Exile: Male or Female?

[Emperor Devon]

What the title says, and there wasn't a thread about this already. Do you think the Exile is best as a man or a woman?

 

I myself like her as a woman. The scenes with Sion were much better than they were a male Exile (It made him seem much more original than a normal Sith Lord to love the person he wanted dead), Atton had a bit more personality, the Disciple was a better party member than the Handmaiden, and for some reason I can't place my finger on, the whole game seemed better. I thought the only pro for a male exile was how Atris' hatred was better explained.

 

Thoughts?

[Diego Varen]

I've played as both and I don't mind if the Exile is a Male or a Female. Revan on the other hand has no chance of being a Female though.

[The Doctor]

Female. I don't know why. For the longest time, it was Male, but then I RPed with FFWM as a female Exile.

[goldberry]

I generally feel that the cannon setup gives you the most gameplay-wise. LS Male Revan in K1 made me feel the game was more complete, same with LS Female Exile in K2.

[Nema_Suneimi]

Female Exile, most definitely -- there's an element of nurturing in the Exile's effect on her party, gathering up the Lost Jedi, what-not, and gender-affinity as Kreia's successful protege (after Kreia was subjected to "indignities" by Sion and Nihilus). And I like Atton and the Disciple's silly crushes on the femme Exile.

 

Plus, what other guy could rival Revan? There's a yin and yang to Revan and the Exile. [in K1, I prefer female Revan for the Carth romance, but do agree that male Revan fits better for canon.]

[Jediphile]

The male exile is better precisely because Sion's "love" for the female exile is just stupid to the point of insult to me. Besides, the Handmaiden's sideplot is much more interesting than the Disciple's plot, which seems more like a non-plot to me, since it's just a connection back to the exile's day at the enclave, which doesn't even have any impact on the plot. Whether you love or loathe Brianna, she grows a lot as a person in the male Exile's plot, and her sideplot ties in with Atris' relationship to the exile, which seems more potent for the male Exile to me. Mical, on the other hand, has no plot and at most just gets to finish his abandoned jedi training and provide a bit more insight into the exile's special powers, which you learn from other character's anyway.

[Melly]

Female. And I think the less I say on that the better. Suffice to say I agree with everything Emperor Devon posted.

[Davinq]

Female, for multiple reasons, of which most are already posted.

 

1. It's canon

 

2. There seems to be a passion involved in doing what you're doing in the game that I can't picture a male doing.

 

3. Sion is made special. (Everyone wants the Exile this way, just like how everyone wanted Trin in the Matrix )

 

4. Feels more complete to me.

 

More or less the same reasons as everybody else.

 

DQK out

[Jae Onasi]

Female.

I just don't get turned on by a half-naked Brianna. Disciple's good for lab stuff and medpaks, too. Some of the cut scenes and discussions with Disciple explain a few things that you don't get from Handmaiden. They're not critical to the plot, but it's nice to have those puzzle pieces.

[Emperor Devon]

I just don't get turned on by a half-naked Brianna.

 

Since you're most likely a heterosexual, I would expect not. But then again, I wasn't either.

 

Mical, on the other hand, has no plot

 

There actually are a number of cutscenes with him and Kreia that relate to the main plot. You can also have some talks with him about the Republic and his thoughts on the Jedi. I found him to be more interesting to talk to myself.

[Melly]

Since you're most likely a heterosexual, I would expect not. But then again, I wasn't either.

 

The reason I didn't find Handmaiden attractive was because she is way too skinny (that and I'm a Bao girl ). I think this about Mira too, but Mira makes up for it in personality, IMO Handmaiden doesn't, however. I mean even as a girl I can recognize and appreciate feminine beauty and I think the only one that really wins in that category is Visas. And she has no eyes!

 

I said I wasn't going to talk about this, but I can't help myself it seems. Though I liked playing a male Exile I didn't like the relationship between Handmaiden and the Exile. It seemed too much to me like she was looking for a replacement for her father in him. And, again like Emperor Devon, I find Disciple much more interesting to talk to, but then people have told me I should be a philosopher. It also seems to me that Di and the Exile would have more in common than Handmaiden and the Exile. Except for their knowing Atris there is nothing (which in of it's self I find odd that the Jedi would have these handmaiden "servants". )

[Vegard Aune]

Female is canon, so I'll have to say that, though I just about always play as a male, and really, I think that Sion's personality is the only REAL advantage females have.

[Melly]

Female is canon, so I'll have to say that

 

So? What does "canon" have to do with what gender you see the Exile as? I see Revan as female, and they made Revan canonically male, but that doesn't change my opinion one bit, she's still female to me. And it shouldn't change yours about the Exile either if you see him as male.

[RedHawke]

So? What does "canon" have to do with what gender you see the Exile as?

Exactly!

 

So to keep the potential harassment to the minimum I issue this thread warning to everyone;

 

Any further posts attempting to shove canon into this will be deleted as off topic. This topic has nothing to do with the 'canon' Exile...

 

The topic is your thoughts on which gender for the Exile is better.

[Jediphile]

There actually are a number of cutscenes with him and Kreia that relate to the main plot. You can also have some talks with him about the Republic and his thoughts on the Jedi. I found him to be more interesting to talk to myself.

 

Yes, but you learn nothing from Disciple that relates to the main plot that you don't learn from other characters anyway, and I found his whole "I couldn't be a jedi after you left"-plot a very disappointing sob-story. I don't really dislike Mical, but in that case, I really did go, "cry my a river, why don't you?" By comparison I found Brianna's "betrayal"-plot far more powerful.

 

Mical has some nice comments along the way, but it's all just talk.

[Vegard Aune]

So? What does "canon" have to do with what gender you see the Exile as? I see Revan as female, and they made Revan canonically male, but that doesn't change my opinion one bit, she's still female to me. And it shouldn't change yours about the Exile either if you see him as male.

In that case, I'll say male instead, as the game seems more completed for males. (It seems like most of the stuff that could make Disciple a good character was cut...)

[Gavroche]

Mmm... Female.. Or Male, I'm not sure of my choice.

 

I like the passion Visas feels for the Male Exile, and the consequences it implies in the battle against Dth Nihilus. And Kreia's plan seems more complete with Brianna (she knows the feelings she has for the Exile, so she manages to make the Handmaiden taking her to Atris after the confrontation with the Jedi Masters).

Also, the Handmaiden, with a Female, is doomed to stay The-Lastest-Of-The-Echani-Sisters while she has the potential to become a great Jedi.

 

The Disciple... Mmm... He is useful as a lab, and then... ? There isn't the same story of betrayal. And his classes Soldier>Consular, that's stupid (not enough WIS to make him a good Consular).

And, to compare with Brianna if the Exile is a Male, he preserves a good job with the Republic, and more important doesn't care about becoming a Jedi because it was HIS decision not to persevere in this way.

 

Sion. Mm. Yes, he is really more interesting with a Female Exile. Too bad she has to kill him. Not enough development with this idea.

 

What else ?

...

I prefer play a whole hour with a Female in underwear in Peragus that with a Male XD ..

[mimartin]

Before Stoffe’s mod “Handmaiden choice for females” I’d have to go with my Exile being male, but since that mod I’d go with female 99% of the time. I didn’t really like any of the male skins, plus dislike Disciple enough to play as male without Stoffe’s wonderful mod. So my vote is female as long as Disciple isn’t invited to the party.

[Emperor Devon]

Yes, but you learn nothing from Disciple that relates to the main plot that you don't learn from other characters anyway,

 

True, but I found talking to him about the Republic to be more interesting than sparring with a half-naked Echani.

 

and I found his whole "I couldn't be a jedi after you left"-

 

That I think was made solely for the purpose of making him a Jedi.

 

By comparison I found Brianna's "betrayal"-plot far more powerful.

 

I don't know about you, but the Handmaiden didn't seem to think she betrayed Atris when she went back to Telos. She's really just a personality-devoid servant who you supposedly turn to your side.

 

But even so, the Disciple is just part of why I like a female Exile. There's Darth Sion, Atton, the huge lack of female Sith Lords and strong characters, etc...

[Jae Onasi]

True, but I found talking to him about the Republic to be more interesting than sparring with a half-naked Echani.

 

I think some of the reason people like Brianna better (besides looks) is that a. her hair is better (Mical has this Ken-doll hard plastic blond thing going) and she doesn't say "You have left me an OH-pening!!!" every .36 seconds in battle.

 

However, I still like his story better, and there's a mod to get rid of his 'battle cry'.

Every time I see a half-naked Brianna, the only thing I can think is (rolling eyes) "Yeah, yeah, LA/Obsidian's attempt to keep the interest of hormonal males...."

[Emperor Devon]

Every time I see a half-naked Brianna, the only thing I can think is (rolling eyes) "Yeah, yeah, LA/Obsidian's attempt to keep the interest of hormonal males...."

 

They certainly thought poorly of us.

 

What's even more amusing and ridiculous about those "sparring" matches is that Brianna claims stripping to almost nothing is to put no restrictions upon movement, yet her sisters in the academy say the same thing while wearing the same outfit she does during the matches...

[Diego Varen]

Thinking about it now, I think both the Handmaiden and the Disciple should've been in the game. G0-T0 could be replaced (I tried using him and he weren't that great) and he didn't add much to the story, except see the Remote at the end. That could still happen though. Also both the Handmaiden and the Disciple are needed to advance the story.

 

Handmaiden's reasons:

 

1. To advance the story with Atris and her downfall.

 

2. Kreia seems to be interested with the Handmaiden.

 

3. Become one of the Jedi to help rebuild the Order.

 

4. Soon become better than her sisters.

 

5. Show the relationship between her and Visas (If Male PC).

 

Disciples's reasons:

 

1. To show more relationship between him and Carth.

 

2. Kreia seems to be interested with the Disciple.

 

3. Become one of the Jedi to help rebuild the Order.

 

4. Help find out about the Sith.

 

5. Show the relationship between him and Atton (If Female PC).

[Jediphile]

True, but I found talking to him about the Republic to be more interesting than sparring with a half-naked Echani.

 

Well, the sparring bit is pretty low, I'll agree. But I still find Brianna more interesting than Mical. The love story isn't so good, since Brianna seems to see far too much of her lost father in the male Exile for it to be a healthy relationship to me. Then again, the same is true for Mical, who seems to follow the female Exile only out of some lovestruck schoolboy mentality, which is not the case for Brianna - she was ordered to join the Exile's party by Atris. There are actually voiceacting for this in the soundfiles, pointing to yet another deleted cutscene, where Atris orders Brianna to the quest to Brianna's surprise.

 

That I think was made solely for the purpose of making him a Jedi.

 

You could be right, but that actually makes it worse in my eyes, because then it's just bad (=forced) plot instead of poor characterization.

 

I don't know about you, but the Handmaiden didn't seem to think she betrayed Atris when she went back to Telos. She's really just a personality-devoid servant who you supposedly turn to your side.

 

Well, she does say that she is willingly betraying Atris when you train her as a jedi, which then prompts Kreia's "Betrayal!", which echoes onto a cutscene with Atris on Telos. I really miss that "Betrayal!" in the female Exile's story - that was just so cool!

 

But even so, the Disciple is just part of why I like a female Exile. There's Darth Sion, Atton,

 

The whole love-interest is just stupid for Sion, if you ask me. When I played male, he was a dark, ominous enemy with incredible powers. When I played female he turned into a love-confused puppy

 

the huge lack of female Sith Lords and strong characters, etc...

 

What does that have to do with anything????

 

Not that I disagree, really - generally Star Wars could do with more strong female characters, but it's not an issue here. Besides, the Exile is scarcely a strong character in that sense, seeing as how he/she goes through the whole plot unaware of his/her true nature, while all the other jedi knew all along. Add to that the exile has been fleeing his/her choice at Malachor for a decade, and we have a very anti-heroic protagonist. I like that, but it certainly doesn't point to a strong leading character. If you want a strong female lead, then Revan would be a much better choice than Exile. In fact, most Star Wars protagonists probably would be, since the Exile is about the most timid and cowed protagonist I've ever seen.

 

They certainly thought poorly of us.

 

What's even more amusing and ridiculous about those "sparring" matches is that Brianna claims stripping to almost nothing is to put no restrictions upon movement, yet her sisters in the academy say the same thing while wearing the same outfit she does during the matches...

 

I guess that they - unlike Brianna and Atton - just didn't know the Echani etiquette rituals

[stoffe]

Every time I see a half-naked Brianna, the only thing I can think is (rolling eyes) "Yeah, yeah, LA/Obsidian's attempt to keep the interest of hormonal males...."

 

Every time I see a half-naked stick figure Brianna the only thing I can think is "I wonder where she's concealing all those muscles she supposedly has as a strong melee brawler." Her underwear appearance just doesn't look very fit or muscular at all, which matches poorly against how she's portrayed in the game.

 

As for the Exile I prefer her as a female for a variety of reasons already mentioned by others in this thread, in addition to the appearance. I don't like how all the male characters in the KotOR games seem physically deformed with their torso proportionally too large compared to their legs and how they have no buttocks. It looks kind of creepy how they all have their legs directly attached to their lower back, and how they walk like they are badly constipated. (I guess that's a bioware thing, the same thing was true for the male models in NWN.) Shallow perhaps, but I can't connect with a character looking like that, nor stand to gaze upon them for 50+ hours. It just seems more effort has been put into the female models and animations.

[mongerman]

Thats funny. I prefer males over females for the same reason. The female models all look too gangly and loose limbed to me.