[nerd alert]

To find out, all you need to do is play the incredible Knights of the Old Republic games for the X-Box. I've been playing KOTOR 2 this week after foolishly allowing Ezra to loan it to me, and I have to agree with him that it's probably even better than the original (and the original is the greatest rpg of all time).

The games achieve what George Lucas has never been able to achieve: it makes the Dark Side seductive. The Dark Side doesn't proudly announce itself as the Dark Side and laugh maniacally; it doesn't call on you to join me and we can rule the galaxy as father and son.

The Dark Side plays upon your insecurities.
The Dark Side plays upon your longing to be liked and well-respected.
The Dark Side happens just a little at a time.
The Dark Side thinks that *it's* the Light Side.

Those are the movies he should have made: an epic story about how easy it is for the righteous to fall. (If you were a space samauri with nearly infinite power, ancient teachings about enlightenment would be pretty much the only thing holding you back, too.) And that's what the games are about.

What's amazing about these games is your vast freedom to choose good or evil in large and very small ways. You're faced with hundreds of choices in the game, and each one of them contributes to the overall story as you guide your character towards the light or the the dark.

KOTOR 2's story engine is even more impressive than its predecessor's: not only do your choices influence the behavior of your friends and associates, but at a number of points in the game you indicate how the first game ended. KOTOR 2 is a sequel to KOTOR in the best sense of the word; the two storylines are completely interwoven. The heroes and villains from KOTOR all make their reapparance here, in very intriguing ways.

In short, the games; treatment of good and evil is far more sophisticated than the movies' ever has been. I'll still see Episode 3, of course, as should all good nerds -- but if you want to see how a Jedi hero falls to the Dark Side, just play the dark side route on KOTOR.

Looking forward to KOTOR 3: Revan Returns. The possibility of such a game is hinted at obliquely in the plot, and I'll be waiting.