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 on 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 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 6 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.

Synopsis
(Note: 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, Force alignment, order of planets visited and other variables can differ depending on the input of the player.)

Trapped on Taris
A specialist &mdash;either a normal Republic soldier, scout, or scoundrel (depending on player input)&mdash; woke up to find himself in the middle of a battle on the Hammerhead-class capital ship, the Endar Spire, which was on a mission under the Jedi Sentinel Bastila Shan. Trask Ulgo, a Republic soldier, aided his escape from the doomed vessel and split off to face Darth Malak's apprentice Darth Bandon. Trask sealed the door behind him and bought his brother in arms time to escape. After entering the starboard section and finding Carth Onasi in the escape pod bay, the two joined up and crash-landed on the Sith-occupied ecumenopolis of Taris. Carth was able to drag the unconscious man from the wreckage and rented an abandoned apartment in the Upper City. He remained in a stupor for the next few days.



When the player awoke, Carth informed him of the situation and that they needed to find and rescue Bastila, whose escape pod had crash-landed somewhere on the planet. Bastila was 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 allowed 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 proceeded into the hostile world.

The player and Carth learned that the escape pod had landed in the Undercity of Taris&mdash;a rough area below the privileged Upper City and the slums of Lower City where rival swoop gangs, the Hidden Beks and Black Vulkars, were 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 specialist and Carth went to the Hidden Beks' hideout, where they found out from the leader of the Beks, Gadon Thek, that the Vulkar gang leader, Brejik, had taken Bastila captive, intending to offer her as a prize for the winner of the upcoming swoop race. Gadon agreed 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 told them to find the Twi'lek girl Mission Vao and her Wookiee friend Zaalbar, who were 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 found her, they discovered Mission needed their help. She and Zaalbar were attacked by Gamorrean slavers and Zaalbar had been captured as a result. Mission agreed to help them infiltrate the Vulkar Base if they help her find Zaalbar. The group ventured into the sewers, the trio tracked down and rescued Zaalbar from the slavers. Zaalbar, in gratitude, swore a Wookiee life debt to the player.

The group, lead by Mission, went deeper into the sewers to the back entrance of the Vulkar Base which was guarded by a rancor. They Raided the Vulkar Base and retrieved the accelerator after a confrontation with one of Brejik's lieutenants, Kandon Ark. Afterwards, they returned to Gadon and the Beks, they stayed the night before going to the swoop race the next morning. At the swoop race, the neophyte racer managed to win the race. Before he could accept his prize however, Brejik broke the deal at the last moment, claiming the player had cheated by using the prototype accelerator. In the chaos Bastila broke free and a fight ensued. Brejik and his Vulkar thugs could not defeat them and died in the lightfight

Having rescued Bastila, the party began looking for a way to get off Taris through the Sith blockade, when a messenger came to their apartment, telling them that a Mandalorian mercenary, Canderous Ordo, wanted to speak with them in Javyar's Cantina. When they got there, Canderous proposed that they could steal the Ebon Hawk, a freighter that belonged to his employer, Davik Kang, the Tarisian Exchange boss. But first, they would need the security passcodes to get through the Sith blockade, and the only place to get the codes was from the Sith base. To gain entry into the base, they had 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 broke in and killed the Sith Governor to steal the passcodes. After getting the passcodes, Canderous took the player and one of his companions to Davik's estate. When they arrived, Canderous recommended the leader of the party to Davik for hire as a ploy. Shortly after being welcomed, the three opened the hangar doors and proceeded to steal the Ebon Hawk. Even as they did so, Darth Malak, the Dark Lord of the Sith now leading the Sith after betraying his former master Darth Revan, ordered Saul Karath, Admiral of the Sith Fleet, to bombard Taris in order to prevent Bastila from escaping.

As they were getting to the Ebon Hawk, they were confronted by Kang and the galaxy-wide famous bounty hunter Calo Nord in the hangar. They killed Davik and left Nord buried under rubble caused by the Sith bombardment. After stealing the Hawk, the infiltration party picked up the others and charged the Sith blockade while broadcasting the codes and escaped the Sith onslaught.

Dantooine refuge
Bastila revealed to the specialist that he was very strong with the Force and took him back to the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine to see if the Council would train him as a Jedi. They accepted, in spite of his age, particularly after it is revealed that he was experiencing visions detailing the fall of Revan and Malak - and that he shared these visions with Bastila, with whom he had forged a Force bond. After training under Zhar Lestin, the player was 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 succeeded in convincing her to return to the light and was promoted to the rank of Padawan.

He was then ordered by the Council to investigate mysterious ruins that were believed to be the place seen in his visions. There he found a droid, which required him to pass two tests regarding his knowledge of astrography before proceeding further into the temple. The party completed these tasks successfully and was granted access into the room containing an incomplete Star Map, one which gaves clues to the location of three more, similar maps. The party surmised that the maps, if combined, would lead them to a mysterious "Star Forge" that the droid spoke of and which seemed intricately tied to the fall of Revan and Malak. After learning of this the Council charged the player with the mission to find the Star Forge, accompanied by Bastila, his companions, and Juhani.

Meanwhile, unknown to them, Calo Nord, who had survived the carnage on Taris, was brought before Malak by Admiral Karath. Nord offered information to the Dark Lord about Bastila and her companions, which Saul promises Malak would find "most interesting." Malak agreeed 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 journeyed to the desert world, Tatooine, and exploreed the city of Anchorhead. There, the padawan received another vision, indicating that the Star Map he was looking for was located in a cave. When learning that only hunters were allowed to leave the city, the padawan persuaded the head of the Czerka mining company there to hire him to eliminate the Sandpeople that had been plaguing the miners and other hunters in the area. However, a Duros told the padawan that there might be a peaceful solution to the matter and urged him to find one.

Listening to the Duros' advice, the padawan bought 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 was able to communicate with a nearby tribe of Sandpeople at their enclave and negotiated an end to the attacks on Czerka Corporation by giving the Sand People chieftain two moisture vaporators. The chieftain then presented the party with his Gaderffii as a sign of good faith, and a map that helped them locate a Star Map hidden in the Eastern Dune Sea. The padawan then followed this map to a krayt dragon's cave and assisted a local hunter, Komad Fortuna, in killing it. He entered the cave and acquired the second Star Map. As he and the others left the cave they were confronted by Calo Nord and some other bounty hunters. Calo said he would have to kill them in spite of Malak's request that he take Bastila alive. The padawan and his companions defended themselves, and killed Nord for good.

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

In the Shadowlands, the padawan met an old hermit named Jolee Bindo, who told him he would lead him to the Star Map in exchange for a favor, removing a group of Czerka poachers. The padawan finished the job and, as promised, Jolee lowered the deflector shield to let the party into the lower Shadowlands. When down there, the party discovered the mad Wookiee was in fact 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 encountered him, he blindly attacked them and was defeated. However, the padawan spared him and together they concocted a plan to get Bacca's Ceremonial Blade, the symbol of a true chieftain, and fight Chuundar for the title. Freyyr said that the blade of the sword was lost in a ritual fight long ago against an ancient beast. The party baited, found the beast, and killed it, retrieving the blade from it's hide. They gave the blade to Freyyr, who then climbed up the trees towards Rwookrrorro, and asked the party to meet him there.

While in the Shadowlands, the padawan discovered an ancient computer; whose artificial intelligence posed him a series of ethical dilemmas, whose "correct" answers reflected Sith philosophy. The padawan's answers were deemed wrong by the computer, which sent out defense droids to terminate the intruder. However, when the party successfully defeated the ancient droids, the computer scanned his brainwaves during the fight and they matched those of the only person who was allowed to see the map. Thinking that the padawan was that person, he allowed the padawan to see the Star Map.

Upon returning to their lift, the party was forced to kill the Wookiee in charge of the basket, Gorwooken, who has discovered their betrayal of Chuundar and attacked them. The party proceeded 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 aided Zaalbar and his father in killing Chuundar. As a reward for their aid, Freyyr gave his only surviving son Bacca's Ceremonial Blade and allowed him to come out of exile and he was no longer branded a madclaw. Shortly thereafter, the Wookiees of the village united under their new chieftain, Freyyr, and rebelled against Czerka with the aid of the party.

Meanwhile, upon hearing the news of Calo Nord's death, Malak sent 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 traveled to the oceanic world of Manaan, landing in the docking bay. His visions indicated that the Star Map was on the ocean floor. He was told that the Republic ambassador to Manaan, Roland Wann, might have answers to his questions. Upon reaching the embassy the party asked Roland about a means to reach it. Wann agreed to help them in exchange for some help in 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 was captured by the Sith.

The padawan agreed to help the Republic, infiltrating the Sith embassy via one of three entrances, he fought his way to the droid. The droid had been scavenged, but the part that Wann had requested was still intact. With the part retrieved, the team left the base, only to be confronted by Selkath authorities, who had received reports that shots had been fired from within the embassy. The party, namely the padawan, was escorted to the court where he was tried. Though offered an arbiter to represent him, the padawan single-handedly persuaded the authorities to let him go. Freed, the padawan proceeded back to the Republic embassy.



The party learned 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 told the padawan that the Republic hired many mercenaries to investigate what happened at the station, but none had returned. He also told the padawan that they had lost contact with the facility after uncovering some ancient artifact. In exchange for help in investigating the facility Roland provided the party with a submersible and sent them on their way.

Once he arrived, the padawan met a cowardly mercenary and learned from him that, following the artifact's excavation, the Selkath went insane and started killing everyone. Refusing to leave in spite of warnings, the padawan fought his way through the facility and obtained an enviro-suit and a sonic emitter in the process. Forced to leave his companions behind, the padawan searched the ocean floor with the one wet suit available and found his way to a separate part of the facility.

There, he met the head scientist, Kono Nolan and his associate, Sami. The two were the only Human scientists still alive and were trapped in the facility. After he survived their mad attempt to kill him, the padawan persuaded them to tell him what they knew. They told him about a massive firaxan shark, which was responsible for the Selkath's insanity. Upon asking how to get past it to the Star Map, Kono revealed that he'd been working on a poison which, in theory, could kill the shark. Sami believed that using it would pollute the waters of Manaan in ways that may never be corrected. Following Sami's advice, the padawan destroyed the kolto harvesting machine, and the shark calmed down, allowing the padawan to approach the Star Map.

When the padawan reunited with his companions at the entrance of the base, they met Darth Bandon, accompanied by two Dark Jedi. After Bandon expressed his happiness that he could still "have the pleasure" of killing the padawan, the party engaged in a vicious lightsaber duel from which the padawan emerged victorious. Thereafter, the padawan returned to the Republic embassy and informed Roland of what had happened. Though displeased with the results, Roland thanked the padawan and sent him on his way. Shortly thereafter the padawan was again seized by the Selkath authorities and was once again put on trial. This time, for his actions at the Kolto facility. Again, the padawan persuaded them to release him upon revealing to them the full details, which some of the Selkath believed tied into their myths surrounding "the Progenitor," which they believed the padawan had saved.

Revelation aboard the Leviathan
As the party left Manaan, they were caught in a tractor beam from the Leviathan, the flagship of Admiral Saul Karath, Carth's old mentor. While they were being pulled in, they discussed how to escape and the padawan picked a member of his party to escape the Sith and rescue everyone else from capture. The padawan, Bastila, and Carth were all put in force cages, and were interrogated by Saul Karath himself as he waited for Malak's arrival. Bastila refused to submit to Karath's questions, so the Admiral questioned the padawan instead. For every question he answered incorrectly, Bastila was tortured. The padawan's will weakened, but ultimately the Sith received little of use from the interrogation and Saul left and ordered that the three's torture to be continued. For the padawan he reserved extra suffering, torturing him into unconsciousness.

Meanwhile the party member picked was able to infiltrate the Leviathan, and get some weapons in the process. In the prison block, the character found a Rodian who would help in the rescue in exchange for his freedom. He gave the character the ICE breaker. The party member used it to open the area that contained the padawan and the others who, when freed freed, recovered their equipment from lockers in the next room. Afterwards, Canderous volunteered to take the group to the Ebon Hawk and get it ready to launch, while the padawan, Bastila, and Carth moved 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 confronted Admiral Karath and his men there. The Admiral confidently revealed that the Malak's arrival is near and Bastila confirmed this through the Force. An urgent battle followed, which the three managed to win. Saul, near death, asked his old student to come closer so he could reveal a secret. Curious, Carth leaned in and with his dying breath Saul told the soldier something that sent him into a fury. Carth confronted Bastila about what Saul had said, and Bastila begged Carth to wait until after they'd escaped to talk about it, promising to explain everything. Reluctantly, Carth agreed, leaving the padawan in the dark.

Before they were able to reach the hangar, they ran into the Dark Lord, who disarmed Carth in a standoff with Bastila and the padawan. Then the Dark Lord said he was surprised to see the padawan again, which confused the Jedi-in-training. This amused Malak who sneeringly revealed to the padawan the truth that Bastila, the Jedi, and now Carth had 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, used Force Stasis Field on Bastila and Carth, leaving Revan to fight the Dark Lord by himself. After a prolonged battle, Bastila released herself and Carth. She charged in, telling Carth and Revan to escape so they could find the Star Forge. She then took on the Dark Lord by herself and the door sealed behind her, trapping her and stopping Revan and Carth from helping her.

Seeing nothing else that they could do, Revan and Carth ran to the Ebon Hawk, and after a skirmish with Sith fighters, escaped the Leviathan. Afterwards, the rest of the group learned the truth about their leader, meeting it with mixed but overall good reactions. In a strange coincidence, HK-47's memory, which had been lost for some time, was restored, which was programmed 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 was too late, the group arrived on Korriban, a Sith world and the location of a Sith Academy. Students from the Academy dominated the docking area. These students, training to become Sith themselves, were encouraged to commit acts of cruelty and brutality. The most frequent victims of these acts were the new arrivals eager to join the Academy.

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

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

The potential students of the academy proved their worth by performing various tasks and gained prestige. Some of the challenges were martial in nature while others were mental, but all required a certain commitment to the Sith ideals embodied by the Code of the Sith which Revan was 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, was a harsh insight for Revan as much of its philosophy was based on ideals and motives he set in motion as the Dark Lord.

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

Between Revan's actions and Yuthura's plotting, Revan eventually won the prestige contest, gaining access to the tomb of Naga Sadow and the Star Map contained therein. There he found the last of the Star Maps and finished the last of the Academy's trials. Upon emerging he was forced to choose sides between Uthar and Yuthura and eventually defeated both of them, sparing Yuthura even after she betrayed him following the death of Uthar Wynn. With his goals completed, Revan left the Sith world behind him, and set 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 arrived at the coordinates shown on the Star Maps, only to be trapped in a power disruption field that forced them to crash-land on the planet that was the source of the disruption. Before they crashed, Carth managed to send the coordinates of the Star Forge to the Republic so that they could gather a fleet to destroy the Sith forces located in the system.

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

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

Inside, the three found their way to the disruptor field controls, only to be confronted by Bastila who had fallen to the dark side. She had 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 were using and holding her back. In a tense confrontation, Revan was forced to defend the light from the very person most responsible for his redemption. Bastila, at first hostile, tried to seduce him back to the dark side, even going so far as to pledge her loyalty to him and promised him that she would use her battle meditation in his service and become his apprentice. Despite her temptations, Revan rejected her offer and the two were forced to fight. With Juhani and Jolee's help he defeated Bastila, who fled in a G-wing, swearing that their next encounter aboard the Star Forge would be their last.

Escaping the temple and rejoining his companions, Revan and the others joined 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 Master Vandar were mystified by the sheer size and efficiency of the Sith fleet and, upon regaining contact with the Hawk and her crew, were horrified to learn of Bastila's defection. To counter the threat presented by Bastila, the Republic commanders came up with a desperate plan. The Ebon Hawk would lead a strike force of Jedi through the static defenses of the Star Forge. Only a handful of ships actually survived the run to landed safely on the Star Forge's flight deck where Dark Jedi backed up by the station’s battle droids attacked the Jedi in the hangar. They were defeated and the Jedi strike team was assigned to defend the hangar so they could make their escape. Revan and two of his companions advanced into the Star Forge and found themselves alone against the bulk of Darth Malak's entire fighting force, they battled wave after wave as they make their way towards Bastila.

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

Malak tried once more to delay Revan by unleashing more battle droids upon him, but Revan proved more resilient than he expected, making it past them and into Malak's chamber. There, Malak used the technology of the Star Forge and the bodies of Jedi he had captured from the Jedi academy on Dantooine to fuel his power, maintaining his life and power at maximum levels. Revan released the suffering Jedi, and allowed them to become one with the Force. Malak was forced to rely on his own dark power and after a long battle, Revan finally succeeded in defeating Malak who expressed regret in his last moments before dying.

Afterwards, Revan fled along with the rest of his companions, barely escaping the final destruction of the Star Forge. Afterwards, the entire group was 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 was 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"
 * Cat Taber&mdash;"Mission Vao"
 * Ed Asner&mdash;"Master Vrook Lamar"
 * Ethan Phillips&mdash;additional voices
 * Cam Clarke&mdash;"Sith Diplomat," "Kono Nolan," "Trask Ulgo," "Gate Guard Trewin," "Junior Czerka Scientist," "Sith Student," additional voices
 * Phil LaMarr&mdash;"Gadon Thek"
 * Robin Atkin Downes&mdash;"Mekel," "Griff Vao," "Vulkar Mechanic"
 * Tom Kane&mdash;"Master Vandar Tokare," "Rodian"
 * 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

Appearances
As an RPG, Knights of the Old Republic inevitably produced a huge amount of new continuity, much of which is made up of minor characters that have no great impact upon the plot. An asterisk ( * ) indicates a character that was essential to the plot. This is the first appearance or mention of everyone on this list unless otherwise marked with two asterisks.

Characters

 * 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*
 * 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 Human senator
 * 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
 * Duron Qel-Droma
 * Ulic Qel-Droma**
 * Quatra
 * Dorak Quinn
 * Raito
 * Redros
 * Reeza
 * Revan*
 * Rilka
 * Yuka Rill
 * Rorworr
 * Rothrrrawr
 * Rukil
 * 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
 * Gadon Thek*
 * Vandar Tokare*
 * Tooka
 * Garm Totryl
 * Trewin
 * Twitch
 * Ugzak
 * Ujaa
 * Ujii
 * Gilthos Uksaris
 * Trask Ulgo*
 * Jorak Uln
 * Unidentified Republic soldier
 * Uriah
 * Fazza Utral
 * Griff Vao
 * Mission Vao*
 * Senni Vek
 * Marlena Venn
 * Tanis Venn
 * Dak Vesser
 * Andor Vex
 * Viglo
 * Roland Wann
 * Janos Wertka
 * Woorwill
 * Worrroznor
 * Unidentified Hutt
 * 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
 * Kath hound
 * Horn kath hound
 * Kinrath
 * Krayt dragon
 * Canyon Krayt Dragon
 * Mykal
 * Orchana ray
 * Rancor
 * Rakghoul
 * Ronto
 * Rotgrub
 * Shyrack
 * Tach
 * Terentatek
 * Uller
 * Volice worm
 * Wraid

Droid models

 * Ancient 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
 * Cam droid
 * Sith security hovercam
 * Probe droid
 * K-X12 probe droid
 * Submersible probe droid
 * Protocol droid
 * Czerka Corporation protocol droid
 * Security droid
 * Patrol droid Mark I
 * Security/maintenance droid
 * Utility droid
 * T3-series utility droid
 * War droid-series

Events

 * Great Sith War
 * 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
 * Jedi Civil War
 * 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
 * Bek-Vulkar War
 * Raid on the Vulkar Base
 * Skirmish at the Season Opener

Locations

 * Althir
 * Bondar
 * Daminia
 * Dantooine
 * Garang
 * Garang Spaceport
 * Rakatan Ruins
 * Deralia
 * Erai
 * Erai III
 * 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
 * Ludo Kressh's tomb
 * Marka Ragnos's tomb
 * Naga Sadow's tomb
 * Shyrack cave
 * Tulak Hord's tomb
 * Lehon
 * Black Rakatan Settlement
 * Elder Rakatan Settlement
 * Temple of the Ancients
 * Malachor V
 * Manaan
 * Ahto City
 * Ahto High Court
 * Ahto City swoop track
 * Republic Embassy
 * Sith Embassy
 * Yortal's Emporium
 * Hrakert Rift
 * Hrakert Station
 * Neka
 * Ordo
 * Phemis
 * Sigil
 * Sleheyron
 * Sorjus
 * Talravin
 * Taris
 * Lower City
 * Black Vulkar Base
 * Hidden Bek Base
 * Javyar's Cantina
 * Undercity
 * Undercity sewers
 * Promised Land
 * Upper City
 * Droids by Janice
 * Equipment Emporium
 * Tarisian Military Base
 * Upper City Cantina
 * Tatooine
 * Anchorhead
 * Anchorhead Cantina
 * Anchorhead droid shop
 * Dune Sea
 * Eastern Dune Sea
 * Rakatan Ruins
 * Sand People Enclave
 * Transel
 * Ukatis
 * Yavin Prime
 * Yavin IV

Organizations and titles

 * Ahto City Provisional Company
 * Aratech Repulsor Company
 * Aratech Merchantile
 * Black Rakata
 * Black Vulkars
 * Bladeborn
 * Masterblade
 * Calin Industries
 * Czerka Corporation
 * Elders
 * Keeper of History
 * Exchange
 * Genoharadan
 * Overseer
 * Hidden Beks
 * Infinite Empire
 * Jedi Order
 * Jedi
 * Jedi Consular
 * Jedi Council
 * Jedi Guardian
 * Jedi Initiate
 * Jedi Knight
 * Jedi Master
 * Jedi Sentinel
 * Padawan
 * Old Republic
 * Senator
 * Supreme Chancellor
 * 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
 * Mandalorian
 * Nikto
 * Paaerduag
 * Quarren
 * Rakata
 * Rodian
 * Selkath
 * Trandoshan
 * Tusken Raider
 * Twi'lek
 * Unknown tridactyl species
 * Wookiee
 * Zabrak

Vehicles and vessels

 * Aurek fighter
 * Dynamic-class freighter
 * Ebon Hawk
 * Elevator basket
 * G-wing light shuttle
 * Hammerhead-class capital ship
 * Admiral Dodonna's flagship
 * Endar Spire
 * Interdictor-class Cruiser
 * Landspeeders
 * Military droid carrier
 * Republic assault fighter
 * Republic blockade runner
 * Republic escape pod
 * Darth Revan's flagship
 * Sandcrawler
 * Sith fighter
 * Sith freighter
 * Star Forge
 * Submersible
 * Swoop
 * Yavin Station
 * Yorik-stronha

Weapons and technology

 * Arc wrench
 * Blaster
 * Blaster carbine
 * Jurgan Kalta's Carbine
 * Ordo's Repeating Blaster
 * Blaster rifle
 * Blaster pistol
 * Bowcaster
 * Zaalbar's bowcaster
 * Chuundar's bowcaster
 * Datapad
 * Disruptor pistol
 * Disruptor rifle
 * Echani foil
 * Energy shield
 * Grenade
 * CryoBan grenade
 * Frag grenade
 * Ion grenade
 * Plasma grenade
 * Sonic detonator
 * Thermal detonator
 * ICE breaker
 * Ion blaster
 * Ion rifle
 * Lightsaber
 * Double-bladed lightsaber
 * Lightsaber crystal
 * Bondar
 * Damind
 * Heart of the Guardian
 * Jenruax
 * Krayt dragon pearl
 * Mantle of the Force
 * Nextor
 * Opila
 * Phond
 * Rubat
 * Sapith
 * Sigil
 * Solari
 * Shoto
 * Motion detection goggles
 * Rakatan mind trap
 * Sword
 * Bacca's Ceremonial Blade
 * Short Sword
 * Long Sword
 * Silver Lined Sword
 * Sith Tremor Sword
 * Vibroweapon
 * Vibroblade
 * Mission's Vibroblade
 * Vibro double-blade
 * Vibrosword
 * Vulkar shock stick

Other

 * Cross of Glory
 * Race Bond
 * Spice
 * Glitterstim

Continuity
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, suggesting some fairly fundamental technological improvements between 4,000 BBY and 3,956 BBY. The redudancy 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. It also invented a few Sith Lords of the old Sith Empire and hinted that they may have had access to the Star Forge. 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). This was done in order to keep the Star Wars feel, and not create just "another space RPG." 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.

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. It 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.



The existence of a cut planet can be also deduced from Rakatan computer terminals the player encounters on Dantooine. They 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

Additionally, there were two other areas cut from the game. One was the second level of the Vulkar Swoop Gang Base, where the player would have to disguise himself as a Vulkar to get through the base. The other 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.

Some of this content, including the Deadeye Duncan encounter on Manaan and the alternate dark side ending, 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 upcoming movie, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.

Critical reaction
The general critical response was enthusiastic. KotOR has won numerous awards, including Game Developers Choice Awards' best game of the year, BAFTA Games Awards' best Xbox game, and Interactive Achievement Awards for best console RPG and best computer RPG.

The game also won a Game Developers Choice Award for excellence in writing and for original character (HK-47) and an Interactive Achievement Award for best story/character development. Gamespot deemed the Xbox version of KotOR Best Xbox Game of 2003 and Best Role-Playing Game of 2003

In addition, the game has been ranked number two game of all time by X-Play and number four by IGN when they made their respective lists.

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.