As for the topic at hand, if you accept the premise of Nihilus' character as presented in the game, Revan doesn't stand a chance of beating him. Almost no one does.
TOR and related material tried to nerf Nihilus and KOTOR 2's cast so they wouldn't overshadow Vitiate & co but Nihilus as presented in KOTOR 2 is a Lovecraftian abomination that no normal Force user can hope to match. He just operates on a completely different scale, like a Force black hole. Remember that Kreia's(and Visas') main concern in the game is that Nihilus' power is close to peaking and soon nothing will be able to stop him, he will consume the whole galaxy. He is basically a demi-god?
Who can resist Nihilus? Actual gods, the ones that were presented in Supernatural Encounters:
- The Ones/Celestials like Wutzek and the Father of Shadows
-their children and grandchildren: lesser gods like Tilotny, Cold Danda Sine, Typhojem, Abeloth etc.
Who else?
- probably Jerec if he succeeded in absorbing the Valley of the Jedi's power. The way Qu'Rahn told it, Jerec would have become a god himself.
-possibly Darth Plagueis, but this is just speculation. In his entry/journal in the Book of Sith Darth Plagueis muses that the Sever Force ability(which is basically the same as the Draining ability, the difference being that the user doesn't leech on the victim) is just another form of midichlorian manipulation, but he considered it quite "simple" compared to what he was trying to achieve.
And torward the end of the Darth Plagueis novel, he was quite close to realizing his goals, which is the reason Palpatine killed him. Plagueis reanimated Venamis. He increased his own midichlorian count. It's possible that with such control, he could have resisted Nihilus' drain.
-Possibly Darth Krayt. Not much evidence here, only that Krayt himself was very capable with the technique, to the point where he was able to severely injure and kill a demi-god like Abeloth. He was also wrapped up with esoteric things like the Throne of Balance, was able to travel Beyond Shadows etc.
-Possibly Talzin. Again, not much evidence, only that her abilities were different than those of normal Force users. See how she was able to remotely kill Dooku by ritual, or when she became incorporeal and teleported when Grievous attacked her on Dathomir. She may have something up her sleeve that allows her to block Nihilus.
I am of the view that much criticism of the BioWare's SWTOR project is misplaced.
The more I dig into the contents of KoTOR II, the more I realize that BioWare expanded the story in the same direction that was alluded to in KoTOR II.
Q:"And Bao-Dur - and the droids?" - The Jedi Exile
R:"Their paths are unknown to me. Even the small one - who waits for you outside this place - I sense it has one last journey for you. You must go where Revan did, into the Unknown Regions, where the Sith, the true Sith, wait in the dark for the great war that comes." - Darth Traya
THAT is exactly what happens afterwards, but their story is told in a novel (i.e. Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan).
Furthermore:-
Q:"And Revan? He came here, was here. What happened to him?" - The Jedi Exile
R:"He came because he remembered what lay buried here - this place. Its teachings. The remnants have paved the way to Korriban.
And he came because Malachor, like Korriban, lies on the fringes of the ancient Sith Empire, where the true Sith wait for us, in the dark." - Darth Traya
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Q:"But we've fought the Sith?" - The Jedi Exile
R:"Have we? You thought that the corrupted remnants of the Republic, the machines spawned by technology that Revan led into the battle were the Sith?
You are wrong. The Sith is a belief. And its Empire, the true Sith Empire, rules elsewhere.
And Revan knew the true war is not against the Republic. It waits for us, beyond the Outer Rim. And he has gone to fight it, in her way.
And he left the Ebon Hawk, and its machines behind, for he knew he would not need them.
And like you, he knew he must leave his loved ones behind as well, no matter how deeply one cares for them." - Darth Traya
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No; BioWare SWTOR's project did not attempt to nerf Darth Nihilus and others.
SWTOR Galactic History codex entry # 79 (The Conclave of Katarr):
Dark times had come to the Republic. Reconstruction from the Jedi Civil War was still ongoing, and the Jedi Order’s numbers were dwindling. Worse, many Jedi sensed a new Sith threat emerging but could not pinpoint the source.
Finally, the Jedi Council called a conclave on the Miraluka colony of Katarr. The order’s Masters, including the legendary Vandar Tokare, gathered to discuss the possibility that the Sith had returned. They did not know that Darth Nihilus, a being of pure hunger and dark side power, was approaching the colony.
Drawn to the assembled Masters, Nihilus devoured the life energy of everything on Katarr. Millions of Miraluka died, along with most of the Jedi Order's senior members. Walking Katarr's lifeless surface later, Darth Nihilus came across the only survivor: the traumatized Miraluka Visas Marr, whom Nihilus took as his apprentice.
In fact, they created a story which aligns with the perceptions of Chris Avellone to large extent.
"Kreia is setting the stage for what we imagined KOTOR3 to be, and as we had a sense for the power that we wanted those Sith Lords to reveal, her predictions are accurate. And yes, she had a number of Sith holocrons that she had read (the ones on Telos)." - Chris Avellone
More from Chris Avellone:-
"There weren't many people able to face Revan across a battlefield and survive the encounter."
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"So my opinion is that Revan could kick the Exile's ass unless the Exile pulled some strange Force deafening move, but even that wouldn’t keep Revan down for long."
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"Revan was one of the strongest Force-wielders ever."
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"Revan's a master tactician, and he's kind of a genius, and an incredible lightsaber wielder."
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"If the Exile could defeat Kreia, Revan would have an easier time of it. United with the Exile, Kreia and the Exile vs. Revan? My money's still on Revan, since in my mind, Revan was a master strategist as well as an extremely powerful Force wielder."
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"Revan could beat Kreia, no doubt about it - the student far surpassed the master."
The relevant novel (i.e. Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan) attest to the above.
Now; what if KoTOR III was made and it introduced a new big bad instead? What if Obsidian was granted this responsibility and they introduced a new big bad in the game?
BioWare's original KoTOR was a masterpiece in my view. It was straightforward and easy to understand.
The concluding battle of the Mandalorian Wars was supposed to be an EPIC development (a tale of numerous heroics in the mix); Canderous Ordo's narration in the original KoTOR gave this vibe.
KoTOR II ruined those expectations by introducing Mass Shadow Generator in the mix which made the concluding battle an underwhelming affair.
KoTOR II also made the story much more complicated by introducing the notion of Wounds in the Force and its implications (i.e. Force Drain), and the audience was given the impression that everything would die and there was no hope...
THAT does not make a compelling story, I tell ya.
When you create a character and bestow it unprecedented hype, and the said character does not live up to it, well....
BioWare was also going down that route in the Jedi Knight story arc of the overarching SWTOR project and so much hype was built around the assumption that The Sith Emperor was preparing to consume the entire galaxy but it was an underwhelming experience when The Sith Emperor's ultimate ritual was thwarted.
The Jedi Consular story arc of the overarching SWTOR project had far greater appeal in comparison. This story arc is one of the best in a long time; it introduced two very impressive villains each of whom threatened the very fabric of the Jedi Order in completely unexpected ways. The first had ancient roots and introduced a 'mysterious plague' which caught a seemingly well-prepared Jedi Order offguard and threatened to destroy it. The other was deeply linked to The Sith Emperor and offered a rich perspective about his power and reach across the galaxy (an extension of his will in the shape of an avatar who blended with the Jedi and was in the position to undermine their moves in ways unlike any visible threat).
Which only says that the Assassins used said techniques to aid them, not that it was the direct cause of death. If the SA used drain to amplify their powers to kill Jedi the quote still holds true.
Whilst I would have agreed with you at first, the quote specifically says 'using techniques in the Force the Jedi could not defend against.. If the SA only used the technique to amplify their powers then the context of that part of the quote would not make much sense compared to the SA using the technique in killing the Jedi by draining.
It makes perfect sense. They are leeching of the Jedi's own power. The Jedi, unable to defend against this technique, are then forced to fight far more powerful foe. As Kreia herself states, "And they can draw upon the Jedi's own strength to kill them."
Anyway, if the Assassins could use drain in a purely offensive way why would they have never attempted it against the Exile or her companions? The obvious and logical conclusion is they can't.
Avellone likes to tie gameplay mechanics into the lore. He does this many times including within Kotor II. The Sith Assassins are simply another example of this. The reason why they continue to be a threat to you throughout the game despite the fact that the Exile has grown far more powerful by leveling up is because they are leeching of the Exile's (or I suppose more accurately her companions') power.
Taking your interpretation, so if the Sith Assassins who are even trained in the technique can't even use the technique effectively enough to kill Jedi, then the 'degree of significance' of Malachor in draining is pretty much worthless and not even worth mentioning.
If Meetra uses the technique subconsciously then why doesn't she have any sense of 'hunger' like Nihilus though?
Consider the following quote which talks about Nihilus's Force draining someone for the first time.
"Then, when all seems lost, he discovers that his emptiness hungered. The first time, he fed it unconsciously. Draining another being's life is frightening, nauseating, but for a euphoric moment, the memories, the illness, and the hunger disappeared. But it proves insatiable. The more he indulges it, the shorter the satisfaction lasts and the more severe the hunger becomes. He begins feeding relentlessly, still always craving."
¯Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide
Yet in Meetra's case, she doesn't have any sense of 'hunger' or craving the more she feeds on those deaths. So it seems like the 'feeding on deaths' part is applicable regardless of how someone is killed and is not dependent on Force drain specifically. Nihilus drains which causes death and thus feeding on the death that is caused. Using his drain makes his hunger more severe. Meetra kills using usual ways (Not draining) and feeds on the deaths she caused.
Also note how the quote describes Force draining as a frightening and nauseating experience. Yet Meetra has not experienced anything like this indicating she has never used the technique.
Malachor V is both a dark side nexus and a wound in the Force.
For some reason, Bao-Dur's generator was unable to affect the Trayus Academy's Force energies. Therefore, that site was the only thing touched by The Force.
__________________ RealistRacism: "Sheevites, much like the Banites, were meant to increase in power with each member. From Lightsnake to Gideon to Azronger, this was supposed to be the case. However, knowledge must've been lost in some kind of Gravid-like incident, as Az turned out to be a mid-tier debater with a sub-par track record, sh!itting all over Tempest's legacy. Sad."
It is actually true that Bioware did nerf Nihilus' accomplishments, with Vitiate, in a way. And while The Sith Triumvirate were supposed to be a "minor" reflection of the power of the True Sith. You cannot deny the fact that Vitiate is nothing more but a copy-paste version of Darth Nihilus, but one without the weaknesses included. Bioware could have done so much with Vitiate in a different way instead of making him a Nihilus 2.0 .
__________________ RealistRacism: "Sheevites, much like the Banites, were meant to increase in power with each member. From Lightsnake to Gideon to Azronger, this was supposed to be the case. However, knowledge must've been lost in some kind of Gravid-like incident, as Az turned out to be a mid-tier debater with a sub-par track record, sh!itting all over Tempest's legacy. Sad."
__________________ RealistRacism: "Sheevites, much like the Banites, were meant to increase in power with each member. From Lightsnake to Gideon to Azronger, this was supposed to be the case. However, knowledge must've been lost in some kind of Gravid-like incident, as Az turned out to be a mid-tier debater with a sub-par track record, sh!itting all over Tempest's legacy. Sad."
I always thought Eternal Knights was Bioware's message of how Disney(Vitiate) took over Lucas(Valkorion).
But, yes. I think EK did do Vitiate(more) justice to his character. It almost feels as if they are two different characters.
__________________ RealistRacism: "Sheevites, much like the Banites, were meant to increase in power with each member. From Lightsnake to Gideon to Azronger, this was supposed to be the case. However, knowledge must've been lost in some kind of Gravid-like incident, as Az turned out to be a mid-tier debater with a sub-par track record, sh!itting all over Tempest's legacy. Sad."
May 30th, 2020 09:02 PM
United with the Exile, Kreia and the Exile vs. Revan? My money's still on Revan, since in my mind, Revan was a master strategist as well as an extremely powerful Force wielder."
