What is the most Jedi way to kill somebody IC?

[Jsc]

I'm trying to help my Jedi characters become more benevolent, righteous, and heroic in the eyes of the community. But I'm struggling to figure out the best, most righteous way, to kill somebody IC.

Do I need to give them a chance to surrender first before it's seen as a wicked deed and increases my Darkside score? Does it need to be in self defense, or maybe during an Invasion to be considered "okay"? Mmm. Is there some Star Wars doctrine about forgiveness that can wash away my Jedis sins if I killed an opponent accidentally? What about just blaming it on human-nature, instinct, or the animal kingdom?

I mean. I figure it's got to be like rationalizing hunting animals. Killing animals is okay if: 1. I have to be hungry. Or 2. I have a use for the meat, or 3. because the critter attacked me, or 4. because somebody else was in a life threatening situation, or 5. because it's a Darkside monster and this is an RPG video game and I want the EXP. Or, 6. Because I do what I want and kark all the rules.

...Ya know.

So yeah. Back to the original question. What is the most "Jedi'ish" way to kill somebody? How can I rationalize it IC so other writers don't think I'm being too "un-Jedi-ish" with my laser sword.

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Jay Scott Clark"]


Leave them to burn in lava. That way, you let the Force decide.


On a more serious level, a lightsabre blow right through a fatal area (ideally). Quick, clean. If you feel like it, write about how you don't enjoy killing but it was necessary and so on and so forth.

 

[Ignatius]

Respect and Honor.

There are various times in the Canon where a Jedi will kill a Sith simply because they are Sith. While giving them a chance to repent for their sins or whatever, or come to the lightside, that is more than welcome, but I like to think the more Jedi-way is with Respect and Honor in the forefront.

Respect for them being a worthy foe/enemy. Respect for the dedication to a cause, even though they may be wrong in the opinion of the populace. Honor for being an actual person who still had feelings. Who once had feelings. Sure, they may be corrupted now, but that doesn't mean they weren't corrupted at birth.

A huge theme for some characters are the idea of Respect towards friends, but they miss the point. Respect can be for your enemy as well. For their prowess in the force, for their skills with a blade, or their cunning mind. A Jedi shouldn't be "happy" or "proud" that the person died or perished. Even if it was by their hand, or someone elses.

IRL, cops and police officers hate having to take someones life. It takes a tole on not just them, and the person, but both parties families, loved ones, close friends. It affects everyone. So if you kill someone, Allow them the dignity they deserve as a person even if they treated your poorly. Because in the end, all we have are just our ideas of what is right and wrong, and the determination to continue on.

 

[Republic Engineering]

[member="Jay Scott Clark"] - Personally? I find the most Jedi-like way possible to kill someone is as a last resort and self-defense scenario. Like, they're supposed to be Guardians, and doing whatever they can to ideally protect anyone from intentional harm. So, one would either expect or assume that the Jedi would try the diplomatic angle and diffusing a situation first, before even considering to draw their lightsaber. Naturally, this is going with the idea of no-one other than the Jedi themselves being in danger, but that ideology can be adapted to fit whatever situation a character finds themselves in.

However, I have to agree with what [member="Ignis Imura"] has mentioned. A Jedi is supposed to be the defender of life, and ideally should respect it in all forms. Even if it's some monstrous perversion that a Sith lord created in a lab that needs to be put to rest, before it devours a city. lol

 

[Cassius Droma]

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ExitPursuedByABear

 

[Kei Amadis]

[member="Jay Scott Clark"] My old friend. Never need to overthink it.
Do what feels right for the character. There are as many Jedi types as there are Sith.

Kei since he's been a Master works as I was taught martial arts. Do as little as possible to stop the opponent, but stop them.
Walk away. Stun. Incapacitate. Injury and then Kill. In the old reckless days he'd probably start at injure.

But then the situation matters too. In a warzone you can't be stopping to think to himself, let's not shoot this guy whose firing at me.

If we are talking Taiden. He's much more reserved and measured but doesn't go for a stun first. He would more likely take off a dueling hand as a preference, or blind his opponent with force light for example.

Besides you've been writing decent Jedi characters as long as i've known you

 

[Skye Achlys]

Pretend you've fallen down a hole, then magically jump back up over your opponent while igniting your lightsaber before chopping your opponent in half.

Trust me

 

[Makai Dashiell]

On Chaos? Orbital bombardment.

 

[Lief]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

Or Force Storm, no? I think the flavour of the month likes to rotate

 

[Iona Immarya]

Not every Jedi is the same. Some have different values then others. As a Jedi, it is fairly easy to avoid killing, especially, as a writer as you can write out scenes against NPCs like you want, and against other players, the majority doesn't want their character killed so that won't pop up all that often and, if it does, and the writer is set on having their character die, they, in my experience, have a way they want them to die and are open to working with you, not against you, to see their envisioned scene come to life.

As for 'IC' reasons, can be an accident. Meant to disable, but they move at the last moment causing what would have been a disabling blow to become a lethal one then you can have that juicy internal conflict as you realize what you just did. Can be your character weighing what he must do such as knowing he isn't going to be able to disable them in time and must kill them and then deciding if he should or shouldn't [Like Superman. Can stop Lex a thousand ways before he pushes a button, and most, if not all, happen to be lethal], so you can make him decide that this time, this time, he has to stop them no matter the cost [then once again, play with the internal turmoil of him giving in on his moral code], tons of ways to do it.

 

[Ellie Mors]

With remorse and pity.

 

[Ignatius]

[member="Asha Hex"], [member="Makai Dashiell"], I think Shatter point and Force light/Spirit Bomb were the flavor for one month.

As you say, you never know.

[member="Arcanus Sunstrider"], Thank you for the kind words.

 

[Ayda Elisantra]

Luke Skywalker had no trouble using his light-saber on that skiff against Jabba's minions...

 

[Hansen]

As a guardian of peace and justice? I'd hope a Jedi wouldn't be attacking the bad guys without first offering them a chance to surrender and even then instead of killing them I'd expect the Jedi would be attempting to disarm their enemy as you see so often in published material where a Jedi will slice a dude's blaster in two.

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

With love and kindness, of course.

 

[Jsc]

On a more serious level, a lightsabre blow right through a fatal area (ideally). Quick, clean. If you feel like it, write about how you don't enjoy killing but it was necessary and so on and so forth.

I like how you mentioned writing about how the character felt. I think this is something that I struggle through as a writing as I'm planning a post, but never actually present very well to an audience. Thanks!

Because in the end, all we have are just our ideas of what is right and wrong, and the determination to continue on.

I like how this avoids thinking of other people as anything less than real people. I think that kind of accuracy and truth could really affect an audience. Nice!

I find the most Jedi-like way possible to kill someone is as a last resort and self-defense scenario.

I agree with this. Alas, invasions on Chaos still cause my Jedi characters to struggle with killing on a battlefield. Maybe for pitched warfare I should try losing the laser sword all together and go with something else. Mmm. Or, just pony up the melodrama to a thousand like a Gundam TV show. Mmm.

 

[Jsc]

[member="Cassius Droma"] - I actually read all that. Nice.

Do what feels right for the character.

I love how easy this makes things as I think about it. Alas. As a fan writer. I do like to take some mild responsibility for the way my character acts IC. I'm not talking like being meta conscious or salivating to the desires of my writing partners either. (I'm okay with offending people. lulz.) ...But. More like... I want my stuff to read as deliberate. Conscious. Not like, oh he killed the Sith because video games. Lulz.

Always impressed with how you can make fan writing look easy Kei. Cheers friend!

Trust me

You're hot. I trust you.

Love me senpai.

On Chaos? Orbital bombardment.

One day I will invent micro-bombardments with precision lasers to avoid civilian... NAHHH! Just kidding! Blow up EVERYTHING! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!

I mean. Yeahhh...

As a Jedi, it is fairly easy to avoid killing,

I actually had to stop and think about this. Because you're right. Space magic really does make 'not killing', kinda easy. Huh? Nice!

With remorse and pity.

Truth.

 

[Jsc]

Luke Skywalker had no trouble using his light-saber on that skiff against Jabba's minions...

I'm somewhat familiar with Mark's mindset about how he approached Luke in Return of the Jedi. So I understand why Luke was performed as determined and bold when choking out the guards, pulling a gun on Jabba, and slicing his boat all to heck. He wasn't being a role model for kids. He was the rules.

And, yeah. You really kind of got to have a God complex to understand that part too. Lulz.

I'd hope aJedi wouldn't be attacking the bad guys without first offering them a chance to surrender and even then instead of killing them I'd expect the Jedi would be attempting to disarm their enemy

Orthodox is good. Fan writing often forgets that. Nice!

With love and kindness, of course.

And Adam saw the angels standing by the Garden as asked, "Why the flaming sword?" And the angels just smiled.

 

[Ignatius]

I like how this avoids thinking of other people as anything less than real people. I think that kind of accuracy and truth could really affect an audience. Nice!

Not just people, but creatures as well. When the native americans, or indians, or tribal settings hunted, they treated their animals as gods and demi-gods. They were there to provide them food through their sacrifice for the tribe. Even when they killed creatures, they didn't set traps out that would break bones or hold them in a state of agony. They attempted to end their suffering as quickly as possible. I am reminded of the Avatar movie (blue monkey people) where they spoke a specific set of words to send their soul into the afterlife.

I like to incorporate that with Ignis. Even if he is with the Sith Empire as a faction and works with them, in one of the invasions, he attempted to let two of the GA soldiers he was fighting go. He wanted to give them a chance to leave even if they killed the men he was tasked with looking over. His code of honor is to not kill if necessary. To show respect to everyone and everything because should he not, then someone who also does not show respect, would very easily kill him with the mind set of "He is a monster."

For the Navi, they thought it was "Right" and "Correct" to kill animals, or creatures to feed themselves. Just as any other creature would. Its the cycle of life. However, there is no need to prolong the pain or surffering. Same goes for Ignis. Those he has killed in various dominions, he attempts to kill as quickly and cleanly as possible as a last resort. However, that is just his character. and what he, himself as a person, feels is "Right" and "Correct."

If your character is more Chaotic in nature, then they would more so lean on the side of "I fight for ______ and nobody will stop me." Where as someone who is more lawful or neutral will be along the lines of "I prevent what I can, and attempt to stop them, but if I must, then I must"

It all depends on the character, the alignment and how you see they would act. My view, is that everyone makes a choice for their reasons, and we have to respect that reason to some degree before we judge them upon it. If it is in fact false, then they will have to some how make up for it. Repent, or to aid the person in return, or pay a debt to them. Whatever.

Sorry it got long winded. lol

 

[Ellie Mors]

[member="Jay Scott Clark"]
I was on my phone on the way to work, sorry for the short and vague (and probably completely unhelpful without knowing what I mean) answer!

What I mean, essentially, is that when a Jedi is making a kill it is because it is the last possible option, the only choice, or because it is the (hard but) best course of action.

I am by no means dictating how people who write a Jedi should feel or have their characters feel when at this pivotal moment, but based on how I saw characters express themselves visibly and verbally in the movies and excerpts from the shows (I never really kept up with Rebels and Clone Wars, but I've been linked to key moments like this over discord to watch clips like Obi-wan vs Maul and stuff) a Jedi should feel a modicum of pity for the person they are laying low, and a heavy amount of remorse for the events that led up to their fall that caused everything that made that death happen.

You shouldn't wallow in sorrow, or be consumed by grief, because strong emotional reactions like that lead to the dark side (though if that's part of your character development, to toe the line of the dark side, then that's a great avenue for doing it).

I can't play a Jedi, or at least a "good" one, in terms of role-model behavior, precisely because of how venerable they should be. As was mentioned before, there should be a good amount of respect for the opponent that you have slain, but it should be for their lives that led up to their fall, or for their dedication to a cause that led to their demise. When you hear about someone you might have known in passing, like a teacher that taught at a school that you never had but had a reputation for being good, the disappointment of knowing they've died is the same sort of feeling a Jedi should have for the person's life they just ended. Even in the face of all of their atrocities, they are a product of their circumstances, knowing that only a single different choice could have prevented this - the disappointment that they are unable to change their ways, being dead of course, is the sort of pity you should feel.

The remorse should come knowing that you were forced to end their lives before they could walk a better path, knowing that you killed a person who was simply misguided or had been ruined by their experiences that might have forced them into acting in a way that they never intended or wanted to be. Even some of the most vile sith lords on this board live a life of regret, staying where they are because they feel there is no redemption for them, that they've simply gone too far - and that they deserve whatever end they meet. I'd argue that deep down even Kaine Zambrano knows somewhere in his past he messed up, but thinks that there is no other way for himself now.

A death is a death, and there is no greater consequence to one's actions that to face it - that is where the remorse, the pity, should come into play. Your action is, in almost all cases, irreversible, and that should be your mindset when you arrive at that moment right before you metaphorically swing the blade.