[spoiler] Understanding Zez-Kai Ell

[Clockwork]

I've played KOTOR2 through several times, but the confrontation with Zez-Kai Ell on Nar Shadda always confuses me.

 

Why does he want to fight the Exile? After the set of questions you ask him, there is an option either to kill him (DS), or "what happens now?" Zez-Kai Ell first says:

 

 

Now... now I must take up the role I was ready to cast aside. This threat has finally revealed itself, and we Jedi will need to stand together.

 

Which itself implies that Zez-Kai Ell is prepared to rejoin the other Jedi on Dantooine.

 

But only a few breaths later, he follows up with:

 

Make no mistake - I am no Jedi. This is the end you see. After this, there will be nothing. And I think it will be for the best. Do you wish to do battle now? I have nothing more to say.

 

Does he think the Exile is the threat referred to in the first quotation? This makes no sense if he is LS, unless Zez-Kai Ell is so far gone he can no longer tell friend from foe.

 

Is he so broken and tired that he wants someone to put him out of his misery? But then why offer to end his own self-imposed exile to stand with the other Jedi? Was this merely a symbolic statement of intent, that by 'stand together' he means to finally take action - but again, why does this mean fighting the Exile?

 

Any clarification provided would be most welcome. I'm trying to properly RP my playthrough but because I don't understand what is happening here I can't choose the most appropiate response.

[Master_Lin]

Well actually I guess there is no common sense in what he's saying, since he's exiled himself because of the exile of the player's character.

IMHO he's trying to make himself a redemption but why ? I don't know.

If you're LS, just try to avoid any battle with him and make him go to Dantooine.

But if you're DS, you can either avoid the battle or kill him, but if you kill him you'll gain more power with the Force and you'll become a bigger echo in the force.

[Qui-Gon Glenn]

The revealed threat is the Exile. Zez doesn't say that, makes you think he's referring to the Sith. Another proud Jedi doing what proud Jedi do - lie. An easy slow fall....

 

As for him saying he is no Jedi, that is ludicrous. He teaches you a Jedi form if you let him live, and if you fight him he defends himself with a lightsaber and the Force.

 

As for how to role-play it "correctly" - is there really a correct way to role-play

Go with what you feel you would do in that role.

 

I have played through the game dozens of times, and spent countless hours studying and working on TSL game files. I almost always play as an LS, so he lives. But I have played DS, and I enjoyed cooking his butt. Not nearly as much as bashing Vrook - the most laughable "light side" Jedi I ever saw. If he isn't outright DS, I don't know who is. I would invite Dooku to dinner any night over Vrook Lamar.