Fohargh

"Defeat is bitter, human."

- Fohargh

Fohargh was a Makurth male student at the Sith Academy on Korriban during the New Sith Wars. He attended the Academy alongside such notable apprentices as Bane, whom he bested in a lightsaber training duel early on in the Human's own tenure. However, their next encounter would result in Fohargh's own death.

The Makurth readily accepted Bane's challenge to a rematch, and during the duel, was soon able to overcome his opponent by striking his fighting arm and rendering it useless. However, as Fohargh mocked his seemingly defeated opponent, Bane surrendered himself to the dark side of the Force and slew the Makurth, strangling the life from him on the rooftop of the Korriban Academy.

Sith training
Fohargh was a Force-sensitive male of the Makurth species, a race of bipedal saurians native to the Outer Rim planet of Moltok. By the year 1,001 BBY, he had been chosen to become a student at the Sith Academy on the graveyard world of Korriban, an institution reserved for only those deemed worthy of joining Lord Kaan's Sith Brotherhood of Darkness. As an apprentice to the various Dark Lords who were the instructors of the Academy, Fohargh learned alongside many others, all of whom aspired to become Lords of the Sith in the Brotherhood. One such instructor was the Twi'lek Blademaster Kas'im. Lord Kas'im was the Academy's lightsaber instructor, and under his tutelage, Fohargh became adept in forms II and III of lightsaber combat.

Encounter with Bane
"You trained for weeks to challenge me. You failed. Victory is mine again."

- Fohargh, to Bane

As each student vied for the Masters' attention, rivalries were encouraged amongst them as each sought to attain prestige over the others. Fohargh was no exception, and such tension developed between him and a prodigious Human who was a new arrival at the Academy, called Bane. Alongside his fellow students, Fohargh noticed Bane's arrival at the Academy. The Human had also been immediately recognized by Masters and apprentices alike for his immense potential in the Force. Because of this, he progressed quickly in his learning, as well as in regard with the Dark Lords. However, during a lightsaber training session, Bane decided to challenge Fohargh to a duel. Knowing that Makurth were nocturnal, Bane underestimated Fohargh by believing that the latter would be sluggish outside of his natural environment, and less able to compete during the daytime. This was not the case, and instead, Bane was soundly defeated by his saurian opponent.

Weeks passed, and Bane had been relentlessly honing his lightsaber technique, in preparation for the day when he would face Fohargh again in the Academy's rooftop dueling ring. When that day arrived, Bane promptly entered the ring and beckoned his opponent, a challenge that was immediately met by Fohargh. With their pelko bug barb-covered training sabers in hand, the two apprentices circled each other as they prepared to clash blades in battle. Attempting to intimidate his opponent with his reptilian savagery, Fohargh growled at an unphased Bane, who remembered the Makurth's baring teeth and flaring nostrils spectacle from their last contest. The duel began shortly thereafter, with Fohargh assuming the defensive posture of Form III against Bane's Form V power attacks, and managing to parry and deflect most of the Human's onslaught. However, the sheer mass of Bane accompanied by his physical strength was enough to overwhelm Fohargh on several occasions, one of which saw him knocked to the ground. He was able to sweep Bane from his feet, but both opponents recovered simultaneously, and regarded each other yet again. Seeing that the exchange had left Fohargh exhausted, Bane rushed forward, but was met by sudden transition of the Makurth's style to that of Form II. The unforeseen gesture caused the slightest hesitation in Bane, which Fohargh capitalized upon. He struck, and his blow landed successfully on Bane's fighting arm, piercing him with pelko venom and rendering the limb useless.

With Bane admittedly at his mercy, Fohargh chose to not yet end the duel. He instead began to taunt his fallen opponent, mocking the defeated Human and professing the validity of his name, proclaiming him Bane of the Sith. Fohargh's tone was reminiscent of the one used by Bane's abusive father, and he became enraged in the face of the Makurth's blatant disrespect. Finally content with his opponent's humiliation, Fohargh poised himself for the finishing move, but his advance was halted when Bane used the Force to hurl Fohargh across the dueling circle. Bane then overpowered his quarry with the dark side of the Force as Fohargh writhed about on the ground, clutching his throat in futile attempts to free himself from Bane's invisible grasp. There, on the Academy's roof, Fohargh died, having been strangled by Bane. Even though Kas'im had ordered Bane to relent and been ignored, he found himself studying the Human with great interest due to his performance. Fohargh's death at Bane's hands would also garner the attention of the Academy's top apprentice, Sirak.

Personality and traits
"I challenge Fohargh." "I accept."

- Fohargh answers the challenge of Bane

As an apprentice of the Korriban Academy, Fohargh was a student who was confident in his abilities, and readily accepted the challenges of rival students, as he did in his rematch with fellow student Bane. His rather compact and lightweight Makurth frame afforded him a natural dexterity in his movements. In the dueling ring, Fohargh used his saurian physiology and reptilian appearance to his advantage, by putting on a display of bestial savagery; he would snarl and flare nostrils at his enemies, and bear his sharp teeth, all attempts to intimidate his opponents. Combined with these traits, surety in his own skills caused Fohargh to assume an air of arrogance, even going so far as to mock his opponents during combat. For all his talents, however, Fohargh's intimidation tactics were not enough to deter his rival Bane; instead, they provoked the Human into anger, and he eventually killed Fohargh as a result.

Powers and abilities
"The Masters cosset you. They give you extra attention. More than the others. More than me. Despite this, you are still my inferior&hellip;"

- Fohargh professes his superiority over Bane

In matters of the Force, Fohargh was strong; his acceptance into Korriban's Sith Academy, a school reserved for only those with the potential of becoming Dark Lords of the Sith, was a testament to his dark side potential. He was adept with creating defensive barriers, a rudimentary ability taught to all apprentices of the Academy. He was also able to occasionally anticipate his opponent’s moves through the Force, another skill akin to the whole of the Academy's student body. He was, however, unable to withstand the strength of Bane's Force push, nor could he free himself of Bane's Force choke, a weakness that resulted in the Makurth's death.

As a learner of lightsaber technique under the Blademaster Kas'im, Fohargh was adept in both forms II and III of lightsaber combat. He was able to switch between them suddenly and with little warning, which was designed to disrupt the cadence of his opponent. However, for all his skill with the training saber, Fohargh was still unable to defeat his opponent Bane in their second encounter. The latter defeated Fohargh by incorporating Force techniques into his fighting style to best the Makurth apprentice.

Behind the scenes
Fohargh was created by author Drew Karpyshyn for his novel, Darth Bane: Path of Destruction, which is his sole canonical appearance to date. Karpyshyn used Fohargh as a minor obstacle for the character of Bane, an easy way for him to elevate his status among the ranks of apprentices at the Academy.

Appearances

 * Darth Bane: Path of Destruction