An old fashioned thread: Discuss your favorite portrayal of a character

Note, I don't say your favorite character.

Mara as written by X is tremendously different from Mara as written by Y.

Ditto Luke Skywalker.

I thought it'd be nice to have good news for a change.

 

A non-complaining thread? I don't know what to do with myself.

 

Anakin Solo as written by Greg Keyes would be one of my favourites; vintage stuff, and some of the best writing in the NJO.

 

Wes Janson as written by Aaron Allston in Starfighters of Adumar.

 

Boba Fett as written by Karen Traviss (heck, anyone as written by Karen Traviss).

Jacen Solo as written by Matthew Stover

Ganner Rhysode as written by Matthew Stover

Mace Windu as written by Matthew Stover.

Yoda and Dooku as written by Sean Stewart.

 

What a good idea for a thread. Ok, lets see...

Count Dooku by Sean Stewart

General Grievous and Nute Gunray by James Luceno

Boba Fett by Karen Traviss

Anakin Skywalker by Matt Stover

Lumiya by Aaron Allston

 

Oh, Yoda by Sean Stewart as well.

 

Boba Fett in Last Man Standing.

 

Boba Fett - Karen Traviss

Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader - Matt Stover, Greg Bear, Steve Perry, Karen Traviss, James Luceno

Obi-Wan Kenobi - Matt Stover, James Luceno

Yoda - Sean Stewart

Dooku - Sean Stewart

Luke Skywalker - James Luceno, Aaron Allston, Walter Jon Williams

Mara Jade - Kathy Tyers

Palpatine - Steve Perry

Jacen Solo - Matt Stover

Leia Organa - Troy Denning

Han Solo - Troy Denning

Jaina Solo - Elaine Cunningham, Walter Jon Williams

Anakin Solo - Greg Bear, Troy Denning

Tahiri Veila - Greg Bear


Wow, that's a lot. (Edit: And I forgot Anakin Solo!!!)

 

Anakin Skywalker - Matthew Stover

Boba Fett - Karen Traviss(though I still need to read Last Man Standing)

Dooku - Sean Stewart

Luke Skywalker - James Luceno, Denning

Han Solo - Troy Denning

Leia Organa - Troy Denning

Ben Skywalker - Too early to call

Obi-Wan Kenobi - Matthew Stover

Mace Windu - Matthew Stover

Darth Vader - Steve Perry

Lando Calrissian - Anyone, just write him.

 

EDIT: But that's more work, Chuck.

Lando: K-Mac. This is a smart, savvy, and experienced, while still smooth, Lando who gets used for more than wacky business schemes. It's a rounded take on what is often a one-note character.

Luke: Zahn and Luceno. They get him. They respect him as a person and show him as a great Jedi.

Han: Daley, Denning, Zahn, Crispin, and Allston. Han's hard to screw up, frankly. They just hit the movie characterization while still letting him mature.

Chewie: K-Mac. Respect for the character. He's not just a sidekick. He's a hero in his own right, and he will rip your *&%&@#$$^%@#@*$$&%ing head off if you mess with Han.

Leia: She's hard to screw up, but I can't think of any portrayal that has outright stood out to me.

Ben: Traviss. She gets him as a kid who's struggling with issues of adulthood and the greater good and who to follow. In the absence of many other takes on him, I like this one, though Allston did well too.

Anakin Solo: Anyone who wrote him in the NJO got him, frankly. Stackpole, Keyes, and Denning especially. Those are the characterizations that made him the character he is (that, and an early death).

Jacen: Stover, Luceno, Denning in DN, and Allston. They get the depth in the character and the keys of his fall.

Jaina: Allston. Jaina's never been written to stand out, but Allston really took her and respected her as a character. Stackpole and Denning have done well too, but Allston really takes the prize.

Vader: Stover, Perry. We haven't gotten into Vader's head a lot. When we did with these two, it was spot-on.

Obi-Wan: Stover. The Ultimate Jedi, as he should be. Stover gets what makes his character great.

Anakin Skywalker: Stover, Luceno. More than a darksider-from-the-start, yet with the keys to his fall present. The Anakin we should have had all along.

Padme: Salvatore. He took the AOTC romance and her role therein and made it make sense. In the absence of many other significant portrayals, this is the golden one.

Yoda: Stewart. The only major portrayal of Yoda, and one with lots of depth.

Dooku: Stewart. Same as above. The depth to the character is gorgeous.

Palpatine: Luceno. The ultimate manipulator. Luceno is the definitive writer when it comes to Palpatine.

Boba Fett: Traviss. Connecting the PT to DKM's masterful portrayal and taking him forward. I can't wait to see her write him again.

Corran: Stackpole and Keyes. He's Stackpole's character, and outside the Zahnpole axis, Keyes is the only author who seems to totally get him.

Mara: Zahn, Tyers, Allston. All of them offer takes on Mara that show why Mara-haters don't know what they're talking about.

 

Take note its best to say why.

 

Jar-Jar Binks: Terry Brooks, Episode I novelization.

Brooks obviously hated Jar-Jar and knew him to be superfluous to the story and it really shined through.

 

Totally agree with these.

As far as the big 3 go...only 1 author nails them all...and I know many will disagree, so I shall protect you from yourselves...it's Wolverton. Now remember, this is about portrayl of a character...not how we figure they should be, but how they "are" and if it works. In this case...it most certainly did.

Special Consolation to Zahn for running with numerous movie characters better then anyone else.
Special Special Consolation for Stackpole who created new characters better then anyone else.

 

I'll only say Boba Fett by Karen Traviss because Bloodlines was the first time since No Disintegrations, Please that I liked Boba Fett. That's a huge feat to pull off.

Everything else I don't even notice. Some people I don't like their writing or the story, I never bother about characterisation.


well, and maybe Allston for Ben, but only because that was the closest he was to a 13-year-old in LotF - I didn't love any writing of Ben so far, which is a shame.

 

*Gets can opener and can of worms*

It's real close between Karen Traviss and KW Jeter on Boba Fett. But I've gotta go with Jeter. I like Fett as portrayed in the Bounty Hunter Wars books. In fact, he does a pretty good job with the other hunters there as well.

 

I concur.

 

She stole mine.

Allston did a great job with Tycho too.

 

Lobot- In BFC. The use of Lobot, Lando and the droids was so interesting to me. To see Lobot as a person was fun just because it was a character we all knew but knew nothing of. It was also nice to see a slightly less prissy and whiny 3PO.

 

You can have it too! I think he did an excellent job with the four of them in that book. I've reread that book at least once a year since it was released and I still giggle everytime Hobbie is sitting on the floor trying to shoot the guy with his comlink. The dancing Janson's cape was pure genius as well!

 

Luke: The writers of the Empire comic series (Welles Hartley, Thomas Andrews, et al). This between-Episodes-IV-and-V Luke acts exactly as I imagine he would: he's an up-and-coming hero in the Rebellion, still a bit wet behind the ears and impetuous, but a bit more savvy than the farmboy of ANH. He doesn't consciously use the Force very often -- just here and there to defect a blaster bolt. The lightsaber only comes out in chaotic moments, otherwise he's still using a blaster. He's fiercely loyal to his friends, and he's already got the redemption bug (trying to convince Tank to come over to the Rebellion). He's a resourceful hero, but he can still be in believable danger.

 

Luke: Zahn. One of the only authors who makes him just as resourceful without the Force as with it, while never losing his core naivete and vulnerability.

Darth Vader: I'd like to say Stover, but we didn't get much of suited Vader from Stover. So I'll say Perry. Vader's perspective in SOTE was spot on, in my opinion; he's shown as a total badass who's conned himself into believing that he doesn't regret every day of the past twenty years.

Boba Fett: Daniel Keys Moran, either story. "A Barve Like That" remains my favorite Fett story, indeed one of my favorite Star Wars stories, ever.

Palpatine: Stover. He actually makes Palpatine's act believable; he actually makes him seem like a reasonable guy, when he's seen from any other perspective. And when you get to see Palpatine take off his mask ... "the living shadow" is pretty appropriate.

Lando: Kristine Kathryn Rusch. I don't really know why, but Lando in The New Rebellion felt more like Lando than anything else. Kube-McDowell also got him pretty well in the BFC.

Han and Leia: Denning. I may disagree with some of his other characterizations and tendencies, but one thing he has down pat is Han and Leia.

 

Luke: Wolverton

Calmn, assured and still not quite yet in tune with the Force until the very end of the book. Blend of power and reserve with the knowledge and temperment of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight.

Han: Toss-up of Denning and Allston

Between Tatooine Ghost and Solo Command, those may be the two best portrayals of Han Solo around. Tatooine Ghost was not only good Han, but good romance between Han and Leia. Solo Command was just classic Han, doing his best to make it home to Leia.

Leia: Kennedy/Veitch

Leia Organa-Solo, Jedi Knight. The first, the earliest and the most easily forgotten by everyone else in the continuity. Yeah, the Emperor Reborn was taken down -- but Luke did it with the help of both his Jedi Knight sister and her unborn son.

Chewie: K-Mac

Chewie at his most absolute bad-ass. Life Debt captured? Piece of cake; refit the Falcon to be a one-man freighter of destruction.

Mara: Zahn (pre-1994)

Before all the retconning started, Mara Jade was a really interesting character. A former Imperial assassin who hadn't quite yet turned back to the light but wanted to, even if she didn't quite know how yet. And it takes Luke Skywalker, as usual, to show the way...

 

I admit to having to gush about Stover and Anakin Skywalker, Dooku, Vergere, and Jacen Solo.

Next up - Fringe types or random characters by Zahn. Kardde and his alliance as well as The Hand of Justice in Allegiance were well written. I think Zahn writes the non governmental non Jedi people as well as anyone.

Carnage

 

Anakin Skywalker - Matthew Stover. He managed to show Anakin's fall and make it look logical and make Anakin look smart.

Darth Vader - Karen Traviss. Her Insider story "A Two-Edged Sword" I think it was called gave me the best look inside Vader's mind I can remember reading. He had clearly matured past who he was as Anakin Skywalker. He became smarter, more powerful, and closer to who he is in the OT, but still with some ways to go.

Han - Troy Denninng. Han really stole the show in The Joiner King, and Denning is good at Han/Leia.

Leia - Troy Denning. He wrote a good development of Leia in Dark Nest and showed her to be powerful and not just some politician.

Wedge Antilles - Aaron Allston, with Stackpole coming in for a very very close second.

Mara Jade - Zahn obviously, but I did really like what Denning did with her in Dark Nest, making her really seem like a part of the Big Four.