Death comes for all of us. Darth Vader, arguably the most iconic persona in the Star Wars universe, died in the arms of his son and brought the prophecy of the Chosen One to fruition through giving good ol' Emperor Palpatine a toss into the Death Star's core shaft like yesterday's dirty diapers. A character's death is not necessarily their end, but for many role-players and writers the concept of saying goodbye to their beloved creation is the hardest thing to do.

There is no doubt that most of us had to do it at one point or another in our role-play history. Those that have left certain MMO games for good often have had to end a storyline. Be it through the dramatic death of their favorite avatar for several years or the quiet silence of ambiguity like Clint Eastwood's iconic Man With No Name, all characters come to their own creative "death."

In the past, thoughts and questions have usually been posed to the present and past about your characters. The question today is about your character's future. "How would your character die?" Are they the gung-ho trooper who wants to go down with half a dozen Imperial holotags around his neck like the Heroes of Bothawui? Maybe they want to take out as many Jedi as possible in order to show the Jedi Order that their teachings are weak and flawed?

What, to your character, is worth dying for? Freedom? Revenge? Love? Power? Balance? Toss your thoughts in the comments section!

Throughout the entire history of the Star Wars saga, the dark side has a notorious legacy of seduction, corruption and death. Indeed, it has been underlying the majority of conflicts in Star Wars, striking from behind the shadows or waging all-out-war in the open. While some of those seduced by the wiles of the dark side have exposed themselves towards it with noble intentions, such as the wayward Jedi Ulic Qel-Droma, who initially attempted to destroy the dark side from within, intentions that Jedi Luke Skywalker mirrored in an effort to finally destroy the Emperor and Dark Lord of the Sith, Palpatine.

One of the greatest Dark Jedi, Freedon Nadd, is attributed the quote: "Once you accept it, the dark side is with you forever." Numerous cases seem to suggest just this: Nadd himself was a prodigious Jedi who sought power. Nadd in turn influenced Qel-Droma and Exar Kun, both previously notable Jedi of their time, causing them to turn to the side of the Sith. Later, two Jedi, Revan and Malak, while initially celebrated war heroes, would become two of the most brutal Sith Lords in the history of the Sith. Others, such as Darth Bane, who formulated the Rule of Two, and Palpatine, have displayed an outright affiliation to the dark side, without hope for redemption.

The Jedi believe differently, having formulated a thesis called The Four Stages of the Dark Side, which details the various stages of the dark side, one of which is redemption. If one of the greatest Dark Jedi of all time stated that it is inescapable, how could anyone hope to be redeemed? And yet, examples like Darth Vader, all fearsome dark side warriors, have proven otherwise, being ultimately redeemed by their fellows.

So, is the dark side as insidious and fatal as numerous have described it, despite the various cases of redemption on record? Would your own character believe in the certain fatality of the dark side?

Sometimes art mirrors real life, though not exactly as pictured above. Many have claimed that Palpatine's rise to power in the Galactic Republic mirrors Adolf Hitler's rise to power in Germany, using fear and a military buildup to seize emergency powers on which to build an empire. The point of this isn't so much to argue specifics as to spark a discussion. Do you feel that political events in the Star Wars universe mirror real life political events?

The Old Republic Roleplay site has been one of my online homes for the past couple of months; I’ve met a lot of great people here, and really come to appreciate the community, and I feel like I want to give back to it. (My thanks go out to Ganden for giving me the opportunity to do so.) So a few days ago I sat down with a few of my favorite books and films and, as I thought about them, it occurred to me how much in sympathy they are, deep under the skin. Tolkien’s books, especially The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, are among my favorite works of literature. I’ve played the hell out of LotRO, and even did a year-long blog on it which I called The Long Defeat. So what does that have to do with The Old Republic, right? Well, maybe more than we see at first glance.