Yakone

Yakone is a villain in The Legend of Korra, who was mentioned by Councilman Tarrlok in the episode "The Voice in the Night".

Tarrlok mentioned him in order to persuade other council members in the United Republic Council to allow his task force to face Amon head-on, just as Aang had done to Yakone.

During the show, which is set several years after the decease of Avatar Aang, Yakone and Aang appear through flashbacks during a few of Korra's defeats. The flashbacks would later be unveiled in the episode "Out of the Past".

History
After being abducted by Tarrlok and imprisoned in a metal container in the basement of a cabin located deep within the mountains surrounding Republic City, Korra decides to heed Tenzin's advice and tries to contact Avatar Aang. Through visions, Korra is able to witness the events during the criminal, Yakone's, trials.

Yakone was accused of bloodbending after the testimony of several witnesses. Chief Toph Beifong, accompanied by some metalbending officers and Avatar Aang, arrested him while he was eating at a restaurant. The criminal sarcastically claimed he would beat this charge again as he had done with the previous ones.

Yakone was then taken to City Hall to be judged before the United Republic Council, where he was defended by a lawyer who appealed to the impossibility to bloodbend when there is no full moon, as witnesses had claimed that his client had performed the feat "at every other time except during a full moon", making the crime impossible to commit. When the Council made its final decision, announced the verdict, stating that the evidence was enough to convince them that Yakone was a "unique bender" and had used this ability to commit the crimes for which he had been accused. For this reason, the bloodbender was considered guilty and sentenced to life in prison.

However, Yakone, stood up, grinning, and proceeded to bloodbend Sokka. Toph attempted to halt him with a metal cable, but Yakone was able to overpower her as well. Soon everyone in the room fell victim of his bloodbending, including Avatar Aang, who unsuccessfully tried to stop him from fleeing, only to be knocked to the floor. Aang then entered the Avatar State and pursued Yakone, destroying his escaping cart. Climbing out of the wreckage, the bloodbender used his technique again, planning to kill Aang, but was thwarted when Aang entered the Avatar State, breaking the bloodbending hold and trapping Yakone within an earth shell. Unable to fight back, Yakone was unable to prevent Aang from removing his bending.

Forty-two years later, his son, Tarrlok, who inherited his ability, tried to follow his father's steps in order to "win" Republic City. Aang tried to communicate with Avatar Korra on several occasions about Yakone's life and warn her about the Councilman; however, it was not until she was captured by the bloodbender that the Avatar decided to meditate, and in doing so managed to finally comprehend the message from her predecessor.