Tahiri - How does she measure?

I'd have to look at it again but didn't Cilghal only beat the infected Jedi by taking him by surprise? Of course that doesn't say anything at all to her power in the force, I just question her battle prowess. Because she is a healer first, by a long shot. Add to that Luke goes through a number of comparisons of fighting levels when he's facing the Sith Master at the end of the book (said he compared favorably to Kyp and Kyle, but would probably have beaten Cilghal). Again not a knock on her power, just pointing out that her skills are in a different area than combat (in fact I doubt you'd find a better Healer in the galaxy now, and maybe in the OJO).

But for Tahiri, I think she's just a step below the SkySolo families. She'll never be as powerful as them, but I think if she had stayed in the Order she'd probably be at the same level as Kyp. Someone who is strong enough to take down villians up to, but not including, the strongest.

 

I've been a fan of Tahiri and although I like Tesar, I don't think he or Lowbacca or Jaden measures up to Tahiri. She could be a very good Jedi Knight if she committed herself to the Order...or if she simply wasn't on trial. She is one of the most experienced Jedi Knights. She's been through a lot with Jacen and her dual identities, but she came out alright. I would call her under-appreciated if it wasn't for the fact that she had just sided with Caedus.

And about Caedus. Tahiri was a good choice for him. Who else was at a high level of ability and low level of emotional stability. I thought it was fitting that Caedus use his dead brother's lover. It definitely adds depth to his decision.

Now I'll wait for the everyone who didn't like LotF to come in and just say that she was perfect for him becuase they were both bat shavit crazy.

 

Off topic a little, but currently hasn't Tahiri been kind of broken since Anakin? In a recent post I saw someone say that it has been over 10 years (I wanna say it said 30), but she is still torn up about it to the point where it is controls her character. I can't really say, because I'm just hitting up Edge of Victory.

 

I do think Tahiri's highly skilled - although, as Sinrebirth points out, she's no Council member (which, IMHO, may be more of a political thing than Force prowess, although the latter definitely must play a role, I agree).

Tahiri's training is an interesting cross-section; she started out a Tusken by upbringing, so toughness was never a problem. Then, Tionne became her Master, teaching Tahiri whenever she could, and that had to have been illuminating (Tionne's got access to Arca Jeth's holocron, and transcripts/data downloads from the Great Holocron).

And later, Ikrit, who was powerful enough to use a Force trance to keep himself alive for centuries, helped train her. Likewise, Kam was almost certainly Tahiri's initial combat instructor (which isn't necessarily indicative that he had a lot of time for one-on-one instruction with her, but the man's about as Jedi a trainer as the NJO gets, having been raised by an Old Order Jedi).

We know that by Conquest, Tahiri was able to build her own lightsaber, which is one of the Knighthood qualifications. What the Yuuzhan Vong put her through upped the ante considerably; now no longer afraid of pain, even able to draw strength from it, Tahiri became able to overcome a great deal of what might otherwise hold her back ...

AFA what Corran taught her, I'd lean more towards sneakiness and planning. He's crafty, a decent swordsman, and very possibly taught her to absorb energy, but Corran's real danger has always seemed to me to be his clear-headedness. His major lesson to Tahiri (and to Anakin, although tragically it didn't take quite as well with him) was to think before you act.

Now, Tahiri's learned that lesson rather ... selectively. But that's not necessarily a failing, nor is it illogical - she very likely had a Force bond severed when Anakin died. So I'm not surprised that she's seemed immature and obsessive over him when, IMHO, she may have suffered immense psychic shock. And that dug Riina back up, as well as left Tahiri emotionally injured ...

Force Heretic ... Tahiri claims she's a "new person" during the resolution in Reunion, but I'm less confident of that. I think she just found a way to live with both sides of herself, but - IMHO - she still was suffering from Anakin's loss. She just got better at hiding it.

None of which necessarily detracts from her combat prowess. She's got to be a competent lightsaber duelist by this point, and also is comfortable with Vongtech (amphistaves, coufees, thud bugs, etc.), so she's got two different-but-complimentary approaches to combat.

The Dark Nest business didn't do much for Tahiri's mental stability, and it's possible she picked up strange Force abilities from the Will's collective subconscious; yet she rights herself (Luke's dictatorial "you went behind my back, so exile on Dagobah! Bleh!" shavit aside ), and by Betrayal, Tahiri's a functioning member of the Order again.

Except that Jacen plays on her one open wound, since he's known what it is since they were teens, and he's ... a jerk. But that's not the point; the point is that by this time, whether or not she's pining for Anakin, Tahiri's able to survive a duel with Leia, toss around Force lightning, and fight Mando'ade. She's no slouch.

-
Onderon1

 

I don't think she is Ventress level. Ventress held her own against Anakin Skywalker, Obi Wan, and other Jedi Masters on multiple occassions. I think Tahiri has skills, but I don't put Leia up there with her father and Obi Wan, etc., in terms of lightsaber skills. I don't remember Tahiri's battle with Jaina, who I would rank up there more than Leia.

For me, the problem wasn't Tahiri's skills, but how the writers had her fall into the dark side and then how they had her fall out of it. It just felt like an aside, there wasn't enough attention given to her motivations either way. She just came off as whiny and needy, and unable to cope. Her turn wasn't something that inspired admiration or fear for her destructive potential as a Sith Lord. The writers didn't even bother giving her a Sith name, when Darth Riina was so obvious. It would've at least supported the prophecy or vision from the NJO. I know not every Sith Lord has a "Sith name", but I think it could've helped put this character on a different level, symbolizing the new person she had become, especially with all that NJO backstory to draw from.

 

I find the title of this thread misleading. I thought it meant measurements of a different kind.

 

I think Tahiri's character has been seriously limited by Anakin's death. It's been over 10 years. It's time to move on. She has potential. Of course, the day the authors actually use all the characters' potential, pigs will start flying.

 

Her redemption was one of the better parts of the second half of NJO.

Completely wasted.

As to her skill...she's not a slouch...but I wouldn't bet on her in any Jedi Tournaments.

 

Anyone who survived the YV War going through as much as she did must have something going for them. I'm sure that had she gone a more typical Jedi path, she probably would have been one of the top Knights in the Order and even now she's probably highly skilled in spite of her exiles and imprisonments. I would go with those who put her in the category of the more capable combatants, but not quite the top tier.

 

She's alright- better than Tesar, Valin (when he wasn't crazy), Jysella(same with her), about the same as Anakin (when he was alive), worse than Jaina, Lowbacca(when he was around), Tenel Ka (when she was a Jedi), Zekk (when he was a full fledged Jedi Knight), or especially not Jaden Korr.

Just noticed... that's sad how many new Jedi Knights are dead, crazy, or gone.

 

Tahiri's the sort of girl who brings thud bugs to a lightsaber fight.

She's hard to assess comparatively against the average Jedi, because she's simply different - in mental attitude, in tactics and in focus. That's the reason she followed Jacen (and more to the point, the reason she didn't follow Luke, and was the only Jedi not on-message in "Legacy of the Force")... and it's also the reason she's out on a limb in the new novels.

Now it's possible to see that as a weakness, or a strength, but I'd simply call it a characterization, and I like it a lot.

I'm a strong advocate of the idea that Tahiri makes sense inside her own head and that it's the context that makes her seem weak, because there's no obvious place for her to fit in; on a good day, she can beat someone who's Force-whacked a smackdown on Luke, too.

And then you add her to Anakin, and you get two naked teenagers handing out a smackdown to Star Destroyer-sized capital ships. But they were a bit crazy that day, so maybe that was a one-off (A/T FTW! ).

- The Imperial Ewok

 

Tahiri has been...

*Tusken Raider

*Jedi

*unique Yuuzhan Vong hybrid, immune to physical pain

*Jedi

*Killik Hivemind Joiner

*Jedi

*the last of the Banite Sith

*Bounty Hunter




Tahiri has more experience than just about ANY other character in Star Wars; she is second only to Luke Skywalker in experience

Her power and potential have also been limited since Anakin Solo's death. He brought out the potential in her (see Ikrit's prophecy). When she gets over Anakin's death, it will be Tahiri unleashed...

She has also been everything else under the twin suns, so why not be first of the Imperial Knights? (I predicted in BETRAYAL she would become a Sith for a while)

Perhaps even Empress Fel?







In terms of POWER, not experience:

Tier I: Luke >Palpatine >Yoda >Anakin/Vader >Jacen/Caedus
Tier II: Jaina >Obi-wan >Tahiri >AnakinSolo >Leia >Ben

Tahiri is definitely up there. Maybe even before Obi-wan now.

 

[image=http://www.rctech.net/forum/attachments/electric-off-road/548190d1264818810-hobao-hyper-9e-tealc-indeed.jpg]

 

I agree. Then why doesn't she come off as deadly and clever as she really is since teaming up with Jacen? Her being "broken" over Anakin's death gets her only so far. Outside of Anakin Skywalker I've never seen a Jedi so toppled by the death of a loved one. Authors have handicapped the woman with her grief and lack of identity. Whatever she had during The NJO seems watered down to the point where she's just a prop at this point. She's almost dithering in her emotions. She's not tough as nails. Yet she's still deadly. Frankly, I don't know what Tahiri is supposed to be at this point. And don't ask her cause she surely doesn't know.

 

She's lost; the embodiment of fans who have been lost since Anakin Solo's death. She'll be missing him as long as we do.

That said, with Mind-walking introduced in FOTJ, and Anakin Solo giving his speech on how it's not wise to place the burden of everything on one person's shoulders, and the possibility that Tahiri may yet be able to Mind-Walk and have a proper goodbye to him... I think by the end of FOTJ, both Tahiri and us the fans will be over his death... so get ready for Tahiri unleashed.

(I've said this before, but Anakin Solo's death is to Star Wars what Gwen Stacy's death is to Spider-Man... both are remembered and immortalized for their deaths and lost potential, becoming larger-than-life)

 

Seeing how Gwen Stacy is very much alive in the Ultimate universe ( after being dead for a while ^^ ), I must say I muchly prefer if those "legendary" characters are allowed to survive and grow to be fan favourites for their continueing deeds, rather than being mere fond memories.

 

I find its hard to determine how well she measures up. This is a problem that is facing pretty much all secondary characters in Star Wars these days.

That absolute requirement to put the Big Three in every story means that they will always overshadow people in need of screen time.

Take Kyle Katarn. His reputation is well known, but for sake of the plot, it is required that he get his ass handed to him by Jacen.

Tahiri, an extremely talented individual, is unable to best Leia in a duel for no apparent reason. Tahiri has been fighting since she was a child. Leia only truly became a Jedi some time in her forties. But, by virtue of being one of the Big Three, she is granted unparalleled power, and enough skill to best Tahiri.


Another problem is characterization. Simply not enough time is put into secondary characters to give them any proper motivation, or reason for them to act wildly out of character. Sure, you could say that Jacen was corrupting Tahiri, but does that really give her any motive to try and sexually seduce a fourteen year old boy? Even after, you know, shooting his friend right in front of him not two minutes earlier?

 

She is powerful but crazy/mental. She should be in jail for what she did to Pellaeon.

 

36-24-36

 

[image=http://www.vh1.com/sitewide/promoimages/artists/s/sir_mix_alot/vspot/baby_got_back/320x240.jpg]
Only if she's 5-6

 

I view Tahiri as a Jedi who could've been one of the best but fell because of her unwise decisions. She has violated every thing that a Jedi stands for. She lets her attachments cloud her judgement. She lets her emotions control her to the point of breakdown. She doesn't listen to her superiors. She's actually a female Anakin Skywalker only a little worse because she doesn't have the lightsaber skills.

The truth is, Tahiri really needed to be just a house wife or a regular girl. As a Jedi, she's a complete failure and it's her own fault for being so fragile.

 

Ultimate universe is bogus, it doesn't count.

She's been on trial for it for several books.

But that act wasn't really mental/crazy. She was following orders, Pellaeon just betrayed the GA. No worse than Ben's assassinations.

 

^Problem is and this makes her situation worse than Caedus. Motive. Tahiri's motive for killing and seducing people into the bed was to see visions of a young boy who died years ago. And since she is still attracted to very young Anakin that makes her more than just a cougar. So as you can her motives in all her killings and wrong doings is pretty insane.

 

Motive: trying to fix canon so that none of it was real.

Or, failing that, trying to end the destructive conflict and bring peace.

We can look at the various motives for assassination or attempted-assassination produced by Ben, Mara, Han, Aurra, Boba, Jaina, Luke, Mirta, Jacen, Nelani, Lecersen, and Niathal, not to mention Daala and Pellaeon back in Darksaber... I certainly don't think Tahiri's motives are less-valid, and I've argued before that on technical terms, the action was probably legal - her own status as a GAG officer mandates her to act unilaterally against enemies of the Alliance....



- The Imperial Ewok