Anti-bending Revolution


 * This article is about the Equalist movement. For the junior novelization, see Revolution.

"URN"

- My followers and I will not rest until the entire city achieves equality, and once that goal is achieved we will equalize the rest of the world! The revolution has begun!

The Anti-bending Revolution was a movement led by the Equalists that took place in Republic City around 170 ASC. Its primary objective was to end the oppression of non-benders at the hands of benders throughout the city, and eventually the entire world by eradicating bending altogether.

Prelude
When a masked man named Amon rose to power by exploiting the absence of the Avatar, as well as the increasing tensions between benders and non-benders, he then, alongside his rank-and-file Equalists, orchestrated a revolt against all benders alike. The Equalists' main insurrection occurred in Republic City, where they fought benders utilizing chi blocking and an impressive array of weaponry to oppose the Metalbending Police Force and Avatar Korra. Simultaneously, Councilman Tarrlok perceived the revolution as an opportunity to win Republic City, as his father Yakone had failed to do forty-two years prior.

The Revelation


Soon after Avatar Korra's arrival in Republic City, Amon assembled a large rally of non-bending citizens in which he explained that the spirits had granted him the ability to permanently remove bending. To prove this, the Equalist leader promptly held a demonstration in which he removed the bending of three Triple Threat Triad members. Captured by the Equalists while in the company of said gang members, Bolin was the last bender who to have his bending stripped from him, but due to a distraction caused by the Avatar, Mako was able to rescue him from this fate.

A successful task force
Eventually, when news of Amon's ability to remove bending surfaced in the city, Councilman Tarrlok set up a task force in order to combat the Equalist threat and declared Amon public enemy number one. After recruiting Avatar Korra to the team, the group successfully raided a chi blocker training camp, defeating and capturing any offending Equalists.

Attack on the Pro-bending Arena
Before the Pro-bending Tournament's final match, Amon threatened the United Republic Council via radio to shut down the arena, and cancel the event, or there would be "severe consequences". However, the Council decided to ignore the warning and let the match be played under the advisement of both the Avatar and Chief Lin Beifong. Metalbending police officers were subsequently ordered to patrol the area under the supervision of the police chief.

In actuality, however, it was Amon's plan that the game would continue as scheduled. This way, the Equalists could carry out an ambush at the arena. After the conclusion of the match, several Equalists who had posed as ordinary spectators incapacitated the officers and other resisting benders with electrified gloves, creating a distraction that provided Amon and his underlings their chance to enter the ring. The raid allowed Amon to demonstrate his abilities to the public by "cleansing" the White Falls Wolfbats of their bending. The Equalist leader then pronounced a speech on the revolution and its purpose, effectively declaring war on all benders. Disregarding a run in with the Avatar and the Chief of Police on the arena's roof, they successfully escaped by an airship.

Battle at the Equalist factory


Following the attack on the arena, the pro-bending venue was shut down. The Metalbending Police Force then began an investigation on the source of the Equalists' weaponry. At first, it appeared to be Cabbage Corp who had supplied such weapons, leading to the arrest of the owner Lau Gan-Lan, but further investigation yielded evidence that Hiroshi Sato had manufactured the weapons. A short battle followed, and Sato's new mecha tanks proved to be successful in defeating Tenzin, Chief Beifong, Korra, and several metalbender cops. However, Mako and Bolin entered the factory to assist the group, and with the help of Asami Sato, they were able to escape.

Internal power struggles
When Chief Beifong resigned from her duties, Tarrlok took advantage of this and convinced her successor Saikhan to place the Metalbending Police Force under Tarrlok's command to combat the Equalists. Korra and Tenzin knew that Tarrlok's manipulations gave the councilman greater powers and control over Republic City, and confronted him. Tarrlok asked Korra to rejoin his task force, to which she refused, so Tarrlok advised her to not get in his way. Instead, she formed a new Team Avatar with Mako, Bolin, and Asami, and began patrolling Republic City. Team Avatar became involved in a skirmish with some Equalists and incapacitated them before Tarrlok's task force arrived, much to the councilman's anger.



Tarrlok implemented a law that was effectively a curfew and arrested innocent non-benders in the Dragon Flats borough on false charges. Team Avatar attempted to release them, but all their members, except for Korra, were arrested in their place. Korra later tried to intimidate the traitorous councilman at City Hall to release her friends and the innocent non-benders, but Tarrlok's remarks about both himself and the Avatar "going to extreme lengths to get what they want", along with Korra's rebuttal that Tarrlok was "just as bad as Amon", culminated into a fierce duel. A heavily scratched Korra managed to cut off Tarrlok's water source and was just about to defeat him until Tarrlok incapacitated the Avatar with bloodbending. Tarrlok immediately tied Korra up and took her to a mountain hideout. The Councilman would later claim that the Equalists attacked and kidnapped Korra.

Capture and cleansing of Councilman Tarrlok


After Tarrlok kidnapped Avatar Korra and put her in a cage, his "bloodbending secret" was revealed. He returned to his hideout in the mountains, where Korra was locked up, and told her that he was making a new life for himself and taking her as hostage. He returned to the main floor of the building, and was greeted by Amon, the Lieutenant, and a few chi blockers. A short battle took place in which Tarrlok subsequently bloodbent all of the chi blockers and the Lieutenant to the ground. Amon, however, was able to use his own bloodbending to mostly resist Tarrlok's bloodbending, so he proceeded to remove Tarrlok's bending abilities. The Lieutenant and the chi blockers went to Korra's cage and electrified it, with the goal of knocking Korra out by means of electricity. The plan failed and Korra used her bending to easily escape down the side of the mountain. The rogue councilman was then thrown into the back of an Equalist truck by Amon.

Battle for Republic City


Soon after Korra was rescued, the Equalists launched an aerial attack on Republic City. Using a fleet of Equalist airships, the Equalists bombed many parts of the metropolis. Eventually the fleet headed toward Air Temple Island, prompting Tenzin and his family to flee on Oogi. Air Temple Island was captured, along with much of the city. It was at this point that General Iroh and the United Forces began their approach on the city, hoping to defeat the Equalists.

Defeat of Amon


Soon after the United Forces arrived, several biplanes came to stop the battleships. In the ensuing battle, Korra saved General Iroh after he was wounded by a torpedo. Soon after, Bolin, Asami, and Iroh set out to destroy the Equalist airfield and Korra and Mako headed to Air Temple Island, where they found Tarrlok imprisoned in the attic. He revealed that he was Amon's brother and that Amon was a waterbender and a bloodbender. With this news, Mako and Korra infiltrated the Equalist Victory Rally. There, they exposed Amon, however, he removed his mask, revealing his scar which he claimed to have gotten from a firebender, causing Amon's supporters to turn on Korra.

Amon then revealed that he had captured Tenzin, Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo. Mako and Korra then proceeded to attack Amon and the chi blockers on stage. Korra freed the airbenders, and hid with Mako elsewhere in the arena. Amon then exploited his ability to bloodbend and removed Korra's bending. In response, Mako momentarily knocked out Amon with lightning and picked up Korra. As the Equalist leader was about to take Mako's bending, Korra, in a last resort effort, airbent to stop Amon. She knocked him out of the arena and into the bay, where he had no choice but to waterbend to save himself, showing his true identity to his followers. Amon's scar was fake, as it washed off in the water. He escaped and freed Tarrlok, who left with Amon on a boat, which Tarrlok blew up, killing both of them.

List of known major engagements

 * Attack on the Pro-bending Arena
 * Battle at the Equalist factory
 * Battle for Republic City
 * Equalist Victory Rally

Trivia

 * The Anti-bending Revolution draws parallels to the political revolutions set during the 1920s, mainly the Russian Revolution. It also shows similarities to the equal rights movements of the 1920s and 1960s in the United States as well as similarities to extremist groups like the Black Panther Party. Furthermore, the Anti-bending Revolution also shares several similar traits with Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution in the People's Republic of China and his Communist take-over of the Republic of China in 1949. Nonetheless, the revolt stresses equality and the leveling of society in the status sense. Unlike the Communist revolution, which sought for monetary equality, the Anti-bending Revolution is more similar the Civil Rights Movement in the United States because of its interest in societal equality (being born as bender vs. being born as a non-bender).