Robau is so badass that he could die within the first ten minutes of the movie and yet inspire awe and admiration across the Internet. Contrast with Janeway, who survived over one hundred and seventy episodes and yet is a figure of mockery. 
Captain Robau - unprecedented fan response?
- Thread starter Lazarus
- Start date
Boba Fett died an ignoble death after maybe a couple of minutes screentime, and a couple of lines. As did Darth Maul. So did Robau.
Lucas has been doing this thing for years. But it is a new phenomenon for Trek. I doubt Abrams or Lucas actively intended for Robau or Fett respectively to become these cult characters. It just happened that way. One could argue that Maul was indeed created for the 'cool' effect, though.
Robau seemed so cool because, for once, we got a captain in one of the movies who wasn't called Kirk, who wasn't a total douche. Esteban, Styles, and Harriman were just tools written that way to make Kirk look good.
Lucas has been doing this thing for years. But it is a new phenomenon for Trek. I doubt Abrams or Lucas actively intended for Robau or Fett respectively to become these cult characters. It just happened that way. One could argue that Maul was indeed created for the 'cool' effect, though.
Robau seemed so cool because, for once, we got a captain in one of the movies who wasn't called Kirk, who wasn't a total douche. Esteban, Styles, and Harriman were just tools written that way to make Kirk look good.
Yeah, let's break it down now:
Esteban: Crew killed
Styles: Crew embarrassed
Harriman: Crew unprepared
Robau: Crew saved (blah blah blah, Kirk helped, blah blah blah)
That about sums it up
Anyway, the Robau thing makes as much sense as the keyboard cat, which is good enough for me.
Captain Robau doesn't always drink beer, but when he does he prefers Dos Equis.
Yeah, let's break it down now:
Esteban: Crew killed
Styles: Crew embarrassed
Harriman: Crew unprepared
Robau: Crew saved (blah blah blah, Kirk helped, blah blah blah)
That about sums it up
Anyway, the Robau thing makes as much sense as the keyboard cat, which is good enough for me.
A much better way of what I was trying to say.
While Boba Fett is the most obvious example, I wasn't just referring to him. Several meaningless characters from the Star Wars movies have had video games, novels and even comic books devoted to them, giving them extensive backstories and action figures. Just take a look at Wookiepedia's page on Momaw Nadon for example. Or even better, Wuher the bartender.
And don't forget ICE CREAM MAKER GUY.
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Willrow_Hood
Long have we wanted an action figure of this dude.
LOL, Captain Robau, the manifestation of the inferiority complex of Trekkies. "This is our Boba Fett, and he's soooo much more awesome!"
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That is truly pathetic; and I'm guessing, a function of not having enough Star Wars on screen.
Why is it pathetic? I think it's a lot of fun.
I think Star Wars fans have much more fun with not being viewed as nerdy losers. 
Well, originally the small amounts of information that leaked out prior to the movie became a focal point for fan anticipation and enthusiasm.
Fandom tends to latch onto relatively minor characters and fetishize them because it is a way of participating in and affecting a universe to which they are very attached but over which they have little control.
Sometimes this kind of thing is rewarded over time by people actually making the product (Boba Fett), which stokes the fires even further.
None of that is specific to Robau, but I don't think you really need a specific explanation. It helps, though, that in the case of Robau, the one scene he's in is probably the most memorable one in the film, and it also really stands out from the rest of the movie in that it has a more gritty, less glossy feel and is more operatic emotionally.
The rest of the movie was fun, but the first scene is the only one that I would describe as inspired. Over the top maybe, but certainly ambitious. It's as if they had a different production team working on it. The rest of the movie feels much more careful and formulaic.
So: focal point of fan enthusiasm prior to the movie's release + most memorable scene in the movie itself = recipe for continued interest and fascination.
I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if we end up with a George Kirk/Captain Robau flashback in the sequel, certainly there will be tie-in novels, and fan-fic galore.
Fandom tends to latch onto relatively minor characters and fetishize them because it is a way of participating in and affecting a universe to which they are very attached but over which they have little control.
Sometimes this kind of thing is rewarded over time by people actually making the product (Boba Fett), which stokes the fires even further.
None of that is specific to Robau, but I don't think you really need a specific explanation. It helps, though, that in the case of Robau, the one scene he's in is probably the most memorable one in the film, and it also really stands out from the rest of the movie in that it has a more gritty, less glossy feel and is more operatic emotionally.
The rest of the movie was fun, but the first scene is the only one that I would describe as inspired. Over the top maybe, but certainly ambitious. It's as if they had a different production team working on it. The rest of the movie feels much more careful and formulaic.
So: focal point of fan enthusiasm prior to the movie's release + most memorable scene in the movie itself = recipe for continued interest and fascination.
I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if we end up with a George Kirk/Captain Robau flashback in the sequel, certainly there will be tie-in novels, and fan-fic galore.
I don't think they would turn down a few hundred episodes. And wipe that smiley smirk off your face; I wasn't insulting them. I saw Star Wars at least 20 times at the theater in 1977.I think Star Wars fans have much more fun with not being viewed as nerdy losers.
Never underestimate the power of absurd irony, taken to ridiculous levels.
I think you're taking his popularity here almost too seriously. A fangroup that can poke fun at itself by creating their own meme can't possibly have an inferiority complex. It's called having fun dude, plain and simple.
Lest we forget all those times we ever thought that William Shatner could beat the Terminator in a fist fight, or that Kirk and Spock were the original modern slash-fiction characters.
Robau exuded dignity faced with impossible odds. He had composure, and the way he sacrificed himself was a testament to his character. To be killed by an ignoble adversary is not to surrender. To sacrifice oneself to steal a couple minutes time for the safety of your crew is not a failure. Robau and George Kirk died honorable deaths.
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