Moff Panaka good or bad

I just want to know what kind of person Panaka was. I don't think he was evil or anything like that. Not everyone who wore the Imperial uniform was a tyrant like Tarkin. Veers and Palleon are an example of principled military men who served the Empire. I think Panaka was a beliver in Palpatine and what he represented. The corruption of the Senate led to his world suffering at the hands of the Trade Federation. Palpatine is elected and the situation resolves itself. The corruption in the Senate keeps Gunray from being punished. I thinik he thought the republic was rotten to the core and needed to go. I don't think he is the villian that other moffs were or that he would destroy a planet the way Tarkin did. I think he spied on Padme and Anakin because he believed that it was his duty, both to the Republic and Naboo. YOur thoughts please.

 

Well, the thing with Panaka is that we don't really know too much about what he did when he was a Moff. He apparently gave gifts to Palpatine but other than that we don't know too much to say he was good or bad.

 

Yeah but they can give us something.

 

Panaka was a downright pessimist, except when it came to Palpatine being elected He'd probably get along quite well with Chief Bast.

From the script (by way of Dan Wallace's blog)

CAPTAIN PANAKA takes a deep breath in frustration.

CAPTAIN PANAKA looks nervously to OBI-WAN and QUI-GON.

CAPTAIN PANAKA and HALF A DOZEN GUARDS and PILOTS look around nervously.

CAPTAIN PANAKA and HIS MEN throw down their weapons.

CAPT. PANAKA : This is a dangerous situation, Your Highness.

CAPT. PANAKA : Our security volunteers will be no match against a battle-hardened Federation army.

CAPT. PANAKA : There are too many of them.

CAPT. PANAKA : Getting past their blockade is impossible, Your Highness.

CAPT. PANAKA : Without shields we'll be sitting ducks!

CAPT. PANAKA : Your Highness, Tatooine is very dangerous.

CAPT. PANAKA : It looks pretty bad. We'd better seal the ship.

CAPT. PANAKA : The moment we land the Federation will arrest you, and force you to sign the treaty.

CAPT. PANAKA : There are only twelve of us, Your Highness....we have no army.

CAPT. PANAKA : Your Highness, this is a battle I do not think we can win.

CAPT. PANAKA : They've probably spotted us.

 

I think Panaka should be just as bad as your average Moff. True, he isn't an insane planet killer like Tarkin, but he seems to be quite loyal to Palpatine, and I think it really helps show that the good guys from Episode 1 are not necessarily good guys during the OT. It really helps support Palpatine's line "Evil is a point of view." And that just gives me chills. In a good way.

 

"believed it was his duty"

psh. He's bad. I always knew there was something evil about him... They didn't call him ol' Pessimistic Panaka for nothing. I bet tortured Gungans for fun.

 

Next week on When Good Naboo Go Bad, see Ric Olié teach Baron Fel everything he knows...

 

I bet he never gave up the hat. Or else he has a little green/grey imp class with a flap down the back.

 

That's not evil. That's one's civil duty! If anything, that lone should put him right there with Yoda, Obi-Wan and Luke =P

Maybe more so...

I mean, who here WOULDN'T torture gungans for fun? (and if you've played Battlefront, I know darn well you all played the Naboo Plains levels for the explicit purpose of shooting them down)...

 

Give up the Helm of Pessimism? That would be a bad idea...

 

He stayed loyal to the government and was apparently capable and intelligent enough to get appointed governor of the (presumably) Chommel sector... what's bad about that?

 

It was for a nightmarishly repressive regime that destroyed the people who saved his planet.

 

"This is a starfighter. It flies in space."

 

Who, Skywalker, Amidala and the Queen's guard? Last I checked, Skywalker was the Emperor's Executor, Amidala died from birth complications, and the guard were either retired or (like Panaka) promoted into higher positions.

 

(and if you've played Battlefront, I know darn well you all played the Naboo Plains levels for the explicit purpose of shooting them down)


I can see it now... Panaka in his little nifty Moff outfit... joyriding shaaks in the fields with Tarkin and target practicing on Gungans left and right....

 

I'm referring to the Jedi.

 

What'd the Jedi do to drive the Trade Federation off Naboo?

 

What'd the Jedi do to drive the Trade Federation off Naboo?

Well, they WERE the original ambassadors sent by Valorum, rescued the Queen, took her to Coruscant where she was able to a) Get Palpatine elected and b) Organise to retake her homeworld with the help of a) A slave boy and B) a Gungan who were ALSO saved by the Jedi.

So, no Jinn or Kenobi = Trade Federation Rules Naboo from then on.

None of which, has anything to do with Panaka, who clearly chafed against Qui-Gon Jinn during the entire process (Dissing every plan from landing on Tatooine to the retaking of Naboo).

Plus, there's no indication Panaka believes anything except the official Imperial story of a Jedi rebellion. In fact, his experience with Jinn's intransigence may have made him even more susceptible to such a story.

 

"These triggers control the lasers. When you pull them, the laser cannons fire! It is a bad idea to pull these triggers when you do not want to fire the laser cannons."

 

Oh, the Jedi? You mean those people who said they would mediate and not interfere?

Say what you will about the Old Jedi Order but they never failed to interfere where they could for the betterment of others.

 

Yes, the Mandalorian war that resulted in thousands of Jedi becoming Dark Siders that were MUCH MUCH MUCH worse than the Mandalorians. Frankly, if more Jedi had stayed out of the Mandalorian War then the galaxy would have been much better place. Good thinking when they DID end up reserving their numbers to fight the much greater evil of Revan.

And in the end, Qui Gon did free slaves (two of them).

The Jedi may have a very lawful good view of the world where they didn't work to disrupt the existing power structure but they seemed to work their darndest anyway against it.

They didn't come to fight a war.

"We cannot fight a war for you."

They still did their best to help her get to a certain Viceroy.

 

I know this is basically completely unrelated, but if you use the random name generator enough in KotOR II, you'll eventually find a Panaka amongst the bunch. Whether this is supposed to make the Exile a distant ancestor of our head-gear wearing Moff is anyone's guess.