Those who engage with the Star Wars universe outside of movies can discover many interesting characters that have not yet been seen on the big screen. One of them is Darth Revan, who has switched sides multiple times.
Who is Darth Revan? The role-playing game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is quite popular among fans, especially because it showcases an era that takes place several thousand years before the actual films. Although it is not part of the current Star Wars canon
, the story of Revan continues to fascinate fans to this day.
The special thing about him is that you can decide a large part of his story yourself, as you play him in Knights of the Old Republic. But much has happened even before the game.
A remake of the game is in development:
From Jedi to Sith
How did Darth Revan’s journey begin? He was born around 3994 years before the Battle of Yavin. As a child, he started as a Padawan in the Jedi Order, having different teachers along the way. He quickly rose through the ranks and made a name for himself as a Jedi Knight, because he criticized the behavior of the Order during the Mandalorian War.
Revan wanted to get involved in the war, while other parts of the Order wanted to stay out of it. Together with his Jedi colleague Alek, he led a movement that helped in the war on the side of the Republic. In the military, he was even promoted to commander.
In 3940, he managed to defeat Mandalore, the leader of the Mandalorians. He removed his enemy’s mask and began to wear it himself. The Republic could only win the war with a super weapon created by another Sith Lord.
Revan learned that the Mandalorians had been manipulated by the Sith. Alek and he tried to locate the Sith. A final clue led them to the planet Dromund Kaas. There, they encountered the Sith Emperor. This was not Palpatine, but Vitiate, who ruled over the ancient Sith Empire. The Rule of Two
by Darth Bane was not introduced until over 2000 years later.
The Sith Emperor planned the invasion of the Republic, and the two Jedi wanted to defeat him directly. However, he tricked them and manipulated their minds. He turned both of them into loyal Sith. They also had an immediate task. They were to find the Star Forge to build a Sith fleet.
Darth Revan was freed
Revan could be saved. In their search for the Star Forge, the two Sith traveled the universe and learned more and more about the dark side of the Force. Revan even recorded his own Holocron, which he hid in an ancient temple.
They even managed to break the Emperor’s control, but the dark side took hold of them. After they found the forge, both Sith declared themselves the rulers of the Sith Empire. Revan became the master and Alek the apprentice, known as Darth Malak. You can see his design on the cover image.
Revan built a gigantic fleet using the forge. He conquered Korriban and founded a Sith Academy. With new forces, he began a war against the Republic. His experience with the Republic troops helped him. But the Jedi also wanted to fight back.
In the year 3957 before the Battle of Yavin, the Jedi tried to set a trap for Revan. A small team infiltrated his ship. The team was led by Jedi Bastila Shan. A battle ensued, and Darth Malak, true to the Sith ways, saw his chance. He attacked his master’s ship to take on that role himself.
Despite severe injuries, Revan was able to survive because Shan rescued him with the Force. A powerful connection formed between the two. The Jedi Order wanted to use this to gain access to the secrets of the Sith Empire.
The start of the story that you can play yourself
This is where the story of Revan actually begins. Through a powerful Jedi technique, Revan’s memories were manipulated, causing him to forget his past. He was led to believe he was a normal soldier of the Republic. This is also where the story of Knights of the Old Republic begins.
But his affinity for the Force came through, and although they feared his past, they trained him anew in the teachings of the Jedi. The main goal of the Order was to overthrow Darth Malak. Through the pull of both the light, but also the dark side, the player can decide how Revan develops. This also alters the story of the game.
In the book Star Wars: The New Essential Chronology
from 2005 (via Wookiepedia), it was established that Revan chose the light side of the Force in the then Legends canon. He saved Shan from Malak, whom he seduced to the dark side, defeated him, and became a hero. He and Shan even married, but the threat of the Sith was not yet eliminated.
If the player chooses the dark side of the Force, he allies with Shan and also defeats Malak. He becomes the dark Lord of the Sith again and develops a gigantic fleet with the Star Forge. But he suddenly disappears, and no other Sith can manage to use the forge.
Although all Legends works are not part of the official canon, Disney likes to use old names and characters. The official book Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Visual Dictionary
explains the Sith Troopers of Darth Sidious (via Gamestar).
Here, it is revealed that he named the troops after Sith Lords. One of them is called Revan Legion. Thus, it is almost official that such a character once existed. However, this does not make the backstory canon. You can find more Sith Lords here: 10 powerful Sith Lords from Star Wars that even Yoda would be afraid of
