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1* AccidentalAesop:
2** Getting Kreia's approval on ''anything'' is generally the hardest achievement in the game, and for some plot points [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption impossible by definition]]. The only relatively consistent way to get her content is simply telling her that she may be right or that you'll consider your actions more. While her constant reactions are clearly scripted as a form of [[Creator/FriedrichNietzsche Nietzschean]][=/=][[Creator/{{Socrates}} Socratic]] mentorship based on constant questions and the juxtaposition of opposite ideas, following the mentioned advice towards her character brings the accidental lesson that some people are [[InsufferableGenius just not worth arguing with.]]
3** Regardless of whether the Force is benevolent or not as Kreia argues, the story underlines more clearly in the process that sometimes people in charge don't act out of the wisdom, experience, altruism or competence expected in someone their rank, but merely of petty self-interest and/or sheer fear. This message is far from being alien to the ''Star Wars'' universe, but it becomes particularly relevant in the stance of the Jedi Council's members through the game, especially the least sympathetic ones.
4* {{Adorkable}}: The Handmaiden becomes visibly excited to ask the Exile questions about the Force when they meet in the Telos academy, as they are the first Jedi she meets other than the dogmatic Atris. The way she insists to know even although the Exile cannot find the words is just adorable, making it all more satisfying when the Exile and/or Kreia finally give her the answers she wanted.
5* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
6** This game makes you think about the first game and what Revan's real motivations were, especially in light of the test given by the Star Map computer on Kashyyyk.
7** Kreia, being a ConsummateLiar and UnreliableExpositor, is subject to a lot of this. Her stated goal is [[spoiler:to kill the Force, believing it to be a cruel god content to leave the galaxy in a bloody ForeverWar between Light and Dark]]. However, some believe that [[spoiler:what she's really trying to do is have the Exile rebuild the Jedi Order free of its past corruption and mistakes or just make them a worthy companion for Revan against the True Sith]]. It doesn't help that she claims both at different times (more explicitly in restored content); it's entirely possible [[XanatosGambit she'd be happy either way.]]
8** Speaking about Kreia, [[spoiler:she claims to hate the Force and to only use it as a poison, waiting for the day in which she can dispose of it. However, when the Handmaiden asks the Exile and Kreia about how feels to sense the Force, the latter's answers could hardly be more heartfelt - she describes sensing the Force as the most wonderful thing one can imagine, even for the Dark Side, and speaks about its absence as the ultimate loss of vital sense. Hearing this, it is hard to believe she could have actually wished to kill the Force as she claimed. Was she really willing to go through such pain herself along with everybody for the greater good, or is just plain lying about her plan? Note that even she acknowledges that she may only be deluding herself about why she uses the Force while hating it, which just opens the door to say that any or all of the above and more are possible.]]
9** Why does Kreia [[spoiler:love the Exile despite all of her manipulations, as she claims? Is it really because the Exile embodies all Traya appreciates? Or might it be that Kreia, especially due to being Force-bonded to the Exile, is being affected herself by the Exile MagneticHero powers like everybody else without even realizing it? Or is it both? Or is she still [[ConsumateLiar lying]]]]?
10** Is Sion's existence driven by his anger as it is claimed? Or is he actually keeping himself alive only because he ''fears'' death, another Dark Side emotion? [[TakeAThirdOption Or is he using both anger and fear]]?
11* AntiClimaxBoss:
12** [[spoiler:Kreia/Darth Traya]] can be one. Sure, she hovers three lightsabers in front of you, but all you have to do is sidestep them, then hit her a few times. It really depends on how much you've leveled yourself by the time you get there. Her health is three times yours, and at higher levels that's a number reaching up to 1000. Still, her floating lightsabers aren't that tough... especially if [[ArtificialStupidity you confuse them and get them stuck]].
13** Darth Nihilus. For a guy touted as an utter monster, a decently equipped party will tear him apart in under a minute. This is justified in-game, though: [[spoiler:Nihilus is a wound in the Force, as is the player. When he tries to feed on the player, naturally it backfires and he's a lot weaker]].
14** [[spoiler:Atris]] also qualifies. While she didn't have so much buildup as the other major bosses, the encounter is very climactic and since you are facing [[spoiler:a Jedi Master]] you are likely to expect a decent fight... only for her to go down in few hits. Her attacks and saves aren't too impressive either, so depending on your level and equipment she might border on ZeroEffortBoss. This is justifiable in that she was a historian, not a fighter, so combat was not her main focus, to say nothing of the fact that her skills are probably rusty after hiding out for so long.
15** The last Mandalorian challenger you fight in the on Dxun, Bralor, will allow you to use whatever weapons you want as well as your force powers while he challenges you using only his [[BareFistedMonk fists]]. While Bralor is the best hand to hand fighter you'll face in the Battle Circle, none of that will stand a chance against a jedi's force powers and/or a lightsaber if you have constructed one by this point. Assuming you don't [[HonorBeforeReason decide to meet his challenge also only using hand to hand with no powers,]] you'll probably blow through him with ease compared to the other challenges who are considered "weaker".
16* {{Anvilicious}}:
17** The sheer amount of criticism hurled at both the ''Star Wars'' universe in general and the Force in particular. While there are definitely good points to be made, how many of them are valid is perhaps the major point of contention between those who love the game and those who don't.
18** The narrative's insistence on blaming the Force itself for all the problems with the universe can also be seen as a heavy handed metaphor for the dangers of religious and/or ideological zealotry.
19--->'''Kreia:''' If you are to truly understand, then you will need the contrast, not adherence to a single idea.
20* ArcFatigue: The Peragus mining facility is just ''painful''. It's a long and boring slog through an eerily empty base, fighting alone until the end. There's an UnintentionallyUnwinnable oversight in one section, [[MurderArsonAndJaywalking and you're running around in your underwear until you find a mining uniform]]. Anyone who hasn't been there before will likely get lost or have no idea what to do at points. Even fans ''of'' the Peragus level will say it goes on too long and feel not much would be missed if it was cut in half.
21* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic:
22** When you finally enter the rebuilt Jedi enclave, you are introduced to it with a panning shot that shows it starting to return to life, like what it once was in the first game. This glimmer of hope is underscored by "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__gLIyeQYDU Rebuilt Jedi Enclave]]", which then enhances the next moment when the Exile either [[spoiler:gets turned on by the Lost Jedi they've sought in the Light Side endgame, or gets chewed out by Kreia herself for such a futile pursuit of revenge in the Dark Side endgame.]]
23** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DtVBD6W5_A The Sith Lords]]" is an ambivalent theme that mixes heroic and foreboding tunes to convey a unique uncertainty.
24** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyzS2l-W1Xc Telos Battle]]" has a persistent snare that befits a marching tune, and despite the track name it is perfectly suitable for battles on Onderon, particularly in the midst of the civil war.
25* BaseBreakingCharacter: Kreia is an incredibly divisive figure. Either one finds her long, disdainful iconoclastic monologues about the nature of the Force and Revan's past to be a fascinating highlight of the game, or one finds that same tendency ''incredibly'' annoying and pedantic. Seeing as Kreia is the main source of exposition, the most prominent NPC and [[spoiler:the BigBad herself]], whether one enjoys this game or not often depends heavily on how much one enjoys Kreia.
26* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: HK-47's pacifist package sequence. You get this opportunity after doing a side-quest, which results in giving HK-47 a FateWorseThanDeath by temporarily turning him into a pacifist. It's utterly hilarious (if somewhat unsettling), it's over quickly and is never brought up again.
27* BrokenBase:
28** Some adore the game for [[DeconstructorFleet deconstructing]] the ''Star Wars'' universe's BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil, while others hate it by the same reason, and a third camp likes the idea yet finds the way that the story does so - by stacking the deck in favor of a BaseBreakingCharacter - to be unlikable.
29** What was Kreia's real plan is the title of a discussion that has been raging since the year the game was released. Replace "plan" with "philosophy", "meaning", "nature" or any other similar word and the debate increases exponentially.
30* CaptainObviousReveal: It isn't actually acknowledged that [[spoiler:Mandalore is Canderous Ordo]] until quite late in the story, despite [[spoiler:having the same voice and personality and repeatedly identifying himself as a member of Clan Ordo]]. Like a lot of the game's shortcomings, this is due to TheReveal having been intended to occur in a ''much'' earlier scene that [[ChristmasRushed wasn't finished in time.]][[note]]A scene shortly before the trip to Iziz would have had Kreia blackmail him into following the Exile, with her referring to him as [[spoiler:Canderous]].[[/note]]
31* ComeForTheGameStayForTheMods: The game is infamous for the large amount of cut content as it was ChristmasRushed, and the Restored Content Mod does the game justice by restoring what would have been in the commercial product. This was helped by the Steam Workshop making the Restored Content Mod accessible.
32* CommonKnowledge: It was commonly stated that Avellone ''hated'' Star Wars (or [=BioWare=]) and wrote KOTOR 2 the way he did as a TakeThat. This actually wasn't true - [=BioWare=] ''chose'' Obsidian specifically to follow up on the first game due to a mixture of them feeling Obsidian would be able to do it justice as well as the tight development schedule set by [=LucasArts=]. Avellone didn't hate Star Wars - he was relatively unfamiliar with the expanded universe and engrossed himself feeling that he wanted to give the characters more depth to them. To wit, it is known that he did a deep dive into available ''Star Wars'' Expanded Universe material at the time, and even the small references and MythologyGag moments show how much he got from it.
33* ContestedSequel: In relation to ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'', depending on who you ask, the game is be either a horribly incomplete mess, a sufficiently awesome sequel, or one [[EvenBetterSequel even better than its predecessor]]. The only generally agreed aspect is that the game could have been much better if Obsidian was actually [[ExecutiveMeddling given enough time to finish the game]] or allowed to patch it like they wanted after its release.
34* CreepyAwesome: Kreia is a creepy old lady that [[MindRape mind rapes]] enemies and "allies" left to right, and is the game's most prominent example of an MagnificentBitch.
35* CriticalBacklash: Peragus is probably the least liked part of the game, so much that some people actually didn't find it that bad.
36* CrossesTheLineTwice:
37** The aforementioned pacifist package incident is ''the'' worst thing you can possibly do to HK-47, but the sheer hilarity makes it worth it.
38** One of the cutscenes of TeethClenchedTeamwork has Kreia approach T3 before exclaiming "Betrayal!" and zapping him with Force lightning, decrying the Exile's fondness for machines over her.
39** When a pair of Exchange thugs are shaking down a refugee on Nar Shaddaa, the Exile can [[JediMindTrick tell]] the thugs to hand over all their credits then [[PsychicAssistedSuicide jump into the nearby pit.]] Due to the way companions are scripted, they will comment on your kindness after the refugee flees in terror.
40--->'''Thug''': Jumping into the pit is a good idea. Get to ground faster that way.
41* CultClassic: The game is still getting attention more than a decade after its release, in no small part thanks for the Restoration Mod (whose popularity also keeps getting stronger over time, being often believed by fans to be the main reason it got an UpdatedRerelease on Steam with mod support, giving new life to a decade-old game), and it keeps generating endless debate about both the game and the entire ''Star Wars'' universe. So influential was this game that its themes and concepts continued to influence the franchise even after Creator/{{Disney}} [[Franchise/StarWarsLegends reset the canon]] -- Luke Skywalker's portrayal in ''Film/TheLastJedi'' borrows heavily from both Kreia and the Jedi Exile, and the Force bond between Rey and Kylo Ren echoes the Exile's and Kreia's, up to and including the ability to telepathically communicate across large distances.
42* DisappointingLastLevel: A major offender, with its last act that is missing most of its content (and sense) thanks to ExecutiveMeddling. It's more or less you alone on a planet where there is nothing to do but mow down bad guys with your [[GameBreaker awesome Force powers]] until you get to the final boss.
43* DontShootTheMessage:
44** The game's detractors argue the good points of the game are hurt by its at times condescending tone. Kreia is the main focus of this, as she is the "messenger" of the game's philosophy.
45** Regardless of whether Kreia was right about her creepy theological musings or not, this game effectively demonstrates how conflicts between "good" and "evil" invariably leave devastation in their wake not matter who wins; throughout this game the player sees worlds scarred and destroyed by the battles between the Jedi and their enemies, and encounter countless people driven from their homes by the wars consuming the galaxy. The BlackAndWhiteMorality of Jedi and their enemies becomes less clear when one sees how much damage is caused by both sides, even when the "good" side triumphs, while the actions of the Council and Atris show that even those calling themselves good can easily end up doing just as much harm as the villains they fight against.
46* EnsembleDarkhorse: Several fans wanted Luxa as a squadmate or an NPC-type ally, despite her limited screen time. [[BestKnownForTheFanservice There's a reason for that.]] The Twin Suns have also proven popular with the fanbase for the same reason; there even exists a mod to replace the Exile with one of the Suns as the playable character.
47* FanNickname:
48** One of the options for a male Exile has shoulder-length sandy hair and a full beard. This inevitably led fans to dub this character model "[[LooksLikeJesus Jedi Jesus]]".
49** Darth Karen: Kreia, for her difficult-to-please persona and name almost being a anagram for the now-infamous meme name.
50* {{Fanon}}: [[spoiler:Kreia being the Handmaiden's mother, Jedi Master Arren Kae.]] This notion is so well established within the game's fandom that it might be surprising to know it is an officially unconfirmed theory, which was even {{Jossed}} by late expanded materials (though admittedly not written by the game's creators). Overall, while it's undeniable that there are a ton of clues in favor of the theory and no real argument against it, to the extent the whole thing feels almost like an unmade CaptainObviousReveal, the fact that it was never confirmed draws a line which those who enjoy analyzing the game's many ambiguities often forget. (This is not always the case, though - you can find people that actually like the fact that the topic was ultimately left unresolved, as it adds mystery and style to the story.)
51* GameBreaker:
52** The Exile's Force energy recovery rate effectively makes them a PhysicalGod by the time Malachor V is reached ([[spoiler:to the point that subsequent novel writers of the character simply ignore it]]). Guardians, which usually have a very small Force pool, are well-compensated by the numerous increases to the Exile's max Force points. Consulars can reach upwards of 800 Force points, making their reserves essentially bottomless, and you can toss around opposing-alignment Force Powers without noticing the impact of the cost penalty!
53** The Force Speed power is already great out the box because it lets you [[MundaneUtility travel at double speed to traverse large maps faster]]. Its true strength shines at its second and third ranks, which give you extra hits per round of combat. Combine it with two or double-bladed melee weapons with the Flurry attack, and you can deliver up to 5 hits in one round (six with the Juyo form)! It's also neutral, so Jedi and Sith can use it with no penalty.
54** The Jedi Weapon Master PrestigeClass greatly improves the Exile's defenses with passives that add to blaster deflection, damage reduction, and melee damage. This is before accounting for all the things you can access with its bonus feats. Combine with a Consular base to create a MagicKnight of your fancy!
55** Sith Marauders, on the other hand, exchange deflection bonuses for the ability to [[TheBerserker enter a rage]], giving them more damage, extra damage reduction, and additional attacks per round ([[ObviousRulePatch that don't stack with Force Speed]]). The total damage reduction is enough for the Exile to straight-up [[NoSell take zero damage]] from many enemy attacks, and they become an ImplacableMan just like Hanharr!
56** Consulars[=/=]Jedi Masters[=/=]Sith Lords can pick up Force Potency as one of the Force forms learned from the Lost Jedi. This gives a 30% force power damage bonus, which is ''devastating'' with Force Storm, which has one of the highest base damage that scales with level. You can do well over 100 damage in a single cast near the endgame, eradicating entire rooms of mobs in one or two rounds of combat.
57** The new weapon upgrade system is extremely powerful. Even basic weapons made from the bench will put out frightening damage numbers once modified with the best upgrades, and you'll eventually start finding high-power weaponry that can still be upgraded with these parts. This is what lets you create custom blasters that match or even outdo lightsabers. Sentinels compensate for being middle-of-the-road between Guardians and Consulars by just straight-up crafting the best weapon parts available, though the other two classes can still access these upgrade parts with the help of very skilled party members (Bao-Dur comes to mind).
58** The [[UniqueProtagonistAsset Exile's personal crystal,]] obtained from a special crystal formation in Dantooine's kinrath caves, has unique properties that scale with the Exile's power and alignment, as long as Kreia helps adjust the crystal every now and then. At the earliest point you get it, the crystal is already significantly stronger than most other lightsaber power crystals. By the endgame the crystal can give monstrous bonuses to damage and stats that no other lightsaber crystal can bestow -- it's one of the factors that makes the Exile as overpowered as they are.
59** Force Crush freezes a given enemy in place as you raise them through the air with telekinesis, then break their neck, doing massive damage in the process. Saving against it only reduces the damage but doesn't prevent immobilization, meaning you can stunlock a lone enemy, even Darth Sion, until they die. [[EleventhHourSuperpower You unlock it in the endgame of a dark side playthrough,]] and with it, there isn't anything left in the game that can challenge you barring getting overwhelmed by large numbers. In contrast, its light-sided counterpart, Force Enlightenment, simply casts three existing buffs at once and needs the player to have invested in all of them for maximum mileage, while Force Crush doesn't require this much forethought.
60** There's a simple sidequest on Nar Shaddaa that gives [=T3-M4=] a special energy shield with unlimited uses. It has no cooldown, either, so you can reactivate the shield the moment it goes down, making T3 NighInvulnerable to energy weapons as long as you're paying attention. The three [=HK-50s=] that confront you later in the level use ''only'' energy weapons. [[CurbStompBattle You can imagine the result.]]
61* GeniusBonus: Much of Kreia's philosophy and world view falls in line with those of Creator/FriedrichNietzsche, and some parts of the game (such as Kreia's "test" involving [[spoiler: offering to show the Exile how to tap into Hanharr's primal strength]]) are much easier to understand and navigate if one has knowledge of Nietzschean philosophy.
62* GoddamnedBats: The Gand are ''everywhere'' in the Jekk'Jekk Tarr, and they all go aggro if you storm the place. They're also barely waist-high and are quick work with a lightsaber... individually.
63* GoodBadBugs: Due to the game's rushed state, it's possible to use all sorts of weird exploits to amass more influence, experience and money than you know what to do with:
64** The Handmaiden normally strips down to her underwear while dueling onboard the Ebon Hawk, and the player can ask her to put some clothes on after their duels. It was possible to exploit this so that multiple copies of her robes were amassed by doing the same conversation over and over, which were worth 2000 credits a piece. Do the math.
65** It's possible to cheat during the Handmaiden's training game, then [[BreakTheCutie berate her for calling you out on it]]. This can be done indefinitely, resulting in maximum dark-side points and influence with her if you repeat it.
66** Likewise, it's possible to get to maximum influence with both Kreia and Atton by exploiting holes in the conversation system (asking Kreia about Visas' homeworld with a high Intelligence, and having Atton during a scripted event on Nar Shaddaa) to max them out in minutes.
67** By switching weapons during one of the Handmaiden sparring matches, right before she becomes "hostile," it literally turns it into a DuelToTheDeath. That's right. You can ''kill the Handmaiden on the Ebon Hawk''. If you exit the ship, she will not be available for your party. If you re-enter, however, she will be back.
68** On Korriban, checking the corpses, with or without picking up their loot, causes the stealthed Hssiss to spawn and attack you. This only happens once per corpse, but one particular corpse is missing this limitation. In a game where you normally have a finite amount of experience available, fighting the Hssiss indefinitely lets you grind to your heart's content.
69** If you choose to fight in the Mandalorian battle circle, breaking the rules of the duel (such as bringing a lightsaber or Force powers to a fistfight) counts as forfeiting. However, the developers forgot to check if the player had planted mines in the dueling area beforehand... (This one was fixed in TSLRCM.)
70** One of the final influence rewards with Hanharr is to break his will, reducing his intelligence but increasing his strength. This becomes a bug when the game lets you repeat this several times and drop his INT below zero - causing it to pull a loop-the-loop and turn Hanharr into a GeniusBruiser.
71** There is a glitch that allows the player to duplicate their lightsabers and get as many as you want without having to hunt them down and rely on the RNG. Give a lightsaber to the exile, then have a non-exile Jedi use a workbench. Change the color crystal of the exile's equipped lightsaber and hit the assemble button. Then select the color crystal option again but don't select one; just hit the assemble button again. That should create a glitch lightsaber. Save and immediately reload to make the glitch lightsaber as real as the original. Don't try to create more than one glitch lightsaber at a time: doing so will cause the game to reset. This also duplicates all upgrades that were on the lightsaber in question.
72** The six kath hounds in Visquith's arena can easily swarm you but their attacks don't actually seem to hurt you, offering you some respite after the fight between Mira and Hanharr.
73** Some of the Steam achievements will unlock at random. Dancing Queen, in particular, can be unlocked upon leaving Peragus, which occurs long before the player even reaches Nar Shaddaa or hears about Vogga the Hutt.
74** Sometimes the wall hit detection is not completely airtight. Although it's tight enough to keep you from walking through walls, it sometimes lets your area-of-effect Force Powers hit enemies in the next room.
75** On Nar Shaddaa, saving the refugee by [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential mind controlling thugs into jumping to their deaths]] is a dark side action... yet several companions get ''light side approval'' from this as the game only recognises that you saved the refugee and not how you did so. This only serves to make an already funny moment [[CrossesTheLineTwice even more so]].
76* HarsherInHindsight: Go [[HarsherInHindsight/StarWarsLegends here]].
77* HilariousInHindsight: Go [[HilariousInHindsight/StarWarsLegends here]].
78* HoYay: Atton and Visas' dialogue doesn't change ''too'' much with the gender of the Exile. Both of them are still very protective of a same-sex Exile, Kreia blackmails Atton the same way, and Visas is just as devoted. (Although Atton is pretty glad when a male Exile finds clothes, which is the opposite of his reaction to the female Exile doing so.)
79* HypeBacklash: The game is still discussed and talked about by fans, and those often praise it highly for giving them reasons to discuss and talk (or at least they consider it a must-play). After so much hearing that the game is basically ''Star Wars'''s answer to ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', it's understandable that new players, especially those who aren't particularly fond of deconstruction and philosophy, can get disappointed by the product as it is.
80* JerkassWoobie: Unsurprising, given the unique (for Star Wars) GrayAndGreyMorality of the game, many characters that are horrible people are also very tragic:
81** Kreia is a nihilistic jerk, [[spoiler: and her obsessive hatred of the Force could destroy the universe itself, but she despises the Force because of the wrong it has done to her and the galaxy itself, and she suffered beatings and implied rape at the hands of her former pupil Darth Sion.]]
82** Despite being a HateSink, Atris is surprisingly pitiable, as she had wanted to join the Exile in the Mandalorian Wars but was too afraid to defy the Council. Then, the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine was destroyed by Malak, which sent her into a HeroicBSOD. Finally, after the combined traumas of the Mandalorian Wars and the Jedi Civil War, she came to saw the Jedi Order as a BrokenPedestal and resolved to do whatever she thought was necessary to save the galaxy.
83** Atton Rand is a huge jackass [[spoiler:who also served as an elite Sith operative with a strong hatred for Jedi, but between the way the Republic and the Jedi abandoned him and his guilt over the last Jedi he killed]], he is surprisingly tragic.
84** Darth Sion is as cruel and ruthless as most Sith Lords, and is implied to be a rapist, but it's difficult not to feel sorry for him in his final speech where [[spoiler: he describes the constant pain he feels as a result of using the Force to crudely stitch together his collapsing body, which only works only because of his burning hatred, meaning that if he tried to sway from the dark side of the Force, he would die. You can convince him to let go, thankfully.]]
85** Darth Nihilus is a horrific EmptyShell HumanoidAbomination that threatens to absorb and destroy reality itself, but[[spoiler: he was turned into a mindless Force vampire as a result of being horribly traumatized by Malachor V, and it's unclear how much influence he had into being turned into the thing that he is.]]
86* JerksAreWorseThanVillains: The Sith Triumvirate are extremely dangerous villains that must be stopped, but they all have cool sides and tragic backgrounds. The most loathsome characters, however, are Coortha. The slimy Peragus miner that tries to sell you to The Exchange for a huge bounty, but ends up being manipulated by a droid, resulting with the death of almost everyone in the facility. The other is Atris. The cartoonishly self-righteous "Jedi" whom you have to endure a long scene where she rubs her imagined moral superiority to your face.
87* LoveToHate: Heroic variation. Master Vrook returns from the first KOTOR and has his JerkAss tendencies taken up to eleven. While this makes him an extremely unlikeable character, many fans consider Creator/EdAsner to have done an amazing job at portraying this GrumpyOldMan UngratefulBastard, and end up loving just how much they hate him.
88* LowTierLetdown:
89** Although the Disciple makes an excellent soldier and Jedi Consular, he is unfavorably compared to the Handmaiden because of the extra perk she gives the Exile (allowing the Exile's Wisdom bonus to be applied to his AC) is miles above what he can do (allowing the Exile to restore her Force to full anytime she's not in battle). It certainly doesn't help that Kreia can already fulfill the role of the party's Jedi Consular, but better due to her low starting level and immediately beginning as a Consular, giving her access to more Force powers in the long-run. She also gets forced into the party more often. The only thing the Disciple has over the Handmaiden is that he can have more force powers due to being made a jedi at a lower level.
90** Hanharr. Some people do enjoy him as a character, but others feel that between him and Mira, Mira wins out due to her unique gimmicks (missiles, grenades, Jedi potential) and pretty much everything Hanharr can do Mandalore can also do. Mandalore is also required at several parts of the game, and while the game's [[LeakedExperience leveling system]] means Hanharr won't be left behind, he's often seen as more "replaceable" than Mandalore.
91** Bao-Dur is arguably the least effective companion to make a Jedi, due to his inability to wear robes or the few armors that don't restrict Force powers. His focus towards tech skills, lower hit points, and the fact that using a lightsaber prevents him from using his barrier breaking ability, make him a less viable Guardian than Handmaiden overall.
92** G0-T0 is basically a dark-sided T3-M4 with an aggravating personality and useless in battle. His unique perk which lets him distract or convert droids has [[UselessUsefulSpell very limited use]], since the ''vast'' majority of the droids you have to deal with in the game are on Nar Shaddaa and thus dealt with before he joins.
93* MagnificentBitch: [[Characters/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLordsKreia Kreia]], [[spoiler:formerly Darth Traya, is a [[FromNobodyToNightmare former Jedi historian turned Sith Lord]]]]. Upon meeting the Exile after being stripped of power and position, Kreia spends the entire game [[EvilMentor manipulating the Exile into serving her plans]], while having her form bonds with her comrades so Kreia can exploit them while also blackmailing and manipulating their companions as well. [[spoiler:In order to eliminate her former student Darth Nihilius, Kreia has him drawn to the world of Telos so the Exile, the only one capable, is able to destroy him. Reclaiming the mantle of Darth Traya, Kreia takes over the Sith once again with sheer force of will and her immense strength, revealing that her plan is to [[NayTheist kill the Force itself]] while also strengthening the Exile to change the course of the galaxy. Even upon defeat, Kreia accepts her [[GracefulLoser loss with grace]], while giving the Exile the final pieces necessary to confront the True Sith Empire past the Unknown Regions.]]
94* MemeticMutation:
95** "APATHY IS DEATH." [[labelnote:Explanation]]One memorable moment in Ludo Kressh's tomb on Korriban involves being forced to choose between Kreia or your companions, with the knowledge that she's a Dark Jedi. Trying to shrug off the illusion has ''everyone'' echo this line and turn hostile.[[/labelnote]]
96** Influence Lost: Kreia [[labelnote:Explanation]]Kreia is rather infamous for her tendency to criticize the player for their choices. Quite a few players were irritated with her approach and believe that she is determined to harangue the Exile no matter what they do. That reputation might not be entirely deserved, as there ''are'' ways to gain influence with Kreia -- sometimes all you need to do is say that you will consider her opinion -- but that doesn't stop the fanbase from creating memes regarding her unreasonable standards.[[/labelnote]]
97*** Influence Gained: Kreia [[labelnote:Explanation]]It is possible, and even likely, to both gain and lose influence with Kreia within the same conversation, encouraging the idea that her standards concerning the Exile are demanding and unreasonable, when not absurd.[[/labelnote]]
98** You will not erode my will! [You have eroded Sion's will.] [[labelnote:Explanation]]The penultimate boss fight against Darth Sion requires you to undermine his seething fury (which makes him NighInvulnerable through ThePowerOfHate) by [[BreakThemByTalking talking to him between bouts of fighting]]. The first time you try this he will call out your attempt and claim you "will not erode my will" - followed immediately by a popup telling you that you have, indeed, eroded his will.[[/labelnote]]
99** Jedi Jesus or Darth Jesus [[labelnote:Explanation]]One of the face options for a male Exile looks a lot like the European portrayals of Jesus Christ.[[/labelnote]]
100* MisaimedFandom:
101** Taking everything Kreia said about Revan as fact. Certainly, Revan was more complicated than the Jedi claim in the games, but you have to keep in mind that you're getting this story from someone who lied to you on your first meeting, ruthlessly manipulates your party members through emotional blackmail and MindRape, is extremely biased when it comes to Revan given that he was one of her best and most favourite pupils, and [[spoiler:calls herself the Lord of Betrayal with pride]]. While the evidence certainly supports Revan going for something more complex than standard [[TakeOverTheWorld world domination]] (it is a fact that Revan's conquest was rather surgical, keeping the infrastructure of the Republic intact),[[note]]Which ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'' explained with the presence of the True Sith Empire in the Unknown Regions: Revan planned to use the resources and infrastructure of the conquered Republic to defeat Emperor Vitiate before Darth Malak turned {{Starscream}} on him.[[/note]] it's still wise to view her interpretation of Revan's fall with a critical eye.
102** The same goes with people who accept all of Kreia's philosophies regarding the ''Star Wars'' universe and the Force along with its associated users as gospel, despite the fact she's a notorious liar and even maybe not completely on her rocker (not only because [[spoiler:she learned in Trayus' living hell and was tortured by Sion and Nihilus, but also because she seems chillingly fine with the possibility that destroying the Force could kill every living being in the universe]]). This was not helped by Chris Avellone's admitted willingness to using her as a mouthpiece for his highly critical views on ''Star Wars''. While she is certainly right about how one shouldn't be dogmatically stupid about using a powerful energy field and trying to paint it completely black and white, the problem is that some people have blindly accepted some of her opinions as fact (for instance, calling all Jedi [[KnightTemplar Knight Templars]] who don't know what they're doing, which is obviously not true for most of them).
103* MoralEventHorizon: Go [[MoralEventHorizon/StarWars here]].
104* {{Narm}}:
105** The flashback to the Exile's trial loses some of its seriousness by the fact that the Jedi Masters spend the entire scene staring straight ahead--[[SpecialEffectFailure not even turning their heads to look each other]] as they discuss the Exile--making them come off as quite droid-like.
106** The "Apathy is death" scene is wrecked somewhat by HK-47's delivery "Apaaaaaaaaaaathhhhhhyyyyyyyy issssssssss deeeeeeeeath" in a sort of "ooga-booga" tone of voice.
107* NeverLiveItDown:
108** Kreia's quirkiest dialogue pieces are so known and mocked that they have caused many people to stereotype her, often stopping at the impression that she's just an [[NietzscheWannabe unpleasable nihilist]] who goes around insisting that the Force is evil and/or that Jedi and Sith are the same crap. While this description is admittedly not unforgivably far from reality, it goes without saying it also both misses and misunderstands a lot of what Kreia really says, especially given that it is never clear whether she is telling the truth or just telling you what she wants you to believe at that moment - which, depending on the interpretation, can change completely the concept of her and her message.
109** The Disciple's {{Sarcasm Blind}}ness during one scene, and being a "Jedi fanboy". Fandom forgets that he actually ''figured out'' Revan's strategy [[spoiler:before Kreia forces him to forget]] and the fact that he is clearly very bitter about the Jedi; there's even a dialogue option for "what's your problem with the Jedi?" and he has a lengthy spiel about how they're often arrogant and their teachings are fundamentally flawed. Yes, his behavior towards the Exile can be a little fawning, but keep in mind that she's the one who the Jedi ''kicked out of the order''. Fan works tend to portray him as a naive and nerdy doofus because of this. Much of this may be the result of players preferring to play as a male Exile, who [[MutuallyExclusivePartyMembers get to recruit the Handmaiden instead of him]], where you only have one (albeit fairly lengthy) interaction with the Disciple where, because you don't get to push deeper and figure out his real feelings, he does come off closer to being a Jedi sycophant, including lines where he entertains the notion that the Jedi don't always do the right thing but brushes it off because they're "probably" doing it for the greater good.
110** Similarly, the Exile has a few moments of not being up on current events or seeming kinda sheltered. There are also several options to get Light Side points that amount to GoodIsDumb. This has lead to a ''lot'' of fics that cast her ([[{{Canon}} it's always the female Exile]]) as TheIngenue who needs guidance on the pleasures of life from Atton.
111* NightmareRetardant:
112** The explanation for how the crew on the Peragus facility died loses a lot of fear factor from an [[LaughablyEvil HK-50]] describing it.
113** The Sith holocrons in [[spoiler: Atris' sanctuary]] would have been scary if they didn't sound like pissed-off Germans.
114* PolishedPort: After a massive update, the Steam release became the definitive version. It has native widescreen support, native X-Input support, the FPS cap was removed, and Steam Workshop support made it extremely easy to install the Restored Content mod.
115* PortingDisaster: The Switch version is prone to crashing, including a GameBreakingBug that guaranteed a crash upon reaching Onderon (which was eventually fixed), and was advertised as getting the Restored Content mod as free DLC before that was unceremoniously cancelled.
116* RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap: T3-M4. In the first game, his near-sole purpose was to unlock a door on Taris, and his stats were pitiful compared to other squadmates. In this game, he not only saves the Ebon Hawk after it's left derelict, but also can be influenced and have much more "dialogue" commenting on the status of the ship, due to [[CharacterizationMarchesOn developing personality quirks]]. Your repairs on T3 can also give him enough stat boosts to make him a very hardy droid companion. It's even more apparent when you play the M4-78 EP mod (which restores a cut planet), where T3-M4 can potentially save the droid inhabitants and be regarded as a hero.
117* RootingForTheEmpire: It's a hot topic of debate as to if Kreia may have been right. If she miscalculated, it could have destroyed life in the galaxy and turned any possible survivor into something like the [[Literature/NewJediOrder Yuuzhan]] [[HumanoidAbomination Vong]]. If she was right, however, then defeating her doomed the galaxy to being controlled by the Force, forever allowing the galaxy to use it as a crutch and for new generations of Jedi and Sith to set fire to the galaxy using its power.
118* ScrappyMechanic:
119** Random loot and random items sold at the shops. [[SarcasmMode How wonderful, our mighty Sith Lord finds yet another yellow crystal for his lightsaber! Fourth time in a row this is!]]
120** Like the first game, buying and selling an item of a value higher than a threshold will trigger an annoying pop-up asking you to confirm the transaction.
121** Buying an item will bump you back at the top of list and select the very first item. Since you can only buy one item at a time, this can easily drive you crazy if you need to buy several items of the the same type.
122* SlowPacedBeginning: The game gets off to a less than stellar start with an [[NoSidepathsNoExplorationNoFreedom incredibly linear]] ProlongedPrologue on the Peragus mining colony that takes in excess of three hours to complete and has a severely limited Jedi experience, before dumping you in ''another'' prolonged prologue on Telos, albeit one with more openness and actual dialogue (but you still don't get a lightsaber until much later). It's only when planet selection becomes available that the game really picks up. It's telling that there's a mod that skips the entire Peragus facility altogether.
123* SpecialEffectFailure: In a cutscene, the turrets on Dantooine are firing and the blaster bolts go downward, but the cannons are still aiming forward.
124* ThatOneBoss:
125** Vrook or Zez-Kai Ell on the Dark Side path, whichever you fight first, due to your lack of levels -- it's likely you're just short of the threshold to access a PrestigeClass which would have made the fight easier.
126** On the Light-sided endgame of Nar Shaddaa, you control Mira and must defeat Hanharr in a duel before escaping Visquis's hideout. She is specialized for ranged combat, while Hanharr himself is a melee powerhouse. Expect to perform a lot of hit-and-run. It's even worse if you plan to [[spoiler:initiate her as a Jedi]], since you'll be fighting him while intentionally underlevelled.
127** Within the endgame of Nar Shaddaa, one particularly frustrating fight is Atton against the [[DualBoss Twin Suns]]. You're in an enclosed space, making hit-and-run difficult, you don't have the benefit of stealth to exploit Sneak Attack, and Atton himself is pretty weak in a straight fight. It's a fair bit easier if [[spoiler:Atton is initiated as a Jedi]], but it takes some foresight to get there before you inevitably trigger the endgame.
128** In the Restored Content Mod, instead of a cut-to-black as the Handmaiden defeats Atris' students, you get a fully controllable battle. The students are no slouch, [[WolfpackBoss outnumber you]], and can ruin your day if you let them gang up on the Handmaiden. Bonus points if you're trying to knock them out instead of kill them.
129** Also in the Restored Content is a part in the endgame when Sion catches a fleeing Atton on Malachor V. Once again, as a solo Atton, you have to deplete Sion's health to give him the opening to escape, but at least by this point, Atton should be a capable enough combatant to make this fight not terribly difficult.
130* ThatOneLevel:
131** The endgame of Nar Shaddaa, which is triggered by doing enough sidequests to earn the Exchange's attention. Once you trigger the flag you cannot turn back and tie up loose sidequests until you finish. And while you're at it, it will put the player in control of fixed parties whose members may not necessarily be as specialized for combat or even have outdated equipment. This segment also includes difficult fights such as Atton's fight against the Twin Suns, and Mira's duel against Hanharr.
132*** Light Side players who are planning to make Mira a Jedi spend a segment with her at a severe disadvantage - because she spends this whole stretch of time as the only playable companion, either they hold her levels in reserve and be slaughtered repeatedly by both Hanharr AND Visquis's Ubese thugs (who WILL gang up on you, considering they come in packs of three or four at a time), or use them up and lock her out of later Force powers.
133*** The Restored Content Mod adds to the pain by adding another sequence where the player controls a ragtag side party (of Atton, Mira/Hanharr, and T3) as they fight through more waves of bounty hunters on the way towards the landing pad. Atton's not the best for a straight fight, Mira would likely be underlevelled, and you might be forced to rely on the unlikely T3 to hold out in a pinch.
134** On the return to Dxun as Onderon's civil war peaks, you have to deploy a second squad to investigate Freedon Nadd's tomb while the Exile has to go to Onderon with their own squad. You get full control over which party members go to the tomb (barring Kreia, who has to go with the Exile), but it can really bite you in the back if you've been neglecting your companions' gear.
135** One segment of Malachor V puts you in control of [=Bao-Dur's=] remote with the task of finding four consoles to reactivate the mass shadow generator. The experience comes in two flavors: it's either a boring backtrack through the planet surface that you've already cleared out as the Exile, or a potentially frantic and possibly-[[UnintentionallyUnwinnable unwinnable]] stealth mission since the remote has next to no means to defend itself against any storm beasts you might have missed the first time through.
136** Despite how entertaining the HK Factory can be in the restored content mod, it is also very difficult stage since you control only HK-47, and the HK-50 mobs [[DemonicSpiders have an enormous amount of HP and can hit very hard]]. You can pick up 47's ultimate weapon and armor here, but even still it takes him 4 to 5 consecutive critical hits before they go down. Don't be surprised if you go through almost your entire stock of shields and repair kits here (not like you'd have any other opportunity past this point, anyway).
137*** This mission can also end up UnintentionallyUnwinnable if you take the wrong turn upon entering the actual factory -- a decision with absolutely no hint or warning as to what will happen later. The western path leads to the HK-51 facilities where they can be reprogrammed as HK-47 sees fit. However, take the eastern path to the HK-50 facilities first and the HK-51s awaken and turn hostile on their own, doubling the amount of enemies in the level with a second wave of even tougher killer bots that HK-47 has to defeat. Depending on how well (or badly) you did up to this point, this can easily spell doom for even a high-level character.
138* ThatOneSidequest:
139** The Twi'lek Czerka employee escort mission in the Telos Restoration Zone base became infamous for being so buggy that players had to talk to the NPC several times to get him to follow them back to the entrance. Your reward is just a trivial light side shift.
140** Winning against the Handmaidens at sparring, without exploiting the AIBreaker. You must fight them one-on-one without any armor, weapons and no Force powers. The final match is against all five with any weapons and Force powers, but still without any armor. You also get only one attempt at this, not counting any SaveScumming. Good luck if you started the game as [[JackOfAllStats a Sentinel]]. Their saving throws are pretty good and their fists are deadly.
141* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: [[spoiler:Based on what we see of her in the flashback to Meetra Surik’s trial, Jedi Master Lonna Vash is one of the kindest Jedi Masters, on par with [[NiceGuy Kavar]] or perhaps even moreso. She is on the list of Jedi Masters that need to be found, and probably would have been a breath of fresh air to encounter when you have people like [[{{Jerkass}} Vrook]] and [[KnightTemplar Atris]] on the list. Unfortunately, due to her planet M4-78 getting cut from the game due to time constraints, Obsidian moved her to Korriban and had her get killed offscreen, without any scenes beyond the flashback.]] Definitely one of the biggest losses that the [[ChristmasRushed Christmas Rush]] caused.
142* UnderusedGameMechanic: The exile's precognition (and Atton's GutFeeling) works as an OminousSavePrompt when you're about to approach danger or a significant event flag. That said, the number of times where it kicks in throughout the game can be counted on one hand.
143* TheUntwist:
144** Oh, you mean [[spoiler: the [[EvilOldFolks creepy old lady]] we've had with us since Peragus, who [[EvilMentor criticizes just about every light side action we do]], can use dark side powers willy-nilly, claims that the main antagonists are her former students, and used to be a Sith Lord is actually the BigBad?]] You don't say!
145--->'''Atton:''' All that talk of hatred and manipulation and standing on your own two feet? Sorry, you don't get any more "Sith" than ''that''.
146** Possibly a subversion, as it's remarked upon at the end that this was the very idea, and indeed the player is almost chided for expecting an "I am your father" moment.
147---> '''Darth Traya:''' Perhaps you were expecting some surprise, for me to reveal a secret that had eluded you, something that would change your perspective of events, shatter you to your core. There is no great revelation, no great secret. There is only you.
148** The masked Mandalore who sounds and acts exactly like Canderous Ordo? Yeah, it's Canderous Ordo.
149* VindicatedByHistory:
150** Despite favorable sales and reviews, the game was infamously divisive among fans for being a gigantic DeconstructorFleet, which challenged just about every part of ''Star Wars'' and even [[GenreDeconstruction role-playing games as a genre]]. It didn't help that it was incredibly rushed in order to meet a holiday release date, with numerous bugs and about ''a third of the game'' cut out in order to meet the release. That said, its fanbase remains solid and has continued to grow over the years, with a reputation helped by its unique perspective and narrative which challenged the perceived nature of the Force and endless cycle of war between the Jedi and Sith. The fan-created ''The Sith Lords Restoration Mod'', which restores basically all of the game's missing content, also converted a few fans whose issues had more to do with is bugginess and the sparseness resulting from its short development cycle. The game has since been picked up by Steam, with full mod support.
151** Peragus has undergone some critical reevaluation, and while some still dislike it, there are people who find it a genuinely strong opening for its horror vibes and largely prefer it over [[MarathonLevel Telos]]. In both camps, it at least tends to be compared favorably to [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic Taris]].
152* TheWoobie:
153** The Jedi Exile (a.k.a., Meetra Surik). Followed Revan to war to stop the Mandalorians. Malak wanted to kill her. Was led to Malachor V for the final battle where it turns out those who were not loyal enough were to be killed. The pain of the deaths of her allies forced her to cut herself from the Force to survive. She returns to the Jedi only to be exiled. And this is just the backstory. Jump ten years and she is one of the last Jedi. Hunted by the Sith, bounty hunters and criminal organizations. Her mentor turns out to be using her for revenge. The allies she gathers hate each other. She is ultimately captured and forced to work for the crime boss hunting her. Her life is owned by a Mandalorian bounty hunter. One of the last remaining Jedi wanted her dead before she fell to the Dark Side. The remnants of the Jedi declare her too great a threat to be allowed to retain her new found Force sense and intend to sever it. And she still returns to Telos to save it from the Sith after all of that.
154** The Handmaiden. She has five older sisters who constantly belittle her by saying she is the Last, least-skilled among them, which given their emphasis on combat ability probably means they beat her up a lot.[[note]]When you first approach a Sister for training, she mentions that they haven't had another "target" in some time.[[/note]] They even verbally abuse her to strangers, and she's not happy when you tell her they've expressed this opinion. Plus she's a bastard child and a living mark of her late father's dishonor; she has no memory of her Jedi mother [[note]] Worse, there are several hints that said mother might be ''Kreia.'' Yikes! [[/note]] and gloms onto Atris instead, a fact that Atris is quick to manipulate. And then Atris lies to the sisters that the Handmaiden ran away with the Exile, which [[spoiler:leads to all five of them trying to kill her. And then ''Atris'' tries to kill her]]. Handmaiden deals with most of this pretty stoically.
155** Visas Marr is another example. She saw her whole world and everyone on it wiped out and given that she was Force-sensitive, she didn't just see it happen, she felt it too. After that she was taken as an apprentice by the same HumanoidAbomination that was responsible for the destruction. She eventually felt someone through the Force (namely the PC) that had felt the same kind of loss she had [[spoiler:and if the PC is male, fell in love with him.]] However she is then told by her master to kill the PC. After you defeat her she is so broken by her time under Nihilus that she flat out begs you to kill her. Even after you spare her and let her join your crew, she reacts with confusion to the PC simply asking if she's all right, stating that it has been a long time since anyone asked her that. Her awkward response to the question implies that not only has it been long time since anyone showed her any concern, but she has spent so long under Nihilus that she is unused to even such simple kindnesses.

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