Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

"What greater weapon is there than to turn an enemy to your cause? To use their own knowledge against them?"

- Bastila Shan

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KotOR) is a roleplaying game made originally for the Microsoft Xbox and later released for the PC. The game was developed by BioWare and published by LucasArts for Xbox on July 15, 2003, for PCs running Microsoft Windows on November 19, 2003, and later for Mac OS X. Set 3,956 years before A New Hope, Knights of the Old Republic covers the era just after that of the Tales of the Jedi comics, the time of the ancient Galactic Republic.

KotOR is the first computer RPG set in the Star Wars universe. It uses the d20 System, from the Wizards of the Coast Star Wars Roleplaying Game rules. The game also allows the player to either be a servant to the light side of the Force or the dark side, using an alignment system that tracks actions, from simple dialogue choices to major plot decisions. Combat is turn-based. Time is divided into discrete rounds, and combatants attack/react simultaneously. However, the number of actions a combatant may perform each round is limited. While each round's duration is a fixed short interval of real time (around six seconds), the player can configure the combat system to pause at specific events or at the end of each round.

A sequel—Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords—was developed by a different studio, Obsidian Entertainment, using an updated version of the engine from the first game. Bioware was occupied with producing Jade Empire and wanted to focus more on their original productions than licensed games, but they recommended Obsidian for KotOR's sequel. It was released for Xbox a year later, in December 2004, and PC in February 2005.

Revan
Revan is the main protagonist of Knights of the Old Republic. A former Dark Lord of the Sith and master of Malak, Revan travels the galaxy in an attempt to stop the efforts of the Sith Empire of the Star Forge and inevitably unearths his past, hidden from him by the combined efforts of the Jedi Order's lead Masters. He joined the Republic Armed Forces after this only to be attacked by the sith and thrust on a path to his destiny. He traveled across the galaxy in search of Star Maps to lead him to the Star Forge. Along the way he fell in love with Bastila Shan, a Jedi Knight he developed a Force bond with. Once he found all of the Star Maps, he rushed to Lehon and killed Malak aboard the Star Forge.

Malak
Darth Malak is introduced as the reigning Dark Lord of his time and is the primary antagonist. After following his former master throughout the Mandalorian Wars and even to the dark side of the Force, Malak usurps Revan's title of Dark Lord whilst the latter defends himself against the Jedi strike team led by Bastila Shan. With his new position among the Sith, Malak watches Revan's struggle to topple him and his Empire. He uses the Star Forge to raise massive armies for use against the Republic, but is ultimately stopped by Revan, who ends Malak's life during their climactic duel.

Synopsis
This is based on the canonical male light side version of the game and assumes that the planets are visited in the order Dantooine, Tatooine, Kashyyyk, Manaan and Korriban. Gender, order of planets visited and other variables can differ depending on the input of the player.

Trapped on Taris
The player&mdash;either a normal Republic soldier, scout, or scoundrel (depending on player input)&mdash; wakes up to find himself in the middle of a battle on the Hammerhead-class capital ship, the Endar Spire, which is on a mission under the Jedi Sentinel Bastila Shan. Trask Ulgo, a Republic soldier, aids his escape from the doomed vessel and splits off to face Darth Malak's apprentice Darth Bandon. Trask seals the door behind him and buys his brother in arms time to escape. After entering the starboard section and finding Carth Onasi in the escape pod bay, the two join up and crash-land on the Sith-occupied ecumenopolis of Taris. Carth is able to drag the unconscious man from the wreckage and rent an abandoned apartment in the Upper City. The man remains in a stupor for the next few days.



When the player wakes, Carth informs him of the situation and that they need to find and rescue Bastila, whose escape pod has crash-landed somewhere on the planet. Bastila is and still would be, if rescued, the key to the Republic's war effort against the Sith due to her ability in battle meditation, a Force power that allows her to strengthen an entire army with confidence and spirit, while discouraging and confusing the enemy. Together, the two set out to find Bastila, and proceed into the hostile world.

The player and Carth learn that Bastila's escape pod had landed in the Undercity of Taris&mdash;a rough area below the privileged Upper City and the slums of the Lower City where rival swoop gangs, the Hidden Beks and Black Vulkars, are engaged in a fierce gang war. The battles, plus the search for any other survivors of the battle prompted the Sith to impose a security lockdown, forcing one of the pair to disguise himself in stolen Sith trooper armor to gain entry to the area.

In the Lower City, the player and Carth go to the Hidden Beks' hideout, where they find out from the leader of the Beks, Gadon Thek, that the Vulkar gang leader, Brejik, has taken Bastila captive, intending to offer her as a prize for the winner of the upcoming swoop race. Gadon agrees to sponsor the player as the Bek rider, on the condition that he retrieve a prototype swoop-bike accelerator that had been stolen from them by the Vulkars. In order to get to the back entrance of the Black Vulkar Base, Gadon tells them to find the Twi'lek girl Mission Vao and her Wookiee friend Zaalbar, who are supposed to know a way in through the Undercity of Taris, the lowest level of the city where criminals and refugees were exiled.

Ironically, when they find her, they discover that Mission needs their help. She and Zaalbar were attacked by Gamorrean slavers and Zaalbar had been captured as a result. Mission agrees to help them infiltrate the Vulkar Base if they help her find Zaalbar. The group ventures into the sewers. They track down and rescue Zaalbar from the slavers. Zaalbar, in gratitude, swears a Wookiee life debt to the player.

The group, lead by Mission, go deeper into the sewers to the back entrance of the Vulkar Base which is guarded by a rancor. They raid the Vulkar Base and retrieve the accelerator after a confrontation with one of Brejik's lieutenants, Kandon Ark. Afterwards, they return to Gadon and the Beks. They stay the night before going to the swoop track the next morning. The untested racer manages to win the race. Before he can accept his prize however, Brejik breaks the deal at the last moment, claiming the player has cheated by using the prototype accelerator. In the chaos Bastila breaks free and a fight ensues. Brejik and his Vulkar thugs cannot defeat them and die in the battle.

Having rescued Bastila, the party begins looking for a way to get off Taris through the Sith blockade when a messenger comes to their apartment, telling them that a Mandalorian mercenary, Canderous Ordo, wants to speak with them in Javyar's Cantina. When they get there, Canderous proposes that they steal the Ebon Hawk, a freighter that belongs to his employer, Davik Kang, the Tarisian Exchange boss. But first, they need the security pass codes to get through the Sith blockade, and the only place to get the codes is from the Sith base. To gain entry into the base, they have to purchase T3-M4, a T3-series utility droid that Davik has had programmed with the entrance codes to the base.



After purchasing T3-M4, the party breaks in and kills the Sith Governor to steal the passcodes. Canderous takes the player and one of his companions to Davik's estate. Canderous recommends the leader of the party to Davik for hire as a ploy. Shortly after being welcomed, the three open the hangar doors and proceeded to steal the Ebon Hawk. Even as they do so, Darth Malak, the Dark Lord of the Sith, now leading the Sith after betraying his former master Darth Revan, orders Saul Karath, Admiral of the Sith Fleet, to bombard Taris in order to prevent Bastila from escaping.

As they are getting to the Ebon Hawk, they are confronted by Kang and the galaxy-wide famous bounty hunter Calo Nord in the hangar. They kill Davik and leave Nord buried under rubble caused by the Sith bombardment. After stealing the Ebon Hawk, the infiltration party picks up the others and charges the Sith blockade while broadcasting the codes and escape the Sith onslaught.

Dantooine refuge
Bastila reveals to the specialist that he is very strong with the Force and takes him back to the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine to see if the Council will train him as a Jedi. They accept, in spite of his age, particularly after it is revealed that he is experiencing visions detailing the fall of Revan and Malak - and that he has shared these visions with Bastila, with whom he has forged a Force bond. After training under Zhar Lestin, the player is charged with doing battle with Juhani, a young Jedi apprentice who had been tainted by the dark side of the Force. After defeating her, he succeeds in convincing her to return to the light and is promoted to the rank of Padawan.

He is then ordered by the Council to investigate mysterious ruins that are believed to be the place seen in his visions. There he finds a droid, which requires him to pass two tests regarding his knowledge of astrography before proceeding further into the temple. The party completes these tasks successfully and is granted access into a room containing an incomplete Star Map. One which gives clues to the locations of three more, similar maps. The party surmises that the maps, if combined, would lead them to a mysterious "Star Forge" that the droid speaks of and which seems intricately tied to the fall of Revan and Malak. After learning of this, the Council charges the player with the mission to find the Star Forge, accompanied by Bastila, his companions, and Juhani.

Meanwhile, unknown to them, Calo Nord, who has survived the carnage on Taris, is brought before Malak by Admiral Karath. Nord offers information to the Dark Lord about Bastila and her companions, which Saul promises Malak would find "most interesting." Malak agrees to hear this and to hire Nord to hunt down the party and bring Bastila to him alive.

Second Star Map: Tatooine
The newly christened padawan and his companions journey to the desert world, Tatooine, and explore the city of Anchorhead. There, the padawan receives another vision, indicating that the Star Map he is looking for is located in a cave. When learning that only hunters are allowed to leave the city, the padawan persuades the head of the Czerka mining company there to hire him to eliminate the Sand people that have been plaguing the miners and other hunters in the area. However, a Duros tells the padawan that there might be a peaceful solution to the matter and urges him to find one.



Listening to the Duros' advice, the padawan buys HK-47, an HK-series assassin droid, thinly disguised as a protocol droid from the town's droid shop owner Yuka Laka. With the droid's help, the player is able to communicate with a nearby tribe of Sand people at their enclave and negotiates an end to the attacks on Czerka Corporation by giving the Sand People chieftain two moisture vaporators. The chieftain then presents the party with his Chieftain's gaderffii as a sign of good faith, and a map that helps them locate a Star Map hidden in the Eastern Dune Sea. The padawan then follows this map to a canyon krayt dragon's cave and assists a local hunter, Komad Fortuna, in killing it. He enters the cave and acquires the second Star Map. As he and the others leave the cave they are confronted by Calo Nord and some other bounty hunters. Calo says he will have to kill them in spite of Malak's request that he take Bastila alive. The padawan and his companions defend themselves, and kill Nord for good.

Third Star Map: Kashyyyk
The padawan then travels to Kashyyyk, and finds that the planet is under the control of Czerka Corporation, and that they are enslaving the local Wookiees. Hoping to enlist the aid of the Wookiees in reaching the Shadowlands and the Star Map present there, the padawan heads for the village of Rwookrrorro. However, because he brings with him the accused mad-claw Zaalbar into the city, he is seized and brought before the Wookiee Chieftain. The chieftain, Chuundar, Zaalbar's brother, is secretly in league with Czerka. Chuundar blackmails the padawan into hunting down a crazed Wookiee in the Shadowlands by keeping Zaalbar as a hostage. Fortunately for the padawan that gives him a chance to find the Star Map.



In the Shadowlands, the padawan meets an old hermit named Jolee Bindo who tells him he would lead him to the Star Map in exchange for a favor, removing a group of Czerka poachers. The padawan finishes the job and, as promised, Jolee lowers the deflector shield to let the party into the lower Shadowlands. When down there, the party discovers that the mad Wookiee is Freyyr, Zaalbar and Chuundar's father who had exiled Zaalbar more than twenty years before as a mad-claw, only to discover the truth of Chuundar's treachery later. Having been driven from Rwookrrorro, Freyyr descended into the Shadowlands and when the party encounters him, he blindly attacks them and is defeated. However, the padawan spares him and together they concoct a plan to get Bacca's Ceremonial Blade, the symbol of a true chieftain, and fight Chuundar for the title. Freyyr says that the blade of the sword was lost in a ritual fight long ago against an ancient beast. The party baits, finds the beast, and kills it. They then retrieve the blade from its hide. They give the blade to Freyyr, who then climbs up the trees towards Rwookrrorro, and asks the party to meet him there.

While in the Shadowlands, the padawan discovers an ancient computer; whose artificial intelligence poses him a series of ethical dilemmas, whose "correct" answers reflect Sith philosophy. The padawan's answers are deemed wrong by the computer, which sends out defense droids to terminate the intruder. However, when the party successfully defeats the ancient droids, the computer's scans of his brainwaves during the fight match those of the only person who is allowed to see the map. Thinking that the padawan is that person, he allows the padawan to see the Star Map.

Upon returning to the lift, the party is forced to kill the Wookiee in charge of the basket, Gorwooken, who has discovered their betrayal of Chuundar and attacks them. The party proceeds to the canopy on their own, meeting up with Freyyr's supporters on the way to Rwookrrorro. Upon arriving at the Chieftain's Hut, the padawan aides Zaalbar and his father in killing Chuundar. As a reward for their aid, Freyyr gives his only surviving son Bacca's Ceremonial Blade. Zaalbar is allowed to come out of exile and is no longer branded a madclaw. Shortly thereafter, the Wookiees of the village unite under their new chieftain, Freyyr, and rebel against Czerka with the aid of the party.

Meanwhile, upon hearing the news of Calo Nord's death, Malak sends his apprentice, Darth Bandon, to take the bounty hunter's place as the leader in the search for Bastila.

Fourth Star Map: Manaan
Following their visit to Kashyyyk, the crew of the Ebon Hawk heads for the oceanic world of Manaan, landing in the docking bay. His visions indicated that the Star Map was on the ocean floor and hears the Republic ambassador to Manaan, Roland Wann, might have answers to his questions. Upon reaching the embassy the party asks Roland about a means to reach it. Wann agrees to help them in exchange for retrieving a captured probe droid. The droid had been surfacing from a survey of the Hrakert Rift, a major source for Manaan's precious and unique resource, kolto, and where the Star Map was, when it was captured by the Sith.

The padawan agrees to help the Republic, infiltrating the Sith embassy via one of three entrances, and fighting his way to the droid. The droid had been scavenged, but the part that Wann had requested is still intact. The party is leaving the base with droid part in hand when they are confronted by Selkath authorities with reports of shots fired within the embassy. The padawan is put on trial and, though offered an arbiter to represent him, single-handedly persuades the authorities to let him go. Now free, the padawan proceeds back to the Republic embassy.



The party learns from Roland that the droid was sent to investigate an illegal kolto harvesting plant that was created by the Republic and which had recently broken contact with the surface. He tells the padawan that the Republic hired many mercenaries to investigate what happened at the station, but none had returned. He also informs the padawan that they had lost contact with the facility after uncovering some ancient artifact. In exchange for help in investigating the facility, Roland provides the party with a submersible and sends them on their way.

Once they arrive, the padawan meets a cowardly mercenary and learns from him that, following the artifact's excavation, the Selkath were going insane and killing everyone. Refusing to leave in spite of warnings, the padawan fights his way through the facility and obtains an enviro-suit and a sonic emitter in the process. Forced to leave his companions behind, the padawan searches the ocean floor with the one wet suit available and finds his way to a separate part of the facility.

There, he meets the head scientist, Kono Nolan and his associate, Sami. The two are the only Human scientists still alive and are trapped in the facility. After surviving their mad attempt to kill him, the padawan persuades them to tell him what they know. They inform him about a massive firaxan shark, which is responsible for the Selkath's insanity. Upon asking how to get past it to the Star Map, Kono reveals that he had been working on a poison which, in theory, could kill the shark. Sami believes that using it would pollute the waters of Manaan in ways that may never be corrected. Following Sami's advice, the padawan destroys the kolto harvesting machine, calming the shark down and allowing the padawan to approach the Star Map.

When the padawan is reunited with his companions at the entrance of the base, they meet Darth Bandon, accompanied by two Dark Jedi. After Bandon expresses his happiness that he could still "have the pleasure" of killing the padawan, the party engages in a vicious lightsaber duel from which the padawan emerges victorious. The padawan returns to the Republic embassy and tells Roland of what had happened. Though displeased with the results, Roland thanks the padawan and sends him on his way. The padawan is again seized by the Selkath authorities, this time for his actions at the Kolto facility. Again, the padawan persuades them to release him upon revealing the full story, which some of the Selkath believe tie into their myths surrounding "the Progenitor," which they believe the padawan had saved.

Revelation aboard the Leviathan
As the party leaves Manaan, they are caught in the tractor beam of the Leviathan, the flagship of Admiral Saul Karath, Carth's old mentor. While they are being pulled in, they discuss how to escape and the padawan picks a member of his party to escape the Sith and rescue everyone else from capture. The padawan, Bastila, and Carth are all put in force cages, and are interrogated by Saul Karath himself as he waits for Malak's arrival. Bastila refuses to submit to Karath's questions, so the Admiral questions the padawan instead. For every question he answers incorrectly, Bastila is tortured. The padawan's will weakens, but ultimately the Sith receive little of use from the interrogation. Saul leaves and orders the three's torture to be continued. For the padawan he reserves extra suffering, he tortures him into unconsciousness.

Meanwhile the party member is able to infiltrate the Leviathan, and get some weapons in the process. In the prison block, the character finds a Rodian who helps in the rescue in exchange for his freedom. He gives the character the ICE breaker. The party member uses it to open the area that contains the padawan and the others who, when freed, recover their equipment from lockers in the next room. Afterwards, Canderous volunteers to take the group to the Ebon Hawk and get it ready to launch, while the padawan, Bastila, and Carth move to the bridge to disable the shields in the hangar bay.

After getting to the bridge by walking along the hull of the ship in environmental suits, the padawan, Carth, and Bastila confront Admiral Karath and his men there. The Admiral confidently reveals that Malak's arrival is near and Bastila confirms it through the Force. He also informs them that the Jedi Academy on Dantooine has been destroyed. An urgent battle follows, which the three manage to win. Saul, near death, asks his old student to come closer so he can reveal a secret. Curious, Carth leans in and with his dying breath Saul tells the soldier something that sends him into a fury. Carth confronts Bastila about what Saul has said, and Bastila begs Carth to wait until after they've escaped to talk about it, promising to explain everything. Reluctantly, Carth agrees, leaving the padawan in the dark. Before they are able to reach the hangar, they run into the Dark Lord, who disarms Carth in a standoff with Bastila and the padawan. Then the Dark Lord says he is surprised to see the padawan again, which confuses the Jedi-in-training. This amuses Malak who sneeringly reveals to the padawan a truth that Bastila, the Jedi, and now Carth have been hiding from him: his true identity, the former Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Revan. Malak, eager to kill his former master once and for all, uses Force Stasis Field on Bastila and Carth, leaving Revan to fight the Dark Lord by himself. After a prolonged battle, Bastila releases herself and Carth. She charges in, telling Carth and Revan to escape so they can find the Star Forge. She then takes on the Dark Lord by herself and the door seals behind her, trapping her and stopping Revan and Carth from helping her.

Seeing nothing else that they can do, Revan and Carth run to the Ebon Hawk, and after a skirmish with Sith fighters, escape the Leviathan. Afterwards, the rest of the group learns the truth about their leader, meeting it with mixed but overall positive reactions. In a strange coincidence, HK-47's memory, which had been lost due to simulated damage to his memory core, was restored due to a program designed to do so upon returning to his first and true master: Revan.

Fifth Star Map: Korriban
Eager to acquire the last Star Map and find the Star Forge before it's too late, the group arrives on Korriban, a Sith world and the location of a settlement and a Sith Academy. Students from the Academy dominate the docking areas. These students, training to become Sith themselves, are encouraged to commit acts of cruelty and brutality. The most frequent victims of these acts are the new arrivals eager to join the Academy.



Revan quickly surmises that the Star Map would be accessible only by a student of the Academy. Admittance requires gaining the notice of the student body and distinguishing oneself by means of strength, cunning, and/or ingenuity. Only one graduate is allowed to join the Academy each term so vicious and often fatal competition is encouraged by the Sith Masters.

Revan finds help in this regard when he comes to the attention of Yuthura Ban, second-in-command at the Academy. She quickly notices the vast Force potential of her newest recruit although she does not realize that she is dealing with the deposed Dark Lord. She entangles Revan in a web of conspiracy whose ultimate goal is to engineer the assassination of Uthar Wynn, the head of the Sith Academy and Yuthura's master.

The potential students of the academy prove their worth by performing various tasks and gaining prestige. Some of the challenges are martial in nature while others were mental, but all require a certain commitment to the Sith ideals embodied by the Code of the Sith which Revan is required to relearn and recite in order to take an early lead over his fellow initiates. The Code of the Sith, a twist of the Jedi Code, is a harsh insight for Revan as much of its philosophy is based on ideals and motives he had set in motion as the Dark Lord.

At some point Revan, most likely in an attempt to receive prestige, explores and raids the tomb of the ancient Sith Lord Ajunta Pall. This is complicated by the fact that the Sith Lord himself has survived the many centuries since his death as an embittered Force ghost. Ajunta Pall demands that Revan locate his infamous blade, taking it with him when he leaves the tomb. Revan retrieves the blade as well as two more besides. Revan then persuades the dark specter that he could at last find peace if he was willing to seek redemption. At last giving into the light, Ajunta fades away, redeemed by Revan.

Between Revan's actions and Yuthura's plotting, Revan eventually wins the prestige contest, gaining access to the tomb of Naga Sadow and the Star Map inside. There he finds the last of the Star Maps and finishes the last of the Academy's trials. Upon emerging he is forced to choose sides between Uthar and Yuthura and eventually defeats both of them, sparing Yuthura even after she betrays him following the death of Uthar Wynn. With his goals completed, Revan leaves the Sith world behind him, and sets a course for the Star Forge itself.

Crash-landing on an unknown world
Armed with the location of the Star Forge, Revan and the crew of the Ebon Hawk arrive at the coordinates shown on the Star Maps, only to be trapped in a power disruption field that forces them to crash-land on the planet that is the source of the disruption. Before they crash, Carth manages to send the coordinates of the Star Forge to the Republic so that they can gather a fleet to destroy the Sith forces located in the system.



They discover that the planet is a graveyard of crashed ships, many of which have been stripped and looted by other voyagers affected by the power disruption field. Damage to the Ebon Hawk requires Revan to find repair parts as well as the source of the disruptor field; not only does the field prevent the crew of the Ebon Hawk from escaping the planet, it also effectively cripples the Republic fleet on its way. Upon exploring the unknown world, Revan and his companions find that the world is inhabited by a species that call themselves the Rakata.

Revan discovers the Rakatans are divided into several tribes, one of which was the Elders, who maintain some of the technology from the Rakatan Infinite Empire that built the Star Forge. The Elders, few in number, are at war with another, more primitive tribe known as the Black Rakata. Revan discovers that during his previous visit to the world, he'd exploited both sides to gain access to the Star Forge and he struggles to regain the trust of the Elders. Upon helping them recover some of their number who have been kidnapped by the One, the leader of the Black Rakata, Revan convinces the Elders to aid him in entering the Temple of the Ancients, which is the source of the disruption field. Though he is required to enter alone, Juhani and Jolee, after receiving a vision that warned them that Revan was in danger, join him at the last minute against the Elders' protests. Together they enter the Temple.

Inside, the three find their way to the disruptor field controls, only to be confronted by Bastila who has fallen to the dark side. She has sworn herself to Darth Malak's service, Malak having used a combination of torture and preying on her arrogance, pride, and love for Revan to convince her that the Jedi are using and holding her back. In a tense confrontation, Revan is forced to defend the light from the very person most responsible for his redemption. Bastila, at first hostile, tries to seduce him back to the dark side, even going so far as to pledge her loyalty to him and promising him that she would use her battle meditation in his service and become his apprentice. Despite her temptations, Revan rejects her offer and the two were forced to fight. With Juhani and Jolee's help he defeats Bastila, who flees in a G-wing, swearing that their next encounter aboard the Star Forge will be their last.

Escaping the temple and rejoining his companions, Revan and the others join the Republic's assault on the Star Forge knowing that the fate of the galaxy rested on their efforts. However, for Revan, the battle was a personal conflict since saving the galaxy might mean taking the life of the woman he loved.

The Star Forge


Admiral Forn Dodonna and Jedi Master Vandar are mystified by the sheer size and efficiency of the Sith fleet and, upon regaining contact with the Hawk and her crew, are horrified to learn of Bastila's defection. To counter the threat presented by Bastila, the Republic commanders come up with a desperate plan. The Ebon Hawk will lead a strike force of Jedi through the static defenses of the Star Forge. Only a handful of ships actually survive the run to land safely on the Star Forge's flight deck where Dark Jedi backed up by the station’s battle droids attack the Jedi in the hangar. The Dark Jedi are defeated and the Jedi strike team is assigned to defend the hangar so they can later make their escape. Revan and two of his companions advance into the Star Forge and find themselves alone against the bulk of Darth Malak's entire fighting force, they battle wave after wave as they make their way towards Bastila.

Finally, Revan and the others reach Bastila's chamber where he is separated from his companions and left to confront Bastila alone. Bastila draws on all of her skills and the dark power of the Star Forge, but is ultimately unable to defeat Revan. Through their love for one another and the bond between them, Revan is able to break Bastila's resolve and persuades her to turn back to the light. In return Bastila admits her love for Revan as well and promises to use her battle meditation to aid the Republic fleet. Revan then leaves to confront his old friend and apprentice&mdash;Malak.

Malak tries once more to delay Revan by unleashing more battle droids upon him, but Revan proves more resilient than he had expected, making it past them and into Malak's chamber. A long duel followed. Revan starts to overpower Malak who uses the technology of the Star Forge and the bodies of Jedi he had captured from the Jedi academy on Dantooine to fuel his power. Restoring his lifeforce and strength to maximum levels. Revan releases the suffering Jedi one by one by destroying the machines containing them and allows them to become one with the Force. Malak is forced to rely on his own dark power and after a long battle, Revan finally succeeds in defeating Malak who expresses regret in his last moments before dying.

Afterwards, Revan flees along with the rest of his companions, barely escaping the final destruction of the Star Forge. Afterwards, the entire group is awarded in a ceremony on the unknown world's surface the Cross of Glory, the highest citation of bravery in the galaxy at the time, and Revan himself is welcomed back into the Jedi Order.

Voice cast
A large number of well-known and experienced voice actors were included in the game. The following voice actors are some of the most prominent:
 * Rino Romano&mdash;"Revan" (Male)
 * Jennifer Hale&mdash;"Bastila Shan"
 * Raphael Sbarge&mdash;"Carth Onasi"
 * John Cygan&mdash;"Canderous Ordo"
 * Rafael Ferrer&mdash;"Darth Malak"
 * Kristoffer Tabori&mdash;"HK-47," additional voices
 * Kevin Michael Richardson&mdash;"Jolee Bindo"
 * Courtenay Taylor&mdash;"Juhani"
 * Catherine Taber, as "Cat Taber"&mdash;"Mission Vao"
 * Edward Asner&mdash;"Master Vrook Lamar"
 * Ethan Phillips&mdash;additional voices
 * Cam Clarke&mdash;"Sith Diplomat," "Kono Nolan," "Trask Ulgo," "Trewin," "Junior Czerka Scientist," "Sith Student," additional voices
 * Phil LaMarr&mdash;"Gadon Thek"
 * Jason Marsden&mdash;"Brejik," "Dustil Onasi"
 * Robin Atkin Downes&mdash;"Mekel," "Griff Vao," "Vulkar Mechanic"
 * Tom Kane&mdash;"Master Vandar Tokare," additional voices
 * Frank Welker&mdash;"Sunry," "Jorak Uln," "Gar," "Swoop Fan," additional voices

Crew

 * Director&mdash;Casey Hudson
 * Writers&mdash;David Falkner, Steve Gilmour, Casey Hudson, Drew Karpyshyn, James Ohlen, Preston Watamaniuk, Derek Watts

Characters
As an RPG, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic inevitably produced a large amount of new continuity, much of which is composed of minor characters that have no great impact upon the plot. An asterisk ( * ) indicates a character who was essential to the plot. Two asterisks ( ** ) denote a character whose first appearance was elsewhere in Star Wars continuity.
 * Ada
 * Adrenas
 * Ajuur
 * Kel Algwinn
 * Anglu
 * Jolan Aphett
 * Toll Apkar
 * Kandon Ark
 * Lur Arka Sulas
 * Ashana
 * B'ree
 * Bacca
 * Zoriis Bafka
 * Yuthura Ban*
 * Darth Bandon*
 * Belaya
 * Billan
 * Jolee Bindo*
 * Ood Bnar**
 * Bochaba
 * Bolook
 * Brejik*
 * Bwa'lass
 * Nilko Bwaas
 * C8-42
 * Hoot Calin
 * Galduran Calrissian
 * Chorrawl
 * Chuundar*
 * Christya
 * Gorton Colu
 * Czerka Corporation Protocol Officer
 * D-A02
 * Daoy
 * Dayso Cooh
 * D-X12a
 * D-X12b
 * D-X12c
 * D-X12d
 * Vorn Daasrad
 * Matton Dasol
 * Dehno
 * Maana Demknot
 * Dern
 * Dia
 * Doba
 * Forn Dodonna*
 * Dorak*
 * Mika Dorin
 * Duan
 * Deadeye Duncan
 * Duula
 * Elinda
 * Elora
 * Ergeron
 * Esala
 * Raskta Fenni
 * Cassus Fett
 * Sharina Fizark
 * Ward Fizark
 * Fodo
 * Komad Fortuna*
 * Freyyr*
 * Zelka Forn
 * Veren Gal
 * Galas
 * Eli Gand
 * Gandroff
 * Toshan Gant
 * Gar
 * Garn
 * Garouk
 * Gelrood
 * Yun Genda
 * Gendar
 * Gerlon Two-Fingers
 * Gjarshi
 * Gluupor
 * Gorwooken
 * Grann
 * Grarwwaar
 * Grrrwahrr
 * Handon Guld
 * Ithorak Guldar
 * Gurke
 * Gurney
 * Hasek
 * Forii Haxa
 * Hendar
 * Hester
 * Hidden Bek lookout
 * Hijata
 * HK-47*
 * HK-47's Systech Corporation owner
 * Jamoh Hogra
 * Greeta Holda
 * Holdan
 * Tulak Hord**
 * Hortath
 * Ben Hu'al
 * Hudrow
 * Hulas
 * Elassa Huros
 * Hyperdrive
 * Ice
 * Igear
 * Ignus
 * Ilsa
 * Ixgil
 * Ixgil's friend
 * Yortal Ixlis
 * Iziz
 * Ja'Gatcha
 * Jaarak
 * Jagi
 * Jarg
 * Hukta Jax
 * Jergan
 * Jhosa
 * Jon
 * Caal Jordan
 * Jordo
 * Juhani*
 * Karal Kaar
 * Kadir
 * Kaeira
 * Ganda Kaitoova
 * Jurgan Kalta
 * Davik Kang*
 * Saul Karath*
 * Davin Kotras
 * Lurze Kesh
 * J'ane Khan
 * Kni
 * Kota
 * Kraat
 * Kudos
 * Exar Kun**
 * Yuka Laka*
 * Vrook Lamar*
 * Lana
 * Largo
 * Adum Larp
 * Larrim
 * Lashowe
 * Gana Lavin
 * Lena
 * Zhar Lestin*
 * Ll'awa
 * Loopa
 * Galon Lor
 * Lorgal
 * Tyvark Luowan
 * Luo
 * Rickard Lusoff
 * Luugro
 * Deesra Luur Jada
 * Darth Malak*
 * Malya
 * Mandalorian prisoner
 * Marl
 * Malare
 * Ahlan Matale
 * Shen Matale
 * Casandra Mateil
 * Matrik
 * Elam Mattic
 * Louie Mattic
 * Thalia May
 * Firith Me
 * Mekel
 * Fodo Medoo
 * Mic'tunan'jus Orgu
 * Queedle Molto
 * Elise Montagne
 * Moosh
 * Motta
 * Naleshekan
 * Janice Nall*
 * Junix Nard
 * Narkal
 * Nelinik
 * Nayama
 * Nemo
 * Calder Nettic
 * Niklos
 * Furko Nellis
 * Kono Nolan
 * Calo Nord*
 * Nubassa
 * Raxsus Nuli
 * Shaela Nuur
 * Omeesh
 * Carth Onasi*
 * Dustil Onasi
 * Morgana Onasi
 * Sakul Ondondanax
 * The One*
 * Canderous Ordo*
 * Orsaa
 * Rundil ot Sulem
 * Sasha ot Sulem
 * Ahita Othar
 * Overseer
 * Ajunta Pall
 * Phirk
 * Progenitor
 * Rulan Prolik
 * Cay Qel-Droma**
 * Duron Qel-Droma
 * Ulic Qel-Droma**
 * Quatra
 * Dorak Quinn
 * Raito
 * Redros
 * Marka Ragnos**
 * Reeza
 * Revan*
 * Rilka
 * Yuka Rill
 * Rorworr
 * Rothrrrawr
 * Rukil
 * Naga Sadow**
 * Sami
 * Samnt
 * Sanasiki
 * Sand People chieftain
 * Casus Sandral
 * Nurik Sandral
 * Rahasia Sandral
 * Guun Han Saresh
 * Sarna
 * Lyn Sekla
 * Selene
 * Selven
 * Zuulan Sentar
 * Nico Senvi
 * Shaardan
 * Shaelas
 * Shaleena
 * Bastila Shan*
 * Bastila Shan's father
 * Helena Shan
 * Shasa
 * Shelkar
 * Sherruk
 * Shuma
 * Sith Governor
 * Sol'aa
 * Sslamoth
 * Bendak Starkiller
 * Nomi Sunrider**
 * Sunry
 * Suuda
 * Bib Surool
 * T'sllth
 * T3-H8
 * T3-M4*
 * Tamlen
 * Suvam Tan
 * Tariga
 * Tela
 * Teta**
 * Gadon Thek*
 * Thon**
 * Vandar Tokare*
 * Tooka
 * Garm Totryl
 * Trewin
 * Twitch
 * Ugzak
 * Ujaa
 * Ujii
 * Gilthos Uksaris
 * Trask Ulgo*
 * Jorak Uln
 * Unidentified Human Senator
 * Unidentified Hutt
 * Unidentified Republic soldier
 * Unidentified Sith admiral
 * Uriah
 * Fazza Utral
 * Griff Vao
 * Mission Vao*
 * Senni Vek
 * Marlena Venn
 * Tanis Venn
 * Dak Vesser
 * Andor Vex
 * Viglo
 * Roland Wann
 * Janos Wertka
 * Woorwill
 * Worrroznor
 * Jigger Wraith
 * Uthar Wynn*
 * Xor
 * Gonto Yas
 * Crattis Yurkal
 * Kebla Yurt
 * Yusanis
 * Zaalbar*
 * Zaerdra
 * Zax
 * Zeena
 * Ziagrom

Creatures

 * Brith
 * Deluvian fatworm
 * Dewback
 * Firaxa
 * Progenitor
 * Gaxxan brain-slug
 * Gizka
 * Iriaz
 * Katarn
 * Kath hound
 * Horn kath hound
 * Kinrath
 * Krayt dragon
 * Canyon Krayt Dragon
 * Kshyy vine
 * Mykal
 * Orchana ray
 * Quoorian marshsucker
 * Rancor
 * Rakghoul
 * Ronto
 * Rotgrub
 * Shyrack
 * Tach
 * Terentatek
 * Uller
 * Volice worm
 * Wraid
 * Wroshyr tree

Droid models

 * Rakatan guardian droid
 * Assassin droid
 * HK-series assassin droid
 * Mark VII experimental prototype assassin droid
 * Assault droid
 * Assault droid Mark I
 * Assault droid Mark II
 * Assault droid Mark IV
 * Basilisk war droid
 * Cam droid
 * Sith security hovercam
 * Probe droid
 * K-X12 probe droid
 * Submersible probe droid
 * Protocol droid
 * GE3-series protocol droid
 * Security droid
 * Patrol droid Mark I
 * Security/maintenance droid
 * Utility droid
 * T3-series utility droid
 * War droid-series

Events

 * Great Hyperspace War
 * Great Sith War
 * Battle of Ossus
 * Battle of Yavin 4
 * Third Battle of Empress Teta
 * Great Hunt
 * Cleansing of Kashyyyk
 * Cleansing of Korriban
 * Mandalorian Wars
 * First Battle of Althir
 * First Battle of Taris
 * Battle of Duro
 * Second Battle of Taris
 * Battle of Jaga's Cluster
 * Battle of Malachor V
 * Bek-Vulkar War
 * Raid on the Vulkar Base
 * Skirmish at the Season Opener
 * Jedi Civil War
 * Mission to Rakata Prime
 * Bombing of Telos IV
 * Capture of Darth Revan
 * Attack on the Endar Spire
 * Rescue of Bastila Shan
 * Battle of Taris
 * Rebellion on Kashyyyk
 * Raid on the Sith Embassy
 * Attack on Dantooine
 * Skirmish aboard the Leviathan
 * Skirmish on Korriban
 * Battle of Rakata Prime
 * Duel on the Star Forge

Locations

 * Althir
 * Bonadan
 * Bondar
 * Cinnagar
 * Daminia
 * Dantooine
 * Crystal Cave
 * Garang
 * Garang Spaceport
 * Rakatan Ruins
 * Deralia
 * Erai
 * Erai III
 * Fyrth system
 * Fyrth asteroid fields
 * Jaga's Cluster
 * Kashyyyk
 * Czerka Landing Port
 * Great Walkway
 * Rwookrrorro
 * Shadowlands
 * Ancient Rakatan Computer
 * Kessel
 * Korriban
 * Dreshdae
 * Czerka Office
 * The Drunk Side
 * Sith Academy
 * Valley of the Dark Lords
 * Ajunta Pall's tomb
 * Marka Ragnos's tomb
 * Naga Sadow's tomb
 * Shyrack cave
 * Ludo Kressh's tomb
 * Tulak Hord's tomb
 * Lehon
 * Black Rakatan Settlement
 * Elder Rakatan Settlement
 * Temple of the Ancients
 * Lwhekk
 * Malachor V
 * Manaan
 * Ahto City
 * Ahto High Court
 * Ahto City swoop track
 * Manaan Docking Bay
 * Republic Embassy
 * Sith Embassy
 * Yortal's Emporium
 * Hrakert Rift
 * Hrakert Station
 * Neka
 * Ordo
 * Perlemian Trade Route
 * Phemis
 * Sigil system
 * Sleheyron
 * Sorjus
 * Talravin
 * Taris sector
 * Taris system
 * Taris
 * Lower City
 * Black Vulkar Base
 * Hidden Bek Base
 * Javyar's Cantina
 * Undercity
 * Undercity sewers
 * Promised Land
 * Upper City
 * Droids by Janice
 * Equipment Emporium
 * Taris dueling ring
 * Tarisian Military Base
 * Upper City Cantina
 * Tatooine
 * Anchorhead
 * Anchorhead Cantina
 * Anchorhead droid shop
 * Hunting Lodge
 * Dune Sea
 * Eastern Dune Sea
 * Rakatan Ruins
 * Sand People Enclave
 * Transel
 * Ukatis system
 * Ukatis
 * Yavin Prime
 * Yavin IV

Organizations and titles

 * Ahto City Provisional Company
 * Aratech Mercantile
 * Aratech Droids
 * Black Rakata
 * Black Vulkars
 * Bladeborn
 * Masterblade
 * Calin Industries
 * Czerka Corporation
 * Durkish Corporation
 * Echani Firedancer
 * Echani High Protector
 * Elders
 * Keeper of History
 * Exchange
 * GenoHaradan
 * Overseer
 * Gungis X Weapons
 * Hidden Beks
 * Infinite Empire
 * Jedi Order
 * Jedi
 * Jedi Consular
 * Jedi Council
 * Jedi Guardian
 * Jedi Initiate
 * Jedi Knight
 * Jedi Master
 * Jedi Sentinel
 * Padawan
 * Krath
 * Mephilis Corporation
 * Old Republic
 * Galactic Senate
 * Senator
 * Supreme Chancellor
 * Quellegh Industrial
 * Sith Empire
 * Sith Empire of the Star Forge
 * Dark Jedi
 * Dark Lord of the Sith
 * Governor
 * Sith Apprentice
 * Sith Lord
 * Starlight Entertainers
 * Systech Corporation
 * Twisted Rancor Trio

Sentient species

 * Bith
 * Cathar
 * Dimean
 * Duros
 * Echani
 * Gamorrean
 * Human
 * Hutt
 * Iridorian
 * Ithorian
 * Jawa
 * Karakan
 * Maktite
 * Mandalorian
 * Nikto
 * Paaerduag
 * Quarren
 * Rakata
 * Rodian
 * Selkath
 * Trandoshan
 * Tusken Raider
 * Twi'lek
 * Verpine
 * Wookiee
 * Yoda's species
 * Zabrak

Vehicles and vessels

 * Aurek tactical strikefighter
 * Darth Revan's flagship
 * Dynamic-class freighter
 * Ebon Hawk
 * Elevator basket
 * Foray-class blockade runner
 * G-wing light shuttle
 * Hammerhead-class capital ship
 * Admiral Dodonna's flagship
 * Endar Spire
 * Herald-class shuttle
 * Interdictor-class Cruiser
 * ''Leviathan
 * KT-400 military droid carrier
 * Landspeeders
 * Multi-Environment Tracked Transport
 * S-250 Chela-class starfighter
 * Republic escape pod
 * Sith fighter
 * Star Forge
 * Submersible
 * Swoop

Weapons and technology

 * Adrenaline Amplifier
 * Adrenaline Stimulator
 * Advanced Adrenaline Amplifier
 * Advanced Agent Interface
 * Advanced Aural Amplifier
 * Advanced Bio-Stabilizer Mask
 * Advanced Stabilizer Gloves
 * Arc wrench
 * Armor
 * Baragwin Shadow Armor
 * Battle Armor
 * Calo Nord's battle armor
 * Cassus Fett's Battle Armor
 * Jamoh Hogra's Battle Armor
 * Light Battle Armor
 * Powered Battle Armor
 * Powered Light Battle Armor
 * Zabrak Battle Armor
 * Bonadan Alloy Heavy Suit
 * Bronzium Light Battle Armor
 * Cinnagar War Suit
 * Combat Suit
 * Heavy Combat Suit
 * Darth Bandon's Fiber Armor
 * Davik's War Suit
 * Durasteel Heavy Armor
 * Echani Battle Armor
 * Echani fiber armor
 * Echani light armor
 * Environmental Bastion Armor
 * Exar Kun's Light Battle Suit
 * Exoskeleton
 * Light Exoskeleton
 * Heavy Exoskeleton
 * GenoHaradan Mesh Armor
 * Krath Heavy Armor
 * Krath Holy Battle Suit
 * Mandalorian armor
 * Neo-Crusader Armor
 * Mandalorian Assault Armor
 * Mandalorian Battle Armor
 * Massassi Ceremonial Armor
 * Military suit
 * Reinforced Fiber Armor
 * Republic Mod Armor
 * Ulic Qel-Droma's Mesh Suit
 * Verpine fiber mesh
 * Verpine Zal Alloy Mesh
 * Artificial Intelligence
 * Aural Amplifier
 * Axe
 * Gamorrean Battleaxe
 * Blast door
 * Blaster
 * Blaster carbine
 * Cinnagaran Carbine
 * Jamoh Hogra's Carbine
 * Jurgan Kalta's Carbine
 * Ordo's Repeating Blaster
 * Ion blaster
 * Rifle
 * Blaster Rifle
 * Baragwin Assault Gun
 * Baragwin Disruptor-X Weapon
 * Baragwin Heavy Repeating Blaster
 * Baragwin Ion-X Weapon
 * Blaster Cannon
 * Bothan Discord Gun
 * Bothan Droid Disruptor
 * Heavy repeating blaster
 * Light repeating blaster
 * Mandalorian Assault Rifle
 * Mandalorian Heavy Repeater
 * Medium Repeating Blaster
 * Sith Assault Gun
 * Verpine Droid Disruptor
 * Zabrak Battle Cannon
 * Zabrak Disruptor Cannon
 * Disruptor Rifle
 * Sniper rifle
 * Sith Sniper Rifle
 * Sonic rifle
 * Jurgan Kalta's Assault Rifle
 * Blaster pistol
 * Arkanian Heavy Pistol
 * Arkanian Pistol
 * Bendak's Blaster
 * Bothan Needler
 * Bothan Quick Draw
 * Bothan Shrieker
 * Carth's Blaster
 * Cassus Fett's heavy blaster pistol
 * GenoHaradan Blaster
 * Heavy Blaster
 * Hold Out Blaster
 * Ion Blaster
 * Mandalorian Blaster
 * Mandalorian Heavy Pistol
 * Mandalorian Ripper
 * Sith Assassin Pistol
 * Sonic pistol
 * Verpine Prototype Ion Blaster
 * Zabrak Blaster Pistol
 * Zabrak Tystel
 * Zabrak Tystel Mark III
 * Bothan Chuka
 * Bothan Perception Visor
 * Bothan Sensory Visor
 * Bowcaster
 * Zaalbar's bowcaster
 * Chuundar's bowcaster
 * Breath mask
 * Brejik's Arm Band
 * Brejik's Belt
 * Brejik's Gloves
 * Cardio-Regulator
 * Circlet of Saresh
 * CNS Strength Enhancer
 * Combat sensor
 * Computer
 * Computer spike
 * Computer terminal
 * Datapad
 * Davik's Visor
 * Disruptor rifle
 * Disruptor pistol
 * Dominator Gauntlets
 * Electrical Capacitance Shield
 * Eriadu Strength Amplifier
 * Gaderffii
 * Chieftain's gaderffii
 * Raito's gaderffii
 * GenoHaradan Power Gloves
 * GenoHaradan Visor
 * Grenade
 * Adhesive grenade
 * Concussion Grenade
 * CryoBan grenade
 * Frag grenade
 * Ion grenade
 * Poison grenade
 * Plasma grenade
 * Sonic detonator
 * Thermal detonator
 * Heavy Targeting Optics
 * Holocron
 * Hologram
 * ICE breaker
 * Infiltrator Gloves
 * Interface Band
 * Interface visor
 * Ion rifle
 * Jedi apparel
 * Jedi Robe
 * Jedi Knight Robe
 * Jedi Master Robe
 * Qel-Droma Robes
 * Dark Jedi robe
 * Dark Jedi Knight Robe
 * Dark Jedi Master Robe
 * Darth Revan's Robes
 * Star Forge Robes
 * Karakan Gauntlets
 * Lightsaber
 * Double-bladed lightsaber
 * Lightsaber crystal
 * Bondar
 * Damind
 * Eralam
 * Heart of the Guardian
 * Jenruax
 * Krayt dragon pearl
 * Mantle of the Force
 * Nextor
 * Opila
 * Phond
 * Rubat
 * Sapith
 * Sigil
 * Solari
 * Shoto
 * Sith lightsaber
 * Light-Scan Visor
 * Marka Ragnos' Gauntlets
 * Medical interface visor
 * Memory core
 * Mine
 * Fragmentation mine
 * Gas mine
 * Laser mine
 * Plasma mine
 * Moisture vaporator
 * Motion detection goggles
 * Nerve amplifier belt
 * Neural band
 * Personal energy shield
 * Arkanian energy shield
 * Echani Dueling Shield
 * Echani Shield
 * Mandalorian Melee Shield
 * Mandalorian Power Shield
 * Sith Energy Shield
 * Verpine prototype shield
 * Yusani's Dueling Shield
 * Pistol targeting optics
 * Power Belt
 * Prototype accelerator
 * Rakatan mind trap
 * Restraining bolt
 * Sith Mask
 * Sith Power Gauntlets
 * Sonic Nullifiers
 * Stabilizer Gauntlets
 * Verpine Bond Gauntlets
 * Stealth field generator
 * Advanced Stealth Unit
 * Baragwin Stealth Unit
 * Eriadu stealth unit
 * GenoHaradan stealth unit
 * Sound Dampening Stealth Unit
 * Stealth Field Reinforcement
 * Strength Gauntlets
 * Stun baton
 * Bothan Stun Stick
 * Vulkar shock stick
 * Sword
 * Bacca's Ceremonial Blade
 * Baragwin Assault Blade
 * Double-Bladed Sword
 * Ajunta Pall's blade
 * Echani foil
 * Echani ritual brand
 * Krath Double Sword
 * Rakatan Battle Wand
 * Quarterstaff
 * Yusani's Brand
 * GenoHaradan Poison Blade
 * Krath Blood Blade
 * Krath Dire Sword
 * Krath War Blade
 * Long Sword
 * Naga Sadow's Poison Blade
 * Notched Steel Sword
 * Short Sword
 * Sanasiki's Blade
 * Teta's Blade
 * Silver Lined Sword
 * Sith Tremor Sword
 * Wookiee Warblade
 * Thermal shield generator
 * Tulak Hord's Mask
 * Utility belt
 * Calrissian's Utility Belt
 * Vacuum Mask
 * Verpine cardio-regulator
 * Verpine Headband
 * Verpine Ocular Enhancer
 * Vibroweapon
 * Vibroblade
 * Echani vibroblade
 * Mission's Vibroblade
 * Prototype Vibroblade
 * Vibro double-blade
 * Vibrosword
 * Baragwin Assault Blade
 * Echani vibrosword
 * The One's Vibrosword

Other

 * Ardroxian Flu
 * Collar light
 * Cross of Glory
 * Durasteel
 * Footlocker
 * Gizka poison
 * Glowrod
 * May the Force be with you
 * Meatbag
 * Pazaak
 * Plasteel
 * Race bond
 * Rakghoul Plague
 * Rakghoul serum
 * Recording rod
 * Scope
 * Spice
 * Glitterstim
 * Torch

After Tales of the Jedi
Set shortly after the Tales of the Jedi comic books from Dark Horse, BioWare designed the game around this little-documented period in order to have more conceptual and artistic freedom. This means the game has little resemblance in appearance and aesthetics to the classic Star Wars games of the classic Clone Wars or Galactic Civil War eras. However, while the Tales of the Jedi series shows the Galactic civilization to have an archaic retro-like aesthetic and technology (semi-organic skeletal ships with wings and membranes, stone buildings, etc.) the Knights of the Old Republic is more space-like and futuristic, yet the interval between them is only a few decades. One example of these changes was the use of navcomps and blasters in place of the hyperspace beacons and pulse-wave blasters of the Tales of the Jedi setting. The redundancy of the hyperspace beacons in particular would have dramatically reshaped the astrographic and strategic realities for space travel in the galaxy.

Knights of the Old Republic took a rather ambitious approach towards previously established continuity. Not least among these were the filling-in of galactic history, moving the "ancient" look of comics set in a similar time period slightly towards the more "modern" look of the movies, and greatly expanding the Exar Kun War to a devastating galactic conflict.

Additionally, the game provided a full history of Tatooine and also explained the origins of Kashyyyk's ecosystem. It also offers up an alternate theory as to the original home planet of Humans by having a Sand People historian remark on the player's similarity to the ancients of their people, kidnapped by the Rakata many years before, implying that Tatooine is in fact the planet on which Humans originated. In order to emphasize its place in continuity, there are references and future events (like a possible first contact with the Yuuzhan Vong).

As the game is set during a period long before the familiar films, the creators modeled their 'universe' on many characters and details from the movies, as well as including mentions of conceptual ancestors (for example, the Sith fighter is considered to be an ancestor of the later Sith Infiltrator) but not always (while Sith troopers seem to be based on the movie-era stormtroopers, it doesn't mean the clone troopers were historically based on them). other examples of this include the modeling of characters, such as Darth Malak, a towering Dark Lord of the Sith who speaks through a vocabulator due to an old injury, very similar to Darth Vader, and the inclusion of Wookiee and droid companions as part of the player's party. Additionally, many scenes have direct analogues in the films, such as the capture of the main character's freighter smuggling vessel, the Ebon Hawk, by tractor beam, just as the Millennium Falcon was captured by the Death Star, followed by a prison break and loss of a character on board a vessel, which is very similar to the Death Star scene in the original film.

There are also many errors in regard to previous events such as the formation of the Republic. Several characters refer to it as having been established 15,000 years prior, as opposed to the canonical 21,000.

The game's soundtrack was composed by Jeremy Soule for which he won RPG Vault's Outstanding Achievement in Music Award, and GameSpy's Best Music: PC Award.

Alternatives in gameplay
Knights of the Old Republic has the option to choose different paths at points in the story, such as the order of planets visited and whether Revan followed the light or dark side. Also depending on character alignment, some Force powers will cost more or less "Force points" if Revan corresponds or conflicts with each ones' individual alignment. Core abilities, however, do not change cost.

Several party members can be killed off by Revan, depending on the actions in dialogue the player takes. For example, it is possible to kill Juhani in one of two ways: provoke her to attack during the mission to remove the taint from Dantooine's fields, or kill her, this time alongside Jolee Bindo, later on in the game whilst on Lehon. The deaths, or their suggestion in conversation, of party members often have significant influences in dialogue to follow with the remaining crew, and in the case of Mission Vao, as stated in the section directly below, can even lead to party members attacking Revan willingly.

The encounters with Darth Bandon and Calo Nord can happen on different planets depending on the order selected by the player. Calo appears on the first planet where a Star Map is successfully found and Bandon appears on the third. Both will have different people accompany them for every planet.

Female light side ending
If Revan was specified as a woman then she and Carth would start flirting on the surface of Taris right away. Though they would verbally fight later over Carth's trust issues. The story in the middle is the same until they reach Lehon. Carth and Revan would kiss after she came back from the Temple. Everyone in the group approves except the droids who don't understand what is going on. Flying up to the Star Forge and fighting Malak goes exacly the same as the male version but Revan and Bastila don't profess their love for each other.

If the Carth romance is not completed, Juhani may say that she loves a female Revan. Nothing else is said between them about it for the rest of the game.

Dark side endings
Because of the various paths the player can take, most importantly the choice of a male or female Revan, the dark side ending can vary from player to player.

Male
Assuming the player has chosen a male Revan, he fights his way up to the roof of the Lehon temple and encounters Bastila, who has been corrupted and turned to the dark side by Malak. To prove her worth as Malak's apprentice, she engages Revan in a duel, though the latter manages to fight her off. Bastila sees his potential as a Sith and seduces him with talk of power, regaining his place as Dark Lord, and a pledge to be his lover (If the Bastila romance was completed). Tempted, Revan agrees, earning his Sith eyes and hair, and to prove his loyalty, he slays Juhani (if she was spared earlier in the game) and Jolee. They return to the Ebon Hawk and inform the rest of the party of what has happened and that they plan to userp Malak's mantle. Torn by the news, Carth runs into the forest, unwilling to believe that Revan could have done such a thing; the droids are programmed to follow Revan, regardless of his alignment; Canderous is overjoyed to be able to fight alongside such a leader and warrior; and Zaalbar has sworn a lifedebt to him, granting Revan his loyalty for as long as he lives. Mission is shocked at the revelation of what has transpired and refuses to join the Sith in their conquest after seeing what happened to Taris. She refuses to believe that Revan would kill her in cold blood. Revan can either kill her himself, or use the Jedi mind trick and the leverage of Zaalbar's lifedebt to persuade the Wookiee into doing the deed. (It is also possible to kill Zaalbar as well if Revan takes him on the Star Forge after having him kill Mission, if Revan fails to persuade him, or if Revan simply decides to kill Mission personally. ) Onboard the Ebon Hawk, Darth Revan and Bastila receive a transmission from Admiral Forn Dodonna and decide to use the attacking Republic fleet as a distraction to get close enough to the Star Forge to land in a hangar bay by promising to use Bastila's Battle Meditation to support them. They successfully land the Ebon Hawk on the Star Forge and meet a Jedi strike team sent by the Republic. Dark Jedi attack the hangar and Revan assists them in fending off the attackers, after they are victorious Revan decides that they are no longer useful to him and he kills them. Before proceeding to fight Darth Malak, Revan also has the chance to kill Bastila as well onboard the Star Forge. Finally, after killing Darth Malak himself, a gathering on Korriban takes place and Revan officially repossesses the title of Sith Lord.

Female
The female version of the dark side ending is virtually the same as the male one.

Carth notices the dark change in her as the story progresses. He decides to confront her about her falling and promises to protect Revan from going down her path of self destruction.

After she gives in to Bastila's offer to join her in killing Malak, she would tell the group the same thing as the male Revan would, though Carth's reaction varies slightly, saying that she is not the woman he fell in loved with (if the Carth romance was completed) before running away. Uncaring, she still kills Mission and flies up to the Star Forge in the Ebon Hawk. After Revan kills Malak she heads back to the hangar to find Carth. Carth tells her that the Republic fleet picked him up from the planet surface and that he informed them of her betrayal. He also told them that he couldn't give up on her. He started to persuade her back to the light when Bastila entered the room and convinced Revan to stay on her current path. Revan then had the choice of whether to have Bastila kill Carth or to do it herself. Revan officially took her throne later on Korriban.

Sequels
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords was developed by a different studio, Obsidian Entertainment, using an improved version of the engine from the first game. It was released for Xbox in December 2004 and PC in February 2005. Obsidian has also expressed desires to make another sequel, as has LucasArts. However, no plans have been made in making another Knights of the Old Republic game, although representatives from LucasArts have said that they will not abandon the "franchise."

In a March 2007 interview with the owners of LucasArts Fan network, conducted by a Knights of the Old Republic fansite, owner "Aristotle" commented to "stay tuned" for a third Knights of the Old Republic.

Electronic Gaming Monthly reports in the rumors section of its May 2007 issue that BioWare has hired an online team for work on a massively multiplayer online role-playing game based on Knights of the Old Republic. These rumors were confirmed at E3 2008 by EA's CEO.

Cut content
While KotOR does not have as much evident cut content as its sequel, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, it is still present. Cut content features the planet Sleheyron and an alternate ending for a dark side female PC's romance with Carth, which the player could choose to kill Bastila and die on the Star Forge with Carth.

Rakatan computer terminals the player encounters on Dantooine mention six types of planet environment, and five of them correspond to planets where the Star Maps are located:


 * Arboreal: Kashyyyk
 * Barren: Korriban
 * Desert: Tatooine
 * Grassland: Dantooine
 * Oceanic: Manaan
 * Volcanic: Sleheyron

In an attempt to truly complete the game, Team Hutt from Holowan Laboratories has been attempting to restore Sleheyron.

Additionally, there were two other confirmed sequences cut from the game. One takes place on Manaan if the player beats Bendak Starkiller in the dueling ring on Taris. Deadeye Duncan shows up in the docking area, telling how he escaped the destruction of Taris and asks if he can use the name Mysterious Stranger. The second takes place on Korriban: Bastila was originally intended to be allowed to accompany Revan to the Academy. If Revan provoked Lashowe during their first meeting then Bastila would have interjected.

Some of this content, including the Deadeye Duncan encounter on Manaan, the alternate dark side ending, and the extra scene with Bastila can be restored in the form of community-created add-on modifications. These are only available for the PC version.

Early versions of the story from 2000 included a subplot involving clones. However, it was cut on orders of Lucasfilm in order not to detract from the details of the then upcoming movie, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.

Critical reaction
The general critical response was enthusiastic even before its release. After its unveiling at E3, it won three Best Game at E3 awards in 2001 from Womengamers, GameSpot, and Voodoo Extreme as well as ranking on Next Gen Magazine's list.

Since its release, KotOR has won one-hundered-twenty-two awards. Fourty-eight were various forms of Game of the Year Award, including Game Developers Choice Awards'' best game of the year, BAFTA Games Awards' best Xbox game, and IGN's Best Overall Game of the year. It has also won thirty-three Best RPG Awards such as the Interactive Achievement Award for best console RPG and best computer RPG, and Gamespot's Best Xbox Game of 2003 and Best Role-Playing Game of 2003, among others.

The game also won awards for its story and writing such as the Game Developers Choice Award for excellence in writing and for original character, HK-47, and an Interactive Achievement Award for best story/character development. IGN gave it awards for Best Sound and Best Story, and ranked it as the 27th Best Game of All Time.