@Arianna2516 I’ve actually read the essay already, haha. I agreed with some parts, but not others.
I agree Noatak was power-hungry; he craved to learn more bloodbending and planned to dominate the world. I just think it came from a desire to shield the weak and stick it to the strong. He regarded power as the only means of achieving anything in life, since it helped him escape Yakone, and he tried to give nonbenders the same tools. He was very sadistic with his enemies because he saw them as bullies like his father and believed they deserved the same terror and helplessness they inflicted on their victims (at least in his mind). He taunts Yakone while protecting Tarrlok, just like he taunts Korra while protecting nonbenders. It’s quite the mirrored moment, where he is assuming the role of a “protector.”
On his deception, it was a calculating move to get him in power, but it’s not like he could achieve a following any other way. If he came out as a bloodbender, or even just a waterbender, the nonbenders would be loath to follow him, no? He was a master manipulator and very charismatic, but that doesn’t mean he was being disingenuous about his message. Tarrlok believes Noatak was being sincere with his rhetoric, so it seems his speeches were in-line with his honest opinions (albeit with some razzle-dazzle and theatrical embellishments).
And while he certainly could have been pursuing a selfish gain of power, it seems unlikely to me, because it’s quite the exhaustive, roundabout way to get into power, and he’s relying on the weakest sector of society to boot. Benders achieve power pretty easily through status and physical ability; Tarrlok himself takes this route and has it pretty good as a member of the United Republic Council. Noatak, conversely, spent years (he mentions this in a speech) working underground to gain followers and enough momentum to build a movement. Not to mention, nonbenders need an extra push to be on-par with benders; extra training, extra equipment, etc. So it seems like a pretty genuine effort he put in, when an easy alternative would have been to take the Tarrlok route or simply rule with bending power (as his father had). He likely still enjoyed the power he did achieve, for the reasons I mentioned.
I don’t know where the essay author got the idea of being celebrated from, personally. Noatak seemed to hate praise, as he suffered under his father’s expectations. He hated being the favored child, even more than Tarrlok did, and it was one of the things that drove him to be so detached from the world. Tarrlok was always the one who struck me as craving the applause, while Noatak was the zealous revolutionary who wanted to reshape the world according to his own philosophy.
Thanks for the reply, by the way! :)