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| Three villains from the Clone Wars television series. From left to right: Darth Maul (yes he lived), Savage Opress, and Pre Vizsla (leader of Death Watch). They are all motivated by revenge. Pre Vizsla wanted revenge on those factions on Mandalore who had turned the populace away from their historical warrior-like way of life. In the U.S., he'd be a member of the N.R.A. |
Savage Opress was a Dathomirian Zabrak Nightbrother who became a Sith Lord alongside his brother, Darth Maul, during the Clone Wars television series. He came about in the third season because Darth Sidious (Emperor Palpatine) demanded that Count Dooku kill his most prized apprentice, Asajj Ventress. Asajj had become too powerful and as a result, created a "disturbance" in the force. In a nutshell, Darth Sidious did not want his own apprentice (Count Dooku) to rise up and overthrow him (which is entirely possible if he trained an apprentice with as much power as Dooku wielded). It's also great foreshadowing to the fact that Sidious is overthrown by his own apprentice (Darth Vader) in "Return of the Jedi." I love that scene because it's a testament of how powerful Darth Vader really was. He single-handedly did it all himself and relied on no help at all. Just kind of a "You know what old man? I'm really tired of your crap, and I've decided this is your retirement party." And it was done. Something Yoda, Mace Windu, and probably countless others could never accomplish.
It must be difficult being a powerful Sith Lord. Not only do you have to worry about the Jedi, but you must always look to your own for possible backstabbing. It kind of makes the whole "this is a team effort" motif problematic, because your team could turn on you at any time.
Anyway, the reason for my post today is (up until I got introduced to Savage Opress) I kind of thought the Star Wars universe was this big space opera that could inspire all kinds of fan fiction, and that it's so huge that you could literally tell any story. I suppose that at least part of that is true. However, I also think that if you wanted to stay with Lucas' vision for whatever reason (since Star Wars is his baby), I believe you'd want to stick with the whole "revenge" theme in any plot or story you wrote. Revenge literally infuses practically every story line and drives all the evil you see present in Star Wars from the movies to the television series and probably even the comic books and novels. Here's my "rudimentary" evidence:
1) Lucas called the third prequel "Revenge of the Sith." That's pretty straight-forward. Obviously the Sith are very butt hurt at being oppressed by the Jedi and really really want their revenge. And it matters so much that the very word makes it into a title.
2) In the television series, Savage Opress is birthed out of revenge when Asajj Ventress survives and wants revenge against her former master that tried to kill her. So the Nightsister witches make Savage Opress out of black magic and then plan on using him as an assassin that they can control once he learns enough from being Count Dooku's apprentice.
3) The whole "dark side" seems to be motivated out of revenge. In other words, the Sith often seem to channel hate for some wrong that they feel they've been dealt and want revenge against the people who wronged them.
4) Darth Maul is cleverly re-written as someone who survives being cut in half and naturally, he wants revenge on the person that cut him in half, i.e., Obi-Wan Kenobi. So he gets his revenge by killing Duchess Satine right in front of him about mid-way through Season 5, because Obi-Wan loves Duchess Satine. Nice revenge plot there.
6) Bounty Hunter Boba Fett is totally motivated out of revenge after witnessing the Jedi cut down his father Jango Fett in the second movie. They even show the boy touching his head to his father's helmet.
So there you have it. Savage Opress gave me six insights as to why Star Wars is really a story about revenge. So I predict episode VII will probably kick off three more movies centered around revenge. Someone will be extremely butt hurt over something and then they will spend three movies trying to deal with that "wronged" person. I actually hope it's not formulaic like that, but let's be honest...a lot of Star Wars is formulaic. A lot of publishing for that matter. We are creatures of habit and we love our formulas!
Don't even get me started on James Bond.
I seem to recall Return of the Jedi was originally called Revenge of the Jedi, but Lucas thought revenge wasn't a very Jedi sentiment.
ReplyDeletemood
Moody Writing
Revenge may not be a Jedi statement but it has it's place in Star Wars.
ReplyDeleteMoody is right. In fact there were posters made that said Revenge before the name was changed.
ReplyDeleteI have a couple action figures still in their packaging labeled "Revenge of the Jedi."
ReplyDeleteRevenge is an easy and fun theme. It's rampant in everything from Shakespeare to Star Wars.
That may work for the prequels but the original movies were more about redemption than revenge. The redemption of Darth Vader and you could say now a redemption of Yoda and the Jedi Order.
ReplyDeleteWhich is another reason we don't really need an episode 7, except for $$$$$$$$.
Revenge is definitely a great motivator. And so true if you're the Siths that you must watch not only your enemies but your "friends" for betrayal. Ah, but such is life on the dark side.
ReplyDeleteI hate when villains return from certain death. Boba Fett was another one that got revived in the books I think. He was toast
ReplyDeleteActually, to go off of what PT is saying, the whole 6 episode arc is about the fall and redemption from it. No matter how evil you are, think you are, or others think you are, there is always room for redemption.
ReplyDeleterevenge plays a big role in operas, generally, so that makes perfect sense. Love this show. Just hope they plan to finish the series with the mouse in charge of things now. :)
ReplyDeleteDoesn't sound like good group to join if other members are trying to backstab you.
ReplyDeleteI guess the theme is revenge, but is their redemption in the revenge? Or does the salvation lie in not seeking revenge?
I want to hear your thoughts about James Bond.
Have you ever read Eragon? It's exactly like Star Wars, with dragons.
ReplyDeleteI think I remember what Mooderino said above. Lucas did change the title--revenge not Jedi friendly.
ReplyDeleteAnd we love our revenge. :) I look at it as the dark side of a love story, really. Both are powerful emotions - basics that people relate to the most. I need to look into this Savage Opress more. She sounds fascinating!
ReplyDeleteOr rather "he." :/
ReplyDeleteI would make a horrible Sith Lord. I try my best to forgive and prefer practicing forgiveness over taking any kind of revenge; obviously my life as a Star Wars character, would be short-lived :)
ReplyDeleteRevenge makes for a good story--just saw Man on Fire with Denzel last night. Sheesh. Wow. I hate revenge though and in my story Darth would have a tea party or something.
ReplyDeleteAnother really good action sequence. I was rooting for Savage Opress by the end.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I thought I remembered it was originally Revenge of the Jedi too. Honestly I liked that title better. Nothing wrong with a little revenge.
ReplyDeleteFor sure, the James Bond series is the same formula over and over again.
ReplyDeleteI've always thought Star Wars was about revenge.
ReplyDeleteRevenge is what makes someone dark. It's an infection of the soul. When you spend so much time focusing on "getting even" and hurting someone else, you are the casualty.
ReplyDeleteThat part of the movies makes sense to me. Do not let anger in, for anger turns you. Yoda said it, and now I can't remember the exact quote. But it was right on.
"butt hurt" yeah, that sums it all up. lol. Love it. =)
ReplyDeleteI love how you use phrases like "extremely butt hurt."
ReplyDeleteWhat in genre fiction is called formulaic is called an "archtype" in literary fiction, and revenge as a motive is a very old archtype. Funny how I was reading the other day something about the novel Ben-Hur, which was a massive bestseller for years and was written by a Civil War general. Sure, it's supposed to be a Christian novel in which JC himself appears (with blondish hair, kind of a neat trick in the Middle East) and redemption is one of the themes, but so is revenge. These two R themes are a big reason why the book was so popular.
Yeah...I agree, it's mostly about revenge with a few other things tossed in.
ReplyDeleteI agree, it would be nice to see something more unique than what we usually get.
ReplyDeleteI definitely see how revenge is a key theme in Star Wars. I do wonder if they'll continue that theme in the next three movies and how that'll play out.
ReplyDeleteRevenge is always a good plot for a show, a movie or a book.
ReplyDeleteJames Bond? LOL! Formula or not, I love those movies.
ReplyDeleteYou can survive getting cut in half? Yeah. Getting cut in half would make me vengeful, too. lol
ReplyDeleteI hope the new movies center around all my beloved characters from the only Star Wars movies that matter. George Lucas created this universe, but he's done a bad job of stewarding it. I hope Kathleen Kennedy does a better job.
ReplyDeleteThis is really unrelated to your post, but you used the phrase and that triggered something I've been repeatedly wondering: what in the heck is it with the internet and the phrase "butt hurt" ? I mean, you don't need to explain the phrase to me, I get it, but what is with the prevalence? I swear it's just been the last year I've been seeing it all over the web.
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