What I find really interesting is that Onimi is pretty much the Palpatine of The New Jedi Order series. Both Palpatine and Onimi are Force sensitive and hide their true selves behind facades but with noticeable differences.
Darth Sidious makes himself appear as a kind old man who is trying to do his best as Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, the highest position in society. He had gained this position through years of manipulation and deception. Meanwhile, Onimi became a Shamed One, the lowest rank in his society, as a result of his desire of finding a way of escaping the fate their gods had placed on him and the rest of the Yuuzhan Vong. It was not his intention of becoming a Shamed One and yet he was able to make the most of it by making himself appear weak and cowardly, making others underestimate him, whilst simultaneously using the powers he had been granted to make his plans a reality. These two characters are radically different and yet they are also quite similar which I find really intriguing.
I think it’s fitting that the final and main villain of Star Wars is a Palpatine-esqe villain. Despite the so many changes that have occurred since the start of the Yuuzhan Vong War, at the end of the day the conflict climaxes between two Force-users, one aligned with good and the other aligned with evil. It’s a trace of familiarity in a sea of unfamiliarity. The fact that Jacen defeats this Palpatine-esque villain with a use of the Force that no-one has ever achieved or done before also shows how the Star Wars story and franchise has moved on. The era of Palpatine-esqe villains are over.
This was probably not what the NJO authors intended at all but regardless I find all of this very interesting.
