Jab’s Builds! (Lawnmower Man! Samus Aran! Metroids!)

[catsi563]

slightly off topic but given Jabs animal builds I thought this might be verrrrry interesting

[Thorpocalypse]

The good old "Zerg Rush" tactic.

Which is why you don't mess with bees and wasps.

Well, you don't mess with Wasps, Janet will kick your ass.

However, Swarm sucks, Queen Bee sucks, Bumblee (DC) is a C-league Titan and we won't even get into Yellowjackets...

I'll give you Transformers Bumbleebee, though.

[Arkrite]

You know, thinking back, I have a hard time remembering anybody on Tattooine I liked who wasn't one of the main characters.
Jawas? Dislike them intensely.
Tuscan Raiders? They're jerks.
Other humans an aliens? Generally out to get you.

[Jabroniville]

BANTHA
Role: Desert Mount
PL 8 (61)- Minion Rank 5, Sidekick Rank 13
Normal Version: PL 8
STRENGTH 7 STAMINA 8 AGILITY -1
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Close Combat (Horns) 2 (+7)
Expertise (Survival) 5 (+5)
Intimidation 9 (+6, +7 Size)
Perception 2 (+2)

Advantages:
Diehard, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Horn), Interpose, Power Attack, Startle

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 2 (Acute & Extended Scent) [2]
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Deserts) [2]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Hardy" Immunity 4 (Starvation & Thirst, Heat, Cold) (Flaws: Limited to Half-Effect) [2]
"Natural Weapons- Horn" Strength-Damage +1 (Extras: Penetrating 2) [6]

"Natural Size" Growth 3 (Str & Sta +3, +3 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -3 Stealth) -- (12 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [7]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]
"Thick Layer of Skin" Protection 2 [2]

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Horns +7 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +10 (+4 Impervious), Fortitude +8, Will +4

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Banthas cannot speak to humans, nor use their hooves to easily manipulate objects.
Rivalry (Other Males)- Like moost hoofed animals, Banthas must compete with other males for mating rights.

Total: Abilities: 12 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 6 / Powers: 24 / Defenses: 10 (61)

-Banthas are commonly-seen in parts of the Saga, owing to being big Pack Animals in the poorer desert communities. They more or less look like gigantic Buffalo (one was played by a trained Elephant in a costume- future movies used CGI), and are a hardy, matriarchal animal that is known for toughness and survivability in any kind of environment.

[Jabroniville]

MARA JADE SKYWALKER
Role: Total Fan Character, Bad Girl Gone Good
Group Affiliations: The New Republic, The New Jedi Order
PL 10 (204)
STRENGTH 2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 8
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+14)
Athletics 12 (+14)
Deception 10 (+13)
Expertise (Thief/Smuggler) 9 (+12)
Insight 4 (+8)
Intimidation 3 (+6)
Investigation 3 (+7)
Perception 6 (+10)
Persuasion 2 (+5)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Technology 6 (+9)
Vehicles 1 (+9)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Defensive Attack, Equipment 3 (Blaster +5, Assorted Gear), Fascination (Deception), Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical 2 (Lightsaber, Blaster), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 2, Improved Trip, Languages (A Few), Precise Attack (Ranged/Cover), Ranged Attack 4, Seize Initiative, Uncanny Dodge

Powers:
"Mastery of The Force"
"Force Senses"
Senses 8 (Detect The Force- Ranged 2, Detect Life- Ranged 2, Danger Sense, Communication Link- Luke) [8]
Enhanced Skill 2: Vehicles 2 (+8) [1]
Enhanced Advantages 5: Defensive Roll 2, Eidetic Memory, Improved Aim, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment) [5]

"Force-Assisted Movement"
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Jedi Laser Deflection" Deflect 12 (Extras: Multiattack, Reflect, Redirection) (Flaws: Limited to Lasers, Lightsaber-Based, Multiattack Requires Multiple Lasers -1/2) (18) -- [21]

• AE: "Use The Force" Move Object 6 (Feats: Precise, Subtle) (Diminished Range -1) (13)
• AE: "Force Push" Damage 2 (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) Linked to Affliction 6 (Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable/Prone & Stunned) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Extra Condition, Area- 30ft. Cone +1/2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (14)
• AE: "Jedi Mind Trick" Affliction 4 (Will; Dazed/Compelled) (Feats: Subtle) (Extras: Area- Audio Perception, Selective) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (9)

"Lightsaber" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Those Trained) [9]
Strength-Damage +6 (Extras: Penetrating 7) (13 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Lightsaber +12 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Laser Blaster +12 (+5 Ranged Damage, DC 20)
Force Push +2-6 Area (+2 Damage & +6 Affliction, DC 12 & 16)
Mind Trick +4 Area (+4 Affliction, DC 14)
Initiative +14

Defenses:
Dodge +15 (DC 25), Parry +15 (DC 25), Toughness +3 (+5 D.Roll), Fortitude +6, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibility (The New Jedi Order)- Mara Jade is a member of Luke's New Jedi Order.
Responsibility (Duty)- Mara Jade throws herself fully into duty to others- first to the Emperor, then to Luke and her family.
Relationship (Luke Skywalker)- The two are married.
Responsibility (The Dark Side)- The Dark Side is dangerously-close for all Jedi. Using the "Channel the Dark Side Powers", using Dark Side-like powers (like strangling someone with The Force, or crushing them internally), killing defeated foes or otherwise killing needlessly, and even using All-Out or Power Attack too often can lead the Jedi down a dark path. The Dark Side is "quicker, EASIER- more seductive," and the temporary boost of power can easily tempt one. Excessive use of the Dark Side will twist one's spirit, and mangle their body.

Total: Abilities: 82 / Skills: 63--33 / Advantages: 23 / Powers: 47 / Defenses: 19 (204)

-Of all the Star Wars: Expanded Universe characters, Mara Jade seems to me like the greatest example of your classic "Fan-Created Character". She's an ASSASSIN, has a secret history with characters we're all familiar with (She's the Emperor's Hand- his personal assassin), is incredibly-skilled and competent, utterly-devoted to duty, fearless and intimidating yet warm and compassionate, uses The Force (a rare ability, especially in the Imperial Era), and ends up marrying the main hero after first trying to kill him. Like, TOTAL Mary Sue, right?

-But in actuality, Mara Jade is really popular with fans of the EU. It probably helps that she's this totally evil Bad Girl who goes to murder Luke... but then slowly falls in love with him after they're partnered up a few times. Nerds are very accepting of Bad Girls Gone Good . Plus, Timothy Zahn created her, and he's pretty much the most-liked of the EU authors. In any case, she did some stuff, bore Luke an offspring, then got killed by one of Han & Leia's kids, because he turned to the Dark Side. Now she's a Force Ghost and stuff. And of course she was the most notable of those wiped out be the erasure of the EU- Thrawn got a new lease on life with the Rebels cartoon series, but Mara Jade is just donezo- Luke ended up living out his life as a hermit with no romantic attachments as far as we know.

-Mara Jade is a standard Jedi in some ways, but packs on a BOATLOAD of side abilities- she's an expert Thief & Smuggler, specializes in Stealth (a trademark was to appear in behind-the-scenes moments at famous points in the Trilogy, spying on Vader or Luke), and has even developed some Force Powers beyond Luke's- Danger Sense, Eidetic Memory and more! She & Luke also develop a Communication Link power. She's also piloted a series of starcraft, so could probably pack on X-Wing-like Equipment, raising the cost even further.

[Jabroniville]

C-3PO
Role: Fussy Brit, Funny Robot
Group Affiliations: The Rebel Alliance
PL 1 (49)
STRENGTH -2 STAMINA -- AGILITY -2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Deception 5 (+5)
Expertise (Galactic Politics & Peoples) 8 (+11)
Insight 3 (+4)
Perception 3 (+4)
Technology 3 (+6)

Advantages:
Eidetic Memory

Powers:
"Protocol Droid"
Protection 1 [1]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]
Featuers 1: May Be Put Together Easily After Being Dismembered [1]

"Quick Calculations" Quickness 8 (Flaws: Limited to Mental Actions) [4]
Comprehend 4 (All Languages) [8]

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-2 Damage, DC 13)
Initiative -2

Defenses:
Dodge +0 (DC 10), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +1, Fortitude --, Will +2

Complications:
Responsibility (The Rebel Alliance)- C-3PO has been assigned with assisting R2-D2 on his mission to aid Princess Leia.
Weakness (Magnets, Electrical Attacks)- Droids are made entirely of metal, and are thus vulnerable to certain things.
Prejudice (Droid)- Droids are not allowed in certain areas, treated like property, often have their MEMORIES WIPED, and even tortured in some weird parts of the world.

Total: Abilities: -10 / Skills: 22--11 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 44 / Defenses: 3 (49)

-C-3PO & R2-D2 were introduced to the film as classic Comic Relief- Lucas based them off of two thief characters from the Kurosawa film The Last Fortress (which also inspired the assault on the Death Star- the film is about the heroes putting a bomb in an "unbreachable" fortress). Though having seen that film, I gotta say they really only copy the "Comic Relief" concept of "Whiny people dragged along for the ride" that the characters' major personalities. For example, at no point do I recall Threepio & Artoo planning on raping the Princess and getting fended off by her Lady's Maid.

-Threepio (much easier to both say and type out than "C-3PO") is a Fussy Englishman, portrayed in a clumsy, ambling gait by Anthony Daniels, who of course could barely walk in the damn thing. But that kind of just adds to the humor. It's a bit funny, because instead of engaging in Stepin Fetchit-class racial buffoonery like Jar Jar Binks (though I guess poking fun at Englishmen is a similar thing, just without the long-held racist connotations), C-3PO just comes along, WHINING about everything. He frequently gets befuddled, insulted ("The odds of success in this endeavor are _____!" "NEVER TELL ME THE ODDS!"), and occasionally even DISMEMBERED, but never really dominates things. He's just a fun character, and you can see his influence in many Sidekicks in Disney films (tell me you don't see parts of his personality in Flounder or Timon, for example). Him and Artoo really prevent a pretty slam-bang action movie from taking itself too seriously. I always liked the sight of the occasional Droid in the background who looked like a different-coloured version of him- stuff like that always interested me as a kid (I wonder if that's why boys are such obsessive collectors of things like that?).

-That said, the two really stand out as being irrelevant to the festivities in the Prequels. Also, it's a little silly that the SAME TWO Droids who helped out the good guys in the FIRST series end up being important to the PREQUELS as well- Obi-Wan & Darth Vader in particular should recognize them (and god- ANAKIN BUILT C-3PO!?!?!). Threepio was unnecessary, and they could have used ANY kind of Astromech Droid in place of Artoo. They're just as bad in the Sequel Trilogy, kind of ambling about with nothing important to do, until Abrams has C-3PO act as an important translator to the group, hoping to find the location of Exegol. A big to-do is made of him potentially sacrificing his "life" (his memory must be blanked if he is to translate Sith writing)... but they shrink back from it ten minutes later and he's fine, which is a weird thing they did repeatedly in the third movie after scorching earth on the original cast in the other two Sequel Movies.

-C-3PO as a Protocol Droid is obviously worthless in a fight (I'm pretty sure Aunt May could take him), and doesn't really add much to any OTHER situations, either. On Cloud City, he spends most of his time on Chewie's BACK. His main role is simply to react to the things people say (particularly Artoo, who is apparently quite the sarcastic little shit). He's got a lot of info about the galaxy and its inhabitants (in particular their languages, though this again seems worthless thanks to the fact that the heroes pretty much ALWAYS understand atonal growling, beeps and boops, and deep-voiced "Huttese" with no difficulty.

[Spectrum]

Well, Lucas did draw on the Ninja/Samurai thing quite abit. If you think about it, Jedi are Samurai, Sith are Ninja.

One thing that I loved learning (and only relatively recently) is where the word Jedi comes from.

"Jidaigeki (時代劇, lit. "era drama") is a genre of film, television, video game, and theatre in Japan. Literally meaning "period dramas", they are most often set during the Edo period of Japanese history, from 1603 to 1868. Some, however, are set much earlier—Portrait of Hell, for example, is set during the late Heian period—and the early Meiji era is also a popular setting. Jidaigeki show the lives of the samurai, farmers, craftsmen, and merchants of their time. Jidaigeki films are sometimes referred to as chambara movies, a word meaning "sword fight", though chambara is more accurately a subgenre of jidaigeki. Jidaigeki rely on an established set of dramatic conventions including the use of makeup, language, catchphrases, and plotlines."

"Sengoku-jidai (Warring States era setting) is a Japanese genre that has been used as the setting for novels, films, video games, anime and manga. It bears some parallels with the Western; Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, for example, was remade in a Western setting as The Magnificent Seven."

Lots more information over on Wikipedia.

[Jabroniville]

R2-D2
Role: Funny Robot, The Sarcastic One
Group Affiliations: The Rebel Alliance
PL 3 (71)
STRENGTH -2 STAMINA -- AGILITY -2
FIGHTING 0 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Galactic Politics & Peoples) 2 (+5)
Insight 2 (+5)
Perception 1 (+4)
Technology 7 (+10)

Advantages:
Daze (Deception), Luck

Powers:
"Protocol Droid"
Protection 2 [2]
Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects) [30]

"Quick Calculations" Quickness 4 (Flaws: Limited to Mental Actions & Repairs) [2]
"Datalink" Communication (Technology) 3 [12]
"Servo Arm" Features 1: Arm [1]

"Gadgets" Variable 1 (Any Technological Descriptor) [7]
(Sample Gadgets: Oil Injector, Cable Gun, Fusion Cutter, Holoprojector, Periscope, Electric Pike, Propeller, Ejector Compartment, Lariat, Air Cannon, Small Saw, Fire Extinguisher, Umbrella, Smoke Screen, Droid Deactivator, Headdress Detangler, Flea Remover, Distracter, Life-Form Scanner, Jukebox, Inflatable Mattress, Storage Drive, Water Pump/Hose, Polarity Sink, Breakdance Mode, Lubricant, Confetti Cannon)

Offense:
Unarmed +0 (-2 Damage, DC 13)
Initiative -2

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +0 (DC 10), Toughness +2, Fortitude --, Will +5

Complications:
Responsibility (The Rebel Alliance)- R2-D2 has been assigned with a mission to aid Princess Leia.
Weakness (Magnets, Electrical Attacks)- Droids are made entirely of metal, and are thus vulnerable to certain things.
Prejudice (Droid)- Droids are not allowed in certain areas, treated like property, often have their MEMORIES WIPED, and even tortured in some weird parts of the world.
Disabled (Astromech)- Astromech Droids do not have real limbs, legs nor the ability to speak normally.

Total: Abilities: 0 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 54 / Defenses: 8 (71)

-While C-3PO is fussy, R2-D2 is confident, sarcastic and glib. At least, we THINK he is- his voice is always those beeps and boops, turning this oddity (how many movies feature moving, booping trash cans as major heroes?) into one of the most popular and iconic characters of the franchise. It's not for nothing that one of the first series based off of Star Wars became the '80s cartoon Droids (I have only the vaguest memory of seeing Luke & Leia running around as part of the plot of one episode. That might not have even happened). Generally he plus into something, gets the team past security, and then goes back to rolling around. Also, these Droids are always seen in ships handling the logistics and doing repairs (exactly how a tiny robot with a spindly little arm can do complicated repairs on a STARFIGHTER is beyond me, but I guess they need a reason to keep them around).

-Artoo has numerous little abilities that show up now and again (in Attack of the Clones, he can briefly FLY), so I stuck him with "Gadgets" and called it a day. Thankfully Wookieepedia has a gigantic list of the various silly things he's done.

[Ares]

One cool thing about the original Star Wars, IMO, was that both 3PO and R2 were vital to the success of the heroes. They were the comedy duo meant to add some levity, but at the same time, the entire story doesn't work without them. Even beyond "R2 gets the plot going", if not for R2, Luke and Ben never unite to save the galaxy. Without R2 and 3PO, the heroes die in the trash compactor. Without R2, the Millennium Falcon doesn't get repaired at the end of Empire and the heroes don't escape. Without 3PO, the Ewoks never join the Rebels and help turn the tide against the Empire in Return of the Jedi. Despite being neither human nor action heroes, the duo manage to prove vital to saving the day.

I feel kind of bad for 3PO in a way. Everyone loves R2, but a lot of people also forget how useful 3PO is, and a lot of his more prissy, annoying factors have been flanderized since the original films. 3PO was actually pretty ballsy in the original films, being willing to snark at frickin Chewbacca from time to time, and there were several points where if people had just listened to him, things would have gone more smoothly. All he really wanted to do was be helpful and to survive, but he frequently showed what could be considered genuine bravery, concern for his friends and a real capacity for self-sacrifice. He's kind of that stuffy know-it-all who is always proper and can be kind of annoying, but he's so helpful, useful and polite most times that you can't help but appreciate him when he comes through. I mean, his first thought when Chewie reactivates him after he's blown apart is that he has to warn his friends about the presence of Stormtroopers. He only realizes he's been shot AFTER expressing concern for his friends.

There was a funny deleted scene in Empire that showed how clever and kind of dangerous 3PO could be. The Rebel base had a Wampa (the Abominable Snowman type creature, one of which captured and injured Luke) that had managed to get into their base, and they'd managed to contain it in a storeroom while they tried to figure out what to do with it, since killing it would take too much time, resources and was considered an unnecessary risk. The room had a note taped to its door to "Keep Out, Dangerous Animal Inside". Well, when the Empire invaded the Hoth base, 3PO ran by the door . . . then paused, looked at it, and then tore the note off of the door, and then continued to run. Sure enough, some Snowtroopers came by, saw the door, and investigated it. This big furry arm reaches out, grabs two troopers, and pulls them in, screaming. The other troopers hear the screaming inside, and decide to wait for reinforcements.

3PO of all people technically got two kills on the escape from Hoth.

[Woodclaw]

MARA JADE SKYWALKER
Role: Total Fan Character, Bad Girl Gone Good

-Of all the Star Wars: Expanded Universe characters, Mara Jade seems to me like the greatest example of your classic "Fan-Created Character". She's an ASSASSIN, has a secret history with characters we're all familiar with (She's the Emperor's Hand- his personal assassin), is incredibly-skilled and competent, utterly-devoted to duty, fearless and intimidating yet warm and compassionate, uses The Force (a rare ability, especially in the Imperial Era), and ends up marrying the main hero after first trying to kill him. Like, TOTAL Mary Sue, right?

-But in actuality, Mara Jade is really popular with fans of the EU. It probably helps that she's this totally evil Bad Girl who goes to murder Luke... but then slowly falls in love with him after they're partnered up a few times. Nerds are very accepting of Bad Girls Gone Good . Plus, Timothy Zahn created her, and he's pretty much the most-liked of the EU authors. In any case, she did some stuff, bore Luke an offspring, then got killed by one of Han & Leia's kids, because he turned to the Dark Side. Now she's a Force Ghost and stuff. And of course she was the most notable of those wiped out be the erasure of the EU- Thrawn got a new lease on life with the Rebels cartoon series, but Mara Jade is just donezo- Luke ended up living out his life as a hermit with no romantic attachments as far as we know.

Oh hell on a tricycle...
Where should I start with Mara Jade?

Disclaimer: I'm not a big fan of the EU, the quality of the writing was too uneven for me even when dealing with stuff from a single author. Also it was pretty clear from teh start that there reallu was no coherent planning, no real attempt at continuity... so yeah...
Most of my knowledge about the EU comes from the Guida Completa a Star Wars (Complete Guide to Star Wars) written by my friend and colleague Fiorenzo delle Rupi. Now Fiorenzo is the biggest SW nerd I know (at least in RL) and his guide is (I quote) "my personal attempt to rationalize the (dis)contuinity that is the Expanded Universe".

Now, I have to give credit where credit is due, Timothy Zahn knew what he was doing. For better or worse, when Heir to the Empire came out in 1991, the SW universe was severely lacking in female characters, in general, and bad girls in particular. At the time the only named female characters were Leia, Mon Mothma and... aunt Beru. Yep. Enter Mara Jade, superspy, Palpatine personal assassin, redhead in leather ca... wait a minute!
Does that description ring any bell?
Anyone?
For real?



Ok, jokes aside, both Mara and Thrawn were designed to fill a major void in the SW universe: a credible antagonist.
There are no two ways about it, Darth Vader is one of the most iconic villains of cinematic history and when we finally see the Emperor into the flesh, Ian McDiarmid performance was the perfect mixture of creepy and powerful that cemented Palpatine as the real head honcho, despite looking way less impressive than his right-hand man. After their demise at the end of Return of the Jedi, the Galaxy was sorely lacking credible opponents that weren't retracing the same step over and over and over again. Apparently, Zahn knew it and gave us two new enemies, but their quality was not the same.
Thrawn was the big enemy, he was the new face of the Empire, the chessmaster, the grand strategist. Sure, you could take him down in a shootout or a duel, but that meant outsmarting him at his own game. He was a distant yet active opponent, which was kind of new to SW.
Mara, on the other hand, was a very direct threat. She was an assassin, actually, the assassin, the greatest killer in the known Galaxy, who was also Force-sensitive.

Or so she was advertised.

The big problem with Mara is that there is something of a disconnection between how she's presented and how she acts, which is often mirrored in how some fans (the majority) love her to no end and others (few but very hardcore) thinks that she is just a waste of space. The problem was that Mara is up against one of the greatest powers in the known Galaxy and beyond: Luke Skywalker's plot armor! Now, that in and of itself is already a big problem for a character that is introduced as an assassin, but it's compounded by how Mara often seems to be stopped by elements that should be easy to overcome for someone with her distinguished resume.
One very egregious example is when she reveals to Luke that they had already met, that she was posing as one of the dancers in Jabba's palace because Palpatine had sent her there for the express purpose of killing Luke. In and of itself this was a great way to weave Mara into the story, but the sequence that follows kind of disrupts the illusion. When Jabba decides to drop Luka, Han and Chewie in the Sarlaac pit, Mara decides to follow to ensure that everything went smoothly, but she can't because Jabba tells her to stay put. Just that. Even if we can think that Mara didn't want to break character by contradicting the "slimy piece of worm-ridden filth", but the Hand of the Emperor should have at least three contingency plans ready, right? Sneaking on Jabba's galleon... knocking down a guard and masquerade using the uniform... steal a speeder (if she doesn't have one already) and follow the convoy... something. Instead, she just contacts Palpatine saying she has failed and the old bastard is strangely lenient.
This unfortunate trend continued for more or less the entire editorial life of Mara Jade and the authors who worked on her after Zahn pretty much destroyed any semblance of coherence in her character. As a result, when Zahn finally returned to SW and wrote The Hand of Thrawn Duology, he had to contend with a crapton of misaligning ideas that didn't gel with his original plans. The duology also came at a very unfortunate moment, since these were the last two EU novel published by Bantam, so Zahn toiled under a lot of editorial pressure to close as many open plotlines as humanly possible, making the second novel, Visions of the Future, rushed and chockful of content. This hurt both the main plot and the romance between Luke and Mara, which had to proceed with leaps and bounds.

Now, as I said before Zahn knew what he was doing when he created Mara, but I'm not sure he knew how to handle her properly and, sure as hell, no successive author had the faintest clue on what to do with her. The result, for me, is a great concept of a character that was very inconsistent in terms of characterization. This condition wasn't unique to Mara and was often the trademark of many EU characters and novels, partly due to the lack of editorial supervision and the general overabundance of plot armor.
So in this sense, Mara really is the poster-girl of the Expanded Universe and it's a real pity, since she could have been a good character, given more time and care.

[Woodclaw]

One cool thing about the original Star Wars, IMO, was that both 3PO and R2 were vital to the success of the heroes. They were the comedy duo meant to add some levity, but at the same time, the entire story doesn't work without them. Even beyond "R2 gets the plot going", if not for R2, Luke and Ben never unite to save the galaxy. Without R2 and 3PO, the heroes die in the trash compactor. Without R2, the Millennium Falcon doesn't get repaired at the end of Empire and the heroes don't escape. Without 3PO, the Ewoks never join the Rebels and help turn the tide against the Empire in Return of the Jedi. Despite being neither human nor action heroes, the duo manage to prove vital to saving the day.

I feel kind of bad for 3PO in a way. Everyone loves R2, but a lot of people also forget how useful 3PO is, and a lot of his more prissy, annoying factors have been flanderized since the original films. 3PO was actually pretty ballsy in the original films, being willing to snark at frickin Chewbacca from time to time, and there were several points where if people had just listened to him, things would have gone more smoothly. All he really wanted to do was be helpful and to survive, but he frequently showed what could be considered genuine bravery, concern for his friends and a real capacity for self-sacrifice. He's kind of that stuffy know-it-all who is always proper and can be kind of annoying, but he's so helpful, useful and polite most times that you can't help but appreciate him when he comes through. I mean, his first thought when Chewie reactivates him after he's blown apart is that he has to warn his friends about the presence of Stormtroopers. He only realizes he's been shot AFTER expressing concern for his friends.

There was a funny deleted scene in Empire that showed how clever and kind of dangerous 3PO could be. The Rebel base had a Wampa (the Abominable Snowman type creature, one of which captured and injured Luke) that had managed to get into their base, and they'd managed to contain it in a storeroom while they tried to figure out what to do with it, since killing it would take too much time, resources and was considered an unnecessary risk. The room had a note taped to its door to "Keep Out, Dangerous Animal Inside". Well, when the Empire invaded the Hoth base, 3PO ran by the door . . . then paused, looked at it, and then tore the note off of the door, and then continued to run. Sure enough, some Snowtroopers came by, saw the door, and investigated it. This big furry arm reaches out, grabs two troopers, and pulls them in, screaming. The other troopers hear the screaming inside, and decide to wait for reinforcements.

3PO of all people technically got two kills on the escape from Hoth.

My mom often said that R2 and 3PO reminded her of Laurel and Hardy, in the sense that they were more or less the classic Straight Man/Crazy Man comic duo. Still, it's true that our little droids were absolutely instrumental in the plot of the original movie, which is kind of sad. By the time the prequel trilogy arrived, characters like them were used just as comic reliefs, with very little to do in the overall plot.

[Shock]

Mara Jade has sort of a complicated legacy. She was dangerously close to Mary Sue territory but her primary purpose was to further Luke's legacy of seeing the good in anyone. She was indoctrinated by the Emperor and also served to further highlight Palpatine's duplicitous nature and the levels of planning he went to.

I like how she had to struggle to overcome her mental programming. I'm still not sure I prefer that she ended up marrying Luke. Trusted Ally might have been a better spot for her. It's not surprising that her characterization was inconsistent across multiple authors with minimal editorial control. Not all that much different from the trouble that many comic characters have.

[HalloweenJack]

hmm...ya know...Mara does kinds resemble Scar Jo in that first pic.

[FuzzyBoots]

C-3PO

Of course, he also has the distinction of Anthony Daniels being the only actor to play the same character (C-3PO, natch) in all twelve live-action films (and, reportedly, a number of other background characters). Technically speaking, he only voiced C-3PO in the first prequel movie, as the character was a puppet, but that still counts.

[Woodclaw]

Mara Jade has sort of a complicated legacy. She was dangerously close to Mary Sue territory but her primary purpose was to further Luke's legacy of seeing the good in anyone. She was indoctrinated by the Emperor and also served to further highlight Palpatine's duplicitous nature and the levels of planning he went to.

I like how she had to struggle to overcome her mental programming. I'm still not sure I prefer that she ended up marrying Luke. Trusted Ally might have been a better spot for her. It's not surprising that her characterization was inconsistent across multiple authors with minimal editorial control. Not all that much different from the trouble that many comic characters have.

That was actually half of the story, since many early EU novels had one added level of complication: pet characters. This was especially egregious in the early days, but a lot of authors felt the need to add their own characters into the mix. In some cases, like the Rogue Squadron novels, this kind of worked, because all the characters involved where either minor or new, but whenever a big character was involved for more than a single chapter things went from bad to shit. This was due to the fact that every author had a different vision of the likes of Luke, Han and Leia (not to mention Lando, Chewie and so on), so they were either stuck in a one-note characterization or often written out of character.
If that sound familiar, it's because we are currently re-living this situation with this generation of SW productions. Rogue One and The Mandalorian work because, among other things, they tell stories that are only marginally tangent with the characters and events we already know.