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Heroes and Villians

Discussion in 'Star Wars Saga In-Depth' started by Pfft, Apr 7, 2003.

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  1. Pfft

    Pfft Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Mar 6, 2003
    Do you think EpIII will be THE major focal point of the PT and OT by defining the heroes and villians?

     
  2. xSithHappensx

    xSithHappensx Jedi Youngling star 2

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    Jun 21, 2002
    I think it's pretty clear who the heroes and villains are already. Unless, of course, GL throws us a curve ball.
     
  3. DarthAttorney

    DarthAttorney Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 8, 2000
    With GL's backgroung in the whole "classical myth" thing, it's pretty certain that the heroes and villains will be clear before the 3rd installment.

    I think, maybe with the exception of Dooku as the tortured do-gooder (a mold which Anakin may fill with is fall to the Dark Side ;) ), everyone else is pretty much an arechetype of good or bad.
     
  4. Pfft

    Pfft Jedi Youngling star 1

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    Mar 6, 2003
    I don't think that Obi-Wan or Amidala have yet been clearly cut as heroes.
     
  5. DarthAttorney

    DarthAttorney Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 8, 2000
    Amidala is the strong willed female aristocrat of the PT. The Leia or the Eowyn or the Sorsha (for any Willow fans out there ;) )

    Obi Wan is an interesting proposition though. On the surface he seems to be more of a character whose role is always changing...from the apprentice to the Master to the detective to the warrior to the mysterious hermit, much like Li Mu Bai in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. In all of these guises though, he has a level of wisdom, knowledge and foresight that says (to me anyway :p ) that he's a guide of sorts. Let's face it, along with Anakin/Vader and the droids, Obi-Wan appears in every film in the Saga to steer the protagonist on a course he feels is the right one.

    Could Obi Wan be a "villain" by Ep3? I don't think it's possible. There's a bitterness to Obi Wan in ANH that implies that he is going to fall as far from grace as Anakin but in a different direction, possibly doing questionable things for the greater good that he's spent his whole life preserving. Tatooine is his purgatory, his exile as reward for a monumental failure.

    Edit: Merlin The Magician ended up in a similar situation, imprisoned forever in the Crystal Caves and removed from influencing the course of the hero when he gave in to his desire for Morgan Le Fey in the Arthurian legend. Actually, that's when everything starts to go drastically wrong in that story.
     
  6. xSithHappensx

    xSithHappensx Jedi Youngling star 2

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    Jun 21, 2002
    Amidala and Obi-wan both meet the criteria for heroes, both in the common sense and the literary sense. We can tell that by what we've seen and heard both in the prequels and in the classic trilogy, and by what we can infer in Episode 3.

    Using the common definition, it is clear that Amidala and Obi-wan have been heroic thusfar. Just by the fact that their actions have been heroic. They both risk everything for the good of the Republic.

    In the literary sense they are heroic as well. They do good things, have their basic flaws, and in the end lose everything. Regardless of any events that may happen in Episode 3 to tarnish either reputation, each still meets the criteria of a hero.

    The Amidala we've seen has been a little too good. Everything she has done, besides marrying Anakin, has been selfless. Her flaw is that she loves unconditionally. This is shown in her response to Anakin's confession. After he admits slaughtering the innocent with the guilty, she still accepts him and loves him.

    It is her love for Anakin that is both her downfall and her salvation. Whether or not she dies as a result of this love in Episode 3 has yet to be seen. Regardless, she loses everything which is the ultimate test for a hero. She loses her husband and her children, perhaps even her life.

    The same is true for Obi-wan. Everything he does is for the good of the Republic. But he does have the classic hero hubris. He trains Anakin against even his own better judgement. Bad decision. He may make even more bad decisions in Episode 3. Regardless of any wrongdoing yet to be seen, he does redeem himself in the Original Trilogy when he adopts Luke and sacrafices himself to Vader.

    Anakin is really an interesting character--one that is rarely seen in any medium. He is both antagonist and protagonist throughout, and ultimately the tragic hero of the saga.
     
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