Knights of the Old Republic I, II, and Perhaps Beyond - Page 3

Actually, the double-bladed lightsaber/lightstaff first appeared years earlier in the Tales of the Jedi comic book series -- the Sith Lord Exar Kun used one, and George Lucas liked it so much, he gave Darth Maul one for the movie. Of course, everyone in the audience who hadn't read the comics immediately thought Lucas himself invented it, but they'd already existed in offscreen stories for a number of years previously.

For my money, the Expanded Universe has long showcased far more interesting, varied designs than what got in the movies. Other than Maul's blade (and maybe Dooku's), it's as if Lucas was afraid to take things too far afield from the original trilogy.

Speaking of different designs, was always a fan of Asajj Ventress's "hooked" twin 'sabers, which connected to form a weird-but-interesting-looking staff in the Clone Wars comics. Another thing about the earliest-set Tales of the Jedi comics is that the ancient Jedi and Sith had to used corded lightsabers, hooked into a power pack, as independent energy-cell technology had yet to be invented.



There's also this Sith lightsaber/dagger from the upcoming BioWare MMO (used by Lord Baras):



Also dug the lightsaber-pikes used by Kazdan Paratus and the Emperor's personal guard in The Force Unleashed:

None of that actually alters Spike's point, though.

Also, Expanded Universe can kiss my outer rim.

You liked KotOR, though, right? Also, Spike was referring to how all but one or two characters in the movies use the same-styled lightsabers -- my point was that, yes, he's correct, and that the Expanded Universe has regularly been outstripping Lucas's own imagination for years now.

For years, I've been saying that if it's a great Star Wars story you want, pick up a recent novel, comic book, and/or some of the video games. Some of the best stuff done in that universe can't be found on the cinema screen.

There's only so much you can do with lightsabers though. The doublesided saber is already pretty dumb.

The hilts can be designed differently, and the colors and effects can be different, but that's about it.

To this day, I'm amazed i havent seen lightsaber wristblades or something like that.

They've already shown up in the KotOR comics, from what I remember.

Also, there've been lightwhips (originally introduced in the Marvel Comics series from the '80s), and fiber-corded nunchuck-style 'sabers.


EDIT: Just realized that the "light ring" was from a fanfic online RPG, not an official LFL source.

Wait what? I have the KOTOR comics, and I dont remember a wristblade at all...Zayne Carrick did had some gauntlets that protected him from lightsabers though.
Also, there some sort of lightsaber claymore in "Legacy"

You mean these?

WTF is that? I mean something like a Katar.

Lighsabers attached to his wrists. He's also holding two lighstabers.

Fine, here.

It might've been Legacy I was thinking of, yeah -- the Dark Horse elves are generally so inventively creative that it's tough mentally keeping track of from where which thing comes anymore.

(That, or maybe it was the Dark Times series. Shit. Now I gotta check on this when I get a spare few hours.)

Also, yes -- those Plo Koon "wrist-sabers" were originally pre-production conceptual artwork for Episode III, but George shot them down, for whatever reason.

Ok, I'll shut up now...I've just seen Jedi Wolverine.

Seriously, Expanded Universe belongs in a remainders bin in the back of the bookstore, where they keep the Star Trek and Battletech novels. Whether it's better than the prequels is not just arguable, but irrelevant. It's junk food for fanboys who can't cope with the idea that "that's all there is". It's a series of paychecks for desperate authors and artists who need to pay the rent while they work on things they actually care about.

It's crap.

Years and years ago, long before the prequels, I remember coming across some (very well-written) Clone Wars fanfiction, where the Mandalorian Supercommandos used a similar type of wrist-lightsaber (full-length, though) to battle the Jedi with, even lacking in Force powers though they might've been.

KOTOR and Legacy were very fun comic series IMO...and "Tales" had quite some gems in it.
I agree with David on the novels and the rest of the comics, though.

Um...wow. Smug much? I'm afraid you're painting with far too broad a brush, here. Jesus H. Christ.

I read as much original, cutting-edge SF as any other "lit-snob" out there, but to instantly dismiss some of the novels as sheer "junk" is completely disingenuous and dishonest. My God. A number of them possess every bit as much "artistic merit" as any original midlist SF story, despite what some folks think about shared-universe fiction not containing any value whatsoever. Also, you clearly know nothing about many of the authors you're referring to as "desperate" -- a number of them are comfortably-selling writers with their own universes who are either approached by, or pitch stories to, LFL because they want to, for love of that universe, and have the proven chops and talent to make a story work, not necessarily because they need the fucking money.

Also, Greg, what about the developers who take on a commission from LucasArts to write a game like KotOR? They're writing for hire, too, the same as any novelist. Going by your posts, you seem to have liked that game well enough. But somehow, by your definition, licensed game writing is to be perceived as "noble" by the intelligentsia, but writing a novel set in that same universe is "hackwork"?

Are they "sellouts" too, rather than virtuous, dignified starving artists who lead lives of quiet desperation just to create their own original, self-published indie-games from the very depths of their artistic souls?

Where do we draw the line?

I would still give my left nut for KotoR 3 (i'd also thrown in everyone's kidneys on behalf).


Still annoyed that there is no Battlefront 3 (fuck!) instead we get the Old Republic and another Force Unleashed.

You say that like it's a bad thing. Apparently Old Republic is big enough to be KOTOR 3, 4, 5 and 6. Lighten up.

It comes down to preference, I prefer single player RPGs and care not for any MMO. Call me stubborn. Not gonna think ill of anyone who is looking forward to the Old Republic, I hope it's fun.

The Something Awful thread about the 90min AotC review derailed into general horror regarding the prequels and EU and someone linked something even 'better' than Jedi Wolverine - a guy covered in lightsabres. Wrist blades, shoulder blades...hell, he even had fucking lightsabres shooting out of his kneecaps. It looked as retarded as it sounds and were it any other series, I'd assume it was just a Photoshop job and leave it at that but given just how moronic Star Wars has become (the EU especially), nothing would surprise me anymore.

Nothing I've ever heard of -- sounds stupid, regardless. Doesn't come from any official source I could name.

Question, though:

How much more "moronic" can the EU be considered, when the prequel trilogy already soaks up so much bile from fans? Just my own personal opinion, but much of the Expanded Universe seems to possess a general sophistication and even elevation in places that the movies themselves appear to lack.

Just open up any Matt Stover or Karen Traviss novel to see what I mean. Stover's novelization of Episode III was gritty and elegant, and better than the actual movie itself.

You do not believe me? You will, Leto II. You will become...a true believer:



Apparently, he's some dude called 'Irek Ismaren'. No doubt he has his own action figure and a tragic and immensely detailed backstory based on being onscreen for a split-second or something.

what the hell is that? it looks terrible.

But he's got lightsabers IN HIS KNEES.

Dear lord, his Wookipedia entry has left me speechless

I dont like Star wars anymore.

Yiiiiii....I stand corrected, then.

Even I can admit when things get taken way too far, here (though this is more the exception that proves the rule, generally speaking). Was never a huge fan of the Yuuzhan Vong books, in any event. The "historical" SW stuff is much, much better.

I want a strap-on lightsaber codpiece, now.

("HE PUT THAT THING ON ME!!!")

Oh lord, it gets better. That page then links to one about The Legend of Lord Nyax, "part of the mythology of Corellia. A scary bedtime story was told to Corellian children that Lord Nyax came to steal young boys and girls from their beds."



The greatest Star Wars picture of all time, hands down.

Am I the only one who's disappointed there's not a lightsaber sticking out of his head like a plume?

Oh, I already got that one beat:



Gay Jazz-Hands Darth Bane™. Compare this to how he's been officially depicted everywhere else: