Yuthura Ban

"Sometimes anger is so deserved and right. Sometimes things change because of it."

- Yuthura Ban

Yuthura Ban was the Twi'lek apprentice of the Sith Master Uthar Wynn, the head of the Sith Academy on Korriban during the Jedi Civil War.

Even though she herself was an apprentice, Yuthura was also a lead instructor and mentor at the Sith Academy. She respected initiative and cunning in her students and was not short of either herself. Like most of the Force-sensitives at the academy, she wore the uniform of a Sith officer as opposed to robes.

Biography
Originally from Sleheyron, Yuthura was a slave to Omeesh the Hutt, a cruel Master who tortured his slaves regularly. Craving vengeance and determined not to simply be "nothing," Yuthura maneuvered herself into a position to strike out at her master, slitting "the drunken worm's" throat while in his bedchamber. As she fled Sleheyron by stowing aboard a cargo ship, it was inevitable that she would be discovered by the crew. They abandoned her on a desolate planetoid.

Though by all rights she should have died, by the will of the Force she was relatively quickly discovered by a passing Jedi, who, seeing her Force potential, decided that she should be trained in the ways of the Force. So it was that she was taken to the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine to train despite her somewhat advanced age.

Though possessing exceptional skills, she was unable to let go of her anger towards her former oppressors and all others who would practice slavery. She saw the apparent Jedi inaction over the matter as intolerable. Unable to resolve her differences with the Jedi, she abandoned them and their teachings, swearing to find a new means to achieve the power necessary to combat the wickedness of slavery throughout the Galaxy. She was to find these means in the Sith Academy on Korriban.

Once initiated, her natural talent and ability, coupled with her anger towards the Jedi and hatred of slavery, saw her quickly rise through the ranks, finding herself the apprentice of Uthar Wynn, headmaster of the academy.

Eventually her thirst for power led her to devise a devious plot to overthrow her master, a plot involving a promising new recruit to the Sith, within whom the Force bristled with startling intensity. Though sensing something odd about the young Human, Yuthura never for a moment suspected that she had in truth enlisted the services of Revan, the deposed Dark Lord of the Sith. Together they formed a loose bond; Yuthura opened her heart to him and Revan was able to know more about her past life and experiences which led her to the Sith.

With Revan's help, she was able to best her master and then, in a calculated&mdash;if not entirely desired&mdash;act of betrayal, she turned on the former Dark Lord. For all her considerable power, she was no match for Revan and yielded to his superior might. Revan was able to convince her that she was in error of her ways and convinced her to return to the Light Side. She then renounced her position as headmaster and departed the Sith Academy for the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine.

It is unknown whether Yuthura reached the Jedi academy on Dantooine to be retrained before the attack on Dantooine by the Leviathan. If she did reach Dantooine, she may have been killed during the bombardment; if she was not, it is likely that she fell victim to the First Jedi Purge that followed a few years later. If she never reached the academy at all, she may have found some other Jedi Masters to teach her, or she may have given up on her quest altogether.

Behind the scenes
Yuthura was voiced by Tamara Phillips.

"Those words never held such resonance for me until I returned. I'd... like some serenity, some harmony. Wouldn't you?"

- Yuthura Ban, having returned to the light side of the Force

Development
Yuthura's home planet Sleheyron was originally planned to have appeared in KotOR&mdash;after it was scrapped; however, it was written into Yuthura's background as a tribute to the effort that had been put into planning it.

Gameplay
If Revan plays through Korriban after being imprisoned on the Leviathan, he or she can question Yuthura about what the Sith Lord used to be like. If the player mentions that he/she is Revan, Yuthura will laugh at him; alternatively, after the attempted coup, if Uthar is favored, he will recognize Revan and devote the Academy to him.

When Yuthura asks who Revan's "companions" are the player has the option of saying "they are just my slaves." Strangely, this doesn't seem to bother her much even though she hates slavers. Most members of your party will play along and say some very amusing dialogue.

There are many choices for the player to make in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic regarding Yuthura's fate. The most extreme light side choice is outlined above, with the other options detailed below.

Options

 * Revan can tell Uthar about Yuthura's plans to betray him. After doing so, Uthar instructs Revan to perform a small task that will ensure Yuthura is weakened via poison by the time of the final trial—making her considerably easier to defeat. It is up to the player whether or not they choose to do as Uthar asks.
 * After informing Uthar of Yuthura's plot, Revan can then go on to tell Yuthura about Uthar's plotting against her. It is up to the player whether or not they inform Yuthura about the poison; if they do then she takes precautions against it. In response to this news Yuthura tells Revan to poison Uthar's bed and provides the poison and access to his room. Revan can again choose whether or not to do this. If the player doesn't tell Yuthura about the poison, they have the option of poisoning them both.

After Revan passes the prestige trials to enter the tomb with Yuthura's help and completes the assignment therein, Uthar tells Revan to fight Yuthura to pass the final trial and show no mercy. Depending on the player's previous choices, the player will obtain different reactions from Yuthura and Uthar throughout this section of the game. (Yuthura won't be surprised by Uthar's attempt to turn Revan on her if you've informed her of his plot, Uthar won't be poisoned if you didn't undertake Yuthura's task, etc.)

Sample light side choices

 * Revan sides with Yuthura and they kill Uthar. Yuthura then fights and is defeated by Revan. If the player befriended Yuthura earlier, and after the enclave is destroyed, Revan then reveals his real identity and tells Yuthura to abandon the Sith, which leads the Sith to attack Revan after Yuthura left.
 * Revan destroys Uthar for Yuthura. Once done, Yuthura battles Revan and is defeated. If the player learned about Yuthura's former life, it is possible to convince her to return to the light side. If succeeded, the player can meet her in the courtyard on Dantooine where she describes being accepted there and even brought her old master to tears upon her return.
 * Revan sides with Yuthura and they kill Uthar. Once done, Yuthura battles Revan and is defeated. She pleads for mercy and Revan spares her life but does not return her to the path of the light. She leaves unharmed and takes up mastery of the Academy.
 * As a (rather vengeful) Jedi, Revan sides with neither Sith and kills both.

Sample dark side choices

 * Revan sides with Yuthura and they kill Uthar. Once done, Yuthura battles Revan and is defeated. She pleads for mercy and Revan strikes her down.
 * Revan sides with Uthar and kills Yuthura. Depending on the actions taken while on Korriban, Uthar may attack. If not, Revan may choose whether or not he kills Uthar.
 * As the only "true Sith," Revan sides with neither Yuthura or Uthar and kills both.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Yuthura Ban