Endgame


 * This article is about the episode. For the junior novelization, see Endgame (novel).

"air"

- When we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change.

"Endgame" is the 12th and final episode of Book One: Air of The Legend of Korra and the 12th episode of the overall series. It debuted on June 23, 2012, on Nickelodeon as the second part of the hour-long Book One finale, following "Skeletons in the Closet".

Overview
''Korra and Mako infiltrate an Equalist rally where they attempt to expose Amon as a bloodbender. Meanwhile, Asami, Bolin, and General Iroh are imprisoned by Hiroshi Sato, but are freed soon after by Naga. Korra faces Amon, however, her bending is removed. She and Mako escape and, along with the rest of Team Avatar, make their way to the Southern Water Tribe. Meanwhile, Amon is exposed as a bloodbender and as Tarrlok's older brother. Both are later killed when Tarrlok detonates their boat at sea.''

Synopsis
Bolin, Asami, and Iroh travel on Naga toward the Equalist airbase. Upon arrival, Iroh tells Bolin to use his earthbending to destroy the airstrips to prevent the biplanes from taking off or landing. They head down to the base, leaving Naga and Pabu behind. However, as they make their way toward the base, they are electrocuted by wireless fence posts that render them unconscious.



Meanwhile, Mako and Korra arrive at Amon's rally, disguised as Equalist chi blockers. Amon appears on stage and begins his speech by recounting his fabricated past. At that moment, Korra unmasks herself and denounces Amon as a liar, revealing his true name, Noatak, and his status as a bender. The Lieutenant and the crowd are unsettled by Korra's claims, prompting Amon to dismiss her accusations. He pauses, deciding to let Korra speak freely to the crowd, assuring them that there is nothing to fear.

Korra continues speaking, telling the crowd everything she and Mako have learned: Amon has been removing people's bending through the use of bloodbending, his family was not killed by a firebender, he is Yakone's son and Councilman Tarrlok's older brother. Amon retorts, labeling Korra as desperate, making up stories as a pathetic last resort.

Amon substantiates his counter by revealing his "scarred" face, causing the crowd to disbelieve Korra and reaffirm their faith in him. Korra tries to persuade them, but to no avail. Mako points out that regardless, they have said what was needed and should escape. As Mako and Korra ready themselves to fight several approaching Equalists, Amon reveals a shocking surprise: he has captured Tenzin and his family.



Asami and the others wake up in a prison cell. Hiroshi Sato apologizes to Asami for hurting her, but tells her that he believes she will one day come to her senses and they will be able to be a family again. Asami rejects his words and exclaims her mother would hate him for what he has become. Enraged, Hiroshi condemns his daughter and declares that he is still avenging his wife's death. At that moment, a chi blocker informs him that the airplanes are ready for take-off. Hiroshi gives the order to annihilate the second United Forces fleet, much to Iroh and Bolin's surprise. Hiroshi goes on to goad Iroh, revealing that Equalist forces had intercepted his message to Bumi and now know exactly where the Second Division Fleet is hiding. Dismayed, Asami laments their poor chances of escape. Iroh asks Bolin if he can metalbend, which he, solely as an earthbender, is unable to do, much to Iroh's chagrin.

Soon after, Naga bursts in and breaks the prison bars. Pabu helps the three out of their bonds by chewing through them, and the group races to the airstrip where the planes have already started taking off. Iroh goes after the planes, Bolin rides off with Naga, and Asami boards one of the empty mecha tanks, commenting that it is similar to a Future Industries forklift.

Iroh uses his firebending to propel himself onto one of the planes in the middle of take-off. He throws the pilot out of the cockpit and takes control, regardless of his lack of piloting experience. He soon figures out the rudimentary controls of his craft and gives chase to the airborne planes.



Meanwhile, at the rally, Amon announces that he will rid the world of airbending forever. Korra demands he let Tenzin and his family go, prompting Amon to taunt her, saying she is welcome to try and save them. Mako cautions Korra that Amon is baiting them, but the situation gives them no other option. Mako fires lightning at Amon, forcing him away from the airbenders. Using firebending to give them supporting force, Mako and Korra run on the face of the adjacent wall and land on the stage, hurling fire blasts to further push Amon and his forces back. Korra releases Tenzin while asking him if he knows the location of Pema, Rohan, or Lin Beifong. Tenzin replies that he knows where Pema and the baby are imprisoned, but is clueless as to Lin's whereabouts. Freed, Tenzin rushes to the front of the battle and airbends gales of wind, knocking the remaining Equalist guards off the stage, and finally Amon who had been evading incoming fire and air. As the fighting continues, Korra releases the three kids and they escape into a backstage corridor.



Upon reaching a fork in the corridor, Korra opts to stay behind and create a diversion as Tenzin and his family escape. Tenzin and the kids go to rescue Pema and Rohan; Korra and Mako turn back to see Amon enter the corridor. The two run off down the fork opposite of Tenzin and the kids. Korra conjures flame walls to hinder Amon and they enter one of the doors ahead. Undaunted, Amon chases after them, paying little heed to the flames, hopping over them.

Korra, hidden beneath a table covered by a cloth, watches Amon's feet slowly walk past. He pauses momentarily and walks on. As soon as Korra breathes a sigh of relief, however, she is pulled out from hiding by Amon's bloodbending. As she is suspended in midair, Mako emerges and hurls fire at Amon, trying to save Korra, but he is subdued as well. Defeated, Korra has her bending taken away at the hands of Amon. Upon release, she collapses to the ground and he gloats in victory.



In the meantime, Iroh has been giving chase to the airplanes over the skies of Republic City. He fires lightning at the middle plane in the Equalists' formation and it crashes into the one on its immediate right, taking two down in one hit. The other planes scatter with Iroh chasing one of them. It releases a bola that becomes entangled in Iroh's propeller, thus stopping his plane. Iroh jumps off in midair just before the plane explodes. He uses the air resistance to position himself and uses firebending to boost himself and navigate onto the wing of one of the remaining planes. He punches out a fire blast to destroy the plane right in front of him. He subsequently rolls toward the cockpit, fire-kicks the pilot out and falls into the recently vacated seat. The ejected Equalist manages to release his parachute. However, Iroh is not given much time to rest as a bomb falls on the left tip of his tail-wing. As he desperately tries to maintain control, the last airplane maneuvers directly above him and prepares to drop a bomb right into Iroh's cockpit. Seeing this, Iroh firebends a blast straight up into the opposing plane's bomb-bay and destroys it. Approaching the Equalist-modified statue of Aang, he gives up on regaining control and jumps off, grabbing onto the Equalist-emblazoned cloth now hanging from the staff. The plane crashes into the Amon mask on the statue's face and Iroh witnesses the mask fall off revealing Aang's face. He subsequently thanks Aang for looking out for him.

Back at the airbase, Bolin has already rendered four of the five airstrips useless via his earthbending and proceeds to destroy the last one as three mecha tanks approach him. Equalists attack him with their cables just as he finishes. Suddenly, Naga jumps in, grabbing all three cables in her mouth and flipping over the three mecha tanks in one go. They fall and slide until they are a breath's distance from Bolin's face. He thanks Naga, who seems overjoyed to have finally assisted in the fight.



At that time, Asami is within one of the hangars, destroying the remaining planes with her newly acquired mecha tank. Hiroshi appears in another mecha tank and confronts her, telling her that she is aiding the very people who killed her mother. Asami angrily cuts his contention down, telling him that he does not feel love for her mother anymore, rather acting upon the hatred he feels for benders. Angered, Hiroshi calls her an ungrateful and insolent child, charging at her shortly thereafter. Asami releases wires to entrap him, but Hiroshi avoids them and takes this chance to ram his mecha tank into hers, launching her away and onto her back. He approaches the fallen mecha tank and proceeds to bash in Asami's cockpit. He says that he now sees that Asami cannot be saved and prepares to deal the final blow. At that moment, Bolin hurls rocks at Hiroshi's mecha tank, forcing him away. He charges in on Naga's back, throwing boulders, and yells at Hiroshi for being a horrible father, forcing him further away from his daughter under this new onslaught. Asami seizes the opportunity to stand up and rip the arm off of Hiroshi's mecha tank, tossing him into the hangar wall. Asami approaches and tears off the door to his cockpit. However, she hesitates for a moment and Hiroshi takes this opportunity to launch a cabled claw at her as a distraction so he could climb out of the damaged mecha tank and escape. Voicing her firm realization of Hiroshi as a horrible father, she launches a spinning wire trap, which entangles and electrifies Hiroshi into submission. She bows her head and sheds a tear.



Meanwhile, Amon stands before a collapsed Korra and declares her finally powerless. Korra struggles to her knees and tries to bend at him, but to no avail. Despite Amon's victory, the Lieutenant had followed him. He confronts Amon, telling him he witnessed him bloodbending the Avatar. He takes off his mask, throws it to the ground and stomps on it, crushing the in-built goggles. He proclaims Amon to be a traitor, furious that he had pointlessly dedicated his life to him. He proceeds to attack, but is stopped by Amon's bloodbending. Amon thanks him for his service and throws him aside into a pile of timber. Amon turns and walks past the now weakened Korra to approach Mako. He proceeds to bloodbend Mako into position, but Mako manages to inconspicuously point his fingers up at Amon and fires a lightning attack that stuns him. The unexpected attack connects, hurling Amon and slamming him into a corner of the room. Mako, still debilitated by the bloodbending, manages to weakly throw two fire blasts that cause the timbers around Amon to fall on top of him. Knowing that it would not be long before Amon recovers, Mako quickly takes Korra into his arms and runs out into the corridor. Korra begins to tell Mako about her bending, but Mako cuts her off, telling her everything will be all right and that they just need to escape. Shortly thereafter, he is forced to stop again by Amon, who has caught up to them, causing Mako to drop Korra. Amon bloodbends Mako and slams him into the ceiling, the floor, and the two walls on his sides. Mako collapses and Amon tells him that he is the first person to get the better of him like that. He forcibly bloodbends Mako into submission, saying that it is almost a shame to take away the bending of someone so talented.



Korra, seeing this, is unable to accept that Mako is about to suffer a similar fate. In utter desperation and with no bending, she defiantly throws a punch at Amon. However, wind forms around her fist and hits Amon, causing him to stagger and release his grip on Mako. Her desperation, in tandem with a strong desire to protect Mako, had allowed her to break through her spiritual block, thus enabling her to airbend. Realizing what she just did, Korra proclaims that she can indeed airbend, and regaining her confidence, she launches consecutive air-punches at Amon. Amon is forced back to the window at the end of the corridor, but retaliates, using bloodbending to ensnare Korra. However, Korra is able to resist and forces her leg up and forward to launch a powerful air-kick at Amon, blasting him out the window and into the sea. His mask falls off in mid-air as he plummets into the water in front of many of his Equalist supporters.

The supporters gather by the railing and witness Amon's mask float to the surface. The Equalist protester begins pandering to the crowd's anger, branding Korra a tyrant and an evil Avatar. Meanwhile, Amon, unconscious, sinks deeper into the sea. However, red ink begins to wash away from his face. He suddenly awakens and finds himself in danger of drowning and instinctively waterbends a spout to force himself up and out of the water. His "scar", now completely dissolved by the water, reveals his face to be unmarred to the crowd. His supporters realize that everything the Avatar told them was the truth, and Amon's entire revolution was a fraud. Seeing that he has lost everything, Amon dives underwater and escapes, successfully evading Mako's fire blasts.



Back on Air Temple Island, Amon visits his brother Tarrlok, who addresses him by his true name, Noatak. Noatak tells him that it is over and apologizes to Tarrlok for what he did to him. Tarrlok sighs and tells him that it was their father who set them on this path, and fate caused them to collide. He tells Noatak that he should have left with him back when they were boys. Noatak opens the cage door and asks Tarrlok to come with him so that they can start over again, noting that the only thing they have left in the world is each other.

Back at the port, Team Avatar, Lin Beifong, and Tenzin and his family gather together. Lin voices her feelings of anguish from Amon taking Korra's bending. Bolin attempts to lighten the mood by mentioning Korra has unlocked her airbending, but fails. Watching the United Forces fleet enter the harbor, Tenzin tries to comfort Korra by telling her she saved Republic City. However, Korra says that it was not enough because Amon successfully escaped. Commander Bumi, son of Aang and brother of Tenzin, sails into port with reinforcements, much to Tenzin's dismay and Ikki's delight, noting he will now have to tolerate and play host to his brother, as the two appear to be complete opposites.



Meanwhile, Noatak and Tarrlok are fleeing the city in a speedboat, where Noatak proclaims joyfully that as long as the two of them remain together, there is nothing they cannot do. Tarrlok seems to agree and refers to him by his true name. Noatak repeats it and warmly chuckles, saying that he had almost forgotten the sound of his own name. Tarrlok notices the Equalist gloves on the shelves of the boat. While making sure his brother is preoccupied with driving the boat, he puts on a glove, opens the fuel tank, and places his gloved hand over it, reiterating that "it will be just like the good old days." His words cause Noatak to shed a tear as he looks ahead. As Tarrlok activates the glove, a small spark flashes behind Noatak, resulting in an explosion that kills both of them.



Back at the Southern Water Tribe compound, everyone, including Korra's parents, wait as Katara examines Korra in a separate room. Katara emerges and laments that she has tried everything she could, but she cannot restore Korra's bending. Beifong pleads with Katara to keep trying, but Katara says there is nothing more she can do. Korra can still airbend, but her connection to the other elements has been severed. Korra emerges into a roomful of people who look at her with sorrow. Tenzin tries to comfort Korra telling by her it is going to be all right, but Korra incredulously insists it will not. With her connection to the other three elements severed, Korra feels she is just an airbender, hardly worthy of the title of Avatar. Feeling that the most important piece of her life has been destroyed, she grabs her coat, leaves the room and goes outside.

Mako follows and tries to comfort Korra, but she tells him to go away. He agrees, but ensures her that he is there for her. Upon hearing this, Korra corrects him, telling Mako she means for him to go away, back to Republic City and get on with his life. Confused, Mako asks what she is implying. Korra clarifies by telling him that since she is not the Avatar anymore, he does not need to do her any favors and begins to walk away from him. Mako stops her and tells her he does not care whether she is the Avatar or not. He divulges that he was losing his mind when Tarrlok took her, and that he came to the realization that he does truly love her. However, Korra is unable to answer properly, having recently suffered a great loss. She mounts Naga and rides out of the compound. Tenzin approaches Mako and tells him they will need to be patient, as it will take time for Korra to accept what has happened.



Korra rides to an ice-cliff overlooking the ocean, dismounts, and walks to the edge. There, she looks to the horizon and silently cries. As a tear rolls down her face and drops she looks down at it as it falls to the thin sliver of ground far below. She starts sobbing and sits down, curling up into an infantile position. Seeing the bottom half of air-monk clothes she assumes it is Tenzin and tells him she wants to be left alone, but the figure replies, "But you called me here," unwilling to leave. Korra, surprised, looks up to see a grown Aang standing there gently smiling at her. Aang informs her that "You're finally connected with your spiritual self." Stunned, Korra asks how she managed to perform such a feat. Aang explains that it is when one hits their lowest point, that they are open to the greatest change. As this is said, the rest of the past Avatars materialize behind him, all of them looking toward Korra. She is no longer alone, and she has finally moved past her spiritual block. Aang assumes an energybending position, touching Korra's forehead and heart. His thumbs, eyes and airbender tattoos glow white along with his silhouette. Behind him, the rest of the Avatars also enter the Avatar State with their eyes glowing. The glow around Aang's silhouette subsides, and he steps back, still in the Avatar State, disappearing along with the rest.



Korra opens her eyes, revealing the white glow of the Avatar State. She rises upward in an airspout, facing the cliff and sends a wave of air behind her, followed by a wave of fire and a wave of rocks on the ground. The ocean waves below surge and break against the edge of the cliff, confirming her bending has returned in full. She floats down as the air spout dissipates and exits the Avatar State. Aang had successfully used energybending to reconnect her to the other three elements. Now an Avatar with full access to all of her Avatar abilities, both physical and spiritual, she turns around to see an amazed Mako. The two lovingly embrace, as Korra tells him she loves him as well, and they share a passionate kiss.

At one of the Southern Water Tribe temples, Lin Beifong walks up to where Korra awaits her and kneels before her. Korra places her right thumb on Lin's forehead and her left on her heart while gripping her shoulder using the rest of the fingers on her left hand. Korra closes her eyes and opens them, now glowing with the power of the Avatar State, along with her fingertips. After the glow dissipates, Lin rises and earthbends the large rocks surrounding the temple, causing them to float in midair; her bending fully restored. Everyone watches this miracle with different reactions, some with amazement, some with pride, others with awe. Putting the rocks back down, Lin faces Korra and thanks her. Tenzin walks up to Korra and tells her, "I am so proud of you, Avatar Korra."

Credits

 * Written by:
 * Michael Dante DiMartino
 * Bryan Konietzko


 * Directed by:
 * Joaquim Dos Santos
 * Ki Hyun Ryu


 * Starring:
 * Janet Varney - Korra
 * David Faustino - Mako
 * P. J. Byrne - Bolin
 * Seychelle Gabriel - Asami
 * J. K. Simmons - Tenzin
 * Mindy Sterling - Beifong
 * Steve Blum - Amon
 * Dee Bradley Baker:
 * Tarrlok
 * Naga
 * Pabu
 * Oogi


 * Also starring:
 * Dante Basco - General Iroh
 * Logan Wells - Meelo
 * Darcy Rose Byrnes - Ikki
 * Daniel Dae Kim - Hiroshi
 * Lance Henriksen - Lieutenant
 * D.B. Sweeney - Aang
 * Carlos Alazraqui - Protester
 * Jeff Bennett - Radio broadcaster


 * Additional voices:
 * Dee Bradley Baker
 * J.K. Simmons - Feathered hat man
 * Janet Varney


 * Special guest star:
 * Eva Marie Saint - Katara

Series continuity

 * Korra uses airbending for the first time after she started her training in "A Leaf in the Wind".
 * When Korra bent all four elements while in the Avatar State, she summoned the elements in reverse order of the Avatar Cycle: air, fire, earth, and water, the same order Aang bent the elements during the battle at Wulong Forest when he entered the Avatar State.
 * Bumi is shown for the first time after being mentioned in "Welcome to Republic City" and "Skeletons in the Closet".
 * The title of this episode refers to Tenzin's statement in "Turning the Tides": "Amon is entering his endgame."

Goofs

 * When Amon first removes his mask to show his "scars", he has no eyebrows. They are not covered with makeup, though, because his eyebrows are clearly visible when he is underwater and the makeup begins to wash off.
 * When Hiroshi is talking to a captured Asami, for a few scenes his glasses do not have any new templates or temple tips; however, they appear seconds later.
 * When Asami first jumps into the mecha tank after being freed by Naga, the seatbelt apparatus can clearly be seen on the seat, behind her. After her hand is seen turning the knob to ready the vehicle and the camera cuts back to her body, the seatbelts disappear and she takes the seatbelt from behind the seat to buckle up.
 * When Iroh takes control of the first plane, he throws the pilot out of the cockpit; the falling pilot is not wearing a parachute, but in the next frame, he opens one.
 * After Korra frees the kids, she tells them to follow her; however, in the next scene, she is the last one coming out the door with the kids leading her.
 * Before Iroh's plane is about to crash into Aang's statue, the Equalist flags attached to the staff and mask are missing.
 * When Hiroshi attacks Asami, he breaks her mecha tank's window. Later, Asami's mecha tank is seen undamaged.
 * When the Lieutenant finds out that Amon is a bloodbender, he takes off his mask, throws it to the ground, and stomps on it. However, after Amon knocks him aside using his bending, the remains of the Lieutenant's mask are not there.
 * While Amon is bloodbending the Lieutenant, the fingernails on his right hand are missing.
 * When Korra blasts Amon to the end of the hallway, he hits the wall below the window. When Mako and Korra are standing in the broken window, it reaches all the way down to the ground.
 * When Tarrlok is removing the boat's fuel cap, he turns it clockwise; however, the threads indicate the cap should be unscrewed counter-clockwise.
 * Korra's compound is shown to be hexagonal in shape; however, it was round in the first episode, "Welcome to Republic City".
 * When Katara enters the main room in the Southern Water Tribe compound to tell everyone about her lack of success in restoring Korra's bending, her eyebrows are white. In a later frame, they are dark brown, as they were in her youth.
 * The line of Avatars goes right to left in elemental order starting with Aang, Roku, Kyoshi, Kuruk, Yangchen, the unknown Fire Nation Avatar, and the unknown Earth Kingdom Avatar. However, the fourth row is riddled with errors, as it starts with what appears to be a Fire Nation Avatar. Further down the row, another Fire Nation Avatar is standing where a Water Tribe Avatar should be, and, on the left side, there are two Water Tribe Avatars next to each other.
 * When Korra restores Lin's bending, she earthbends eleven rocks around the building into the air and sets them down. In the next frame, however, there are only eight rocks surrounding the building.
 * When Korra is restoring Lin's bending, she puts her left hand on Lin's right shoulder as opposed to over her heart, which is on the left side.

Trivia



 * "Endgame" is a reference to chess. The Endgame in chess is the final few moves when each side has only a few pieces remaining. This concept is demonstrated when only Korra and Mako are left to oppose Amon.
 * This episode is one of the few that had special press art released for it.
 * This is the first episode in The Legend of Korra whose title is only one word. The first series contains only two episodes like this: "Imprisoned", and "Jet".
 * This is also one of two episodes, the other being "Out of the Past", that contain "Aang's Theme" from the original series. It is heard as Korra enters the Avatar State.
 * This is the first time Tenzin refers to Korra as "Avatar Korra".
 * Significant changes to the original script included removing the scene in which Tenzin and his children find Pema and Lin as well as shortening Iroh's attacks on the biplanes. More so, prior to confirmation of Book Two: Spirits, Iroh was intended to be present at the Southern Water Tribe compound, where Asami would announce her intention to leave with him and join the United Forces.