi's underground factory. His plans are probably complete by the time Hiroshi's exposed and he intends to take down the City's industry while simultaneously exposing his true power.]]
59Now Amon always has ways to let the city know of his power, so he would either direct them towards [[TheDragon Hiroshi]] who would capture them with his HumongousMecha, and even if they managed to escape him, the whole city would come to know about these new machines. Probably Amon knew that they could escape and Hiroshi could be exposed. But he's probably planned for this and Hiroshi was just a pawn in his hands all along. Book one already has 7/12 episodes complete, so seeing the HumongousMecha it's likely that by this point Amon's plans are already more or less complete, so he could safely go and expose Hiroshi, and his own power to the world.
60* Knowing that Hiroshi employs benders as the backbone of his workforce and has a monopoly in the city's industry means Amon has good reason to dispose of Hiroshi too. It would start the collapse of the city's bender powered industry. Are we looking at a great Depression on the horizon? Good heavens, what a MagnificentBastard Amon is!
61
62[[WMG: Amon is the murderer of Mako and Bolin's parents]]
63A mere toady in the triple threat triad, hungry for advancement, Amon eventually decided that the best way to end up on top of an organization like that was simply to build one of his own and destroy the other... and what better to build sympathy than a sob story?
64
65[[WMG:Amon is descended from Sokka and Suki.]]
66Sokka and Suki are the only non-benders of Team Avatar, with Suki as late add-on who nonetheless saved Sokka and Toph during the final battle. It is entirely likely that their contributions to the final battle was ignored in favour of Aang's fight with Ozai and Zuko and Katara's fight with Azula. We also know that Ty Lee ended up joining the Kyoshi Warriors after teaching them her chi-blocking techniques. Amon's minions, and possibly Oman himself, fight using that very technique. It adds up.
67* Which raises the possibility that Amon is Tenzin's first or second cousin. Scary.
68
69[[WMG: Amon is the son of a Kyoshi Warrior.]]
70That's how the Equalists learned chi-blocking: his mom taught him, and he taught them. The "everyone wears masks" thing is a carryover from the Kyoshi Warrior's facepaint.
71
72[[WMG: Amon is a descendant of Ursa.]]
73We're all wondering what happened to Zuko's mom. Is Amon the living answer to that question? Ursa was, likelier than not, alive at the time of Zuko's infamous line of questioning. Maybe she started another family, or was pregnant by Ozai at the time of her exile, and her son, grandson, or great-grandson learned of her noble fire nation lineage, becomimg determined to return the fire nation to sovereignity and bear the title of Phoenix King by any means necessary, whether bender or not. The symbol on his mask is, after all, a rising sun...
74
75[[WMG: Amon is Azula's descendant]]
76So far, the character voiced by Creator/DanteBasco hasn't been revealed, and WordOfGod said that he has a connection to Zuko. My guess is that either:
77* A: It would be implied that Azula was raped during her mental care.
78** There is no way that would even be implied.
79* B: She raised her children to hate benders.
80* Or how about this: Amon IS Azula.
81* It doesn't help that he has yellow eyes like someone from the Fire Nation.
82** Though if Amon IS telling the truth, he could have been given away for adoption and may not quite no or accept his heritage, which is also why the first bender we see lose his bending is a firebender.
83
84[[WMG: Amon is a later descendant of Ozai.]]
85After having his bending powers taken away and being thrown into prison, Ozai either escaped or had a love affair with a female prison guard. (or possibly both) He sired a third child, Amon, who grew up believing that both firebending power and a royal life were taken away from him by the Avatar. As such, he vowed to get rid of not only the Avatar, but all benders in general, as revenge.
86
87[[WMG: Amon is Earth King Kuei]]
88He's the most prominent non-bender, in terms of royalty. After having his throne usurped by benders, he's probably pretty sick of them. He may even have founded Republic City on the notion of being a place where benders were not accepted.
89* yeah, cause actually ruling his kingdom is such a bad idea.
90* He was also ''rescued'' by benders, remember? Trusting his bear's "keen animal instincts" besides, he's quite the ReasonableAuthorityFigure. He doesn't seem the kind to be involved in a FantasticRacism movement.
91* And how do we ''know'' that he's not a bender?
92
93[[WMG: Amon is Tom Tom, Mai's Brother.]]
94This would explain the lack of bending, since Mai's family doesn't bend. He would be about 72, so he'd still be active enough to fight for being sort of old.
95
96[[WMG: Amon is Baby Hope from The Serpent's Pass.]]
97Or she'll appear somewhere else. There's nothing to back this up, I just think it'd be kind of awesome.
98* Knowing Bryke's love of the ChekhovsGun and ContinuityNod, her showing up is definitely not outside the realm of possibility. And some minor character who was considered good, or at least neutral, in ATLA being the BigBad in Korra also seems to fit with their sense of storytelling.
99* If I recall, there was a bit of fandom backlash over her name. Bryke have shown themselves to be pretty in-tune with what the fans don't like, as evidenced by the reference to "The Great Divide" in "The Ember Island Players", so this troper doubts Hope will play a major role. It's certainly possible we might see a minor character implied to be her, however.
100
101[[WMG: Amon is Lee from Zuko Alone]]
102That little kid who gave him the knife back when he found out Zuko's real identity? Being lied to and let down like that has made him bitter and now he's grown up into Amon! Also, his town was being bullied by that one earthbender. No wonder he now hates them so much. Benders never did anything good in his life.
103
104[[WMG: Amon was a pupil of Aang]]
105Following the war, Aang possibly took in students to teach them the ways of peace he followed so that they could rebuild the world as he had envisioned when he was gone. Amon was his most promising student and a close ally. Amon, a non-bender, learned everything Aang had to teach him and wanted to be Aang's successor to lead the new world. However, Amon was hit by a one-two punch:
106* First, Aang favored his own son, Tenzin, over Amon, because Tenzin could airbend
107* Second, Aang set up benders in positions of power over no-benders to develop the new world.
108* Third, Aang made it clear that his successor would only be the new avatar, not anyone else, and especially not a non-bender.
109
110Amon became increasingly bitter and resentful about this, and the bitterness turned to a hatred of benders in general. As Amon saw the rising corruption among benders and Aang's own complacency, he began to plan. He paid attention to Aang's abilities as a bender and read numerous books that Aang had written on bending. Through tireless study and patience, Amon learned the most secret art of all: energybending, the only power that everyone is capable of using. After learning all he could from Aang, he will brutally try to kill him, using Aang's weakened constitution due to the iceberg event against him, and will even try to use his new found powers to destroy the Avatar forever and stop the cycle of reincarnation. However, Amon, not being an Avatar and incapable of using the powers as effectively, failed. Aang dies anyway due to his shortened lifespan, and Korra was the result. Angered, Amon went on a rampage and possibly killed Toph, Sokka, Suki, Mai, Ty-Lee and assassinated Zuko, destroying the biggest threats to him (he more than likely would have trained under them and knew them personally if he knew Aang). Katara disappeared and went into hiding after Aang's death. Despite the setbacks, Amon used the deaths of the old Gaang and the chaos that caused to found the non-bender movement, using the connections he had acquired under Aang to do this, and set about to create his own perfect vision of the "new world".
111* Partially ''CONFIRMED AND DEBUNKED''. Amon is an energybender (or appears to be), but he did not kill Zuko, who is still alive. That said, most of this remains unconfirmed.
112* Tenzin is completely shocked when Korra tells him that Amon can take away bending, mentioning that only the Avatar alone has shown this ability. This means that, while Tenzin knows his dad had the ability, he does not think anyone else had the capability of doing it, let alone Aang teaching it to anyone. Amon might very well by Aang's ONE regret from his living days: the one student he taught Energybending to, but who abused his power.
113
114[[WMG: Amon is Bumi, Aang's other Son.]]
115* Bumi is mentioned as being 'less uptight' than Tenzin, but it's just another one of the masks that he wears. Furious that he was unable to bend like his siblings, and forced to live in the shadow of his father, he started the Equalist movement as his form of revenge.
116** This has my vote - Bumi was the only non-bender of that family. Worse - his father was the Avatar, his mother an incredibly famous master waterbender, his elder sister Kya followed their mother as another master waterbender, and his younger brother is a master airbender revitalizing that nearly wiped-out group. Seriously, he could very easily be extremely resentful for being the "non-bender" in such a well-known family.
117*** While his official picture looks rather shifty, I'm more inclined to believe that he will be introduced as a blatantly villainous character, only to be revealed to be perfectly reasonable and friendly at the end of the episode. Remember who he was named after?
118*** [[spoiler: Also, who better to learn Energy Bending from than dear old Dad, the expert, who taught it to him as a way to make up for not being as talented as his siblings?]]
119*** On the other hand, there are a lot of people who say that Amon's [[spoiler: energy bending]] is a farce he's using to get more support. [[http://masterarrowhead.tumblr.com/post/21546778935/hawkfeather-atla-annotated-energybending-a I direct you to this tumblr post for more evidence on that theory.]]
120*** And another vote for this theory after looking at Amon's hands, particularly in the profile pic on this page. His hands are pretty dark compared to someone like Tenzin, maybe about the same tone as Korra. Tenzin's brother Bumi has dark skin as well.
121*** However, in "A Voice in the Night", Amon's eyes can clearly be seen, and they're yellow, which is indicative of Fire Nation ancestry, which casts this theory into doubt.
122** "Out of the Past" lends a little more symbolic credence to this. [[spoiler:Yakone was a bloodbender who was trying to control Republic City, as is his son Tarrlok. However, their methods of controlling are opposite: Yakone did it as a criminal overlord, while Tarrlok is doing it [[ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem technically-legally as a politician]]. Both were stopped by having their bending taken away from them: Yakone by Aang, Tarrlok by Amon. In a twisted way, Aang and Amon both seek balance, but with opposite means: Aang wants to do it legally, while Amon wishes to destroy bending and create equality among everyone. Following this symbolism, the balance-seeking father energybent the control-seeking, bloodbending father, and the balance-seeking son energybent the control-seeking, bloodbending son.]]
123
124[[WMG: Amon is Bumi (or Kya's) son.]]
125Due to him [[spoiler: using energybending]] and the fact that no one had done that aside from [[spoiler: Aang]] and [[spoiler: energybending might be Air's secondary skill as metalbending is to Earth and bloodbending is to Water]] this seems to be a rather solid guess. [[spoiler: Also, as others have pointed out, he moves like an Airbender when fighting Lightning Bolt.]]
126* Energybending was around before bending the elements, so it's unlikely that it's a specialized version of airbending.
127
128[[WMG: Amon is Aang and Katara's fourth child.]]
129* Related to the above. One Aang and Katara's children, in addition to Kya, Bumi and Tenzin, was a non-bender. He/she still felt all the pressures of living as the only non-bending child of the Avatar and his master waterbending wife, plus having three siblings as benders and eventually left home, never to be heard from again. All the resentment he/she had for his/her family lead him/her to create the anti-Bender movement. Katara has since stopped talking about this child as the memory of his/her leaving is still too painful. Aang and Katara did try to search for him/her, but the more they tried, the more resistance they felt from him/her and eventually decided to hope he/she would return on his/her own.
130** Except that Bumi has been confirmed already to be a non-Bender. The unmentioned, hypothetical fourth child wouldn't have been the only non-Bender of the family as you suggest.
131** Perhaps Aang and Katara had another non-Bender child? It would set up for a nice comparison: Bumi, the child who was proud of his non-bending and the mystery child who resented it. Either way, it's really disheartening to imagine the leader of the Equalist movement is not only Aang's child, but named after his best friend. But considering the series is supposed to be a lot darker...
132
133[[WMG: Amon is Mako and Bolin's father]]
134Amon was already prejudiced against benders, and he couldn't stand the idea of having two benders for children, so he abandoned them.
135* Mako ''knows'' this because he'll recognize his father's voice; Bolin was too young to remember when he abandoned them and their mother. Oh, boy, does he remember. Amon will become Mako's BerserkButton and he try to take him out whenever he gets the chance. To top it off, Amon will have an adopted non-bender child he trained as his successor and that will cause even more problems.
136* My theory is that Amon is Mako and Bolin's father, but he doesn't know they're still alive. In "The Revelation", Amon and Mako both describe an incident where a firebender killed their family. That was the same incident, and both Amon and Mako & Bolin did actually survive (so only their mother, and possibly other unmentioned family members, died), but for some reason the boys thought the father had died, and vice versa. Mako doesn't recognize Amon's voice in "The Revelation", maybe because it's been so many years since he heard it, or maybe because the burns Amon received to his face and the mask he wears change his voice. However, at some point Amon will realize Mako and Bolin are his kids (he didn't seem to recognize Bolin when he saw him in "The Revelation", but this is probably because he last saw Bolin as a kid, and because he thinks Bolin is dead), and this will lead to a LukeIAmYourFather scene. It's even possible Amon will undergo a Darth Vader style HeelFaceTurn... Amon probably didn't know Mako and Bolin were benders before their "death" (they were too young to show any bender potential), but once he realizes his sons grew up to be benders and yet they're still decent people, he can't hate benders anymore with the same vigour he used to.
137** Kind of jossed? Amon describes himself as a young boy when this incident occurs, and also specifically mentions that his ''father'' dies, then mentions his family. It's a bit more plausible to think they might all be brothers instead, but even then a few details don't match up, like Mako and Bolin both being benders when Amon said he came from a non-bending family.
138*** In a lot of Asian cultures, when a man gets married, he continues to live with his parents with his wife and kids. That helps explain why Amon specifically mentioned his father. As for the other factors, as another poster said above, it's possible that Mako and Bolin hadn't shown signs of being benders yet. There's also UnreliableExpositor to consider.
139
140[[WMG: Amon is [[HijackedByGanon Ozai]]!]]
141He convinced Zuko to let him help in the search for Ursa, and then used the opportunity to escape. He then fled to Republic City and took advantage of growing anti-bender sentiment to start a revolt. He did this as either [[BatmanGambit a plan]] to get revenge on the Avatar, or as [[GambitRoulette a plan]] to restore his rule. (those last two {{PotHole}}s are interchangeable, btw)
142* Why would Zuko have ''ever'' done something as stupid as letting his father out of prison for even a moment?
143* Unlikely seeing as he would be a hundred something years old by then, and the only characters to have that kind of longevity are earthbenders like King Bumi and Avatar Kyoshi
144** It has been stated by the creators (IIRC of course) that the long living is because of their chi power, not their nationality.
145*** If that's the case, Ozai surely wouldn't have lived that long since Aang took away his bending and (I assume) his chi power with it (since, ya know, bending comes from chi).
146*** Or maybe Aang simply sealed off his chi so that it couldn't be used for bending. Giving him an even more unnatural lifespan instead.
147*** Guru Pathik wasn't a bender, but he was still able to live for over 100 years using whatever method. This is the Avatar universe we're talking about, anything can be possible.
148* All that doesn't leave out the possibility of Ozai being the guy who ''started'' the Anti-Bender sentiments that would eventually give rise to the Equalizers. ESPECIALLY considering that Ozai would probably have found some way to continue to use his martial art skills(while he couldn't bend fire, he could still use his fighting skills), being Ty Lee's chi-blocking attacks that would later go on to become a bane upon all benders.
149* That's why Amon hides behind a mask, the creators don't want anyone (including the viewers) knowing it's him.
150* Just saw the trailer and their voices are clearly the same. Take that as you will.
151** While similar in timbre, (and this is likely intentional) Creator/SteveBlum and Creator/MarkHamill are different people.
152** ''Alternate Theory'': In the Avatar universe, a lot can happen. Ozai escaped from prison and disappeared, after many years was presumed dead and people stopped looking. He discovered some way to keep himself young and live for a long time. (possibly forever) He started to spread anti-bender philosophy under the new name "Amon". He decided that if he can't be powerful, no one should and thus wants everyone to turn against the benders. If everyone is against benders they will be against the Avatar, the most powerful one, and will do anything Ozai/Amon tells them if he says it's in the name of getting rid of benders.
153*** The man was in his forties by the time he was defeated. ''Korra'' takes place seventy years later; he'd be ''at least'' 110 by the time the new series started. There's no way he's lived that long.
154*** That's why the WMG theory SAYS he found a way to keep himself young and live longer. This is the Avatar universe. There's chakras and controlling the elements, it wouldn't be surprising if there was some spiritual method to stretch out the lifespan. Remember, Guru Pathik was friends with Monk Gyatso, who died about 100 years ago in the story universe.
155*** Except that no one that we have seen that made it to that age had anywhere close to the physique Amon has. Ozai did back in the day, but the only person that's been shown having never aged is Aang.
156
157[[WMG: Amon is Koh the Facestealer]]
158* Which may explain why all the Equalists wear masks.
159
160[[WMG: Amon is V]]
161Running off the other theories floating through here, this makes the most sense.
162
163[[WMG: Amon is Doctor Doom.]]
164Look at the mask and hood. The big revelation of the series will be that it's set in the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, and Benders are actually Mutants!
165* And Tenzin is Reed Richards!
166
167[[WMG: Amon is Lelouch vi Britannia]]
168That would've been awesome!
169
170[[WMG: Amon is secretly a Bender, or a public supporter of them.]]
171And one so recognizable that he has to wear a mask to keep this a secret from his followers. When we see Amon, even when he's hiding in a private place and surrounded only by the Equalists, (and his Lieutenant) he still wears his mask. Either he's like Hitler who gushed over the Aryan ideals without fulfilling a single one of them himself, or he wants to wipe out the ''majority'' of the Benders so he can set up a ''real'' Bending dictatorship where the few remaining Benders are so paranoid that they will be willing to follow his rule and control the ordinary population with an iron fist, and uses his anti-Bending followers as mere pawns who can be wiped out once the plan is complete. In the latter interpretation he's trying to play both sides against each other, using his public persona to condemn the Equalists and use them as an example what happens without strong Bender governance, and his secret persona to use these actions as a "proof" that the Benders want to enslave all the non-Benders.
172* ''Related Theory:'' Amon is [[http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e321/Paratia/ThisGuyRightHere.png this guy. This guy, right here.]] He looks to be an important figure; a noble or industrialist, maybe?
173* [[WesternAnimation/{{Archer}} Nooooope.]] That's Tahno, an effeminate male pro-bender. An image of him was revealed during the Korra Nation Pai Sho game that went on while the 100K likes were still going.
174** That doesn't really exclude him from consideration, does it?
175*** I would put money on Tahno being a don of the Triple Threat Triad.
176*** It also appears that Tahno and Amon appeared in a trailer together at the same time, so that might rule it out as well.
177*** Jossed. Amon took Tahno's bending away in episode 6.
178* Alternate theory: Amon is a bender, which is how he can energybend, but is merely using the equalist movement to further his own goals.
179** [[spoiler: Partially confirmed in the finale.]]
180
181[[WMG: Amon is a Bender DefectorFromDecadence who has seen the seedier side of bender culture and wants to destroy it.]]
182In this world, benders more than likely make up some kind of aristocracy, and more than likely make up the majority of the business magnates, politicians, royals, police, and military. Amon is a high ranking, but younger member of this aristocratic class who sees the injustices that currently afflict the modern four nations and wants to change the status quo. Realizing that changing it from the inside is impossible, he founds the Anti-Bender Revolt with his wealth and influence, and is drawing both bender elite and non-benders to his side.
183** [[spoiler: Partially confirmed in the finale; Amon is Tarrlok's brother, and was forced to learn bloodbending by his father Yakone. His father's abuse ultimately led him to believe that bending was the root of all evil, and he ran away from home.]]
184
185[[WMG: Amon is Hasook.]]
186Tying into the 'Amon is a Bender' therory, he left the fire ferrets not because he argued with Mako, but because he didn't want Korra (who he knew he would one day have to fight) to learn anything about him. If you need anymore proof, just look at both of their eyes. They both have that dead, soulless gaze.
187
188[[WMG: Amon was Ty Lee's son and he was raised and trained by Azula after she was murdered]]
189She trained him for vengeance, schooling him in the art of being a cutthroat, ruthless mastermind to take down those who killed his family, honing the chi-blocking abilities of his mother, possibly with the help of Kyoshi warriors. However, when Amon discovered that his guardian and teacher was not only formerly the most powerful firebender in existence and responsible for having trained others in how to bend lightning (proliferating its knowledge throughout the world) but was additionally connected to why Ty Lee was killed - the firebender who attacked him was a bitter supporter of Ozai going after the easiest defector to track down and kill - he turned on Azula and killed her. [[NotQuiteDead Or so he thinks.]]
190
191[[WMG:Amon is an Airbender.]]
192It is possible a small number of Airbenders survived the Fire Nation genocide and hid themselves away, and Amon could have been descended from them. He's hiding what he is for his own nefarious reasons, whether he hates bending or not. Also, it would be pretty sweet to have an evil Airbender on the show.
193* '''Warning''': Possible massive spoiler. [[spoiler:So I'm not sure if [[http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m31ycrMiRL1qm60dio1_1280.jpg this]] is real or not, but given we don't know how this scene will play out or what's happening here, it could be a case of TrollingCreator.]]
194** The character in that pic looks remarkably like an older version of [[spoiler:Tenzin]]. Now, which character would have [[spoiler:airbender tattoos]] and look like an older [[spoiler:Tenzin]], but [[spoiler:his father]]? Even the nose shape and the eye colour match [[spoiler:those of Aang]]. The pic could be a fake, or it could be real one that depicts a dream or fantasy sequence instead of actual events, but if it's neither of those, we're in for the mother of all plot twists.
195*** [[spoiler: Well Korra's existence is proof positive Aang is dead, but who else could look like an older version of Tenzin? His older brother Bumi.]]
196*** Sorry, but this is totally {{Jossed}}. [[spoiler:Bumi's face has already been revealed in the official art, and he's inherited more features from his mother than his father, and most certainly doesn't have a bald head or tattoos.]]
197** Shouldn't the eyes be brown or golden, as several frames of Amon in the series imply? They look [[spoiler:grayish-blue]] in the image.
198* Or he could be a time traveling Meelo or even Pema's and Tenzin's 4th child from the futrue.
199* Or, if that [[spoiler: really is Aang, he took the mask OFF of someone or was giving it to someone, rather than himself. Just because he is holding it doesn't mean that it's his. For all we know, the mask was, for instance, a gift to someone who would become Amon- at the time it was given to him, the mask wasn't sinister at all.]]
200* Or, my personal headcanon, using flashback, [[spoiler:Aang was using the mask to act as himself rather than the Avatar. Look how the people treat Korra - constant pressure, paranoia over safety and high expectations -[[ItSucksToBeTheChosenOne being the Avatar kinda sucks]]. He got the idea from Zuko and the Blue Spirit.]] Amon started using this identity because, with someone else already having used it, it was known and trusted more than if he'd start up something as himself.
201
202[[WMG: Amon is "Protester", the angry guy with the megaphone.]]
203What better disguise than a wimpy ButtMonkey?
204* They both have yellow/Fire Nation eyes, the protester was the only "minor character" given a bio but not a name in the online game....
205* The bio also says that his parents were bending supporters and thought highly of the Avatar, which doesn't quite fit together with Amon's farming backstory of being extorted by Firebenders. Unless Amon is proven to be lying, this appears to be {{Jossed}} ''for now...''
206** [[SarcasmMode Because the story told by the masked man up on stage to rile the masses is bound to be gospel truth.]] Conversely, at least part of the protester's backstory may have been disseminated by Amon to support a nonthreatening "civilian" guise.
207
208[[WMG:Amon is a descendant of Cabbage Guy]]
209Get ready, this is a long one. Alright, in the episode "The Revelation" Amon states that his face was burned and his family killed when his father was unable to pay his debts. This implies that he came from a poor family. What i see is Cabbage guy never really recovering from having his harvests destroyed multiple times, his already failing cabbage business was barely enough to make ends meet, so when the Gaang and their pursuers continually destroy his pitiful harvest it's really bad news for the elderly man trying to feed his family. So, some years later, the old man's son has taken over the farm, he does not share his father's passion for cabbages so he is even less successful at raising crops, quickly spiraling into the depths of poverty, he takes out a loan from the Triple Threat Triad. Someway or another the money is squandered and he is unable to make due on his payments, the Triad sends out a squad to take the money by force. But there'snothing to take. So, what's a new and not yet respected gang to do when they risk losing credibility, they have to send a message, somehow let everyone know they aren't to be messed with. So they torch the place, burn it to the ground and kill the farmer and his family. making them a force to be reckoned with. What they didn't know, was that the farmers son survived, the grandson of Cabbage guy, witnessing a group of three benders destroy his home and family. His name is Amon, and he will destroy all benders.
210* I don't know if it's going to be anything more than a gag but "Cabbage Corp" is implied to be this world's equivalent of Apple so that either disproves the revenge-angle or shows how "Amon, son/grandson of Cabbage Guy" has enough money to spend on weapons, fancy outfits, and a fleet of dirigibles.
211
212[[WMG: Amon is Aang's EvilTwin.]]
213Aang actually had an identical twin brother, but for whatever reason, maybe because of Air Nomad traditions, the two were separated at an early age, so Aang never found out about him. When Avatar Roku died, the Avatar spirit entered the womb of Aang's mother, but it was confused at first, because there were two kids with the same DNA. The spirit chose Aang, but Amon, Aang's twin, received some residual Avatar energy as well. This energy explains why Amon has managed to live for almost 200 years, and why he can energybend. Now, when Amon says a firebender killed his family, he's twisting the truth a bit, because he can't reveal to the Equalists that he's an airbender. But the truth is even more horrible: Amon witnessed his entire civilization being destroyed by firebenders. That's why he hates benders so much, and feels that they are behind every atrocity in the history of the Avatar world. Now, it's possible Amon's face was indeed burned by a firebender during the attack against Air Nomads, but the main reason he hides it is because he can't let the Equalists see his Air Nomad tattoos. It's also possible his face wasn't burned, and he hides it also because people would recognize he looks exactly like the former Avatar.
214* More proof for this theory: look at [[http://speakgeekytome.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Amon.jpg Amon's gloves]]. He probably needs his fingers and palms to be ungloved so that he can do his energybending, but the shape of his gloves quite handily covers the back of his hands, where an Air Nomad would have his tattoos. We have seen that the current day Air Acolytes don't have the arrow tattoos, so if Amon has them, he must be an original Air Nomad. Also, in "Our of the Past", when Korra battles Amon in the snow, we see Amon jump through the steam Korra creates, and it's slightly whirling around him, as if Amon is airbending it away.
215
216[[WMG: Amon is Tenzin.]]
217If the theory that Amon's energy bending is a fares, then he would have to learned to Energy Bend from Aang directly. That would leave either Aang's two remaining children or Tenzin. I believe his reason behind this is when Amon claims he wants to bring balance to world, what he really means is that he wants to even the population of ALL benders. Even after 75 years the Airbender population seems confined on a small island. When you watched Amon dodge, it wasn't simply side stepping, it looked similar to an Airbender maneuvering, only with less pivoting and spinning but skillfull none the less. Also at the end of "The Revelation" he acted kind of suspcious and shifty-eyed when Korra shared her fear of Amon's ability to energy bend.
218* In "A Voice in the Night", sometime after Korra and Amon's one-sided showdown, Tenzin got fed up waiting on the shore with Tarrlok and went out to the island, where he found Korra just as she was waking up. Believable enough, but one could also see it this way: Amon knocked Korra out, dismissed his chi-blockers, made his way over to some secluded spot on the other side of the (rather tiny) island, quickly changed clothes, and ran back around as Tenzin to "check on" Korra.
219* Wasn't there already a WMG of this at the top of the page?
220
221[[WMG: Amon is Sokka]]
222Sokka has been been known to be resentful of benders (see Sokka's Master in Book 3), and is one of only a few people who witnessed Aang energybend. He is "confirmed" dead, but Sokka is certainly intelligent enough to figure out how to fake his death. It might also give an extra reason as to why he doesn't immediately go after Korra. It also explains why he lets the other Equalists do most of the heavy lifting, because running around doing a lot of fighting isn't a great idea when you're eighty or so.
223* The confrontation with Amon triggered Avatar-flashbacks in Korra. One of this flashbacks include Sokka.
224* Sokka and Amon have huge interests in futuristic superweapons. Sokka in submarines, Amon in Mechas
225* Sokka had Through Ty Lee and the Kyoshi-warriors access to the teaching of chi-blocking.
226** Sokka is a very good strategist by the end of the original series--consider how far he would have developed that skill over time.
227* Unlikely. Amon and Sokka have different skin tones and eye colors, so unless Sokka is using contacts (assuming those exist in the show's universe) and body paint, it's probably not the case.
228** He could certainly use body paint, but this troper doesn't think they have contacts in the Avatar universe at that time. Although that ''does'' raise the question of why Amon's eyes are so weirdly colored. Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't his eyes sort of a greeny-yellow color?
229
230[[WMG: Amon is [[WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime Starscream]].]]
231I don't know how he got to this world or how he got to human size (maybe the Benders are just giants compared to Earthlings), but Amon is really Starscream. His "energy bending" is actually "energon bending" and he is actually harvesting the energon-rich power from humans to survive on his own since cutting ties with Megatron. The clincher, however, is the voice: listen to Amon and Starscream and tell me that there's no [[Creator/SteveBlum connection]] between the two!
232** And The Lieutenant is [[WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated Lockdown]].
233
234[[WMG: Amon is the love child of Aang and Azula]]
235Someone had to say it.
236* [[FlatWhat What.]]
237
238[[WMG: Amon is Pabu]]
239I have no justification for this. But it's a possibility.
240** Jossed in episode 6. Pabu and Amon are in the same place at the same time. Though Amon could always be another, evil Fire Ferret.
241
242[[WMG: Amon is Asami's butler.]]
243Because come on, it's always the butler.
244
245[[WMG: Amon is a robot built by [[spoiler: Hiroshi Sato]].]]
246Episode 7 reveals that [[spoiler: Hiroshi Sato has been building robots, among other weapons, for the Equalists]] because he supports the cause. Maybe he is actually the driving force behind the cause. Amon is a robot he had built to act as a mouthpiece. There was no way he would risk his real life public image but he still wanted to start the Equalist movement. However, due to the UncannyValley effect, he wasn't able to give the robot a convincing face. Even if people did buy that he was a real person, they would be too put off by the robotic effect to rally behind him. (after all, the leader of a big movement has to be charismatic!) So Amon wears a mask and [[spoiler: Sato]] made up the backstory about the bender who scarred his face to make "Amon" more sympathetic. The bender in the backstory was a firebender because a firebender killed [[spoiler: Sato's wife]] and it was something personal he added in.
247* Plus, Amon's gravelly bass voice sounds rather "electronic" if you listen to it a certain way, and it's quite possible that [[spoiler:he ''doesn't have blood'', seeing how easily he resisted Tarrlok's bloodbending. Though he wasn't completely immune, so there had to have been ''something'' for Tarrlok to bend in there. A fuel tank, perhaps?]]
248
249[[WMG: Amon is a former bender who lost his bending to Aang]]
250In other words, Amon takes being butthurt and runs with it. Hear me out. Back when Aang was still alive, Amon was a young, up and coming bender. Probably exceedingly proud of his bending, and began to take on an attitude in the complete ''opposite'' of what he has now, bending supremacy. Drawing on another theory I heard, he may or may not have assaulted and killed Sokka, which was why Aang was so furious in Korra's flashback. Aang, being who he is, didn't kill Amon, but Energybent his bending away. This led Amon to become a bitter, broken man who looked into the art of Chi Blocking, and eventually perfected a form that permanently seals the chi pathways, staving off bending. (This is also saying Amon is NOT an Energybender). Once he became proficient, he turned his attitude towards anti-bending, and "equality" for all, and gathered followers that had similar sentiments. In other words, Amon's entire character now is simply the result of a vendetta against Aang and bender's by proxy.
251
252[[spoiler: Amon is not, but his father is.]]
253
254[[WMG: Amon is [[Anime/CowboyBebop Spike]]]]
255See the "Amon is Starscream", above, for why. Spike somehow survived the end of the series and was transported to the Avatarverse, possibly rendering him immortal in the process so that he could not be DrivenToSuicide. [[FishOutOfWater Separated from the entire world he used to know,]] he decided to ''make'' it his world by removing bending and advancing technology until it's a perfect recreation of the world of Anime/CowboyBebop. The final stage of his plan includes him staging the disaster in the backstory of Anime/CowboyBebop. What? We know Bryke are fans.
256* Or alternatively he is [[Creator/{{Toonami}} TOM]], who also has his face covered. It's too much of a coincidence the same week Toonami returns while there is no new Korra episode. Amon made it into Space. [[OhCrap Oh sh--]].
257* Under the mask is the face of [[AudienceAlienatingEra TOM 4]]. We are all doomed.
258
259[[WMG: Amon is Zuko's son.]]
260He grew up resenting his father (runs in the family), had plenty of opportunities to talk to Ozai about Energybending, and eventually became estranged from his family or banished when his anti-bending sentiments were revealed. He wants the benders to be destroyed so he can take control of the Fire Nation and restore it to its former glory of the previous war. (Seriously, DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything?) Anyway, he made up his backstory as a way of saying firebending killed his father. He either got his power from Koh or learned it from talking with Ozai, but personally hates the Avatar for ending the war and will stop at nothing to destroy the bending population under the guise of equality.
261* Additionally, Zuko had a predilection for mask-wearing antics. His time as the Blue Demon may have inspired his non-bending son.Maybe he even told his normal son the stories of the Blue Demon, who was a total badass without bending at all.
262* It also wouldn't be too out of character for Zuko to favor his other son, Iroh.
263* Maybe Zuko helped inspire his non-bending child with Tales of the Blue Demon, but still obviously preferred Iroh. This pushed his normal son to the extreme, causing him to take up a mask, becoming Amon. When Zuko discovered this, and the lengths to which he would go, he attempted to duel, burning his face, just like Ozai before him.
264
265[[WMG: Amon is actually the child of a character we saw from the original series who was killed by a firebender.]]
266Amon is actually the son of the leaf that Aang burned when he first learns firebending. After watching its father die at the hands of a firebender, the leaf swore revenge on benders everywhere.
267
268[[WMG: Amon is Zuko.]]
269We know that even extremely aged individuals can be extremely strong, both physically and in bending, as shown with King Bumi. Amon says a fire bender disfigured his face and destroyed his family. Zuko's father disfigured his face, got rid of his mother, messed up his sister... if that isn't the destruction of a family, I don't know what is. And it wouldn't be the first time Zuko has put on a mask to step outside the law. Zuko and Aang founded the city together to be a place where benders and non-benders could live in peace. But that isn't whats been happening. Unable to use his position as Fire Lord to solve anything, he steps down so he can makes strides to remove the classism inherent in the system. He doesn't actually want to destroy bending, he wants to scare benders straight. So far he has only done permanent harm to criminals and jerkwads. Everyone else has just been shocked into submission. Add to this that technological advancement is typically a Fire Nation trait, and there could be a case for this theory.
270* The History Books on the website also indicate that Zuko was very concerned with equality during the reorganization of the nations following the end of the 100 Years war. In fact there was an Earth Nation equality movement that Zuko was extremely sympathetic to.
271* This theory is also consistent with the mask (he's famous), his eye color (gold), and parts of his claimed backstory (scared by a firebender).
272* It's also said that Zuko is currently working in the world acting as an "ambassador of peace". An ambassador is someone who represents something like a nation or a political body, and what's written on every Equalist poster? 平, [[BilingualBonus which happens to mean '''peace'''.]]
273
274[[WMG: Amon is Hope's Cousin Once Removed]]
275
276Hope's first cousin once removed.
277
278Tahn and Ying were the refugees who traveled with the Gaang though the Serpent's Pass. There was a girl with them as well. In the DVD commentary, she's revealed to be the sister of Hope's father, Tahn.
279
280Years pass and Tahn's sister falls in love in Ba Sing Se. She and her husband settle down in the countryside and start a farm. They have a son, who they were expecting to be a girl. They name him Noma. In Japanese, the characters used to represent the name mean ''Beautiful correction.'' A rather haunting foreshadowing for his future endeavors. He's raised with his parents telling him about the old days, back when the war was their present, how the Fire Nation took control of Ba Sing Se, and they met each other at a special camp created for the citizens... What they don't tell their son is that after getting to know her well and sneak some food in for her, he prevented her from being raped by one of the guards, using a spear. Who was this guard? A fellow officer. In the midst of the final battle between Aang and Ozai, as well as the attack by the main members of The White Lotus, the incident was swept under the rug. Iroh was always the understanding type.
281
282Amon is 13, and an escaping war criminal crosses their path. His parents decide it best to turn the man in, as his father knows fully well the crimes committed by him. The escaped convict overhears their conversation and kills them to keep them silent. [[LittleDidIKnow Little did he know]] that they had a son who watched everything. Maybe it was a means to scare or disable him into silence. Maybe it was an attempt at murder that he unconsciously threw too gentle a strike to be fatal. But he burned their son's face. This young man traveled to a local justice department and informed them of the escaped convict. As a reward issued by Firelord Zuko, who looked over the case, instead of being sent to a local facility for orphans, he was sent to the recently established School of Hard Knocks, in Republic City. Halfway through his stay, and intense study inside his room, hiding from the ostracization of his classmates, their sports department is given a healthy donation. The school became centered on Probending, a sport which he, as a non-bender, was not suited for. The benders at the school climbed even higher on the social ladder, and he was pushed ever lower. While they were being given scholarships for their skills, he was forced to work on the streets to make money. Whereas in the average social world in which he was faltering, in the gang world he was triumphing. Then came the new rules. And it was time for initiation. He wasn't a bender, so he was already at a disadvantage, but now he had to kill people. Innocent nonbenders who he was equipped to take down with his martial arts prowess. He refused. The institution which had finally provided for him had become a slaughterhouse. One does not simply 'leave' a gang. So he started his own. He took the victims of the other gangs, victims who were defenseless that he and his gang had helped, and assured them that they could defend themselves, and he would teach them how. They would get security, and he would get a group of people who'd stand a chance against his gang. Noma, ever being the master of words, managed to make a peaceful leave. But he was now strong. Seventy members strong. With extra associates.
283
284The benders ruled the streets, earned the money, gained the status, climbed up the social ladder, got off the streets through entertainment industries, and controlled the government. His entire life was spent being used and manipulated by the system. He'd attack its core.
285
286That's when Aang knew there was going to be a problem on his hands. Things were escalating. Gangs were cropping up throughout the city and innocent citizens were endangered. He was on his deathbed and the epidemic he thought he'd cut at the root by defeating Tarrlok was cropping up again. So he wanted to ensure the safety of his reincarnation.
287
288The Avatar Spirit had some plans. They would either be perfect or immensely flawed. The Avatar Spirit needed someone skilled who could take on the city's problems, a city which Aang had spent the majority of his life creating, helping and using as an inspiration and symbol for the future of peace in the world he had longed for. The Avatar Spirit needed someone who could hold the fort while the Avatar was gone. Someone who could defeat the gangs, by any means necessary. So the Avatar Spirit gave the ability to energybend away, severely hindering its connection to the Spirit World. These abilities were given to Noma. It needed someone skilled, but a nonbender. A bender who could energybend would be more dangerous. The Avatar Spirit gave instruction to remove the bending from those who were dangerous and oppressive. The problem was, it was expecting its wisdom to be passed on as well. It didn't know how vague and flexible these characteristics facetiously were. Nor did it realize just how dangerous they were in the hands of this man. In the week after, it had realized its mistake. And as Katara left for the South Pole, it followed her there. It knew that the next Avatar had to be powerful and prepared. And so she was. The youngest consciously aware Avatar in history. But because its spiritual core was given away, it had difficulty providing skill in the most spiritual of all elements, air. The most effort was forced into the remaining three.
289
290The Avatar Spirit created a strong, tough, independent young woman; one who was slightly abrasive, stubborn, hot-headed, and passionate in her beliefs and convictions.
291
292When Korra decided not to fight Amon when Hasook barged in the door, the Avatar Spirit knew it needed more control of the spiritual side before it could take on someone so powerful in that area. But when brought into the public's view and questioned about Amon, it was overwhelmed and angered. It had caused so much pain and struggle and it was all its own fault. It did what it had always intended to do. It called out Amon and called him out on his cowardice... Because it was ashamed of its own.
293
294When Korra was captured and looked Amon in the eye, she was staring at the demon she created. The Avatar Spirit was captured and restrained by the creature it trusted to do the right thing with the gift it gave away. It was about to be murdered by the demon it created. But the demon was detached and twisted in a way it couldn't currently understand. It was calculating, methodical, strategic, almost diplomatic, in a way that drove it up the wall. The traits it had given away, lost contact with, we're being twisted and used in such horrifying ways.
295
296Amon was going to let the spirit that empowered him watch as he achieved the goal it set him out to do. Whether it currently knew it was the correct way or had since forgotten.
297
298After doing what the Avatar Spirit had set him out to do, taking away the bending of local gang lords, Amon ambushed and destroyed the pinnacle of the institution that drove him out onto the streets, the Probending Arena.
299
300This isn't just Korra's 'Ozai situation'. It's her own problem. Which is why it's taken such an obvious psychological toll on her that Aang was slightly more detached from, as a more spiritual person. Not only does she lack the calm and slight detachment, she's dealing with the monster she created before she was born.
301
302More interesting still, when Tenzin looked to his right after being informed of Amon's ability to take bending away, it was more of a shifty knowing glance.
303
304[[WMG: Amon is one of the other council members.]]
305Let's face it, the only council members we know anything about are Tenzin and Tarrlok, both of which have been proven not to be Amon. In episode 10, we're told that all the council members are taken out, but we only see the attacks on the woman from the Fire Nation and Tenzin (disregarding Tarrlok, because [[spoiler: he's been debended already]]). It was ''highly'' unlikely that that woman was Amon, but i suspect that he's the representative from either the Southern Water Tribe or the Earth Kingdom. We haven't even heard their voices, let alone whether or not they're benders or their views on the Equalists. If Amon was on the council, it would help him always be one step ahead. He probably voted with Tarrlok on all those issues to prove his point and weaken people's trust in the city's leadership. I suspect the Earth Kingdom representative, mainly because Amon claims to be from a farming family (and because there were more firebenders in the Earth Kingdom), but also because i have trouble imagining Creator/SteveBlum's voice coming from the Water Tribe guy.
306
307[[WMG: Amon was once Aang's friend.]]
308While not his pupil, its possible that during life, Aang would have taken pity on a boy who lost his family to evil benders and tried to help him through the PowerOfFriendship. Eventually, Aang let slip how Energybending works, but only partly, thus the difference between how they do it. Eventually, they grew apart and Amon turned to the DarkSide after Aang died.
309
310[[WMG: Amon is a Doombot.]]
311Do I need to elaborate?
312
313[[WMG: Amon Mako's older brother]]
314So far, we know the following about Amon: He has yellow eyes, his father was killed by a firebender (assuming that his backstory, as told by him, is true), and he is [[spoiler: resistant to bloodbending]]. Mako also has yellow eyes, and lost his father to a firebender. If this is right, maybe Amon, who is of Fire Nation descent, had access to their advanced technology and had prosthetic limbs made, possibly because he was wounded by the firebender who killed his father. These limbs would have much less water in them than organic limbs, making it harder for him to be [[spoiler: bloodbended]]. Further evidence in support of this is the fact that both Mako and Amon's 'my-family-was-attacked-by-an-evil-firebender' backgrounds were mentioned in the same episode (The Revelation).
315
316[[WMG: Amon was not Noatak]]
317The only real confirmation his identity was that his bloodbending felt familiar to Tarrlok, who had only felt it once in his life, which was several decades ago. However, we do have several hints that Amon is someone different. Amon had a very light skin and brown fire nation eyes, despite supposedly being descendent from two water tribesmen. In the flashbacks, Noatak has an average water tribe skin colour and blue eyes. In addition, while Noatak only had waterbending skills, Amon has energy-bending and some hints of firebending (resisting the fireball in the zeppelin and creating a hole in Korra's wall of fire). Since the only hint that Amon was Noatak was the similar feel of the bloodbending, it could have been that Amon learned bloodbending from Noatak (or somehow stole it using energy-bending), and Amon simply pretended to be Tarrlok's brother.
318* If this were true, why did Amon cry while speaking about his and Tarrlok's past when they were in the boat? And why would he have come to get Tarrlok from the prison to his boat in the first place? What reason would Amon have had for pretending to be Tarrlok's brother? He had already taken away Tarrlok's bending, and Tarrlok's political career had been ruined too, so he would've been of no use to Amon. Also, Amon's resistance to firebending (and other forms of bending) is explained by Tarrlok in "Skeletons in the Closet": he was subtly using bloodbending to weaken the other benders' attacks towards him.
319[[/folder]]
320
321[[folder: Amon's powers]]
322[[WMG: Amon will know how to bend all four elements or know how to energybend]]
323It'll turn out he is an dependent from the time before the avatar.
324* Not likely, given both the show's already established mythology and the primary purpose of his/her organization.
325** Its possible that Amon is a bender, but impossible that he can bend more than one element, and improbable that he can energybend,
326** ''Partially [[spoiler:Confirmed'']] as of "The Revelation" Amon makes a large show of explaining his past and background, [[spoiler: capping it off by energy-bending]]
327
328[[WMG: Amon [[spoiler: Faked Energybending]] During the Rally]]
329In "The Revelation" [[spoiler: what Amon does is clearly supposed to invoke energybending...except there's a lack of flashing lights. He's probably using some high-level chi-blocking or even some unknown form of normal bending to suppress bending abilities. Amon's showmanship and chosen one spiel bears resemblance to that of a faith healer...]] The Revelation was just a way of sowing fear while he prepares his ''real'' plan...
330** Energybending is a battle of wills. Perhaps he wants Korra to learn Energybending and use it on him so that he can use his willpower to destroy the Avatar spirit without knowing any Bending at all.
331* ''Related: Amon's entire OriginStory [[UnreliableExpositor as told by him ]] is a calculated lie.'' Born a young man of humble ubringing... just like Sokka! Oppressed by benders... just like Aang! Unjustly attacked and scarred... just like Zuko! Chosen by the gods... just like Korra! A new Avatar, for a new age? Bull. Amon's got a hidden agenda, and part of that agenda involves a carefully crafted false identity and [[spoiler: Chi-blocking faux energybending... until, that is, he is able to eliminate or conrol the one person who can actually energybend... ]]
332* The story is very likely to be a partial or a complete lie, considering that it follows the fabricated lifestory of almost every self-styled dictator in the 20th century, but that doesn't mean that [[spoiler: the energybending itself is a lie. It's visually all but identical to Aang's, minus the flashy effects since we don't see the act from the viewpoint of either Amon or his victims, and literally nobody but Ozai himself witnessed Aang's deed in ''[[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender The Last Airbender]]''.]] Not all spirits are nice, and one might well have granted Amon power for its own reasons.
333* [[http://masterarrowhead.tumblr.com/post/21546778935/hawkfeather-atla-annotated-energybending-a This tumblr post]] explains one theory as to how he's doing it and why it might not be real.
334* Which may explain his actions when he [[spoiler:didn't take Korra's bending away. Maybe he knew he really couldn't, or maybe he can, just not to the Avatar, and so he settled for psychologically destroying her instead, which would remove her as a threat without exposing himself as a fraud.]]
335** His whole speech about [[spoiler:taking away her bending making her a martyr]] is clearly bunk; surely he's already got a ZeroPercentApprovalRating among benders and bender-supporters. If anything, it'd just make everyone more afraid of and subservient to him, which seems to be exactly what he wants...so why didn't he do it? [[spoiler:Even if he can Spirit-bend, attempting it on the Avatar is probably pretty dangerous; Aang nearly killed himself trying to de-bend the Fire Lord. But the secret-Vulcan-Death-Grip chi-block technique seems more probable, what with his hand-wavy explanation of how he supposedly got this power.]]
336*** Yeah, he's already the bad guy to benders, but if he takes away the bending of someone who isn't out extorting hardworking businessmen, then he might lose ''a lot'' of support from the people who casually support him or only kind of agree with him. And then there's the fact that he probably wants to make ''all'' non-benders support his anti-bending cause and taking bending away from the avatar would definitely not win him any new support. She would be a martyr because it's not all black and white and not everyone's firmly on one team or another.
337*** But Amon sees the situation as black-and-white, even though it isn't. He wants to remove the powers of ''all'' benders, not just criminals, because he thinks bending powers are inherently unfair and evil (and also because he's kind of an egomaniac); he made this intention pretty clear at the rally, so he's not trying to make anyone think he's just a vigilante hunting down benders who abuse their powers. It may be true that [[spoiler:stealing the Avatar's powers]] would drive this point home a little better, but it would also prove his power beyond any doubt, remove a potentially serious threat, and probably convince a lot of non-benders to join his cause to avoid ending up on the losing side.
338*** He doesn't necessarily see it as Black and White. He's trying to gain support. The easiest way to rally support is by painting it black and white. While he doesn't exactly see it as one way or the other, it's much easier to simplify the issue to garner support(because people don't like complicated stuff). Politicians do this ''all the time''.
339** Seemingly Jossed by "... And the Winner Is." He took the Wolfbats' bending, and they definitely lived. I had assumed that they had simply killed off the Triple Threat Triads (or at least planned to) before whatever bending blocking he had done wore off, but it doesn't look like that's feasible with the Wolfbats.
340*** That doesn't Joss it. He still might be just using some ultimate chi blocking technique that lasts for a long time. Several months, a year maybe? But it's still missing everything that separates Spiritbending from regular chi blocking, such as flashy lights, a battle of wills and a chance to fail. All we really have on the point of permanently taking away bending is Amon's word.
341*** Those effects in the original series were quite explicitly visual representations of the spiritual battle between Aang and Ozai, not physical events that visibly happened around them. Amon is clearly unusually strong-willed, while the people he de-Bends are overconfident fools. While its true source remains unknown, there is so far nothing to indicate that his work isn't real Energybending.
342** The preview for "The Aftermath" seems to lend credence to Amon's energybending being legit; Tahno explains that he spent days visiting the best healers in Republic City, and not a single one of them was able to help him. He himself certainly believes that whatever Amon did was permanent.
343* [[spoiler: Confirmed. He isn't using energy bending to do it, he is using BLOOD BENDING to much the same effect.]]
344** [[http://traprule.tumblr.com/post/26119931879/how-does-amon-remove-others-bending-with This video]]explains it pretty well. Seems legit.
345
346[[WMG:Amon's Energybending is real, but incomplete.]]
347Yes, Amon's the real deal. However, he does not ''really'' take away people's bending, he '''''turns it off'''''. Many people have noticed that Amon pushes the same vital point on the head that Aang did, but he does NOT press the one on the chest. My theory is that this doesn't take away bending, it merely turns it off. The process IS permanent in that it doesn't wear off, but it is reversible. Korra could theoretically learn Energybending and restore Amon's victims. Where it to be done with ''both'' vital points, though, it'd be TRULY permanent. The alternate theory is that Amon DOES know how to do the nasty version, but he doesn't use it since it requires much more of an inner struggle. The victim's spirit puts up a MUCH fiercer fight when the version Aang used is applied, so it's easier for Amon to use the lesser version more often and still get the desired effect. Where he to face Korra, though, then he'd try the nasty one.
348
349Amon taking away [[spoiler:Lin]]'s bending I think is one of the signals that this is the case, since I find it HIGHLY unlikely that such an important character will have [[spoiler:her]] bending stripped away permanently.
350
351[[WMG: Amon doesn't make bending powers disappear, rather, he absorbs them.]]
352He took scattered anti-bending sentiment that already existed and created a movement. He makes it appear that he can make bending powers disappear so his followers will bring him benders he can depower. However, what he's ''really'' doing is absorbing the bending powers and taking them for himself. He hopes to absorb so much bending power that he will become ridiculously powerful. He still believes in his own cause, but sees himself as an enforcer, that he can have bending powers because he won't (in his eyes) abuse them for his own gain. So he doesn't see himself as a hypocrite. He hopes to accumulate enough bending power to take over the nation, and then the world.
353* Wow, that is a terrifying thought. Seconding this theory.
354* His equalis movement may actually be a cover for this. He wants to de-bend enough benders and absorb enough power '''until he can rival the Avatar state'''. Then he will have the combined powers of thousands upon thousands of benders and would be very difficult to defeat - The Avatar spirit is the total power, knowledge and skill of the Avatar Spirit and the spirits of all the past Avatars. Maybe that's how he got his ability to resist Firebending and Bloodbending.
355* Go watch the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0a1tf3pkBc season finale promo]] . Starting at 0:15, Amon is CLEARLY bending ... something. Then you see Korra already in the de-bending position without Amon touching her, and Mako convusing on the ground. '''Amon is blood bending them both.'''
356
357[[WMG: Amon's spiritbending is different because he is not a bender]]
358Aang touches two chakras while taking away someone's bending: Light, which signifies that all is one, including the elements, and Air, since he is an airbender. So the reason why Amon uses a different style to take away people's bending, is merely that he only has to touch the light chakra. Also, consider this: When Aang and Ozai matched spirits, we could see the glow for both of their native elements. The reason there is no glow for Amon's spiritbending is because he simply has no bending element to display. This could also mean that it is actually much simpler for non-benders to learn spiritbending (meaning Amon could teach it to his followers), since there is no way for a bender to resist.
359* If Aang grabbed onto he Light and Air chakras, Korra would have to grab onto the Light and Water chakras. The Water chakra is tradionally located in your underpants (They didn't give away the location of the Water chakra on the show for censorship reasons). Naturally, this would lead to some very awkward moments.
360** Sadly, this was [[spoiler:{{Jossed}}]]. Crotch-grabber Korra will have to wait.
361
362[[WMG: Amon requires a bender to be terrified in order to de-bend them.]]
363Why did he give Lightning Bolt Zolt alone a chance to defeat him in single-combat? Because Amon needed to give the swaggering gangster a jolt of fear by kicking his ass. The other benders watching would in turn be terrified by Zolt's de-bending. Amon's terror campaign against benders is in part because whatever he does to them to stop their bending requires them to be filled with negative emotions. If benders, like Tahno, know that Amon can take away their bending with a touch, they'll be inclined to be afraid of Amon in a fight, playing into his hands.
364
365Someone calm and unafraid won't be affected by Amon's technique.
366** This goes well with the fact Energy Bending requires an unbendable will. Someone who is already frightened would be easier to use it against that someone that isn't.
367
368[[WMG: Amon uses energybending to block chakras.]]
369There's a popular fan theory going around that Amon doesn't energybend like Aang did, but rather, blocks chakras. Others still maintain that Amon is an energybender. I think that both theories can be correct. Chakras have to be open to allow the flow of energy through the body. In theory, one could use energybending to block chakras. Certain chakras, or at least a certain combination of chakras, have to be at least partially open to allow bending. A lot of people have noticed that Aang and Amon use different hand positions when they take bending away, and have used that as evidence that they are using different techniques. However, it should be noted that bending styles can vary wildly within the same element. This is most obvious in the earthbending from the first show and the earthbending in the second show. Amon and Aang could've been using different styles of energybending to block chakras. The difference is that Aang blocked multiple chakras while Amon only blocked one. If a person who had their bending taken away went through enough meditation and concentrated hard enough, they might be able to get their bending back.
370* To support that, he touches the forehead and neck, which are the locations of two chakras Sound and Light, which are respectively blocked by fear (such as fear of him and of losing bending) and illusion (such as thinking your bending's gone when it's actually blocked off). Bryke are usually smart about these things, so...
371** Actually, the sound chakra is blocked by lies.
372* Also, since only Aang and the Guru knew about chakras in the original series, maybe not many healers know now so they can't diagnose it.
373
374[[WMG: Amon is capable of absorbing chi, explaining everything about his supernatural abilities.]]
375I see one of the above posters already came to much the same conclusion I did. Yes, Amon is a "blank." He is like a chi vacuum: whenever he comes in contact with someone's chi, his body neutralizes it.
376
377Think back to episode 6, when Korra sent a gigantic fireball barreling after Amon as he boarded his airship. All of his mooks were cast aside, but Amon barely felt a ruffle. He was absorbing the chi-generated fire, or at the very least dispersing it around himself.
378
379In episode 9, we see that bloodbending has little to no effect on him. Bloodbending works by using one's chi to exert influence over the water in the victim's system, but that doesn't work when the victim can absorb your chi.
380
381And finally, this offers an explanation as for how he takes peoples' bending: he literally sucks the chi out of them. This is why his victims seem so weak and bereft of energy, both immediately afterward (Zolt) and some time after the fact (Tahno, the metalbending police).
382
383It all fits: Amon is basically a [[EnergyVampire chi vampire]].
384
385[[WMG: The spirits taught Amon a fake de-bending technique.]]
386In synergy with the "Amon is just a tool being used by the spirits to give Korra a kick in the ass for her own good" theory, they taught Amon a fake de-bending technique, as they didn't really want to have the world de-bended. Notice that Aang uses the chi points on the head and chest, while Amon uses one on the back of the head instead of the chest. Aang's could be the real deal, while Amon's is just long-term full-body chi-blocking that was sold to him as "better than Aang's" by the manipulative spirits.
387
388[[WMG: Amon doesn't ''remove'' benders' powers. He ''steals'' them.]]
389It defies credulity to believe that Amon is just a BadassNormal except for the energybending. He's just too good in battle, too fast, too agile. And now he's immune to ''bloodbending'' when even ''Aang'' was vulnerable? He's actually stealing the powers of every bender he "equalizes". All bending attacks "miss" him because he's using the bending powers he stole to deflect them, but subtly and only in a defensive manner so no one notices. By the time he fought Tarrlok, he had taken power from enough Waterbenders that his Waterbending was stronger, just as Katara's was stronger than Hama's in "The Puppetmaster", so he was able to overcome Tarrlok's bloodbending. And look carefully at the promotional clip for the finale – there's a scene where Amon makes a twitching, half-clenched hand gesture and Korra's facial expression looks like she's being bloodbended before she's physically struck. If Amon is stealing powers, then he now has Tarrlok's ability to bloodbend at any time, making him more dangerous than ever before.
390* He'll steal Korra's bending -- but perhaps not her airbending, as she hasn't activated that yet -- but won't be able to take the Avatar State and its might for himself. Why? Because the Avatar State is an integral part to Korra. It's basically her soul. She'll use the Avatar State, even without any bending to power up, to defeat Amon's stolen bloodbending. So Amon will never become the same as the Avatar. The finale will be an ironic reversal of the status quo: super-bender Amon verses a non-bender Korra.
391
392[[WMG: Amon's energybending is taking a toll on him.]]
393It was subtle but is likely growing. Why else is going from debending here and there to suddenly doing one en mass? The type he learned likely transfers a bit of the person into him, transforming Amon into a mentally-unsound person over the series. The "head chakra only" style has to have disadvantages somewhere.
394
395[[WMG: Amon is using a different method to remove bending then Aang]]
396Both use energy bending, but Aang uses a more refined method of shutting down the chi receptors, while Amon uses the safer to him more blunt method of blowing them out with too much energy. Meaning anyone whom Amon has debent will stay debent.
397
398[[WMG: Amon's victims aren't truly rendered incapable of bending.]]
399The Chakra he uses on the forehead is the Light Chakra, which can be blocked by illusions. He uses his ability to block it with the illusion that the victim can no longer bend. Like having one of his Chakra's blocked prevented Aang from accessing the Avatar State, blocking this Chakra prevents bending. However, it only lasts until the victim realizes that, dispelling the illusion and unblocking the Chakra. Aang uses both it and the Heart Chakra, which is why his is permanent. Amon doesn't realize this, and will have a VillainousBreakdown when someone does and {{No Sell}}s his debending.
400
401Found this theory on youtube and decided to put it here.
402* To further predict how it goes down, Korra finds this out from... Aang. We see that Amon gets his hands on Korra and does the debend on her. Unknown to Amon, this infliction on the current Avatar's body allows Spirit!Aang, who knows the *true* way to debend, to finally see the true workings of Amon's technique, and tells Korra that it's an illusion. Bam, Light Chakra unblocked, Amon gets a boulder/flame gout/water smash in the back and a [[ThisCannotBe heaping helping of incredulity]], and Korra *FINALLY* gets the upper hand on Amon.
403* Also, this explains why he always terrifies his victims before debending them, it makes it easier to plan the illusion if they're honestly terrified of it and him. Perhaps some of his earlier demonstrations were just plants to plant the fear of it in people so he could do it at all. By convincing them he has the power, then he's more able to use it.
404* He might actually be using the Amon pressure point to temporarily immobilize the victim to give him enough time to block the chakra. Otherwise it is not the main key to his ability by itself. That's why all his victims drop down almost half paralyzed. The Amon pressure point is along the neck, and chi blocking the spinal cord can cause temporary and partial paralysis.
405
406[[WMG: Amon is using the Amon pressure point to remove bending]]
407It's on the neck where he always places his hand to remove bending. Since a precise hit there is fatal, he's just doing a chi block there. He uses the name as Amon as a SarcasticConfession to his lies.
408
409[[WMG: Amon is a waterbender who managed to make it work as energybending by disguising it with chi-blocking.]]
410When Aang revealed the flashback of Yakone's trial to Korra, he wasn't just trying to warn her about Tarrlok, he was trying to warn her about Amon. During the flashback, Sokka gave a speech about how he has encountered people with rare and unique bending abilities. Amon is that sort of person. In the first series, Katara mentioned being able to feel energy when she heals. The healing waterbenders like Katara do work by redirecting the energy in the body. Amon spent a lot of time cooped up after being orphaned and scarred by the firebender, so he did a lot of studying and research. He learned about how Aang was able to use energybending to take bending abilities away, and figured that by controlling water in someone's body, he was indirectly controlling energy. He touches different points on the body than Aang did because it's more suitable to his style of energybending. However, since it's not direct energybending, the effect can potentially be reversed by another waterbender who knew the skill. Instead of transferring a part of his energy into his opponent like Aang did, he is simply moving and twisting around the energy in such a way that it prevents the opponent from bending. As mentioned in an above WMG, when Aang had a lot of energy twisted up in one area, it locked the chakra and prevented him from accessing the Avatar state. Amon being a powerful waterbender also explains why he can resist Tarrlok's bloodbending; Katara was able to do the same to Hama just by being a stronger waterbender.
411* Waterbender healers are in fact manipulating energy. Katara was trying to release the twisted energy that Aang had begun to harness just before he was shot. Amon might have realized that the opposite is also possible. Bloodbending after all bends the water in the body, so bloodbending may be used to move the person's energy and twist it up so that the energy or energy paths get "locked".
412* Actually Episode 11 is titled "Skeleton in the Closet" and Korra finds out a secret, most likely about Amon that is the key to defeating him. Now Skeletons in the closet means hiding a secret one would be ashamed of, and the only thing that Amon could want to hide is the fact that he is in fact a waterbender, which also explains how he could resist Tarrlok's bloodbending. He also dodged Tahno's water slice with the same sidestepping move that Korra used to dodge the same attack by Tarrlok. This might be when Korra realizes that Amon in fact cannot truly energy bend like Aang and it is possible to reverse the consequences. This would give her the confidence she needs to face Amon, forcing him at one point to use bloodbending to hold Korra and Mako down as shown in the promo.
413** '''OMG!! Confirmed almost word for word'''. Especially part 1 and part 2. He is a bloodbender. With bloodbending, he uses the water in the person's body to twist and lock up the energies! Tropers, this is threading the bull's eye!
414*** '''WHOA, WHOA, SLOW DOWN'''-- those last few things you said? Complete speculation. The only things said ''for sure'' in the episode itself are that Amon is a bloodbender and that he takes away others' bending. When Korra puts forth the theory that he's using one to achieve the other, Tarrlok quickly interjects and says that he has no idea how it ''truly'' works. The implication here seems to be that there's still a lot we don't know about Amon, specifically what happened in the years he and Tarrlok spent apart...there's a possibility he somehow picked up a new ability in that time. Remember, not even ''Katara'', who's been bloodbending since before Amon and Tarrlok were even born, could do anything to fix the effects of Amon's debending, and his technique still looks and acts a whole lot more like energybending than any kind of bloodbending, and by Occam's Razor, the most likely answer is probably right one. Furthermore, the only thing that finally undoes Amon's de-bending is energybending, as taught and performed by Aang himself. That's right, only the freaking Avatar can fix what this guy does. I think it's safe to say that it's not bloodbending...what it ''actually'' is, though, is a mystery.
415*** It's strongly implied, though, that Amon did advance his bloodbending powers in such a way that he can block bending. It's never stated exactly how it works, but again, it's strongly implied. This technique is brand new and he is the only known person to use it, and the technique is little understood. On that basis, Katara (who probably didn't practice bloodbending much and thus didn't really advance in the technique) wouldn't have been able to use the technique. Furthermore, Amon is an ''extremely'' powerful bloodbender, far, far more powerful than even Katara. He's not only able to do it at any time, he's able to do it psychically. His power is far beyond anything that had ever existed. Also, when energybending is used, it emits a sort of glow. Not just when the Avatar uses it, but when the Lion Turtle used it as well.
416*** There was no glow when Aang energybended Yakone.
417*** Right; the only glow present was on Aang, and it was only his eyes and tattoos, which we know are a result of him using the Avatar State.
418
419[[WMG: Amon did, in fact, receive his abilities from a spirit.]]
420The spirit told him that Amon needed to help bring balance and equality between benders and non-benders, as Korra was unable to at the time. However, Amon misunderstood the message and thought that he was supposed to bring equality to the world by getting rid of bending forever, ignoring the balance part of the equation. Remember that when Zhao killed the moon spirit and got rid of waterbending, there were major consequences. If Amon gets rid of bending forever, it would likely upset the balance of the world and have drastic consequences.
421* Considering the amount of ambiguity surrounding the revelation of his true abilities, there's still a possibility that this could have happened-- offscreen, during the many years Amon/Noatak spent traveling alone after abandoning his family. Tarrlok himself admits that he has no clue how he actually goes about taking away people's bending, and not even Katara-- herself a bloodbender-- was able to undo its effects, which would seem to point to it ''not'' being some kind of hyper-advanced bloodbending. Korra herself referring to it as such is hardly concrete proof. After all, she's a headstrong lass, and prone to jumping to conclusions. The ''only'' thing that was ultimately able to reverse Amon's debending was energybending, which in and of itself proves that the technique works both ways.
422
423[[WMG: Amon received his abilities from an evil spirit.]]
424This spirit is hell-bent on destroying the world, and it wants to do that by throwing the world off balance by getting rid of bending. It tricked the poor, misguided Amon into thinking that he was supposed to get rid of bending to make the world more equal.
425
426[[WMG: Amon doesn't remove the ability to bend]]
427I was inspired by an episode of Justice Leage. Amon takes away the knowledge of how to bend.
428* Jossed
429
430[[WMG: Amon removed bending by causing minor aneurysms in his victims]]
431Since we now know that [[spoiler: he was a blood bender not an energybender]] this would explain how he removed the bending.
432* Elaborating on this, Amon takes away a person's bending by damaging the parts of the brain that control certain emotions. Each bending discipline requires the bender to have a certain mental and emotional state. By taking away those emotions, Amon takes away their bending. This would also explain why losing one's bending is so traumatic.
433
434[[WMG: Noatak found a Guru type person to learn about chakras from and learned how to use his bloodbending to block the chakras]]
435When he left his home, he hated his bending and went on a journey to figure out how to take it away. Eventually, he came across the chakras. Soon, he got to know a guru (possible the son of Pathik) and figured out how they worked. Specifically, he learned about where the light and throat chakras were. He specialized in the throat one, which was apparently also known as the amon, and took that to be his name. He could break people with that. This is why it's permanent. It's also why he was able to unlock Korra's airbending. Blocking the chakra reversed her bending and got rid of her airbending block.
436
437[[WMG: Amon's ability to remove bending may not work on airbending at all]]
438Air bending has been known to be the most spiritual of the four bending elements, and as a result, may follow slightly different rules compared to the more physical elements, such as the 100% bending rate of air nomads in the original series. In the season finale, [[spoiler: it originally appeared as though Amon simply debended Korra's current bending abilities, but for whatever reason, she was not inhibited in learning a new bending element. Furthermore, it seemed rather convenient that Korra learns airbending moments after being debended.]]
439This originally seemed plausible, due to the emotional and spiritual state [[spoiler: Korra was in, as Mako was about to lose his bending as well,]] but perhaps what was happening was that [[spoiler: Korra finally was able to airbend after progressing towards it.]]
440
441Notably, throughout both the original series and Legend of Korra, the only airbenders we see in action have never been chi blocked, due to their impressive evasion, so it's not clear what would happen if chi blockers made contact. Given that [[spoiler: Tenzin and his family were captured,]] perhaps chi blockers can take down an airbender with a bit of luck. It's likely that airbenders would be temporarily unable to bend, but probably because they would have difficulty moving. The connection between the points that a chi blocker targets and the spiritual energy of a person is vague, and while the other three elements are affected, the spirituality that airbending harnesses may not be linked.
442For this reason, when Amon debends a person using [[spoiler: bloodbending, he is using a physical means to remove bending. This may not truly affect the spiritual self and therefore the capability to airbend. Perhaps Tenzin and his kids were never able to lose their bending in the first place...]]
443
444[[/folder]]
445
446[[folder: Amon's backstory]]
447[[WMG: Amon's face is not scarred. His backstory is a lie]]
448He somehow sneaked into the pro-bending ring without being detected. It's ok for the other Equalists who disguised themselves as the audience, but Amon? How did he get past the security checks and all? Sato could have got them through VIP access, but Amon's face would be too conspicuous if it was as badly scarred as he claims. Also Amon can't stay under that mask all the time. How does he eat or drink, or wash his face?
449* Easy; he stuff food through that hole. As for washing the face, he probably just needs to put water inside the mask; if the mask has silver in it, it's instant purification.
450** Confirmed. It's a lie to cultivate a cult of personality through a tragic backstory.
451*** not that his actual backstory isn't still pretty tragic.
452
453[[WMG: Amon's face is completely unharmed.]]
454During the Revelation, Amon claims to have been disfigured by the Firebender that took his family's lives. Of course, this is an outright lie used to garner sympathy and to increase the hatred for benders. By wearing the mask and not removing it to prove the statement true, it will be used as a reveal later that a large chunk of his supposed backstory is false.
455* Confirmed.
456
457[[WMG: Amon is the son of a farmer like he claims.]]
458More specifically, a certain [[spoiler: [[LethalJokeCharacter surprisingly knowledgeable cabbage]]]] farmer. WordOfGod said [[spoiler:we would see a descendant of the Cabbage Merchant in this series]]. Years of being pushed around by benders during the war and reconstruction have made him and his family resentful to all benders, an endless source of grief to their simple farming lifestyle.
459* As nice as it would be to have that to tie into the old series, it's still oddly funny to think that such a character that was centered on comedic relief would produce such a creepy and dangerous antagonist. If he goes into his fathers crops and Creator/SteveBlum manages to drop the word "cabbages" I'll probably lose it and just laugh.
460* [[spoiler: Equalist tech-guy Hiroshi Sato framing Cabbage Corp]] seems to point to "no"... probably.
461* Jossed. He's the son of Yakone.
462
463[[WMG: Amon's story is at least 90% true.]]
464While he might be wrong on a couple things, due to being blinded by his FantasticRacism and/or his aspirations of messiah-ness, Amon is not actively trying to lie about his past or the nature of his powers.
465
466OK, I admit that this is mostly due to personal preference. I understand the appeal of the "Amon is lying to gain followers" idea, and if you support it, then all power to you. However, I personally believe that Amon's story gives him character depth and makes him a good villain with a bunch of interesting possible routes for him. In my mind, turning him into a liar just wastes a great deal of potential and turns Amon into a kung-fu evil televangelist. Which is less interesting then it sounds.
467* Wow, you must have hated how it actually turned out, then-- he really ''was'' lying about virtually everything, up to and including being a non-bender.
468** OP here. I was actually pretty satisfied with how Amon's backstory turned out, mostly because they took an angle I hadn't considered.
469
470[[WMG: The firebender who attacked Amon's family was Mako and Bolin's father.]]
471Note that Bolin was the only person [[spoiler: chosen to get his bending taken away]] who wasn't a criminal...
472* Bolin was present in a Triad meeting. Amon would have no reason to assume him anything but a Triad enforcer.
473* Jossed. His whole tragic "assaulted by Firebenders" backstory was a lie.
474
475[[WMG: Amon's family wasn't killed by benders, but Amon himself.]]
476Because they too were benders, which they kept hidden from him.
477* A possible extension of this is that his family ''was'' killed by a firebender--and that firebender was Amon. He may have burned them to death accidentally, or in a fit of rage; either way, this would go a long way towards explaining why he seems to hate bending itself, rather than just the benders who killed his family.
478* Jossed. His parents weren't killed by firebenders.
479
480[[WMG: The firebender that killed Amon's parents is Amon himself.]]
481As we've seen in the episode with Jeong Jeong, firebending is especially hard to control. Amon lost control, accidentally killed his own parents, and came to hate all bending.
482* Jossed. He's a waterbender.
483
484[[WMG: Amon really ''is'' everything he says he is.]]
485Because really, how much of a cop-out would it be if Amon was built up to be this amazing villain, only to be revealed at the end to be a weak, pathetic charlatan whose powers were all just smoke and mirrors? Granted, there's definitely stuff that he's held back, but the stuff about his family's death and his energybending abilities? All true-- he's savvy enough to know that lying ''too'' much is likely to bite him in the ass later.
486* '''[[{{Jossed}} WRONG]]!'''
487
488[[WMG: Amon's backstory is true... sort of]]
489A firebender did kill Amon's parents, and tried to kill him, but Amon's latent energybending abilities manifested themselves, and he ''switched bodies'' with the assailant. So it was literally true that the firebender "took [Amon's] face"... and Amon took his. He hides behind a mask because he can't bear to see the face of his family's murderer when he looks in the mirror.
490* Now that's WILD.
491
492[[WMG: Amon's parents were killed by General Iroh]]
493Iroh is just as crazy as Ozai and Azula.
494* He seems way too young for that to be possible. Judging Amon's demeanour, voice and body build, he's at least in his thirties, and could potentially even be a well preserved fifty-year old. General Iroh on the other hand seems to be at his late twenties, judging his face and voice.
495
496[[WMG: Amons parents were and weren't killed]]
497Based off the [[ComicBook/VForVendetta V]] theory, the current Amons parents weren't killed but the originals where.
498
499[[WMG: Amon's "A firebender killed my family!" story is basically true]]
500''His'' wife and child/children were killed by a firebender at some point between [[spoiler: him ditching his dad Yakone and little brother Tarlok and becoming Amon; heck, if true it's probably what caused him to become Amon]]. It would've been better if [[spoiler: his scar was real]] but we'll (probably) never know.
501* Or it could have been his foster parents.
502[[/folder]]
503
504[[folder:Other]]
505[[WMG: The spirits have given Amon the ability to Energybend as they feel that humans are increasingly abandoning the spiritual side of bending]]
506Seeing what the spirits can do in the last series against those who defy and upset nature's balance, this may actually be the real intention of the spirits in giving Amon his powers. But Amon has other plans.
507
508[[WMG: Amon wants to use energy bending to become the avatar]]
509Energy Bending can do that, and it explains why he didn't just take her powers away.
510He couldn't do it there, because he has to take away everyone's bending so he is the only bender first.
511
512[[WMG: Aang died and reincarnated into Korra, as we've been told... but Amon is a spirit (possibly Koh) possessing his corpse.]]
513Pretty dark for a kid's show, but there you have it.
514
515[[WMG: Amon will eventually be revealed in the season 1 or 2 finale as a new and rival Avatar]]
516Due to the events of the past 170 years with the near extermination of one of the four nations, the brutal 100 year war, the (temporary) death of the moon, the whole energybending thing, and now Technology and industry spreading, as well as knowledge and awareness of the spirit world slowly vanishing, the Spirit world is thrown into utter chaos and anarchy, and due to the Avatar being the "spirit of the planet" and innately linked with the spirit world, this role is somehow split. In this confusion a new avatar is created by the spirits in a desperate attempt to bring back order, only for him to decide to bring this order by eliminating the spirit world altogether, starting with the benders.
517* Hey, Aang ''did'' die for a short time during [[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheCrossroadsOfDestiny "The Crossroads of Destiny,"]] and it was only by the extraordinary luck of having a healer on hand with a rare vile of Spirit Water that he was revived. Maybe [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer the second Avatar is the Kendra to Aang's Buffy.]] Only instead of being able to tap into phenomenal cosmic power, the Second Avatar can only access the knowledge of their past lives. So Amon can't bend at all, ''but'' he knows, say, all the tessenjutsu that Kyoshi knew. Multiply that by a few hundred lifetimes and Amon is simply, by inborn skill and archived knowledge, the single greatest non-bending fighter on the planet. And Korra? She gets the unrivaled bending power but no access to her past lives. That's why she's such a spiritual dunderhead; that aspect of the Avatar Spirit, the whole of which had been damaged by Azula's killing strike, split off following Aang's final death to form the Second Avatar. So to continue the Buffy analogy, [[{{ComicBook/Fray}} Amon is the Harth to Korra's Fray]].
518** That would indeed help explain why she states she has such trouble with the spiritual side of the Avatar thing. Furthermore, I am going to guess right now that Koh has something to do with this
519** ''Related Theory:'' Aang's "death" at the end of Book 2 messed with the avatar cycle and at that time another person was born with the potential to bend all four elements. Although given the circumstanced surrounding his birth, he doesn't have access to the avatar state or the spirits of past Avatars. Training and amassing forces in secret for 70 years, Amon plans to eliminate the competition before taking over the world.
520** There's only one Avatar spirit, and since Aang was killed in the Avatar State, the spirit would've died with him. When Katara revived Aang, she revived the Avatar Spirit as well.
521** Jossed. The Avatar Cycle was repaired while Aang was unconcious and recovering from Azula's headshot, detailed in the online game: Aang meets some of his previous incarnations for the first time (Yangchen and Kuruk) and reacquaints himself with Yue and Koh, and there is only one Avatar.
522** Not so fast kids! This has been ''partially confirmed'' on a remarkably metatextual level. Amon wants to ''[[InvokedTrope set himself up]]'' as a DarkMessiah and self-styled saviour of the {{Muggle}} classes, a deliberate Anti-Avatar. [[spoiler: Then there's that apparant energy bending.]]
523** This could also explain Korra's difficulty with airbending. Usually, Avatars have difficulty with the element opposite to their natural element. Aang had difficulty with earthbending, the opposite of airbending, and Roku had difficulty with waterbending, the opposite of firebending. Given her difficulty with airbending, it would make more sense for Korra to be a earthbender, and if Amon is really a waterbending avatar created by the first death of Aang, then Korra could be an earthbender, provided she had a grandparent or great-grandparent from the Earth Kingdom.
524** Alternatively, explaining the presence of two waterbending avatars is not impossible, it could be that the death of an airbending avatar triggers the birth of a waterbending avatar, so two Aang deaths could explain two waterbending avatars.
525** Also, anyone notice the first time Korra had a vision/flashbacky thing it was after meeting with Amon.
526*** And if Amon is a waterbending avatar, Tarlok could be his son; he'd be about the right age for the son of a 70 year old man, and he has been acting awfully suspicious.
527* In "When Opposites Meet", Tarrlok seems to know there's something wrong with Korra's airbending, as she's still not able to do it. Now, if the other Wild Mass Guesses about Tarrlok and Amon being connected are true, the explanation for his knowledge could be the following: When Aang was killed in "The Crossroads of Destiny", that messed up the Avatar spirit reincarnation cycle somehow. Most of the Avatar spirit was reborn with Korra, but a part of it, the airbending part, was reincarnated earlier with another person, Amon. Amon is a secret airbender, and because he has part of the Avatar spirit, that explains why he can energybend. If Tarrlok is somehow connected to Amon, then it could be Tarrlok knows the reason Korra can't airbend is because Amon has that part of the Avatar spirit, and he uses that knowledge to taunt Korra. If all this is true, then Korra can't learn airbending until Amon dies and the part of the Avatar spirit he had moves to Korra. This will probably happen in the Season 1 finale (the season is called "Air", so airbending will have to pay a more significant part than it has done so far), and Tarrlok (or someone else, possibly [[TheManBehindTheMan a man behind the man]] who has been manipulating both Amon and Tarrlok) will become the BigBad for Season 2.
528
529[[WMG: Amon made a DealWithTheDevil.]]
530He claims that the spirits granted him [[spoiler:the power of Energybending.]] The power actually came from some malevolent spirit who made a pact with Amon to destroy the balance between the living world and the spirit world so badly so that the barriers would break and it could break through. In the final battle this spirit will possess Among, making him go OneWingedAngel on Korra. And this spirit is...Koh of course.
531* Koh didn't strike me as evil. He was more as a form of balancing factor. Punishing Avatars that disregarded their duties. What if there i
532* Worse when you consider the waterbender avatar before Korra isn't on good terms with Koh, and he did say to Aang they would meet again.
533* Furthermore, Koh's whole schtick is taking away people's faces... Makes the mask all the more creepy.
534** On an even more subtextual level, Amon's defining character trait is his apparent ability to [[spoiler:deprive benders of their bending]]. This has very similar parallels to what Koh does; remove your identity, the thing that makes you who you are. The idea that Koh and Amon are in cahoots is a frightening thought indeed.
535** Koh only takes your face if you show some emotion... Has Amon ever [[spoiler:taken someone's bending]] without first being directly attacked by them? If it holds, its another parallel.
536* Works for me. Koh explicitly has a bone to pick with the Avatar spirit about not doing its job properly of maintaining the balance (it's not unlikely that an immortal spirit wouldn't understand/care about little things like "each new Avatar is a different person, even if the spirit is the same"). One imagines Koh and like-minded spirits would look at the "modern" world of the series and decide that mortals no longer have any respect for the forces involved and need to be put back in their place. All they need is someone willing to act on their behalf...
537
538[[WMG: Amon made a DealWithTheDevil. It's not Koh.]]
539* Koh didn't strike me as evil. He acted as a kind of a neutral agent. Punishing Avatars that disregarded their duties and his services came at a price (he stole your face if you showed emotion). But he was "fair". Something doesn't sit right with Koh giving someone powers. What if there is a more malevolent entity. A real anti-Avatar (a Yin to Aang's Yang) of sorts that would stand to gain from people losing their bending. Perhaps he was released when Airbenders were temporarily all wiped out (moment when Aang was struck by Azula).
540** I feel Koh is evil, but he's got a code. It's less punishing Avatars who neglect their duty and more takes advantage of the situation. If the Avatar is neglecting his duties, he knows he can get away with more crap than if the Avatar doesn't, but he also has a vendetta against the Avatar, so he's going to go antagonize him whenever he can. That being said, he's got a desire for faces but unless he's got something people want, he's going to be stuck in a spiritual quarantine zone. So he'll hold up his end of the bargain to prove that he's not a double-dealing bastard, but he does enjoy what he does too much for it to be simply amorality.
541*** True, but what would deal with Amon give him? Spirit that gave Amon powers knew Amon would depower their opponents. And massively. Koh likes faces not taking away bending (unless he is really powerful, which he doesn't seem to be, can't even manifest properly). Koh isn't a nice spirit but he isn't black as people here paint him. He eats faces. He likes eating them. He can only eat your face if you show emotion. Most people here eat meat and like eating it. They can only kill a animal if they are vulnerable. Are they evil because they eat meat? Only an entity that would gain power from taking away bending would stand to gain. Plus the whole "Servants, I am the night" hidden doesn't sound like Koh. He is more a worm that hides in the night than an entity that would cast a night.
542
543[[WMG: Who Amon is doesn't matter]]
544I'm guessing that the writers will took the same direction as V for Vendetta. Amon is a symbol, and nothing more. There could even be more than one Amon. Just like in the actual V for Vendetta (minor spoilers), [[spoiler: they probably going to explain about his skills, powers (like energybending and chi-blocking), and his recent past, just like how they explained how V is so strong and agile physically. ]] We are going to know a little about Amon, but it won't be much of a shock and more like: "ooh, yeah that makes sense." The man behind the mask doesn't matter, he's just a symbol. He has no secret motive, he has a face that no one will recognize, while he might given a few lies, his character remain the same.
545
546Furthermore, it could be that the whole "face disfigured by a firebender" is just a writers and producers' trick. They can avoid showing his face for character-building reasons (the face doesn't matter), while avoiding the wrath of the fans by saying "We're trying to keep the rating."
547
548[[WMG: There is a spiritual connection between Amon and Korra]]
549Whether it's all related to the Avatar spirit or not, there will be some sort of spiritual connection between Amon and Korra.
550
551[[WMG: Amon's identity will be willfully obfuscated by Creator/SteveBlum being CastAsAMask]]
552And the audible difference of his SecretIdentity's voice artist will be lampshaded as a result of careful practice disguising his voice, which puts many of the supposedly less plausible theories below back in play. In addition, Blum will perform tertiary characters and crowd walla-walla both for utility and in a calculated effort to defeat our attempts to [[NarrowedItDownToTheGuyIRecognize Narrow It Down To The Guy We Recognize]].
553
554[[WMG:Amon is a LegacyCharacter]]
555To contrast from Ozai, at least.
556
557[[WMG:Amon will be the EvilCounterpart to Ozai]]
558Ozai was inactive throughout much of the first series; Amon will be far more hands-on. Ozai ''tried'' to be a good father; Amon will be [[WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDameDisney Frollo]]-esque, with AlternativeCharacterInterpretation to give him reasons (but not excuses) for his atrocities. Ozai was [[RankScalesWithAsskicking frighteningly powerful]]; Amon will be [[TheDreaded disturbingly threatening]], outmatching Azula and Combustion Man for ''Avatar's'' default HeroKiller. Ozai was saddled a FateWorseThanDeath and achieved a NearVillainVictory; Amon will suffer through a KarmicDeath or an AndIMustScream scenario. Ozai was manipulative, but only towards three people; Amon will be manipulative towards everyone in the main cast. Ozai attempted genocide; Amon will ''commit'' genocide. Ozai failed in killing a character; Amon will be responsible for several major deaths.
559* This doesn't make Amon the EvilCounterpart of Ozai, but EvilerThanThou.
560** How can anybody be more eviler than Ozai?
561
562[[WMG: Amon murdered Aang, which is why everyone is so scared of letting Korra near Republic City]]
563Building on my above guess, I guess that Aang was assassinated by Amon, and this is known by Tenzin, the Order of the White Lotus, and by Chief Beifong. Aang likely knew he was being hunted by Amon at some point before his death, and tasked the Order into protecting the next Avatar when he died (which was mentioned by one of them in the first episode) before he went to find Amon. This is why Korra is kept almost imprisoned in a fort at the south pole, why Chief Beifong is so furious to find out she is in Republic city, and why Tenzin tries to prevent her from staying. The only reason Tenzin does not relocate to the South Pole is not because he is needed in the city, but because he wishes to avenge his father.
564** Possibly. Katara could have cooled her jets in the 70 years between ATLA and LOK, wishing to seek justice rather than revenge like Aang would have wanted, and wouldn't approve of her children trying to avenge him... though this is partially Jossed. Tenzin early on didn't seem to think Amon was much of a threat, and he certainly didn't appear to be, and Tenzin was more than likely referring to the poverty and crime plaguing Republic City when he said his duties to the city were more important. Tenzin seems to have inherited Katara's more serious, mentoring personality anyway, and being an airbender and mentored by Aang, he would probably seek justice before revenge. Anyway, this theory is further Jossed by the fact that Word of God and the side materials all say that Aang died naturally, though rather young for an Avatar.
565
566[[WMG:Amon wears a mask because he [[TheFaceless has no face]].]]
567He lost it to Koh somehow.
568* Logically, wouldn't he starve to death? Or suffocate?
569** That monkey outside the cave seemed fine.
570*** That monkey outside the cave was in the Spirit World. The fate of Avatar Kuruk's wife clearly implied that people whose faces are stolen by Koh will die, hence how she was taken from Kuruk.
571*** Koh stole Iroh's face and Iroh survived it. The implication behind Koh isn't that he's a malevolent spirit, he's an manifestation of the depersonalizing nature of enlightenment.
572*** Woah, woah, woah. What?! When did Koh steal Iroh's face?
573*** Before the show began. Iroh talks about how he had an encounter with the spirits that changed his life, and one of the faces Koh shows is a young Iroh. On the avatar wiki, it is the face on the bottom right row with the black mustache and hair. That's young Iroh.
574*** The above theory is {{fanon}}. The only confirmation we had from the stagnant Nick.com site is he was a Fire Nation Soldier. Ummi, Kuruk's wife, whose face Koh stole, is treated as though she ''herself'' remains in Koh's custody when Aang tells Avatar Kuruk "He still has her" in ''VideoGame/EscapeFromTheSpiritWorld''. Kuruk then presumably runs off to metaphysically retrieve her soul in some fashion.
575*** Somewhat debunked by the fact that Amon's eyes are clearly visible in numerous shots.
576*** Not necessarily. Remember, Koh stole the former avatar's wife's face and used it to enter the physical world. If Koh is wearing a face, it might be him under that mask. Also, he's immune to bloodbending (spirit, not real body, therefore no blood), and people have said he waits until people are afraid to take bending away (the whole showing emotion thing).
577
578[[WMG: The fandom will not hesitate to [[DracoInLeatherPants put Amon in leather pants]]]]
579Hell, you could argue that half the [=WMGs=] here are doing that already.
580
581[[WMG: Amon's mask covers up a horribly burned face.]]
582He was injured as a child, a young adult, or otherwise: this could explain his fondness for masks and his hatred of benders.
583* [[MythologyGag He got the scars from a waterbender.]]
584* ''Confirmed'' in Amon's own words in "The Revelation"....but the man could be lying...
585* Confirmed in the season finale [[spoiler: until it was washed off]]!
586
587[[WMG: [[SamusIsAGirl Amon is female]] ]]
588It doesn't have a confirmed voice actor (yet), to joss it.
589* Now that we know Amon has the manliest voice known to humankind, AKA that of Creator/SteveBlum, this is proven false.
590* [[VocalDissonance We can only hope.]]
591
592[[WMG: Amon is an AntiVillain]]
593Because we already had an evil BigBad.
594
595[[WMG:Amon will cross the MoralEventHorizon]]
596Whatever it'll be, it'll cement him as an even worse monster than Ozai.
597* Maybe it'll [[EvenEvilHasStandards put off]] a lot of his followers too, and maybe even prompt a HeelFaceTurn in Lieutenant.
598** My guess is that he'll plan to KILL the benders after Amon takes away their bending. After all, I doubt the Equalists will let them go afterwards.
599** Or that he'll start attacking other non-benders for not supporting the cause, Shinobi not counted.
600
601[[WMG: Amon's MoralEventHorizon will have to do with bending children]]
602Its physically impossible to take bending away from people who aren't even born yet. Thus, when the next generation of bender's are born, Amon's true motives will come to light. And it'll all start with Tenzin's kids, Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo. All benders-AIRBENDERS at a young age, Amon'll kidnap them and will order that his men to keep Korra, Mako, Bolin, and Tenzin away while he...does his dirty work. They manage to arrive..in time to save Jinora. Ikki and Meelo are now scarred since Amon took away their gift.
603* Oh crap this actually seems likely given the darker direction the show seems to be heading. Plus attempting to exterminate an entire bender faction this way would definitely fit into his plan to screw over the avatar cycle as well as benders
604** This might actually be foreshadowed, since in the first episode, Pema wishes that her next child will be "normal" like her, thus making it a case of BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor.
605
606[[WMG:Amon will be a HeroKiller]]
607Almost every other ''Avatar'' villain has, so he shouldn't be any different.
608* [[spoiler: Partially done, if you count him taking away Lin's bending.]]
609
610[[WMG:Amon was a child of two bending parents but he himself [[MuggleBornOfMages couldn't bend.]]]]
611Best FreudianExcuse for the BigBad is to have his parents reject or even outright abandon him. This made Amon bitter and resentful towards all benders.
612* Just like [[Franchise/HarryPotter Filch]]!
613
614[[WMG: Amon had a bending sibling but could not bend himself.]]
615Similar to the above theory. Amon had a Bender sibling who got all the praise from his parents and grew up [[SiblingRivalry resenting him or her]].
616* Just like [[Franchise/HarryPotter Petunia]]!
617
618[[WMG: Amon will be "interested" in Korra.]]
619* Just because...
620** [[FoeRomanceSubtext Interested?]]
621*** Well if the fans are to be believed, he's already ''[[MemeticMolester interested]]'' in a few people.
622
623[[WMG: Amon will attempt to [[WeCanRuleTogether get Korra on his side.]]]]
624History has demonstrated more then once that if you want to change the world, having the Avatar on your side is a good idea. Exhibit A: Kyoshi dealing with the Earth Kingdom revolts (OK, granted that was more like Kyoshi finding a middle ground, but still). Exhibit B: The Fire Nation getting beaten by Aang. As a result, FoeRomanceSubtext between Korra and Amon will be inevitable.
625* Expanding on this WMG, the Equalists want all people to be just that, equal, and not have the privilege of "bending". This also prevents a retrace of Ozai's genocidal plan to eliminate all the other nations, simply replacing "Ozai" with "Amon" and "the other nations" with "benders". This is why they utilize Ty Lee's chi-blocking techniques in their fighting: it takes away a bender's abilities and puts them on equal footing with the foe that the bender was fighting. However, this technique is not permanent and once the bender's chi channels are unblocked, he/she can use their bending again. Only the Avatar, specifically Aang, has been recorded to truly and permanently take away a person's bending. It's been stated in the leaked promotional material that Korra struggles with the spiritual side of bending, even though she excels at the physical part. Amon will play on this weakness of hers and get her to question her beliefs, and [[StrawmanHasAPoint make some fair arguments]] to trick her into thinking that his viewpoint is correct, hoping that she will make a HeelFaceTurn and use Energybending to take away benders' abilities the whole world over.
626
627[[WMG: Amon will use Korra to be rid of bending forever]]
628Specifically, Amon will permit Korra to complete her realization as the Avatar, and for her to learn energybending by some means. At which point he will use her as a living weapon by some means, forcing her to produce a mass energybending field on a global scale to wipe bending out forever. Korra overcoming this will symbolize her mastering the spiritual side of bending.
629
630[[WMG:Amon's long term goal is...]]
631To create the world's first nuclear bomb, or something extremely similar in power. He's an evil genius who believes all benders think they're above non-benders. So, he wants to prove he can be more powerful than any bender...which is why he's trying to create the bomb. This also would explain why Aang died young--the villain tricked him into going into a small space, and set off a large explosion that killed him. It was a prototype he's trying to make more powerful.
632* Aang died young because of his decreased lifespan, thanks to his time in the iceberg.
633
634[[WMG:[[ManipulativeBastard Amon's just using the Equalist Movement for his own ends]]]]
635His plan to rid the world of benders (either through genocide or legal means) is a front to allow himself to take it over unopposed. This will be revealed and he will reveal himself to either be an extremely powerful Bender himself or have some secret weapon he was planning to unleash once he's succeeded.
636* Why hello there [[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite Ghetsis]]!
637
638[[WMG: Amon uses benders as a political scapegoat.]]
639Basically, he found some way to convince large groups of non-benders that benders were the source for a lot of their problems. By giving the people a common enemy, it's easier for him to get them to gather under his power and command. He may not really harbor any hatred toward benders, and may even be a bender himself, but he took discrimination against benders that already existed and used it to his advantage.
640* Just like [[GodwinsLaw Hitler]] did with the Jews!
641
642[[WMG: The Equalists take orders from Amon, and Amon takes orders from... Chief Beifong.]]
643Amon is a fake persona, a plant, concocted by Lin Beifong to co-opt rising anti-bender sentiments and discredit the whole movement through violent acts.
644
645[[WMG: Amon and his lieutenant will be expies of Lenin and Trotsky respectively.]]
646Amon will be a cynical and ruthless, but ultimately [[PragmaticVillainy pragmatic]] BigBad who rallies support from the genuinely oppressed by offering them what the elite are unwilling to, but is ultimately interested [[DespotismJustifiesTheMeans in power above all else]]. He will be [[MagnificentBastard a political mastermind]] and just [[EvilIsCool cool]] enough while also making enough [[StrawmanHasAPoint genuinely good political points]] to inspire tons of [[DracoInLeatherPants pantsification.]] The lieutenant will be a genuinely idealistic WellIntentionedExtremist AntiVillain who carries his idealism to the point of fanaticism believing ends justify the means. Will be a tactical and strategic genius but not as good at playing internal politics. In the second season they will be joined by a paranoid, brutal and AxeCrazy Stalin expy who at first seems useful to them but ultimately takes power and destroys them in an EnemyCivilWar to become the true BigBad.
647** Possible, but more likely he's an expy of Mao (hell, their names are similar enough already). He's a savvy and charismatic leader dedicated to bringing equality to the downtrodden masses who may or may not go completely off the rails and/or drop his facade, depending on how cynical the show gets. On the other hand, Lin Beifong is the Chiang Kai-Shek figure, the nationalist military leader who keeps the peace with an iron fist, who may or may not be a fascist and who lets the Triads operate with impunity, again, depending on how cynical the show gets. Lin's efforts to exterminate the Equalist movement whilst ignoring their legitimate grievances (as well as her possible massive corruption) will send the legitimate Equalist sentiment spiraling out of control into full-blown revolution.
648*** ...Except that in RealLife Mao had almost zero charisma, didn't give a rat's ass about the downtrodden masses and didn't really have any strong idealogical convictions beyond an ironically Ayn-Rand like philosophy of complete self-absorption. The person you're describing is a lot more like Ho Chi Minh than Mao.
649*** Dunno where you got your sources but would a non charismatic, low in ideology, and totally ruthless guy take over China with at their least 8000 men? What Mao did after he came into power is strictly irrelevant to what he was perceived before he did so. To be fair, no one would've supported him if they know what he would end up doing in the 60s and 70s. Which does make sense to see a plot where Amon did succeed in taking over the city and start to implement all kinds of cruelties.
650
651[[WMG: Amon runs on [[ILied lies]], and the entire Revelation was staged.]]
652In the original Avatar series, most of the villains tried to succeed by using force. Amon contrasts that by purely messing with people's brains to get his way. Amon captured Bolin because he knew it would draw in Korra, as it's already been heavily publicised in Republic City that they're on a Pro-Bending team together. Without letting Bolin in on anything, Amon paid the bending criminals to pretend that they were in the same situation as Bolin. Then Amon "demonstrated" his energybending in front of Korra on the criminals, intentionally putting Bolin last in line so Korra wouldn't stop the thing until she saw his "power". In reality, he has no power. But since Korra thinks he does, he will no longer be targeted head-on by any benders. Why wouldn't an anti-bender want to take advantage of the concept of energybending? It's a bender's worst enemy. And since The Avatar is the only one who formerly grasped energybending, the prospect of someone else doing it would probably get to Korra's head. He probably made up his backstory to get sympathy as well. Ever notice how similar it was to Mako's backstory? Amon builds himself up by claiming he is not only powerful, but sensible. Eventually, when he is actually confronted by Korra one-on-one with nowhere to run, [[VillainousBreakdown he'll be exposed for the lying little weakling he is]], full with his mask flying off to reveal a totally unharmed face.
653* [[http://masterarrowhead.tumblr.com/post/21546778935/hawkfeather-atla-annotated-energybending-a More evidence to support this.]] The Internet is a wonderful thing, isn't it?
654** If the Triads' de-powering was staged then Amon improved his technique by the time he met the Wolf-Bats.
655
656[[WMG: Amon was given Energybending by Aang]]
657Lets be perfectly honest here, Aang may have had shades of [[IdiotHero heroic idiocy]], but he probably realized at some point that Airbenders would not be able to reestablish themselves purely through the . . . efforts . . . of him and his direct descendants. Energybending can ''take away'' one's bending ability, so it may very well be able to ''give'' a nonbender bending abilities. Theory: Aang initially tried to resurrect the Air nomads by finding people of a compatible mentality and gifting them the potential for Airbending. Amon was initially one of his students and one of the most promising. So promising, in fact, that before Tenzin proved himself as a capable Airbending master, Aang gifted Amon the ability to spiritbend, so that he could continue recruiting airbenders in the event of Aang's death. However, they perhaps had a severe falling-out (possibly fueled by Tenzin coming into his own, and Aang beginning to favor him rather than Amon) and Amon struck out on his own. There is some possible support for this in episode 3; when Katara reports to Tenzin about Amon taking away someone's bending, he hesitates and gives the classic "shifty eyes" look before saying that only the Avatar was capable of such a thing.
658
659[[WMG: Amon was a disciple of Aang's, and Aang taught him energybending so he could act a safety valve against powerful benders.]]
660In the end of "The Revelation", Tenzin clearly states that previously only the Avatar has been able to energybend. So, if we are to accept that Amon's energybending is the real deal and not fakery, who else could've taught him that but Aang himself? Based on his experience in the war against Fire Nation, Aang realized that powerful benders could do tremendous damage to the world. Also, he suspected that even the Avatar could possibly go corrupt abuse his/her power. So he decided that there should be a force in the world that could counter power-hungry benders. He sought out a non-bender disciple who he knew was wary of benders, and trained him to energybend, so that this disciple could stop any powerful bender, possibly even the next Avatar, from abusing his powers. This disciple was Amon. However, Aang didn't realize the extent of hatred Amon has for benders, or that he might use what he has learned to actively fight against ''all'' benders, not just the corrupt ones.
661
662This WMG can also be combined with the WMG that Amon is Bumi, Aang's non-bender son. In that case Aang taught Bumi energybending for aforementioned reasons, but he didn't realize Bumi had begun to resent and envy all benders, having grown up as a non-bender in the most famous bender family of them all. In that case Amon's story of his family getting killed by a firebender is obviously a lie Bumi concoted to gain sympathy from the other Equalists.
663* It's unlikely that Amon is Bumi. Bumi has dark skin, and as we can tell from his hands, Amon has light skin.
664
665[[WMG: Amon isn't actually human]]
666In reality, Amon is a spirit from the spirit world. It may explain his energybending, and the reason he wants to take away the benders powers is simply because he doesn't want them meddling in the spirit world any longer.
667* [[spoiler: This might actually hold some water since Tarrlok's bloodbending doesn't affect him.]]
668** [[spoiler: No, the bloodbending definitely affected him, as evidenced by how he moved noticeably slower when Tarrlok stepped up his game. He was just able to resist it.]]
669*** That may have just been an act. [[spoiler: If bloodbending had actually affected him, he wouldn't be able to resist, as it's not a matter of how strong a person is, or the Avatar would have been able to do it too.]]
670
671[[WMG: Amon really [[MemeticMutation can't tell a joke even if he tried.]]]]
672He really can't.
673
674[[WMG:Amon was chosen by Aang as a means of keeping the balance in Republic City.]]
675Aang taught Amon energybending as a last resort in case the benders of Republic City became too corrupt. He seemed to be the correct choice, but was eventually wronged by some bending gang like the Triads and decided to use the power Aang gave him to make sure he would never be wronged again.
676
677[[WMG: There is more than one "Amon".]]
678When your main identifying feature is a mask, it's no great feat to be in many places at once. "Amon" is actually a CollectiveIdentity of two or more people who need each other's influence to build up the Equalist movement into a real political force, but both their methods and motivations are divergent. Only one Amon is capable of Energybending, and is the top dog compared to the other(s), and it was a different Amon who encountered Korra on the Memorial Island; after all, putting the only Energybender in the group to such great risk of falling into a trap, if Korra had been remotely devious enough for such deception, would have been incredibly poor planning. Hence why he had to present an excuse as to why he wouldn't strip his most dangerous enemy of her Bending then and there.
679
680I'm inclined to believe that Tarlakk is one of the Amons, and uses his authority to take down small fish in the organization, convincing the rest of the reality of the Bending threat while simultaneously giving the general populance an impression that everything is under control, but his goals clearly can't involve Bending equality; the Energybending Amon is much more dangerous and driven to this goal.
681* This could be, but in all of Amon's appearances so far we've seen that he has the yellowish eyes and fair skin of a Fire Nationer, which would seem to rule out Tarrlok, Bumi, and some of the other suspects, due to them having a different eye and/or skin colour. (Unless, of course, the Avatar world has some equivalent to our coloured contact lenses and body paint.) So far, the only important character with the same eye and skin colour that we've met is Hiroshi Sato.
682* So, Amon is Anon(ymous)? Mind = blown.
683
684[[WMG: The firebender who killed Mako's and Bolin's father is...]]
685A. the firebender who allegedly killed Amon's parents.\
686B. Lightning Bolt Zolt or someone directly related to him, like a son or brother or something.\
687C. ...if we want to suspend the willing disbelief, Zuko. But much less likely.\
688Note that none of these are particularly exclusionary.
689
690[[WMG: The Spirit(s) helping Amon]]
691General guessing thread.
692* Koh
693** The most probable. He has a precedent for dicking around with Avatars.
694* Wan-Shi-Tong
695** Unlikely. He couldn't give a flying feather about the mundane world and all its caprices.
696* Yue
697** Also unlikely. She is now mantling a central spiritual figure for Waterbending. Why would she want to dispense with her disciples? She's not a vindicative sort like that either.
698* The spirit of the land/nature of Republic City, now overrun by technology - think Hei-Bei.
699
700[[WMG: Amon is a Bloodbender and a chi-blocker]]
701Those two abilities combined allow him to [[spoiler: fake Energybending]]. Or he has a Bloodbender helping him behind the scenes (perhaps Tarrlok) and can only chi-block himself.
702* [[spoiler: Possibly, given that Tarrlok's Bloodbending doesn't effect him, he could just be a bender in disguise.]]
703
704[[WMG: The Spirits didn't tell Amon how to de-bend to tear down the Benders, but as a convoluted method to BreakTheHaughty Korra and get her on track.]]
705This would not be the first time that a Spirit entity has given an Avatar a swift kick in the ass to get them back on track; Koh the Face Stealer swiped the face of Kuruk's bride as punishment for his laissez-faire attitude towards his Avatar duties. And Amon will find out and be completely pissed that he's just a CosmicPlaything.
706* Going into a litte more detail, let's assume that Koh did, in fact, steal Amon's face and taught him energybending. Anyone remember the previous Water Tribe avatar, who didn't take his responsibilities seriosuly enough? And remember how Korra's having a tough time connecting to the Spirit World? The Spirits saw this coming and decided to pre-emptively give her a kick in the ass to get in gear.
707** Koh manipulates a boy who may or may not be an orphan from a firebender attack. He lures him into the Spirit World and steals his face. Since the boy can't eat now (no face=no mouth), Koh says that he knows a way to keep him alive- feeding on the energy of benders. That's why we never get a lightshow with him- he's an energy vampire.
708** Koh tells Amon that they need a new balancer to manipulate him into uniting the nonbenders. This brings attention to an imbalance in the Avatar world- the fact that nonbenders have no real power, giving the benders far too much. That's what Korra has to fix but, being a bender, she needs to realize that it's a problem.
709** Amon will get Korra thinking about the rights of nonbenders and connecting to the Spirit World. And he will never realize- or maybe he will, at the end- that he was only a CosmicPlaything.
710
711[[WMG: Amon is the Anti-Avatar who knows the element Wu.]]
712Korra is the avatar, so if Amon is the series' big bad, it would make sense. So say there was the traditional (I want to say Taoist) elements of China, with Nothingness: Wu. There is a pentagram analogy used to describe this and in the middle is energy bending, the Wu is accessed by the anti-avatar every so oftern, when he/she is renincarnated. Amon is the only a-avatar to unlock this as most do not know of thir existence. The Wu will force the end of the world because of the Artifical Enlightenment caused by Chi-less world of non-benders. The AAs aren't necessarily bad, they just seek to end pain.
713
714[[WMG: Amon will not be related to anyone, and will look like a normal man under the mask.]]
715It would be a very effective commentary on everyone having equal capacity for good or for evil. And if Korra manages to learn Airbending and blow Amon's disguise away, she can show people the truth--no scars, no divine mission, simply one man with an obsessive vision and the ability to persuade followers. Which is how so many real revolutions got started.
716
717[[WMG: Amon is related to Yakone, who has something to do with how Amon is now.]]
718Yakone was a man who was mentioned to be a huge threat to Republic City before Aang stepped in and took care of him, but it hasn't been said what he exactly did. Yakone could have been one of the first Equalists who, instead of chi-blocking, held rallies and demanded non-benders to have equality to benders. The Benders on top see him as a threat as his followers become uncontrollable. Soon after his followers do something that nearly destroys Republic City, Yakone is held accountable and executed by Aang. His son, who had looked up to his father and was now the target of benders and non-benders who wanted nothing to do with him, disappears. Years later, Amon appears and promises to bring the benders down, saving the Avatar, who killed his father, for last.
719** Evidence seems to be leading up to that. When Korra has been knocked out, both times during an encounter with Amon and his minions, she had flashbacks to the Gaang while they were older, even calling Aang's name when Tenzin came to check on her. During the raid on the Arena, it seemed like Korra was going to have a flashback of the whole thing involving Yakone. And the creators never put anything in by accident, especially in an animated show.
720** [[spoiler:Confirmed, at least if what Tarrlok says is true, in that Tarrlok is Amon's brother.]]
721** He IS.
722
723[[WMG: Amon's Energy Bending will be his downfall]]
724It's said that if one tries to Energy Bend someone else's life energy, their spirit must be unbendable, or they'll be destroyed. At present, Amon is totally sure of his own ideals and motivations, thus he's able to Energy Bend. In the end, Korra or someone will give him a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech, making him undergo a VillainousBreakdown and second guess his own ideals. He'll try to Energy Bend Korra, but his spirit is no longer unbendable, [[HoistByHisOwnPetard causing it to backfire and destroy him]].
725* Amon wasn't keeping Avatar for last, he is simply terrified of Avatar.
726
727[[WMG: When Amon attempts to de-bend Korra, her spiritual training will have advanced to the point where she is Unbendable, and Amon fails to de-bend her.]]
728And will possibly get to see the consequences of failing to de-bend someone properly.
729* Alternately, attempting to de-bend Korra inadvertently triggers the Avatar State... [[PersonOfMassDestruction with predictable consequences]]. And Amon gets an unpleasant reminder of the nature of the forces he's playing around with.
730
731[[WMG: At some point, Amon will take over Shiro Shinobi's role as announcer on the PreviouslyOn segments.]]
732Based soley on his tendency to hijack radio broadcasts.
733** Possibly Episode 7 because Shiro was knocked out the episode prior?
734** Well not for episode 8, at least. Shiro is back.
735
736[[WMG: Amon (directly or indirectly) bribed the referee to let the Wolf Bats blatantly cheat in the Pro Bending final.]]
737Because breaking in on a fairly-won match wouldn't give him nearly as much propaganda for his speech. He's clearly not above dirty tricks to achieve his ends.
738* The Wolf Bats had to know about the bribery, though, or otherwise they wouldn't have used those illegal moves. It seems more likely that the Wolf Bats simply had a habit of bribing the judges, Amon found out about it, guessed (or knew) that they would do that in the final match, and decided to use their cheating as a propaganda tool.
739** Or Tahno made some kind of deal with Amon so he could keep his bending and Amon went back on his word.
740
741[[WMG: Zuko disfigured Amon's face.]]
742Amon said his face was disfigured by a bender. One of the creators said he has a connection to Zuko. Therefore...
743* That could be. Everything is about perspective, and the kind of person that would start a movement like this wouldn't be above seeing himself as the victim of his on folly. He could have been minding his own business mugging people and didn't realize he was going after Fire Lord Zuko. Maybe he challenges people to agni kai all the time, and he raged like Zhao after losing.
744
745[[WMG: Amon is actually a firebender.]]
746If he is actually energybending, this would explain how he has the affinity. Also, we know that he has the light skin and gold eyes of the Fire Nation. Maybe something happened in his past where he gained a hatred of all benders, and he wears the mask because he can't look at himself in the mirror.
747* In the episode where he attacks the Bending arena, a blast of fire gets launched into his blimp, knocking some minions around; but it mysteriously flows around Amon, leaving him untouched. He may have been bending it away from himself.
748
749[[WMG: Amon USED to be a bender.]]
750Aang took his bending away in retaliation for a crime -- perhaps because he's secretly Yakone, which would explain why Korra mainly has those flashbacks in Amon's presence. Either way, when Aang took his bending away, he somehow inadvertently granted Amon the ability to spiritbend, which he now uses towards his own ends.
751* Maybe Amon paid attention to what was happening when Aang took away his bending, and learned how to do it himself from that one experience.
752
753[[WMG: At some point, there will be a "[[Franchise/CodeGeass Million Amons scene]]".]]
754Party for the sake of RuleOfCool and the homage it makes, but perhaps also as a calculated effort by the Equalists to obscure Amon's true identity by claiming, "We are ''all'' Amon!".
755
756[[WMG: Amon's identity will be discovered when Korra takes off his mask and heals most of his face with waterbending]]
757And he will have a breakdown because a bender showed him true kindness.
758** To add more to this theory, Amon's Equalist revolution relies on the cruelty of benders in order to appeal to followers and attract them. If Korra acts on her Water Tribe nature and heals his scarred face after defeating him, in front of everybody, people will realize not ''everyone'' that is a bender is cruel and start changing the agenda or ditching him.
759
760[[WMG: In the end, Amon will lose his following when it's pointed out that he's become HeWhoFightsMonsters]]
761He accuses Benders of oppressing and torturing non-Benders...and yet has launched terrorist attacks that harmed plenty of nonbenders in the process, and will probably get even worse as it goes on. When this is pointed out, in a suitable way, it'll cause his support to shatter, possibly coupled with a few other things, and cause him to have a VillainousBreakdown.
762* Well, in episode 7, we met one guy who initially supported the cause but left because he didn't like the violent direction things were going in. It's likely that he isn't the only Equalist (or former Equalist) who feels that way.
763** Except that Equalist was a plant by Amon to lure the metalbending cops to the underground factory so he could capture them. I'm not saying your theory is invalid, but the guy we saw probably wasn't dissatisfied with the Equalists.
764
765[[WMG: Amon actually instigates one way or another for benders to commit crimes, one way or another]]
766A running joke is that firebenders kill everyone's parents. Is it possible that Amon hires or somehow convinces them to do heinous things one way or another? It's possible that Amon needs to create a massive panic for his plans, and what better way than by using a figure that is already suspicious (the firebenders because of the war) and/or that he has a grudge on firebenders (because Amon's story is partially true?). In other words, Asami's mother's death was caused one way or another by Amon, and so was Mako and Bolin's parents' death. Basically, by making sure there's constant/frequent death or injury by benders, Amon can use people's feelings to support his cause.
767** Amon could have caused Mrs. Sato's death to get Future Industries' resources, though he clearly doesn't care that much about publicity anymore, as he destroyed a sports stadium and eliminated Lin's entire police force.
768* That could tie in with an above WMG that Amon was the one who bribed the referees in the pro-bending championship match.
769
770[[WMG: Underneath the mask, Amon is an incredibly bizzare form of TheWormThatWalks.]]
771You remember WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas and how Oogie Boogie was made out of bugs? Picture that with Amon, except replace the bugs with miniaturized Creator/SteveBlum characters.
772
773My dreams are ''weird''.
774
775* Nah, Amon is made of tiny versions of mysterious, vengeful masked plotter ever: he's "someone of no importance" like [[Manga/{{Naruto}} Tobi]], he wants to take over the world (or at least influence it) like [[Manga/TwentiethCenturyBoys Friend]], he claims his face is disfigured like [[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries Calendar Girl]], he's got a legion of followers like [[ComicBook/VForVendetta V]] and Anonymous, and isn't that [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} Tzeentch]] guy made of masks and plots?
776
777[[WMG: Amon has a plan to gain government power.]]
778That way, it's easier for him to do what he wants, and to implement laws to disadvantage non-benders. Such laws would include making it illegal to use bending, forcing benders to only live in certain areas and go to certain places, making them wear things to indicate their bender status, preventing them from having children, and more.
779
780[[WMG: Amon has plans for genocide.]]
781Amon's ability to take bending away is impractical on a large scale. It should also be noted that even if a person is not a bender, they still have the ability to produce bender offspring. Katara is proof that two non-benders can have a bender child. Even if he can take bending away from someone, that doesn't necessarily take away their ability to produce bender children. So the only way to get rid of bending forever [[NightmareFuel is to remove it from the gene pool]]...
782* That's going to be a pretty gruesome genocide, seeing as ''that's not how Bending works''. It is a skill, originating from those who observed and learned it from the primal elemental benders.
783** That is how bending first ''started''. Nowadays it's an inherited trait one is borned with. It all depends on genetics and spirituality, though what is meant by "spirituality" is unclear, especially sense super powerful benders can be spiritually weak and non-benders spiritually strong, so it's mostly genes. Genocide is a plausible solution, as long as you watch out for any... "rediscoverers".
784*** There was an episode in ATLA (The Fortuneteller IIRC) where they had identical twins, one an Earthbender, the other not. Genetics are not nearly as restricting a factor as made out to be.
785
786[[WMG: Amon is planning on making a martyr of himself in the finale.]]
787A ThanatosGambit seems right up his alley.
788* Amon is [[Manga/TwentiethCenturyBoys Friend]] [[spoiler: --the original]]!
789
790[[WMG: Amon will achieve his goals, but in the form of being a StealthMentor to Korra]]
791Other theories will establish that he is a very spiritual person given he has obtained some sort of energybending and was able to get it by entering the Spirit World. His goals of equality and peace for everyone are legit, but knows the Avatar has to be involved, and needs to be matured to achieve it. What does he do? Give Korra a reason to be more spiritual in the bending arts, assume the role as a Water Avatar more than a hot-headed female, and eventually finish it by indirectly aiding her access to the Spirit World and giving her knowledge of energybending to assure the job is finished. It was the payment he had to make to obtain the ability to energybend.
792
793[[WMG: Amon is SecretlyDying]]
794He was given a fatal injury prior to the series, or gave up a good chunk of life energy to obtain energybending. It just hasn't shown yet or is hiding it.
795* Alternatively, he uses energybending to stay alive by stealing other peoples' energy.
796
797[[WMG: Underneath Amon's mask...]]
798...Is another mask.
799
800[[WMG: Korra is the only one who can kill Amon and set him free]]
801Those words apply to Korra as well.
802
803[[WMG: Amon will [[spoiler: [[VillainousRescue help Korra escape from Tarrlok.]] ]] ]]
804[[spoiler: Amon still needs Korra for his revolution, as he's saving her for last. Tarrlok could blame the Equalists for Korra's disappearance, causing Republic City to unite against Amon. This leads Amon to help Korra escape after Tarrlok kidnaps her. [[EnemyMine Maybe they'll even join forces against Tarrlok!]] ]]
805* This is....{{jossed}}? In Out of the Past, [[spoiler: Amon ''did'' take out Tarrlok by debending him, but then he tried to capture Korra, only to have her escape.]]
806
807[[WMG: Tarrlock is related to Amon]]
808 In ''When Extremes Meet,'' Korra compares Tarrlock and Amon together. This seems to be the only thing that really gets under Tarrlock's skin, since he was ignoring everything else she said. This troper thinks it's possible that Amon and Tarrlock are/were related (not necessarily by blood) but something tore them apart and/or made them hate each other
809* '''CONFIRMED'''. They are brothers. And that something was ''someone'', none other than '''their father - Yakhone'''.
810
811[[WMG: Amon and Tarrlok got their special powers from the same source.]]
812Both men, using secret knowledge, opposed to one another yet each trying to corrupt Republic City in some fashion. Amon claims his ability came from the spirits opposed to the old Avatar. There is a spirit with a personal beef against Avatar Aang for a grave insult, a spirit who can dispense secret knowledge to willing agents: Wan Shi Tong.
813
814[[WMG: Amon actually started the Equalist movement to oppose Yakhone.]]
815Judging from the flashbacks and Tarrlok's supposed relation to him, Yakhone was possibly an extremely powerful and fanatical bending supremacist. Obviously this would be more than enough justification for Aang and his friends to try and stop him. Amon still remembers this time, and somehow has knowledge that Yakhone or one of his followers has returned. Knowing that Yakhone is a bending supremacist, he formed the Equalists as a direct counter to him, as well as a method of flushing him out.
816* Actually he created it to oppose Tarrlok, his brother!
817
818[[WMG: Amon will have a TearJerker death that Korra will cry to.]]
819Tarrlok will gleefully torture and leave Amon to die, humiliating him. Korra will explode in tears, trying to save Amon, but he stops her, suggesting she be the new figure non-benders to look up to and achieve peace. Korra takes up this responsibility to acknowledge Amon as someone who wanted to obtain equality for good purposes and shouldn't be remembered as a villain.
820
821[[WMG: Amon is the result of failed Energybending.]]
822Aang was taught how to use energybending through an energybending transference technique used by the lion turtle. Aang is cautioned against having a weak spirit when using the technique, or else he would be infected by the spirit of the one he used it upon and could even be killed. What if the infection works both ways? Perhaps Aang used this technique on the man who would become Amon, and the technique backfired- transferring the ability to energybend to Amon and proving his claims that the Avatar failed. Aang is dead by the beginning of the series, after all, and there's nothing to say it was from old age...
823
824[[WMG: Amon is/was a wannabe Air Nomad or Air Acolyte.]]
825He's not a bender, of course, but growing up he was fascinated by Air Nomad culture and spirituality and studied it. He really has no desire to take everyone's bending away, but the bending of those who abuse their power (Lightning Bolt Zolt and Tahno, for example). Air Nomad culture emphasizes being kind to all creatures, and the abuses of bending we see in both ATLA and TLOK would be HEAVILY frowned upon by Air Nomads. Also, it's unlikely that any Air Nomad in Aang's time would have approved of pro-bending. This is why all of Amon's victims are Asshole Victims, and why he doesn't simply kill them. His study led him to the Spirit World, where a spirit saw fit to give him the gift of energy bending. Alternatively, he was never given the ability to Energybend, but it was after talking to a spirit that made him realize that the world was out of balance due to benders abusing their ability to bend. Of course, he was already prejudiced against Firebenders, and simply expanded his prejudice to waterbenders and earth benders. He never planned on taking Korra's bending away, because why would he blame the Avatar when the previous one had likely inspired him?! But then Korra came to Republic City and on her first day destroyed several buildings, and began pro-bending, which would of course rub Amon the wrong way because to him, even the freaking Avatar is abusing her bending! It explains why Amon hasn't (been shown to have) hated Tenzin or his Airbender kids, and Tenzin being the voice of reason helps.
826* It would actually make dramatic sense for him to ''still'' be an Air Acolyte... he could strike at any time on Air Temple Island, hitting Team Avatar in their own home.
827
828[[WMG: Amon is Yakone's son.]]
829And Yakone was the firebender that killed his family. But, not in the way we've been thinking. Amon's family was killed in both the physical and philosophical sense - his father was the only bender, having taken a non-bender wife and having a non-bending son. Driven into a sense of superiority over his family, Yakone often berated and otherwise mistreated them, and Amon received his share of abuse. This culminates into a horrid night when Amon's mother dies protecting him from his father, and his father, blaming Amon for the death, burns his face.
830* Jossed. Yakone was a bloodbender.
831** [[spoiler: Unjossed and confirmed in Episode 11. Turns out that "energybending" he was doing was actually bloodbending.]]
832
833[[WMG: Amon is Professor Zei]]
834The last time we saw the professor, he was trapped in a library with Wan Shi Tong. Considering the professors attitude regarding knowledge, he and Wan Shi Tong probably saw each other as kindred spirits. Wan Shi Tong hates mortal wars with a vengeance, and, considering his experiences with benders in AtLA, its not entirely impossible that he considers benders the main source of all war. Over the past 70 years, he has been indoctrinating and training professor Zei. The library has confirmed literature on lion-turtles, so its possible that there was also information on spirit-bending.
835
836[[WMG: Amon is an EldritchAbomination]]
837[[http://you-are-bolin.tumblr.com/post/23200693911/amons-revelation-speech-has-a-hidden-message-a Servants, I am the night]].
838
839[[WMG: If Amon is Tarrlok, he is using bloodbending + chi blocking to debend benders. Blood bending may be another form of chi blocking]]
840Think about it, healing in Waterbending is all about using water as a catalyst to move chi across the energy paths in the body to the affected area for healing. Which means waterbenders are chi manipulators because they use water's property to store and transfer energy by flowing. Bloodbenders by blocking the flow of water in the body, also block the flow of chi making it impossible for their opponents to bend against them. Now using a combination of bloodbending and chi blocking, this could be used for very destructive purposes. Amon could block off or ''destroy'' the same chi paths and completely stop the flow of energy through the chakras, making it impossible to bend. This also means the risks of Energybending can be avoided and it's possibly why healers cannot help them - the chi paths are too damaged or blocked for their healing to work. It also explains why being debended makes the victims so weak and drained - there is very little chi flowing through their limbs.
841
842[[WMG: Amon is Tarrlok's brother and both are sons of Yakhone]]
843What else is wilder than guessing that Tarrlok is Amon? One possibility is that they're both working together to destabilize the city by pushing the bender-non bender tensions back and forth. Or Tarrlok fanatically supports bending while Amon wants to oppress it -- because it started out of extreme sibling rivalry. Tarrlok probably harassed his non-bender sibling enough to give him a full fledged hatred and vendetta for all bending.
844* Backing this is in "When Extremes Meet",Korra pushes Tarrlok's Berserk Button by accusing him of being just like Amon, suggesting sibling rivalry.
845* '''CONFIRMED'''. They are both brothers, AND sons of Yakhone. But it was Yakhone who pitted them against each other.
846
847[[WMG: Aang is trying to tell Korra that Tarrlock is Yakhone's son and that Amon being Tarrlock allows to play on both bender and non-bender sides and destabilize the whole city and destroy Aang's vision and work.]]
848This guess is nothing short of FridgeBrilliance if it's confirmed. This guy is playing a '''double agent'''. As a bender, he is Tarrlock and he is increasingly going against non-benders by cutting down their rights more and more, imposing curfews and sanctions. He's stirring their anger. Then in the non-bender camp, he plays Amon, leading the Equalists, using the city's moves to wage war against benders and getting them to retaliate and using Energybending to strip benders of their fire power. It is precisely by the fact ''Tarrlock is a waterbender that he is able to ward off suspicion against himself - because everyone thinks Amon is a non-bender by default''. His ultimate plan is to create a huge war in Republic city that utterly destroys it in the process, taking his revenge on the Avatar by doing so. This also allows him to both get rid of bending and maybe for added sadism, oppress non-benders at the other end.
849* Also it is the icing on his cake for his EvilPlan: [[XanatosGambit he will win regardless of the outcome]].
850* For the rest, see the WMG below.
851* Half Confirmed. Aang really was trying to warn Korra that Tarrlok was Yakone's son, but he's not Amon.
852* [[spoiler: But Amon is Yakone's son, so really the only thing this guess got wrong was that Amon and Tarrlok are brothers, rather than the same person.]]
853
854[[WMG: Amon will only be defeated in a head on battle to the death in the finale]]
855Everything that's happening in the last 8 episodes is working to his advantage. With weak links in his GambitRoulette out of the question, the only way he can be defeated is head on in battle by a stronger opponent.
856
857[[WMG: Amon will team up with Korra to bring Tarrlok down]]
858The events of "When Extremes Meet" have not upgraded Tarrlok into a second BigBad. Think about it: while Amon has been pretty ruthless in his methods so far, he leaves Benders alone after robbing them of their bending. Once he takes it away, they're non-benders, he has no issue with them anymore. Tarrlok, by contrast, is not only abusing and oppressing non-benders, he's also manipulating benders into being exactly what Amon says they are, abusing their bending to take political control of Republic City. Add to that his political machinations and he's objectively a MUCH bigger threat. This will lead to an EnemyMine situation where Korra and Amon actually put aside their differences temporarily to bring Tarrlok down. They will not win sympathy from each other at all: Korra will remain as opposed to Amon as ever and Amon will gain no sympathy for benders. However, they will agree that a world where they're the only ones at each other's throats is preferable to one where Tarrlok succeeds. I theorize that Amon is the one who will offer the temporary alliance, and Korra will accept out of desperation. After all, she got dragged out of Republic City by Tarrlok, and he'll probably be in full control by the time she returns. This is could also lead to Korra actually winning some Equalists to her side(it could lead to a reconciliation between Asami and Hiroshi Sato, for example).
859* Jossed. Amon didn't even need Korra's help.
860
861[[WMG: Amon discovered how to ''become'' a bender.]]
862Remember in the first series, the Lion Turtle basically stated that energybending is the first, the most raw, basic form of bending. However, the very knowledge, let alone the technique, has long been lost. Amon, with his face scarred, rarely went outside, so he did a lot of studying. He translated some ancient manuscripts, possibly written on stone, and came across a huge realization: anyone can become a bender if they use the right spiritual techniques, using meditation and opening the right chakras the right way. However, when that happens, they become an energybender, and it takes more work to bend an element. Amon received a sign from a spirit that he's supposed to help make the world a more equal place, but he misunderstood the message: the spirit wanted him to share the newfound knowledge and allow more people to enjoy and connect with bending. But Amon knew of all the benders who abused their powers and thought the spirit wanted him to make the world a more equal place by taking away the powers.
863
864[[WMG: Amon is one of Sokka's children.]]
865Sokka and Suki are both heroes of the hundred year war. but unlike the Aang,Toph, Kattara and Zuko neither of them seems to respected or honored. Throughout all of Avater the last air bender Sokka is belittled seen as useless and mocked for not being a bender. It makes sense that a child of theirs would understand that their actions saved just as many if not more than what Aang did. Sokka is able to find the humor in his suffering but his child wouldn't see it that way. To him it's just a sign that those with the power to bend will never recognize the greatness of those who don't have bending.
866* At least partially {{Jossed}} by episode 9. Sokka is shown as the representative of the Southern Water Tribe in the City Council. He did get recognition and admiration, and an important political position. And the interquel comic has shown that the Kyoshi Warriors gain international importance, as well.
867
868[[WMG: Amon is telling the truth about who he is... to the best of his knowledge.]]
869What he doesn't realize is that the firebender that "extorted" his family was actually just a normal tax collector. His father was a Fire Nation supremacist who refused, even decades later, to accept the authority of Fire Lord Zuko. Eventually the police came to arrest him for tax evasion and things got really out of hand. Amon was so young at the time that he completely misinterpreted the situation.
870
871[[WMG: Amon is a mutant non-bender, like Combustion Man was a mutant firebender.]]
872That's why the writers had [[ChekhovsGun Sokka go on that extended speech]] about how Yakone's impossible bloodbending could exist. It's setting up the information in the viewer's mind to understand in the finale that Amon isn't an Avatar-style energybender. He's just a freak like Combustion Man or Yakone/Tarrlok. Unlike someone like Toph, whose blindness allowed her the insight to develop a teachable skill (metalbending), Amon's is a Combustion Man. Only instead of blowing up stuff with his mind he can disable people's bending. Amon's biology/chi is different enough from the human norm that Tarrlok's bloodbending could only partially affect him; maybe the abnormality that gave his uber chi-blocking also makes him partially resistant to bloodbending.
873
874To put it in Warhammer 40K terms, Amon is a blank.
875* Half-Jossed. Amon is confirmed to be a mutant. [[spoiler: Namely, he inherited the psychic bloodbending thing from his father Yakone.]]
876
877[[WMG: Amon's an airbender]]
878Did you see how he got through that dust (snow, whatever) cloud in Out of the Past? Aang did that all the time!
879
880[[WMG:Amon is [[GodwinsLaw Hitler]] ]]
881* Dunno, to me he seems to have much more in common with Lenin; utterly ruthless and merciless, but still genuinely believing that his ideology would make the world a better place.
882
883[[WMG:Amon is Yakone.]]
884Exhibit A: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTeRJ5EuXb4 This preview.]] Look at Korra and Mako when they're facing Amon. That's bloodbending. Why can he resist Tarrlok? Because he can bloodbend, too. How does he know how to energybend? Because Aang did it to him. A man with such power over the human body likely found a way to fool Aang's energybending, allowing him to do the deed but hide his still-active bending. Futhermore, feeling what Aang did to him allowed him to duplicate it. Knowing that he could never stop Avatar Aang, he hid and set himself up as Amon. What better way to ensure total control of everything than to make sure he's the only bender around? He may be pushing 70-80 now, but he certainly wasn't old enough back then that he has to be dead now.
885
886As for attacking his son, Yakone seems the kind of sociopath who would do that. It's all about power to him.
887* Meanwhile, this would mean Tarrlok has not only been de-bended but is currently being held captive by his sociopathic father. Assuming this WMG is all true, that would make for daddy-issues at LEAST on par with Zuko by the time Amon's face is revealed.
888* I also think Amon is Yakone, but his "energy-bending" is fake. Aang stood in front of him and touched his head AND chest, Amon comes from behind and only touches the head. Amon's technique is probably some sort of long term chi-blocking, and I think it's possible to reverse that. As for Tarrlok – Amon sent his goons after Korra and was left alone with Tarrlok. I think he revealed himself to him as Yakone, and returned his bending. Tarrlok might be even working with him now – maybe he's the one bloodbending Korra in the preview.
889* If Amon is Yakone and he's still able to bloodbend, what would his motivation for starting the Equalist movement be? "Out of the Past" shows that Yakone was a powerful but corrupted bender who used his powers to intimidate regular people; i.e. he was exactly the sort of person whom the Equalists are against.
890** Could just be a power play. Possibly it wouldn't matter how he got it, and since he's been outed as a blood bender it wouldn't be farfetched to say the general public doesn't want him. The Equalists are already discontent with the situation and perfect for manipulation purposes. Plus there's the "revenge" incentive if he endured any punishment for blood bending.
891** Yakone can't rule everything if benders are around. But if he eliminates them, no more trouble. He'll be the most powerful man on Earth.
892* Alternatively, Amon only ''pretended'' to take away Tarrlok's bending abilities as a show for the other Equalists in the room. Amon created the Equalists as a threat that would allow his son to gain power in Republic City, allowing them to rule together.
893
894[[WMG: Amon's body is largely not made of water]]
895Bloodbending is possible because the human body is mostly water. Amon is able to resist it quite well, implying that somehow, his limbs partially/mostly are not made of natural cells. This makes it likely that his story about being attacked by a firebender is true. In that attack, he lost two or more of his limbs and had them replaced with metal prosthetics like Sparky Sparky Boom Man did. They're probably platinum because its unbendable.
896
897[[WMG: Amon is an [[TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering hieromancer]] or an [[TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy hierophant]].]]
898
899In combination with the theories that he's a warp mutant above, he also make use of WhiteMagic. That explains why he can energybend; he uses White mana/The Lore of Light/is an [[LightIsNotGood Alluminas]] cultist, which has spells that stun enemy creatures and exile permanents (bending as a whole seem like aura spells to me), and energybending seems like a light power anyways, what with those lights the people involved can see.
900
901Likewise, he can resist bloodbending because he's a holy being, and holyness beat dark magic.
902
903[[WMG: Amon is Azula's son]]
904Amon is stated to have a connection to Zuko. Azula escaped and had a child, but she never regained her sanity. But was smart enough to hide her bending thanks to having distinctive blue fire that could reveal her easily. Eventually, she went on a rampage when she had a relapse into insanity and was the firebender in Amon's story. Zuko had to stop Azula, possibly lethally. The trauma from the event caused Amon to convince himself the 'firebender' wasn't his mother and instead another firebender that attacked his family, namely Zuko, and burned his face.
905* Where was is stated that Amon has a connection to Zuko? Not denying your theory, but just curious.
906
907[[WMG: Amon is Aang...[[BaitAndSwitch 's spirit]] ]]
908Ok, listen to me here. Aang is dead. Yes, quite dead, and the Aavtar Spirit has moved onto Korra. However, Aang became aware of a coming threat to the Avatar World, and watched Korra from the spirit world to see if she could handle it. Watching her progress, he would have seen that she was UnskilledButStrong, lacking the spirituality an Avatar needs to master Airbending and access the [[SuperMode Avatar State]]. So, he returned to the world of the living with nothing but a "semi-flesh" form and Energybending, posing as a new threat Korra would have to adapt new ways to deal with and learn from her fears, becoming a StealthMentor BigBadWannabe, to prepare Korra for when everything truly goes to hell when the true BigBad shows up in Book 2.
909
910[[WMG: Amon has been DeadAllAlong.]]
911Sometime before the start of the series, Amon was killed - accident, murder, whatever, he died. However, he didn't stay dead. Somehow, he was revived, and recovered. But, his close encounter with death left with him with the ability to energybend.
912
913[[WMG: Amon has built in immunity towards bending, possibly o a spiritual nature]]
914He possibly has a power that blocks and repels bending by redirecting the flow of energy away from him. Maybe it's his suit. Perhaps he was so severely injured by the firebender he was saved by the spirits and given powers to resist bending, powers that are the opposite of bending abilities. Or he's powered by the same spirit power that makes it impossible to bend in the spirit world.
915
916[[WMG: Amon is the Avatar Universe's Darth Vader]]
917His ability to resist bloodbending is one of the biggest Wham moments in the series yet. And firebending. He has some sort of immunity to powerful bending moves that blast everyone else off. Now it makes me wonder if his limbs are really all organic. He was severely injured by a firebender. Is it possible his limbs were destroyed and had to be replaced? Is Amon's suit some sort of shield against bending or is it really hiding cybernetic enhancements that augment his speed and agility? Oh yeah and his mask. Is there more to the fact why he feels technology gives him an advantage?
918
919[[WMG: Amon will be defeated when his attempt to debend Korra backfires]]
920We have a shot of Amon about to remove Korra's bending as Mako yells a BigNo in a season Finale promo. However, energybending is all about a battle between the spirits and Aang used the Avatar state's power to debend Ozai and Yakhone (observe his glowing tatoos and eyes). So what I suspect is, that Korra's avatar state will be finally triggered (Bonus points if that is the only one time when it will be triggered in this season) - it seems to take something '''EXTREME''' to trigger it in Korra. Aang and the past avatars who know energy bending will turn the move against Amon and deprive him of his ability to Energy bend and any other powers he might have, leaving him weak. Followed by some Avatar state epic ass kicking against the mechs, aircraft, destroyers, and all the WWI era stuff - Right now the only thing that has the power to stop Amon is the avatar state. Bloodbending doesn't work on it, so why not energybending? Maybe Korra could even use it to restore people's bending because the way Amon takes away people's bending isn't how Aang does it.
921** Alternately, the Avatar State is triggered and helps Korra fight back. It's stated that Energybending between spirits can backfire and destroy the user. [[HoistByHisOwnPetard This is how Amon will meet his demise.]]
922
923[[WMG: Amon is from the Fire Nation]]
924Look at his name style. His yellow eyes. Maybe he is a non-bender fire nation citizen and his backstory is true. I mean if Firebenders could kill Mako and Bolin's parents, why not Amon?
925* He also has very pale skin, which is a trait of the Fire Nation. One is also more likely to run across firebenders (friendly or otherwise) in the Fire Nation by default.
926
927[[WMG: Amon is a corrupted portion of the Avatar Spirit given flesh]]
928The Avatar Spirit may have been damaged during Aang's time -- whether from the century in the iceberg, Aang's brief death by lightning while in the Avatar State, or possibly from using Energybending one time too many. That corrupted piece may have latched onto someone with a grudge against benders, creating Amon.
929
930[[WMG: Amon will be called out by a nonbender.]]
931During the upcoming debending pogroms, a nonbender spouse of a debending victim will lividly call Amon out, calling him a monster, putting second thoughts in some Equalists' minds.
932
933[[WMG: Amon is Yakone's son [[spoiler:and Tarrlok's brother]].]]
934He was just a child when Yakone was arrested [[spoiler:and debended]] and grew up hearing that what happened to his father was a good thing, which he took to heart. He inherited his father's [[spoiler:bloodbending talents]] and sociopathy; he uses the former to debend others, and the latter makes him not care about the effects.
935
936Tarrlok knows about the family connection, which is why he was so enraged at being compared to Amon: [[spoiler:he feels that Amon is disgracing their father Yakone's legacy]].
937* If Tarrlok knows about this, why didn't he refer to it in any way when the two met in episode 9?
938** [[spoiler:This is '''confirmed'''. They are brothers.]] Tarrlok didn't refer to it in Episode 9 because [[spoiler:he didn't figure it out until after Amon, or rather, Noahtok, captured Tarrlok.]]
939[[WMG: Amon Mako's older brother]]
940So far, we know the following about Amon: He has yellow eyes, his father was killed by a firebender (assuming that his backstory, as told by him, is true), and he is resistant to bloodbending. Mako also has yellow eyes, and lost his father to a firebender. If this is right, maybe Amon, who is of Fire Nation descent, had access to their advanced technology and had prosthetic limbs made, possibly because he was wounded by the firebender who killed his father. These limbs would have much less water in them than organic limbs, making it harder for him to be bloodbended. Further evidence in support of this is the fact that both Mako and Amon's 'my-family-was-attacked-by-an-evil-firebender' backgrounds were mentioned in the same episode (The Revelation).
941
942[[WMG: Amon will be defeated but...]]
943The spirit who sent him in the first place will manifest and decide [[YouHaveFailedMe Amon's failure will not be tolerated]] and finish him off.
944
945[[WMG: Amon is Gommu]]
946Who better epitomizes the downtrodden non-benders of Republic City. He was also suspiciously close to the Equalist supporter in the first episode, probably keeping an eye on his people. He showed himself to be quite agile as well.
947* Just thought of this as well. It actually makes a lot of sense- Gommu's parents were nonbender immigrants to Republic City, and it's noted that Gommu grew up in an orphanage, which would fit Amon's backstory if he was telling the truth about that (other than about being disfigured). Gommu formerly served with the United Forces- granted, as a telegraph operator, but he could have picked up some fighting skills as well there. There's also the fact that Gommu lost his job because of technological advancement, and it is believable that someone who experienced that would also be angry about jobs that are closed to nonbenders.
948
949[[WMG: Amon is not human.]]
950He resisted bloodbending. Not even Aang could do that outside of the Avatar state. Amon is something much more...[[EldritchAbomination sinister]].
951* He claimed he has made contact with the spirits. Perhaps they're possessing him and that is what allows him to power through bloodbending.
952* Or maybe he's actually a cyborg, so he has no blood to bend. He still has some organic parts, since he's still affected by bloodending, but not to the extent normal people are.
953
954[[WMG: Amon is a HumanoidAbomination, or some sort of superhuman.]]
955So maybe he is human, but there certainly is something that makes him a little more than human. Let's see...
956* He can remove a person's ability to bend, with some potent chi-blocking. [[spoiler:Or Energybending.]]
957* He is incredibly agile, and very powerful in combat.
958* He wasn't fazed at all when Korra blasted the zeppelin with some fire, while his {{Mook}}s were being blown away. One theory above somewhere states that he was probably doing some Firebending himself, to bend the fire away from him.
959* He can [[spoiler: resist ''Bloodbending''. While the WMG above states that he could be a cyborg, that certainly is a possibility, or he could just be '''THAT''' strong.]]
960He might just be some sort of superhuman, with amazing reflexes, agility, and resilience. How he gained such abilities, however, is a mystery. But, somehow, someone, or [[EldritchAbomination something]] bestowed him with these superhuman skills. Maybe he was genetically enhanced. Or, he could be [[GodInHumanForm a physical manifestation of a spirit.]]
961
962[[WMG: Amon is in fact a bending supremacist, and the Equalists are a scam to motivate other benders.]]
963Amon doesn't really hate benders or think that bending is inherently evil. In fact, he thinks it's the best thing ever and that non-benders are weak and worthless. He's a bending supremacist, and he's been scamming all of his Equalist minions to aggravate benders into oppressing non-benders. He knows that benders will defeat the non-benders, but in order to give the non-benders a chance, he taught them chi-blocking. His "energybending" isn't actually energy-bending, since at this point only the Avatar is capable of it. He simply blocks chakras, resulting in a long-term but not permanent inability to bend. He wants the Equalists to seem dangerous to motivate the benders to fight them. Korra and her Krew, as well as Tarrlok, have been playing right into his hands- the more they fear Equalists, the closer Amon is to achieving the bend-ocracy he actually wants.
964* Alternatively, he's an energy bending supremacist, and hates both the lesser benders and the filthy muggles.
965
966[[WMG: Amon is anything ''but'' a WellIntentionedExtremist]]
967He has another motive carefully hidden from everyone is simply using the Equalists as his {{Unwitting Pawn}}s. Looked through the lens of Chinese symbolism, Amon's costume has traits depicting treachery and death, his name means "what is hidden" and other such cryptic meanings. And then there's what it says in Chinese characters: 阿蒙. ‘cover; ignorant; suffer’ . Everything about Amon points to him having some hidden motivation he's hiding from all, even his own supporters.
968** Though, to be fair, his name and the colour's that convey treachery and death in chinese culture can also be seen as LightIsNotGood from a western perspective.
969*** True, but Avatar has always drawn heavily on Asian culture, so it seems more plausible to interpret things through that lens.
970
971[[WMG: Amon is Tenzin's Children standing on each other's shoulders]]
972The reason Tarrlock couldn't effectively bloodbend Amon is that he failed to realize that he was trying to bloodbend three separate people. When Amon's legs kept moving, Tarrlock became confused and lost focus, allowing the trio to overpower him and take away his bending.
973
974[[WMG:When Amon is defeated, the spirit that sent him will appear and tell him he misunderstood his orders]]
975Amon was sent to restore balance between Benders and Nonbenders, and merely interpreted it wrong as exterminate bending. The spirit will [[WhatTheHellHero call him out on this]], take back his powers, and [[DoWithHimAsYouWill leave him at the heroes mercy.]]
976
977[[WMG: Amon is Pema.]]
978That's my theory.
979* This troper now subscribes to this theory.
980* Pretty much Jossed. Pema is seen fleeing Air Temple Island with her family while Lin tries to take down the airships. When we next see Amon, it's on the ground after catching Lin.
981
982[[WMG: Amon had the judges bribed]]
983While the Wolfbats are the best team in the Pro-Bending contest, they got worried when facing the Fire Ferrets, since they are facing the Avatar. Amon's plan required the Firebats to lose (since everyone would be angry if he tried to take the bending of the Avatar, and he needs Korra to have bending still), so he had one his several either just bribe the judges, offer to bribe the judges for the Wolfbats, or give them a loan to do it themselves. It gives him the perfect set up to call out the world for praising cheaters while increasing his chance his chances of not facing the Avatar yet. It would be very awkward if he didn't take the bending from the Avatar (may make him look weak to the masses and make the Avatar a symbol of hope, yet he needs her to have bending), but besting the thee who beat the Avatar was a much bigger blow.
984
985[[WMG: Amon is powered by [[ThePowerOfHate hate]]]]
986Considering [[PeoplePuppets Bloodbending]] is essentially waterbending's BlackMagic and created by [[EvilOldFolks Hama's]] hatred of her captors and implied to make users go off the slippery slope of sanity ([[BewareTheNiceOnes Katara's]] [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone reactions to using it]]) and likely explaining Yakone's Tarrlok's skill as who would have more [[TheSociopath disregard for life/others than a mobster/sleazy politician?]] Answer: A BigBad who hates benders/bending with a passion. Tarrlok may hate/fear Amon, but ''Amon'' [[TranquilFury hates benders even more]] and even the ''thought'' of one trying to control him would be more than enough resistance to NoSell.
987
988[[WMG: Amon is misunderstanding the spirits orders]]
989He was ''actually'' sent to defeat Tarrlok and his corrupt, nonbender oppressing regime, as well as the Bender gangs in Republic City, because Korra wasn't ready or powerful enough to do it. However, due to his hatred for benders, he misunderstood their orders and believed the best things for nonbenders is to wipe out bending altogether.
990
991[[WMG: Amon is Yakone.]]
992He really meant what he said about coming back and reclaiming the city.
993* Did Yakone have yellow eyes?
994
995[[WMG: Amons end plan is not to take away everyone's bending]]
996No he's intentionally taking away bending in a way where it can be restored, and after enough people have been debent he'll take off his mask and open a shop where people can have their bending restored for an exorbitant amount of money.
997* It seems like there would be easier ways to con people.
998
999[[WMG: Amon is [[Literature/NewJediOrder Nom Anor]].]]
1000He can resist Bloodbending because bending and the Force draw on the same spiritual sources, and the Yuuzhan Vong's ability to NoSell Force powers is infamous. He hides his face behind a mask because while basically humanoid, he's not ''human'' and doesn't have a Vong masquer handy (or he's wearing a masquer under the mask, and the latter's just for symbolic purposes). Anor has a history of playing charismatic, quasi-religious demigods to get what he wants, and he's a skilled bioengineer, which would allow him to create a chemical or viral adgent administered by skin contact which supresses bending. Either he's fanning the flames of the bender/nonbender conflict to soften the planet up for a Yuuzhan Vong attack, or he ''did'' survive his rather ambiguous death at the end of the novel series, fled to a backwater planet no one cared about, and created a new identity based on his old tricks to seize power. The first for letters of Anor's name are even "Amon" spelled backwards!
1001
1002[[WMG: Amon intends to wipe out the Air Bison and Badger Moles]]
1003When he said he plans to erase bending from the world, it wasn't just human beings. Of course, he can't exactly murder the moon, but is willing to take out the other two and doesn't know the dragons bit.
1004* Amon may not be crazy enough, I could see Sato attempting to kill the moon.
1005
1006[[WMG: Amon has low blood pressure]]
1007This is why Tarrlok had difficulty bloodbending him, as he'd be used to bending people with normal pressure levels. If there is less pressure then there is less resistance on the muscular system making it much easier for Amon to power through it. This also explains why Amon did struggle after Tarrlok put more effort into it, its just just Tarrlok didn't put in ''enough'' effort to compensate.
1008* Jossed. He was just a better bloodbender and bloodbent his body back into moving.
1009
1010[[WMG: Amon will debend everyone close to Korra before going for her.]]
1011In one of the clips, Tenzin asks Lin to protect his family and she once again shows her "Dere-dere" side and promises to do anything for him, with a SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming Moment|s}} and all. It's looking very much like Lin is being set up to be taken out next by Amon. Bonus points if she went out having done some major damage to the enemy - something like a DyingMomentOfAwesome. Then Amon will eventually go on to debend the Order of the White Lotus, then ''maybe'' Tenzin (if he's caught, no hint on that), Bolin and Mako (probably in that order, if the promo clips are any indication). Maybe the equalists may arrest all benders in the city and have them brought to Amon to be debended one by one. Even if the armies of the other nations come to help, Amon will probably find a way to capture their generals and de-bend them as well.
1012
1013Finally it will only be Korra, as he wanted it, last on the list. Korra and Mako will fight Amon, who takes out Mako before going for Korra. Except that, something will not go according to plan because she's the Avatar. That would be the killer climax.
1014* [[spoiler:Lin]] just got equalized in "Turning the Tides", so this seems quite possible.
1015
1016[[WMG: Amon's defeat will be an AlasPoorVillain moment]]
1017Realizing that he's failed/near death, he'll suffer a VillainousBreakdown. [[NotSoStoic He'll start screaming like a madman and start blaming 'The Spirits' for his downfall]].
1018
1019[[WMG: Skeletons in the Closet]]
1020WordOfGod has stated that the episode will be Zuko's reintroduction. It will reveal that Amon and Zuko knew each other and Zuko's actions, possibly in ''The Promise'' drove Amon to be who he is. Another popular theory is that Amon is Lee, the farmboy Zuko met in ''Zuko Alone.''
1021* Is there actually any WordOfGod that Zuko will appear in the finale? Everyone expected it to happen because they knew that Dante Basco will be in the finale, and because Zuko is still alive, but now that we know Basco plays another character, it seems unlikely that Zuko will appear. Especially since the new character has the exact same voice as Zuko.
1022** No-one assumed at any point that Dante Basco would voice Zuko; the assumption always was that he would be voicing Zuko's son or grandson. He definately doesn't have the right voice for an old man. But apparently there has been a leak indicating that Skeletons in the Closet will deal with Zuko's legacy, so if he appears anywhere, that's the most likely episode for him. And it would make little sense for him not to appear at all, after such a big deal was made of the fact that he's still alive. Most likely his role will be just to give wise council, rather than save the day, though.
1023*** If the episode "deals with Zuko's legacy", that can refer to General Iroh, who's almost certainly Zuko's son or grandson. And I don't think there's been any "big deal" made on Zuko being alive: this information is based solely on some [[AllThereInTheManual internet material]], the actual series hasn't mentioned Zuko at all yet. I guess he might appear during season 2, but that'll probably be just a cameo like Katara in the first episode, and Zuko's actions in [=AtLA=] most likely don't have anything to do with Amon or any other major plot developments. I'm sure the writers of [=TLoK=] want its plot to stand on its own and not be too derivative of the first series.
1024
1025[[WMG: Amon is the other "exterminator" who accompanied Lieutenant to the Fire Nation council member's house]]
1026Watch the scene: Lieutenant delivers his line and knocks out the Fire Nation councilwoman, and the other man ''doesn't move a single muscle''. Why is he even there? If he's actually Amon, then his presence would allow for the council member to be equalized as soon as she's knocked down. Amon does usually exhibit a lot of control in his movement, standing completely still most of the time unless there's a fight or some other reason to act.
1027* Or maybe the Equalists decided to send two assassins just be on the safe side (especially if the Fire Nation councilwoman is a bender), and since the other Equalist is just a background character, the animators decided to cut some corners and not animate him until he walks through the door.
1028* While the idea is good, the second exterminator has a wrong skintone, making this unlikely.
1029
1030[[WMG: Amons debending runs on NoOntologicalInertia]]
1031So as soon as he's defeated everyone will get there bending back
1032* I really, ''really'' hope not. It would be an incredibly cheesy cop-out, plus it would render [[spoiler:Lin]]'s sacrifice entirely meaningless.
1033
1034[[WMG: Amon was a witness to the fight between Aang and Yakone.]]
1035(For the purposes of this guess, I am assuming that Amon is somewhere in his early fifties, around Tenzin's age.) After the death of his family, Amon was taken to a Republic City hospital to recuperate from his injuries. As he lay in his bed, fuming towards benders, he saw Aang and Yakone's battle in the street outside. He got a bird's-eye view of the whole thing, especially the part where Aang energybended Yakone. This was the final straw that convinced him that bending was the root of all evil, since all Aang did to stop Yakone was remove his. (The trauma was seriously affecting his logic at the time.) It also convinced him to try and learn how to do it himself.
1036
1037[[WMG: Amon is undead.]]
1038Sure, there's blood in his body, but there may not be much left. There's a chance his backstory is ''mostly'' true... but he also happened to die along with his parents. A spirit then, for whatever reason, brought him back while granting him energybending, taking some stake in Amon's desire for vengeance, making him a powerful revenant. ... either that or he is some sort of inhuman spirit wearing a powerful corpse, as has been suggested earlier.
1039
1040[[WMG: Amon's identity will never be revealed]]
1041However he's defeated, he's got a plan for that as well, and will probably go out in a major explosion. That way, his body will never be identified, he'd have gone out with a literal bang and the idea behind the mask will live on, meaning that another person might take up the call for Equality down the line. Bonus points if all that's left of him is his mask.
1042* Jossed. He is a son of Yakone, shaped into being a {{TykeBomb} as an instrument of revenge against Republic City.
1043
1044[[WMG: Amon is simply an egomaniac who wants to conquer Republic City, possibly the world]]
1045He's only using the Equalist cause to allow him to do this. He's just using Benders as a scapegoat for his takeover.
1046
1047[[WMG: Amon is the warehouse worker who pretended to be an informant in "The Aftermath"]]
1048He has the right build, eye and skin colours and a similar voice (albeit provided by a different actor, but we have [[CastAsAMask a trope]] for that), and he gives Korra a suspicious lingering look before he tips her off.
1049
1050[[WMG: Amon's powers are slowly driving him insane.]]
1051When he energybends, he absorbs a small part of his victim. As he energybends more often, he has more and more little bits of other spirits inside him, and it's slowly driving him insane.
1052* Jossed. It's a clever combo of bloodbending and chi-blocking.
1053
1054[[WMG: Amon's next fight with Korra will result in him having a VillainousBreakdown.]]
1055
1056[[WMG: The reason Tarlok couldnt blood bend Amon]]
1057A [[BoomerangBigot loyal Metalbender]] was outside and bent Amons suit so it seemed like he could resist it
1058* Jossed. Amon just bloodbent right back.
1059
1060[[WMG: Amon's make up artist is a firebender]]
1061So he wasn't really ling when he said "[[ExactWords This is what a firebender did to me]]".
1062* Bonus points if it's a descendant of Azula.
1063
1064[[WMG: The last thing we see of Amon will be his mask, which is all that will be left of him.]]
1065* [[spoiler:His real face is the last thing we see of him and there's probably not much left to find.]]
1066* {{Jossed}}. We get a scene like this, where his mask floats up and he seems to be gone, but he quickly comes back up himself, [[spoiler:waterbending!]]
1067
1068[[WMG: Amon [[spoiler:bloodbended himself in order to avoid dying at the hands of Mako.]]]]
1069If he can [[spoiler:bloodbend others, why not himself?]] And [[spoiler:why couldn't bloodbending be used to force his heart to beat despite being electrocuted.]] The proximate cause [[spoiler:of death by electrocution is that the electrical pulses that control the heartbeat get shorted out, causing cardiac arrest.]]
1070
1071[[WMG: Amon [[spoiler:isn't dead.]]]]
1072
1073[[spoiler: JokerImmunity will come in full effect, he will not have died in the explosion, barely. He will be back for the second season...]]
1074
1075[[WMG: In the second season [[spoiler: Amon will reappear as a BoxedCrook SpiritAdvisor]]]]
1076[[spoiler: Korra will bump into his ghost in the spirit world, thereby confirmed to everyone he's dead, and then for whatever reason he has to help her somehow with something. Maybe because Koh took his face.]]
1077
1078[[WMG: Amon really believed in the equalist cause]]
1079He may have been lying but he genuinely believed in the cause
1080* Yup. He was convinced Bending is the Source of All Evil. That says a great deal about the Equalists' cause
1081
1082[[WMG: Amon has a psychological compulsion to be loved and to be seen as a hero.]]
1083Yakone shook his sense of self-worth so badly that he needs to justify himself by becoming (from his point of view) a crusader for the common man. His efforts against evil benders and sparing Korra weren't just tactical moves: they were moves to satisfy his ego. For all his talk, he can't bring himself to actually harm Korra until he gets popular support and can use that to convince himself that he's in the right.
1084
1085[[WMG: Amon is alive.]]
1086If Amon came back in another season it would make total sense, we don't see his death on the boat we just see the boat explosion. HE could have had the tear because he knew what his brother was about to do but that doesn't mean he stuck around, they were surrounded by water, it would have been easy for a waterbender to propel themselves away in time, he could have just been crying because of the choices his brother made and his brother's death. It wouldn't be particularly surprising because Amon is a chessmaster.
1087
1088[[WMG:Amon loved the Lieutenant]]
1089
1090All of the main Korra antagonists had a LoveInterest (P'li for Zaheer, Baatar Jr. for Kuvira, Unalaq's unseen wife for Unalaq), so it makes sense that he started that tradition. As he a foil to Korra herself, Amon was too bisexual, only that years of emotional abuse from his father and an eroded self-worth, Northern Water Tribe homophobic tendencies -they were never shown to be the beacon of social progress -, and just plain not having anyone to talk about his feelings to made him bitter and firmly closeted. When he started the Equalist cause, Amon struggled between his feelings for the Lieutenant and his righteous crusade, an inner conflict that probably was the reason for his more insane methods. He only realised his folly when it was too late, and he was forced to pull a Kuvira on Lieutenant, so that his cause wouldn't end. However, he was clearly shaken by it, taking his wrath sadistically on Mako, and eventually being unable to keep his concentration and defeat Korra.
1091
1092Lieutenant, tragically enough, probably loved him too, which made his final moments all the more heartbreaking.
1093
1094[[WMG: [[spoiler: Noatak had [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitiligo vitiligo]]]]]]
1095
1096It would explain how he could have [[spoiler: dark skin as a child/teenager, but was pale as an adult.]]
1097[[/folder]]
1098
1099[[WMG: The found Amon's corpse]]
1100A small speedboat is almost certainly not something you want to be going on long journeys on, so they probably weren't that far from shore. And the Republic military would be searching for them, so they either found the ruin of the boat or their bodies washed up on shore. This is why Varrick is so confident that Amon was a zombie in his hypothetical mover sequel. They knew he was dead.
1101[[/folder]]

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