Revan = Anagram

[Diego Varen]

Has anyone noticed that Revan's name is an anagram? When I made my male Revan's surname, Varen (Being an anagram of Revan), I noticed that it was an anagram of Raven. Was this the developer’s intentions or was it a coincidence?

[Jediphile]

I don't remember if it was here or on Obsidian's forum, but it has been noticed before that Revan could be an anagram of Raven, as in the poem "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_raven

 

It has also been noted that the name bears resemblance to the word "Revenant", which in fiction usually refers to someone who has returned to life for some specific goal, usually to avenge his or her death, which would fit very well with Revan.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revenant_%28fiction%29

[MrVorlon]

Possibly also an allusion to the word, "revanchism". A policy directed towards recovery of territory lost to an enemy.

http://www.allwords.com/word-revanchism.html

 

Revanchism finds it's roots in the French word "revanche"

1. The act of retaliating; revenge.

2. A usually political policy, as of a nation or an ethnic group, intended to regain lost territory or standing.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Revanchism

 

However I do prefer the word "revenant" in regard to being the inpiration for Revan.

 

revenant - One who returns after death (as a ghost) or after a long absence.

 

Revenant is from French revenir which means "to return".

http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday/archive/2002/08/09.html

[Sabretooth]

I always did believe it to be an anagram of Raven. I thought it was supposed to be a reference to Raven Software, the makers of Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy.

[Lord Spitfire]

Actually, on the Revan homepage on Wookiepedia, it says that it is most probably symbolising the word 'Ravenous,' meaning desperate hunger.

[Sabretooth]

Actually, on the Revan homepage on Wookiepedia, it says that it is most probably symbolising the word 'Ravenous,' meaning desperate hunger.

 

My dear Spitfire, NEVER believe in any wiki. Just keep it in your head and look for a more credible source.

[MrVorlon]

Actually, on the Revan homepage on Wookiepedia, it says that it is most probably symbolising the word 'Ravenous,' meaning desperate hunger.

Revan wasn't really hungry. He was dead. Ravenous more applies to Nihilus, who eats the Force from anything living.

[Ctrl Alt Del]

Revan wasn't really hungry. He was dead. Ravenous more applies to Nihilus, who eats the Force from anything living.

 

 

Though I agree that ravenous seems like Nihilus, I'm pretty sure that Revan isn't a undead.

[Kas'!m]

Has anyone noticed that Revan's name is an anagram? When I made my male Revan's surname, Varen (Being an anagram of Revan), I noticed that it was an anagram of Raven. Was this the developer’s intentions or was it a coincidence?

I would have thought "Never", but I guess your's is better . . .

[Darth InSidious]

Why is Revan like a writing-desk?

 

Seriously, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

[Jeff]

It has also been noted that the name bears resemblance to the word "Revenant", which in fiction usually refers to someone who has returned to life for some specific goal, usually to avenge his or her death, which would fit very well with Revan.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revenant_%28fiction%29

I like this explanation of it, that fits well with Revan's character.

[Balderdash]

I think Bioware would've most likely gotten the word from Revenant, because that's the side we see of him mostly in the game. However in the KotOR comic recently they referred to a mysterious character, that we can only assume is Revan, as "the Revanchist leader" - and I like that word as well.

[Lord Spitfire]

The 'Raven' is our best bet since the Raven has always been associated with black. If anyone hasn't noticed, Revan's signature robes are black.

[Darth Kalverys]

Actually they are green... so there's no tellin' what Revan could mean... except I saw somewhere, but I don't know where, that Revan means Ressurrected.(SP?)

[Point Man]

Maybe it just sounded cool to the writer. Why does it have to mean anything?

[jedispy]

You know I gotta be with Jimbo Fett on this one. I think they didn't put any more thought into other than "heh heh....hey Beavis....this sounds cool."

 

It's like the names Sidious, Tyranus, Maul, Vader, etc.... They're not meant to be anagrams of anything. No further thought went into them other than "hey they sound like bad things, that's cool"

[Jediphile]

It doesn't have to mean anything, no.

 

Does that mean we can't speculate about it?

[Marauder's Fury]

Ooo, okay. Good speculation material. Maybe the devs thought, "We'll tell the story of a dethroned character who will come back and claim what's rightfully their own. Let's play on the word 'revenant', shall we" and came up with the name Revan, which is also an anagram of 'Raven', hence the black robe. What's more, Murad the Fourth of the Ottoman Empire had to go back to Istanbul due to his illness after taking Revan (Armenia today) from Iranians. Iranians took advantage of his absence and reclaimed the territory, but soon Murad recovered and marched back to Revan. The Revan Campaign was concluded with utter defeat of Iranians. Reminds me of something, well... on the tip of my tongue, but I can't quite make it out. hehe

[jedispy]

That's cool info. I'm not up on my Islamic/Middle Easter history very well.

[Marauder's Fury]

Thanks. I just couldn't overlook it, when I first heard the name and more so after I realized who the protagonist was and how the plot would probably progress.

[MrVorlon]

"The Revan Campaign"

 

Wow. You learn something new everyday. Props for that info dude.

[Ecthelion]

It's like the names Sidious, Tyranus, Maul, Vader, etc.... They're not meant to be anagrams of anything. No further thought went into them other than "hey they sound like bad things, that's cool"

I'm pretty sure Vader was an intentional reference to the Dutch word for father "Vader".

[jedispy]

Honestly I think that is mere coincidence. note this from starwars.wikia.com

Furthermore, it is also worth noting that in the original scripts for A New Hope, the name "Darth Vader" was given to a normal Imperial general.

To me that doesn't like they were planning to have him be the role he is now. I think it's just that the name sounds like invader, evader, or elevader (just kidding on that last one).

[Jediphile]

It's like the names Sidious, Tyranus, Maul, Vader, etc.... They're not meant to be anagrams of anything. No further thought went into them other than "hey they sound like bad things, that's cool"

 

Sidious. Insidious.

Tyranus. Tyrant.

Traya. Betrayal.

Nihilus. Nihil (latin for "nothing")

 

Not anagrams, no. But they clearly seem to be inspired from other source. At least I have no doubt about that. Doesn't mean it applies to all, though.

[Ecthelion]

Honestly I think that is mere coincidence. note this from starwars.wikia.comTo me that doesn't like they were planning to have him be the role he is now. I think it's just that the name sounds like invader, evader, or elevader (just kidding on that last one).

George Lucas told Rolling Stone that "Vader" was a form of "father." So unless you believe he was lying (or forgot somehow), Vader was an intentional reference to father.