Freedon Nadd

"The Sith are destined to rise again. Nothing can prevent that."

- Freedon Nadd to Ulic Qel-Droma

Freedon Nadd was an ancient Jedi apprentice, later a Dark Lord of the Sith who was the first not born within the old Sith Empire.

Ambitious Jedi
Freedon Nadd was a Jedi student, trained at the Jedi Temple on Ossus around 4,400 BBY. He was amazingly open and willing to touch the Force, which may have inevitably led him down the dark path. While strong in the Force, he failed his first true test, when he was told by the Jedi Masters at Ossus that he would not receive his promotion to become a Jedi Knight.

Enraged with their decision, Freedon Nadd reached out to his anger and struck down Jedi Master Matta Tremayne. Now, fallen to the dark side, there was no turning back. Nadd completely succumbed to the teachings of the Sith, and became proficient in the use of the dark side and the Sith teachings. Fleeing from Ossus, he set his ship's course for deep within the ancient Sith Empire, eventually making planetfall on the world of Ashas Ree.

Sith career and the King of Onderon
From this point, Nadd journeyed deeper into the old Empire, and eventually came to the jungle moon of Yavin 4, where he came across the ancient Sith Lord, Naga Sadow, and sought to complete his training under his tutelage. Before his training was complete, however, Nadd felt he was strong enough to conquer and claim the Sith throne as his own. He killed Naga Sadow and left Yavin 4. After collecting many Sith artifacts from old Sith ruins, and feeling that his training was at long last finished, Nadd fled to Onderon. There he proclamed himself king and taught the Onderonians about Sith lore and magic. He spread legends of himself single-handedly using Sith magic to repel the Beast Lords; legends which spread down through generations on Onderon, until Nadd himself became somewhat of a god within Onderon truism for defeating the planet's "wild beasts and aborigines."



The Freedon Nadd Uprising
"The Jedi have not won today. As you will one day learn, the Jedi have lost!"

- Freedon Nadd to Arca Jeth

Even after many years of civil war against the Beast Lords they continued to pose a threat to the city of Iziz, where Nadd ruled. Although his rule was cruel and taxing, his teachings were widely accepted by the Onderonian people. The dark side grew on Onderon as Nadd's bloodlines were extended during his stay. 350 years later, Queen Amanoa called upon the power of Freedon Nadd during her confrontation against a Jedi team led by Ulic Qel-Droma. During the chaos Amanoa fled to Nadd's tomb, while Nadd's dark power aided the Iziz defense forces against the intruding Beast Lords.

Jedi Master Arca Jeth arrived in time to use his battle meditation technique to turn the tide of battle. Eventually Arca drove the darkness away from Amanoa, and prepared to move Nadd's remains and the Queen's coffin to Dxun.

However, Freedon Nadd's revenge had just begun. His spirit approached King Ommin, Nadd's descendant and Amanoa's husband. With his dark power Nadd granted the cripple old man mobility, in return Ommin mustered a group of dark side followers to revolt. This "Freedon Nadd uprisings" eventually stole the sarcophagis of Nadd and Amanoa from the Jedi. In order to recover the sarcophagis, Master Arca visited King Ommin but was confronted by Nadd's spirit. With the help of Nadd's dark power, Ommin defeated Arca and kidnapped the Jedi Master.

Retreated to a new stronghold, King Ommin attempted to corrupt Arca to the dark side. Meanwhile two dark side initiates, Satal Keto and his cousin Aleema, visited King Ommin with a stolen Sith magic book, hoping the King's dark side knowledge could translate it. Ommin gave Satal a Sith Amulet which enable him to read the book, and prepared to make a copy of the magic book. Ommin's victory was short lived, as reinforced Jedi Knights stormed his stronghold. As Ommin fought for his life, Nadd forsook him, leaving King Ommin to his own fate. The long dead Dark Lord saw potential in Satal and his cousin, giving them not only the book and the amulet, but also a pair of Sith Swords. After guiding the young initiates to safety, Nadd's spirit confronted the Jedi and the dying Ommin. Nadd personally terminated the poor king and declared the defeat of the Jedi to Arca, while the Jedi Master called upon the light to drive Nadd's spirit away.

At long last the Jedi was able to move Nadd's remains to Dxun, In a tomb made of Mandalorian iron, the Jedi hoped to seal Nadd's influence once and for all.

However Freedon Nadd indeed was not defeated, despite the move of his remains, the spirit of the Dark Lord could still lurk Onderon. Nadd's spirit appeared in front of Ulic Qel-Droma, claiming that the young Jedi would be one of the great Sith, but there would be another who would become even greater than Ulic.

Corrupting Exar Kun
"Once you accept it, the dark side is with you forever."

- Freedon Nadd to Exar Kun

Soon, another ambitious Jedi learner named Exar Kun learned the legend of Nadd. Forsaking his master Vodo-Siosk Baas and the Jedi way, Exar Kun journeyed to Onderon for dark side knowledge. Getting no help from the Jedi there, Exar traveled to Dxun for Nadd's new tomb. There he burned through the Mandalorian iron and entered the tomb, discovering many Sith artifacts and encountered Nadd's spirit. Freedon Nadd once again saw his chance, he commanded Exar to uncover two Sith scrolls, which would guide Kun to Korriban.

There on Korriban, Nadd's spirit approached Exar and tricked him to trap himself. Nadd claimed to the injured Kun that only the dark side of the Force could save him. Refused to join the dark side, Exar's mind called for his master for help. When Vodo received the plea, the Jedi Master meditated with the light, trying to shield Exar from the darkness. Disturbingly, Freedon Nadd detected Vodo's interference and attacked him from lightyears away. Without the help of Vodo, Exar pledged himself to the dark side, and was healed by Nadd's dark power. Nadd led Exar to the resting place of the ancient Dark Lords, unleashing guardian beasts to attack Kun while Nadd himself took away Kun's lightsaber. In order to survive, Exar Kun called upon the power of anger and slained the beasts, thus gaining the approval of the Dark Lords.

The end of Freedon Nadd
"Beware of Exar Kun! He has acquired great Sith powers and he has ambition without limit!"

- Freedon Nadd to Satal Keto and Aleema

Exar Kun went to Yavin 4 and was captured by Massassi warriors. In Naga Sadow's temple, Exar wielded the Sith Amulet of Marka Ragnos and destroyed the monster made by Naga's Sith alchemy. As Kun gained the loyalty of the Massassi, Nadd began his final plan. Freedon Nadd commanded Kun to learn the lost art of Sith alchemy, so that a new body could be created to hold Nadd's spirit. Exar Kun had enough of Nadd's guidance, however, and wiped out Nadd's spirit once and for all with the amulet. Before his ultimate destruction, Freedon Nadd appeared before Satal Keto and Aleema one last time and warned them about Exar Kun, declaring Exar as a pretender to the Sith legacy.

Legacy of the Dark Lord
Approximately 50 years later, during the Onderon Civil War in 3,951 BBY, Nadd's tomb on Dxun was occupied by Darth Nihilus's Sith forces allied with General Vaklu. This posed a threat to Canderous Ordo's Mandalorians, and their base on Dxun. Eventually, the Sith camp near the tomb was spotted by the Mandalorians, and the Jedi Exile dispatched three of his allies there. They broke through the Sith defenses and killed a group of Dark Jedi and Sith Lords, who were performing a ritual in an attempt to siphon the tomb's dark side powers, and very possibly resurrect Nadd's ancient spirit.

Appearances

 * Tales of the Jedi: Knights of the Old Republic (mummified corpse)
 * Tales of the Jedi: The Freedon Nadd Uprising (spirit)
 * Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith (spirit)
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (mummified corpse)