Darth Nihilus- Character Analysis

[Yassen]

Now before I start, I understand that Knights of the Old Republic 2 isn't everyones favourite game. I've even had a friend of mine claim it ruined her childhood. But schedualing problems aside I'd actually like to talk about the Sith Lord known as Darth Nihilus, seen on the box art here.

Spoiler

I'm going to make a controversial statement here and claim that kotor2 is probably one of the best written star wars stories since the original films. Yes, yes I'm aware of the shitty ending but as I said before I'm going to ignore the edited version and use the game the way it was meant to be but with this perticular character analysis that won't be necessary anyway.

Okay, Darth Nihilus. As soon as you pick up the box you know this guy is bad news. I mean look at him, creepy mask, clearly a Sith Lord, he must be the big baddy right? Strangely not, if this isn't obvious enough there will be spoilers here.

Darth Nihilus only shows up a hand full of times and usually as nothing more than a glimpse. He doesn't even take an active role in the events of the game until towards the very end. So why the emphasis on him? Because of how he relates to you, the exile. Nihilus was at Malacore the day you destroyed the planet and cut off your connection to the force. He was corrupted and discovered a new method to gain power, by sucking the force and the energy of everything around him.

Towards the end, you discover that you had gained this ability as well, and it is because of that, you have become stronger the more you killed throughout the story. This right here is a clever play on the game mechanics. We've all grown used to leveling up the more we kill stuff in games, the writers however managed to take this subconscious mechanic and reveal just how twisted and corrupted your character really is. You discover that your character can form bonds so easily, something noted throughout the story, and that is what makes you special... and a terrible threat.

So what does this have to do with Nihilus? Because he embodies what you can become. He walked down the path of darkness and the consuming of everything around him that he is no longer a man. No longer a being. He is a presence, devoid of emotion and motivated only by his hunger to feed. He has become so powerful that only planets gain his attention. That is the terrible price of such power.

And it is exactly what you could become.

Nihilus can be seen as a warning to you and your character. An example of the price of such power and just how dangerous you are. Which is exactly why I fell in love with him. He didn't need to be in the spotlight to be seen as such a dangerous threat. He dominates every scene he is in simply by what he is and how he relates to you. Then of course it's because his character makes sense when compared to his power. Characters like starkiller are so stupidly overpowered and don't seem at all affected by it. Nihilus show's exactly what happens. It controls you, consumes you, until power is the only thing that's left, and who you are dwindles out of existence.

So for discussion value, what did you think of his character? Did you see him the way I did, if not how would you describe him?

 

[Swieb]

BRB, getting Kotor 2. Thank you for rekindling my interest in the game.

 

[Nigh Invulnerable]

I really preferred the story and improved game mechanics of 2 compared to the first game. Sure the plot twist in the first was great, but the whole game was very black and white in terms of morality. #2 ran with it and added a number of grayer options and scenarios where no matter what you chose someone would be unhappy. I found it far deeper in that regard. Also, there seem to be more actions and plots happening regardless of your characer in 2. In other words, the entire universe isn't revolving around you.

OT: Nihilus is indeed a Dark parallel to what your character could've been, I thought that was fairly obvious. Also, I thought Sion and Nihilus (plus Treia) were some of the most interesting villains in any game.

 

[JediMB]

I replayed KotOR II fairly recently. I had long since forgotten exactly what role Darth Nihilus had in the game, but I mostly agree with what has been stated in the opening post.

As far as the Exile goes, I have to facepalm at the moronic Jedi Masters who insist that the Exile's abilities must be taken away from her, despite that she is the only one who can challenge Nihilus, who is an actual proven threat.

But regardless of what the Exile could become, it would seem she never did transform into the next Nihilus. I hope her fate will be explored at some point in TOR, since she apparently followed in Revan's footsteps and went after the Sith Empire.

 

[Yassen]

As far as the Exile goes, I have to facepalm at the moronic Jedi Masters who insist that the Exile's abilities must be taken away from her, despite that she is the only one who can challenge Nihilus, who is an actual proven threat.

But regardless of what the Exile could become, it would seem she never did transform into the next Nihilus. I hope her fate will be explored at some point in TOR, since she apparently followed in Revan's footsteps and went after the Sith Empire.

True, that was idiotic of them but that was intentional. It was to show how terrified the Jedi council had become, how they were willing to lash out at anything even remotely considered a threat and of course the thinking of group mentality. The Jedi that were on your side at first? Once they were in a group, their resolve fell apart. I'd say that's just human nature.

As for the exile never becoming Nihilus? That's in the good side canon ending. In the dark side ending she becomes exactly like Nihilus, even using her power to pull a ship from orbit like he did. Even after all these years I find the story of the exile and her bonds so fascinating.

 

[zfactor]

Holy crap.

Never saw him as the "This is what you can become" kind of guy. The cahracters talked a bunch (especially the Jedi Masters in the end) about how easily you form connections through the force and how you murdered hundreds of dudes to get where you are now. I missed the "you level up because you suck the life from everything you kill"...

Thanks for bringing this game into a new light.

On a semi-related note, I thought your character was Darth Revan or Malak or something... One of the end sequences had some Republic commander talking with Bastila about how your character doesn't know something and never will... And you never meet either of those Sith Lords in the game, just in your cave visions. I'm probably wrong, but I haven't played through it recently because Vista decided to crash it every time I try to start it. Bastards.

 

[JediMB]

As for the exile never becoming Nihilus? That's in the good side canon ending. In the dark side ending she becomes exactly like Nihilus, even using her power to pull a ship from orbit like he did. Even after all these years I find the story of the exile and her bonds so fascinating.

I've actually never tried going Dark Side in the second game. Not sure why. Maybe because the Exile's history (as shown through flashbacks) strongly suggests that she's not the kind of person who could do that, what with her being the only Jedi to leave Revan and return to the council.

But, yes, the Dark Side ending is what could have happened, and not what did, and I'd love if the Exile's fate would be relevant to some storyline in TOR. Did she ever find Revan and/or the Sith? Did she die? Is she somehow still alive, those 300 years later?