"You benders need to understand ... there's no place in the world for you anymore."

— The Lieutenant to Mako and Bolin.[1]

The Lieutenant was the second-in-command of the Equalists under Amon. He is an intense, disciplined fighter who augments his considerable skills with two electrified kali sticks powered by a generator on his back. No metalbender cop has been able to withstand his attacks.[3]

The Lieutenant spent the better part of his life looking up to Amon and fueling the Anti-bending Revolution. During his time with the Equalists, he proved to be a loyal and effective second-in-command, advising his leader in every step he made, while also making sure Team Avatar was kept at bay. However, he was left devastated when he discovered that Amon was secretly a bloodbender and attempted to attack him, but was promptly defeated by his former leader.[4]

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History

Arrival of Avatar Korra

When Korra officially introduced herself as the Avatar to the citizenry of Republic City, the Lieutenant heard the speech broadcast over the radio and promptly asked Amon how he wanted to handle Korra's arrival.[5]

The Revelation

When Amon made a public appearance at a large Equalist assembly, the Lieutenant stood by his side on stage. During the rally, Korra created a disruption, allowing Mako to free Bolin from the group of captured Triple Threat Triad associates. The Lieutenant chased after them, and he electrified a metal ladder by which the brothers were escaping and shocked them, using his unique weapons against Team Avatar for the first time. The Lieutenant effortlessly held the two bending brothers at bay, and eventually incapacitated them with his electrically charged attacks. Immediately after he had won the battle, he was knocked against a wall by a surprise earthbending attack from Korra. As the Avatar helped the brothers escape on Naga, the Lieutenant urged other Equalists to chase after them, but they were halted by Amon's command.[1]

Attacking the Pro-bending Arena

After Amon broadcasted a threat over the radio to the United Republic Council to shut down the Pro-bending Arena, the Lieutenant was the one that broke the news to Amon that the Council had defied his threat. However, Amon was pleased and stated that "everything was going according to plan".

The Lieutenant joined Amon and the other Equalists in the surprise attack on the Pro-bending Arena following the championship match of the Pro-bending Tournament. He used his kali sticks to stun the Fire Ferrets, who were still in the water after their knockout defeat by the White Falls Wolfbats in round three. While Amon was giving his speech, the Lieutenant dragged all the unconscious Fire Ferrets out of the water and bound them to one of the playing field's support beams. As Amon finished his speech and declared the start of the equality revolution to all, the Equalist airship lowered metal cables down into the arena to hoist the Equalists to elusion. The Lieutenant held on to one of these cables alongside another Equalist. However, as they ascended, Korra, with the help of Lin Beifong, launched a counterattack and knocked the Lieutenant and the other Equalist off the metal cable and onto the arena's roof.

When Lin arrived on the roof as well, she attempted to board the airship, but was thwarted by the Lieutenant, who knocked her out with his electrified kali sticks. However, as he attempted to deliver a final blow, he was blasted aside by Korra with fire. The two engaged in a battle of electrified kali sticks against firebending, which eventually ended in favor of the Avatar, as the Lieutenant took an elbow to the face and was knocked off the roof by two fire kicks.[6]



Battle at Hiroshi Sato's Equalist Factory

A few days later, the Lieutenant was present at Hiroshi Sato's secret factory to check on Hiroshi's progress on the Equalists' new weapons. He watched as Korra, Tenzin, Lin Beifong, and some police officers battled the tanks and were eventually defeated by them. When Mako and Bolin were caught trying to evacuate Korra, Lin, and Tenzin, the Lieutenant got ready to battle with them. However, before fighting broke out, Asami stopped them, demanding an explanation. Hiroshi wanted Asami to join them, but she instead took one of the Equalists' electrified gloves and shocked her father and the Lieutenant, allowing her friends to escape with her.[7]

Pursuing Team Avatar

When Team Avatar, Tenzin, and Lin Beifong raided the underground Equalist tunnel complex, the Lieutenant led a response team of chi blockers to intercept them after the alarm was set off. The Lieutenant and his forces attempted to head them off by waiting for them at the end of the passageway, but the group avoided contact with him when Beifong blasted a hole into the roof and launched their vehicle through it.[8]

Dealing with Tarrlok and Korra

The Lieutenant later accompanied Amon and his other chi blockers to Tarrlok's cabin, surprising the councilor as he came up a flight of stairs. Tarrlok, believing the Equalists had just bitten off far more than they could chew, quickly incapacitated the Lieutenant and the other chi blockers with his bloodbending. However, despite Tarrlok's best efforts, Amon was able to resist his bloodbending and proceeded to remove the councilman's bending, freeing the Lieutenant and the other chi blockers in the process.

After they recovered, Amon sent the Lieutenant and the others down to remove Korra from her cell and take her prisoner, warning him not to underestimate the Avatar and instructing him to electrify the metal cage before opening it to render her unconscious. The Lieutenant complied, but unbeknownst to him, Korra managed to suspend herself from the upper vent to avoid being shocked. As the Lieutenant opened the door, Korra, feigning unconsciousness, surprised the Equalists with a massive blast of fire followed by an earth shockwave and made her escape. After she faced off with Amon outside and managed to evade him as well, the Lieutenant was berated by his leader for having underestimated the Avatar even after his warning.[8]

Attacking and capturing Republic City

The Lieutenant later disguised himself as a spider rat exterminator in order to enter the Fire Nation councilwoman's home and abduct her. He subsequently commanded an airship during the battle for Republic City to raid Air Temple Island, where he defeated Lin Beifong in battle. However, he was overwhelmed when Tenzin's children entered the brawl, and was quickly subdued by Jinora when the ten-year-old girl launched him over a nearby roof with an air blast from her staff. When more Equalists arrived and Tenzin's family evacuated, he tried to stop Team Avatar from also escaping but was knocked off a cliff by Naga. He, however, managed to survive the fall and was later present when Amon removed Lin of her bending abilities.[9]

When Mako and Korra were disguised as Equalists on Air Temple Island, the Lieutenant was present. He informed them that extra guards were needed in the Pro-bending Arena for an Equalist rally, and that Amon told the Equalists on the island to go there.[10]

Betrayal by Amon and defeat

The Lieutenant accompanied Amon at the Equalist victory rally when Korra and Mako appeared and interrupted the Equalist leader's speech. He asked Amon if he should take them down, but was told to wait and see what the Avatar had to say. When Korra revealed that Amon was Yakone's son, Tarrlok's brother, and that he utilized bloodbending to strip people of their bending, the Lieutenant seemed surprised by the revelation, but refused to waver in his support for the revolutionary. The Lieutenant was relieved when Amon revealed his scar from a supposed firebending attack. As Mako and Tenzin attacked the Equalists on stage to provide cover for Korra, the Lieutenant fought alongside Amon and the other Equalists, but Tenzin used his airbending to blow them off the stage.

Racing to rejoin his leader in the corridors behind the arena, the Lieutenant witnessed Amon use bloodbending to incapacitate Korra and Mako. The Equalists' second-in-command was left devastated, realizing that he had "dedicated [his] life" to serve a liar. He ripped off and smashed his own mask, denounced Amon as a traitor, and attempted to attack him. However, the Lieutenant was powerless against his former leader's bloodbending, which stopped him in midair. Amon thanked him for his service, before tossing the Lieutenant into a pile of wooden planks.[4]

Personality

Loyal and devoted to the Equalists, the Lieutenant was a trustworthy member of the organization, who harbored a true hatred for benders and stated that there was no place for them in the world anymore.[1] He dedicated his life to Amon and did everything he asked of him.[6][8] However, once he learned the truth about Amon's background after having witnessed him bloodbend Korra and Mako, the Lieutenant lost respect for him and grew belligerent over the betrayal.[4]

Abilities

Despite being a nonbender, the Lieutenant is a fearless, skilled and nimble close-range fighter, willing to take on any opponent, from a group of benders[1] to a giant polar bear dog head-on with no concern for his own safety.[9] He wields a set of electrified kali sticks which, combined with his natural skills and battle determination, allows him to fend off and defeat skilled benders with little effort, such as Mako and Bolin.[1][6]

The Lieutenant is also an extremely resilient individual, as he withstood large amounts of damage from various fights against benders on several occasions without displaying any lasting injuries. He even survived being swatted by Naga and falling down a tall cliff, appearing unscathed next to Amon a few hours later.[9]

Appearances

Trivia

Bolin's reference to him as "mustache guy" is similar to Sokka giving "Combustion Man" his own nickname based on a physical appearance or attribute.

The Lieutenant and Amon are the only members of the Equalists that have been seen wearing uniforms with shoulder pads.

The Lieutenant's mustache resembles the barbels found on a catfish; some species of catfish are capable of producing an electric shock, much like the Lieutenant does using his electrified kali sticks.

The Lieutenant's design was inspired by steampunk culture.[11]