The ''
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' series consists of ''
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' and ''
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords'', with the first game being released in 2003 and set 4,000 years before the ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' films.
The series also encompasses a 2006
comic book
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
series, and a
massively multiplayer online role-playing game
A massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is a video game that combines aspects of a role-playing video game and a massively multiplayer online game.
As in role-playing games (RPGs), the player assumes the role of a Player charac ...
called ''
Star Wars: The Old Republic''.
The main and player character of the first game is
Revan
Darth Revan, later known simply as Revan, is the player character of the 2003 role-playing video game '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' and its upcoming remake by BioWare.
A former veteran Jedi knight who lived during the Old Republi ...
, and the main and player character of the second game is the Jedi Exile. In both games, the main character can either be a human male or a human female, with other characters joining the player's party and becoming controllable. The player can control three characters at one time in both games.
HK-47
HK-47 is a fictional droid in the '' Star Wars'' franchise. Introduced in the 2003 video game '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'', he is an extremely efficient assassin droid constructed by Revan to assist them in hunting Jedi, until both ...
, Canderous Ordo and T3-M4 appear in both of the video games as playable character, while the first game's playable characters also includes Carth Onasi,
Mission Vao
Mission Vao is a fictional character and party member in the 2003 action role-playing video game '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'', developed by BioWare and published by LucasArts. A teenaged blue-skinned member of the Twi'lek specie ...
, Zaalbar,
Bastila Shan
Bastila Shan is a fictional character and party member in the 2003 action role-playing video game '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'', developed by BioWare and published by LucasArts. Bastila is a member of the Jedi Order, and plays a ...
,
Juhani Juhani is a common Finnish male given name and Arabic surname.
Given name
* Juhani Aaltonen (born 1935), Finnish jazz saxophonist and flautist
* Juhani Aho
* Juhani Kaskeala
* Juhani Komulainen
* Juhani Kumpulainen
* Juhani Lahtinen
* Juhani "Juic ...
and Jolee Bindo. The second game's playable characters also include
Atton Rand
Atton Rand is a fictional character and party member in Obsidian Entertainment's 2004 action role-playing video game '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords''. Within the series, Atton is a human pilot encountered by the Je ...
, Bao-Dur, Mical, Mira, Hanharr, Brianna,
Kreia
Kreia is a fictional character and party member in Obsidian Entertainment's '' Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords''. She is a blind Force-sensitive who forms a "bond" with the player character, the Jedi Exile, through th ...
, Visas Marr and G0-T0.
The characters have overall been well-received, with the first ''Knights of the Old Republic'' winning the Academy of Interactive Art's "Outstanding Achievement in Character and Story Development", and both Kreia and HK-47 receiving other awards.
Concept and creation
Chris Avellone, the lead designer of ''The Sith Lords'', has said that "a core part of what made KOTOR I so great was the story and your companions, and that was our intention in the sequel as well",
and has also said that he thought that the characters and voice-acting were some of the key strengths of ''The Sith Lords'', and said that they got a lot of help and support from
LucasArts
Lucasfilm Games (known as LucasArts between 1990 and 2021) is an American video game brand licensing, licensor that is part of Lucasfilm. It was founded in May 1982 by George Lucas as a video game development group alongside his film company; as ...
in the voice-acting and sound department. Avellone stated that in some cases, the characters turned out "better than we thought they would be". According to Avellone, while "there was some stuff we wanted to add", overall they "got almost everything we wanted in there". Avellone has said he has been surprised by the positive feedback of some of the characters.
Player characters
Revan
The main protagonist and player character of the
first game is Revan, an amnesiac Sith Lord who is reassigned a new identity as a member of the Republic army. Revan's true identity is not revealed until a predetermined point in the narrative where the player is confronted by the game's central antagonist Darth Malak for the first time.
According to continuity established by supplementary material,
as well as the
massively multiplayer online role-playing game
A massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is a video game that combines aspects of a role-playing video game and a massively multiplayer online game.
As in role-playing games (RPGs), the player assumes the role of a Player charac ...
''
Star Wars: The Old Republic'', in ''
Star Wars Legends
''Star Wars'' has been expanded to media other than the original films. This spin-off material is licensed and moderated by Lucasfilm, though during his involvement with the franchise ''Star Wars'' creator George Lucas reserved the right to bot ...
'', Revan is male and follows the light-side path, while in
''Star Wars'' canon, Revan is male; in the first game, the player may choose Revan's alias or gender as female during character creation, and/or follow the dark-side path, while in the second game, Revan's default gender is female.
Jedi Exile
The Jedi Exile, also known simply as the Exile, is the main protagonist and player character of the
second game. The player may choose the gender and decide what path to take.
According to continuity established by ''Star Wars: The Old Republic'' and its associated supplementary material, in ''
Star Wars Legends
''Star Wars'' has been expanded to media other than the original films. This spin-off material is licensed and moderated by Lucasfilm, though during his involvement with the franchise ''Star Wars'' creator George Lucas reserved the right to bot ...
'', the Jedi Exile is named Meetra Surik, who is female and aligned to the light-side of the Force.
Other playable characters
Recurring characters
Canderous Ordo
Canderous Ordo, voiced by
John Cygan
John Cygan (April 27, 1954 – May 13, 2017) was an American actor and comedian.
Early life
Cygan was born in New York City to a large family of thirteen children, six of them were half-siblings. His parents never married.
He attended West Bab ...
, is a
Mandalorian
Mandalorians are fictional people associated with the planet Mandalore in the ''Star Wars'' universe and franchise created by George Lucas. Their most distinct cultural features are their battle helmets, chest armor, wrist gauntlets, and often ...
who appears in both the first game and in ''The Sith Lords''. Ordo is a veteran Mandalorian warrior who joins the player's party in ''Knights of the Old Republic''. After the game's conclusion, he becomes "Mandalore the Preserver", leader of the Mandalorians. Mandalore pledges himself and his warriors to the service of the
Jedi Exile
''Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords'' is a role-playing video game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by LucasArts. It is the sequel to BioWare's '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' and was released ...
in ''The Sith Lords''.
UGO Networks
UGO Entertainment, Inc. was a website that provided coverage of online media in entertainment, targeting males aged 18–34. The company was based in New York, New York, United States.
History
The company started in 1997 as Unified Gamers Online ...
ranked Ordo among their list of top fifty Expanded Universe characters.
T3-M4
T3-M4 is an astromech droid who appears in both games. It was constructed by a Twi'lek named Janice Nall of
Taris for local crime lord, Davik Kang. The droid features code-breaking and computer "slicing" skills in addition to being able to mount armor and weapon upgrades. If the player attempts to talk to T3 it will simply communicate in a series of bleeps, similar to other
astromech droid
In the ''Star Wars'' space opera franchise, a droid is a fictional robot possessing some degree of artificial intelligence''.'' The term is a clipped form of " android", a word originally reserved for robots designed to look and act like a huma ...
s like
R2-D2
R2-D2 () or Artoo-Detoo is a fictional robot character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. He has appeared in ten of the eleven theatrical ''Star Wars'' films to date. At various points throughout the course of the films, R2, ...
.
HK-47
HK-47, voiced by
Kristoffer Tabori
Kristoffer Tabori (also known as K.T. Donaldson, born Christopher Donald Siegel; August 4, 1952) is an American actor and television director.
Early life
Tabori was born in Malibu, California, the son of American film director Don Siegel and Sw ...
, is an assassin droid owned by Revan, who appears in both of the games. In 2003 HK-47 won ''
Computer Gaming World
''Computer Gaming World'' (CGW) was an American computer game magazine published between 1981 and 2006. One of the few magazines of the era to survive the video game crash of 1983, it was sold to Ziff Davis in 1993. It expanded greatly through ...
'' "NPC of the Year" award,
and later won the category of "Original Game Character of the Year" in the 2004
Game Developers Choice Awards
The Game Developers Choice Awards are awards annually presented at the Game Developers Conference for outstanding game developers and games.
Introduced in 2001, the Game Developers Choice Awards were preceded by the Spotlight Awards, which were ...
.
''Knights of the Old Republic'' characters
Carth Onasi
Carth Onasi, voiced by
Raphael Sbarge
Raphael Sbarge (born February 12, 1964) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Jake Straka on ''The Guardian'' (2001–04), Jiminy Cricket / Dr. Archibald Hopper on ''Once Upon a Time'' (2011–18) and Insp ...
, is a
Republic
A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...
soldier and pilot. During the Mandalorian wars, Carth served under Admiral Saul Karath, who would become his mentor and, later, object of revenge. He met Revan while the two were fleeing the
Endar Spire, following a Sith attack on the ship. He is the second character to become a party member in the first game, after Trask Ulgo sacrifices himself to fend off the Sith apprentice Darth Bandon. It is later revealed that Carth had a family on Telos who were killed by the Sith: his son Dustil later turns up as a
Sith convert
Conversion or convert may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* "Conversion" (''Doctor Who'' audio), an episode of the audio drama ''Cyberman''
* "Conversion" (''Stargate Atlantis''), an episode of the television series
* "The Conversion" ...
and the player has the option of killing him or opening his eyes. He is a romance option for the female Revan. Carth can appear briefly in the sequel, ''The Sith Lords'', via recorded audio and video messages.
Mission Vao
Mission Vao, voiced by
Catherine Taber
Catherine Anne Taber (born December 30, 1979) is an American actress. She is known for voicing Padmé Amidala in '' Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' and Lori Loud on ''The Loud House''.
Biography
In 2000, Taber made her feature film debut starring ...
, appears in ''Knights of the Old Republic''. She is a fourteen-year-old
Twi'lek and the best friend of
Zaalbar
The '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' series consists of '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' and '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords'', with the first game being released in 2003 and set 4,000 year ...
. Mission joins the player's party after encountering her in the Undercity on Taris.
Zaalbar
Zaalbar is a character from ''Knights of the Old Republic''. He is a
Wookiee
Wookiees () are fictional humanoid aliens in the ''Star Wars'' universe, native to the forest planet Kashyyyk. They are distinguished from humans by their gigantism, hirsutism, and physical strength. The most prominent Wookiee is Chewbacca, c ...
who is friends with
Mission Vao
Mission Vao is a fictional character and party member in the 2003 action role-playing video game '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'', developed by BioWare and published by LucasArts. A teenaged blue-skinned member of the Twi'lek specie ...
and joins the player's party, swearing a life-debt to the player for helping Mission rescue him from a group of Gammorrean slavers in the Undercity of Taris. Zaalbar is the brother to Chuundar, the leader of a tribe on their home planet Kashyyyk. When the player's party first lands on Kashyyyk, Zaalbar is referred to as "mad-claw". Through Zaalbar's and Chuundar's father, Freyyr, Revan learns why Zaalbar was banished from the tribe: Zaalbar learned that Chuundar was selling Wookiee slaves to Czerka Corporation, and in a fit of rage attacked him with his bare claws, breaking a major Wookiee taboo; this led Freyyr to side with Chuundar and thus Zaalbar was exiled. When Revan and Freyyr confront Chuundar, Zaalbar sides with Freyyr and Revan and in turn kills Chuundar, freeing the Wookiees and driving Czerka off the planet. A dark-side alternative has Revan kill Freyyr, allowing Czerka's slave trade on Kashyyyk to continue: a dark-sided Revan can also order Zaalbar to kill Mission in order to fulfill his life-debt - this may cause Zaalbar to turn against Revan as well.
Bastila Shan
Bastila Shan, voiced by
Jennifer Hale
Jennifer Hale is a Canadian-American voice actress. She is best known for her work in video game franchises such as ''Baldur's Gate'', ''Mass Effect'', ''Metal Gear Solid'', ''BioShock Infinite'', ''Metroid Prime'', ''Overwatch'', and '' Star Wa ...
, is a
Jedi
Jedi (), Jedi Knights, or collectively the Jedi Order are the main heroic protagonists of many works of the '' Star Wars'' franchise. Working symbiotically alongside the Old Galactic Republic, and later supporting the Rebel Alliance, the Jedi O ...
who defeated Revan prior to the beginning of ''Knights of the Old Republic''. The first part of the game is spent searching for her after the Endar Spire is destroyed, and she joins the party upon her rescue. Darth Malak later captures her and seduces her to the dark side. Revan later confronts Bastila in a lightsaber duel and has the option of killing her or allowing her to live: a dark-side character makes her their apprentice, while a light-side character helps her redeem herself by helping the Republic fleet. Bastila is a romance option for a light-sided male player character.
Juhani
Juhani, voiced by
Courtenay Taylor
Courtenay Taylor is an American actress. She is best known for her video game voice roles as Jack in the ''Mass Effect'' series, Ada Wong in the ''Resident Evil'' series, and the female Sole Survivor in ''Fallout 4''.
Career
Taylor has been na ...
, is a
Cathar
Catharism (; from the grc, καθαροί, katharoi, "the pure ones") was a Christian dualist or Gnostic movement between the 12th and 14th centuries which thrived in Southern Europe, particularly in northern Italy and southern France. Follow ...
padawan who incorrectly believed she killed her master. She turned to the
dark side and tainted the grove on
Dantooine where she lived. Depending on which path the conversation is steered in by the player, Revan may either fight (and kill) her, or redeem her, where she joins the party to discover the location of the Star Forge and returns to the Order as a Jedi Knight. Juhani is the first explicitly LGBTQ character in ''Star Wars'' media.
Jolee Bindo
Jolee Bindo, voiced by
Kevin Michael Richardson
Kevin Michael Richardson (born October 25, 1964) is an American actor. Known for his distinctively deep voice, he has mostly voiced villainous characters in animation and video games. In film, Richardson voiced Goro in ''Mortal Kombat'' (1995) ...
, is a character in ''Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic''. Jolee is an old hermit living in the Shadowlands on the forest floor of
Kashyyyk
Wookiees () are fictional humanoid aliens in the ''Star Wars'' universe, native to the forest planet Kashyyyk. They are distinguished from humans by their gigantism, hirsutism, and physical strength. The most prominent Wookiee is Chewbacca, c ...
and a former Jedi Padawan. Bindo helps
Revan
Darth Revan, later known simply as Revan, is the player character of the 2003 role-playing video game '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' and its upcoming remake by BioWare.
A former veteran Jedi knight who lived during the Old Republi ...
bypass shield generators that lead deeper into the Shadowlands to find the Star Map and remains with Revan's party. After the main character gains experience, Jolee tells the tale of how he was once a
smuggler
Smuggling is the illegal transportation of objects, substances, information or people, such as out of a house or buildings, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.
There are various ...
, and through this met his wife. Against the wishes of the
Jedi Council
Jedi (), Jedi Knights, or collectively the Jedi Order are the main heroic protagonists of many works of the '' Star Wars'' franchise. Working symbiotically alongside the Old Galactic Republic, and later supporting the Rebel Alliance, the Jedi O ...
, he trained her in the way of the Force. She was then seduced to the dark side by
Exar Kun
This is an incomplete list of characters from the ''Star Wars'' expanded universe, now rebranded ''Star Wars Legends''. The accompanying works were declared non-canon to the '' Star Wars'' franchise by Lucasfilm in 2014.
This list applies '' ...
, upon failing to convince Jolee to join Exar Kun as well, she drew her
lightsaber
A lightsaber is a fictional energy sword featured throughout the ''Star Wars'' franchise. A typical lightsaber is depicted as a luminescent plasma blade about in length emitted from a metal hilt around in length. First introduced in the or ...
on him. Jolee won the fight, but he was unable to bring himself to kill her. She escaped and went on to kill many Jedi. Jolee expected to be punished harshly for his mistakes, but the Council said he had learned his lesson the hard way, and even considered promoting him to knighthood. Disappointed with the Jedi’s decision, Jolee left the Order and started wandering
the galaxy before crash landing on Kashyyyk, where he lived for 20 years until he met Revan.
Kimberley Wallace of ''Game Informer'' included Jolee Bindo in her list of best BioWare characters; she called him a "cranky old man who hacks the hell out of enemies is hard to top". According to Wallace, "he almost beats HK-47 for his power with sarcasm, as Jolee Bindo's self-ridicule is part of his charm", and claims that he will perhaps never live down his infamous line, "I did it all for the Wookiees!"
''The Sith Lords'' characters
Kreia
Kreia, voiced by
Sara Kestelman
Sara Kestelman (born 12 May 1944) is an English actress. She is known for her role as Lady Frances Brandon, Lady Jane Grey's mother, in the 1986 film '' Lady Jane'', as well as for providing the voice of Kreia in '' Star Wars Knights of the Old ...
, is the teacher and mentor to the Jedi Exile in ''The Sith Lords''.
Near the end of the game, she is revealed to have been Darth Traya, the Lord of Betrayal, all along. Her character received mixed reception since the game's publication, but is generally thought to be one of the most well developed backgrounds and characterizations in retrospective reviews.
Atton Rand
Atton Rand
Atton Rand is a fictional character and party member in Obsidian Entertainment's 2004 action role-playing video game '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords''. Within the series, Atton is a human pilot encountered by the Je ...
, voiced by
Nicky Katt
Nicky Katt (born May 11, 1971) is an American actor. Katt often plays unsympathetic characters, such as an irascible motorhead in ''Dazed and Confused,'' an ill-fated white supremacist child rapist in ''A Time to Kill'', and an embittered busi ...
, is a character in ''The Sith Lords''. Atton is a human pilot that the Exile meets on the asteroid mining station Peragus II, and is patterned after the iconic ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' character
Han Solo
Han Solo is a fictional character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. The character first appeared in the 1977 film '' Star Wars'' portrayed by Harrison Ford, who reprised his role in ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) an ...
. Atton can become a
Jedi Sentinel
Jedi (), Jedi Knights, or collectively the Jedi Order are the main heroic protagonists of many works of the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Working symbiotically alongside the Galactic Republic, Old Galactic Republic, and later supporting the Rebel All ...
once the player character accrues enough influence with him.
Bao-Dur
Bao-Dur, voiced by
Roger G. Smith
Roger Guenveur Smith (born July 27, 1955) is an American actor, director, and writer best known for his collaborations with Spike Lee.
Early life
Smith was born on July 27, 1955 in Berkeley, California, the son of Helen Guenveur, a dentist, and ...
, is a character in ''Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords''.
He is a
Zabrak engineer from
Iridonia, who fought under the command of the
Jedi Exile
''Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords'' is a role-playing video game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by LucasArts. It is the sequel to BioWare's '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' and was released ...
during the Mandalorian Wars. Bao-Dur is the inventor of the Mass Shadow Generator that ended the battle on
Malachor
The fictional universe of the '' Star Wars'' franchise features multiple planets and moons. While only the feature films and selected other works are considered canon to the franchise since the 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm by The Walt Dis ...
V by completely obliterating the
Mandalorian
Mandalorians are fictional people associated with the planet Mandalore in the ''Star Wars'' universe and franchise created by George Lucas. Their most distinct cultural features are their battle helmets, chest armor, wrist gauntlets, and often ...
Armada and inadvertently killing many
Republic
A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...
soldiers on his own side of the battle, leading to a great deal of guilt later in his life. The Exile, who did not know Bao-Dur on a personal level at the time, gave the command, which sent massive echoes in
the Force
The Force is a metaphysical and ubiquitous power in the '' Star Wars'' fictional universe. "Force-sensitive" characters use the Force throughout the franchise. Heroes like the Jedi seek to "become one with the Force", matching their personal wi ...
throughout the galaxy. Bao-Dur is trainable as a
Jedi Guardian.
Visas Marr
Visas Marr, voiced by
Kelly Hu
Kelly Ann Hu (born February 13, 1968 ) is an American actress, voice artist, former fashion model and beauty queen who was Miss Teen USA 1985 and Miss Hawaii USA 1993. Hu starred as Dr. Rae Chang on the American television soap opera '' Sunset ...
, appears in ''The Sith Lords'' as an apprentice of
Darth Nihilus
The video games ''Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (video game), Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' (2003) and ''Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords'' (2004) features a large cast of characters noted for its div ...
. She eventually joins the player's character's party after her defeat. Visas Marr is a
Miraluka from the planet of Katarr, which was destroyed by Darth Nihilus when she was a child. While she is considered blind, she is able to see through the Force which allowed her to find the Jedi Exile. When she confronts the Exile, she loses and in turn becomes part of the Exile's party. Eventually the player confronts Nihilus with Visas, and fights him. The player may choose to have Visas sacrifice herself to weaken Nihilus.
Brian Menze designed the character, and drew on ninjas, the look of previous Sith Lords, and ''
G.I. Joe
''G.I. Joe'' is an American media franchise and a line of action figures owned and produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier ( U.S. Army), Ac ...
'' character
the Baroness in creating her concept art. As the character was mostly covered – only the lower half of her face is visible – Menze decided to make what was shown "as sexy as possible". Menze deviated from the usual black Sith Lords dressed in and instead added some color to soften her, based on the written description of the character.
Menze noted that the character has since become a fan favorite and a popular choice for
cosplay
Cosplay, a portmanteau of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture, ...
activities at fan conventions.
Voice directors Will Beckman and Darragh O'Farrell wanted someone "special" and "maybe a little sexy" to voice the part.
It was Hu's first role as a voice-actress, and she has said she enjoyed the role.
Brianna
Brianna, voiced by
Grey DeLisle
Grey DeLisle (; born Erin Grey Van Oosbree; August 24, 1973), sometimes credited as Grey Griffin, is an American voice actress, comedian and singer-songwriter. DeLisle is known for various roles in animated productions and video games. On Sept ...
, is the "Last Handmaiden" on a Jedi Academy located on Telos IV in ''Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords''. She initially does not reveal her name to the Exile; until she mentions her name late in the game, she is referred to as the Handmaiden. Brianna joins the party after leaving Telos on the ''Ebon Hawk'' if the player's character is male. Her training before joining the Exile's party makes her a skilled close quarter combatant and, after fulfilling certain combat and conversation requirements, she can be trained to become a
Jedi Guardian or a Dark Jedi Guardian. It is revealed by Kreia that Brianna takes up Atris' role as the historian of the Jedi.
Mical
Mical, also known as the Disciple, is a character in ''The Sith Lords'' voiced by
Greg Ellis. He is a soldier and force-adept that was refused for training because of the Mandalorian Wars. He eventually tells the player character that he wishes the player to be his master. He is a playable character that joins the player's party on Dantooine if your character is female. The Disciple can be influenced by light side acts and can be trained as a Jedi Consular.
Mira
Mira, voiced by Emily Berry, appears in ''The Sith Lords''. Mira lost her family during the Mandalorian Wars. By the end of the wars, the
Galactic Republic
The Galactic Republic, often referred to as simply the Republic, is a fictional galactic polity depicted in the ''Star Wars'' universe, where it existed prior to the establishment of the Galactic Empire. The Republic is most prominently por ...
was flooding with refugees, and many of them, including Mira, ended up in the refugee sector of
Nar Shaddaa. To survive in the hostile environment, she became a bounty hunter with the sole purpose of earning credits. A rival bounty hunter, the
Wookiee
Wookiees () are fictional humanoid aliens in the ''Star Wars'' universe, native to the forest planet Kashyyyk. They are distinguished from humans by their gigantism, hirsutism, and physical strength. The most prominent Wookiee is Chewbacca, c ...
Hanharr, was employed to hunt her by an unknown person. Mira will join player characters who are oriented towards light-sided or neutral alignments, and can become a
Jedi Sentinel
Jedi (), Jedi Knights, or collectively the Jedi Order are the main heroic protagonists of many works of the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Working symbiotically alongside the Galactic Republic, Old Galactic Republic, and later supporting the Rebel All ...
.
Menze had a "shaggy-like character from the
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ) was an American animation studio and production company which was active from 1957 to 2001. It was founded on July 7, 1957, by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera following the decision of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to c ...
cartoon ''
Speed Buggy
''Speed Buggy'' is an American animated television series, produced by Hanna-Barbera, which originally aired for one season on CBS from September 8, 1973, to December 22, 1973. With the voices of Mel Blanc, Michael Bell, Arlene Golonka, and Ph ...
''" as a reference for Mira. Her visual design was based on the appearances of women Menze described as the "gothic girl gamer" who attend shows or
fan convention
Fan convention (also known as con or fan meeting), a term that predates 1942, is an event in which fans of a particular topic gather to participate and hold programs and other events, and to meet experts, famous personalities, and each other. Some ...
s in the early 2000’s, and whose stylistic choices included dyed hair, strapped platform leather boots and Hello Kitty backpacks, as he had hoped to tap into a likeness that these fans would respond to.
Hanharr
Hanharr is a Wookiee
bounty hunter
A bounty hunter is a private agent working for bail bonds who captures fugitives or criminals for a commission or bounty. The occupation, officially known as bail enforcement agent, or fugitive recovery agent, has traditionally operated outsid ...
in ''The Sith Lords'', and can play different roles within the game, depending on the alignment of the player character. Hanharr is encountered on the planet Nar Shaddaa, as is
Mira
Mira (), designation Omicron Ceti (ο Ceti, abbreviated Omicron Cet, ο Cet), is a red-giant star estimated to be 200–400 light-years from the Sun in the constellation Cetus.
ο Ceti is a binary stellar system, consisting of a varia ...
, another bounty hunter. One of these will join the party of the
Jedi Exile
''Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords'' is a role-playing video game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by LucasArts. It is the sequel to BioWare's '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' and was released ...
, as is determined by the personality of the player character. Light-side and neutral players are joined by Mira, dark-side players are joined by Hanharr.
G0-T0
G0-T0, voiced by
Daran Norris
Daran Morrison Nordland (born ), known professionally as Daran Norris, is an American actor. He has appeared or voiced characters in more than 400 films, video games, and television programs, including: Gordy in ''Ned's Declassified School Surviv ...
, is a
droid who appears in ''The Sith Lords''. Built to oversee and aid in the planetary reconstruction of the planet Telos, its programming included two directives: produce options to rebuild the Republic and follow all the laws of the Republic. Sadly, all options G0-T0 could think of to assist the Republic would involve breaking a Republic law. Following this, the droid 'broke'; it overrode the second directive, and set up The Exchange, the greatest smuggling organization in the galaxy. Eventually the droid would be destroyed, but not before the organization had helped countless systems achieve prosperity.
Major antagonists
Darth Malak
Darth Malak, voiced by Rafael Ferrer, is the old
Sith apprentice of
Revan
Darth Revan, later known simply as Revan, is the player character of the 2003 role-playing video game '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' and its upcoming remake by BioWare.
A former veteran Jedi knight who lived during the Old Republi ...
and the main antagonist of the first game.
Malak and
Revan
Darth Revan, later known simply as Revan, is the player character of the 2003 role-playing video game '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' and its upcoming remake by BioWare.
A former veteran Jedi knight who lived during the Old Republi ...
disobeyed the Jedi Council and helped the Republic defend against the Mandalorians. They fell to the dark side in pursuing the Mandalorians. Malak then betrays his master and usurps the title of Dark Lord of the Sith. However,
Revan
Darth Revan, later known simply as Revan, is the player character of the 2003 role-playing video game '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' and its upcoming remake by BioWare.
A former veteran Jedi knight who lived during the Old Republi ...
survives the attack, at the cost of her memory.
Revan
Darth Revan, later known simply as Revan, is the player character of the 2003 role-playing video game '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' and its upcoming remake by BioWare.
A former veteran Jedi knight who lived during the Old Republi ...
regains her power in the search for the Star Forge, and defeats Malak in the game's final battle.
GamePro's Hugh Sterbakov ranked Darth Malak as 22nd most diabolical videogame villain of all time, saying he was "one of, if not the coolest expanded universe Star Wars character yet".
UGO Networks put the character as their 19th top ''Star Wars'' Expanded Universe character.
On
GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
's "All-Time Greatest Villain" competition in 2011, Darth Malak managed to get into the top sixteen.
GameDaily's Robert Workman put Darth Malak as their 16th top evil mastermind of all time.
Workman also listed Malak as one of his favourite ''Star Wars'' video game characters.
Darth Sion
Darth Sion, voiced by
Louis Mellis
Louis Mellis is a Scotland, Scottish actor and screenwriter. Along with David Scinto, he wrote the screenplay for the films ''Sexy Beast'' (2000) and ''44 Inch Chest'' (2009).
In 2010, Mellis signed on to write ''The Princess' Gangster'', based ...
, is an antagonist in ''The Sith Lords''. Darth Traya trained both Sion and Nihilus, who in turn betray her. He holds his ravaged body together with the dark-side of the Force. The player's character eventually defeats Sion, and upon doing so, can return him to the light before he dies.
Chris Avellone
Chris Avellone is an American video game designer and comic book writer. He worked for Interplay and Obsidian Entertainment before working as a freelancer. He is best known for his work on role-playing video games such as '' Planescape: Tormen ...
, lead designer of ''The Sith Lords'', was inspired to create Sion by Tessai's death scene in ''
Ninja Scroll
is a 1993 Japanese animated ''jidaigeki''- ''chanbara'' film written and directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri, starring the voices of Kōichi Yamadera, Emi Shinohara, Takeshi Aono, Daisuke Gōri, Toshihiko Seki and Shūichirō Moriyama. The film was a ...
''.
In contrast to other characters, Sion's design took much longer to hone down. Brian Menze, creator of the concept art and in-game model, had difficulty finding a design that Avellone was satisfied with, and the two had many conversations on how he should appear.
It was planned that Sion would have small parts of him orbiting around him. Engine troubles, however, made that difficult, ultimately resulting in a character looking far more "human".
Voice directors Will Beckman and Darragh O'Farrell originally sought to hire someone with an English accent, rather than the Scottish one found in the game. Problems arose due to most English actors lacking deep voices, though afterwards they wished to avoid making Sion "too Scottish", wishing to avoid creating a caricature to American ears.
They called Sion's voice one of their favorites in ''The Sith Lords''.
Darth Nihilus
Darth Nihilus appears in ''Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords'' as one of the titular Sith Lords. He is known as the Lord of Hunger, capable of draining the life force out of any living thing, and intends to consume as much life in the galaxy as possible. He is depicted as a
wraith-like being who speaks in unintelligible rasps and feasts on the Force like a parasite. Nihilus bound his consciousness into his robes and mask in order to preserve his physical form. Prior to the game's events, Darth Sion, Darth Nihilus and Darth Traya formed a short-lived
Triumvirate
A triumvirate ( la, triumvirātus) or a triarchy is a political institution ruled or dominated by three individuals, known as triumvirs ( la, triumviri). The arrangement can be formal or informal. Though the three leaders in a triumvirate are ...
as leaders of the resurgent Sith based on Malachor V, though Traya was later cast out and driven into exile. Nihilus then uses the might of the Sith Armada not to conquer planets, but to contain them so that he could "feed" off the Force energy of each planet's lifeforms, wiping planets of life. Nihilus is defeated in the game after being drawn out and tricked into launching an attack on Telos, believing it to harbour the last of the Jedi. The Exile, together with
Canderous Ordo
The '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' series consists of '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' and '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords'', with the first game being released in 2003 and set 4,000 year ...
and Nihilus' former associate
Visas Marr confront the Sith Lord on his ship, and Nihilus is slain either after Visas sacrifices herself due to their shared link in the Force, or after his attempt to feast on the Exile's connection to the Force backfires and weakens him.
Nihilus appears in the "Unseen, Unheard" story in the final issue of ''
Star Wars Tales
''Star Wars Tales'' is a comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics, beginning on September 29, 1999, and completing its run on July 13, 2005. Each issue is 64 pages and features a few unrelated stories from various eras of the ''Star Wars'' ...
'', which recounts Nihilus using his power to decimate all life on the Miraluka colony world of Katarr, including the vast majority of the Jedi Order's leadership. Visas Marr is shown as the sole survivor of the catastrophic event, which impressed Nihilus and moved him to claim her as his apprentice and slave. Nihilus is mentioned in a few other stories in the original
''Star Wars'' Expanded Universe, and makes a short appearance in ''
Star Wars: Legacy''. The character's distinctive mask is also made available as a
loot item for ''
Star Wars: The Old Republic'' if the ''Crime Lord's Cartel Pack''
DLC is installed. Nihilus is introduced to the ''
Galaxy of Heroes'' mobile game as a playable character in a 2017 update. As the “face” of the marketing for ''The Sith Lords'', the character has been featured prominently in promotional material and subject to merchandise, including several action figures.
[
Nihilus was written so players would identify him less as a "human" and more a "force of nature". Avellone described him as without personality beyond "just a feeling of hunger" due to having succumbed so far to the dark side. Avellone felt beating such a force seemed "more heroic" or "far more epic" than taking on an individual person. The character's visual was quick to define; ''Eurogamer'' describes him as "a concept created and greenlit in all of 15 minutes".] Character modeller and lead concept artist Brian Menze was asked to create a Sith Lord with No-Face from Hayao Miyazaki
is a Japanese animator, director, producer, screenwriter, author, and manga artist. A co-founder of Studio Ghibli, he has attained international acclaim as a masterful storyteller and creator of Japanese animated feature films, and is widel ...
's ''Spirited Away
is a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Tohokushinsha Film, and Mitsubishi and distrib ...
'' (2001) as a reference; Avellone felt that the final design, which employs a lot of voluminous black, was closer to the Studio Ghibli
is a Japanese animation studio headquartered in Koganei, Tokyo."Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment". ''Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment''. Retrieved 2020-12-14. It is best known for its animated feature films, and ha ...
character than was intended. One idea behind Nihilus's design was that there should be nothing behind the mask – representative of him being a void. A "pet peeve" of Avellone's is promotional art of Nihilus with a visible nose, which contradicted his concept of a character who lack facial features;[ Menze had drawn a nosed Nihilus for a magazine cover which had become widely circulated and Avellone had "let it go", to Menze's now regret.]
Nihilus is considered to be one of the best remembered aspects of ''The Sith Lords's'' story.[ ''IGN's'' Jesse Schedeen singled out his obliteration of Visas' homeworld as the Sith Lord's "defining moment of villainy".] Chris Freiberg from ''Den of Geek'' ranked the introduction of Darth Nihilus as one of the most memorable moments in ''Star Wars'' video game history. ''Glixel
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its cove ...
'' listed him as one of twenty "awesome" ''Star Wars'' characters originating in video games, and considered him "terrifying" and "more of a malevolent ghost than a typical self-serving Sith".
Nihilus' visual design proved to be very popular with ''Star Wars'' fandom. Revan aside, ''Eurogamer's'' Robert Purchese described ''The Sith Lords'' villains as "far more memorable" than those of the first game, and described Nihilus as the most recognisable of the trio. Schedeen remarked that "Nihilus probably wins the award for coolest-looking ''Star Wars'' villain ever". ''The Citizen's Lake Life'' editor David Wilcox opined that Darth Nihilus is the best designed character outside of the ''Star Wars'' saga's "main players". The character has been frequently referenced in fan art, cosplay and other derivative works since his appearance in ''The Sith Lords''. The character was also featured on ''The Howard Stern Show
''The Howard Stern Show'' is an American radio show hosted by Howard Stern that gained wide recognition when it was nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from WXRK in New York City, between 1986 and 2005. The show has aired on Howard 100 a ...
'' for several weeks.
Nihilus' popularity has led to discussions about the supposed references to the character in canon ''Star Wars'' works, such as the identity of an ancient Sith statue in '' Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker'', as well as the origins of the Nihil, a faction set to be the overarching antagonists of the upcoming '' Star Wars: The High Republic'' subseries. Obsidian Entertainment acknowledged their creation of Darth Nihilus and the character's popularity as a notable contribution to the ''Star Wars'' license. Menze noted in retrospect that co-creating Darth Nihilus with Avellone is a career highlight for him, and acknowledged that the character "has gone on to be bigger than the game we created".[
]
Atris
Atris, voiced by Elizabeth Rider, is a former member of the Jedi Council and one of the Jedi largely responsible for banishing the Jedi Exile from the Jedi Order. Prior to the events of ''The Sith Lords'', Atris had an idealistic view of the Jedi that bordered on fanaticism, believing that they were the perfect guardians of the galaxy and, as a result, did not tolerate any criticism directed towards them. However, Atris' beliefs were challenged during the events of the Mandalorian War and the war against Darth Malak in the first game. This drove her to betraying the Jedi by alerting the location of a hidden conclave to Darth Nihilus, resulting in the Jedi being driven to near-extinction. Atris then planned to rebuild the Jedi Order under her own dogmatic doctrine, and started an unethical campaign against the Sith. This included leaking information of the Jedi Exile's return to the rest of the galaxy, setting off the events of ''The Sith Lords''.
Other characters
*Trask Ulgo was a Republic soldier who appears in the first game aboard the Republic battleship ''Endar Spire'' before it is shot down over Taris by Malak's forces at the beginning of the game. He serves as a "tutorial" companion and is killed holding off Darth Bandon- allowing the player to escape. Once the player meets Darth Bandon again, they may choose a dialogue option to avenge Ulgo.
*Vrook Lamar was a Jedi Master who was on the Jedi Council that decided to exile the Jedi Exile. Vrook is one of the masters that helps retrain Revan in the first game. In the second, the Exile finds Vrook on Dantooine, where he is later killed by Kreia (if he has not already been killed by the player following the dark side path).
*Kavar was a Jedi Master who was on the Jedi Council that decided to exile the Jedi Exile. In the second game, he is in exile on Onderon. He goes to meet with the other Jedi Masters on Dantooine, where he is killed by Kreia (if he has not already been killed by the player following the dark side path).
*Zez-Kai Ell was a Jedi Master who was on the Jedi Council that decided to exile the Jedi Exile. In the second game, he is in exile on Nar Shadaa. He goes to meet with the other Jedi Masters on Dantooine, where he is killed by Kreia (if he has not already been killed by the player following the dark side path).
*Darth Bandon was a Sith apprentice of Malak who attacked the player, and was defeated. He appears in the first game after Calo Nord fails to slay Revan.
*Calo Nord was a bounty hunter in the first game. Nord was originally a slave, until he murdered his captors and escaped when he was sixteen years old. He is a notorious bounty hunter with a legendary fast draw
Fast draw, also known as quick draw, is the ability to quickly draw a handgun and accurately fire it upon a target in the process. This skill was made popular by romanticized depictions of gunslingers in the Western genre, which in turn were inspi ...
who bears a grudge against Revan for escaping him, and can be fought on any of the Star Map worlds in the first game.
*Zax the Hutt was a Hutt found on Taris in the video game ''Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic''. Players go to him to obtain bounties.
*Ajuur the Hutt was a Hutt who worked in the Upper City cantina who ran the duelling ring in KOTOR I. He can arrange the player's character to fight the Mandalorian death-match champion Bendak Starkiller, which can be redeemed for a bounty to Zax.
*Davik Kang was the Exchange leader of Taris, and used elite mercenaries such as Canderous Ordo
The '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' series consists of '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' and '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords'', with the first game being released in 2003 and set 4,000 year ...
and Calo Nord to carry out his dirty work. He was killed in the orbital bombardment of Taris, from which point the player has to make their escape from the planet in his ship, the Ebon Hawk. He appeared in the first game.
*Saul Karath was Carth Onasi's old mentor who betrayed him to join the Sith. He appeared in the first game where he was killed by Revan onboard the Leviathan. He was voiced by Robin Sachs
Robin Sachs (5 February 1951 – 1 February 2013) was an English actor, active in the theatre, television and films. He was also known for his voice-over work in films and video games.
Born to a theatrical family, Sachs studied at the Royal Acad ...
.
*Queen Talia is a descendant of the ancient Sith Lord Freedon Nadd and the ruler of Onderon who is at odds with her cousin Vaklu when the Exile comes to the planet. She appeared in the second game.
*Azkul is a battle-scarred mercenary who served under Malak and later settled on Dantooine, attempting to destroy the local community of Khoonda but was thwarted by the Jedi Exile. He appeared in the second game.
*General Vaklu is the power-crazed cousin of Queen Talia who seeks to overthrow his young cousin and take the royal throne.
*Chuundar is a Wookiee
Wookiees () are fictional humanoid aliens in the ''Star Wars'' universe, native to the forest planet Kashyyyk. They are distinguished from humans by their gigantism, hirsutism, and physical strength. The most prominent Wookiee is Chewbacca, c ...
character in ''Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic''. Zaalbar was exiled for attacking Chuundar, his brother, with his claws after discovering his brother was selling fellow Wookiees into slavery. Chuundar then later took over his tribe and exiled his own father, the former Wookiee chieftain, Freyrr. Once the player comes with Zaalbar to Kashyyyk in search of a Star Map, Chuundar imprisons Zaalbar and tells Revan that he must kill their father, Freyrr, in the Shadowlands to free the Wookiee. If Revan chooses to kill Freyrr, the player leaves with the gratitude of Chuundar. Chuundar continues to enslave Wookiees and the player can no longer return to the Wookiee village. If Revan spares Freyyr, he kills Chuundar and the slavers, frees the Wookiees, frees Zaalbar, and leaves with the gratitude of Freyrr, able to return to the village on Kashyyyk at any time, although the player is unable to trade on Kashyyk any longer after Freyyr leads a Wookiee rebellion that expels the slavers from the planet.
*B4-D4: An administrative protocol droid that works for Czerka on Telos in the Outer Rim. It is possible for the player to assume control of B4-D4 if the Exile helps the Ithorians with their restoration project.
* is a Mandalorian Neo-Crusader who was famous for his proficiency in the Taris duelling ring. Refusing to leave an opponent alive, Bendak retired from the ring after the Tarisian government outlawed death matches some ten years earlier. During the Jedi Civil War, he remained on Taris, watching matches in the cantina and hoping for the day he could return to the arena for another death match with a worthy opponent. In a dark side option, the player can duel Bendak in a death match after defeating the reigning Taris duelling champion, Twitch. The player will receive credits from Ajuur for winning the illegal death match and receive Bendak's blaster pistol, and will receive the bounty fee from Zax as well.
Reception
The characters of the ''Knights Of The Old Republic'' series have remained highly popular, often being cited as some of the best characters in both the ''Star Wars'' franchise and video games in general by both critics and fans. ''IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' ranked several characters from the series in their list of Top 100 ''Star Wars'' Characters: Darth Revan, Darth Malak, HK-47, Canderous Ordo, Darth Nihilus, Bastila Shan, Darth Sion, and Darth Traya placed 12th, 28th, 33rd, 52nd, 56th, 62nd, 73rd and 81st respectively. Darth Revan and Darth Malak jointly ranked fifth place in a Top 15 list of ''Star Wars'' villains by ''IGN's'' Jesse Schedeen, who remarked that " sually, both Jedi are immediately memorable". The members of the Sith Triumvirate, Darth Nihilus, Darth Sion and Darth Traya, came second place in a modified supplementary list of the best ''Star Wars'' villains based on reader requests for characters left out of the original Top 15 list published by ''IGN''. In a 2020 fan poll organized by ''IGN'' for best ''Star Wars'' characters of all time, Revan, Darth Malak and Bastila Shan placed 30th, 34th and 69th place out of 200 characters. Several characters from the series dominated ''GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
's'' 2019 list of "15 Great Star Wars Characters Who Came From Video Games".
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Characters In The Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic Series
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
*
Knights of the Old Republic Characters