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Zam Wessel: one of the Saga's oddest characters

Discussion in 'Prequel Trilogy' started by rsterling78, Feb 6, 2009.

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  1. rsterling78

    rsterling78 Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    May 26, 2002
    [image=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v200/txkarenr/ZamWessell.bmp]
    Zam Wessel

    A bounty hunter who gets instructed to assassinate a target by...another bounty hunter.

    A bounty hunter who is a shape shifter...who wears a veil.

    A shape shifter whose shape shifting ability is not used for any discernible reason in the story. Zam does not shape shift to try to conceal her identity -- the only reason that I know of for which any shape shifter in the history of science fiction used their ability. We only see Zam revert to her true Clawdite form upon her death, apparently so the viewers of the film would know that she was a shape shifter since this ability is not otherwise used in the movie.

    Finally, there is more than a passing resemblance between Zam and Gasgano's head gear:

    [image=http://www.loresdelsith.net/universo/aliens/bin/podrac19.jpg]

    Zam Wessel: what gives?
     
  2. obi-arin-kenobi

    obi-arin-kenobi Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 10, 2005
    It gives Jengo/boba a bit more character/explains why he is far and above a more adequate bounty hunter than most. Look at it this way--most crimelords are upper class suit and tie wearing people, who then hire other "normal" people that blend in with their respected environments. It's possible, that instead of dealing with multiple outside sources, jengo kept them to one(or a few). This would allow some level of trust, and what better kind of person to hire than one who can blend into ANY environment?
     
  3. Jedi Gunny

    Jedi Gunny Chosen One star 9

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    May 20, 2008
    I find it odd that Jango wouldn't want to do it himself. A bounty hunter of his reputation would get even more PR if he killed a Jedi.
     
  4. jedibri

    jedibri Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 19, 2000
    It seems there were times when Lucas wanted to fill all the gaps with to much junk. Zam is a prime example.
     
  5. Qui-Gon_Unleashed

    Qui-Gon_Unleashed Jedi Youngling star 1

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    Dec 14, 2008
    I don't see anything wrong with her. She works for Jango. Lots of bounty hunters work for each other.
     
  6. Jedi Gunny

    Jedi Gunny Chosen One star 9

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    May 20, 2008
    Was Zam's character just filler so that we can see what Obi-Wan could do when in action 10 years after we have last seen him?
     
  7. ILuvJarJar

    ILuvJarJar Jedi Grand Master star 6

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    Oct 19, 2008
    I think that she served her purpose. In my opinion, she wasn't a very fasinating character and if she was further explored it wouldnt be that interesting.
     
  8. GuNgAnFaN3090

    GuNgAnFaN3090 Jedi Knight star 5

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    Oct 16, 2008
    Zam always bored me. It seemed like they put her in just so we could see Obi-Wan chop off someone elses arm in a bar. Seriously, Kenobi is a mean drunk.
     
  9. ILuvJarJar

    ILuvJarJar Jedi Grand Master star 6

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    Oct 19, 2008

    [face_laugh]
     
  10. EHT

    EHT Manager Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Sep 13, 2007
    Well the job Jango outsourced to her was to kill a senator, but the same concept holds. I thought it was kind of odd that he hired her to do it, she failed once, and she got hired again. Then when she failed a second time and was about to name him as the one who hired her, he nails her with a poison dart from really far away. That was an impressive shot, and it begs the question... if you were Jango, why not just shoot Senator Amidala with a poison dart from really far away?
     
  11. voodoopuuduu

    voodoopuuduu Jedi Knight star 5

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    Mar 22, 2004
    shape shifter whose shape shifting ability is not used for any discernible reason in the story. Zam does not shape shift to try to conceal her identity -- the only reason that I know of for which any shape shifter in the history of science fiction used their ability.

    I think she/it shape shifted because she/it realized her species were butt ugly in their native form, heh. [face_laugh]
     
  12. Jedi Gunny

    Jedi Gunny Chosen One star 9

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    May 20, 2008
    It would have been possible that he would have been seen if he had done that kind of thing. Blowing up a landing platform could be set by just about anyone, while shooting someone would expose the shooter.
     
  13. ShaneP

    ShaneP Ex-Mod Officio star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Mar 26, 2001
    Seriously, Kenobi is a mean drunk.

    [face_laugh]

    edit

    The coolest thing Lucas could've done with her character is had her shapeshift when she goes into the bar. She could sneak around on the jedi. Only through the Force would Kenobi flush her out. She needed a display of her powers worked into the story more effectively.

     
  14. CaptainYossarian

    CaptainYossarian Jedi Master star 3

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    Mar 30, 2003
    It's true that Zam's shape shifting ability is not really put to any purpose in terms of the action but I think one of its functions is thematic. It relates to the idea of duplicity which is one of the main points of the film. There's the ongoing thread of Palpatine pretending to be Sidious, and claiming he wants to negotiate with the Separatists. There's Dooku who's set himself up as the charismatic leader of the breakaway systems, promising everyone a better future than the Republic, telling Obi-Wan he wants to destroy the Sith. Then there's the clones that were apparently ordered by a Jedi, for the Republic, yet they turn out to be used as a Trojan Horse. And Anakin himself retains the appearance of a noble Jedi despite his bad deeds and growing inner darkness.

    Zam, and her ability, are a physical embodiment of duplicity. She looks like an attractive human but turns out to be the opposite. It reinforces the idea that from this episode on, things are not as they appear and what appears normal and trustworthy may not be. So although there's no practical purpose to Zam being a changeling, it is symbolic.
     
  15. ShaneP

    ShaneP Ex-Mod Officio star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Mar 26, 2001
    Good point. But having her use her ability would've served her character and the story better and the theme would still be there.

    It would have served a dual purpose. :eek:


     
  16. Garth Maul

    Garth Maul Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    May 18, 2002
    I always liked Zam. She was very bizarre yet somehow seemed very Star Wars to me.

    Of course, technically a "bounty hunter" wouldn't be assassinating people, but that's a different story.

    Quite frankly, I think the shape shifting was mostly just to flesh out her character; I thought it was pretty cool when we got that quick flash of her reverting to her true self.

    Once you really start analyzing the minutiae of Star Wars characters, it gets a little hairy.

    Do we really need to know how long an Imperial Star Destroyer is? Do we really need to know how much of Vader's body is robotic? :-B
     
  17. yodas_waiter

    yodas_waiter Jedi Youngling star 3

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    Oct 31, 2006
    I don't know if that really was Lucas's intentions but it's a cool interpretation nonetheless [face_peace]
     
  18. sith_rhino

    sith_rhino Jedi Master star 2

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    Jul 9, 2007
    As to why Jango hired her instead of doing it himself, I'm guessing that since this was such a sensitive job (killing a senator, after all) that Jengo wanted one more degree of separation between the assasin and Jango's boss. Maybe the person that hired Jango even told him to in turn, hire a trustworthy bounty hunter?
     
  19. FirBholg

    FirBholg Jedi Youngling star 1

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    May 10, 2002
    I imagine that, had Zam managed it, she would have been framed as the agent of some other power it would have served the Sith cause to implicate.

    But yeah - come to think, Zam does seem pretty random.

    Also, were the Jedi meant to trace the saberdart to Kamino? Or was it thought that the archival erasure would prevent that?
     
  20. SoonerSean

    SoonerSean Jedi Youngling star 2

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    Jul 23, 2007
    I don't think Sidious really wanted Padme dead at that point... so he made sure Dooku communicated that to Jango. Jango - being the best in the business - outsourced with a lesser bounty hunter/assassin to attempt to kill Padme knowing she wouldn't succeed. He kept eyes on her and then killed her with the Kamino saber dart knowing the dart would lead the Jedi to the clone army.

    The existence of Kamino had been erased from the archives just to make sure no one stumbled onto it before the clone army was ready.

    Once it was time to finally start the war... Dooku/Palpatine needed the Jedi to discover the army in waiting and the only way to get them there was Jango and his saber-dart.

    (that's my convoluted theory anyway)
     
  21. Jedi Gunny

    Jedi Gunny Chosen One star 9

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    May 20, 2008
    Sounds like a good theory to me.
     
  22. Sven_Starcrown

    Sven_Starcrown Jedi Youngling star 4

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    Mar 10, 2009
    ,,
    I don't think Sidious really wanted Padme dead at that point... so he made sure Dooku communicated that to Jango. "

    So hovewer planted the bomb knew that Padme wont die?
     
  23. Arawn_Fenn

    Arawn_Fenn Chosen One star 7

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    Jul 2, 2004
    Palpatine had no way of knowing that Dex had found a saberdart on Subterrel, and was most likely unaware that Obi-Wan even knew him. Padme could have been killed on the landing pad, in which case the saberdart wouldn't have entered into it.

    The Kaminoans would have contacted the Republic eventually.
     
  24. Garth Maul

    Garth Maul Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    May 18, 2002
    I don't think the Jedi were meant to find Kamino when they did.

    Padme was about 2 seconds from being killed; she was a voice of reason and peace in the Senate, something Palpatine didn't want. He wanted martial law to be declared.

    Plus, the assassination of a major Senator would only heighten the demands for more security.

    And they wanted the allegiance of Nute Gunray.


    And though this is getting slightly off-topic, I don't think Palpatine can see exactly what is going to happen.
     
  25. Jedi Gunny

    Jedi Gunny Chosen One star 9

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    May 20, 2008
    So, in theory, when should the Jedi have found out about Kamino if it hadn't been "spoiled"?

     
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