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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Reflections of a Traitor- Jacen Solo Discussion Thread-Closing Shop!

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction and Writing Resource' started by obi_ew, Feb 3, 2005.

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  1. obi_ew

    obi_ew Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 14, 2002



    "I tell you this: though neither he nor they yet know it, he is the greatest of all the Jedi. Jacen Solo is the living Jedi dream. Even without the Force, he is more dangerous than you can possibly imagine." Vergere from Traitor.



    Hello to all my fellow Jacen Solo lovers. I?m fairly new to the NJO and the EU but after reading the book Traitor , I fell in love with this character. I was shocked to discover that he didn?t have his own thread on the Resource boards yet. A character as complex and interesting as Jacen deserves further exploration. I?m opening this thread in hopes of being able to learn and get a handle on his character before I even consider trying to write a fic with him. I know there are a lot of Beyond people around who admire and adore him also and I hope to learn from you all.

    This thread is a place to discuss Jacen and how the people in his life and his experiences helped him evolve into the Jedi he was at the end of The Unifying Force . It?s my hope that it catches on and down the road we can do challenges and maybe author interviews. It is not however a place to focus soley on the various ships out there. We will no doubt touch on his possible love interests but that isn?t where I want the main focus of this thread to be.

    I haven?t read the YJK books or some of the earlier NJO books. I know there is a large section of the Beyond people who despise this character. While I welcome you all to join in the discussions, I will ask you to please not indulge in character bashing here. If you have strong reasons for your dislike and wish to discuss them in a friendly manner without being disrespectful to those who do admire Jacen, you are more than welcome to join in. :)

    I encourage anyone who has ideas for topics and challenges to PM me. The more help I get the better. :D

    So welcome and please share what drew you to his character. [face_love]





     
  2. obi_ew

    obi_ew Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 14, 2002
    saved
     
  3. JadeSolo

    JadeSolo Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Sep 20, 2002
    What drew me to him...your incessant talk of him. :p Okay, first thing I noticed while reading the NJO is that he pondered a lot, bordering on whiny. I kept thinking, you have this great power in the Force, becoming a Jedi Knight is your destiny.

    So when he stopped using the Force altogether, I was really not happy with him. I wanted to know why they offed a cool character like Anakin and stuck us with Jacen.

    And then, Traitor happened. I love Vergere for the simple fact that she was able to put some sense into Jacen's head. I don't think he would have listened to or taken anyone else seriously. But it wasn't just the Embrace of Pain or any torture he went through. It was the way Vergere made him do what he had always done - ponder - but in a completely different way. He came out a completely different person, still goofy but somehow older.

    The reason I really love Jacen now is this: I stopped reading the NJO around Force Heretic 3 because I didn't have time, but having recently finished both the series and college, I can understand the questions Jacen had about whether or not he was meant to be a Jedi. He suddenly wasn't whiny anymore, just very unsure about his place. And though he hasn't completely found that place yet, he kind of knows where he should be heading. If nothing else, he at least has a new way of approaching any questions he has about the Force.

    edit: Can't leave this one little detail out - just look at him! He's fun to admire. [face_love]

    edit 2: Which means I also must say this: Altaira, that artwork is stunning!
     
  4. dianethx

    dianethx Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Mar 1, 2002
    I've actually always liked Jacen. When people were complaining about how he was always whining about the Force and refusing to use it and how dare he let his mother almost die, well I really understood that he was unsure of his place in the universe. But I thought that he would eventually come into his own - a warrior and peacemaker all in one.

    Great idea. I look forward to seeing what the Beyonders think...
     
  5. JadeSolo

    JadeSolo Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Sep 20, 2002
    Why are the SW people lucky, in that they know where they stand in the grand scheme of things at such a young age? I'd really like to have that kind of info about myself right now. Or do I have to start talking to birds first? :p
     
  6. RK_Striker_JK_5

    RK_Striker_JK_5 Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Jul 2, 2003
    NJO Jacen Solo and YJK Jacen Solo...are two completely different characters.

    NJO Jacen was whiny, over-philosophizing(sp) uber-pacifist. He had no sense of humor. YJK Jacen didn't like to fight, but he knew when to throw down and was proud of being a Jedi.

    And he had a sense of humor. A bad one, but a sense of humor nonetheless.
     
  7. obi_ew

    obi_ew Jedi Master star 5

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    Apr 14, 2002
    Like I said, I haven't read the YJK books or several of the books before Star By Star. I'm a big Anakin Solo fan also and bawled when he was killed. I remember after I read it I was a bit upset with Jacen for the things he left unsaid and maybe shouldn't have. I think what kept me from being turned off completely by him was the fact that I'd read Vector Prime and the scene where he stops to reassure Anakin before rushing off to deal with his own grief was always on my mind. I think it's also easy to forget that as mature as they've had to be, these are teenagers here.
     
  8. Katana_Geldar

    Katana_Geldar Jedi Grand Master star 8

    Registered:
    Mar 3, 2003
    Most of the way through NJO i wanted to smack Jacen in the back of the head for his stance on not using the Force. He didn't want to do anything bad so he solved that problem with not doing anything at all. And poor Leia!

    But having got that out I have to say that he's my fave EU character next to Corran Horn. He's very much like Leia but there's something in him that reminds me of Obi-Wan in the JQ novels. Such as when he argues with Anakin in VP about the nature of the Force. It could have very easily been another Anakin.

    But after Traitor, that;s when I started to like Jacen. Particularly in TUF and the way he manipulated the World Brain. Nice touch.

    BTW, how many of you believed he was dead? I never did!
     
  9. obi_ew

    obi_ew Jedi Master star 5

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    Apr 14, 2002
    but there's something in him that reminds me of Obi-Wan in the JQ novels

    Yes! I thought the exact same thing as I read more and more of the post Traitor fics. Maybe that's what drew me to him at first. I never believed he was dead in Traitor either but that whole slant of the book really had me scratching my head througout. I remember when he tells Ganner that they were both dead I was floored.

    I've had one fan advise me not to read the YJK books. Anyone else have any thoughts on that? Do you think it's necessary in order to get a real grasp on his character?
     
  10. RK_Striker_JK_5

    RK_Striker_JK_5 Force Ghost star 7

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    Jul 2, 2003
    It's very necessary. That's the real Jacen, after all.

     
  11. Zebra3

    Zebra3 Jedi Master star 5

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    Aug 28, 2004
    I've always liked the YJK books. They're good to read if you want to get a feel for the comaraderie that Jacen shares with Jaina, Lowie, Tenel Ka, and a few others. They also show a youthful side to Jacen that seems to be lost in the NJO books. In a way I think he seems to be more alive in the YJK books.
     
  12. dianethx

    dianethx Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Mar 1, 2002
    I'd have to respectfully disagree. I really disliked the YJK books. I have them because I have pretty much all the SW books but they were very badly written and the kids weren't really believable as kids. I liked that Jacen had a menagerie and cared for the animals, plus the introduction of characters was interesting. But, some of those characters, particularly Tenal Ka, drove me nuts - sorry Jon. I think, more than anything, it was the writing that made me cringe.

    OE, you should read the YJK books just to know the background of the characters but... I'd say that the JA books were better written and that's saying a lot.
     
  13. JadeSolo

    JadeSolo Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Sep 20, 2002
    I can understand the stark difference between YJK Jacen and NJO Jacen. Though I haven't read the former, it seems that he's a goofy, light-hearted kid, who is proud and confident of what he is, like Striker said.

    But as you get older, be it GFFA or any other universe, you're not always so sure of your place. For instance, there are people who know from 5 years of age that they want to be doctors, lawyers, or teachers. And then there are some people who are intellectually capable of those jobs, the older they get, but are not so sure they want to do that.

    Also, Jacen is part of a family tradition. Everyone is a Jedi or a fighter of some kind. I think it's very brave for him to question his path and life, and extremely brave for him to actually try to not use the Force. You could say, well, he should've listened to the Force, and then he would've known his place. But when you're not even sure if you're getting the right messages or listening properly, what do you do?

    It took guts for him to go down that road. Yes, he did eventually realise that his destiny is to be a Jedi, but I can respect him even more because he didn't take that fate for granted. I can especially respect the fact that he followed a more pacifist way, because to me, the Jedi are not just weapons. I think that without questioning his life, he would not have come to that new understanding of the Force that he now has. Luke himself wonders if he's taking the right steps in educating the Jedi. From Agents of Chaos I:

    (Luke) "Maybe Jacen's right about there being alternatives to fighting...His coming to it on his own makes it all the more significant. He thinks I've paid too much attention to the Force as power, at the expense of understanding a more unifying Force."

    "Jacen is still a young man."

    "He's young, but he's a deep thinker. What's more, he's right. I've always been more concerned with events in the here and now than the future. I don't have the long view, so I miss the big picture. I've had a harder time fighting myself than I had fighting my clone."

    A lot of that comes from the type of training that Luke received. I think he was steeped in the Living Force, which aided him more in acting as a weapon against the Empire, rather than the Unifying Force which might not have spurred him on as much. And in having that mentality for so long, he's passed it on to his students. Jacen seems to be one of the few who have tried to find that balance between Living and Unifying.

    edit: I'd say that the JA books were better written and that's saying a lot. :eek: Good lord! :p
     
  14. Phoenix_Reborn

    Phoenix_Reborn Jedi Master star 4

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    Feb 23, 2003
    You have to realize that those were written by Kevin J. Anderson, and most people loathe his works. That being said, I've read most of them and I don't like them - but I think its the same problem I had with the Solo kids in all the books - they seem too old for their age/personalities...
     
  15. obi_ew

    obi_ew Jedi Master star 5

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    Apr 14, 2002
    I'd say that the JA books were better written and that's saying a lot.

    Echoes Jade's :eek: If that's the case I may try to find them at a used book store. ;)


    I agree with what you're saying Jade. Just because he was born into this family of Jedi and fighters, why should he just assume that's his place also? I just don't see his reluctance to fight as a weakness. Just the opposite in fact. Again I'm reminded of Obi when thinking about Jacen.

    There are alternatives to fighting.
     
  16. -Tenel-Ka-

    -Tenel-Ka- Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 16, 2002
    I've adored Jacen ever since the first YJK book I picked up as a elementary school tyke. He always stood out to me for some reason - whether it was the corny jokes, his lopsided grin, or the way he always seemed to add "hey" to the front of his sentences... he was always what I looked forward to as I plowed through the YJK books.

    From the start of the NJO, I was surprised at his new characteristics - although how he acted when he was younger and the way he thought evolved into an actual character in the NJO. Okay, so he was whiny; okay, he didn't use the Force at some points. But he has PERSONALITY. There were so many characters in the NJO who I just floated over, because they were shells of nothing. They were just there. Jacen still stood out though. I loved watching him grow and change even more throughout the NJO, especially in Traitor. (Stover = <3) And I'm excited to see how things are going to work out in the upcoming books -- especially since some old friends have joined the ranks on the Dark Nest character list (Zekk, Tenel Ka, etc.)...

    I've written so many fanfictions with Jacen in them, I've lost count. o_O And I have a Jacen site too. (Okay so I borderline on obsessive. ;))

    And I'm so happy he finally has a thread here! :D
     
  17. dianethx

    dianethx Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Mar 1, 2002
    But you really need to read them for yourself. Obviously, Zebra and Striker liked the books.

    Edit: I am looking forward to the post-NJO series. It should be interesting to see what they do with the characters.
     
  18. Herman Snerd

    Herman Snerd Jedi Master star 6

    Registered:
    Oct 31, 1999
    Just to avoid friction, please try to leave your likes or dislikes of the respective SW authors out of this discussion as much as possible.


    Thanks.
     
  19. CodeName_Targeter

    CodeName_Targeter Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 7, 2003
    The minute I saw the title, I knew it was you who posted this topic, obi_ew ;)

    Alright, I'm going to say right now that Jacen's not my favorite character and never really has been. In the YJK, he was okay I suppose, I mean the jokes got really annoying afterall, but that was the Jacen Solo that I got to know. So when I finally got off my butt and realized that there were more SW books than just hte YJK and eventually got to the NJO, I felt like chucking a very very very large brick at someone for what they had done to Jacen's character. It was most defintely not the Jacen that I had grown to know. Infact, I was sitting there going "What the heck...?" to a lot of the characterizations in the books for a little while. I'll admit it, I was glad when Jacen got capture in SbS and I thought he was dead. Okay, that's a bit of a lie, I knew he wasn't dead because I had accidentally stumbled upon an article about Traitor in the SW Insider, but that's beside the point. :p I loved Traitor because it more or less tore Jacen apart and then put him back together again, but much much stronger. Okay, right now, I'm also going to have to admit that I spent a couple of weeks cursing Jacen because Ganner died to help him. I really really love Ganner, but that's also beside the point.

    While yes, I do like Jacen's character a lot more now, I'm still not completely happy with him, but I am much much happier with him. I've never really had the opportunity to write him except in one small scene in a songfic. Partially, I think this is because I'm not quite sure as to how to write him. I mean, he's the "hero" of the NJO series, and yet, he's not a warrior really, but more of a thinker, it's something very different that we've seen in our heroes in the past. *cough*Anakin*cough*

    And I think I'm going to shut up now before I babble on for any longer. :p

    ~Jenn
     
  20. obi_ew

    obi_ew Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 14, 2002
    I have no idea what you mean Targeter. I'm an Obi/Xan gal. ;)

    Partially, I think this is because I'm not quite sure as to how to write him.

    Here-here! That's one of the main reasons I started this thread and decided to take my Obi thread into the Beyond boards. I love his character but I'm terrified of screwing him up! I hope the discussion here will help and I can learn from those of you who know him better.

    Tenal-Ka I've been to your site and I love it! [face_love]
     
  21. CodeName_Targeter

    CodeName_Targeter Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 7, 2003
    Hehe, you only talked about Jacen 90% of the time in the thread about exploring other eras. :p

    I have decent idea of how to write YJK Jacen but when you get the NJO, all the philosphy (sp?) and deep thinking completely loses me. It's also pretty hard to make the mental transition from the "What time is when a AT-AT steps on your chrono?" Jacen to the "I'm not sure I should use the Force" Jacen to the "I-can't-remember-a-quote-but-insert-one-of-those-hero-things-here" Jacen.

    ~Jenn
     
  22. padawan lunetta

    padawan lunetta Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    May 15, 1999
    Jacen...I never read the YJK, though I have heard of how he was in those books. In the beginning of the NJO, he really ticked me off for quite awhile. Strangely enough, what drew me to him was writing him.

    And that was basically because he's one of the few characters I haven't really used the books as a pure reference. For some odd reason in my second fanfic I made him Master to Jysella Horn, and wrote him differently than in the NJO books. Then, later, I merged story tracks with Melyanna, (Because we were both writing books in hopes of kicking Jacen's behind back in the right direction...) and we ended up making him a Healer. I thought that was the natural course for him, and for awhile though, because Mely started it, I thought it was canon. ;) It gives him a more commanding presence, I think, though not compltely serious. Being Han SOlo's son, he must have a wit. ;)

    So by writing him I have grown very attached to him, he's among my favorites next to Corran and Lukie.
     
  23. JadeSolo

    JadeSolo Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Sep 20, 2002
    I could imagine Jacen being a healer. I heard he had a bunch of weird little pets in the YJK. :p There was also mention of his affinity with animals in SbS. But mostly, he has that gentle and pacifist nature, so I can see him wanting to heal the effects of war.
     
  24. obi_ew

    obi_ew Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 14, 2002
    I can see where that could drive you crazy Targeter. I guess I just see it as a part of his maturation process. The torture he endured would have to change him drastically. :(

    Welcome Padawan Lunetta. :) I can so see Jacen as a healer also. It will be interesting to see what they do with his character in the new books. I for one can't wait. :D
     
  25. TKeira_Lea

    TKeira_Lea Jedi Knight star 5

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    Oct 10, 2002
    Woohoo! Jacen gets his due. Glad you put this up obi_ew =D=

    I'll contribute more...later. When I have read everyone's input. ;)
     
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