Darth Nihilus

Darth Nihilus was a Force-sensitive Human male who lived during the Dark Wars. He lost everything in the Mandalorian Wars and turned to the dark side after surviving the activation of the Mass Shadow Generator at the Battle of Malachor V. Under the tutelage of Darth Traya he became one of the three Dark Lords of the Sith at the time, the Sith Triumvirate, under the title of the Lord of Hunger, the others being Traya and Darth Sion. The experience of the mass shadows made him hunger for Force energy, and the affliction began to ravage his body. It eventually came to the point where he was forced to call upon his dark powers and encase his spirit within his mask and armor. The students became more powerful than the master and cast Darth Traya out, severing her ties to the Force. He and Sion became the main perpetrators of the First Jedi Purge, causing the virtual extinction of the Jedi Order.

He caused the Devastation of Katarr, killing and absorbing the Force energy of the Jedi at the Conclave on Katarr and every other living thing on the planet, save one Miraluka woman named Visas Marr, who became his apprentice. About a year later, the duo felt a growing prescence in the Force and he sent Visas to investigate. The presence was the Jedi Exile who was on a quest to find the remaining Jedi Masters left alive by the Purge. She defeated and spared Visas, turning her to the light side of the Force. Nihilus fell in the Battle of Telos IV at the hands of Visas, the Jedi Exile, and the current Mandalore, Canderous Ordo in 3,951 BBY.

Origins
"The less said of that one, the better&mdash;even a stray thought may draw him."

- Kreia

All that is known of Nihilus's beginnings is that he survived the Mandalorian Wars where he was said to have lost everything, including his friends, family, and his will to live, and in his grief assumed his dark persona on Malachor V. In the Battle of Malachor V, the close of the conflict with the Mandalorian invaders, when the Exile gave the order to activate the Mass Shadow Generator, a superweapon conceived by Military engineer Bao-Dur, it killed all but a few of those who were on the planet's surface. Nihilus was trapped on the planet by mass shadows along with most of the two fleets that filled the space around the planet, where the Mandalorians had committed all of their forces in a last attempt at defeating the Galactic Republic. He survived but became ill. An emptiness swept over his body and it soon began hungering. Without meaning to, he drained the life of someone; it was an unpleasant experience, but for a brief moment the hunger ceased, only to come back more relentless than before. At some point he visited the Trayus Academy, an ancient training facility located in the depths of the planet. He was found by Darth Traya, who had sensed him as a wound in the Force. After locating him, she explained that it was the Force that fueled his hunger, and that she could teach him to devour worlds to appease it. The newly christened Sith Lord trained under Traya with Darth Sion, each of them honing different teachings of the dark side of the Force, until the three joined in the creation of the Sith Triumvirate, styling themselves with unique titles; he chose the "Lord of Hunger".

Nihilus's master perceived his hunger for the Force as detrimental to the goals of the Sith. Nevertheless she taught him how to harness it to make him stronger for a time, as she had promised. He consumed entire planets on several occasions, caring only for appeasing his hunger, the dark side consuming him more and more each time, causing his hunger and power to grow dramatically. His power grew beyond what Traya could match and he allied himself with Darth Sion to challenge her, defeating her. They combined their power so Nihilus could sap her Force energy. In the process, they also cut her off from the Force and cast her out into exile. With Traya gone, the Sith were left with no defined leadership and many factions arose, all seeking to take what little remained of Revan's Sith Empire. Nihilus and Sion, having been the ones who defeated Traya, took control of the fractured Sith and focused the groups on a common goal: the elimination of the Jedi Order. Drawing upon the Force, Nihilus pulled the Ravager and other ships he needed to construct his fleet beyond the mass shadows and left with them. The Sith Lords, as partners, continued preparing for their war against the Jedi.

Eventually Nihilus became so absorbed by the dark side of the Force that his physical body began to erode. Knowing that he would die if he did not act soon, Nihilus ripped his spirit from his body and encased it in the armor he wore, allowing the dark side to consume his useless body which dissolved completely. Using the Force, he was able to keep his robes, armor and mask together, giving him some form and allowing him to use his Force powers as well as a lightsaber. Apart from that, however, he no longer had a physical form and he became simple primitive intent.

Encounter with Visas Marr
"There is no strength in the hunger he possesses... and the will behind his power is a primal thing. And it devours him as he devours others&mdash;his mere presence kills all around him, slowly, feeding him. He is already dead, it is simply a question of how many he kills before he falls."

- Kreia

With Traya overthrown, Nihilus had moved into a position of power. The Trayus Academy continued producing legions of Sith Lords, Assassins and Marauders. They spread death throughout the galaxy like a disease and turned many Force-sensitives to their dark cause. What they experienced first hand in his wake allowed them to become stronger near Force-sensitives, and feel their prey through the Force.

His flagship, the Ravager, roamed the borders of known space. In 3,952 BBY, Atris a Jedi Master, leaked the location of a large gathering of Jedi on the Miraluka colony world Katarr she had organized. As he neared the planet, Nihilus spoke, his voice a great hunger heard by the Miraluka through the Force. It overpowered them and obliterated the surface of Katarr, wiping out the entire colony there and anything else touched by the Force. Nihilus killed much of what remained of the Jedi, at which some of the most powerful members of the Jedi Order were attending, including Zhar Lestin, Dorak and Vandar Tokare. As he walked on the surface, Darth Nihilus found only a single living thing, an injured woman named Visas Marr. He put her in a deep sleep, and brought her aboard his ship. Days later, Visas awoke, completely healed aboard the Ravager, and approached the Dark Lord. When she asked him why she had been spared, he didn't speak. Instead, he showed her a vision of the galaxy as he saw it through his senses—people on other planets unable to feel the Force, disconnected from one another and lost in the crush of humanity, a chaos to which he brought order. The vision crippled her ability to see through the Force and carved out the flesh where her eyes would be had she been human. She eventually became his trusted sole apprentice; she even developed a powerful Force bond with her Master.

Downfall
"The Jedi have struck. They had a secret Academy buried on Telos, and they are showing themselves at last. We are all in danger."

- Kreia to Tobin

At this point, Nihilus's next move was to ally himself with General Vaklu, the leader of the Onderonian separatists and the cousin of Queen Talia, monarch of Onderon. He wanted to aid Vaklu in breaking away from the Republic so the planet would fall under his influence and become a staging ground for the Sith. Colonel Tobin, Vaklu's second in command, became his contact.

Meanwhile the Jedi Exile had returned to Republic space, and as she reestablished her severed connection to the Force, Nihilus felt a disturbance in the Force that only his apprentice, Visas, could identify. She was sent to defeat the Exile and bring her before Nihilus so that he could consume her, but when the Exile defeated Visas instead, the Miraluka began to question her conclusions on what her master once showed her, and was swayed to serve the Exile against the slayer of her people.

Nihilus's plans for Onderon failed when the Exile stopped the Onderon Civil War. She became a factor in Republic politics when Atris, intent on using her as bait for the Dark Lord, arranged for her return in 3,951 BBY aboard the Republic warship Harbinger, and broadcast knowledge of her presence through the core ward databases. In a turn of events, the Peragus Mining Facility was destroyed, restoration efforts throughout the Outer Rim were doomed, and secessionist movements on planets such as Onderon got out of hand. The Exile came under the tutelage of Nihilus's former master, who had forsaken her Sith identity of Darth Traya following her exile, and now sought to use the Exile against the Lords of the Sith.

The situation on Onderon got out of hand and the Onderon Civil War began. Following being attacked at the start of the First Battle of Onderon, the Exile joined forces with the Mandalorians led by Canderous Ordo, the first Mandalore since the Mandalorian Wars. When a detachment of Sith were dispatched to Iziz from the nearby moon of Dxun, they were still unaware of the presence of a base that Nihilus had established in Freedon Nadd's tomb; the Sith had stayed clear of Mandalorian patrols even though they were very close to the Mandalorian Outpost. Freedon Nadd's tomb was filled with dark energy, a Force nexus on which Nihilus hoped to feed, but when Kreia recognized a greater threat than what seemed to be merely a staging base, the Exile took action against it. The Dxun Force Adept, a follower of the Jedi Exile, was put in charge of an expedition through the jungle, aimed at the eradication of the Sith from it. Two more of her comrades accompanied the leader, as well a squadron of Mandalorian warriors provided by Mandalore. A ritual was being performed in the crypt to draw upon the power of the tomb and influence the outcome of the civil war, but it was broken by the strike team.

Meanwhile, the Exile, Kreia, and a third companion headed to Iziz to support Queen Talia and keep Onderon in the Republic. There, Sith Lords and Dark Jedi had joined the separatists and were marching to the Iziz Royal Palace, accompanied by Sith wranglers and their huge beasts. Vaklu was stopped, and Colonel Tobin became part of Kreia's deception to draw out Darth Nihilus. Confident that their Sith "associate" would be drawn to Telos IV, she told Tobin that it was there that the Jedi were hiding. When Nihilus set his fleet out to the planet, Republic Admiral Carth Onasi, aboard his flagship, the Sojourn, engaged them in conjunction a group of Mandalorians in the Battle of Telos IV. Realizing that he had been betrayed, Nihilus had no choice but to feed upon Telos anyway, or his hunger would have consumed him.



Nihilus's ship was assaulted and boarded by Mandalorians, and the Mandalore accompanied both the Exile and Visas Marr on their fight to the bridge of the ship and to the final confrontation with Nihilus. Four proton bombs were set in strategic locations throughout the ship on their way, the fourth being obtained from the missile bay after a premature detonation risked putting the entire plan in jeopardy. Colonel Tobin, however, met the Exile one last time. Twisted by the dark side from exposure to Nihilus's dark powers in the time since Kreia saved him, he agreed to help the Mandalorians detonate the charges after he realized that it would only be a matter of time until Onderon would meet the same fate as Telos if Nihilus was to succeed. On the vessel, Visas had a chance to visit her old meditation chamber, stopping to meditate for a moment and finally coming to terms with the destruction of her homeworld, forsaking vengeance and embracing the light side of the Force.

During the final showdown with Nihilus, the Exile, whose tie to the Force had previously been severed and whose leech-like nature was of the same nature as Nihilus's, could not be consumed by him, so when he tried, he exhausted himself and was made vulnerable. They engaged in a quick fight, with the Dark Lord seemingly too strong to defeat, then the Exile learned of his weakness and turned the tide. Visas entered a trance and tried to disrupt the link with her former Master, undermining his connection to the Force. The three of them managed to defeat him and escape the vessel's destruction, but before making for the orbital shuttle they used to board the ship, his mask was removed by Visas, who wanted to see the face of the one who had wounded her. When asked by the Exile what she saw, she simply replied "a man, nothing more." His body then dissolved in an aura of dark side energies as the trio walked out of the bridge. Shortly thereafter, the bombs aboard the Ravager exploded, and the rest of the Sith fleet was decimated by the Republic.

Legacy
"Lord Nihilus, you escaped death by containing your consciousness within your armor. How?!"

- Darth Krayt

At some point during his life, Darth Nihilus made a holocron that eventually fell into the hands of Darth Krayt millennia later. On Korriban, in 137 ABY, Krayt accessed this holocron along with those of Darths Andeddu and Bane, seeking their advice on how to stop the Yuuzhan Vong creatures from consuming his body. The only response he got from Nihilus was a statement in the Sith Lord's peculiar language, which his comrades didn't bother to translate.

Personality and traits
"He cares nothing for the Sith or its teachings&hellip; or the Jedi. And when the Jedi are dead, he will feed on the galaxy, the Republic, and eventually, consume the Sith as well."

- Kreia

Darth Nihilus was a figure of the shadows. He always craved greater power. Unlike most Sith Lords, however, he cared very little for the Sith as an organization. Nihilus saw death as the sole purpose of life, and power as the means to achieve it. The cause of such nihilism remains unknown. He was cautious, as his actions during the campaign against the Jedi showed, and was known as an aggressive, dominant figure who would not abide a threat to his power. After he was forced to shed his physical being, he ceased to feel fear and other emotions; he became an entity of pure intent. Nihilus, however, was still human enough to have some feelings, as his bond with Visas persisted until their confrontation on the Ravager. She was his only apprentice, and her betrayal was met with much anger.

Powers and abilities
"One cannot have power of that magnitude and still think and perceive the universe as we do."

- Kreia

Darth Nihilus wielded a self-made red-bladed lightsaber and fought in a one-handed aggressive style. He had learned some the greatest of the Sith teachings but such practices took the form of dependence. It would make him stronger, but only for a time. Force-sensitives and worlds rich in the Force would draw him&mdash;the Miraluka colony of Katarr was one such place. His reach in the Force eventually extended to a point where he could feel Force users throughout the galaxy, cleanse entire planets, killing everything that was touched by the Force. Prolonged use of this power made him a threat to all life, as his hunger grew as well. The hunger controlled him, not the other way around. He was a wound in the Force, his mere presence casting echoes that would slowly kill all around him, feeding him. His very speech caused pain and death to all who heard it. The ones who served him, in time, like his crew on the Ravager, became utter slaves.

Darth Nihilus was adept in many aspects of the Force. He used his dark variant of the Sever Force ability to strip the Force from Darth Traya and, together with Darth Sion, betrayed her and cast her out. Nihilus could also use the Force to lift starships, as he did on Malachor V with the Ravager. He tore it from the mass shadows that surrounded the planet and kept it together even though it had suffered extensive structural damage. Through the Force, Darth Nihilus was able to escape death by containing his consciousness in his armor&mdash;an ability that Darth Krayt would inquire of Nihilus's holocron millennia later. He was also proficient in Dark rage, Farseeing, Force lightning, Force Resistance, Force Scream, Force Whirlwind, among others such as a dark variant of Force Healing called Dark Healing. Nihilus was aware of some secret powers of the dark side such as devastating power, used to increase the power of an offensive Force technique either by half of its power or to double its power, and distant power, which gave him the ability to increase the range of a Force power to anywhere in the star system from which it originated.

His knowledge also extended to Sith alchemy, as during the Second Battle of Onderon his sect of Sith followers used techniques that would bend tame beasts to their will.

Behind the scenes


Darth Nihilus first appeared as a major antagonist in the computer and video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. His story was later elaborated in the six-page comic Unseen, Unheard featured in Star Wars Tales 24 and in the Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide. In an interview conducted by a Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic fan website, Chris Avellone is asked what his intentions for Darth Nihilus were. Though he did state that his origin story is non-canon, Avellone thinks of Nihilus as like the Jedi Exile's "other half", pursuing a different path after Malachor V was torn apart.

It should be noted that Nihilus never speaks a clear word in the game, he simply emits patterns of sounds similar to the Sith holocrons found on Telos IV. It has been theorized that he speaks in the Sith language. On the other hand, alien languages such as Huttese were subtitled, while Nihilus's words were not (though this can be attributed to the fact that in the game, the Exile uses a sonic sensor to translate foreign languages, and it is unlikely that ancient Sith was included). Another possible explanation was Nihilus traded his ability of speech for power, just as Kar Vastor did. In addition, Visas stated in Unseen, Unheard that the Miraluka could hear Nihilus's voice when the Sith devastated Katarr: "When my Lord spoke, every living thing on Katarr died." It should be observed that Visas seems to understand at least some portions of what Nihilus says to her, although this communication might be telepathic rather than purely verbal.

Like many Sith Lords, Nihilus's name has a second meaning (nihil is Latin for "nothing"). This may be a reference to the fact that he has no physical body, only his consciousness in his armor. Nihilus is also derived from the term "nihilism," or "belief in nothing," most notably the denial of concepts of truth and purpose. Another Latin-derived term from nihil is the English word, "annihilation" which means "to destroy completely" or "reduce to nonexistence."

In promotional material for the game, Nihilus is seen as an opposite to Atris. Concept art shows a confrontation between the two, but Atris never actually interacts with Nihilus during the game.



In a bug that might occur when Nihilus dies, his body is surrounded by dark side energies but the body itself does not disappear. A Sith lightsaber, a Dark Jedi Master robe, and a lightsaber crystal may then be found in his remains.

Alternate stories
Though Nihilus's story does not change based on the Force orientation of the Jedi Exile, there are variations his story can take.

Suicide
A possible outcome to the final battle with Nihilus is to convince Visas to sacrifice herself, thus shattering the bond she shares with Darth Nihilus. Severely wounded, he is no match for the Jedi Exile. This was originally thought to be cut content but made it into the game. The option only works, however, if Visas is wearing regular clothing.

Alternate Dialogue
If the Exile chooses to follow the path of the dark side, instead of saying "I saw a man, nothing more" when the Exile asks Visas what she saw when she looked upon Nihilus's face, she replies "I saw a graveyard of ships, surrounded by a fleet of dead ships. I felt it through him... as I feel it through you."

If the Exile allows Visas to look upon Nihilus's face, she can also have Visas bring his mask to her. It cannot be worn; however, it does give the player a Force Point boost. If she does not ask for the mask, it disappears with his body.

Continuity Inconsistency
Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force, being written from the in-universe point of view, features three conflicting records about the end of Darth Nihilus. According to the first, he was slain by Brianna, an attendant to Jedi Master Atris. Another record indicates that Visas Marr was involved in defeating Nihilus, while the third record suggests that Nihilus was able to kill the Miraluka before he died. It should be noted that while the second and the third records describe respectively the light side and the dark side options of the game, the first record contradicts the game directly: not only does Brianna only join the player's party if playing as a male Exile, but she is also unable to accompany him to the Ravager, since only Visas Marr and Mandalore are taken by the Jedi Exile on the mission to defeat Nihilus.

In Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide, it states that Darth Sion was the apprentice of Darth Nihilus, though they were both apprentices of Darth Traya.

Nihilus verses Sion
The Jekk'Jekk Tarr was originally going to be blown up by Dessicus with the Exile inside. Everyone believed her to be dead, which was not the case, and Sion approached Nihilus. He told Nihilus that their partnership was over and that he never needed Nihilus at all, Sion attacked Nihilus and was rebuffed by an unknown Force power that also killed several people around Sion. Sion limped away from this attack and left the ravager.

A Second Apprentice
During the final battle versus Nihilus, the Exile was going to have the option of saying that she wanted to become Nihilus's apprentice (truth or lie). If truth, the Exile would have fought and killed Visas, weakening Nihilus through their bond and then she would turn on Nihilus, killing him as well. If lie, Nihilus would let his guard down and the Exile would attack him.

Other Media Usage
On June 13, 2007, radio shock jock Howard Stern mentioned Darth Nihilus during his show on Sirius Satellite Radio. Gary Garver interviewed a fan that had dressed up as the character, and the bit was played on Stern's show. A few days later on the June 19, 2007 episode of his show, Stern mentioned Wookieepedia, and proceeded to read from the Wookieepedia entry on Darth Nihilus.

Nihilus was featured in a Penny Arcade strip along with a GE3-series protocol droid and Rohlan Dyre.

Appearances

 * Unseen, Unheard
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
 * Darth Bane: Rule of Two
 * Star Wars Legacy 5: Broken, Part 4

Notes and references
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