Am I the only one who didn't think Nelani was awesome? (Betrayal Spoilers)

Everyone keeps going on in reviews about how much they got to like the character before she died, and how she was so wonderful for such a small pagespace.

I thought she was a decent character, but not outstanding. Especially at the end, when she got a little too shrill and annoying. She didn't display any understanding at all of what was going on. Instead of trying to reason with Jacen, she keeps harping on about how the Sith are evil. Sure, they're evil, but can't you see that's not getting anywhere with Jacen? Try another tack.

So I thought she was a passable character, but doesn't deserve all the praise she's getting. Heck, Seyah or Rotham get far less pagespace and strike me as much more three-dimensional, interesting characters. Nelani existed for the sole purpose of harping at Jacen and getting killed. She had no depth or interest beyond that.

 

I agree, she was a little annoying, esp there at the end. Way too idealistic, even for a Jedi. Her inability to bide her time in the "turning" of Jacen and just work on getting Ben out was evidence that she'd have never made it in the Old Republic. She seemed too much like a novice. Not someone who should be out on a world of their own doing the Jedi negotiation thing.

 

I liked her character because she was so shrill and dogmatic. If she had kept a cool head about her and trusted people she would have come out okay. I also liked that she was a good person and generally likable human being, as that gave her death more impact. Overall I think that her execution as in the way allston wrote and utilized her was awesome. As a character she was ho hum.

 

I agree. I really thought of her as a nothing character but because of her it's possible that the course of history changed.

Through her death she became one of the most famous Jedi in history. As she was the one Jacen sacrificed when he bacame Sith.

 

Nelani was young, beautiful and idealistic - and Jacen killed her not just because he thought it was necessary, but because he thought it was right, in some strange Sith way...

Also - and this is very important - Nelani is from Lorrd. She has a very good read of other people's body-language. She's not just being a rigid Jedi idealist, though that's what Lumiya wants Jacen to think - she's got the clarity, and the subtlety, to see to the heart of the issue.

And Jacen - poor, blind Jacen - doesn't even begin to realise that...

Nelani was also, I thought, a very well-drawn human being - one of the most natural characters in the novel, largely free from philosophy or stereotype... and as such, she became an indication of the sort of Jedi that Jacen Solo could help to train, the sort of Order he could contribute to as Luke's successor...

Nelani is more than an impediment to Jacen - she represents a part of him, and indeed the breadth inherrent in him as a human being, as well...

And, in spite of everything, he can't kill that...

- The Imperial Ewok

 

I'm with McEwok. Knowing she was from Lorrd, she became more shrill when she realized Jacen was eating out of the palm of Lumiya's hand. She was inexperienced (compared to jacen, and knights and masters who'd faced Dark Siders before) so she didn't quite know how to talk Jacen back from the brink (if such a thing were possible). Her crime was trying to do the right thing, bring in a Dark Sider, and a war criminal, and Jacen offed her because of some visions that may have been tampered with or influenced by Lumiya and his all consuming quest for knowledge.

She is less the Mace to Jacen's Anakin tha the Sifo-diyas to Jacen's Dooku, in my opinion. It doesn't make her death any less tragic.

 

I didn't think she was that great. The only reason I did like her is because at the moment Jacen meets up with her I knew she was going to be murdered by him. So it was kind of cool reading her with the knowledge of her impending doom, but beyond that nothin special.

 

For one brief second I thought Nelani might be a romantic interest for Jacen. then quickly I realized she was a party to Jacen's turn. She was interesting in that she was an idealistic and dogmatic young Jedi. She was inexperienced and she tried her best, but had no idea what she was getting herself into.

 

i think it was a great idea to make a good, decent Jedi who already knew Jacen for this role. Jacen needed to do something FAR worse than what he did in NJO or DN to announce his new Sith-ness (i don't think anyone can deny Jacen's falling, if not fallen now), and i think we can all be glad Ben/Tahiri/anyone else we had already known wasn't down there when such a blatant statement had to be made. as Lank_Pavil said, she was the Sifo-Diyas of Jacen's turn, the point where the rogue Jedi became the enemy of at least 1 Jedi, if not the whole order.


also, McEwok is right that she was at least partly trained by Jacen... she shows that he has good in him in a way. so does Ben (even more so IMO)... if Jacen were totally twisted he'd have either twisted Ben as well by now. not saying Jacen won't become twisted as time goes on... but for now... "there's still good in him".

 

Nelani was an interesting girl, especially at the beginning, but ultimately, she was just like the Old Jedi Order Jedi. Blind to the Code, to the letter, and to the ultimate defeat of the Sith. She tried to rely on the fact that Jacen would also follow the Code as much as she would, and it got her killed. A nice girl, one that I'd have liked to talk with (if I lived in the universe) but she was short-sighted.

 

She was probably one of the better 'redshirts' we have seen in Star Wars. At least you got some character development. But her rigid adherence to the code finally showed Jacen the new orders failings (in his eyes) and allowed him to accept new tutelage in an effort to make things better.

In answer to the question, she wasn't awesome. She was a solid character.

 

I actually thought the character was quite good; new Jedi, fresh from training, with naturally an extremely high opinion of her master and the solid immovability of views yet to be challenged overmuch. A well realised character, and her infatuation with Jacen made her amusing but even more tragic.

 

Character was decent. I think the real question is, was she hot?

And if she was, was she Jaina-hot, Twi'lek hot, or Zeltron hot?

I would throw in Falleen, but they're quite technically cold.

 

well apparently not since one of Allstons characters dying words is "Cuteness should be preserved"