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Five Star Wars EU Good Guys That Should Not Be Missed
Introduction
In my previous two articles, I looked at the villain side of the equation of characters in the EU. In this article, I now want to begin to look at the hero side of the equation. I must say that there are plenty of characters to choose from for this list, and therefore it was somewhat difficult to settle on just five, but I have made the selection of five. Once again, Kevin J. Anderson fans will undoubtedly hate me for this list.
Good Guy #5: Dash Rendar
(Because we really needed a Han Solo Clone)
The problem with Dash Rendar is that he is not really a character in his own right. He appears in the book Shadows of the Empire. This is the same awesome book that gave us Xizor. His problem is that he is a Han Solo clone. Not literally mind you. He isn’t supposed to be a clone of Han Solo in the story. Since Han Solo is frozen in carbonite, the author felt the need to come up with another character to feel the void. It could be argued though that this was not needed since the author already had the character of Lando Calrissian to work with. Enter Dash Rendar, the lovable scoundrel. The problem is that he’s not Han Solo. The author really should not have tried to make him Han Solo. There can be only one Han Solo, and that is Han Solo.
Good Guy #4: Empress Teta
(Because being a military conqueror means you’re a good gal)
At the beginning of Empress Teta’s life, she really only rules one world. Then she forms a trade alliance with other planets around her world. But this trade alliance to me does not seem like much of an alliance since it requires everyone to submit to her rule. Some of the planets of the system disagree, so she begins a bloody conquest of them. Wait, what? How is this the action of a good gal? Oh, she wanted to establish order. So did the Roman Empire. I don’t hear people singing their praises. Ah, but she fought against the Sith in The Great Hyperspace War. Arguably, she did this to maintain her own power that she had just obtained through conquest. But the Jedi helped her. Yes, because the peacekeepers of the galaxy aiding a conquering maniac makes perfect sense. This was a badly thought out character and story idea. To give credit where credit is due, her armor is more sensible than most female fantasy armor.
Good Guy #3: Jedi Master Ikrit
(Because sitting around and doing nothing for 350 years is a brilliant use of time)
I get what Rebecca Moesta and Nancy Richardson were trying to do with this character, but I’m sorry, it was an epic fail. They were trying to get us another Yoda type character. The issue with this though is that Ikrit’s backstory is stupid. Apparently, he found this golden globe thingy on Yavin 4. Spirits of the Children of the Massassi (slaves, servants, subjects, devotees of the Sith) are trapped in it because you know it was always evident that you could trap force spirits in golden globe thingies. He is unable to break the curse though and free the spirits, so he decides to go into a meditation trance and wait for the next three and a half centuries for someone, who can break the curse. Presumably, this was so he could inform people about it. I wonder if he ever heard of the useful invention called a computer. He could have written it down for future generations. Then he might have been able to do some actual good in the galaxy. Note Yoda did not go into exile until after the Jedi were pretty much wiped out and a Sith took over the Republic. The fact that he is a sickeningly adorable little fluff ball, doesn’t help him out either.
Good Guy #2: Ulic Qel Droma
(If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny… Wait, no it won’t)
Apparently, Yoda did not study his history. You see, Ulic Qel Droma can only roughly be called a good guy. He starts out his story as a good guy, who helps defeat the followers of Freedon Nadd, a Sith Lord. However, he then goes on to get the brilliant idea of “lets join The Dark Side to defeat The Dark Side”. Or to put it another way “lets do evil to defeat evil”. Surprise, surprise, it does not work. He falls to the Dark Side Then a dark side Sith amulet thingy summons the dark side spirit of Marka Ragnos and tells him to team up with Exar Kun. So naturally he does because one should always take advice from dark side spirits of dead Sith Lords. Yeah, that logic tracks. For awhile the two of them are beating the Republic. Then Ulic Qel Droma kills his brother Cay Qel Droma. This of course devastates him. After this, he is stripped of The Force by Nomi Sunrider. He then reveals Exar Kun’s hiding place on Yavin 4, and The Republic goes to defeat the remaining Sith Lord. Later on, he helps to train Nomi Sunrider’s daughter, Vima. Finally, he gets killed and becomes one with The Force since he has returned to the Light Side. I seem to recall though that the entire theory of Vader not being able to be saved that Yoda and Obi-wan put forward was based on the fact that nobody ever returns from the Dark Side. Except wait, Ulic did. In other words, he doesn’t fit with the movies.
Good Guy #1: Callista
(Because her naturally using dark side powers to download herself into a ship’s computer and then transfer herself into another human body even though it took the Sith years to discover these powers, makes her a great love interest for Luke Skywalker)
My description up there while laughable is not a joke. I really, truly wish it was. Apparently, Callista does the exact same thing the Emperor did to achieve immortality. Except, she transfers herself into the computer of a starship because that makes sense. After encountering Luke, she transfers herself out into a human body. Granted the person, who previously inhabited said body, was willing to give it to her. She then discovers that she no longer has a connection to The Force. So why didn’t the Emperor lose his connection to the Force when he did the exact same thing? Must be something to do with the computer bit, maybe. Luke and she fall in love, and she continues to be around in two more stupid books until she finally leaves to go find herself or something. We never hear from her again. Thankfully. My main problem with this character is my description up above. Who came up with this plot idea? A lot of you if you have never read these books but have read my other articles are about ready to say Kevin J. Anderson. Amazingly, no. It was Barbara Hambly.
Conclusion
Now to be honest, there are a lot more good guys I could critique here. For instance almost anyone written by Kevin J. Anderson or his wife, Rebecca Moesta. This includes characters introduced in that fine series, Young Jedi Knights, or that other fine series, Junior Jedi Knights. To do so would cause me more pain though and probably drive me insane. So I leave off here.