Tarquin is not Vader... he's Jabba.

[Smash_Gordon]

Obviously, we will never be able to equate OotS to Star Wars perfectly. There are references, and similarities, and in-jokes, but the two are their own distinct works. This being said, a lot of people have taken the Star Wars references to liken Tarquin to Vader, but I think he's more like Jabba.

Starting superficially and then working on down....

1) The Thermal Detonator - used in Jabba's Palace. Didn't end well for that bounty hunter either (at first), did it?

2) Climax in the desert, on a floating ship.

3) His frequent imprisonment of female paramours

4) His immunity to obscure things - just as Jabba resists the Jedi Mind Trick, Tarquin has proved invulnerable to a lot of things that can neutralize a fighter

5) Tarquin is content to rule the continent, just as Jabba was content to remain the crime lord of Tattooine, and he wasn't really much of a 'world dominator' kind of guy.

But what's the point of me saying any of this? Well, I'm just comparing Tarquin to Jabba in terms of villain importance. Jabba obviously caused a lot of problems and presented a threat, but his involvement in the plot is likened to a cancer the characters need to get rid of in order to progress the story. (Ok guys, once we rescue Han, then we can go deal with the real problem)

He would never be able to stand toe-to-toe with heavyweights like The Emperor and Vader (Xykon & Redcloak). Once Jabba was dispatched, no one ever mentioned him again. He wasn't important. Everyone just wanted to drop him like a bad habit.

Just as Leia strangled Jabba with his own chains, I hope Tarquin is granted an undignified death/deposition before dropping into obscurity for the rest of the story. I stated in an earlier post that Tarquin might be redeemable because of his juxtaposition (meta-narratively) to Miko, a Lawful Good antagonist, but I was wrong. Tarquin is just the Cantina, and we are in the opening scenes of Return of the Jedi. Remember how confused and hopeless Luke (Elan) seemed at ESB (aka Azure City/DSTP)? We are watching everyone's favorite clueless bard turn into the hero he needs to be.

that's all. I'm done. Probably wrong, too, but I'd never know that if I didn't speak up.

[martianmister]

Tarquin is not Vader or Jabba... he's an original character created by Rich Burlew!

[Bulldog Psion]

Seeing Tarquin compared to a giant grotesque belching frog-gulping space slug is good enough for me. +1 to your thread in my opinion, anyway. :smallcool:

[Cavenskull]

Smash_Gordon, you've created a well-written post with a plausible theory supported by sound reasoning. You clearly have posted in the wrong forum. :smallwink:

[Smash_Gordon]

Smash_Gordon, you've created a well-written post with a plausible theory supported by sound reasoning. You clearly have posted in the wrong forum. :smallwink:

Thank you! I'm in the middle of procrastinating on a final paper and I feel like doing this will help me write 10 pages tonight.

[dps]

So you're sayinthg at Vader wasn't actually Luke's father--Jabba was.

Granted, Mark Hamill was never considered the best-looking actor in Hollywood, but that still seems a little harsh.

[Bulldog Psion]

So you're sayinthg at Vader wasn't actually Luke's father--Jabba was.

Granted, Mark Hamill was never considered the best-looking actor in Hollywood, but that still seems a little harsh.

:smallbiggrin:

[Kish]

So you're sayinthg at Vader wasn't actually Luke's father--Jabba was.
Going by the parental relationship, clearly Darth is Eugene.

[martianmister]

And Myrtok is Palpatine.

[Ghost Nappa]

I want to see the full OotS do a full-on Star Wars parody in character only for the character to derail the entire thing based on who they THINK they should play, with the entire thing either being rejected out of hand or everyone drawing out of a hat.

[NihhusHuotAliro]

Seeing Tarquin compared to a giant grotesque belching frog-gulping space slug is good enough for me. +1 to your thread in my opinion, anyway. :smallcool:

Hey, I like giant grotesque belching frog-gulping space slugs.

[Emanick]

I want to see the full OotS do a full-on Star Wars parody in character only for the character to derail the entire thing based on who they THINK they should play, with the entire thing either being rejected out of hand or everyone drawing out of a hat.

Dang it. Now you've created a deep and intense longing in me that can only be satisfied by a lengthy Kickstarter Story-esque narrative. :smallfrown:

[KillianHawkeye]

I want to see the full OotS do a full-on Star Wars parody in character only for the character to derail the entire thing based on who they THINK they should play, with the entire thing either being rejected out of hand or everyone drawing out of a hat.

Next StickTales, perhaps? :smallsmile:

[ORione]

Maybe part of why Tarquin was so annoyed at Gannji was that he realized that Gannji's Star Wars reference put him in Jabba's role, when he was trying to invoke Vader.

[Tass]

Tarquin is not Vader or Jabba... he's an original character created by Rich Burlew!

Congratulations on pointing out the exact same thing that the OP says right above you before going into his comparison.

[unbeliever536]

Actually, considering the design of his helmet and the increasing likelyhood of his death-by-falling-off-airship, I'd say he's closer to Boba Fett than Jabba. Fan reactions would also put him in that role, to some extent.

[HeeJay]

Tarquin is not Vader or Jabba... he's an original character created by Rich Burlew!

Ah, but you forgot this good old saying:

"Lesser artists borrow. Great artists steal."

:smallwink:

[BeethroBudkin07]

Tarquin is not Vader or Jabba... he's an original character created by Rich Burlew!

Tarquin's not Jabba, he's his own original character, BLABBA!

...sorry, I had to. :smalltongue:

(That said, I like this theory.)

[Jay R]

Tarquin was playing with the Vader image because he's the father of twins separated at birth, who introduced himself to one of them by announcing, "Elan, I am your father."

Like so much of what Tarquin says and believes, this made sense at first, but is now coming unraveled because of his ego and false assumptions.

[Benthesquid]

So you're sayinthg at Vader wasn't actually Luke's father--Jabba was.

Granted, Mark Hamill was never considered the best-looking actor in Hollywood, but that still seems a little harsh.

No, in this scenario, clearly Elan is Rotta. (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Rotta)

[martianmister]

Congratulations on pointing out the exact same thing that the OP says right above you before going into his comparison.

Thanks. iran iraq libya

[Harbinger]

No, in this scenario, clearly Elan is Rotta. (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Rotta)

Elan was never that annoying. No one is that annoying.

Maybe Tarquin is Darth Revan, making Malack Malak. :smallbiggrin:

[Gift Jeraff]

Actually, considering the design of his helmet and the increasing likelyhood of his death-by-falling-off-airship, I'd say he's closer to Boba Fett than Jabba. Fan reactions would also put him in that role, to some extent.

Z is Boba Fett. Not many words, a mercenary working for the B-antagonist, petrifying Haley = Han Solo being frozen in carbonite, and an unceremonious death involving a polearm and falling into a pit.

[Kornaki]

This is a nice catch. So Haley is going to end up strangling Tarquin to death by wrapping her broken arm around his neck?

[Kish]

Agh, I hope not, that sounds excruciating for poor Haley.

[Kornaki]

I was just trying to think of what would metaphorically be the chain from Haley to Tarquin and the broken arm seemed obvious and also plausible in a very painful to think about way.

[Benthesquid]

I was just trying to think of what would metaphorically be the chain from Haley to Tarquin and the broken arm seemed obvious and also plausible in a very painful to think about way.

Couldn't she just use her non-broken arm?

Or, hey, that rope that Julio's probably climbing up?

[gamephil]

Couldn't she just use her non-broken arm?

Or, hey, that rope that Julio's probably climbing up?

What happened to the whip? Also, she has all those wands, maybe one of them has something appropriate for strangulation.

Not expecting the Star Wars references to go that far, but you never know.

[Akritas]

So does that mean we get to see Haley in a metal bikini? No? Just askin' :smalltongue:

[skim172]

Jabba the Hutt is more akin to the Empress of Blood - bloated, overgrown, hairless, non-mammalian desert ruler.

Tarquin is more like the grand villain who was pulling Jabba's strings all along. Controlling Jabba entirely, directing his every motion, scripting his every word, working behind the scenes, manipulating events to his design. The most powerful, the most sinister, the most devious villain that the Star Wars franchise has ever known.

I speak, of course, of none other than:
George Lucas himself. :smallbiggrin:
Think about it - Tarquin is a master manipulator, leading every player according to his grand scheme. He's genre-savvy, very self-aware of the medium in which he works. And he just can't leave his greatest creation (Elan) alone, and instead insists on continuing to force it to fit his deluded vision, no matter what fans and friends may say. And y'know, maybe the best elements of the creation actually came from his less-recognized partner (Elan's mom) and all Tarquin did was contribute his metaphorical Ewoks. :smallannoyed:

The biggest dissimilarity, of course, is that Tarquin doesn't have a giant subdermal parasitic worm wrapped around his neck and controlling his brain. :smallyuk:

[Ridureyu]

I can't wait to see who the Jar-Jar is, then!

[Dr. Murgunstrum]

So you're sayin' he dies on an airship?

[Red XIV]

Jabba the Hutt is more akin to the Empress of Blood - bloated, overgrown, hairless, non-mammalian desert ruler.

Tarquin is more like the grand villain who was pulling Jabba's strings all along. Controlling Jabba entirely, directing his every motion, scripting his every word, working behind the scenes, manipulating events to his design. The most powerful, the most sinister, the most devious villain that the Star Wars franchise has ever known.

I speak, of course, of none other than:
George Lucas himself. :smallbiggrin:
Think about it - Tarquin is a master manipulator, leading every player according to his grand scheme. He's genre-savvy, very self-aware of the medium in which he works. And he just can't leave his greatest creation (Elan) alone, and instead insists on continuing to force it to fit his deluded vision, no matter what fans and friends may say. And y'know, maybe the best elements of the creation actually came from his less-recognized partner (Elan's mom) and all Tarquin did was contribute his metaphorical Ewoks. :smallannoyed:

The biggest dissimilarity, of course, is that Tarquin doesn't have a giant subdermal parasitic worm wrapped around his neck and controlling his brain. :smallyuk:
Wait, you're saying that George Lucas is a Goa'uld? Talk about a bizarre crossover story.