Why do people keep insisting that Revan was only trying to save the Republic? Revan was cold, heartless, and a Sith to his core. He cared nothing about the Republic government, He wanted power because he knew he could take it. He had no problem razing planets and killing innocents, as long as his goals were forwarded. The halogram on Kasyyk in KotOR 1 helps explain Revan's persona, thoughts, ideas, and ideals.
I do not understand how many people after KotOR 2 draw to the conclusion that Revan fell to the Darkside and attacked the Republic simply and only in order to save it from the "True Sith". That is not really what KotOR 2 describes. That was simply one reason. Revan believed only HE was strong enough to lead against the "True Sith", this arrogance bred a lust for power, and that lead him to the Darkside. Once fallen he would do anything to achieve his goals, why do you think he would be upset if Malak razed a planet? He razed many when he lead the invasion of the Republic. Revan and Vader were both fascists, believing that what they were doing was good for the whole. No person believes themselves to be evil, it is all point of view.
As for Malak, I believe he just didnt care about Revan's plans. Malak wanted power, and he didnt care how he got it, or what he had to do to get it.
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Us people keep insisting that Revan was trying to save the Republic because of the dialogues in K2 silly . Did you not have the cutscene dialogue when the Disciple says that Revan was trying to unify, not conquer, the Republic against something. Plus you ask Kreia why did Revan fall and she says "Fall? Ah you presume much" she says that it is hard to differentiate a fall and a sacrifice. Revan sacrificed himself to the Darkside to protect the Republic, like someone said Revan was a patriot just like Goto in a way. And Kreia states that Revan's actions were always his own and not like someone possessed. True that Revan believes that that he is only the strong one that can stop the Ture Sith but look at what the Council did when the Mandalorians started attacking, they wanted to see the real threat, which there was one, but Revan saw things differently than the Council.
What's your evidence for this? I don't remember them ever saying something to that effect. And the fact that Carth does not bring up the fact that Revan was in command and therefore responsible for Malak and Saul's actions when it is pointed out to him that Malak, not Revan gave the order, is to me fairly strong evidence that the Destruction of Telos happened after Revan's capture.
Why do people keep insisting that Revan was only trying to save the Republic? Revan was cold, heartless, and a Sith to his core. He cared nothing about the Republic government, He wanted power because he knew he could take it. He had no problem razing planets and killing innocents, as long as his goals were forwarded. The halogram on Kasyyk in KotOR 1 helps explain Revan's persona, thoughts, ideas, and ideals.
I do not understand how many people after KotOR 2 draw to the conclusion that Revan fell to the Darkside and attacked the Republic simply and only in order to save it from the "True Sith". That is not really what KotOR 2 describes. That was simply one reason. Revan believed only HE was strong enough to lead against the "True Sith", this arrogance bred a lust for power, and that lead him to the Darkside. Once fallen he would do anything to achieve his goals, why do you think he would be upset if Malak razed a planet? He razed many when he lead the invasion of the Republic. Revan and Vader were both fascists, believing that what they were doing was good for the whole. No person believes themselves to be evil, it is all point of view.
As for Malak, I believe he just didnt care about Revan's plans. Malak wanted power, and he didnt care how he got it, or what he had to do to get it.
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With regards to the hologram on Kashyyk, there is something to that argument, but there are some possibilities. Revan programmed that hologram in the presence of Malak. If Revan was only putting on the appearance of being evil, she could quite easily program the hologram to give the impression that she was evil in order to fool Malak into thinking that she really was. One could also chalk it up to the fact that every bad guy in KotOR 1 was a thug bent on hurting as many people as possible, and such things might have been retconned had KotOR 2's tale of moral ambiguity after ambiguity been planned from the start.
As to how one would draw such a conclusion, there are many points in the dialogue (at least if you chose Revan to be a light sider) where it is suggested such when people are discussing Revan in game.
And as to Revan believing that only she was strong enough to lead the Republic against the True Sith, the fact is that she was probably right. Given all Canderous' descriptions of the situation in the Mandalorian wars, it seems clear to me that since only Revan could beat the Mandalorians, only Revan would be able to beat the True Sith. And there are two other factors at work: The Outer Rim. I remember something in Canderous' description of the wars about the Republic doing nothing while the Mandalorians attacked worlds on the Outer Rim that were not part of the Republic, and that gave them a strong position from which to launch an attack against the Republic. If such a thing were to happen with the True Sith, nothing would be able to stop them. And it does not seem all too unlikely. The True Sith could easily go after the Lesser Sith Empire first, and is the Republic going to rush to the defence of its hated enemy? Also, the Star Forge. The Star Forge is a factory fueled by the Dark Side of the force. The Star Forge could be instrumental in winning the war against the True Sith. Now, Revan could turn the location of the Star Forge over to the Republic, and the Republic is probably smart enough that they would use it. The problem would be the Jedi Council. A factory whose very walls reverberate with the Dark Side? Even if it was against the wishes of the Republic, it does not seem so implausible that the Jedi would take action to destroy such an evil creation. And if Revan wanted to stop the True Sith, she wouldn't allow that possibility. So, if Revan wants to save the Republic, or at least the people in it, what option is she left with? If she returns to the republic and tells all, the Order might destroy the Star Forge, and the Republic might not respond to the True Sith until it is too late. Even if she's at the head of the military, she might not be able to win. If she stands by and does nothing, well, that's just as bad. The only other option is to apply an external force to the Republic that will put her in a position to defeat the True Sith. And that was what she did.
Are there ifs, buts, and maybes in this theory? Most certainly. But at the very least, the question of Revan's evil is open to interpretation, and isn't a situation where one could catagorically state that Revan was good or was evil.
I see from review of the topic that my original comment wasn't quite as much a statement of opinion that in hindsight I'd like it to be. In my opinion, and according to my interpretation of the story, Revan was an anti-hero, not a villain.
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I have to agree with basically everything you said.
That is true. Revan turned to save the Republic but would he have been strong enough to turn from the DS I doubt it. He probably would have set himself up like the Emperor did. I think Revan didn't care much for those in the Republic but the Republic itself and wanted that protected and that's why he killed so many people.
Good question. I believe a "fall" is defined by the Jedi Council, any of those that do not abide by the Code has fallen but their definition is strict and arrogant because those outside the Order probably know more of what a fall is. For example the Council thinks that love can cause you to fall though they never experienced it to know but Jolee did. That is why Jolee's beliefs are more understandable than the Council because it is less strict.
I believe that when Revan discovered the first Star Map on Dantooine is when he started to fall. Although it could have been the teachings of the Order like the Disciple refers to all the time. It is true that Qui Gon often defied the Council but that was then and in this time the Council seems more strict.