Ulic Qel-Droma

"Being a Jedi will involve making such life and death choices. You'll have to face terrible ordeals. It is very easy to become trapped into a corner with nowhere to go."

- Ulic Qel-Droma

Ulic Qel-Droma was, during different times in his life, a Jedi Knight of the Old Republic, a warlord in the Empress Teta star system, and a Dark Lord of the Sith. A Human male native of the planet Alderaan, Ulic and his brother Cay were born to Jedi Master Lien-Tsai Qel-Droma, but trained alongside the Twi'lek Tott Doneeta under Master Arca Jeth at Jeth's praxeum on Arkania. In 4,000 BBY, Ulic was sent with Cay and Doneeta to resolve the centuries-long Beast Wars of the planet Onderon. Initially siding with the citizens of the capital city Iziz, Ulic and his fellow Jedi eventually allied with the Beast Riders of Onderon after learning that Iziz's inhabitants worshiped the dark side of the Force under the leadership of Queen Amanoa. War subsequently broke out between the Queen's forces and those of the Beast Riders, but ended when Ulic's Master Jeth arrived to assist in the defeat of Amanoa, bringing peace to Onderon temporarily.

Amanoa's husband, King Ommin, emerged from hiding in 3,998 BBY to disrupt Onderon's peace by waging war in the name of his ancestor, an ancient Dark Lord of the Sith named Freedon Nadd. Ulic and the Jedi once again fought to defend Onderon, but when Master Jeth was captured by Ommin and Freedon Nadd's spirit, Ulic requested aid from the Galactic Senate. Qel-Droma's help arrived in the form of the Republic Navy and a team of five additional Jedi Knights, led by novice Jedi Nomi Sunrider&mdash;with whom Qel-Droma would later fall in love. Bolstered by the strength of the navy and Sunrider's innate talent with Jedi battle meditation, Ulic and his comrades rescued Master Jeth, defeated King Ommin and his dark side army, and banished the influence of Freedon Nadd's ghost from the planet forever. In the aftermath of the final battle of the Uprising, Qel-Droma was visited by the spectre of Nadd who, much to Qel-Droma's surprise, foretold his destiny as a Lord of the Sith.

When the Jedi learned of a political uprising staged in the Empress Teta system by a newly-formed Krath cult, Qel-Droma acted as a liaison for the Order and joined the Republic for an assault in Tetan space. However, Qel-Droma was unprepared to deal with the scope of the Krath's powers, and suffered near fatal wounds as he led the Republic into retreat after their defeat against the Tetan usurpers. The Jedi had become increasingly concerned with the galactic threat posed by the Krath, and gathered en masse on the planet Deneba to discuss a course of action. It was here that Qel-Droma unveiled his controversial plan&mdash;one that was looked upon unfavorably by nearly all those present&mdash;to infiltrate the dark side organization, and attempt to destroy them from within. Before the convocation was brought to an end, the Krath ambushed the gathering with a bombardment of war droids. Qel-Droma fought valiantly alongside his fellow Jedi, but was devastated when Master Jeth was killed after saving Ulic's life. He then swore to take revenge and decided to carry out his proposed mission against the pleas of his peers.

Ulic traveled to Empress Teta and joined the Krath, initially pretending to be a fallen Jedi, and eventually taking the Sith sorceress Aleema Keto as his mistress. However, when he was injected with a rage-inducing poison by Krath warlord Satal Keto, things began to spiral out of control. When his friends came to Empress Teta in search of him, he lashed out with the dark side of the Force and rebuked them, though they vowed to return and rescue him from the influence of the Sith. During that same confrontation, Qel-Droma slew Lord Keto in a fit of rage, who had been implicated as the aggressor of the ambush on Deneba, and assumed his position as warlord of the Krath alongside Aleema.

Later, when the Jedi returned and failed yet again to extract Ulic, another of Freedon Nadd's students, Exar Kun, arrived to eliminate the Krath. Qel-Droma engaged him in a duel, but the contest was interrupted by the spirit of a long-deceased Sith, who proclaimed Kun the new Dark Lord, with Qel-Droma as his first apprentice. Qel-Droma united his Krath with the forces of Exar Kun to form the notorious Brotherhood of the Sith, which immediately waged war upon both the Jedi Order and Galactic Republic.

While Exar Kun attended his own matters, The Dark Lord Qel-Droma began to consolidate his own power, first by subjugating the Mandalorians and hijacking Republic military resources before finally leading an attack on the galactic capital of Coruscant. It was here that he was betrayed and abandoned by Aleema, then captured by Jedi Knights under the leadership of Master Vodo-Siosk Baas, and scheduled to stand trial as a war criminal before the Galactic Senate. He was ultimately rescued by Kun and Mandalore the Indomitable, with whom Qel-Droma resumed his campaign of terror against the Republic. He also dealt with the treachery of Aleema Keto by tricking her into undertaking a suicidal battle with the Jedi at the Kemplex IX space station; as the sole leader of the Krath, Qel-Droma next joined Exar Kun in assaulting the Jedi fortress-world of Ossus.

He was confronted there by his brother, and eventually slew him in combat while Ulic's former comrades looked on. The act of fratricide mortified him into renouncing the way of the Sith, but also served to enrage the Jedi; a furious Nomi Sunrider exercised her power to sever Ulic's connection to the Force. Utterly defeated, Qel-Droma decided to lead the Jedi to Exar Kun's stronghold on Yavin 4 where he was defeated in a final battle. With the war over, Qel-Droma spent the next decade a broken man wandering the galaxy, mourning his brother's loss, and searching for a means to restore his connection to the Force.

Finally, Ulic was redeemed by Nomi's daughter Vima, whom he had trained to be a Jedi. Shortly after this, he was killed by the spacer Hoggon, after being presumed to still be a threat. However, he became one with the Force, as he had finally come to terms with his actions.

Jedi training
"Tott Doneeta speaks well, Ulic. A Jedi needs more than just bravery&hellip;overconfidence has been the undoing of many a seasoned warrior. Let the Force be your strength! You're right as usual, Master Arca."

- Arca Jeth, and Ulic Qel-Droma



Ulic was born on Alderaan to Lien-Tsai Qel-Droma, a Jedi Master held in high regard. Unable to remove the emotional attachment that was necessary for the Jedi Order, Ulic's mother chose not to train Ulic and his brother Cay in the ways of the Force. Though denied the training to become as powerful in the Force as his mother, Ulic decided to focus his efforts on almost every other form of competition he could. He obsessively studied all forms of knowledge he could. With a boundless ambition, Ulic proved to his critics that he would easily challenge and defeat nearly all who opposed him, in almost any field. Through such mental and physical victories, Qel-Droma became a popular icon on his homeworld, despite being disdained by the Alderaanian royal courtiers.

Due in part to his heritage, Ulic was already naturally gifted in the Force, something his mother could no longer deny. Casting aside her previous reservations, Ulic's mother agreed to send the young hopeful to Jedi Master Arca Jeth's training center on Arkania to begin his path to Jedi Knighthood.

Ulic's apprenticeship was filled with adventure and intrigue, as it was the age where Jedi Masters would take on multiple pupils and send them to numerous worlds for peacekeeping and expansion purposes. Ulic trained with his brother and a Twi'lek named Tott Doneeta. United, the three were sent on their first real assignment for Arca Jeth. Their assignment was to attempt to bring peace to the world of Onderon, in which a centuries-long civil war was being fought between the Beast Riders and the people of Iziz.

Mission to Onderon
"This is to be a test of your knighthood. You and your companions must make your own way through the difficulties you will encounter."

- Arca Jeth, speaking to Ulic Qel-Droma

The Jedi entourage, piloting the Nebulon Ranger, touched down in the walled capital of Iziz, after nearly being shot down by a Beast Rider patrol. With King Ommin recuperating from illness, the Jedi were forced to contact Queen Amanoa and her daughter, Princess Galia. In little more than a few hours, the Beast Riders had managed to storm the palace, kidnapping Galia. Leading his fellow Jedi, Ulic orchestrated the attempted rescue of the Princess. The Jedi piloted the Ranger into the wildlands of Onderon, and plunged deep into Beast Rider territory in search of the kidnapped royalty.



Storming the Beast Rider citadel on giant boma beasts after the Ranger was shot down, the Jedi interrupted the ceremonial wedding of Princess Galia to the Beast Rider prince Oron Kira. In a startling realization, the young Jedi discovered that the true perpetuator of the war was Iziz, not the Beast Riders. With Galia professing her love to Kira, the Jedi were told of dark and terrible secrets that occurred in the capital city of Onderon. It was said that Freedon Nadd, an ancient and powerful Dark Lord of the Sith, had brought the allure of the dark side to Onderon&mdash;and that the royalty in power were descendants of Freedon Nadd. Shocked at what they had learned, the Jedi peacekeepers allied themselves with the Beast Riders to launch an attempt to end the corrupted royalty's reign in Iziz.

Amanoa's defeat
As they entered the palace, the Jedi demanded that Queen Amanoa step down as ruler of Iziz. She refused, and a bloody battle ensued. To the Beast Riders' rescue, Arca Jeth entered Iziz and used his powerful battle meditation to turn the tide in favor of the Riders and his Jedi apprentices. The battle ended with a Jedi/Beast Rider victory, but while not killed, Cay Qel-Droma was seriously wounded. Arca Jeth temporarily quelled the darkness in Iziz, but was not pleased at his pupils' actions. He expressed disappointment in Ulic's inability to detect the presence of the dark side on Onderon, and contemplated to himself that perhaps his apprentices were not suitable for such a mission. Ulic was not convinced, and displayed defiance in his disagreement with Jeth's conclusions.

Combating the resistance
Back in Iziz, with Galia married to Oron Kira, Onderon experienced a momentary uniting of its people.

War on Onderon
Not all would come to recognize Kira and Galia as rightful rulers of Onderon, however. And so began the Naddist Uprising, the opposition to the rule of Galia and her Beast Rider husband. Caught in the middle of a rebellion, Ulic and fellow Jedi were forced to act once again. Arca Jeth was seized by the deathly ill King Ommin during the Uprising&mdash;an opportunity Ulic used to gain his Master's favor. Qel-Droma struck the frail dark side abomination that was the King down. In an unsettling display, Freedon Nadd claimed the life of the King, and declared to Ulic that he would soon become one of the greatest of the Sith the galaxy had ever seen. Nadd revealed that it was he who brought Force-sensitives from the Empress Teta system to Onderon&mdash;a process that would ensure a new, elite generation of Sith practitioners.

Defeat in Empress Teta
Satal Keto and his cousin Aleema began the secret society known as the Krath, and eventually overthrew the rule of their parents in the Empress Teta system. Ulic was eventually made Watchman of Teta because of his knowledge of the Krath, and he and Nomi Sunrider were sent to investigate this alarming turn of events.

Defending against a Jedi assault on the Empress Teta system, Aleema used her dark side deceptions to hide the Krath's true numbers and disrupt their enemies. In a state of confusion, Ulic's forces were unprepared to handle the Krath counter-attack, and were forced to retreat. In that first attack, Ulic was slightly wounded by a crashing Chaos fighter, and because of Sith Sorcery, the wounds healed only slowly, despite Nomi Sunrider's attempts to quicken his recovery.

Conclave on Deneba
"Ulic Qel-Droma: I am only a humble torture droid, while you are a great Jedi Knight. My masters are pleased that you have chosen to join the noble Sith, but claims of loyalty must be tested&mdash;and verified."

- Ulic, being tortured by a Krath torture droid



The Jedi assembled en masse on the planet Deneba to attempt to find resolution in this new threat. In the conclave, Ulic suggested to his fellow Jedi a plan that would send him down a dangerous path. He argued that, because the Krath's influence was widespread, one Jedi could infiltrate their ranks and bring the darkness down from the inside. The Jedi Masters scoffed at Ulic's suggestion, pronouncing it to be foolhardy and overly dangerous; the path to the dark side was not one trod lightly. Before they could decide upon a course of action, they were overwhelmed by a Krath surprise attack. In the dire battle between Jedi and Krath war droids, Ulic's respected master, Arca Jeth, was killed.

In despair, the young Jedi blamed himself for the death of his Master. Blinded by emotion, Ulic, to the disapproval of Nomi Sunrider, decided to put his plan into action. After studying a Sith holocron held by another Jedi, Ulic Qel-Droma met with his brother. Cay expressed the same concern for his safety that Nomi did. Unable to be convinced otherwise, Ulic saw no alternative&mdash;he would infiltrate the Krath. Before leaving for the Tetan city of Cinnagar, Ulic embraced his love for Nomi Sunrider.

While deep in the city, Ulic caught sight of a public execution being held by Aleema Keto. An imprisoned man broke free from his captors and attacked the Krath leader. In his first chance to display loyalty to the Krath, Ulic struck down the man before any harm could come to Aleema. He did not know that she had planned the whole thing for his sake. Although Aleema appeared grateful for his service, Satal Keto was most distrusting of this mysterious newcomer. Keto sent Ulic to be tortured in a grueling fashion beneath the Iron Citadel and poisoned him with Sith chemicals&mdash;poison that would not easily be removed.

Meanwhile, in an attempt to make contact with Ulic, Nomi, Cay, and Tott Doneeta traveled to Cinnagar, with Nomi infiltrating Cinnagar. Ulic, surviving his torture, ordered Nomi to be imprisoned. In what he believed to be a secret communication to Nomi, Ulic expressed to her that he intended to stay in disguise for a while longer, in an effort to learn more of the Krath's plans. Unfortunately for Ulic, Satal intercepted his conversation with Nomi, and sentenced them both to death.

Ulic, who had by now been seduced by Aleema and become her lover, was attacked by a crazed Krath assassin acting on Satal's orders, and he cut him down in rage. He then went on to confront the Krath leader, and in a fit of rage, Ulic struck Satal Keto down, demanding vengeance for the death of Arca Jeth, as well as the attempt on his own life. Meanwhile, Nomi managed to escape and called Cay and Tott to stage a rescue. Destroying the Krath's defenses, the Jedi managed to pull Nomi from her captivity, but Ulic decided to stay behind. Ulic's hatred continued to flow as Cay pleaded with him to join the other Jedi on their ship, and he warned his brother that he would take his life unless he was left alone. The Jedi then departed from Cinnagar, and Ulic was left to become one with the dark side.

Exar Kun's apprentice
"Ulic Qel-Droma. He too has taken the dark road. He will be your first apprentice."

- Marka Ragnos appoints Qel-Droma as Sith apprentice

Aleema progressed Qel-Droma further and further down the dark path, giving him an ancient Sith amulet that commanded great power. With a major Jedi invasion on the way, Ulic prepared to denounce his ties to his former friends. Cay, Nomi and some other Jedi were not yet prepared to give up on Ulic, however, and they mounted another rescue expedition. Attacking in advanced starfighters, the Jedi smashed the Krath's antiquated air defenses, and they met Ulic in Cinnagar's Iron Citadel, where they attempted to bring him back to the light. Ulic refused, denouncing his brother and his former love as weak pawns of the Jedi. Convinced that Satal's Sith poison was clouding his judgment, they then tried to apprehend him and return him to the Jedi for deprogramming. Sensing that Ulic was faltering, Aleema lashed out at Nomi, the one person who could still redeem him, trying to kill her with her Sith magic, but Nomi easily defeated her through the use of Battle meditation. Forced into action, Ulic held Cay and Nomi at bay with his newfound Sith relic, and the Jedi, realizing how far he had fallen, finally gave up and left. Cay was reluctant to leave Ulic behind, even as the other Jedi left Cinnagar, but was eventually restrained and forced to leave his brother to the ravages of the dark side.

Celebrating their victory over the Jedi, Ulic and Aleema were surprised as a new threat appeared. Entering the Iron Citadel immediately after departure of the Jedi was Exar Kun, a rogue Jedi who had delved deeply into the powers of the dark side and embraced the teachings of the long dead Dark Lord Freedon Nadd. Kun had come to Cinnagar because he sensed that Ulic was the only Sith initiate in the galaxy who could challenge his might, and intended to end that potential threat. In an epic battle, the two Dark Jedi sealed their fates in a violent clash of power. During the battle, the Sith amulets that each combatant was wearing sprung to life and began to display a vision of a former Golden Age Sith Empire that was in place a thousand years in the past. Suddenly, the spirit of the ancient Dark Lord of the Sith, Marka Ragnos, appeared to the two opponents. It was then that the spirit proclaimed the two to be the next rulers of the Sith, the ones who would bring an order of Sith might to the galaxy once again. Ragnos branded the two with Sith tattoos on their foreheads as symbols of their power, and Exar was pronounced Dark Lord of the Sith, while Ulic was deemed to be his first apprentice.



The Great Sith War had begun, and Ulic Qel-Droma was allied with Aleema as the Warlord of the Empress Teta system. One warrior, Mandalore the Indomitable, leader of the Mandalorians, had contested Ulic's ruling of the system. In a duel between the two, Ulic managed to defeat the Mandalorian warrior, who subsequently pledged his allegiance to Ulic's regime. The soldiers under his command were now part of Qel-Droma's ever growing force. Qel-Droma spread genocidal-scale death across the galaxy with the Dark Reaper superweapon found by Krath. With this new addition, the Sith Lord disobeyed his Master's orders and took the fight directly to the Republic's capital world of Coruscant. In the raging battle that ensued, Ulic was betrayed by his lover Aleema and captured by a group of Jedi, which included Nomi Sunrider, and was brought before the Senate's Inquisition to answer for his crimes.

Charged with war crimes, treason against the Republic, and treason against the Jedi Order, Ulic surprised all those present, including several Jedi, by pleading guilty. Ulic Qel-Droma was as defiant as always, as he refused to apologize for any of his actions. Following his plea, Ulic expressed his contempt for the court, his belief that the Republic was weak, and the Sith's plan of reestablishing a Sith golden age that he and Exar Kun would propagate. Due to the arrogance and lack of culpability that he showed during his trial, Ulic was found guilty on all counts and was sentenced to death by the Inquisition. With respectful timing, Exar Kun arrived at Ulic's trial to save his ally, alerted by Mandalore, who had seen through Aleema's duplicity. After facing the Jedi in battle once more, slaying the Supreme Chancellor and Kun's old Master, Vodo-Siosk Baas, they left the halls of the Senate and departed from Coruscant.

Fratricide
"Ulic, I love you! That's why I'm doing this!''" "Then you should have just&hellip;LEFT&hellip;ME&hellip;ALONE!''"

- Ulic, as he strikes his brother down



After the escape from Coruscant, Ulic and Exar Kun decided to dupe Aleema into detonating the stars of the Cron Cluster, hurtling a path of destruction at the Jedi library on the nearby Ossus. In addition to leaving the Jedi libraries defenseless, this also dealt with her treachery, as she died with the stars from radiation poisoning. With the Jedi on Ossus in dismay, the Sith Lords ventured to the stronghold to steal what artifacts they could from the library world before it was destroyed. On the planet, Ulic confronted his brother. They dueled, and Cay Qel-Droma was struck down by his corrupted sibling. Ulic could not handle the grief involved in the murdering of his brother; the emotion he experienced was one that tore at the very fiber of his being. Nomi Sunrider, unable to comprehend her former love's actions, used a forbidden technique in an effort to stop Ulic's rampages. She used all her power to totally cut Ulic off from the Force. Ulic's spirit was shattered from the effects, and the Force was no longer his to command&mdash;or feel. Returned to the light by the shock of his brother's death, he helped the Jedi defeat Exar Kun, leading them to his headquarters on the Fourth Moon of Yavin. After spending the following two years on a personal quest to try and regain his Force connection, Ulic ended up on Yavin 4, the place of Exar Kun's final demise. Compelled by his own feelings of guilt to walk the moon's surface, Ulic touched down in his newly-christened vessel, Cay's Dream. Try as he might, he was still unable to touch the Force; instead, all he was able to feel was the pain of knowing that his role as a participant and chief instigator of the Great Sith War had wrought so much devastation. Because of his Force blindness, Ulic was also unable to sense the spirit of Exar Kun&mdash;which had survived, albeit trapped within the walls of his temple&mdash;calling out to him. Deaf to Kun's pleas for help, Ulic boarded Cay's Dream and departed Yavin 4.

Ulic's redemption
"The past still weighs heavily upon me. Yes, I have done many things in my life&mdash;but they weren't all bad. Perhaps I can find peace now."

- Ulic Qel-Droma

For nearly ten years Ulic wandered in search of some understanding of what he was, and what he had become. Ulic sought to settle down on Yavin 4 with the help of a pilot named Hoggon. Memories of the evils that he and Exar Kun had committed on the planet proved to be too haunting for Ulic, and he desired to move to somewhere with more isolation. Hoggon took the broken Jedi to the ice-world of Rhen Var, where he was broken even further by memories of his friends after falling victim to a cave in. His will was still strong, and his lightsaber skills still considerable, despite being cut off from the Force, and he managed to gather enough strength to allow himself to live, though he was not sure if that was truly what he wanted.



Hoggon, who had come into contact with Nomi Sunrider's daughter Vima, was hired to seek out Ulic Qel-Droma. Although Hoggon was shocked to learn he had transported a wanted criminal on his ship, he agreed to help Vima Sunrider find the fallen Jedi who was hiding on Rhen Var. Vima located and confronted Ulic on the icy world, and expressed her desire to become a Jedi through his teachings. Ulic promptly rejected her offer, believing his teachings would only cause harm. Though he had refused, Vima had reminded him of his former love, Nomi. He could deny his feelings no longer, and decided to train her to become a Jedi. Together, and although Ulic was without the Force, they crafted lightsabers, sparred with various Forms, and built statues honoring such Jedi as Arca Jeth and Vima's father, Andur Sunrider.

Following Vima's training, Nomi had arrived on Rhen Var to seek out her daughter. Though their meeting was awkward, Nomi had seen the statues Ulic had carved, and was finally discovering that he was beginning to find himself at peace. Unknown to Ulic, however, a Cathar Jedi named Sylvar had arrived at Rhen Var as well; but her mission was one of vengeance. In a feeling of hatred over the death of her mate at Ulic's and Kun's hands years ago, Sylvar began to attack Qel-Droma, and a heated lightsaber duel ensued. Ulic refused to fight, and eventually convinced the Jedi to put down her weapon. What he said to her were to be some of his last words:

Ulic was not any safer, however. At that instant, Hoggon, who had deeply respected the Jedi Order, shot Ulic Qel-Droma in the back. For Hoggon, he was simply disposing of a villain who had murdered many of his admired Jedi; an act that would make him a hero in his own eyes. As Nomi cradled the fallen Qel-Droma's body, Ulic asked his former lover for forgiveness, to which she replied that she already had. He then gave Vima a necklace as a sign of eternal thanks, for she was the reason Ulic had finally been able to make peace with himself.

In a glistening display of energy, Ulic's life force left his body and the former Jedi Knight became one with the Force. This event caused puzzlement to his mourners, as Nomi exclaimed that only Jedi Masters could vanish in such a way. However, as Vima put it, Ulic may not have been able to feel the Force, but he had the heart of a Jedi.

Legacy
Qel-Droma sired at least one child by an unknown woman and one of his distant descendants was a mercenary named Qaga Lok, who became the Dark Side Adept known as Sedriss.

A hologram recording of Ulic Qel-Droma was found by Anakin Skywalker during the Clone Wars. Skywalker had come to Qel-Droma's burial site on Rhen Var to seek guidance in his quest to destroy the ancient Dark Reaper weapon, which had been reactivated by Count Dooku. Using what he had learned from Qel-Droma, Skywalker successfully destroyed the Reaper. However, Ulic also told Anakin that his knowledge could make him susceptible to the dark side, a warning that would later become reality; at the end of the Clone Wars, Anakin pledged himself to the teachings of his own Sith Master, Darth Sidious, and became the evil Darth Vader.

Personality and traits
"Very well, Qel-Droma. Prove your manhood if you must. If you fail, I will go on without you."

- Exar Kun, to Ulic

Overconfident, brash, and reckless, were several of the many traits used to describe Ulic Qel-Droma by several of his peers. It was his overconfidence that Arca Jeth cautioned him about the most; it was also this same trait which drew concern from his brother and the Twi'lek Tott Doneeta. He was seen as arrogant by some, and at times even disrespectful by others. Through his apprenticeship the young Jedi attempted to rein in his impulses. In his studies as a youth, Ulic pursued all fields of study with a great deal of energy, and though usually successful he would eventually grow bored and move on to another topic. Aside from Basic, he could speak Arkanian, Twi'leki and the Sith language.

Ulic's personality changed after joining the Krath. Severing his former friendships, he fell deeper under the influence of the dark side, despite his confidence that he could control himself. He began to see the Jedi as cowardly and complacent for not fighting the dark side as he saw fit. It was only with the death of Cay that he repented. In his last years, overcome with guilt at his actions, Ulic sought only solitude. However, training Vima allowed him to free himself of his guilt, and near the end of his life Ulic forgave himself, reflecting on the good he had done.

Powers and abilities


Ulic Qel-Droma was a man who was highly regarded for both his skill with the lightsaber, and aptitude in the Force. While still just an apprentice, he was believed to be his teacher's greatest student in saber prowess, unmatched by both his brother and the Twi'lek Jedi Tott Doneeta. Ulic was a master of Form V and, because of his ability to deflect multiple blaster fire coming at him from all directions, he may have also been a practitioner of Form III though this is unconfirmed. Ulic displayed his talent while training with Master Jeth's training droids, and again when battling Amanoa's royal guardsmen within her palace. Against other lightsaber wielders, Qel-Droma was just as skilled; he dueled and quickly bested the armored Dark Jedi Warb Null in combat, and was able to fend off Exar Kun, who believed himself to be the most skilled swordsman in the galaxy.

Later in life, after Ulic had lost his Force connection and had not dueled another Jedi for nearly a decade, he was still able to display considerable dexterity with the weapon against the Cathar Jedi Sylvar&mdash;who attacked him with all her might&mdash;despite his refusal to reciprocate her offensive advances, choosing to only defend himself against her murderous onslaught.

Ulic Qel-Droma was also believed to be the most powerful Jedi of his time by many of his contemporaries. He showed considerable mastery of Jedi mind tricks, having displayed his talent against several of Onderon's Beast Riders. He had the power to withstand the effects of the Dark Reaper, and was also able to destroy it. During the Clone Wars, Qel-Droma's spirit taught this power to Anakin Skywalker on Rhen Var through a holocron, so Anakin could destroy it before Count Dooku used it against the Republic.

Conceptual origins
Ulic Qel-Droma is the protagonist of most of the Tales of the Jedi comic books. His story is similar in many ways to Anakin Skywalker: a gifted and slightly arrogant Jedi that is corrupted by the ways of the Sith, but eventually redeemed for his actions by those he loves. This was perhaps slightly touched upon by the video game Star Wars: The Clone Wars (video game), which takes place exactly 3,964 years after Tales of the Jedi, in which Ulic's Force ghost speaks to Anakin and advises him never to fall to the dark side. In archive images shown of the deceased Jedi in the game, he even wears an outfit similar to Anakin's own personally-chosen Jedi robes at the time.

In an interview, Tom Veitch told that there is a connection between Ulic and Luke Skywalker, pointing out that "Ulic" is intended to be a kind of anagram of "Luke". He also pointed out the differences between Luke and Ulic: "So the idea is, we take a young idealistic hero, don't make him look like Skywalker, make him a different person, but the definite type&mdash;the impulsive, young warrior who's very sure of himself." Again this is a character trait shared with Anakin Skywalker, who is much more self-confident than Luke.

Originally, in the Dark Empire endnotes, Veitch planned a different version of Qel-Droma's path. Ulic would have remained on Empress Teta for many months, before emerging as a Krath general and engaging in several years of conquest, before joining with the Sith and finally being defeated. The character of Exar Kun was not to be involved, and in the end Ulic would never have been redeemed, and would have remained a darksider at the point of his death. This version of events was printed in the endnotes to the original Dark Empire issues.

Portrayal
For the audio adaptations of Tales of the Jedi, Ulic was voiced by David Scott Gordon in Tales of the Jedi and by John Cygan in Dark Lords of the Sith. In Star Wars: The Clone Wars video game, he was voiced by Charles Dennis.

Lightsaber
Despite possessing a red, and sometimes green, lightsaber in promotional images, Ulic canonically possessed a blue lightsaber during his time as a Sith.

Appearances

 * Tales of the Jedi: Knights of the Old Republic
 * Tales of the Jedi audio drama
 * Tales of the Jedi: The Freedon Nadd Uprising
 * Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith
 * Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith audio drama
 * Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War
 * Shadows and Light
 * Tales of the Jedi: Redemption
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 8: Flashpoint, Part 2
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 48: Demon, Part 2
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
 * Timeline 10: The Exar Kun War
 * Star Wars: The Clone Wars
 * Dark Empire audio drama
 * Dark Apprentice
 * Champions of the Force
 * I, Jedi
 * Shades of Gray
 * Darksaber
 * Darksaber