Avatar: Why Tarrlok Killed Himself & Amon In Legend Of Korra

In the season 1 finale of The Legend of Korra, Tarrlok escaped from a prison cell with his older brother Amon's help, so why did he kill them both by intentionally blowing up the boat taking them to freedom? Introduced early in the Avatar: The Last Airbender sequel show as a silver-tongued politician who chaired the United Republic Council, Tarrlok's dark and checkered past would play a pivotal role in the first season of the show. One of the more complex characters in a show starring a multi-dimensional and angsty Avatar Korra, a deep-dive of Tarrlok's psychology reveals the reason he took such a drastic action.

The Legend of Korra season 1 largely centered around the conflict between benders and a faction of non-benders known as Equalists. Led by an enigmatic masked man named Amon, the Equalists plotted to bring down the Avatar and Republic City. As a city councilman, Tarrlok opposed the Equalists and Amon on principle, but Tarrlok's brutal methods of suppressing them soon found him at odds with Avatar Korra, despite their shared goal of peace. After the Equalists seized control of Republic City, Tarrlok was confined to a prison cell. Speaking with Korra from behind bars, he revealed that he had recently ascertained the true identity of Equalist leader Amon; the man behind the mask was in fact his long-lost brother. As children, the two had fled from their abusive father, but at a critical moment Tarrlok refused to go further. Leaving him behind, Amon disappeared and Tarrlok presumed he was dead until now.

Related: Everything We Know About The Next Avatar After Korra

In a climactic end to season 1, Korra exposed Amon as a blood-bender, a forbidden art associated with evil, causing his Equalist followers to desert him. With his identity exposed and power base crumbling, Amon realized he had no chance of defeating the Avatar. In an echo of their childhood flight from their father, Amon found Tarrlok in jail and asked him to flee Republic City together. This time, Tarrlok agreed to go with him. Ultimately, Tarrlok ignited the fuel tank and killed them both because he knew that their continued existence would only bring about more misery. The politically astute Tarrlok also recognized what Amon could not see clearly. The Avatar and Republic City forces would not stop pursuing them and, with the more advanced bending techniques in The Legend of Korra, both brothers were inevitably headed for jail or execution.

From Tarrlok's method and timing, it's also possible to surmise that he killed Amon because he loved and treasured him. Tarrlok chose to to flee with Amon, knowing it was a fool's errand, because he wanted to fulfill Amon's childhood wish of brotherly escape. Tellingly, Tarrlok called his brother by his given name, Noatak, and made sure that Amon was facing away right before he pulled on the electro-shock glove and ignited the fuel tank. Tarrlok wanted his brother to die with a smile on his face, at peace knowing they were finally back together again.

Tarrlok and Amon's darkly tragic deaths demonstrated to viewers that the sequel was a spiritual successor to the all-age storytelling of Avatar: The Last Airbender, even if some original Avatar fans remain split on The Legend of Korra. While The Legend of Korra, continued on for another three seasons and in comic books, Amon and Tarrlok remain two of the most layered and poignant villains in the Avatar universe.

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Next: Legend of Korra's Original Plan Would've Properly Ended Avatar's Story