Lightning Bolt Zolt

"Lightning Bolt" Zolt is the former leader of the Triple Threat Triad. He was infamous in Republic City for crimes against nonbenders and was also known to solicit recruits for his triad operations at Central City Station. One of the most notorious crime bosses in the city, he was the first person to have his bending removed by Amon at the Equalist rally.The Legend of Korra—The Art of the Animated Series, Book One: Air, page 65. Soon after, Zolt also lost his position as the triad's leader to Viper.
== History ==
=== Rule as crime boss ===
As the leader, Lightning Bolt Zolt worked to make the Triple Threat Triad one of the most prominent organized crime syndicates in Republic City, using fear and violence to extort shopkeepers, steal shipments, and blackmail public figures. Around this time, the crime boss met Mako, who was working for the gang as an accountant, and taught the young boy lightning generation and redirection.DiMartino, Michael Dante; Konietzko, Bryan; Varney, Janet & Gabriel, Seychelle (July 9, 2013). "When Extremes Meet" commentary. Book One: Air Blu-ray.
In 167 AG, Zolt, along with Shady Shin, Mako, and Bolin, watched a pro-bending match featuring the Black Quarry Boar-q-pines, inclusive of legendary competitor Toza, whom Shin had paid off to take a dive. However, after the pro-bender completed a knockout, Zolt glared angrily at the ring while Bolin revealed that he had told Toza not to throw the match. Outraged about this revelation, Shin stormed off, chasing the fleeing siblings. Zolt followed the group, and eventually found his recruiter facing off against Mako, Bolin, and Toza in the latter's gym. Slamming his fist into the wall, the crime boss angrily put a stop to the fight. Zolt proceeded to chastise his associate for fighting kids, and the pro-bender for costing him money and not acting honorably. Zolt grimly watched as Toza offered the young brothers a chance to live in the Pro-bending Arena and walked away after they accepted the offer.
=== The Anti-bending Revolution ===
At the beginning of the Anti-bending Revolution in autumn 170 AG, Lightning Bolt Zolt was among five bending mobsters taken after the Equalist raid on the Triple Threat Triad's headquarters. During an Equalist gathering, Amon, who recounted Lightning Bolt Zolt's many acts of oppression over nonbenders, presented the bound crime boss to the booing crowd of nonbending Equalist supporters. Zolt, unmoved and annoyed by the situation, simply said that the nonbenders should "boo [themselves]." Much to his surprise, an Equalist proceeded to release him, while Amon challenged him to a duel to keep his bending. At first Zolt was confused that someone, especially a nonbender, would face him out of free will, but he soon grinned and accepted the challenge. Self-confident, he predicted that Amon would regret freeing him.
Lightning Bolt Zolt started the duel by sending multiple rounds of fire blasts at Amon, who dodged every attack, consequently nearing Zolt after each maneuver. Realizing that he needed more to kill the Equalist leader, Zolt enhanced his attack on Amon with a steady stream of lightning. However, the revolutionary leader easily overpowered him while evading all of his attacks. Amon caught Zolt's arm to control his lightning, and placed two fingers on his forehead with his other hand on the back of Zolt's neck, stripping him of his bending. In an impressive spectacle, Zolt's stream of lightning degraded into firebending and finally extinguished. After taking his bending, the Equalist leader let go of Zolt, who collapsed onto the ground. The crime boss, however, quickly regained his consciousness. Refusing to give up, he attempted to firebend at Amon, but to no avail. Shocked of the loss of his bending abilities, the Triple Threat Triad leader asked Amon what he had done to him. The revolutionary leader told Zolt, "Your firebending is gone. Forever." In the course of the next six months, Zolt was replaced by Viper as the triad's leader.
== Personality ==
Lightning Bolt Zolt is known to be a blunt and often merciless man who does not hesitate to cut down his enemies. Self-confident, he is unconcerned of what others think of him, evidenced by his callous attitude toward the booing nonbender crowd that gathered at Amon's rally. He also proved to be proud and unyielding, as he accepted Amon's challenge without hesitation and even tried to attack the Equalist leader when he was defeated and lying on the ground.
== Abilities ==
Zolt was very skilled in the art of firebending, having mastered the difficult and dangerous techniques of lightning generation and redirection at a high level, and was one of the few known firebenders to be able to rapidly generate lightning. Zolt also proved to be a capable teacher, as he passed his lightning techniques down to Mako. The extent of Zolt's abilities became apparent during his duel with Amon, as he employed quick bursts of fire before resorting to powerful lightning strikes. He was also able to maintain a steady stream of lightning, using it to cut through multiple metal structures with ease. The crime boss is also relatively physically strong, as he was able to stand up immediately after Amon's removal of his bending, and also regained consciousness very quickly.
== Appearances ==
=== Republic City Hustle ===
* "Republic City Hustle: Part 3"
=== The Legend of Korra ===
==== Book One: Air (气) ====
==== Book Four: Balance (平衡) ====
== Trivia ==
* Zolt's line after Amon removed his bending was the same as Ozai's when Aang removed his bending: "What did you do to me?"
* Zolt is the third known person to lose his bending in the Avatar universe, but the first to do so in The Legend of Korra, and the first known person to have his bending taken away by someone who is not an Avatar.
* Zolt possesses an accent similar to that of an Italian mobster.
* Zolt is shown on a most wanted poster along with Amon in the police headquarters in the online game, Welcome to Republic City.
* When he was still the leader of the Triple Threat Triad, Zolt used children to pass along secret messages between his triad members.
== References ==
de:Zolt Der Blitz
es:Zolt el Relámpago
fr:Zolt l'Éclair
he:זולט מאקט ברק
pl:Zolt Błyskawica
ru:Молния Золт
Category:A to Z
Category:Characters
Category:Former benders
Category:Legend of Korra characters
Category:Minor characters (Legend of Korra)
Category:Triple Threat Triad
Category:Triad members
Category:United Republic characters