KMC Forums - Does any high-tier character have worse awareness than Valkorion?

Throughout Star Wars lore, we've seen characters perform outrageous stunts in desperation that have resulted in their demise. Other times, we've seen characters perform truly embarrassing feats or attacks that leave them open to defeat.

Rarely have top tier characters performed such actions, but when they do, it is usually referred to PIS, or 'plot induced stupidity'. Here I ask, when does 'plot induced stupidity' stop becoming plot induced, and start becoming simply 'stupidity'?

Darth Vitiate, The Sith Emperor; otherwise known as Valkorion, has some of the worst displays of combat awareness in the mythos when it comes to high tier characters. Here are but a few:

The Exile was given the opportunity to kill Vitiate, due to his inability to multitask. She consciously chose to save Revan instead however:

quote:
"In desperation, she hurled her lightsaber with a wild sidearm throw, guiding it with the Force so that it spiraled end-over-end to intercept the descending blade, knocking it from the Emperor’s grasp and sending it skittering across the floor.
Suddenly empty-handed, the Emperor took a quick step back. His attention had been focused solely on Revan; Meetra’s trick had caught him by surprise. Scourge realized that if she had aimed at the Emperor instead of the blade, she could have ended his life even as he ended Revan’s. But her instincts to save her friend overrode her desire to kill her enemy, and Scourge could only lament the lost opportunity."

When confronting the Hero of Tython, Vitiate walked towards the hero while knowingly having no options left. Vitiate was potentially weakened from the Ritual, but the fact remains that he walked [I]towards an opponent who benefited from being in melee range, Vitiate's best chance of survival relied on staying at range, so why walk forward?

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A similar event happens in Chapter 1 of Knights of the Fallen Empire, Valkorion is too focused on his Son's attacks to notice a Smuggler/Agent/Bounty Hunter/Trooper fire a shot into his back, or the HoT/Barsen'thor/Nox/Wrath stab him, thus causing him to die and his throne to descend into ruin.

Once upon a time, people could argue he intended that to happen, but given that Valkorion showed at the end of Knights of the Eternal Throne that he wished to rule Zakuul still, that argument no longer stands true.

So what do people think? Is Valkorion truly one of the most inept combatants in the mythos? Should this be taken into account when deciding who wins in versus scenarios?

PS: I'd specifically like to call out S_W_LeGenD as our resident Vitiate expert to respond if willing. I'm curious what defense could be made smile

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