Which Avatar Villain Is The Most Terrifying?

As a writer I love analyzing TV and Movies, so why not keep doing that with my favorites? Ranking stuff is fun too so here we go. Who of the Avatar villains is really the most terrifying? The worst of the worst? A lot of my opinion is going to hinge on my definitions of what’s bad in the world, and what actions are worse than others. This isn’t just a bending ranking. There are benders like Toph or Hama who develop niche skills within their abilities, but I don’t think that automatically makes them the most powerful. Or, it doesn’t necessarily make them the most terrifying force to be reckoned with. I’m going to be talking about character’s abilities, but also the level of impact they have on society, their ideologies, personalities, and overall goals as villains.

31. TY LEE

Ty Lee is a powerful opponent, no doubt about it. She’s the strongest non-bender in the series, just above Suki, in my opinion. What makes her scary is how easy she is to underestimate. She’s young, small, and attractive, and genuinely sweet. For her to be able to take down group of full grown, earthbending guards with ease using chi-blocking, and without sustaining any harm proves how smart, skilled, and confident she is in her abilities. All that said, Ty Lee is only a villain in the series as an accident of birth. She was born into the Fire Nation, and no doubt experienced the propaganda and indoctrination that all students in the nation do, especially since she attended the Royal Fire Academy for Girls. She was also friends with Azula, a member of the royal family from a very young age, and it’s clear that because of Ty Lee’s upbringing and Azula’s need for control that Ty Lee had always wanted to impress Azula. She was a loyal friend.

This loyalty comes from her own personal struggles with self-esteem, and fear. Fear of Azula, both her disappointment, and her wrath. Despite Ty Lee’s skill set, I wouldn’t say she’s a mean-spirited person, much less evil. She’s easily pressured and bullied by Azula into doing things she doesn’t want to, and the only time she protests throughout the series is not in defense of herself, but for another friend, Mai. I believe that many of Ty Lee’s actions throughout the series are done because she doesn’t want to lose approval from her friends. Nor does she want to be hurt.

If Azula hadn’t shown up at the circus, Ty Lee would have continued to travel the world as an acrobat and likely would’ve distanced herself even further from the Fire Nations beliefs. Her aura is pink even though she’s on the wrong side. Yes, she’s complacent, and she chooses to do harm, which lands her a spot on this list. But, I’ve put her at the bottom because she’d be way more terrifying if she actually wanted to take over the world, or even take over anyone’s autonomy. As the series progresses she befriends the Kyoshi Warriors and joins their group. And, in the literature that follows the TV series, we see that Ty Lee only attacks in self-defense, or defending someone else, never out of spite. If she weren’t from the Fire Nation, she’d do well among the air nomads.

30. MAI

Mai’s analysis is going to be similar to Ty Lee’s, they have a lot in common. I don’t think she’s as dangerous as Ty Lee when it comes to fighting or skill, but I do think she’s more of a threat because of her mindset. It doesn’t take any pressure, or even convincing for Mai to join Azula and Ty Lee on their quest to capture the Avatar, and Zuko. Instead, she says she’d love to join. And her reasoning? Boredom. She’s also willing to call off a deal during a hostage negotiation, of which her infant brother is one of the hostages. She does this at Azula’s suggestion, which shows she is able to be manipulated like Ty Lee, however, it’s hard to tell if Mai struggles with this decision, as she doesn’t seem overly concerned about getting Tom-Tom back. Even after joining Azula and Ty Lee, we don’t see her mention her brother (don’t worry, the Aang gang returns him). Though, this might not be because she doesn’t care. Maybe it’s just difficult for her to express how much she cares. Mai is a quiet soul, something that is explained later when we learn about her strict upbringing. I don’t think she is really seeking to do harm either, or even engage in things that require her to expend too much energy. A person prone to boredom who knows how to throw deadly projectiles could certainly be a recipe for disaster. That sounds like a template for making a murderer season ten. Mai isn’t one, though. She does care about people. She genuinely wants Zuko to be happy, not just to feed into her own happiness. She loves him enough to betray Azula.

She also cares about Ty Lee despite their differences in personality. I wonder if she would have been more hesitant to join Azula if Ty Lee hadn’t come along, too. She isn’t afraid of Azula the way Ty Lee is, we see hints of this early on. Both Mai and Ty Lee’s fighting styles, despite their ability to do more harm, focus on disabling opponents rather than killing them. After the TV series, Mai even goes on to get a job as a flower shop assistant, and we also see that she loves her younger brother Tom-Tom, able to express herself more openly now that she’s distanced herself from the Fire Nation after the war. I don’t think she’s evil either, but I do think she’s a step above Ty Lee in terms of being terrifying because she has more confidence. If she were more mean-spirited or lacking in compassion and empathy, she’d be strong enough physically and mentally to stand up to an opponent as intimidating as Azula who crossed her path.

29. ZUKO

Zuko, oh Zuko. His arc is one that comes with pages and pages of analyses, but I’m going to try to keep this brief. Zuko is a trouble teen, to say the least. From the very beginning we see that he is someone who isn’t wanting or willing to hurt the people that he loves, or even stand by when people are going to be harmed or killed without remorse. He has a sense of love and morality because of his mother, but after a series of traumatic, painful, and cruel events, we’re introduced to a Zuko at the beginning of the series who is angry, impulsive, jealous, and self-serving. What makes Zuko complex is a lot of this anger and pain most of us would say is justified. He was never given the love he deserved from a large portion of his family, left feeling out of place, and his mother disappears from his life at an early age, leaving him with members of his family who subject him to emotional abuse. When he is banished, he wants nothing more than to belong. He’s willing to capture a twelve year old boy and turn him over to his father to be executed if it means he’ll finally have his approval. While not a prodigy like his sister, Zuko is a powerful bender, and his temper makes him dangerous. While Zuko’s behavior can be understood if you look at the path he was on to get him here, it doesn’t make him healthy in his mindset, or right in his actions. He displays the bigotry and judgment he learns as a member of the royal family, and the Fire Nation.

He captures Aang when he’s imprisoned, not to rescue him, but for his own reasons to turn him over to his father. Zuko has flickers of growth and improvement by the second season, but still makes poor decisions leading into the third. [arguing with Iroh in prison, Angry at myself] I love that the series gives us a character who is a bad person, but grows into a good person, through the aid of others, and most importantly, choices he makes autonomously. Being a bad person once, or many times, doesn’t mean you have to be this way forever. BUT, his redemption arc doesn’t erase the fact that he is an antagonist and villain in the series, one of the primary ones. He is not an evil person, but I would put him above Ty Lee and Mai because his motivations before this redemption are indeed selfish, destructive, and scary if you think about who Zuko would become if lacked guidance from Uncle Iroh and Ursa.

28. TAHNO

I feel like now we’re starting to get into characters who are actually villains now, or at least clear antagonists. Tahno is introduced to us in the first few episodes of the Legend of Korra. He’s a pro-bender [an professional athlete in this world] and the leader of The Wolfbats, a team that has cheated their way to the top by paying off referees to use illegal moves during matches. He’s also outright assaulted people off the field with his bending. That all said, Tahno places higher on the list for me because of his motivations and actions, but if I could I would put him near rock bottom in terms of bending. He’s a professional bender, yes, so he has some skill. But, Tahno has cheated to get to where he is in the professional matches, which has me calling into question how powerful he actually is. He’s also shown to be quite cowardly when in danger (granted, if I saw Amon walking toward me I would shit myself) so I don’t know how tough he’d be in a fight. I agree with Korra he’s a pretty boy. I imagine he’d be the first one down in a bar fight. But, I’d put him above him above the others in terms of terrifying villaineness because he’s a straight up dick. He doesn’t have any internal conflict that we see surrounding his wrongdoings. It’s obvious to everyone that the Wolfbats cheat, and are controversial, and Tahno just gloats about it. He’s smug. Unlike Zuko, Mai, or Ty Lee, he doesn’t choose to grow until he is literally forced to do so because his bending is taken away by Amon. He doesn’t have a change of heart until he has nowhere else to turn.

One could argue Zuko hadn’t reached rock bottom yet, even though he and Uncle Iroh weren’t on speaking terms (I know that sounds mean, but it’s actually a testament to how much Zuko loves Iroh. That was his rock bottom, even though he had other things he thought he always wanted). Tahno is utterly wrecked by Amon, and that’s what it takes for him to have his lil *come to Jesus moment.* He actually does have a redemption arc later in the series, I kind of forgot about it because he’s more of a minor character. He has his bending restored by Korra and plays professionally for charity. He also plays the trombone at a wedding in the final episode with the main cast in attendance, so we can assume there’s no bad blood between them.

27. MASTER YU & XIN FU

Master Yu and Xin Fu are other tertiary characters in the Avatar series that are big meanies. Xin Fu runs Earth Rumble 6 and is a bounty hunter, Master Yu was Toph’s earth bending instructor and a teacher to many in the art before they join forces. Hired by Toph’s parents to bring her home, they both work together to stalk and kidnap a 12 year-old girl. Xin Fu actually threatens to bring Toph back even if she’s dead at one point. While Master Yu is the softer of the two, their foils in crime dynamic doesn’t keep them from being antagonists. They are both driven by a lust for money [you both care about money] and attempt to capture others with a bounty on their heads if it leads to a greater payday. They’re both selfish enough to display any remorse for what they do, and they’re resourceful enough to track people down. They also are smart enough to trick Toph, and capture her in a metal box so she can’t earth bend, making them more of a danger than a pair of bad guys who’d stumble their way through a plan. Though they’re thwarted by smarter opponents, they are still a threat.

26. YON RHA

The retired commander of the Southern Raiders, a lot of Yon Rha’s evil doings are up to interpretation and happen off screen. But, a big one that we know for sure is he is the man who killed Katara’s mom, and chose to do so when he could’ve taken her as a prisoner. Confronted by Katara in his retirement years later, we see that Yon Rha is actually incredibly cowardly. He likely benefited from the overall dominance and power the Fire Nation held over the masses, meaning he didn’t need to be too intimidating on his own. He’s even so afraid of Katara that he offers his own mother as a trade. While he is linked to a big event in the series, and a huge one for Katara’s arc, Yon Rha as a character is minor enough that this explanation is one of the shorter ones.

25. PRESIDENT RAIKO

President Raiko is as evil as any politician who knows how to play the game once they learn the rules, and is self-serving. Do with that what you will. He’s 26th for me because while he starts off more passive in his role, his antagonistic traits more subtle, he has more power and influence than even the benders below him on this list because of his position as a leader. He doesn’t act when it would be altruistic for him to do so, in season two by providing support to the South Pole during a civil war. He slyly threatens Mako and his job when he and Korra are dating, not wanting Korra to do anything that threatens the safety of Republic city, though we can also pick up on his fear of her impacting his image as president. While ineffective in many ways, in season three and four he’s smart enough to alter the public perception of Korra, and even unlawfully banishes Korra when she poses enough of an annoyance to him.

He passes blame for Republic City’s state off on Korra and seems to want to do little to actually solve his people’s issues. Later, he surrenders Republic City to Kuvira, which leaves many residents feeling abandoned by him. In the comics following the TV series, he’s an outright antagonist, competing with Zhu Li for his position in office. The storyline on the comic involves the spirit portal, politicians using poisonous gas, and Raiko making a big oopsie daisy that causes the gas to jeopardize the public’s safety. He also flees during this, showing his cowardice and costing himself the election. He’s not a bloodthirsty leader, but his actions are destructive. Even if he became the first president of Republic City with positive goals, that positivity dwindles the longer he’s in office, and Raiko proves to be more concerned with power and image than the actual job he’s been given.

24. ROUGH RHINOS

Kind of easy to forget, but the Rough Rhinos actually show up in the series more than I remembered, and they do some pretty big bad guy things. A big one is the kill Jet’s Parents among many other villagers, burning it down so the remaining become refugees. While not said in the TV series, it’s canon that the group was formed by Fire Lord Ozai to track down Onomu, a former Fire Army general who had defected to the Earth Kingdom and stolen secret war plans, and to either capture or kill him, whatever they saw fit. They also attack team Avatar and kidnap Sokka, and they capture Iroh and assault him and Zuko. Working under contract and a group of mercenaries, it seems that the only redeeming factor for the Rough Rhinos is that they can sing [singing group]. They have an impact on the lives of many people, and do so ruthlessly. While they suck, I don’t have them higher on the list because they’re actually easily thwarted by benders throughout the series.

23. VARRICK

Iknik Blackstone Varrick. One of my favorite characters in the franchise. Yes, he’s fucking hilarious. He’s also pretty terrifying. I know Varrick ends up being part of the new team Avatar, and for some he’d be lower on their villain list. But Varrick is NOT a good person. Or, at least, not in the same vein of someone like Zuko in terms of a redemption arc. He has several episodes and moments where he makes decisions for the greater good, but I have him ranked here because of his impulsivity, and ability to conduct investments and inventing sessions that yield huge ripple effects. Varrick is the very definition of chaotic neutral. (Good God, could you imagine trying to take this man’s keys away after you’ve been drinking together?) Doesn’t really think through the true impact of his actions. He plans his prison cell ahead of time, but any of his foresight aids him, not others. Varrick comfortably lies, to everyone. He’s cunning and manipulative, not just as businessman, but interpersonally, too, when he desires to be. He plays a hand in the launch of a Civil War to protect his business interests. He produces propaganda films (against an antagonist, but it shows he’s not above acts that are immoral to get what he wants). He robs Asami’s company Future Industries. He tries to bribe Mako and also frame him for crimes he himself committed, he attempts to kidnap the President of Republic City, he breaks out of prison when he’s finally arrested. He modernizes Hiroshi Sato’s mecha tanks that Kuvira later uses, and even if that wasn’t his intention for her to have them, again, he just doesn’t think through the possibility of his technology falling into the wrong hands. His involvement with dangerous power sources and Kuvira’s Colossus invention in the final season has us finally seeing Varrick have a change of heart.

However, a big part of this is a perceived personal slight and betrayal from Zhu Li, and that seems to motivate him a bit more than his conscious that he says is cropping up. Varrick is funny and zany, but also incredibly smart. His actions and inventions have affects on thousands of people, their livelihoods or even their lives. If he were outright evil, I’d have him close to the top of this list. We’d have a joker-level villain on our hands then.

22. BAATAR JR.

An inventor and fiance to one of the other villains on this list, I don’t have too much to say about Baatar Jr. But he is a villain and I couldn’t ignore him and I had to put him somewhere. He’s above Varrick because while they’re similar in a lot of ways, they’re non-bending inventors who are really smart and both end up redeemed after doing bad things, Baatar takes a bit longer to do so…ah ba bah okay, frankly I don’t want to talk about Baatar Jr. because he’s kinda fucking boring. He believes in all the messed up stuff Kuvira is doing, helps orchestrate all of these things, does a lot of bad stuff, all with a really stupid haircut. He doesn’t have as strong a conscious as Varrick (wow I can’t believe I just said that sentence out loud) until his fiance tries to murder him. I guess that’s a solid catalsyst for introspection.

I’ll have more detailed explanations after this but here. He’s 22nd.

21. JET

People may not agree with Jet making it on this list because he acts a friend sometimes, and the Aang gang is really sad when he dies. I think you’re wrong. If Zuko is on the list, Jet sure as shit is. Jet is a terrorist you guys! Are we gonna forget that because he’s kinda hot and lives in a cool treehouse? Like the main cast, Jet has endured horrible suffering due to the Hundred Year War. Firebending mercenaries destroyed his village and killed his parents, leaving him an orphaned refugee. What’s justified is his pain; his warped beliefs and actions are not. Jet develops a xenophobic hatred for everyone from the Fire Nation, and thinks it’s right to kill them all, innocent or otherwise. He orchestrates several acts of terror as the leader of the Freedom Fighters, and hatches a plan to flood an entire town, murdering the fire nation soldiers who live their and the civilians. Because of his unresolved trauma, Jet is paranoid that everyone from the Fire Nation wants to kill him, or is attempting to silence him or ruin his life. When he learns that Zuko and Iroh are firebenders (well, just Iroh, he assumes this of Zuko because of association), he stalks them in an attempt to prove their origins, hoping to run them out of Ba Sing Se. He forgets that even the Fire Nations has fellow refugees who may be looking for a new life. While he is a victim of a corrupt police force and is brainwashed, and he does attempt to attack Long Feng, I personally don’t think that absolves him or redeems him prior to his death.

If he doesn’t want to take down the Fire Nation soldiers, he wants to take down the Dai Li. Yes, both are guilty of bad things, but Jet seems incapable of recognizing that he is in turn doing things that are just as bad, if not worse than some of his enemies. His primary motivation is revenge, even if he says he’s trying to help the group find Appa. He doesn’t need the Dai Li to brainwash him to perform horrible acts. Justifying that it is okay for you to do something wrong for the right reasons, and saying you’ve made amends whilst still continuing to act out of spite is a scary, ego-driven way to reek havoc. I commend the writers for creating a character that has taken an ideology the protagonists can side with but has warped it and taken it too far (the first of many complex villains like this). Maybe Jet could’ve become a better person after reuniting with the main cast, but because we don’t truly get to see him change, and his motivations are murky while he’s brainwashed (how much is him and how much isn’t?), I can’t be too sympathetic for who he might of become if he made it out from under the lake.

20. THE LIEUTENANT

Amon’s Lieutenant, or mustache guy, is the second in command of the Equalists. He is a skilled fighter, and outright sadistic and torturous in his attacks. He fully supports all of the Equalists’ acts of terror, and what I’d deem the ethnic cleansing of benders. There’s not much more to glean him as we don’t have a detailed backstory. He’s an all around antagonist and never displays any redeeming qualities. He becomes a body in a pile of planks by the end, but dying doesn’t make him a hero. I kinda like that we don’t know his name. I also kinda wish it was Rudolf or something…

19. AIWEI

I love a man with a nice facial piercing but Aiwei has an evil Mr Clean with reading glasses thing going on. The advisor to Suyin Beifong, Aiwei is a secret terrorist and anarchist, a member of the Red Lotus, manipulative enough to become a most trusted person to the leader of the metal clan, Suyin. All while harboring an evil plan for years and years and never tipping anyone off. In fact he can easily lie and frame other people to cover his tracks because he has earned this level of trust. A powerful Earth and Metal bender, Aiwei is also able to sense when someone is lying using earthbending, the same skill Toph demonstrates in season two of Avatar. Because of this, he’s the only person who can keep a secret. He’s not the most impressive of the villains in the season, and it doesn’t feel like he does too much in comparison. Aiwei is really just a mole, a lose end who gets thrown into the Fog of Lost Souls.

But like The Lieutenant, he’s an antagonist through and through who helps the main villains in their evil doings. While he makes some mistakes and the Red Lotus ultimately fail in their plan to kill Korra, there is a lot that Aiwei does underground and behind the scenes. He tips off the Red Lotus that Korra is in Zaofu and helps them infiltrate. Maybe he’s not the leader of the pack, but if the even *followers* of a group like the Red Lotus are this skilled in bending and deception. Oof. It’s a good thing they were locked up for so long.

18. COMBUSTION MAN

A silent, creepy character. Combustion Man doesn’t have the hair sniffing that the Thin Man does in Charlie’s Angels but his glare and presence is definitely unsettling. A bounty hunter and assassin, not much is known about the C-man, but I like that. He may not have the political control that we see with characters below him on the list, but he’s still responsible for the mass murder of people and ruining the lives of those close to them. We don’t know how many victims he has, but I assume it’s high considering his level of professionalism as an assassin, his skills in stealth, and the fact that he is exceptionally hard for the Aang gang to defeat. Sparky can track his targets down, intercepts any information related to them, and seems deft at conducting himself as an assassin without a trace. He also has a unique ability within fire bending, hence the name. What’s also intense about him as a villain, a little flicker of personality for a character who doesn’t speak, is his drive to kill a target isn’t financially motivated. Zuko offers to pay him even more to stop hunting Aang, but that isn’t enough to deter him. In his three eyes, the only way to complete the mission is to have all of his victims eliminated.

17. HAMA

To my knowledge Hama is the only waterbending villain we see in Avatar until Legend of Korra comes along. She certainly leaves her mark on the series. This episode of ATLA did give me nightmares as a kid when I first saw it. Hama is a lot like Jet; she’s an individual who saw her loved ones and herself ravaged by the Fire Nation’s army, yet, her manner of dealing with the war is, shall we say…unhealthy. As a young woman, Hama is captured and imprisoned by the Fire Nation after a raid of the Southern Water Tribe, and spends years locked up until she develops a technique that leads to her escape; bloodbending.

Seventy years later she’s living in a Fire Nation village as a kind little, old lady innkeeper, ah WRONG! Hama is manipulative, psychologically and physically. She uses her control over others as a bloodbender to imprison citizens of the Fire Nation in an eye for an eye act, leaving them to rot as she was meant to. Hama is another one of the sadistic baddies on this list. That coupled with her resourcefulness and genuine desire to watch those who’ve wronged her suffer…maybe it’s good she only remained an innkeeper in a small village and didn’t aspire beyond some small town torture. Could you imagine her and Azula teaming up?

I’ve also seen some theories that Hama’s bloodbending and the threat she posed after escaping prison may have influenced Water Tribe sieges after that point. Maybe that’s why Yon Rha killed Katara’s mother, to avoid another powerful bender like this in the future. If that’s true, that’s really sad, because, along with forcibly teaching Katara to bloodbend, Hama has caused harm to her own people through her acts. She’s so far gone in her delusion by the time the main cast meets her, she can only gloat that her work is done and Katara will pass on her legacy.

16. CHIN THE CONQUEROR

It kinda feels like I’m sneaking this guy into this video. Chin the Conqueror is not a villain we see much of, and he’s restricted to flashbacks. But he’s a canon character nonetheless, and I can’t ignore his evil-doings. Taking advantage with the Earth Kingdom’s dissatisfaction with the current ruler, he amassed a giant army and gained control of the whole continent before Kyoshi, you know, stopped him. He unified the Kingdom, but it’s clear that wasn’t done peacefully. He’s a warlord. He’s tiny, they were definitely going for a Napoleon reference I think.

OH! Fun fact did you know that Napoleon actually wasn’t that short. He was around 5’6” or 5’7”, which might be short by today’s standards when you see any basketball team, but he was average to taller than most French men. He just prioritized an army and guards who were huge beefy guys who looked bigger next to him, and then a lot of it was also a smear campaign by his critics.

Okay, history lesson over. Anyway, Chin the Conqueror, bad dude. Megalomaniac. He’s 16th.

15. LONG FENG

The Grand Secretariat is a corrupt meanie, who knew? Long Feng is one of the most influential and feared officials in Ba Sing Se, and it’s clear to see why. He had the utmost trust from the Earth King, something he had carefully orchestrated over his career by censoring and altering information the royal received. This was how he weaseled his way into becoming the primary one responsible for international affairs and the Earth Kingdom. He not only exhibits this strict control over the Earth King, but the people of Ba Sing Se, too. Long Feng is in charge of the Dai Li, a secret police force responsible for false arrest, false imprisonment, and brainwashing of anyone who mentions the Hundred Year War, or other aspects of the world outside the walls of the city that could insight panic, and threaten everything Long Feng has built. He has entire groups of people responsible for maintaining the status quo like his army of Joo Dees, pretty young women he’s subjected to brainwashing, hypnosis, and posing as a handler for new people in the city.

He also clearly has citizens fearful of speaking out as it will impact their status or even safety. Neighbors spying on neighbors. I think we’re supposed to infer that the means of hypnosis, brainwashing, and thought control all started with him, which bolsters how insidious he is. I put him above advisors like Aiwei. They’re both corrupt, but Long Feng has what I consider to be a greater impact. He has an entire city under his control, and this city is also responsible for the affairs that trickle out into the rest of the Earth Kingdom. He has no problem using people as pawns and harming them in the process, and killing even children when he’s finished with them. Plus, this asshole stole Appa. I hope when he skipped across Lake Laogai he cracked a rib.

14. HOU-TING

I love Hou-Ting’s outfit but that’s it. The poor citizens of Ba Sing Se have been dealt a lot of shitty leaders, huh? At least they can visit Iroh’s tea shop. The minor ill mannered actions of Hou-Ting involve poaching and dining on rare animals, including her father’s pet bear and verbally abusing her subordinates. I can’t imagine the people work for her at the palace are making a fair wage or have a decent benefits plan. Her major baddy bad person actions include: theft, animal cruelty, conspiracy, mass kidnapping of airbenders and subsequently, slavery, child abuse, brainwashing, and extortion. I don’t want to say I’m pro murder and okay with Zaheer suffocating her via breath bending…but I ain’t sad about it.

While not a bender, Hou-Ting is incredibly powerful as a villain and what’s terrifying is because of her status she not only believes she has a right as Queen to do as she pleases, she also has support. While there are Earth Kingdom citizens who oppose her there are plenty who agree with her and worship her. This is why propaganda and indoctrination is dangerous, kids. Please stay informed and vote for what you truly want, even if we don’t agree. Her tyrannical rule is only brought to an end because of her death, and due to the state she drove Ba Sing Se and the Earth Kingdom to during her rule, it’s easy to argue that she is to blame for Kuvira’s rise in the fourth season.

13. KUVIRA

The first time I saw season four of LOK I had mixed feelings on Kuvira. I love Zelda Williams, and was excited to see a female villain for Korra to face off against, especially someone similar in physicality and age. She took some warming up to, as I felt some of her dialogue was a little on the nose. However, in rewatching the series multiple times I see a lot of solid writing in Kuvira, and I think she’s pretty terrifying and compelling as an antagonist. I haven’t mentioned it until now, but each villain in the Legend of Korra is an allegory for a political ideology. Kind of obvious when you watch it, and I really like this because after a hundred year war where several nations have a common enemy, it is natural that varying ideologies and types of leaders will crop up to take control. Kuvira is similar to Hitler, Mussolini, and Mandic as she adheres to fascist ideals. She’s an incredible tactician, intelligent, and charismatic, not unlike other female villains in the avatar world. However, Kuvira lacks some of the instability and impulsivity when her power is threatened. Kuvira is driven, pragmatic, and will fight to the bitter end, however, she still shows enough restraint for it to be a, ah, I guess I’d say fair fight.

Kuvira will win by any means necessary, but not if it will put her in harms way. She won’t lose her cool even though she wants to win and will put up a fight for it. She’s willing to sacrifice the life of her fiance Baatar for the sake of her bigger picture, her plan to take down Republic City and reclaim the land that was stolen from the Earth Kingdom. She achieves a lot in a short span of time, and does so without hesitation. I don’t think Kuvira is a good person, or an anti-hero or anything like that, she’s definitely a bad egg. But, she is more complex in her alignment than other antagonists. She isn’t redeemed by the end of the series, but she is in the comics that follow. Kuvira chooses the name, The Great Uniter for a reason. She DOES want loyalty from her subordinates and doesn’t tolerate anything less, using force, harm, and punishment as a response. But, Korra remarks that she sees a lot of herself in Kuvira. Kuvira wanted to create a society where her people would never be vulnerable again. BUT, don’t forget she takes her stance on this way too far and is a dictator at the end of the day. She’s self aware enough to want to atone for her mistakes, but the mistakes she made were big ones. And, she also made some WILLFUL, thought out choices that were not just mistakes. They were REALLY big damaging choices. The regret came after her defeat. That’s why she’s ranked 13th.

12. ZHAO

Did you know Zhao was voiced by Lucius Malfoy? Now you do. It might surprise people I have Zhao this high on the list because he’s only in season one. He’s a great firebender, but we never see and lightening from him or big booms from his forehead. Side note Zhao has a pretty big forehead. Zhao is (well was, the spirit of koi murdered him) a solid antagonist, and a greater threat than Zuko in terms of aggression, hot-headedness, and a bloodthirsty fighting style. Zhao is not only willing to harm or kill his human enemies, but spirits as well. He is destructive of natural landscapes and property. Zhao is also responsible for the burning the scrolls and books in Wan Shi Tong’s library having anything to do with the Fire Nation. He is cunning enough to do all that he can to protect the Fire Nation’s army from their enemies, but reckless enough to damage his own ships and resources when angered. When Zhao is in the library, he learns about the koi spirits and decides he is going to kill the moon spirit, rendering the waterbenders powerless so the Fire Nation can finally take the North Pole. He neglects the pleas of both Aang and Iroh, not caring that the moon spirit’s death will mean harm and inbalance for everyone on Earth, including himself. He does end up killing the koi, seeing it as worth it if the Fire Nation will have leverage in any capacity.

Zhao also cares a lot about his image, his pride and honor, and his level of power, even more so than Zuko. There are a lot of ways to interpret this moment between them at the end before Zhao dies, but I always saw it as one final sign of vanity. Zhao doesn’t want Zuko’s mercy or pity. He would rather die than accept help from someone he holds resentment for, or perceived as weak. When we see him a final time in Legend of Korra, it makes perfect sense that he is wandering the Fog of Lost Souls. Zhao’s psyche is fraught with conflict, anger, self-preservation, and egoism. He personifies the worst parts of the Fire Nation and the war. He’s also the most outright introduction to many of these facets in season one, before other villains on this list make a fully fledged appearance.

11. HIROSHI SATO

If Batman grew into a racist after the death of his loved ones he’d have ended up like Hiroshi Sato. Sato is a self made businessman who has designed several innovations in the avatar world that have improved quality of life, and have also contributed to a further divide between benders and non benders, something I’ll elaborate more on soon. The highest ranked nonbender on the list, Sato may not be the leader of The Equalists, but his contributions as a follower are utterly horrifying. He makes the gloves the equalists use, their lighting rods, the mecha tanks, cars, airships, and airplanes, all used for the civil war in Republic City. His inventions also shape the resources and weapons for future antagonists in the series, irreversibly so. Even if he has a change of heart, that evil lives on. He is hypocritical in his methods as a businessman, too. He employs benders within his companies and supports the fire ferrets, and benefits financially and socially from these decisions despite harboring a deadly hatred inside. He’s willing to kill his own daughter when she fails to fall in line with his beliefs. Sato is not unlike other people throughout history who have created weapons of mass destruction. And while sad it’s an immovable fact that no amount of regret will put a genie back in a bottle. Along with others high on the list, Hiroshi Sato and all his progress, good and bad, changes the entire world forever.

10. AZULON

While only mentioned and rarely seen, Azulon is still terrifying during his rule as Firelord. He is responsible for nearly wiping out all of the waterbenders in the Southern Watertribe, his actions cause the divide between the North and South Pole for decades, and he is also responsible for forming the Southern Raiders, who go on to kidnap Hama, and later kill Kya. Azulon is described as cruel and ruthless by family members and citizens alike while he is alive. When Iroh loses his son, his brother Ozai is not only lacking in sympathy, he attempts to usurp Iroh and suggests he would be a better fit for the throne. Azulon is outraged by this, seeming to favor Iroh over Ozai (can’t disagree with him on this honestly. Maybe they drank tea together and Ozai preferred coffee, thus the childhood divide began). That said, Azulon’s solution isn’t having the two brothers talk it out. Instead, he suggests that Ozai should understand what it means to lose a son, and orders *his* son to kill Zuko.

This explains a lot of Ozai’s dysfunctional parenting methods later on. He also played a part in forcing Ozai and Ursa’s marriage to protect the purity of the royal bloodline. That’s probably the least evil, or most typical of a royal thing he does. For a character we hardly seen, you can’t say he doesn’t have a presence in the show. His villainous actions have long term affect on characters across all nations in the series, right up to his immediate family. A tyrannical warlord through and through, he cracks the top ten.

9. AZULA

I bet a lot of you were wondering when she’d show up. I’m going to keep Azula’s evil deeds as concise as possible. If you want me to write to my hearts content I could easily have an entire video dedicated to her. The youngest child and only daughter of Fire Lord Ozai, and sister to Zuko, Azula is a firebending prodigy and exceptional political and social negotiator. She’s voiced by Grey DeLisle, who’s portrayed a myriad of antagonists throughout her career. She is intelligent, manipulative, vicious, and murderous. Like, she kills Aang, a child, without thinking twice, and throughout the series is the only character from the Fire Nation who directly murders the Avatar (Sozin left Roku for dead, it’s a dick move, but it’s not the same). She attempts to murder her older brother, multiple times, and when she thinks she has she is quite pleased. There is no one she is unwilling to manipulate, except for her father, though, I could see Azula pulling some daddy’s little girl, Princess moves to stay out past her curfew. When it comes to interpersonal relationships, Azula is fixated on being liked, and is jealous of those who receive better treatment than her. However, she doesn’t seem to be itching for acceptance; relationships to her are another avenue for control, and power. She is okay with being feared by everyone around her if it means they will comply, but this is tortuous for her by the end of the series. Azula’s wires are crossed when it comes to compliance out of fear and support out of love. Like Kuvira, Azula is determined to win by any means necessary, but she is more emotional, a fact that angers her more than anyone else. I always interpreted these bursts of true emotion as a source of shame for Azula. Azula is used to being in control. When she’s not, she can’t handle it.

She is more immature than Kuvira in this way, (she’s also 14), and while I’d normally say immaturity is a weakness, I think it makes Azula more terrifying because she’s inching toward unhinged. Kuvira accepts defeat. Azula can’t accept defeat, or opposition. Azula is also incredibly powerful because of her rage. She channels her anger and destructive nature into her firebending, and is better at this than Zuko. Zuko is more powerful than Azula when he leans into the good, “fire is life not destruction parts” of his little, honorable heart. But, when her emotions get the better of her it impacts her firebending, causing her to lack finesse. It’s clear that Azula is damaged, and that is not entirely her fault. However, even from the beginning we see she is wicked, vindictive, and cruel. She is evil enough at her core that it would take a lot for her to heal. I think it’s safe to say that Azula displays narcissistic tendencies. Her self-esteem is actually incredibly low, something she will never admit out loud. She always felt that he mother was out to get her, and was jealous of Zuko and felt she deserved more than she could ever realistically receive from the world around her. Perfectionism can never be satisfied because it doesn’t exist.

I have some sympathy for Azula as a character actually, because I personally believe that even someone who has a disorder like NPD can learn empathy and learn to love themselves, they just have to want to. But I don’t know how likely it is that Azula will learn those emotionally intelligent skills; or, if she does it certainly won’t happen quickly. Even in the comics that follow Avatar, Azula still reverts to a lot of these learned behaviors and tendencies, despite showing some growth. I have to say, the writers of Avatar are really great at creating characters who feel human. No one is going to experience a complete 180 change in their personality when they start therapy. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth it to try to be better than you were the day before. The reason I don’t have Azula any higher on the list is because she is still young, and while her footprint on the world is certainly grand, it’s not as grand or compelling as the remaining villains I have ranked above her.

8. THE RED LOTUS

I put them above Azula because, ah sorry, I think they’re more powerful than her. They’re a group of anarchists, terrorists, and supreme benders. Ming Hua is capable of psychic waterbending, using this ability to give herself arms as she was born without limbs. Ghazan can lavabend, the first time we see this skill in the franchise, and P’Li has the same abilities as Sparky Sparky Boom Man. Unlike the Rough Rhinos, the Red Lotus have more screen time and development as characters, which means we can better asses their personal beliefs and goals. I would say of the four main members we see that Ming Hua is the cruelest (another character voiced by Grey DeLisle), and she’s followed closely by Ghazan. Even within the group there are varying perceptions of their mission, again, something that’s very realistic. Ming Hua differs most from Zaheer in their mission. Ghazan, the muscle of the group, almost always has the upper hand over his opponents. So much so that even when his back is against the wall, his goes out on his own terms, killing himself and attempting to bring Mako and Bolin down with him. P’Li, an assassin and arsonist prior to joining the Red Lotus, is the second strongest in terms of logic and bending, right after Zaheer. She appears to be even more of a threat than combustion man, as she is incredibly agile and astute while on the battlefield. She also takes on Zuko’s dragon without breaking a sweat.

What is important to note about Ming Hua, Ghazan, P’Li, and Zaheer is their ability to withstand thirteen years of imprisonment and interrogation, without breaking. None of them reveal their motives, nor do they rat on each other. That is an alarming level of commitment to your beliefs, and loyalty to your fellow bad guys. That kind of mental resolve would make any opponent formidable, regardless of their moral alignment. All of them attempt to kidnap Korra when she is a young girl, intending to kill her to end the Avatar cycle forever. They all seek to plunge the world into chaos, as they believe it is the only natural order. While Korra isn’t killed, they are successful in this in many ways, even after their deaths, in bringing chaos to the world. They are also indirectly responsible for the atrocities in the final season, instilling fear in the Earth Kingdom enough that Kuvira is able to rise to power.

7. ZAHEER

Season three of Legend of Korra is my favorite; the main antagonist Zaheer is a tough one. I originally had him higher on the list, because he learns how to airbend at a rapid pace having only been a bender for a short period of time (thanks harmonic convergence), but I also found it hard to put him above some of the others because of his level of impact and certain personality traits. He shows genuine love and compassion for his girlfriend and friends, and is willing to spare the lives of those he deems innocent in his mission. He is capable of regret. He’s also right about some of the things going on in the world that are wrong. That said, his not a tragic villain, and any guilt or remorse he feels, any self-awareness, only comes after his defeat. Zaheer is the leader of the Red Lotus, and they attempt to wipe out world leaders, or anyone who has control over the masses like the Avatar, to plunge the world into chaos. He sees this is the natural order of the world, and will do anything to shape the world to fit his vision. Zaheer is not above murder. In fact, he’ll take a life without hesitation if he deems it necessary to achieve his overall goal, like the life of the Avatar, anyone who seeks to stop him, and the life of a tyrant Queen like Hou Ting. Zaheer is manipulative towards Korra when he’s trying to get her to surrender, using the new air nomads as leverage, and he is shown going back on his word. He poisons Korra, and while he doesn’t kill her, his actions have a long lasting impact on her life afterward, physically and mentally.

Despite being an anarchist, I’d say without a doubt that Zaheer is Lawful Evil; he feels so strongly about his moral code and honor that while he seeks to plunge the world into chaos, he isn’t chaotic himself. But, what makes him evil are his methods. Zaheer uses oppressive tactics even though he admonishes leaders who do the same. He doesn’t want his name to be at the forefront of the Red Lotuses efforts, but he does believe that he is the one divinely chosen to bring these changes to the world. Zaheer is delusional. While he loves Air Nomad culture and it’s philosophies around freedom, we see that he has twisted and convoluted the words of Guru Laghima. Not unlike another villain higher on this list, Zaheer is an individual who has a strong religious or philosophical belief that he has distorted and bastardizes along his path in pursuing it. He is imprisoned again at the end of season three, and in season four he agrees to help Korra overcome her trauma so she can face Kuvira.

That’s more than any of the villains above him on this list would do, but rewarding him for that would be like praising someone for getting a D+ instead of an F. He also never states his regret in murdering anyone, he’s remorseful that his plan didn’t work and so Kuvira rose to power. I like that we finally have an antagonist who is an airbender, and is all for meditation and nature, because we’re reminded that a culture you find yourself in or a lifestyle you adhere to may seem good on the surface, but that doesn’t automatically make you a good person. And while he may not be as bad as the next few characters, he’s cold blooded and deserves to be ranked 7th.

6. OZAI

Even though we don’t see a ton of Ozai until later in the series, his presence as a villain is felt right off the bat. His sadism is clear to us every time we see Zuko on screen, and Azula for that matter, before we even see Ozai himself outside of a flashback. Azula and Zuko deal with the struggles the do because of their father. He is not only driven by his ego and need for control, Ozai has no empathy. The only thing you can say about him as a positive is that he is a man of his word. He doesn’t kill Zuko after making a deal with his wife Ursa, and he welcomes Zuko back after they believe Aang was killed to restore his honor. But, lets talk about the things he does that negate his ability to keep a promise. Ozai attempts to usurp his brother to take the throne, and when his father tells him he should kill his own son, maybe that will finally help him understand what his brother is going through (a window into his lack of empathy), Ozai actually considers murdering his son. To spare their child’s life, Ozai manipulates his wife Ursa into killing his father so he can rule the Fire Nation and banishes her to keep this secret, threatening that if she ever comes back he will kill BOTH of their children without a second thought. When he feels disrespected by Zuko during a war meeting, he challenges him to a duel and when Zuko refuses to fight, Ozai sees this as cowardice and permanently disfigures Zuko’s face and almost costs him his sight in one eye. He believes that suffering will be his teacher, and sends him on a quest to capture the Avatar.

No one has seen him for a hundred years, which is a pretty clear way of Ozai saying he doesn’t care if his son comes home, because it’s highly unlikely he will ever find the Avatar. Ozai does try to kill Zuko when he says he’s going to join the Avatar’s team. Azula is a pawn to her father, and nothing more. From an early age he shows his children off as a means of endearing himself to his father, as props, and doesn’t seem concerned with his family outside of what they can do to elevate his perception and level of power. Later in the comics, Ursa says it best that Ozai, “possesses no love for anyone, not even himself.” Even after losing his bending, Ozai is still murderous, manipulative, and downright evil. When he still has his bending and becomes the Phoenix King (he truly believes the world is his), Ozai is content with destroying the entirety of the Earth Kingdom with fire, which includes his own colonists by the way. It’s not about anyone but himself. Even his most loyal followers can be thrown away at a moments notice. As a bender, Ozai is already incredibly powerful and physically fit, and he is only made stronger by Sozin’s comet. When Aang refuses to kill him, Ozai uses this moment of mercy as an opportunity to have the upper hand. The higher up we get on this list the closer these villains are, but make no mistake. Even though he’s not at the top of the list, the Father Lord is a terrifying, genocidal, loveless dick.

5. TARRLOK

I actually like Tarrlok’s three ponytails. It’s a bold fashion choice, and one I think only a slightly crazy person would embrace so it makes perfect sense. A member of the council of Republic City, a powerful water bender, and a man with a secret past, Tarrlok is great at intimidating people into doing what he wants, either through persuasion, pressure, or force, and is nothing shy of smug when he wins. We can tell right off the bat that he’s a smarmy, power-hungry official. Tenzin also accuses Tarrlok after Amon’s attack on the Pro Bending arena of resorting to illegal tactics to get Chief Saikhan to offer support to his task force and any other actions he takes against the Equalists. He implements a curfew for all non-benders, profiling that anyone who can’t bend an element is automatically an Equalist or criminal. We see him repeatedly lie and falsify evidence to cover up his agendas. He tries to bribe Korra into joining his task force with gifts initially, and when she doesn’t cave, he orchestrates a public interview which pressures her into joining, exploiting Korra’s temper he picked up on in their initial meetings. He also outright tells Korra that he admires her willingness to go to extremes to get what she wants, and that it’s a quality they both share. His ability to read people makes him as charismatic and perceptive as people like Azula, but his abilities as a waterbender put him miles ahead of Ozai and Azula. Tarrlok could’ve defeated both of them in the final two episodes without breaking as sweat (sorry Aang, sorry Zuko).

Learning to bloodbend as a young child, and becoming so skilled he can do so without a full moon, Tarrlok is capable of turning his victims into puppets like Hama, but also rendering them immoble or even unconscious for periods of time. He admits later on that his father’s ghost still shaped him into his adulthood, even after he did what he could to distance himself from his traumatic childhood, and worked to prove he was better than what was expected of him. Tarrlok doesn’t get points for not wanting to become an evil bloodbender though; he’s still a corrupt official in Republic City. And a dangerous one at that. Just because he waited until he was backed into a corner to bloodbend, and says he hates utilizing this skill, an extreme even he isn’t willing to go to, doesn’t prevent him from actually doing this. Tarrlok did want to rule Republic City, and even if he didn’t try to accomplish this by literally taking control of other people, we can’t even say he tried to do so within the legal parameters of society. Yes, he wanted to take down the Equalists. But Tarrlok wanted to win the battle, not save the people. He used his position to oppress and control people in other ways. Amon reminded him of the criminal acts his father committed and posed a challenge, a threat to his order.

But, if an underground group like the Equalists had been in support of Tarrlok, I doubt he’d bat an eye. Tarrlok apologizes to Korra and Mako after his defeat for all he’s done to harm them, and it seems sincere. He’s ashamed, ah boo hoo. He can’t bend anymore at that point so you could punch him in the face and it wouldn't be met with too much retribution.. He makes a decision later to kill both himself and his brother, removing a major threat from the world, but I kind of feel the same way about this as I did about Jet’s death. It was sad to watch, it put a lump in my throat I’m not made of stone, but I don’t see this as Tarrlok redeeming himself. Tragic villain? Ah…maybe.

4. YAKONE

Mr. Krabs, is that you? We only see Yakone through flashbacks but they leave an impression, and not just because they’re cool, sepia tone vignettes. Yakone was a crime lord who ruled the underworld of Republic City (and likely did a lot of bad guy things) for a long time before being put on trial for his illegal ability to bloodbend. What’s crazy is he doesn’t need the full moon like Hama, and this is a skill he passes on to his sons. Yakone can also psychically bloodbend, meaning he doesn’t need any of his limbs or appendages free to do this, unlike Hama and Tarrlok. He is one of the most powerful bloodbenders we ever see until Aang strips him of his bending. However, Yakone is a man hellbent on revenge and legacy, so much so that he escapes prison, undergoes surgery to change his identity, lies to his wife for their entire marriage, and teaches their two sons to do everything he can do, and unintentionally, more than he ever could. Yakone may not have done as much to impact the world as others, he only reigns over part of Republic City, but his personal vendetta is so strong that teaches his sons the most powerful ability in the bending world, and ensures through an abusive upbringing that their use of this ability will always be a for dangerous and self-serving reasons.

3. SOZIN

He may not be as a powerful as Yakone or Tarrlok, but, uh, holy shit, if Sozin wasn’t near the top of this list I think I would have to hand in my super fan badge and not give it back until I rewatched the entire series…again. I thought it was cool that we learned a lot about Sozin through the eyes of Avatar Roku, his childhood friend. When terrible people do unspeakable things, why would we give a shit about how cute and squishy they were as a baby? Fair argument. But, seriously, I like that the writers repeatedly try to remind us that people from any background are capable of both great good and great evil. Sozin undoubtedly falls into the latter category. He wants to see the Fire Nation’s empire expand, and has a thirst for. Against Roku’s protests that the four nations should remain as they are, Sozin colonizes parts of the Earth Kingdom, and ends a cherished friendship in the process. When Roku is battling a volcano to save his village in their older years, Sozin comes to his aid in the name of that past friendship, only to leave him for dead when he realizes that without Roku around, his plans for world domination are possible. So he leaves him for dead, choking on poisonous gas in the ashes of his beloved home and island while his wife watches from a boat in sorrow. The dragon dies too. Sozin also became a dragon hunter after this.

Sozin goes on to conquer more of the world, and when the comet comes along, a comet that is then named after him, he harnesses the power of it to ambush all of the Air Temples with his armies and extinguishes the air nation. Yes Aang survives, and later has a son who can airbend, and he has kids, BUT, if you know anything about endangered species and reproduction, the air nomads were fucked either way before harmonic convergence. Some people may fuck as much as rabbits do but biologically we still can’t produce that fast, sorry. The people in this world don’t have to worry about inbreeding as much as we do because bending can be passed on genetically by only one parent, but, if Tenzin and his family all died in a tragic bison crash, game over. Sozin doesn’t want his goals of expansion threatened, so he kills an entire race of peopl just to prevent this. His attempt to murder the Avatar wouldn’t have ended the cycle of reincarnation, however.

Side note, I don’t want this dark joke to be misconstrued, just playing by the world’s rules, but up until this point no one knew that the only way to eradicate the Avatar for good would be to kill the person while they’re glowing it up, so if Aang had been killed, they’d then have to go the water tribes to find the Avatar after him, and then the earth kingdom, and maybe they’d luck out with a fire nation Avatar, but just so as not to chance it, poof, gone! I’m just imagining Sozin and every fire lord after him sending a team of people around the world on a routine basis to like, find a magic baby and uhm, defeat them…like a sick game of whack-a-mole.

Ahem, anyway. Sozin’s ambitions become generational amongst his family and within his nation. His children and grandchildren follow in his footsteps, and his people are made to believe one way or another that all of the war efforts are the ways the Fire Nation is spreading is gifts of prosperity and innovation. He radicalizes and weaponizes his citizens. His vision for the future is so twisted that he turns the rest of the world against his entire nation, and causes one hundred years of bloodshed, arson, suffering, xenophobia, and heartache. Sozin is the reason the entirety of the world of Avatar is the way it is when we see Aang pop out of the iceberg, and his actions even trickle into the Legend of Korra, influencing social and political discussions after nearly another century has passed. He is responsible for the shift in the royal family’s interpersonal turmoils, and much of his destruction he doesn’t even live to see.

2. UNALAQ

I think I agree with most that season two is my least favorite of the four for Legend of Korra. I think what really bothered me about it was that the spirit world was kinda turned into Zanarkand from Final Fantasy X2. I miss the aesthetic of Koh’s cozy little face stealing cave. I know that Unalaq is also the least favorite villain of the four main ones we get, but I actually think he’s pretty well written, and is a solid representation of theocracy, a system of government in which religious beliefs are used to justify a leader who rules in the name of a higher power, and what happens when a system like that is lead by someone who sees themselves as more than a messenger for God, but someone who is divine themselves. Unalaq believes he should become the new Avatar, a dark Avatar, to rule the entire world, not just one nation. This is likely due to a mixture of his own ego and Vaatu’s control. At this rate, I don’t know why Unalaq didn’t talk to Varrick about making a mover; could’ve had his own version of Battlefield Earth.

Don’t worry, I’m not poking fun at the Scientologists; I’m poking fun at L. Ron Hubbard, and John Travolta. And hey Scientologists, I read, alright, I know you don’t see Ron as a God or worship him as a deity. That’s why he and Unalaq have a lot in common.

Radicalized along with the Red Lotus, Unalaq was part of a plot to kidnap Korra, his niece, when she was young to brainwash her so that she could be used to open a portal to the spirit world. Then, Vaatu would be released, and the divide between the spirit world and the physical world would be no more, returning everything to the way it was before the first Avatar, Wan. While there is a silver lining in the the spirits rejoining the world also leads to other things, like airbenders existing again, Unalaq is far from a positive influence. He seems sociopathic in someways, not caring about anyone’s lives, or the ecosystem of any bit of the earth. He is deceptive manipulative toward people and wise spirits alike without any complication, and lusts only for power and the chance to rule the entire world once it has been returned to what he sees as it’s natural form. People may see him as underwhelming, but I have him second on the list because, the more I think about it all, the more obvious it is. His actions LITERALLY CHANGE THE WORLD! The WORLD, in the greatest way following the genocide of the air nomads, and impacts the lives of humans a spirits forever. But none of it is really for the greater good. Perhaps his actions started out that way, like Zaheer. But, his self-preservation and individual goals had him selling out the Red Lotus, and while he may have at one point thought the natural order really was a world of spirits and humans, seeing the amount of power a world like that would grant him became his true source of motivation and drive until his death.

1. AMON

Amon (Noatak) is a waterbender and the first son of Yakone. He not only masters the psychic blood bending abilities his father has, he does so as young as fourteen, and further develops the skill to the extent that he can block channels and disrupt the flow of chi in a person’s body, rendering them unable to bend. He is a skilled chi blocker and physical fighter too. He is the strongest and most capable of all the bloodbenders we see in both series, but that isn’t the only reason I have him at the top.

Amon is a deft liar like Azula, manipulative in his leadership roll like Ozai, unapologetic and creepy like Hama, and as determined if not more than all rulers that come before and after him. He is also great at both addressing and exploiting a deep, complicated issue in the world of Avatar: the divide between benders and non-benders. When we are first introduced to the world, both of these groups are united against a common enemy due to the 100 year war. When the war finally ends and society progresses, working to repair the damage done by the Fire Nation, the inequality between benders and non-benders is given space to grow. Sokka touches on this briefly, feeling inadequate because he can’t do something as impressive as battle fires from a meteorite, but those feelings are stoked for everyone by Republic City and the world catering to benders. Think of the advantages bending gives a person, not just in a fight, but socially and fiscally, too. A waterbending healer would probably be far more likely to advance within a medical career, as would a metal bending acupuncturist, over a non bender because of their speed and efficiency, and near magical techniques. A metal bender can repair the bent frame of a Sato mobile a lot faster than a guy with a hammer. Able to conduct lightning? You can have a promising career at a power plant. If you can’t metal bend, how far can you actually climb the ladder in the police force? You’ll never be one of the elite officers. You’ll likely be a detective at a desk. Certain promotions and accolades will never come your way. You can never be a Probender; there are entire careers and lifestyles that are completely inaccessible. Sure, Sokka was a council member, but isn’t it huge that all of the frightening politicians and leaders we see throughout both series, or nearly all, are able to bend an element? Even the good guys like Tenzin have political power. Benders have extreme advantages as enforcers, and as criminals. Because of this, the citizens of all nations are raised with the notion that bending is something remarkable, and/or something to be feared. Amon himself has the power and control he does because he himself is a bender. He is not wrong in his recognition of this inequality. It has been a major cause for wars and strife. The non-benders we see throughout Legend of Korra who are successful have to be absolutely exceptional in their intelligence, sense, and skills to really contend with benders. And people like Varrick and Hiroshi don’t represent the majority. They are the one percent who made it by carving out a path for themselves, and being lucky. If I grew up unable to bend, I’d be a little disappointed, not gonna lie.

No wonder Amon is able to amass the support he does. He doesn’t have to convince anyone, the people are already up in arms. There is a reason we’ve seen individuals like Amon rise up in our own world after wars, economic crises, or periods of significant civil unrest. People want to know that they’re seen, that they’re heard, and that they’re not crazy. Amon exercises a cruel intelligence over the multitude perfectly. And what’s so terrifying about his methods? Well, Amon like many other villains isn’t above murder. But he isn’t just seeking to rid the world of people, but the ability of bending itself. He is not only taking the lives of some of his victims, he is stripping them of their identities if they’re left alive. Sounds very familiar, doesn’t it? From Korra to Tahno, the fear of losing one’s bending is woven tightly into the fear of being reduced to nothing. If you don’t die at the hands of the Equalists, you’re going to suffer after Amon has “cleansed you.”

I think Amon’s psyche and justifications for his actions are some of the most terrifying traits when coupled with his powers.

A dark question I have is: what was his end game? If he truly managed to disable all other benders, (unless people who originally had bending have babies in secret and pass it on genetically.) was Amon planning to do away with himself at the end? That’s the only way things would be equal…and even then, uh, people aren’t robots. If not, his status as the only bender would not just be hypocritical, he would be the only one in the world with this extreme, unfair advantage. You can’t say Amon doesn’t like being in charge or control of others. What would stop him from exploitation once his original vision was achieved. And, what about his beliefs. It’s implied by his behavior and theorized by other characters that Amon isn’t doing this all for show to garner supporters. He genuinely believes that bending is an impurity, an unnatural ability that shouldn’t exist. Someone who thinks they’re horrible acts are right because of a greater purpose? Equality? And no amount of pain they inflict is unjust if this greater outcome is achieved? Ah, yeah, those tend not to be easy folks to reason with.

One could argue that Amon is similar to Zaheer in that he believes his actions are for a greater good or purpose, not *solely* to exert power over others. But, unlike Zaheer, Amon doesn’t seem like he could be talked out of his beliefs, even if he’s a logical enough person that one would *think* he could understand. And it’s hard to talk a man out of his beliefs who can do shit like this. Like Unalaq, Amon sees himself as some sort of savior. A solution. Because of his upbringing, it’s safe to assume that Amon lacks empathy because he was never taught it. What Amon does have instead of empathy is a deep hatred for his father. This would explain why he wants to rid the world of bending, any one who could be just like his father, armchair psychology, take it away. He learns about chi blocking so he can block the chi paths with his blood bending, permanently making them unable to bend. When he’s finally exposed to his supports as a liar, he runs away with his brother in a panic, but it’s hard to tell if he does this out of love for his brother, or out of a craving for something familiar in any capacity because his foundation was just ripped away. He also still poses a great danger to the world. Korra doesn’t have the ability to energy bend yet to take his powers away. That’s why Tarrlok decides to end both of their lives. There is no getting through to someone like Amon, or, it’s safe to say those around him don’t see a way to do so, even his own brother. (I believe everyone is capable of change, just don’t hold your breath every time you want to see it in the world, right?) Also, with Tarrlok’s bending gone, there is really no one else who could possibly challenge him. Noatak doesn’t lament to Tarrlok at the end of his time as Amon that he’s done wrong. He doesn’t want to make amends. He apologizes to his brother that he, “had to take his bending,” as if it wasn’t a choice.

His mindset is terrifying, but the fact that he has the abilities he does is even scarier. Amon may have an army backing him. He may have support and aid from allies. But unlike all the warlords, leaders, and schemers we’ve seen, he doesn’t even NEED them. Even Unalaq would’ve been forced to kneel at Amon’s boots. Maybe Amon wouldn’t be able to bloodbend an entire army but who knows, if his father could do this to a full courtroom of like, fifty, sixty people… Shit, Amon can just sense where Korra is in the room and nabs her.

Emotionally, Amon may truly want to be accepted by the followers of his movement, and that’s another reason he flees when he exposes himself. But in reality, the only reason Amon has people around to help him is because it’s better to work smarter, not harder. And it saves time. We don’t see how many bodies he can have control over at one time because he goes to great lengths to keeps his bloodbending secret, but I’d wager a guess that if Amon really had to, he would be more akin to a God than Unalaq in his control over humans and other creatures. Amon is an allegory for the communist leader, because inevitably no system can truly function in this world without a leader, and he’s deciding how all the power will be dispersed.

Should go smoothly, no?

Okay, I’m done.

Some character rankings were clear cut for me and others weren’t. The higher up I got in the list I was really agonizing over the order I wanted to put everyone in and was conflicted on some things. That’s what I love about shows that are so well written. I had to put in a considerate amount of time to come up with my stances. There’s a lot to digest.

I’d love to hear what you think of this list and where you’d rank villains in the series in the comments below. I really love reading the comments, I mean it. I heart a lot of them and this video has me excited to see how many people disagree with me and think the order should be another way, or agree, or just have other things to say that I didn’t think of.