Talk:Airbending/@comment-4662143-20120512023114

I believe that Korra will need to know Airbending to completely defeat Amon, not because the actual bending art will help, but because of the mindset behind it. Remember when Aang was trying to Earthbend, and he couldn't move that rock? He kept trying to see if there was another way to move the rock, perhaps approach it from a different angle, before Toph stopped and flatly insisted that there was no other way to move the rock than to face it head on. Korra has the opposite problem. Every time she has faced a problem she attacks it head on, beating the crap out of it until she can move past it. When she found out she was the Avatar, she aggresively assumed the role, while Aang denied himself for a long time. When Korra couldn't go to Republic City, she brazenly stowed away on the a ship, a reckless act that Aang would never have done. When she wanted food for Naga, she nearly took it from the food seller without paying for it. Korra also had no problem illegally fishing in the lake in the park. Aang, in contrast, expressed concern about stealing Fire Nation clothing in season three. When Korra saw the thugs extorting the shop owner, she beat them to pulp, taking out most of the street in the process, but still saw what she did as justified. Aang, in contrast, tried to peacefully fix problems and only used violence as a last resort. When Korra wanted information about the Revelation, she bullied the Equalist protestor until he talked. In contrast, Aang didn't bully anyone into giving him information. In fact, it was Katara who had to bully the kids in Toph's town into telling her what the group needed to know, and Katara again who had to fight Master Pakku; Aang just called him "Master Poophead" but didn't even angrily address him. It took a lot to piss off Aang, but Korra blows her top very easily, much like Zuko did, probably explaining why she almost instinctively uses firebending to fight.

Amon, however, presents a unique challenge. Korra's steamroller strategy of aggressively flattening anything and anyone who gets in her way just doesn't work with him. Head on attacks don't seem to work, as Lightning Bolt Zolt showed us; Amon just dodged everything that Zolt threw at him and took away his bending without breaking a sweat. Similarly, Korra doesn't look like she can fight Equalists without any help. When she and Mako are ambushed, the Equalists easily dodge her attacks, block her chi, and tie her up. They do the same when she is at Avatar Aang Memorial Island. The only time she's able to win is when she has the element of suprise, and backup in the form of Tarrlock's task force, and is fighting against partially trained Equalists. Korra, it seems, doesn't know how to fight in any other style than using angry, impulsive, poorly planned frontal asaults. She relies on power rather than skill, aggression rather than agility and speed. Notice that while the Equalists use short jabs and spend most of their time dodging (much in the same way that Aang did, as Bumi commented during their fight) Korra uses wide, wasteful manuvers And that is where Airbending comes in. Airbending, as Aang mentioned, is about being open minded. Finding different ways to tackle problems. Avoiding brute force until there is no other option. Aang did all of these things many times throughout the series, and thus displayed more finesse and grace in his bending, as well as a more spiritual and contemplative side to his personality. Korra lacks both, and that is why she cannot Airbend. She will clearly need both spiritual proficiency and a more flexible attitude towards combat and problem solving in general to beat Amon, and thus must master Airbending.