MARTIAL ARTS
Jedi master Depa Billaba, as the Apprentice of Master Windu, was a advanced martial artist with a good deal of skill, even for a Jedi of the age. Master Billaba was one of the very few masters of the arcane Vappad form of Lightsaber combat. A variation of the seventh Form of Lightsaber combat, Vappad was a unique and advanced form of combat and state of mind, based around allowing oneself to give in to there enjoyment of battle and feeding off of there own inner darkness. Although she wasn't a master of the Form to the same extent Mace Windu was, Depa Billaba was still extremely skilled with the style, actually fighting Windu to a stand still using it. As was the requirement for learning both variations of Form seven for that era of Jedi, Depa Billaba was most likely a Master of all seven Lightsaber forms, with Form three, Soresu, being mentioned as a specialty of hers, with her Padawan, practicing it almost exclusively.
While a Jedi Padawan, Barriss Offee used the same Lightsaber form as her master, a highly advanced practice of Form three Soresu. As such, she was extremely skilled in blast deflection and fighting multiple opponents, showing a good degree of skill with these abilities, despite her comparatively low status in the Order. Although she was never involved in a serious Lightsaber battle while a Jedi, once she had fallen to the Dark Side she not only soundly defeated the skilled Ahsoka Tano, but also managed to put in a good performance against Anakin Skywalker, a truly impressive feat as Skywalker was one of the most skilled warriors of his age. Barriss also had practical knowledge in Jerkai dual wielding.
As the apprentice of both Jedi Masters Micah Giiett and Plo Koon, Bultar Swan was a dedicated martial artist, her first Master fostering her interest in the practice, while her second instructing her in the art of Lightsaber combat. Before the outbreak of the Clone Wars, Bultar Swan used her mastery of unarmed combat to end conflicts quickly and without bloodshed, with Swan carrying the impressive record of never killing an enemy. Combing both Teras Kasi and the Verdanaian sliding hands, as well as instruction from Anoon Bondara, Swan's movements appeared to be slow and measured, when in reality it was a sequence of complicated moves to fast for a normal eye to track. With the outbreak of the Clone wars however, Swan pragmatically began using her Lightsaber much more often, her skill allowing her to survive engagements on Geonosis, Amaltanna and Aargonar, as well as Order 66. Although the Star Wars character encyclopedia pegs Bultar Swan as the one who defeated and disarmed Vader on Kessel, the actual Purge comic displays her only entering the battle after Vader was already disarmed and wounded. Although her true form is unknown, I believe Swan practiced Soresu, in keeping with her mindset and descriptions of her fighting style.
Very little is known about Koffi Arana in general and his fighting style in particular. What little was shown of him in "Purge" did no indicate anything except a startling lack of defense, with Vader constantly outmaneuvering and outfighting him. This most likely places him as a user of Ataru or Juyo. However, he did survive Order 66, implying at least some degree of skill.
I, personally, would peg Bultar Swan as the best martial artist out of these four. However, this only applies to unarmed combat, and in the dueling arena Depa Billaba far outstrips Swan in terms of both skill and effectiveness, as Swan has never been involved in a serious Lightsaber battle whereas Billaba fought against Windu on close to equal footing. Whats more, Offee also gets an advantage over Swan with (again) a greater amount of experience and demonstrated combat prowess. Koffi, despite being a fully fledged Jedi Master, is easily the weakest martial artist here, as the only thing we know about his martial skill is that he kind of sucks. Whats more, teamwork won't play a part here either: Swan and Koffi have worked together before, but there outlooks and strategy's are almost completely different, and although Billaba and Offee have never met (to our knowledge), Offee does work well with others and they are Master and Padawan (just not to each other). Unsurprisingly, the Fallen Heroes get the edge in Martial arts.
FORCE POWERS
Although to the fans Depa Billaba is most widely known for her skill with the blade (as are most masters of Vappad) In-universe, she gained her greatest fame and a seat on the Jedi High council due to her deep, spiritual connection with the Force. An expert in such spiritual applications of the Force, Master Billaba was often sought out for her wisdom and clarity, although this couldn't saver her from her fall to the Dark Side. This being said, this connection did not apparently afford her with any outstanding practical ability's, with her telekinesis, telepathy and self augmentation reaming at the level of a Standard Jedi knight.Despite being a mere Padawan, Barriss Offee has displayed a nearly amazing level of skill with the Force. First and foremost, her telekinesis was surprisingly advanced, as not only could she lift many heavy objects, but she was also very skilled at using it against other Force wielders, even staggering Skywalker with this power. Her greatest area of skill, however, was with Force healing. Offee could also use Dark side powers like Force choke.
Although she was undeniably skilled in combat, Bultar Swan still embodies the stereotypical Jedi Guardian (assuming that actually is her class) in that she focuses almost completely on martial arts and skill with a Lightsaber far above her skill with the supernatural. However, this is not to say she was a novice with the Force: Her Force enhanced speed was noted on several occasions and her skill with telekinesis and telepathy were reasonable, using the latter to consistently tell when she was being lied to. Swan was also noted for her traditional Jedi views (seeing the Order as her home) and for her calm and peaceful demeanor, staying true to the Light even in the midst of war or the Jedi Purge. In the end, I must agree with Plo Koon's assessment that if she had lived long enough, Swan would have almost certainly gained a seat on the High Council.
As he was a Jedi master, we can assume that Koffi Arana was at least reasonably powerful with the standard Jedi Force powers. However, at the very least his Force defense was subpar, as he was unable to protect himself from a flying sword.
The character who undoubtedly gets the edge in Force powers is (at least to me) actually quite surprising: Barriss Offee. Despite her comparatively low status, she has shown significantly more diversity and magnitude with the supernatural, especially with telekinesis. Although both Depa Billaba and Bultar Swan are much farther along the path to enlightenment than the other two, this does not actually afford them any more powerful or potent abilities than the norm, placing them both in the number two spot, directly behind Offee. And once again bringing up the rear is Koffi Arana, with his slightly sub-par Force defense. At the end of the day, with Billaba matching Swan and Koffi and with Offee ragdolling them both, the Fallen Heroes secure a second edge.
PHYSICAL SKILLS
Master Billaba was a member of the Chalactan race, a near-human species with very little differences from the normal sentient, beyond there spiritual nature and cultural markings on there faces. Billaba in particular was not only quick on her feet and acrobatic (being able to keep pace with an admittedly wounded Mace Windu) but also had a staunch constitution and tough physical shape.Barriss Offee was a young female Mirialan, around twenty one years of age. As with all Jedi, she was stronger and faster than normal sentient beings, although this was due to her extensive physical training, not any inherent advantages of her species.
Bultar Swan was a female human of slim build, hailing from the planet Kaut, although she considered the Jedi Order to be her home. Swan was noted for her swift combat style, with her fighting Form (and Swan herself) commonly described as graceful and athletic.
A roughly middle aged Human male originally from Turkana, Koffi Arana had no outstanding physical attributes, beyond the enhanced speed, strength and awareness all Jedi are known for.
There is very little difference between any one of these four fighters. Because there is so little difference in physical skill between any of these, no edge will be given for physical skills.
EQUIPMENT
As there is very little difference in terms of weapons and armament, I will just be hurrying through this edge. In terms of there Lightsabers, Depa Billaba and Bultar Swan wield emerald blades, while Barriss Offee (who is being given her own weapon for this fight) and Koffi Arana wield sapphire blades, and since they are all standard Jedi Lightsabers there is no advantage anywhere here. Both Swan and Koffi wore armor towards the end of there lives, but since they couldn't stop a melee blade, I doubt they would do any good against A Lightsaber blade. All things considered equal, the Fallen Heroes and Pure Victims are equals in terms of equipment.THE VERDICT
Unfortunately, this battle is rather one sided, with the main influence behind me doing this battle being the chance to use Bultar Swan, one of my favorite Jedi. Speaking of which: Swan and Barriss can be considered roughly equals. Swan's greater amount of experience and skill in martial arts would go a long way to making up for the discrepancy in Force skills between the two. What's more, although Offee is the slightly better Lightsaber duelist, it is not by a wide enough margin that Swan would be completely outclassed. However, I have no illusions about Swans chance against Depa Billaba: A leading member of the Jedi council and master of Vappad, a fight between the two would be short and brutal, with Billaba emerging the decisive victor. As for Koffi...yeah, I really don't have to go into much detail. Blinded by his rage and frustration, the less than esteemed Jedi master would prove little more than a distraction for a warrior of Billaba's caliber, and even Offee would have a pretty good chance of defeating him. Yeah, my apologies for the rather quick verdict, I just don't have much to say. Neither Koffi or (to a much lesser degree) Swan really have enough showings to go into great detail, and in response I was forced to cut back on my covering of Offee and Billaba, as I didn't want things to seem to one sided. As a Jedi master and dedicated martial artist respectively, both of whom were skilled enough to escape Order 66, I am sure if we had more information on the Purge Victims they would prove to be worthy opponents. But, in the end, we simply don't so I declare the fallen heroes, Barriss Offee and Depa Billaba, the winners.
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