Katarn, Katarn, Katarn...

stupid question probably, but I never could make sense of it

Why are so many things called "Katarn". There's Katarn Armor, the Katarn Commandos, the creature called Katarn (on Kashyyyk, right?) and of course Kyle Katarn (and relatives) and probably some other stuff (Katarn clan?). Uh, why? Or is there a super intelligent connection that I never read anywhere (silly me only reads novels & this forum and plays games). What are the armor and the commandos named after? And how does Kyle fit in there?

There are other things with the same name (can't remember anything right now, though), but nothing ever stood out to me like "Katarn" does.

 

Because it's just acknowledged by everyone in the history of the GFFA as a cool name.

Maybe it's the will of the Force.

Or maybe it was spread throughout history by a time traveler, like (SPOILER FOR A TOTALLY DIFFERENT UNIVERSE WARNING) "Bad Wolf" was in the latest season of Doctor Who. (Jacen Solo could have done it. I'll have to work it into the Grand Unified Jacen Solo Theory of Galactic History.)

 

Sadly, I think the explanation is probably a lot more boring. Most of the "Katarns" floating about SW comes from the "katarn" on Kashyyyk - sort of like, say, the ubiquity of "Eagle" in the US.
The family name Katarn has never been directly linked, but the etymology is probably the same.

 

I think the katarn is just generally considered a terrifying, badass creature that's hard as hell to kill. The Wookiees hunt it as a rite of passage, because in ancient history, it used to hunt and kill Wookiees. That explains katarn armor on the Republic Commandos.

As for the Katarn Commandos, they are so named because they were linked with Kyle Katarn. The animal became their symbol because, well, Kyle Katarn, and also for the reasons listed above. Kyle's last name...ask someone named here on Earth whose last name is Bird. Or Wolfe. Or Hawking. Or something like that.

 

Actually...no. People always associate Kyle with the Commandos, but that's nothing but fanfic.

The Thrawn Trilogy Sourcebook (the old WEG one) says this about the insignia of Page's Commandos-

Katarn Commandos Insignia

Though many of their missions are conducted in secret or undercover, Page's Katarn Commandos do have regulation uniforms that they wear occasionally. These uniforms bear the insignia of the unit, an insignia that reflects the pride, dedication, and unique character of the beings under Page's command.

The insignia consists of the New Republic seal - the blue Alliance shield set in a gold-trimmed circle of stars - with a prominent addition. A stylized creature springs across the blue shield, stalking prey with the same precision and unswervering tenactiy as the unit which has adopted it as its mascot. The creature is a katarn, a predator from the Wookiee home world of Kashyyyk. The katarn stalks the middle levels of the layered ecology, leaping from tree branch to tree branch as it hunts its chosen prey.

The story about the origin of the unit's name and insignia relates that Frorral the Wookiee commented that the commandos were like the katarn of her world. The commandos were invisible until they wanted to be seen. They were silent until they wanted to be heard. And they were deadly when they had to be, striking like a katarn from the shadows and disappearing again once the job was done. When Page heard her description, he decided that the katarn was indeed a kindred spirit of his commando unit. He had the emblem made and declared it the symbool of his team of special forces operatives.

EDIT:

Aha!

I knew I scanned these in back in...2004

Long description of Page's Commandos-
[image=http://www.ofadam.com/ffa/jcpics/katarndescrip.jpg]

The above insignia explanation-
[image=http://www.ofadam.com/ffa/jcpics/katarn2.jpg]

Both come from said sourcebook...

 

Katarn- a well known Kashyyyk predator.

Katarn- a rebel spec ops unit, named after the predator.

Katarn- an armor type, presumably named after the predator.

Katarn- a surname, possibly unrelated, possibly taken after the predator.

I don't really see the confusion...

 

I thought Katarn had a real world meaning. I checked www.dictionary.com and came up with a blank though. Anyone else have an idea?

 

The real coincidence is that Qu Rahn was in the youngling Katarn clan....and then found someone with the surname Katarn...

 

Think about it this way. If a Katarn is the basic equivalent of a GFFA wolf then substitute and bam.

Wolf Commandos
Wolf Armor
Wolves
Kyle Wolf

Not so complicated

 

I remember hearing somewhere that Kyle Katarn was named after the animal by the Dark Forces developers. I believe it was Ryan Kaufman that said this.

 

Though the Katarn Commandos weren't named after Kyle, he did fight with them while they were still Page's Commandos:

Kyle eventually took a more permanent role with the New Republic and served with Page's Commandos, executing missions from Kashyyyk to Boudolayz to Garos IV.

-[Dark Forces Saga]

 

Bad Wolf's one of the best episodes ever!

 

I haven't actually seen it yet, since I don't get BBC and Doctor Who just started airing on Sci-Fi Channel.

But I have an incurable obsession with spoilers.

Active Spoiler Seeking Disorder is a horrible ailment which could strike anyone at any time, provided they were born at least two months late and have been exposed to gold dust.

Anyway, katarns are much cooler than wolves.
[image=http://starwars.wikia.com/images/4/47/Katarn.JPG] [image=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Canis_lupus_laying_in_grass.jpg]
No contest.

 

Katarns didn't look that cool in KOTOR. They also just roamed around on the ground, not hiding, not climbing, nothing. They made me think of undersized Dewbacks.

 

Climbing creatures are not possible with the NWN engine. Hence the ground bound Katarns.

 

Kyle Katarn wasnt named after a Katarn, it was named after him...
--Kyle Katarn Facts

 

The Katarn Commandos had nothing to do with Kyle Katarn; why oh why retcon him in there, Abel? Why????

The Katarn Commandos were awesome, underused, and totally unrelated to Kyle. Which, as a fan of both, I'm going to keep it that way in my own continuity. No offense to those who disagree, but a shoehorn is the worst possible tool to retcon things with.

E_S

 

He's just that badass.

 

Absolutely agreed.

I prefer a sledgehammer.

 

They should start naming speeders and GFFA-IKEA furniture "Katarn", then, if it's such a cool animal/name.


Was anything else such a huge inspiratin for naming things? I really can't remember anything else.

 

Katarn Corp Software seems to take its name from Star Wars (see the name of the developer), but appears to go by KC now rather than the full name. Legal issues, perhaps?

 

There are a few, though I can't think of them right now. Named after Thrantas and such...Cade's ship is called the Mynock.

 

Pity that Parting of the Ways sucked, though.

 

but would it fit as a name for speeders or furniture -- in my experience, when animal names are used for car models in america, they are usually named for things that imply speed - mustang, impala, fox, rabbit, cougar and not necessarily for predators. of course, if it was used by the GFFA-Ikea -- it would get some swedish-interpretation of katarn:

Kaatarna!

 

"Kyle Katarn isn't afraid of Dark Jedi, Dark Jedi are afraid of Kyle Katarn..."

Someone needs to start that list