For the Lore Nerd in All of Us: What is Juyo?
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When I play an MMO, I like to have a general idea of what the name of my server means within the universe. In previous games, I’ve gone about with a bizarre feeling of not knowing quite where I was because I was playing in  world with a gibberish name that I couldn’t identify with. I mean, what player new to the Warcraft Universe would have known what the heck Kel’Thuzad meant, except for being a really ugly word to spell? It was a lightbulb moment when I had quested enough to understand the character who was the inspiration for my server name. So before I embark on my journey to a galaxy far far away, this time I’m doing a little digging to find out what my server name means, and for my inner lore nerd, what it might say about my characters.

Since we at the Snark Side have taken Bioware’s server assignments and told them to EFF OFF, we’re hoping to wash up on the welcoming shores of Juyo. But what is Juyo?1

Juyo2 is one of two variants of the seventh form of lightsaber combat. There are seven forms  recognized as canon lightsaber styles during the Old Republic era, and only six of those are widely practiced among the Jedi. The seventh and older of the two sub-forms, Juyo3, has often viewed by the Jedi Order with hesitation because of the strong passionate emotions experienced while using the form, which some Jedi felt was a violation of the Jedi Code. This was thought to take the practictioner dangerously close to the Dark Side. Because of this and also the form’s difficulty, it is not widely used among Jedi though Sith use it freely.

Ferocious and passionate you say? Looks about right to me.

Juyo is also known as Ferocity Form, because of its focus on offense and utilization of emotion. Juyo is a fast, chaotic, and vicious style that aims to overwhelm with its fierce offense while leaving defensive weaknesses. The form is good for use against a single armed opponent, but weak when fighting groups or force users. Notable Juyo users include Vrook Lamar who appeared in KOTOR 1 & 2, Galen Marek who was Darth Vader’s secret apprentice in The Force Unleashed, as well as Darth Bane in Darth Bane: Path of Destruction (by SWTOR writer Drew Karpyshyn) and Darth Maul who used the form while fighting Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi on Naboo in Episode One.

So what might a server called Juyo hold in store for us? I’ll just let my imagination run free here and say that it sounds like a good place. A place suitable for the clash between force users and non-force users. A friendly location for those of us who prefer to walk a neutral path or even (gasp) dally with the Dark Side. A place where our battles can be at times chaotic and seemingly random, but also deeply focused and controlled. A place where a good offense is the best defense, and where you can achieve what you want by pursuing it relentlessly.

Of course, all that’s what we make of it, but I like the name for my server home. It’s a good name with some really interesting lore connotations. Makes me feel like we’re off to a good start with that set of associations to begin the game under.

  1. This post is intended for those of us who are novice lore nerds, if you already have a Ph.D. in all things EU, you are probably not a member of my intended audience. If I have made a serious factual error, corrections are welcome. ↩
  2. The following is a highly condensed version of what you can read yourself at Wookieepedia if you’re willing to sift through the giant long article to find it. Or, you know, if you want to read more. A lot more. ↩
  3. The second sub-form of Form VII is Vaapad, which was developed long after the Old Republic Era by Mace Windu. ↩

Comments

For the Lore Nerd in All of Us: What is Juyo? — 7 Comments

  1. That’s the spirit. I bet Darth Bandon (our assigned server) was really lame. Like the dark lord famous for the infamous puppy massacre of Coruscant. THINK OF THE PUPPIES.

  2. Thanks for the lore. I have recently finished reading The Darth Bane Trilogy (highly recommend those books, btw) so I was familiar with the word and knew it was a form of lightsaber combat at a high level, but I was not familiar with other important characters who were known for it. Great post.

    • I just finished the Darth Bane books too. I enjoyed them, though his writing suffers some clunky style choices with how abruptly he changes the POV. The story however was pretty great. Darth Bane is baller.

  3. Crap I was wrong. I thought that Vaapad was the only variation of Form VII and didn’t think Juyo was a form at all (or else when you asked me that I would have told you).

  4. Also, in relation to your little foot notes…

    I love that long article about lightsaber combat. It’s epic.

  5. Darth Bandon made me do all sorts of dumb mental word association things and the next thing I knew, Brandon Sanderson was a Sith in my head.

    Juyo just looks and sounds cooler than Bandon. That it’s also a form of combat is just awesome icing on the cake.

    • Well in a similar vein my mother’s Doberman Pinscher is named Juno, so I kind of think of a big ridiculous dog when I see the word Juyo. Totally trying to overlay it with images of ferocious lightsaber duels.