Morgan Katarn

"Morgan Katarn! This dead man holds the valley's location. Very intriguing."

- Jerec

Morgan Katarn was a Force-sensitive and close friends with the Jedi Qu Rahn. He was also a leader in the Alliance to Restore the Republic and father to Kyle Katarn.

Early Life
During childhood, Morgan often used his Force powers to entertain his younger sister. He became reluctant to use the Force, however, when a Force Push led to the accidental death of a bully.

As a farmer, a faulty perimeter droid killed his wife Patricia. Despite Morgan's allegiance to the Rebellion, he sent his son Kyle Katarn to the Imperial Academy on Carida in hopes of giving him a proper education.

Morgan had been entrusted with the lightsaber of his Jedi friend Qu Rahn, which he placed within a hidden compartment in the family's homemade droid, WeeGee. Along with this, Morgan created a holorecording for his son Kyle that only the droid could decode. It told Kyle of his Jedi potential and of the importance of protecting the location of the Valley of the Jedi, as well as entrusting Rahn's Lightsaber to him.

Morgan's death
"You're weak like your father. I remember it. Jerec, he gave him a sweet slow death&mdash;a death worthy of a coward! I had the honor of taking his head and thrusting it on a spike for all to see"

- Maw on Morgan Katarn's death

In an attack on Barons Hed by Imperial forces masquerading as Rebels, Morgan was captured, and eventually killed aboard the Vengeance by Jerec, who beheaded him with a vibroblade. Morgan's head was then placed on a stake outside the walls of Barons Hed. This led Kyle to despise the Rebellion. Only when Jan Ors revealed the truth did Kyle follow in his father's footsteps.

What Jerec did not know at this time was that Morgan, a Jedi sympathiser, had in his possession a secret map to the legendary Valley of the Jedi hidden within the roof of his homestead. Situated at an ancient battle site on the planet Ruusan the valley was a source of almost unlimited power. The map, however, was later found by Jerec.

Morgan appeared as a Force ghost&mdash;to his son Kyle, probably formed by the Force nexus surrounding the Valley of the Jedi.



Behind the scenes

 * Morgan Katarn was portrayed by Jacob Witkin for the live-action sequences of Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II and all other appearances of Morgan are based on Witkin's looks.
 * There is some conflict between the sources as regards the death of Morgan Katarn. In Dark Forces: Soldier for the Empire Jerec beheads him, but in Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight Maw tells Kyle that Jerec gave Morgan a sweet slow death. Of course, it is likely that Maw just says it to goad Kyle into getting into touch with the Dark Side, or that Morgan was tortured prior to his decapitation.

Appearances

 * Dark Forces: Rebel Agent
 * Dark Forces: Soldier for the Empire
 * Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II
 * Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast