Jensaarai One
Versus Series Short: The Grandmasters (Satele Shan Vs. Yoda)
updated
[05:02] Martial Arts Training
[20:08] Physical Capabilities / Handicaps
[22:55] Force Abilities
[35:51] Armament & Equipment
[38:28] Final Verdict
My first long form Versus Video was Darth Vader versus Grandmaster Yoda, titled the Broken and the Sage. As of Octover 22nd, 2022, that video is now 10 years old. Unfortunately, it has since been blocked due to copyright infringement, specifically music. YouTube was a much different landscape back then. To commemorate the anniversary, and to return this classic to the fans, I have prepared this remastered version using the original voiceover.
This video, and the match-up in general, has been one of my most controversial, and I will admit that I did deliberately cultivate that. No such thing as bad press. But regardless of what you think about my argument and conclusions, there is no questioning that this was a seminal work, the first 40 minute versus video. The first demonstration of just how far we could take this.
However, in retrospect, I wish I had been more moderate and balanced in both my arguments and my delivery, and built up to my conclusions more gently. Instead, I am having to backpedal from a very extreme position that was predicated on both an unreasonable anti-Yoda bias and my own tendancy towards black-and-white reasoning. In summary, I still believe that Darth Vader would defeat Grandmaster Yoda, but rather than the curbstomp victory outlined in this video, I believe he would be pulling a Teneb Kel and scraping by against an opponent who outclasses him, with his victoy being heavily predicated on Yoda's complacency and arrogance. I regard Yoda as the ultimate example of a big fish in a small pond, and I don't think he would take Vader seriously, instead treating him like Dooku and playing with his food instead of going in for the kill, in the process handing the tactical initiative to Vader.
Though Antoine Bandele's 2017 Rebuttal video and EvanNova95's 2019 Who Win's video were both addressed to my 2017 remake, rather than the original 2012 version, I am well aware that people want to hear my thoughts on them. In my opinion, Antoine's rebuttal demonstrated a pro-Yoda bias that was every bit as extreme as my anti-Yoda bias, with his following Yoda versus Luke Skywalker video making quite clear that Grandmaster Luke is the only character within the Star Wars setting that Antoine is willing to acknowledge is capable of defeating Yoda, and even that admission was loaded with caveats. As for Evan's Who Wins video, I found it to be much more balanced, addressing many of the core points in both my video and Antoine's while also providing his own argument, and I've actually rewatched this video several times just for the viewing pleasure. Evan may have ruled in favor of Yoda, but he at least acknowledged Vader's threat level, and stressed that Yoda would not be able to take him lightly.
Before I move on to the video proper, a few notes on the analysis. It follows my outdated format from the early 2010s, and was created prior to both the Expanded Universe purge of 2014 and my own decision to omit the 2008 Clone Wars animated series from most of my discussions of Clone Wars era characters. As I've discussed before, my vitriol towards the series comes from me being a disillusioned fan who started out liking it. In the case of Yoda, his early seasons appearances were actually fun additions, while his later season appearances, which post-dated this video, came at the direct expense of various significant Expanded Universe storylines that form major lynchpins in my analysis of Yoda. You cannot reconcile Yoda: Dark Rendezvous or the 2002 Clone Wars microseries with seasons 6 and 7 of TCW, whereas the longstanding contradictions between the microseries and Labyrinth of Evil are comparatively minor.
Anyhoo, I think I've prattled on for long enough.
Please enjoy the video.
Maw took the loss of his legs in stride, initially relying on a repulsorlift carriage for mobility, but later developed an instinctive mastery of Force flight, levitating about with the ease with which others walked. Equipped with an orange-bladed standard lightsaber, Maw revised his fighting style to take advantage of his unlimited mobility, studying and mastering Trispzest, the dedicated flying lightsaber combat form developed by the Dark Jedi Kharys. His strength-oriented bladework suggested a previous specialization in Djem So, the dueling-centric arm of the Perseverance Form. Though he adapted his overall style and approach to take full advantage of his newfound mobility, he retained the strength-oriented bladework, favoring sweeping slashes and hacking cleaves backed up by solid, two-handed blocks.
Kazdan Paratus was an Aleena male of unspecified age, though as a Jedi Knight during the Clone Wars, he was likely in his early to mid forties by the time of his death shortly before the Battle of Yavin. Aleena are distinguished by their small size, exceptional dexterity, and their accelerated metabolisms. The dexterity fed into Paratus' role as a tech specialist, but the accelerated metabolism was ultimately his undoing. As a result of this trait, Aleena respond poorly to prolonged stressful periods, which left him on edge for the entirety of the Clone Wars, and led to his psychological breakdown when Order 66 was issued. The initial phase of his insanity was an inferiority complex focused on his small size, which drove him to attach four prosthetic spider arms to his back.
If you will permit me some comparisons to alternative media, Exar Kun is most easily comparible to the characters of Memnon in "The Scorpion King", and Khalar Zym in the 2011 remake of "Conan the Barbarian". Both are perfectly willing to rely on conventional techniques, but when pressured, they fall back on the unorthodox, using specialized armament and unconventional skills to their advantage. They are masters not because they have advanced their techniques to the highest possible level, but because they ruthlessly employ such radical skills to get their way, changing the rules of the engagement and controlling the fight, and they are ultimately motivated by a willingness to do ANYTHING to win.
Perfectly demonstrating the skills and approach of Exar Kun.
[01:55] Analysis
[09:10] Verdict
This is a classical match-up that was first discussed by Antoine Bandele back in April of 2014. The very first Rule of Two Sith Lord and the very last, the parallels between Darths Bane and Vader are many. Both were reigning masters of Form V lightsaber combat, both were Force prodigies who betrayed their masters, and both were ideologues who placed their dedication to order ahead of their own self interest. Obviously, my analysis of both will be drawn exclusively from old school Expanded Universe material, ignoring their appearances in the 2008 Clone Wars animated series and all Disney Canon material. I will be focusing on Bane within the timeframe of Dynasty Of Evil, and Vader within the timeframe of Return Of The Jedi, immediately before their respective deaths.
Book of Sith - The Rule Of Two - Personal Combat - 0:10
The Jedi Path - Part III: Padawan - Form V Lightsaber Combat: Shien/Djem So - 2:04, 6:44
Jedi Vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force - Part Two: The Jedi - The Seven Forms - 3:39
Book of Sith - The Rule Of Two - Selecting An Apprentice - 9:26
"[...], the Sith Order is a lineage. It must not end with you! I will not allow my new Sith Order to expire because you were unworthy or too protective to bequeath your power.
"Know this: Your apprentice will kill you. If this fact frightens you, then the Sith Order has already suffered a fatal infection. Your existance in the Order is not needed. Your battle has already been lost."
"Due to its reliance on dominating one's opponent, Form V has at times been considered an inappropriate discipline for a Jedi. But those who can balance its intimidating aspects with the compassionate application of the Force may succeed in besting even their battlemasters."
"You ask for my opinion on Form V? I am neither a proponent nor a detractor. One must question any discipline that has lethal potential. However, if it serves to suppress violent opposition and preserve peace, I believe it is a discipline worth knowing."
"Form V is the most physically demanding of all combat styles. While Form IV requires speed and agility, Form V requires strength. Jedi without the natural ability to overpower their opponents should study another form. Conversely, Jedi of towering stature and imposing musculature may choose to focus on Form V, particularly because it requires less agility than other forms."
"I have stated that the Force is venom. Because you are a Sith Lord, you realize the truth in my words. You cannot dilute our power! You must also keep yourself strong, not only in numbers, but in combat. The purest expression of victory is through combat. I will not permit my legacy to become a blurred copy of a copy. These pages contain what you must know if you wish to defeat an enemy with a lightsaber or the Force. Do not rely solely on what your own Master has taught you. Study these arts, drink directly from the source."
[02:56] - Analysis
[08:41] - Verdict
Ironically, my first viewing of the Kenobi series on Disney+ was an overwhelmingly positive experience, but for reasons that had nothing to do with the series. A friend of the household who had already seen it was eager to get my opinion on it, so we had her over for a watch party, and binged our way through the first three episodes, while a playlist of my videos played in the background on the other television, and we had frequent pauses where I read passages from The Dark Lord Trilogy out loud.
It was that kind of evening.
This will be a bizarre review, in that it will be focused largely on how the series depicts Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader, specifically the lightsaber duel that capped out the third episode, and will be structured like one of my Versus Videos.
As for my general opinion on the series as a whole, on the plus side, I like the production design, Ewan McGregor is bringing his A-game, and knowing that it's actually Hayden Christenson inside the armor definitely gives Vader a different feel. But on the other hand, the Inquisitor Reva, much like Ahsoka Tano in TCW, is a superflous third wheel crowbarred into a storyline that should be focused on Kenobi and Skywalker, while lacking the charisma or likeability that made Ahsoka accepted and popular despite that.
On a similar note, I view the inclusion of Princess Leia as being analogous to the multiple confrontations between Kenobi and General Grievous in TCW; even though the context of their dialogues in Episodes IV and III respectively make quite clear that these characters have never met, it's never explicitly stated, which is all the excuse Dave Filoni needs to force them together. For my part, I see Filoni's fingerprints all over this production, and find that it is ultimately structured like TCW; rushed and contrived plots intended to set up for fanservice encounters and visuals.
For anyone who wants my opinion on the apparent internal civil war within Lucasfilm, I think it's all kabuki theatre, a mock conflict between colluding factions analogous to the Clone Wars itself.
[2:09] - Analysis
[6:55] - Verdict
After writing up Mace Windu versus Darth Malak, I started considering other match-ups that have obvious conclusions but still possess dynamics and interactions that make them intriguing to discuss. Given that my impending collaboration with EvanNova95, Malak versus Dooku, remains so fresh on my mind, Count Dooku became my next candidate. And the opponent for him that I found most intriguing yet pointless was Darth Bane.
Both are classical Lawful Evil Sith Lords who betrayed the academic institutions that brought them up because they regarded them as impure, both are defined by their purist dedications to their respective schools of lightsaber combat, and both even share the distinction of being armed with curve-hilted dueling lightsabers.
My assessment of Darth Bane will be based on his primary appearance in The Darth Bane trilogy of novels, written by Drew Karpyshyn, in addition to the character's manifesto in the Book of Sith, written Daniel Wallace. My assessment of Count Dooku will be based exclusively on Legends continuity material, excluding the 2008 Clone Wars animated series.
Though TCW provides some of the best depictions of the Makashi lightsaber form, it also throws Dooku under the bus in regards to his performance level, playing up his vulnerability against Anakin Skywalker's Djem So technique, and the storyline of the season one episode Dooku Captured humiliating him and stripping him of all credibility as an antagonist. Even the season six episode The Lost One, which provides Dooku's strongest combative showing, also depicts what is easily his most bone-headed strategic decision, where he tries to conceal his involvement in a conspiracy by personally killing a key witness right in front of the people investigating the conspiracy, thus confirming his involvement.
Moving on.
Citations:
- Darth Bane: Path of Destruction - 2:29, 2:40, 2:58, 4:40,
- Darth Bane: Rule of Two
- Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil -2:25, 2:35
- Attack of the Clones
- Yoda: Dark Rendevous - 2:43
- Labyrinth of Evil - 2:25, 2:57, 4:30, 5:57
- Revenge of the Sith -3:12, 4:03, 6:18
- The Dark Side Sourcebook - 5:38
- The Complete Visual Dictionary - 3:32
- Book of Sith - 4:16, 5:57
[03:46] - Review
[10:46] - Updated Verdict
When I originally started my YouTube channel back in November of 2011, my initial plan was to review Star Wars media and do lore videos, but my channel instead became defined by my Star Wars Versus Series, my first entry being Qui-Gon Jinn versus Darth Vader. As of March 22nd, 2022, that video is now 10 years old. Not to overstate my own importance or influence, but there is no question that I played a major role in codifying the Versus Video genre, as the majority of Versus creators are emulating either me or the ScrewAttack DeathBattle series. For myself, my primary influence was Deadliest Warrior, which aired on Spike TV from 2009 to 2011. As an 18 year old uber geek, I was right in the target demographic, and despite being well aware of the various historical inaccuracies present in the show, I still have a nostalgic soft spot for it.
[0:59] - Analysis
[7:38] - Verdict
Today I present my first nonStar Wars match-up, between two iconic wizards with a snake theme. However, this video will be structured more loosely than my mainline Star Wars Versus Series. Though all versus match-ups made by all content creators are ultimately opinion pieces, I think it's fair to say that all of us attempt to construct strong arguments based on logic and research. This video, on the other hand, is quite explicitly a fluff piece that I threw together in an afternoon because I was bored, and is based primarily on information that I can recall off the top of my head.
The reasons for this are twofold:
Firstly, my long suffering, horribly abused, and badly outdated PC has finally started to die, and half hour videos are about all it can handle right now. This is why my original upload of Darth Vader versus Kyle Katarn was so glitchy towards the end, forcing me to re-upload it in three separate parts.
Fortunately, I've just started two new jobs, which will finance a replacement computer, though this also brings me to the second reason:
I had to find new employment, which I did, and I had to learn my new job, which I have. Now that I'm settled into a more stable position, I feel comfortable getting back on the wagon and I in fact have several projects and collaborations lined up in the near future, in addition to whatever fluff projects I end up putting out on an idle whim.
[1:46] - Analysis
[8:28] - Verdict
As with my standalone martial arts breakdown of Darth Malak, uploaded back in April of this year, this video is one that I have produced as an announcement and preview for my upcoming collaboration with EvanNova95, Darth Malak versus Count Dooku, and was in fact directly inspired by it, as Mace Windu is commonly touted within the lore as being Dooku's direct equal. A confrontation between Darth Malak and Mace Windu is interesting to examine because both combatants are ostensibly equal, yet there is a very clear and obvious winner nonetheless.
It's Windu, by the way.
For this reason, this video will be more loosely structured and condensed than my typical fare, though I will of course still be bringing my usual attention to detail and meticulous research to the table. For any newcomers to my channel, this analysis will be based entirely off of pre-2008 Legends continuity material, ignoring everything published under Disney and anything related to The Clone Wars animated series, as both properties are defined by universe-breaking retcons that completely turf many of the iconic, core storylines upon which my breakdowns of Mace Windu and Darth Malak are based. That being said, I will be dispensing with my usual media catalogue, and cutting right to the chase.
2:47 - Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide - Chapter X: The Sith - Agents of Evil - Darth Malak, Sith Magnus - Pg 156
3:26 - Jedi Academy Training Manual - Chapter III: Equipment & Artifacts - Lightsaber Crystals - Pg 58, 59
4:03 - Power of the Jedi Sourcebook - Chapter 6: Jedi Traditions - The Jedi Council - Mace Windu, Jedi Swordmaster - Pg 112
4:55 - Revenge of the Sith - Part One: Victory - Chapter 3: The Way of the Sith
5:51, 8:08 - Revenge of the Sith - Part Three: Apocalypse - Chapter 17: The Face of the Dark
6:15 - Revenge of the Sith - Part Two: Seduction - Chapter 8: Fault Lines
7:29 - Darth Malak: An Expanded Universe Character - Article & Character Sheet
This breakdown of Emperor Palpatine's martial proficiencies and weaponry was not drafted for a match-up, but instead as a dedicated profile of Darth Sidious' lightsaber skills, specifically in pre-Disney Legends material; I am not discussing Sheev Palpatine.
For this reason, I will be taking Palpatine's appearances in the 2008 Clone Wars animated series into account, as the series is still pre-Disney. Furthermore, Palpatine is the one established character who isn't done dirty by TCW, his appearances reflecting well on him and actually adding to what we know, as opposed to retconning and replacing the existing lore with an inferior copy, as is TCW's usual trend.
This breakdown of Emperor Palpatine's martial arts will be emphasizing his direct combat feats and training, and will be drawn from the following sources, listed in chronological order:
Darth Plagueis, The Wrath of Darth Maul, the TCW episodes The Lawless and Sacrifice, Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir, Revenge of the Sith, Dark Times: A Spark Remains, The Force Unleashed, Return of the Jedi, and Dark Empire.
Background information on the Star Wars setting will be drawn from the following:
The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, The Complete Visual Dictionary, Lightsabers: A Guide to Weapons of the Force, the Book of Sith, The Jedi Path, and the Jedi Academy Training Manual.
With all of that out of the way, let's begin.
Citations:
[03:09] - The Complete Visual Dictionary - Episode II: Attack of the Clones - Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Apprentice - Pg 82-83
[03:18], [03:59], [07:34] - Star Wars Insider 62 - Fightsaber: Jedi Lightsaber Combat (article) - Pg 20-37
[04:18], [04:25], [04:41], [07:49], [07:57], [08:02], [08:06], [08:11], [08:16], [08:20]. [08:33], [08:39], [08:46], [09:48], [09:56], [10:06] - Darth Plagueis
[07:20] - Labyrinth of Evil
[09:04], [09:09], [09:16], [09:21], [09:26], [09:30], [09:37], [09:41], [10:02] - The Wrath of Darth Maul
[12:59], [13:03] - Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (Adult novelization)
[13:42], [19:11] - Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (YA novelization)
[19:22] - Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
Mask of the Jedi - [youtube.com/watch?v=1f1JV1sqSUo]
Back in August of 2012, when my channel and my skills were still in their infancy, I uploaded a six-minute opinion piece where I stated my position that Grandmaster Yoda was one of the most overrated characters in all of Star Wars, particularly in the realm of lightsaber combat. However, my original argument was overly harsh and heavily biased, based on a petty sense of betrayal after my follow-up analysis started to poke some holes in Yoda. Previously, I had completely and unreservedly bought into the idea that Yoda was the greatest lightsaber duelist within the Star Wars setting, and found the notion of it not holding up under intense scrutiny almost offensive, and I effectively blamed the creators for messing up. While my butthurt has had almost ten years to subside, I still stand by many of the points that I made, I've simply come to view them as limitations that will only come up some of the time, rather than defining weaknesses that invalidate Yoda.
The basic truth of the matter is that Grandmaster Yoda, in how he is described and presented, isn't perfect or unbeatable.
[00:43] - Power of the Jedi Sourcebook - Chapter 6: Jedi Traditions - The Jedi Council - Mace Windu, Jedi Swordmaster - Pg 112
[01:46] - Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader - Part II: The Emperor's Emissary - Chapter 13
[04:09] - Fightsaber: Jedi Lightsaber Combat - Lightsaber Combat through the Star Wars Saga - Attack of the Clones
[04:18] - Revenge of the Sith - Part Two: Seduction - Chapter 15: Death on Utapau
[05:35] - The Empire Strikes Back - Film, 1980
[05:43] - Attack of the Clones - Chapter 9
Though I intended this video to be a return to my normal post-mortem format, where I cover both combatants from a match-up one after another, this catalogue of Raana Tey's feats got a little out of hand, and rather than cut it down to size, I've chosen to do as I did with Darth Thanaton, and upload it as a standalone profile of her and her alone.
My analysis of the Jedi Covenant Seer Raana Tey will be drawn from her appearances in the Knights of the Old Republic comic series, specifically the Crossroads, Commencement, Homecoming, Nights of Anger, and Knights of Suffering issues and story arcs, in addition to the KotOR handbook and the KotOR campaign guide.
Background information on her species traits and Jedi training will be drawn from The New Essential Guide To Alien Species and The Essential Guide To The Force, among several others.
As this is the first post-mortem analysis that I have uploaded in over a year, I will provide a brief refresher on the ranking tiers, originally codified by Macattack 1 in his seminal versus video, Ki-Adi-Mundi versus Kao Cen Darach, [youtube.com/watch?v=kvUjeiFzgAA].
They are as follows:
Tier 1 - Complete Mastery
Tier 2 - Advanced Mastery
Tier 3 - Standard Mastery
Tier 4 - Advanced Application
Tier 5 - Standard Application
Tier 6 - Basic Application
Tier 7 - Basic Knowledge
With my opening preamble out of the way, allow me to present my post-mortem analysis of Raana Tey.
[02:34], [13:53] - The New Essential Guide to Alien Species - Togruta, Pg 158-159
[03:10], [14:08] - Knights of the Old Republic Handbook - Knights of the Covenant: Raana Tey
[14:23] - Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide - Chapter IV: The Force - Jedi Organizations: The Jedi Covenant, Pg 55-57
[14:29] - Jedi Vs Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force - Part Two: The Jedi - Farsight, Pg 74
For those of you who are unaware, Darth Malak, voiced by Rafael Ferrer, is the primary antagonist of the 2003 Bioware RPG, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, serving as the games final boss. In addition to the video game itself, my analysis will also be referencing his appearances in the Knights of the Old Republic comic series, published from 2006 to 2010, as well as the statements of the games lead writer, Drew Karpyshyn. However, this analysis will not be referencing the video games strategy guide, nor the tie-in tabletop RPG campaign guide published in 2008, simply because I didn't have access to those sources when I drafted this breakdown.
Furthermore, some of the information presented is personal speculation and supposition, as this was before I got into the habit of meticulously citing my sources. Now that you've finished reading my preamble, allow me to present this vintage breakdown of Darth Malak's martial proficiencies and tactics:
Darth Malak Vs. Grandmaster Yoda - [youtube.com/watch?v=GCYDE_BIilo]
That being said, the less said about Dark Disciple, the better.
In addition to TCW and its various tie-ins, my analysis of Aayla Secura will be drawn from her appearances in the Star Wars prequel trilogy and its tie-ins, the 2003 Clone Wars microseries and its tie-ins, and the Star Wars Republic comic series, among several others.
As for Komari Vosa, my analysis of her will be drawn from her primary appearance in the Star Wars: Bounty Hunter video game, the Jango Fett: Open Seasons comic miniseries, the expanded universe novels Darth Plaguies and Maul: Lockdown, along with her entry on the Starwars.com databank and her RPG character sheet presented on the Wizards of the Coast website.
Background information on both characters and the overall setting will be drawn from The Essential Guide To The Force, The New Essential Chronology, The New Essential Guide To Weapons And Technology, Lightsabers: A Guide To Weapons Of The Force, and The Jedi Path, obviously among many others.
Komari Vosa, the fallen Jedi leader of the Bando Gora cult, and Aayla Secura, Jedi Knight and Republic General. If these two victims of Jango Fett's legacy were to meet in battle, who would win?
Let's begin.
References & Citations:
- Databank: Vosa, Komari - [02:11], [03:06], [16:12]
- Maul: Lockdown, by Joe Schreiber - [02:20], [02:38], [07:56], [08:26], [08:49], [09:04], [09:19], [14:46], [17:00], [17:17], [17:39], [18:38]
- Komari Vosa: An Expanded Universe Character [...], by Cory Herndon - [02:33], [17:06], [18:01], [18:56]
- Jedi Vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force - [06:52], [07:22]
- Mysteries of the Jedi, by Elizabeth Dowsett and Shari Last - [10:55]
- Revenge of the Sith, by Matthew Stover - [13:22]
- Dark Blue: An Expanded Universe Character [...], by Cory Herndon - [19:47], [20:10]
Part 2 - [youtube.com/watch?v=fOvqlcPfpEA]
My analysis of the Rule Of Two Sith Apprentice Darth Vader will draw from his primary appearances in Episodes I through VI of the Star Wars saga, including the novelizations, the tie-in comics, and the visual dictionaries. In addition I will be referencing The Force Unleashed game series, including its novelizations, strategy guides, and comic tie-ins, Splinter Of The Mind's Eye and its comic tie-in, and the Shadows Of The Empire novel and comic tie-in. Furthermore, I will be referencing the following Expanded Universe novels: Dark Lord: The Rise Of Darth Vader, The Rise And Fall Of Darth Vader, the Coruscant Nights trilogy, The Last Jedi (No, no! Not that one!), the Last Of The Jedi series (confusing, I know), Death Star, and the short stories In His Image and Two-Edged Sword, among others. Then, we have the comic series Dark Times, Purge, Empire, Rebellion, Tales, and what I refer to as the Darth Vader And Something Awesome series. Lastly, I will be examining Darth Vader: A 3-D Reconstruction Log for detailed information on Vader's cybernetics.
My analysis of the New Jedi Order Battlemaster Kyle Katarn will draw from his initial appearances in the Dark Forces game series, including the tie-in novellas, and its sequels, Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy. Furthermore, I will be looking over his appearances in The New Jedi Order, Legacy of the Force, and Fate of the Jedi book series, as well as the stand-alone duology Crosscurrent and Riptide. Lastly, I will be examining the Tales comic short Equals & Opposites, and the article Legacy of the Force Preview 5 by Sterling Hershey and Gary M. Sarli. Background information will be pulled from Jedi Vs. Sith: The Essential Guide To The Force, The New Essential Guide To Chronology, The Original and New Essential Guides To Weapons And Technology, The Original and New Essential Guides To Alien Species, and the Jedi Academy Training Manual, among many others.
As should be obvious, my overall analysis will be pulled purely from Legends Continuity, completely omitting all Disney Canon material. In the case of Kyle Katarn, this is because he is not featured in any New Canon material, his existance having been retconned, while receiving an obvious derivative replacement in Kanan Jarus. Though I will concede that Darth Vader is the one character that New Canon has actually managed to get right, the official continuity's version of events is so radically different from Legends that the two sources are completely incompatible. As my analytical format is essentially biographical, assessing a character's feats chronologically in order to paint a picture, not only of what they are capable of, but how they developed over time, this incompatibility is a problem. I'm not claiming that Legends Continuity is absolutely flawless with no inconsistencies or contradictions, but these issues are minor compared to how utterly broken Disney Canon is. Furthermore, Vader is so heavily featured within Legends that New Canon material is basically redundant. There are certain fights and feats that I chose to omit to save time, and there are some that I know I missed, because Vader has fought so many people across so many storylines.
With all of that out of the way, let us get underway. Darth Vader, Dark Knight of the Empire, and Kyle Katarn, the New Republic Battlemaster. If these two warrior titans of the Post-Clone Wars era were to meet in single combat on neutral ground, who would win?
Let's begin.
Part 3 - [youtube.com/watch?v=jz1uawUMIoA]
My analysis of the Rule Of Two Sith Apprentice Darth Vader will draw from his primary appearances in Episodes I through VI of the Star Wars saga, including the novelizations, the tie-in comics, and the visual dictionaries. In addition I will be referencing The Force Unleashed game series, including its novelizations, strategy guides, and comic tie-ins, Splinter Of The Mind's Eye and its comic tie-in, and the Shadows Of The Empire novel and comic tie-in. Furthermore, I will be referencing the following Expanded Universe novels: Dark Lord: The Rise Of Darth Vader, The Rise And Fall Of Darth Vader, the Coruscant Nights trilogy, The Last Jedi (No, no! Not that one!), the Last Of The Jedi series (confusing, I know), Death Star, and the short stories In His Image and Two-Edged Sword, among others. Then, we have the comic series Dark Times, Purge, Empire, Rebellion, Tales, and what I refer to as the Darth Vader And Something Awesome series. Lastly, I will be examining Darth Vader: A 3-D Reconstruction Log for detailed information on Vader's cybernetics.
My analysis of the New Jedi Order Battlemaster Kyle Katarn will draw from his initial appearances in the Dark Forces game series, including the tie-in novellas, and its sequels, Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy. Furthermore, I will be looking over his appearances in The New Jedi Order, Legacy of the Force, and Fate of the Jedi book series, as well as the stand-alone duology Crosscurrent and Riptide. Lastly, I will be examining the Tales comic short Equals & Opposites, and the article Legacy of the Force Preview 5 by Sterling Hershey and Gary M. Sarli. Background information will be pulled from Jedi Vs. Sith: The Essential Guide To The Force, The New Essential Guide To Chronology, The Original and New Essential Guides To Weapons And Technology, The Original and New Essential Guides To Alien Species, and the Jedi Academy Training Manual, among many others.
As should be obvious, my overall analysis will be pulled purely from Legends Continuity, completely omitting all Disney Canon material. In the case of Kyle Katarn, this is because he is not featured in any New Canon material, his existance having been retconned, while receiving an obvious derivative replacement in Kanan Jarus. Though I will concede that Darth Vader is the one character that New Canon has actually managed to get right, the official continuity's version of events is so radically different from Legends that the two sources are completely incompatible. As my analytical format is essentially biographical, assessing a character's feats chronologically in order to paint a picture, not only of what they are capable of, but how they developed over time, this incompatibility is a problem. I'm not claiming that Legends Continuity is absolutely flawless with no inconsistencies or contradictions, but these issues are minor compared to how utterly broken Disney Canon is. Furthermore, Vader is so heavily featured within Legends that New Canon material is basically redundant. There are certain fights and feats that I chose to omit to save time, and there are some that I know I missed, because Vader has fought so many people across so many storylines.
With all of that out of the way, let us get underway. Darth Vader, Dark Knight of the Empire, and Kyle Katarn, the New Republic Battlemaster. If these two warrior titans of the Post-Clone Wars era were to meet in single combat on neutral ground, who would win?
Let's begin.
Part 3 - [youtube.com/watch?v=jz1uawUMIoA]
My analysis of the Rule Of Two Sith Apprentice Darth Vader will draw from his primary appearances in Episodes I through VI of the Star Wars saga, including the novelizations, the tie-in comics, and the visual dictionaries. In addition I will be referencing The Force Unleashed game series, including its novelizations, strategy guides, and comic tie-ins, Splinter Of The Mind's Eye and its comic tie-in, and the Shadows Of The Empire novel and comic tie-in. Furthermore, I will be referencing the following Expanded Universe novels: Dark Lord: The Rise Of Darth Vader, The Rise And Fall Of Darth Vader, the Coruscant Nights trilogy, The Last Jedi (No, no! Not that one!), the Last Of The Jedi series (confusing, I know), Death Star, and the short stories In His Image and Two-Edged Sword, among others. Then, we have the comic series Dark Times, Purge, Empire, Rebellion, Tales, and what I refer to as the Darth Vader And Something Awesome series. Lastly, I will be examining Darth Vader: A 3-D Reconstruction Log for detailed information on Vader's cybernetics.
My analysis of the New Jedi Order Battlemaster Kyle Katarn will draw from his initial appearances in the Dark Forces game series, including the tie-in novellas, and its sequels, Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy. Furthermore, I will be looking over his appearances in The New Jedi Order, Legacy of the Force, and Fate of the Jedi book series, as well as the stand-alone duology Crosscurrent and Riptide. Lastly, I will be examining the Tales comic short Equals & Opposites, and the article Legacy of the Force Preview 5 by Sterling Hershey and Gary M. Sarli. Background information will be pulled from Jedi Vs. Sith: The Essential Guide To The Force, The New Essential Guide To Chronology, The Original and New Essential Guides To Weapons And Technology, The Original and New Essential Guides To Alien Species, and the Jedi Academy Training Manual, among many others.
As should be obvious, my overall analysis will be pulled purely from Legends Continuity, completely omitting all Disney Canon material. In the case of Kyle Katarn, this is because he is not featured in any New Canon material, his existance having been retconned, while receiving an obvious derivative replacement in Kanan Jarus. Though I will concede that Darth Vader is the one character that New Canon has actually managed to get right, the official continuity's version of events is so radically different from Legends that the two sources are completely incompatible. As my analytical format is essentially biographical, assessing a character's feats chronologically in order to paint a picture, not only of what they are capable of, but how they developed over time, this incompatibility is a problem. I'm not claiming that Legends Continuity is absolutely flawless with no inconsistencies or contradictions, but these issues are minor compared to how utterly broken Disney Canon is. Furthermore, Vader is so heavily featured within Legends that New Canon material is basically redundant. There are certain fights and feats that I chose to omit to save time, and there are some that I know I missed, because Vader has fought so many people across so many storylines.
With all of that out of the way, let us get underway. Darth Vader, Dark Knight of the Empire, and Kyle Katarn, the New Republic Battlemaster. If these two warrior titans of the Post-Clone Wars era were to meet in single combat on neutral ground, who would win?
Let's begin.
For those of you who are tired of hearing me bellyache about the 2008 Clone Wars animated series, I'm sorry to say that this video will literally be an extended cut edit of me bellyaching about TCW. While some of my specific views and opinions have changed, I stand by the majority of what was said, though I do try to be more diplomatic these days.
Lastly, I wish to apologize for the poor sound quality, as this is the original voiceover that I recorded back in 2017, and as I stated in the Anakin versus Grievous re-upload, I was dealing with some microphone troubles at the time.
Anyhoo, with all of that out of the way, please enjoy the video:
As I stated in the original, my overall analysis will be based purely upon pre-2008 Legends continuity material, specifically omitting the 2008 Clone Wars animated series. In essense, the numerous and arbitrary retcons of TCW took what was previously one of the most tightly plotted and internally consistent timeframes within the Expanded Universe, where every event and storyline was given an exact date down to the week, and reduced it to a muddled sliding scale continuity defined by simplistic and contrived plotlines centered around a childish moral.
Where the original Clone Wars microseries kept its portrayal of Anakin Skywalker consistent with the films while also going a long way towards salvaging that version of the character, TCW reduced Anakin to a bland heroic charicature, with only the most token lipservice paid to his emerging Dark Side tendancies, and he was otherwise almost completely sidelined in favor of Ahsoka Tano. As for General Grievous, his portrayal remains consistent with the films in the worst possible way, continuing his downward spiral into ineffectual slapstick villainy. Even the episodes where he is meant to be taken seriously reduce him to fleeing for his life or play his dismemberments for laughs.
But more than anything else, my intention with this match-up is to cater to my generation of Star Wars fans, the children of the nineties who grew up with the Prequel Trilogy. This is Anakin Skywalker and General Grievous as they were for someone stepping into the cinema in 2005 after just having finished watching the Clone Wars microseries.
My analysis of Anakin Skywalker and General Grievous will be drawn from their appearances in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, including the novelizations, comics, and visual dictionaries, the Clone Wars microseries and its tie-in digest comics, the 2002 Clone Wars video game, the Star Wars: Republic comic series, the General Grievous comic miniseries, the Visionaries anthology, and the New Essential Guides to Chronology, Alien Species, Droids, Weapons and Technology, and The Force, among many others.
Anakin Skywalker and General Grievous, accomplished warriors and murderous butchers, with hands drenched in blood.
If these two titans of the Clone Wars ever met on the battlefield, who would win?
References & Citations:
The New Essential Guide to Characters - Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Pg 155 - [09:04]
The New Essential Guide to Droids - General Grievous, Pg 196 - [16:57]
The Dark Side Sourcebook - Chapter Five: Dark Side Traditions - Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, Pg 91 - [19:41]
Lightsabers: A Guide to Weapons of the Force - Anakin Skywalker and Luke Skywalker, Pg 48 - [29:04]
Fightsaber: Jedi Lightsaber Combat (article) - [30:21], [30:31], [33:19]
The Complete Visual Dictionary - [11:19], [14:04], [29:24], [29:49], [35:52]
Attack of the Clones (novelization) - Chapter 8 - [21:28]
Jedi Trial - Chapter 9 - [11:46], [33:50]
Labyrinth of Evil - [13:35], [13:39], [27:17], [34:20], [39:03], [39:19], [39:40], [40:13], [41:16], [43:14], [43:36], [47:01]
Revenge of the Sith (novelization) - [09:52], [10:14], [16:12], [20:14], [20:52], [21:14], [21:46], [30:53], [31:41], [36:04], [36:15], [37:55], [38:15], [38:40], [40:47]
Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader - Part IV: Kashyyyk - Chapter 43 - [17:23]
Star Wars Tech (documentary) - Rob Coleman, animation director, "Episodes I, II, III" - [13:06]
Clone Wars Chapter 22 - [42:01]
Catalogue of Darth Vader's amputations - [11:55]
In the meantime, I've chosen to present the following as another sample of my writing.
Enjoy.
The Council Forcecast: Episode 17 - Versus Series Requests/Discussion - [youtube.com/watch?v=euG9_c2elN0]
Citations:
[01:18], [05:23] - Darth Bane: Path of Destruction - Part Two, Chapter 17
[01:28], [02:43], [02:53], [03:00], [03:39], [03:52], [03:59], [04:12], [04:29], [04:38], [04:46], [05:40], [05:47], [06:08], [06:13] - Darth Bane: Path of Destruction - Part Three, Chapter 23
[01:33], [02:07] - Darth Bane: Path of Destruction - Part Two, Chapter 10
[01:56], [02:17], [02:33], [02:48], [03:18], [03:24], [03:34], [04:55], [05:31] - Darth Bane: Path of Destruction - Part Two, Chapter 15
[02:21] - Darth Bane: Path of Destruction - Part Two, Chapter 12
[05:11] - Darth Bane: Path of Destruction - Part Two, Chapter 16
Artwork:
[03:24], [05:44], [06:37] - "Sith Blademaster" by darefi [deviantart.com/darefi/art/Sith-Blademaster-116243697]
[00:39], [05:54], [06:20]. [06:44] - "Twilek Sith" by Peter Ortiz [deviantart.com/peter-ortiz/art/Twilek-Sith-close-up-116025963]
[03:53], [06:51] - "Kas'im the Blademaster" by koryusai279 [deviantart.com/koryusai279/art/Kas-im-the-Blademaster-815244375]
[01:33], [06:00], [06:58] - "Diptytch" by Scott Wadell, originally featured in "Star Wars Art: Visions"
[05:47], [07:05] - "Darth Bane Vs. Kas'im - Comic, Final Version" by Jensaarai One [deviantart.com/jensaarai1/art/Darth-Bane-Vs-Kas-im-Comic-Final-Version-549211045]
My analysis of the independant Sith Warlord Odion will be drawn from his primary appearances in the Knight Errant comic series and novel, with additional information pulled from the Knight Errant gazetter and the Book Of Sith.
Background information on both combatants and the overall Star Wars setting will be drawn from The Essential Guide To The Force, The Jedi Path, The Old Republic Encyclopedia, and The New Essential Guide To Alien Species, among others.
Beyond the fact that both are major antagonists in comic series written by John Jackson Miller, the main commonality between these two combatants is that both of their lives were ultimately defined by their runaway Sense talents, which led to them developing into fanatics who followed the most perverted versions of their respective doctrines.
Raana Tey, Jedi Master of the Old Republic, and Lord Odion, Sith Warlord of the Republic Dark Age. If these two Deranged Renegades were to meet in single combat, who would win.
Citations:
[01:58] - The New Essential Guide to Alien Species - Togruta, Pg 158-159
[03:06], [18:35], [20:36] - Knights of the Old Republic Handbook - Knights of the Covenant, Raana Tey - Pg 13
[13:13] - The Cestus Deception - Chapter 11
[13:57], [22:20] - Knight Errant - Part One: The Daimanate, Chapter Eight
[23:06] - Darth Bane: Rule of Two - Chapter 7
[27:08] - Darth Bane: Path of Destruction - Part Two, Chapter 11
[27:12] - Labyrinth of Evil - Chapter 26
My analysis of Jedi Battlemaster Kao Cen Darach will draw from his primary appearance in the Return cinematic trailer, with background information pulled from The Old Republic Encyclopedia, The Journal Of Gnost-Dural, and The Old Republic M.M.O. itself. In addition, I will also be examining the available behind the scenes material for the Return trailer, as it provides a glimse into what was going on off-camera during the Korriban Station duel.
My analysis of Separatist General Grievous will pull from his primary appearances in the Revenge Of The Sith film, comic, novelization and visual dictionary, in addition to the Clone Wars microseries and its tie-in digest comics, the Expanded Universe novel Labyrinth Of Evil, and the various Clone Wars-era Dark Horse comic series. It should go without saying at this point, but I will be focusing specifically on Grievous' depictions in pre-2008 Star Wars media, ignoring his appearances in The Clone Wars animated series.
Without any further delay, allow me to present Kao Cen Darach Vs. General Grievous.
Let's begin.
BitChute - [bitchute.com/channel/jensaaraione]
SubscribeStar - [subscribestar.com/jensaarai-one]
Facebook - [facebook.com/connor.cardinalculver]
Twitter - [twitter.com/ConnorCulver]
My analysis of Darth Talon will be drawn from her primary appearance in the Star Wars: Legacy comic series, specifically within the timeframe of the "War" arc, with additional information pulled from the Legacy Handbook and the Legacy-Era Campaign Guide. Background information on both combatants and the overall setting will be drawn from The Essential Guide To The Force, The New Essential Chronology, and the Power Of The Jedi Sourcebook, among others.
The idea for this match-up came from a surprisingly innocuous place: In my abridged versus video, Rahm Kota Vs. Darth Wredd, uploaded back in October of 2018, I cited Master Kenobi and Darth Talon as examples of archetypal members of their respectives organizations, and I found that the side-by-side images of the two I had arranged simply... clicked.
So with all of that out of the way, allow me to present Obi-Wan Kenobi Vs. Darth Talon.
- The Cestus Deception - [04:36], [18:50]
- Jedi Apprentice #1: The Rising Force - [04:40], [33:40], [33:44]
- The New Essential Chronology - [04:45], [33:52], [04:45], [06:11], [18:18], [14:05], [34:24]
- Mysteries of the Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Pg 58-59) - [05:10]
- Revenge of the Sith (novelization) - [05:26], [05:32], [15:57], [35:23], [37:01], [46:02], [05:46], [36:40], [38:28], [38:38], [17:12], [17:23], [17:59], [20:23], [36:22], [38:56], [46:42], [48:01], [36:47], [37:07], [37:10]
- The Complete Visual Dictionary (2006) - [06:47], [06:59], [06:54], [07:02], [14:31]
- The New Essential Guide to Alien Species - [08:15]
- Legacy Handbook (Issue 0), The Sith Empire, Darth Talon (Pg 5) - [09:03]
- The Jedi Path - [11:17], [15:23], [18:09], [34:50], [35:44], [36:01], [37:18], [37:29]
- Scourge - [11:56]
- Labyrinth of Evil - [14:12]. [17:55], [36:17], [46:56]
- Lightsabers: A Guide to Weapons of the Force (2010) - [14:21]
- Jedi Vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force - [14:27], [14:35]
- Fightsaber: Jedi Lightsaber Combat, (originally published in Star Wars Insider #62) - [15:09], [15:31]
- Fightsaber: Mastering the Art of Lightsaber Combat (online supplement), Form V: Shien/Djem So - [15:16]
- Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords - [15:43]
- Legacy Era Campaign Guide - [21:51], [27:43], [41:31], [44:45], [24:15]
- The Essential Guide to Warfare - [22:37]
- Barely Tolerable: Alien Henchmen of the Empire, Part 2 (online supplement) - [24:19]
- Power of the Jedi Sourcebook - [35:05], [36:12]
- Attack of the Clones (novelization), Chapter 18 - [38:20]
[00:37] - The New Essential Guide to Alien Species - Twi'lek, Pg 166-167
[01:25] - Legacy Handbook (Issue 0) - The Sith Empire - Darth Talon, Pg 5
[03:39] - The Jedi Path - Lightsabers: Their Construction and Use - Lightsaber Countermeasures, Pg 65-66
My logic is that the overwhelming majority of Vader's fights are featured in the EU, with most of these fights being against fresh opponents that he had no connection to, while his film duels are defined by circumstantial, psychological factors, namely his apprehension fighting the man who originally crippled him, and the combination of his emotional baggage and overriding agenda where his son was concerned. The notion of Luke Skywalker, with his mere four years of experience, actually being an equal to Darth Vader, a reigning swordmaster with over thirty years of lightsaber training under his belt, is one that I find preposterous, Return Of The Jedi novelization be damned. And for anyone who thinks I'm selling Luke short, lets not forget how many opponents who were clearly not on Vader's level who were able to give Luke some serious trouble. Furthermore, my position is that being far below Vader's level actually makes Luke's victory far more impressive, as he successfully punched up against an opponent who completely outclassed him.
Anyhoo, with all of that out of the way, allow me to present this standalone profile of Darth Vader's martial proficiencies and weaponry.
References & Sources:
[03:13] - Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader - Part II: The Emperor's Emissary - Chapter 13
[03:48], [04:59] - Fightsaber: Jedi Lightsaber Combat, by David West Reynolds and Jack "Stelen" Bobo - Originally published in Star Wars Insider 62
[03:58] - Revenge of the Sith (novelization) - Part Three: Apocalypse - Chapter 20: Chiaroscuro
[04:04] - Lightsabers: A Guide to Weapons of the Force - Lightsaber Combat, Pg 56-58
[05:39] - Revenge of the Sith (novelization) - Part One: Victory - Chapter 3: The Way of the Sith
[07:07] - Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader - Part II: The Emperor's Emissary - Chapter 10
I essentially inherited this project from EvanNova95, and have been working on it for a while, but it struck me as a particularly appropriate companion to my collaboration with GreyJedi91, Exar Kun Vs. Darth Bane. Given that both sets of characters are featured in the same set of sources, Tales Of The Jedi and the Darth Bane Trilogy respectively, researching both sets of characters was relatively easy.
Vodo-Siosk Baas, former master to the firebrand who instigated the Great Sith War, and Darth Zannah, first apprentice to the reformer who founded the Rule of Two. If these two controversial figures were to meet in single combat, who would win?
I made a number of errors within the video where I attribute passages from the Darth Bane Trilogy to the incorrect chapters within the various entries. This catalogue will present the correct chapters for each passage:
Darth Bane: Rule of Two - Chapter 1 -[14:15]
Darth Bane: Rule of Two - Chapter 7 - [13:23]
Darth Bane: Rule of Two - Chapter 9 - [24:16]
Darth Bane: Rule of Two - Chapter 10 - [10:26], [10:41], [10:50], [11:12]
Darth Bane: Rule of Two - Chapter 11 - [11:04]
Darth Bane: Rule of Two - Chapter 13 - [09:59], [10:07], [10:13], [10:19], [12:09], [12:20], [13:03], [13:13], [14:29], [23:49], [23:56], [32:35], [33:19], [32:35], [33:43], [34:17], [34:24], [34:59], [35:09], [35:15], [35:22], [35:26], [35:30], [40:44]
Darth Bane: Rule of Two - Chapter 15 - [14:47], [24:27], [24:34], [35:43], [35:53], [35:57]
Darth Bane: Rule of Two - Chapter 16 - [11:24]
Darth Bane: Rule of Two - Chapter 20 - [25:16]
Darth Bane: Rule of Two - Chapter 21 - [11:20], [12:45], [34:44], [36:02], [36:06], [36:17], [36:24], [36:31], [36:36], [36:45]
Darth Bane: Rule of Two - Chapter 23 - [11:30], [24:16], [34:37], [38:06]
Darth Bane: Rule of Two - Chapter 24 - [11:34]
Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil - Prologue - [22:57]
Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil - Chapter 3 - [22:57], [23:26], [25:25]
Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil - Chapter 7 - [32:43]
Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil - Chapter 10 - [12:03], [12:27], [12:31], [14:37], [14:56], [24:02], [33:49], [34:29], [34:34], [37:16], [37:23], [37:27]
Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil - Chapter 11 - [11:42]
Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil - Chapter 21 - [37:48]
Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil - Chapter 25 - [37:55], [37:59]
Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil - Chapter 26 - [12:14], [12:36], [13:43], [15:14], [15:23], [15:29], [15:38], [15:44], [24:45], [24:52], [38:19], [38:23], [38:28], [39:11]
Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil - Chapter 27 - [15:54]
Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith, Issue #1 - [03:30]
Power of the Jedi Sourcebook - Chapter 6: Jedi Traditions - The Ancient Masters - Vodo-Siosk Baas: Watchman of Dantooine, Pg 102 - [03:56], [05:12], [05:59], [27:44]
Jedi Academy Training Manual - Chapter V: Instructors & Alumni - Instructors of the Force - Vodo-Siosk Baas, Pg 111 - [05:12], [06:23], [20:47], [21:41], [28:04], [29:06]
Book of Sith - Rule of Two - Dark Side Combat - Memory Walk, Pg 94 - [11:56]
Power of the Jedi Sourcebook - Chapter 5: Creatures and Archetypes - New Species - Krevaaki, Pg 68 - [20:16], [20:36], [21:34], [29:10]
Knight Errant - Chapter Eleven - [20:59]
The Jedi Path - Part IV: Jedi Knight - Jedi Guardian, Pg 114 - [21:31]
The Jedi Path - Part IV: Jedi Knight - Jedi Guardian - Exotic Weapons Specialist, Pg 119 - [27:51]
The Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology - Melee Weapons - Exar Kun's Lightsaber, Pg 58-59 - [30:21], [39:47], [40:14]
The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia - Volume I, A-G - Bane's Heart, Pg 58 - [32:25]
The Story of General Grievous: Lord of War - Comrades - N-K Necrosis - [32:53]
Jedi Academy Training Manual - Chapter I: The Power of the Force - Lightsaber Form Powers - Circle of Shelter, Pg 29 - [38:45]
The Jedi Path - Part III: Padawan - Lightsabers: Their Construction and Use - Form III Lightsaber Combat: Soresu, Pg 69 - [38:54]
[01:39], [02:13], [02:59], [03:07], [03:20], [03:28], [03:39] - Darth Bane: Path of Destruction, Chapter 17
[02:06] - The Jedi Path, Lightsabers: Their Construction and Use, Lightsaber Variants, Pg 63
[02:29] - Darth Bane: Path of Destruction, Chapter 27
[03:47] - Darth Bane: Path of Destruction, Chapter 20
[04:20] - The Complete Visual Dictionary, Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Anakin Skywalker, Pg 82
[04:23] - The Essential Guide to Warfare, Armory and Sensor Profile: Lightsaber Technology, Pg 19
[04:55], [05:43] - The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Volume I, Bane's Heart, Pg 58
[05:47], [06:17] - Darth Bane: Rule of Two, Chapter 13
[06:08] - Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil, Chapter 7
[06:31] - Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil, Chapter 14
[06:44] - Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil, Chapter 23
[06:58] - Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil, Chapter 26
[00:11], [00:41], [00:57], [01:03], [03:08] - The Complete Visual Dictionary (2006) - Episode II: Attack of the Clones - Count Dooku, Pg 114-115
[00:29] - The Complete Visual Dictionary (2006) - Episode I: The Phantom Menace - Obi-Wan Kenobi, Pg 20-21
[00:51] - The New Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology - Melee Weapons - Lightsabers, Pg 42-45
[01:10], [03:36], [04:18] - Lightsabers: A Guide to Weapons of the Force - Count Dooku, Pg 26-27
[03:40] - Labyrinth of Evil, by James Luceno - Chapter 32
[04:25] - Jedi Academy Training Manual - Chapter III: Equipment & Artifacts - Advanced Lightsaber Construction - Lightsaber Crystals: Adegan Crystals, Pg 56
[05:11] - Jedi Academy Training Manual - Chapter III: Equipment & Artifacts - Advanced Lightsaber Construction - Lightsaber Crystals: Synthetic Crystals, Pg 56-57
My analysis of Exar Kun will be drawn from the Tales of the Jedi comic series, specifically the Dark Lords of the Sith and The Sith War arcs, The Dark Side Sourcebook, the Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide, and The Essential Guide To The Force.
References:
[1:48] - The Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology (1997) - Melee Weapons: Exar Kun's Lightsaber, Pg 58-59
[2:00], [3:26], [4:38] - Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide - Chapter X: The Sith - Agents of Evil: Exar Kun, Pg 153
References & Sources:
Jedi Vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force - Part Two: The Jedi - Lightsabers, Sith Lightsaber - Pg 107-108 - [00:39]
The Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology (1997) - Melee Weapons, Exar Kun's Lightsaber - Pg 58-59 - [02:11], [04:13], [04:28]
Hammer, by Edward M. Erdelac, Originally published in Star Wars Insider 147 - [03:02]
Jedi Academy Training Manual - Chapter III: Equipment & Artifacts - Advanced Lightsaber Construction, Lightsaber Crystals, Synthetic Crystals - Pg 56 - [03:31]
Jedi Academy Training Manual - Chapter III: Equipment & Artifacts - Advanced Lightsaber Construction, Lightsaber Crystals, Adegan Crystals - Pg 56 - [04:03]
Jedi Academy Training Manual - Chapter III: Equipment & Artifacts - Melee Weapons - Lightsaber, Dual-Phase - Pg 51 - [06:03]
The Complete Visual Dictionary (2006) - Episode II: Attack of the Clones - Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Apprentice - Pg 82 - [06:03]
Book Of Sith - The Rule Of Two - Using The Saberstaff - Pg 85-87 - [05:08]
As I stated in my previous upload, my views on Vodo Baas' martial proficiencies and skillset have changed. Firstly, I no longer believe that Baas is in any way helpless against either Jar'Kai or Saberstaff combat. In regards to the former, I initially disregarded the Dual-Weapon Fighting proficiencies listed on both of his RPG character sheets as inconsistencies that conflicted with the comics, but I have since realized that there is nowhere that Exar Kun could've learned this technique from except for Baas himself.
As to the latter, Vodo-Siosk's quarterstaff would actually have a significant logistical advantage against such a restrictive weapon as the double-bladed lightsaber, effectively possessing all of the strengths with none of the weaknesses. Instead, I would attribute Kun's victory on Coruscant to the Trakata tactics described in the original Essential Guide To Weapons And Technology, bewildering Baas' defenses and breaking his concentration before finishing him off with a power overhand. The second change in my analysis concerns the specifics of Baas' core moveset and the effective lethality of his weapon, which actually came up in my previous match-up involving Baas, the Subversive Traditionalists, and will also be detailed here in this match-up.
My analysis of Jedi Battlemaster Kao Cen Darach will be drawn from the Return cinematic trailer, The Old Republic Encyclopedia, and the Journal Of Gnost-Dural. Background information on Jedi training and lore will be drawn from The Essential Guide To The Force and The Jedi Path.
With all of that out of the way, let us proceed with Vodo-Siosk Baas Vs. Kao Cen Darach:
Sources & References:
Power of the Jedi Sourcebook - Chapter 6: Jedi Traditions - The Ancient Masters: Vodo-Siosk Baas, Watchman of Dantooine, Pg 102 - [00:36], [03:01], [04:11]
Jedi Academy Training Manual - Chapter V: Instructors & Alumni - Instructors of the Force: Vodo-Siosk Baas, Pg 111 - [00:42], [03:50], [04:13], [04:21]
The Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology (1997) - Melee Weapons: Exar Kun's Lightsaber, Pg 58-59 - [01:16], [12:00]
The Journal of Gnost-Dural - Chapter 2: The Return of the Sith Empire, Pg 21 - [05:20], [05:32], [05:44]
Power of the Jedi Sourcebook - Chapter 5: Creatures and Archetypes - New Species: Krevaaki, Pg 68 - [08:05]
The Old Republic Encyclopedia - Species - Sentient Species - Zabrak, Pg 258 - [09:12]
The Old Republic Encyclopedia - The Jedi Order - Leaders of the Jedi Order - Grand Master Satele Shan: Forged By War, Pg 85 - [14:07]
Now that all of that is out of the way, let's begin:
My analysis of Darth Thanaton will be based on his appearances in The Old Republic MMO, the tie-in comic series Blood Of The Empire, and The Old Republic Encyclopedia, with background information from the Book Of Sith, The Jedi Path, The Jedi Academy Training Manual, and The Essential Guide To The Force.
Sources Referenced:
[03:29], [13:16] - The Old Republic Encyclopedia - The Sith - The Dark Council, Darth Thanaton - Pg 178
[03:44] - The Old Republic Encyclopedia - The Sith - Paragons of the Empire, Champions of Battle - Pg 167
[13:12] - Star Wars: The Old Republic - Sith Inquisitor, main storyline
SWTOR Sith Inquisitor - Meeting Darth Thanaton - Act 2 (dark side) #9 - youtube.com/watch?v=pEDSSCVL5LU - Roseblau
SWTOR Sith Inquisitor - The Kaggath - Corellia #18 - youtube.com/watch?v=Dwy4ckat1NA - Rosenblau
SWTOR Sith Inquisitor Story - Act 2 - Thanaton - youtube.com/watch?v=HzCBf8RZ4pI - xLetalis
SWTOR Sith Inquisitor Story - Act 3 Final - Ascent to Power - youtube.com/watch?v=N5GVGFgVzg8 - xLetalis
SWTOR: Sith Inquisitor Storyline Pt. 11 [Chapter 2 Ending] - youtube.com/watch?v=UZW210XiN7I - Retale
SWTOR: Sith Inquisitor Storyline Pt. 14 [Chapter 3 / Corellia] - youtube.com/watch?v=0pCrnzQeLh0 - Retale
SWTOR: Sith Inquisitor Storyline Pt. 15 [Chapter 3 Ending] - youtube.com/watch?v=4xPN2ixbl_Y - Retale
SWTOR Thanaton Fight #1 1080p - youtube.com/watch?v=eO2SosUbjPw - ITSAssassin
SWTOR Sith Inquisitor Final Battle VS Darth Thanaton - youtube.com/watch?v=8Ho6ZiuRvZQ - Zero123x
Star Wars™ The Old Republic™ Facing Darth Thanaton - Becoming Darth Nox - youtube.com/watch?v=EDBzDCqGcAg - Darrastan Swiftfury
Regarding Tiin's appearances in The Clone Wars animated series, there's effectively no point in referencing them because they don't tell us anything we don't already know. It's not a question of contradicting sources, it's that Tiin is little more than a background character.
Lord Odion and Saesee Tiin are both unusual combatants, in that both are grounded Force Warriors with a strong practical focus, yet both are specifically noted for their telepathic abilities and Force Senses. Though merely supporting players in the great events of their respective eras, they remained unique and notable figures.
If these two masters of mental manipulation were to meet in single combat, who would win?
Sources Referenced:
- Knight Errant, by John Jackson Miller - Chapter 8 - [05:20], [14:26], [26:22]
- Book of Sith, by Daniel Wallace - Rule of Two: Sith Armor, Pg 88-9 - [05:41]
- The Official Star Wars Fact File #114 - Saesee Tiin - [07:07], [31:34]
- The New Essential Guide to Alien Species - Iktotchi, Pg 84-5 - [07:35], [31:25], [32:04]
- Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil, by Drew Karpyshyn - Chapter 22 - [08:17]
- The Cestus Deception, by Steve Barnes - Chapter 42 - [13:29]
- Lightsabers: A Guide to Weapons of the Force (2010 edition) - Saesee Tiin, Pg 40-1 - [16:30], [17:00]
- Revenge of the Sith, by Matthew Stover - Part Three: Apocalypse, Chapter 19: The Face of the Sith - [17:11]
- Jedi Vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force - Part 2: The Jedi, Force-Sensitive Abilities - Telepathy, Pg 65-7 - [31:44], [32:01], [32:25], [32:46], [33:06], [33:15], [34:10], [39:30]
- Power of the Jedi Sourcebook - Chapter 6: Jedi Traditions, The Jedi Council - Saesee Tiin, Jedi Ace, Pg 118-9 - [33:12], [34:15], [34:54], [35:27], [39:22]
- The Clone Wars Campaign Guide - Chapter IX: The Jedi, Influential Figures - Saesee Tiin, Pg 135-6 - [33:30], [35:35], [39:24]
- Mysteries of the Jedi - Jedi Comrades, Pg 74-5 - [34:35]
- Lightsabers: A Guide to Weapons of the Force (2010 edition) - Notable Lightsaber Duels: Darth Sidious vs. Jedi Masters, Pg 64-5 - [36:29], [40:05]
- Revenge of the Sith, by Matthew Stover - Part Three: Apocalypse, Chapter 17: The Face of the Dark - [36:55]
Tier 1 - Complete Mastery
Tier 2 - Advanced Mastery
Tier 3 - Standard Mastery
Tier 4 - Advanced Application
Tier 5 - Standard Application
Tier 6 - Basic Application
Tier 7 - Basic Knowledge
Sources Referenced:
[00:23], [00:32], [03:54], [05:15], [05:31], [18:00] - Prima Official Game Guide: The Force Unleashed - The Cast: Nonplayable Characters - General Rahm Kota, Pg 9
[00:53], [01:24], [05:40] - The Force Unleashed II (Xbox 360/PS3), In-Game Databank - Kota
[01:44], [06:08] - The Force Unleashed II (Novelization) - Part 2: Revelation - Chapter 13
[01:49] - Dark Forces: Rebel Agent - Chapter 6
[03:01], [05:46], [06:15], [18:10] - The Force Unleashed Campaign Guide - Chapter IX: Allies and Opponents - Master Rahm Kota, Pg 217
[03:19] - The Force Unleashed (Novelization) - Part 1: Imperial - Chapter 3
[18:16] - The Complete Visual Dictionary (2006) - Episode II: Attack of the Clones - Jedi In Battle: Mace Windu, Pg 126
The lightsaber crystal is used to convert energy from the lightsaber's internal power cell into the plasma arc waves that compose the lightsaber blade, the properties of the crystal determining the weapon's performance and handling. The ideal number of crystals is generally considered to be three, one primary crystal as the energy converter, and two focusing crystals that fine tune the blade. However, most lightsabers were fitted with only two, and there are numerous examples of weapons that employ only a single crystal doing double duty.
My analysis of Darth Wredd will draw from his appearances in the Legacy Volume II comic series, published from 2013 to 2014, with additional information from the Legacy Handbook and the Volume II Addendum, and the Legacy Era Campaign Guide. For background information, I will be referencing The Jedi Path, The Essential Guide To The Force, and The Complete Visual Dictionary, among others.
Rahm Kota and Darth Wredd were both out of step with their contemporaries. Both were adult recruits within Orders that emphasized training from birth, with existing combat experience that shaped their development. And both truly peaked after the fall of their respective Orders, with no established hierarchy to restrain them.
If these two Renegade Survivors were to meet in single combat, who would win?
[01:59], [08:57], [14:42], [15:03] - The Force Unleashed (Prima Official Game Guide) - The Cast - Nonplayable Characters - General Rahm Kota, Pg 9
[02:07], [03:30], [15:27], [26:10] - The Force Unleashed II (In-game Databank) - Kota
[03:02] - Darth Vader: A 3-D Reconstruction Log - Collar/Chest Armor - Shoulder Armor, Pg 6
[04:46] - Legacy Era Campaign Guide - Chapter X: The Galactic Empire - Imperial Armor, Pg 183
[07:45], [16:07] - The Force Unleashed (Campaign Guide) - Chapter XI: Allies and Opponents - Important Figures of the Dark Times - Master Rahm Kota, Pg 217
[07:45] - Jedi Vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force - Part 2: The Jedi - Lightsabers: The Seven Forms, Pg 110-112
[08:08], [08:51], [15:38], [23:32] - The Force Unleashed (Novelization) - Part 1: Imperial - Chapter 3
[10:16] - Legacy Era Campaign Guide - Chapter X: The Galactic Empire - Influential Personalities - Darth Krayt, Pg 168-169
[10:16] - Barely Tolerable: Alien Henchmen of the Empire, by Rich Handley and Abel G. Pena
[12:27] - The Complete Visual Dictionary (2006) - Episode II: Attack of the Clones - Anakin Skywalker: Jedi Apprentice, Pg 82-83
[15:53] - The Force Unleashed II (Novelization) - Part 2: Revelation - Chapter 13
The purpose of the Post-Mortem series is to assess the combatants individually to gauge their approximate level of developed skill and power. My approach will be to follow my Versus Video format and assign independent ratings to their Physical Capabilities, Martial Training, and Force Abilities, and then calculating the average to assign an overall rating. While myself and my colleagues on the Fanalysis Council had agreed upon a rough seven level structure, I credit Macattack 1 with codifying it, in his debut video Ki-Adi-Mundi Vs. Kao Cen Darach, and it reads as follows:
Tier 1 - Complete Mastery
Tier 2 - Advanced Mastery
Tier 3 - Standard Mastery
Tier 4 - Advanced Application
Tier 5 - Standard Application
Tier 6 - Basic Application
Tier 7 - Basic Knowledge
Sources Referenced:
[00:16] - The New Essential Guide to Alien Species - Kel Dor, pg 96-97
[00:28], [03:28], [06:44] - The Clone Wars (animated series) - Season 1, Episode 2 - Rising Malevolence
[00:35], [04:22] - The Clone Wars: The Sith Hunters
[00:49], [05:32] - Fate of the Jedi: Outcast - Chapter Fifteen
[00:55], [01:32], [03:55], [06:50], [07:14] - The Clones Wars, issues 7-9: In Service to the Republic
[01:01], [03:13], [07:10] - Clone Wars Adventures, Volume 6 - Means and Ends
[01:10], [03:42] - The Clone Wars - Season 3, Episode 21 - Padawan Lost
[01:20] - Episode I: Jedi Power Battles
[01:23], [03:02] - Clone Wars Adventures, Volume 3 - One Battle
[02:16] - The Force Unleashed (novelization) - Part I: Imperial - Chapter 6
[02:24] - The Clone Wars Campaign Guide - Chapter IX: The Jedi - Plo Koon, pg 133
[02:28] - The Clone Wars: Adventures (online MMO) - Lightsaber Duels (minigame)
[02:44], [05:28], [05:58] - Republic, issues 36-39 - The Stark Hyperspace War
[02:54] - Episode II: Attack of the Clones
[03:51] - The Clone Wars - Season 4, Episode 6 - Nomad Droids
[05:21] - Power of the Jedi Sourcebook - Chapter 6: Jedi Traditions - Plo Koon, Jedi Master, pg 113-114
[05:39] - Jedi Vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force - Part 2: The Jedi - Force Sensitive Abilities: Force Lightning, pg 82-83
[06:23] - The New Essential Guide to Characters - Jedi Council Members, Pg
[06:29] - Jedi Council: Acts of War, issues 1-4
[07:19] - The Clone Wars - Season 2, Episode 22 - Lethal Trackdown
[10:06] - The New Essential Guide to Alien Species - Weequay, pg 176-177
[11:42] - Starwars.com Databank: Bulq, Sora
[11:57], [14:21] - Jedi: Mace Windu
[12:05] - Jedi Vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force - Lightsabers: Vaapad, pg 112-113
[15:27] - The Jedi Path - Part IV: Jedi Knight - Advanced Lightsaber Techniques - Form VII Lightsaber Combat: Juyo, pg 135-136
Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader - Part II: The Emperor's Emissary, Chapter 13 - [0:46], [1:55], [2:58], [4:04]
Jedi Academy Trilogy: Dark Apprentice - Chapter 7 - [3:48]
I, Jedi - Chapter Forty-four - [3:36]
Star Wars: Lightsabers - Anakin Skywalker, Pg 32-33 - [1:47], [2:20]
Star Wars: Lightsabers - Anakin Skywalker and Luke Skywalker, Pg 48-49 - [0:39] - Typo Correction: "Luke feld an instant attachment to the lightsaber - the construction of the lightsaber and its crystals connected to him as it had to his father, Anakin."
Star Wars: Lightsabers - Darth Vader, Pg 50-51 - [2:36], [2:52], [4:24]
The New Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology - Melee Weapons: Lightsabers, Pg 42-45 - [3:05]
Jedi Academy Training Manual - Chapter III: Equipment & Artifacts - Melee Weapons: Lightsaber, Dual-Phase - Pg 51 - [3:24],
Jedi Academy Training Manual - Chapter III: Equipment & Artifacts - Lightsaber Crystals: Adegan Crystals, Pg 56 - [6:09]
Jedi Academy Training Manual - Chapter III: Equipment & Artifacts - Lightsaber Crystals: Synthetic Crystals, Pg 56 - [4:35]
Jedi Academy Training Manual - Chapter III: Equipment & Artifacts - Whispers of the Sith Spirit: Synthetic Lightsaber Crystals, Pg 57 - [4:48]
The Complete Visual Dictionary (2006) - Episode II: Attack of the Clones - Anakin Skywalker, Pg 82-83 - [5:23], [6:41]
The Complete Visual Dictionary (2006) - Episode IV-VI: Classic Trilogy - Special Technology: Lightsabers, Pg 200 - [5:12]
The Official Star Wars Fact File Part 1 (2013) - Weapons & Technology - Darth Vader's Lightsaber - [5:28], [5:52]
Fightsaber: Jedi Lightsaber Combat - The Power of the Dark Side - [4:56]
I will be analyzing Darth Krayt within the timeframe of the Vector arc, immediately before his betrayal and death at the hands of Darth Wyyrlok. The strengths and limitations of the Vongtech implants Krayt possessed prior to his resurrection are simply more interesting to discuss, and his demonstrated power post-resurrection placed him on the level with Emperor Palpatine, and therefore out of Malgus' league. In addition to his appearance in the Legacy series proper, I will also be referencing the Legacy Handbook, the Legacy Era Campaign Guide, the New Essential Guide To Weapons and Technology, the Essential Guide To The Force, and the Essential Guide To War.
I will not be discussing Krayt's appearance in Fate Of The Jedi: Apocalypse, as his interactions take place exclusively in the Netherworld of the Force as an Astral Projection, where he demonstates multiple abilities that he lacks in the series, particularly Force Drain. It's the same reason why I refuse to discuss Grandmaster Yoda's battle with Darth Sidious in the TCW episode Sacrifice: It is, for all intents and purposes, a dream sequence, and therefore cannot be taken as a definitive or accurate demonstration of either combatants' capabilities.
With all of that out of the way, let us begin:
The treachery of Malgus the Betrayer was motivated by his adherence to classical Sith ideology, where the Dragon of the Sith championed the supremacy of the Order at the total expense of its tradition. Darth Malgus believed in evolution through competition, strength fostered through fair play. As brutal as he was, he was a champion for the rights of others, even if he was only defending their right to be assholes. Darth Krayt believed in order above all else, power magnified by its focus. The purpose of the individual was to serve the collective, and to lay down their lives if need be.
If these two infamous Sith Warlords were to meet in battle, who would win?
The Old Republic Encyclopedia - The Sith - Darth Malgus, Pg 168-169 - [09:23], [09:47], [09:58], [21:38], [22:22], [37:00], [40:30]
The Old Republic: The Third Lesson - [09:52]
Darth Vader: A 3-D Reconstruction - Implants and Organic Components, Pg 18 [10:24] - Skeleton and Nerves, Pg 20 [10:32]
The Old Republic: Decieved - Chapter 2 - [11:48], [25:50]
The Old Republic Encyclopedia - The Sith - Sith Warrior, Pg 176-177 - [12:34], [23:53]
Legacy Era Campaign Guide - Chapter X: The Galactic Empire - Influential Personalities: Darth Krayt, Pg 169 - [16:19], [28:49], [44:51]
The New Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology - Defenses and Armor - Vonduun Crab-Shell-Plated Armor, Pg 126-127 - [16:24]
The Old Republic: Decieved - Epilogue - [22:17], [37:55], [38:03], [38:22], [39:40], [40:03]
The Old Republic: Designing the Dark Side - [22:32]
The Old Republic Encyclopedia - The Sith - Weapons and Armor, Pg 188-189 - [22:36]
The Complete Visual Dictionary (2006) - Episode II: Attack of the Clones - Lightsaber Combat, Pg 128-129 - [22:41]
The Old Republic: Decieved - Chapter 11 - [25:27]
Barely Tolerable: Alien Henchmen of the Empire, Part 2 - [29:24]
Book of Sith - Absolute Power - The Book of Anger, Pg154 - [36:28], [39:17]
The Old Republic: Decieved - Chapter 1 - [36:43]
Book of Sith - Darth Malgus' Journal - Rim Campaign - Day 460, Pg 63-64 - [37:12], [39:30]
Book of Sith - Darth Malgus' Journal - Rim Campaign - Day 133, Pg 49-50 - [37:34], [37:50]
The Old Republic: Decieved - Chapter 8 - [39:54]
Revenge of the Sith - Chapter 3: The Way of the Sith - [51:03]