The Case for the Jedi Exile Meetra Surik
Unfortunately, due to a single loss in Revan the respect for the Exile has dropped massively. This thread will rectify not only misinterpreted events in the novel, but also establish just how powerful the Exile actually is.
Before we get into the major events of the novel, let's establish just how powerful Meetra was. Even as of the Mandalorian Wars, Revan considers the Exile his most tactically gifted and potentially powerful ally, giving her half of his forces. Before becoming far greater than his greatest expectations.
Recognising her potential, Revan had made her a general, giving her control over nearly half of the Republic and Jedi troops under his command.
- The Old Republic: Revan
"I was told you had been cut off from the Force, but I can sense its power in you. I always knew you had great potential, but you have become far greater than I could ever have imagined."
- Revan, The Old Republic: Revan
"She was a great Jedi. My most trusted ally. History remembers her as the Exile. To me, she was... more."
- Revan, The Old Republic
In fact, the Jedi Exile becomes more powerful than Darth Traya:
"You are strong... I cannot see as she does, but I know, that in time, you shall surpass her power."
- Darth Sion, Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
"From the moment you awoke, I have used you. I have used you so that you might become strong, stronger than I."
- Darth Traya, Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
By this point, after killing Traya, she's even capable of hauling a ship out of Malachor V's orbit to escape.
"You may take one of the ships that orbit Malachor and depart this place."
- Darth Traya, Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
Just a reminder of how immensely difficult that is:
The storms of Malachor V are enough to draw down even the strongest of ships. Once on the surface, there is little chance of escape.
- Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
Contrary to popular belief, the Exile spends years after defeating the Triumvirate to train the reborn Jedi Order. Providing her years of growth after this fact.
Meanwhile, the Exile trained new Jedi recruits, forming a council of her companions who achieved mastery and welcoming others who came out of hiding. After years of slow but steady growth, the reborn Jedi Order made a triumphant return to its long-abandoned temple on Coruscant.But the Jedi Exile could not forget Darth Traya's final warning, suggesting that evil remained in the Unknown Regions. With the Jedi Order flourishing, the Exile left the known galaxy to follow her former commander Revan into darkness.
- Star Wars the Old Republic - Galactic History 83: The Republic Rebuilds
More than that, Lord Scourge states that Revan, the Exile and the Hero of Tython are the greatest Jedi he's ever known:
"For a time I worked with the greatest of your Jedi heroes: Revan and the Jedi Exile."
- Lord Scourge, The Old Republic
"Revan was both Jedi Master and Sith Lord. His student, the Exile, defeated the Sith triumvirate. They were your greatest heroes."
- Lord Scourge, The Old Republic
Scourge has no shortage of experience with powerful Jedi:
As the feared "Emperor's Wrath," Scourge enforced his Master's will for more than three centuries. When a Jedi grew too powerful or a Sith too ambitious, Scourge eliminated the threat.
- The Old Republic Encyclopedia
Indeed, the Exile was a true powerhouse:
This shouldn't be a problem, however; after all that [the Exile's] been through, [the Exile] should be a powerhouse of destruction.
- Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords: Prima Official Game Guide
It's even said Surik may have been as skilled as Revan in combat:
"I thought that Revan was a singular Jedi, but now there's you. With all our martial training, battles and ethics, even our greatest warriors are no match for you."
- Canderous a.k.a Mandalore the Preserver, Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
"And how do you think Revan and the Exile compare as duelists [...] would she beat Revan in a strictly lightsaber duel?""This is similar to my last answer - the Exile is probably more skilled at dueling, but I hate "vs" questions."
- Drew Karpyshyn
So why was Meetra Surik so underwhelming in Revan? Some claim it is the hasty way in which it was written. Others claim the KotOR era characters are overhyped. The truth in fact, is that many have simply neglected to analyse the Darth Nyriss battle.
First we need to take into account the environment:
"We need to watch one another closely. If Master Katarn could be swayed, then any of us could. Not just Vestara.”
...
Luke stood for a moment, his eyes and other senses searching the landscape. “Anyone sense anything?”
Ben extended himself in the Force, both opening himself to the vile sensation of the dark side and utilizing his senses—even smell, temporarily at least—to gather what information he could.
“Other than the obvious, which is a metric ton of dark-side energy, I can’t sense anything,” Jaina said.
...
“It’s…so strong,” Vestara breathed. Ben glanced over at her. Her brown eyes were wide, and her voice was a mixture of horror and attraction.
“Vestara,” Luke said, sharply but not angrily, and she blinked as if coming out of a daze. “Do you sense any signs of the Sith or Abeloth?”
She shook her head, looking more like her usual alert self. “No. That nexus pretty much drowns out anything else.”
...
Luke and Jaina were fighting back-to-back. The Sith attacking them had two advantages. One was the fact that they outnumbered the two Jedi. The second was that they were being reinforced by the emanations of the dark-side nexus within the temple. It surged forth like psychic sewage, clogging the Jedi’s reflexes as it fueled their enemies.
...
“I don’t think you did,” Luke replied. “They probably assumed we’d do exactly what we have been doing—investigating planets traditionally associated with Sith history. Khai probably chose this place because of the nexus. They could send a smaller team and still be stronger.”
- Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse
So Dromund Kaas, even after four thousand years of abandonment was an extremely powerful dark side nexus. Dromund Kaas during Revan had numerous such sites across Kaas city:
The dark side power emanating from within the building was undeniable; he had felt the raw, crackling energy every day during his years as an acolyte. He had drawn on it, focusing his mind and spirit to channel the power through his own body to sustain him during the brutal training sessions.
- The Old Republic: Revan
The temple became a nexus of dark side energy as the Emperor performed rituals within.
- The Old Republic: Encyclopedia
However, Dromund Kaas remains home to both the Emperor and his Dark Council. Even though the planet is bristling with the energy of the dark side, it is the Imperial military that has the largest visible presence on Dromund Kaas.
- The Old Republic: Encyclopedia
Now, onto the Nyriss fight:
She raised her free hand above her head and fired off another burst of lightning. Both Scourge and Meetra threw themselves clear of the deadly electrical bolt, but in doing so they gave Nyriss the early advantage.
- The Old Republic: Revan
So in dodging the Force lightning, they allowed her to take them off-guard. An advantage in momentum, not skill.
Before they could recover, she leapt at them. Despite her withered appearance, she moved with all the speed and ferocity of a dark side warrior in her prime. She landed right between her two adversaries, her blade flashing back and forth in a series of slashes and cuts that immediately threw her two opponents on the defensive.
- The Old Republic: Revan
She leapt inbetween Scourge and Surik before they could recover and went on the offensive, taking advantage of the earlier forfeit.
Nyriss seized on the opportunity to focus all her efforts on breaking through Meetra’s defenses. The Jedi was clearly overmatched; though she managed to hold her ground, she was forced down to one knee.
- The Old Republic: Revan
So as opposed to being outskilled, Darth Nyriss' Force augmented strength forced the Exile to her knees. On a dark side nexus of such power, that's unsurprising.
Dazed, he looked up just in time to see another bolt of violet lightning catch Meetra in the chest. Like Nyriss, she threw up a barrier to save herself from the worst of it, but she was still knocked from her feet.
- The Old Republic: Revan
This is one of the most important parts in the fight, Meetra is stated to erect a barrier in the same manner as Nyriss. Which is to mean instinctively and without a gesture. What's important is that this was only a Force barrier, a defensive technique not designed for such attacks. Even Tutaminis is very difficult to use successfully against Force lightning for the most powerful Jedi.
In short, the arguments used against her are largely misrepresentation and a general overestimation of how much an advantage Nyriss had.