I wonder if we will see Tenzin lose it in this episode. He barely seems like he is able to restrain himself around Tarrlock now. On the air bending being useful, but you could probably use it to suffocate someone.

Having just seen the episodes again for the third time and the Finale preview, Amon is starting to really puzzle to me. Here are some thoughts about the main antagonist.

Amon is unaffected by bloodbending which is creepy at best (episode 9). Either he is a machine, doesn't have any blood or has some sort of protection, it's totally insane that he can break through tarrlok's bloodbending when even Aang couldn't (unless in Avatar state).

There is talk about Amon possibly being an airbender. The way he fights is very evasive which is similar to the air bending style (I quite agree with this as he has a different fighting style from his henchmen). Furthermore, Amon is never fazed by anything. The explosion in his airship hanger in ep. 6 after his attack at the stadium , the giant icicles flying at him from korra in ep.9. He never flinches. There are also certain scenes that show Amon bursting through a cloud of smoke with air bending swirls in the smoke, but I think that is just coincidence. I don't think Amon is an airbender but he could possibly be a bender of some kind.

Amon's energy bending is quite hard to believe but considering Aang learnt it from a tiger turtle, it really isn't that hard to believe that someone as desperate as Amon could actually learn it. Consider that because the avatar exist to bring balance to the world, then Amon could have reasoned with the spirits that by giving him the energy bending ability, he could truly bring balance to the world. Also, since energy bending is considered bending, then Amon is a bender and personally I don't think non-benders can be taught a bending ability, even by the spirits. If Tarrlok can bloodbend without a full moon, I guess there exists people who can energybend without being the avatar.

I've also read a rumor that Amon could be a partial avatar who was born after Aang was knocked out cold by Azula's lightning. This makes some sense but since Aang was going into or was in the avatar state when he was struck down, then another avatar couldn't be born as Roku had mentioned that the cycle would end if the avatar was killed in the avatar state.

I read in another forum thread here that Amon could be using an advanced version of chi blocking which just happens to have the same positioning as Aang's energybending. Most of the time, the scenes only shows Amon's right hand positioned on the temple, exactly as Aang does it. However, his left hand is not on the chest, it is on the back of the neck, which can be seen for a brief moment during the revelation episode. So could Amon be faking it? Or is it a totally different ability?

Now here's just some personal thoughts on the finale trailer and the future

In the trailer, there is a "pearl harbor scene" which depicts planes bombing what looks like fire nation ships. Considering that the next episode, ep. 10, titled "Skeletons in the closet" is rumored to have a voice over by Zuko's actor, then it could mean that Amon is somehow related to Zuko? As we know it, Zuko's daughter is the current firelord, so it may just be that she is retelling what happened to Zuko in his later years? We will just have to wait and see. I believe that the fire nation comes to Republic city to fight the equalists though.

Amon has got Korra into his energy bending position just as Mako is seen sprawled on the ground unable to move, in a position that looks like only bloodbending could bring about. Could it be that Amon can bloodbend too? Or maybe he coerced Tarrlok to work with him in the return of sparing his bending?

Amon is Zuko? I've heard this flying around for some time but that would make Amon really old, even older than Katara, who in the first episode looks damm old. So I doubt it would be Zuko. As for a family member of Zuko, that could be plausible.

Amon is Tenzin's brother Bumi? Another speculation I don't believe in as tenzin would know if it was his brother. Furthermore, jealousy would not be just enough to make a brother go all crazy on the world unless he has some serious problems..but then even his sister Kya would know about it.

Amon actually is able to energy bend people's bending away and use it for himself. This comes from the finale trailer at around 0:44s when Amon says "I will destroy you" and is clenching his fist like a bloodbender. It could be possible that he could take other people's bending as Enegrybending can transfer knowledge so in theory it could also transfer knowledge from others to Amon. Even though this is really radical, I believe it could make Amon a much stronger foe than Firelord Ozai which wasn't much of a major enemy (considering he had the comet which buffed him up big time).

Now I've got this theory about Korra being energybended by Amon in the finale trailer.

Amon tries to energy bend Korra but, like the usual heroic twist, Korra's Avatar state awakens and completely overpowers Amon just like how Aang's Avatar state can overcome bloodbending. All ends happily and the second book continues with another more dangerous antagonist or with a vengeful Amon. Or it could be more the adding of more antagonists like how Azula was added or the Dai li's corrupt head, Long Feng.

Amon successfully takes away all of Korra's bending. To all our disbelief and agony, this could possibly happen. We are at episode 9 and Korra has yet to show an signs of Air bending except movement. Furthermore this season is titled "Book One : Air" and Korra can't air bend at all yet. If Amon takes away Korra's bending, then she won't be able to use water, fire and earth bending. However since she hasn't used air bending yet, Amon can't take it away. As such, Korra is left with just Air bending. This reverts the series back to the path Aang had, which was to learn the rest of the 3 elements. It can also potentially set up the series for a bigger plot, which pits Korra against Amon's army of equalists. Amon could conquer Republic city and Korra has to learn the elements again while gathering an army to fight Amon (Just like Aang and Firelord Ozai). This is plausible as it would unite the 4 nations under 1 banner against a common foe. This would solve the problem with the Firenation colonies, seen in The Promise series of the Avatar Comics. It can also mean that at some point Korra would learn Energybending or some other awesome ability to counter Amon and provides the whole world with bending abilities, thus bringing balance.

If this actually happens, I guess the next 3 books/seasons would be called Water, Earth and Fire too and I would mostly likely bang my head on the table a million times.

A few last things

Korra and Mako. I think they will leave Mako with Asami (because it would be mean to leave her after what happened with her dad and all, i mean if he broke up with her just for Korra, what are they teaching the kids who watch nick? Seriously). I believe in the next season, they will add more characters just like how they added awesome Toph. I think they will make one of the new characters a love interest for Korra. Which they then use that to fuel this teenage love triangle thing where Asami likes Mako but Mako likes Korra and Korra likes someone else, who then likes Asami? And Bolin will be reduced to a single status like Toph was at the end of the Avatar, cause I guess Earthbenders don't get as much action as the rest huh..

I guess in the future episodes they will release more forms of bending. Fire has lightning, Water has bloodbending and healing, Earth has metal bending and that seismic sense thing but AIR?? AIR HAS NOTHING ELSE. Energy Bending is the fifth bending or the original bending as some see it, so it is not part of Air bending. I think they may add some offshoot abilities for Airbending like maybe moving so fast you turn invisible? Ok truthfully I don't have many ideas for the future of Airbending, I really can't think of how it could evolve like Fire to Lightning. Considering what Iroh said about all elements being 1, I guess they could just make an ultimate bending ability that owns everything else. Oh well.

I apologize for the long post, maybe I should've started a new thread? Anyways I hope you guys could comment and talk about this. I can't wait for Episode 10, there are so many answers I need!