The Philosophy of Kreia: A Critical Examination of Star Wars

The character Kreia from the game Knights of the Old Republic 2 is arguably one of the greatest female characters in gaming. However, despite her fame, much of her philosophy has been misunderstood due to the puzzling manner in which the game presents her backstory and motives. This video will serve both as an examination of Kreia's philosophy and her criticisms of the Star Wars universe as a whole.

Chris Avellone famously said in an interview that Knights of the Old Republic 2 was meant to question everything there had to be questioned about Star Wars. This video will be answering those questions.

This video has been five months in the making.

0:00 - Introduction
2:28 - The Jedi Code
3:56 - Jedi/Buddhist Philosophy comparison
5:10 - The Sith Code
6:24 - Nietzsche/Sith Philosophy Comparison
7:10 - The Duality of Kreia
8:25 - Atris's Path mirroring Kreia's Past
9:49 - Arren Kae's "Fall" from the Jedi Order
11:30 - Darth Traya's Origins
12:50 - Why Jedi Keep Falling to the Dark Side
17:50 - Anakin's Example
19:50 - Jolee Bindo's Rejection of Traditional Jedi teaching
21:05 - Luke's Conflict with the Code
21:52 - The Self-Destruction of Altruism
24:30 - On Jedi Training Children
26:20 - The Sith's Repeating Pattern
27:10 - Yuthura Ban's Story
29:12 - Anakin's Emotional Entrapment
32:18 - Master Morality
34:58 - The Emptiness of Revenge
37:50 - What Defines Kreia?
39:40 - The Ithorians vs Czerka Corporation
43:10 - Kreia's Iconic parable on Kindness/Cruelty
47:00 - Nar Shadda's Lessons in Manipulation
55:11 - A Lesson in Strength and Power
1:02:52 - Kreia's Motivation
1:04:47 - Jolee Bindo's parable of Master Hortath
1:07:12 - The Jedi Masters' Judgment of the Exile
1:09:02 - Kreia's Judgment of the Jedi Masters
1:09:34 - The Revelation of Atris' Fall
1:10:50 - Jedi/Sith Similarities
1:12:20 - Lightsabers' Symbolic Colours
1:13:50 - Corruption of the Dark Side
1:14:56 - The Weaknesses of Dependence on the Force
1:22:03 - Master Morality vs Slave Morality
1:26:00 - Why Kreia Hates the Force
1:28:53 - Free Will/Choice vs Fate/Destiny
1:35:42 - An Unsettling Recurrence of Events
1:37:00 - Kreia's Grand Schemes
1:41:28 - Name Symbolism
1:42:48 - The Significance of the Exile and Malachor
1:49:28 - Kreia's Final Wish
1:50:52 - Luke's Original Purpose
1:51:44 - Conclusion

[The.Youtuber.with.no.Name.]

If you still have questions about Star Wars, then I recommend you watch my video The Foundations of Star Wars that examines the nature of the Force. All answers are found there.

[EdgedShadow]

They hired the perfect voice actor for her. She would have never worked if the voice acting was subpar.

[danieldosso]

Kreia's Lessons:
- Always ask questions (similar to Socrates)
- Act to better the world around you, but not at the cost of yourself
- The greatest victory is that of enlightenment (both of yourself and others)
- Do not rely on others for your strength
- Giving other what they have not earned may ripple negatively through the galaxy
- Spreading pain, only causes more pain
- Overcoming ones own struggles strengthens the individual, fighting others battles for them cheapens this victory
- Those around you can be manipulated carefully to suit your own goals
- Physical strength means nothing, refusing strength/ideology(ies) that you have not earned is true strength
- Never live for an Ideology/others, if you do, find it's opposite so that you may strengthen your ideology by finding its flaws and correcting them
- Free will is preferred over Fate


- And so, each person is to be both a union of Good and Evil, as well as something more than just the sum of its parts


- In the end, those that have mastered this, must live on to teach others.


(If I've missed anything, please feel free to add or correct anything)

[The_Caledonian]

I love that quote: *"You have taken a complicated question, and you have trivialized it with your answer and lack of experience."*

[jason-paulwells]

Atton: "Explain something to me."
Kreia: "I have neither the will nor the years desired."

[PrinceUzuRyu]

Kreia : "...It's like pouring sand into his hands..."
Anakin : "I hate you !"

[blakethornton]

WHO UPLOADS A 2 HOUR VIDEO ABOUT KOTOR 2?

> *watches and enjoys entire video*

[TheActMan]

Wow. Just wow. Normally I wouldn't even consider watching a video of this length, but my love for the KOTOR games and Star Wars... and the force all told me I should watch at least a little. Goddamn was it worth it. This is quite possibly the best analysis of not just Kreia, but Star Wars as a whole. Well fucking done.

[thevoidlookspretty]

“This whole franchise is bullsh*t.”
- Kreia.

[MandaloreGaming]

I always loved how Kreia was used to deconstruct most of the Star Wars ideas that had been setup in the movies.This was a fantastic video that clearly took a shit ton of time and effort. It paid off because you did an incredible job.

[trackts]

Funny that the Sith end up enslaved by the force, powerless without it. The Jedi are was consumed by fear and unease of the return of the Sith and are always aware of their own emotions. The Sith code ensures that a Sith will never be free and the Jedi code ensures a Jedi will never be at peace.

[MalikTheMambaEvans]

I've gotta say, that game was wayyyy ahead of it's time.

[karanhdream]

In the grand scheme of things, Luke's character is an ode to humanity. Neither completely selfless or selfish, not overly powerful or wise and detached. Unbound by unattainable standards and dogmatic teachings and never ruled by greed or passion. He loved, he hated, he laughed, he cried, he suffered, he forgave, he LIVED. I wouldn't say he is beyond Jedi and Sith, not some holy mystic beyond light and dark. He has accepted his humanity, where both Jedi and Sith sought to detach themselves from it in different ways. He accepted the strength and weakness that come with humanity and simply strives to do his best, like most people in this world.

[JBrander]

Classmate: Hey, can you help me with this question from our homework?
Me: Sure, it's easy
Kreia: Why did you do that? By helping him, he is now weaker in trying to do homeworks on his own.

[JRichard]

Wait, wait, wait... Kreia, was actually trying to destroy not the Force... but Star Wars' own repetitive narrative. My, god...

[RevanPorkins]

This story never being finished will haunt me forever.

[ThomasRoiloup]

The thing I always appreciated the most about KOTOR 2 is that it makes the Jedi and Sith look like two very limited understandings of what the Force is really supposed to be, like a child's best guess of how a massively complicated machine is supposed to work, and the entire point of Kreia was to show that there were many more ways to understand things, possibly infinite ways, and only choosing one shuts you off to all the others.

[feradferadov]

"You're placed under house arrest for blowing up a solar system."
That one got me.

[odinson]

Talking to Kreia be like:

Influence lost: Kreia

Influence gained: Kreia

Light side gained

Dark side gained

[SomeYouTubeTraveler]

D&D Character Sheet (Kreia): "What's your alignment?"
Player: "No."