Planetary Analysis: Dantooine [KOTOR II]

A beige and cream world, darkened by thick forest routes and disrepair. Temples which already seemed old, and lonely domiciles. As a direct sequel to Knight’s of the Old Republic, ‘returning’, in the guise of another character to deal with human assassins, attempt to find a Jedi Master in hiding, even orchestrate a siege providing pieces of power and the history of a forgotten and displaced general.

Dantooine also echoes the idea of turning both physically and psychologically, returning to the same place, but with altered outcomes due to erasure of ignorance, willing to admit to pain and the past as exposition which engages the player. Just as Atris, ‘the last of the Jedi’ is dealt with in the cold, the interestingly discounted technical deserters or renegades, the Jedi Masters will either be noted for their deaths on Dantooine, or destroyed when they attempt to strip you of your abilities, perhaps even your life.

So unlike any others, this planet more than others is unflinching and blunt in its assertion that the last of the Jedi are so very like everyone else in a nihilistic and desperate galaxy.

People noticing that you have a lightsaber, not automatically revering the Jedi, but questioning them is a pretty novel concept. It speaks to both the sullied reputation of the police force, soldiers or warriors. And also the greed of ‘civilians’, scavengers. Dantooine within KOTOR II is another place where the video game concept of groups of people attacking you for gameplay reasons takes on an almost offensive air, the sense of betrayal, of being hunted and taken advantage of as some of The Exile’s dialogue certainly attests to.

I find it easy to forget, honestly. As is intended. Because I find the first Dantooine to personally be my favourite domain of the Jedi, and an original one. Not an Eden, not another swamp although I find Dagobah to be inspired. Definitely not political ground. A summer or autumn land, with casually flying animals, a constant sun. This makes sense as much as the cool but simple buildings. Domed, not too high. Were the engine capacity, graphical fidelity and art budget/time so high I would imagine they apply feng-shui to the homes as well.

KOTOR II’s team saved assets with the same world. All they added were vines. I understand it. a player can enjoy the amount of combat and planning to be found on the planet. And that while giving the player the chance for player choice and combat, I like how it’s using the medium to undercut the Jedi and show the bloodier age.

After a sanctimonious Atris betrayed it, after the war came to the Jedi while they held back protecting others, their light is gone. Not in slaughter, but something more total. A return to nature without them. The world will still grow without the Jedi. Factions will still fight on any world. But the tranquillity and monastic settlement is gone. It’s sorrowful, but the intelligence is only allowing this upon the second visit. And it hammers the sorrow home more with the irony. An old, frail woman struggling to sit…your enemy about to turn on you and the most dangerous Sith Lord. And the ‘Jedi’ Masters you meet, which you saved or slew are shown to either be a vacuum teaching you murder was meaningless, or show themselves to be cowards and honourless bastards of the worst variety. Happy to relinquish responsibility for others, unity, if anything being selfish in a way against the selflessness of the Jedi ways. The second they come together, they try to judge. Compel. It says something cynical and bleak about the Jedi and the setting when the mages decide to use their magic to strip away the Force from the Exile; they offer nothing in the way of empathy or alliance or reason. It is easy for the player to root for Kreia as she destroys them.

Dantooine is dead, at least spiritually in this game. And I must confess I prefer the previous game’s creativity and visit to it. It’s a good re-use of assets and good stage for confrontation. But in a pretty grim game, using Dantooine as a planet setting for a KOTOR II level allows the storytellers to show the worst about the Jedi or notions of tranquillity in a riven galaxy.

Reference:

 Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. Obsidian Entertainment. 2004.