Why did Lord Revan wear a mask?(KOTOR spoilers)

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Why did Lord Revan wear a mask?(KOTOR spoilers)

Post by FaxModem1 »

Well, besides the fact to hide to the user that your Revan, why did he wear a mask?
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Re: Why did Lord Revan wear a mask?(KOTOR spoilers)

Post by Aratech »

FaxModem1 wrote:Well, besides the fact to hide to the user that your Revan, why did he wear a mask?
Well, if it has anything in common with other 'combat masks' of the KOTOR era, it would probably provide additional armor, as well as alternative vision modes for his eyes and the like. There is also the possibility of a built in communication system as well.
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Post by Sarevok »

The games have not given a concrete answers to that. I guess it was enhanced with Sith magic to boost his powers or something since many other sith lords are in the habit of imbueing their equipment with Sith magic. The rebuilt armour of Revan you construct on the Starforge did have some special properties so the original mask may have some special attributes as well.
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Post by Balrog »

Or maybe because it's to scare people? ;)
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Post by Karmic Knight »

Balrog wrote:Or maybe because it's to scare people? ;)
That could be the most logical and well thought out idea, I have ever heard.
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Post by Havok »

Karmic Knight wrote:
Balrog wrote:Or maybe because it's to scare people? ;)
That could be the most logical and well thought out idea, I have ever heard.
But, actually the most plausible, since fear is a key element to the Dark Side.
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Post by DPDarkPrimus »

Not having your face known would also give the added benefit of being able to travel incognito if there was reason to.
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Post by Darth Tanner »

DPDarkPrimus wrote:Not having your face known would also give the added benefit of being able to travel incognito if there was reason to.
But surely his face would still be well known from his time as a general in the mandalorian wars. From the way he is described as almost single handedly turning the war around he should have featured pretty heavily in the SW media of the time.
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Post by Spearfish »

Darth Tanner wrote:
DPDarkPrimus wrote:Not having your face known would also give the added benefit of being able to travel incognito if there was reason to.
But surely his face would still be well known from his time as a general in the mandalorian wars. From the way he is described as almost single handedly turning the war around he should have featured pretty heavily in the SW media of the time.
Which is an excellent readon so wear a mask all the time, no?

Besides, it helped keep suboordinates in line with fear of a faceless, powerful evil. I mean, look at Vader's respirator mask - it was designed to be not only functional but intimidating. Fear is a very important tool in a system where succession is largely based on murdering one's superiors.
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Post by Darth Tanner »

Which is an excellent readon so wear a mask all the time, no?
Oh my mistake, I thought it was meant that he could take his mask off to blend in to a crowd, rather than putting it on to do so.

I'd have thought that wearing a mask is still a rather distinctive thing to do, even with the myriad of aliens in the SW galaxy.
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Post by Crazedwraith »

Well considering your character wanders around quite a bit and no-one ever says "OMG! You're Revan! You saved my planets in the wars, you're my hero!!!" Revan's face can't be that well known.
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Post by Lord Revan »

we got to remember that the Jedi Order of that era was just as specretive and insular as it's Clone War equilevant/successor and there some evidence that Revan might have worn his familiar robe/mask combo even before he became a Sith, it's probable that (especially considering only very few (well informed) people recognize Revan), so while the character of Revan might have been well known he's true appenrance was not.
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Post by Big Phil »

If I remember correctly, Revan was wearing a mask way back when he was still a Jedi (shown in a cutscene on Dantooine before the quest to to the Star Forge temple after you become a Jedi Padawan in KOTOR).
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Post by YT300000 »

SancheztheWhaler wrote:If I remember correctly, Revan was wearing a mask way back when he was still a Jedi (shown in a cutscene on Dantooine before the quest to to the Star Forge temple after you become a Jedi Padawan in KOTOR).
It's been ages since I've played that, but wasn't that after the Mandalorian war, when Revan and Malak had already started to succumb to the Dark Side? (although far enough back that Malak still had his jaw) It seems logical that Revan adopted the armour during the war, possibly as he started getting more evil over time.
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Post by TC Pilot »

Your character wasn't recognized by random people in crowds because Revan wore a mask.

Aside from blowing the whole surprise on the Leviathan, the mask was probably there to look cool, maybe provide some sort of extra-sensory assistance, and I've heard some people say the mask looks a lot like Mandalore's, so it might be a way of insulting the Mandalorians.
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Post by Noble Ire »

TC Pilot wrote:Aside from blowing the whole surprise on the Leviathan, the mask was probably there to look cool, maybe provide some sort of extra-sensory assistance, and I've heard some people say the mask looks a lot like Mandalore's, so it might be a way of insulting the Mandalorians.
That would be my guess. The Mandalorians were apparently quite excitable, even during the OR period, and imitating their leader in such a way could certainly distract a novice commander or two enough for Revan to move in for the kill. He was quite ruthless after all, even as a Jedi; such a tactic could easily fall within his modus operandi.
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Post by Darth Raptor »

havokeff wrote:
Karmic Knight wrote:
Balrog wrote:Or maybe because it's to scare people? ;)
That could be the most logical and well thought out idea, I have ever heard.
But, actually the most plausible, since fear is a key element to the Dark Side.
This would also serve to explain Vader's faux-samurai daemon mask and the frowny face motif on the stormtrooper helmets: "It's a Sith thing. You wouldn't understand."
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Post by nightmare »

You can find a Sith Mask in KOTOR II. It has the following properties:
KOTOR II The Sith Lords wrote:Feats Required
Armor Proficiency - Heavy

Immunity: Stun, Fear, Horror

Bonus Feat: Weapon Focus: Lightsaber

Regenerate Force Points: 1

This mask blocks outside mental influence and other sensory sensory noise, allowing the user to focus their abilities inward with no distraction.
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Post by Cykeisme »

Even in KotoR I, wasn't there a mask that looked like Revan's? I believe you find it in one of the Sith Tombs (Marka Ragnos' or possibly Tulak Hord's). It required you to be a Dark Side character to wear it.

I recall that if you got the Dark Side Star Forge robes and wore that mask, you looked exactly like the old Revan.
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Post by TC Pilot »

Nope. Revan's mask is only attainable through mods. The robes gained on the Star Forge are Revan's, except for the hood part.
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Post by DoomTrain »

In universe: Intimidation and possibly to be able to hide in a crowd.
Out of universe: To hide his identity from the player.
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Post by Cykeisme »

TC Pilot wrote:Nope. Revan's mask is only attainable through mods. The robes gained on the Star Forge are Revan's, except for the hood part.
Ah, my mistake.

You're right, the Dark Star Forge robes and the mask from the tomb simply look a bit similar to Revan's, they aren't the same after all.
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Post by Tanasinn »

I figured he always wore it because it looks intimidating. There's something to be said for presenting a cold, inhuman exterior to your foes; stormtroopers could surely tell you that much.

A mask also obviously obscures facial expressions, something that I imagine is very valuable for sword-fighting Jedi and Sith, particularly in the heat of battle.
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Post by Lord Revan »

well to be honest, I think the Mask had both psycological and pratical intentions, as Revan seems to be one of the more intelligent Jedi/Sith when it comes to tactics and stradegy (at least that was the impression I got), sure he had his wierd choices (Malachor V anyone?), but overall he seemed to know more or less what he was doing. So it's not so far fetched that he would make his NBC gear look imidating as well and also serve as pratical armor.

Also it serves to hide any "dark side corruption" from the Jedi during the later part of the war.
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Post by TC Pilot »

Yeah, he did literally crush the Mandalorian fleet, and that's saying something, considering what had had to work with.
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