Galen Marek

"You have done well, my apprentice."

- Darth Vader

Galen Marek, codenamed Starkiller, was the son of the Jedi Kento Marek and another as yet unnamed female Jedi. He was a Human male secretly taken as an apprentice by Darth Vader from his father on Kashyyyk during the Great Jedi Purge. The Dark Lord trained him to kill Jedi who survived Order 66, and eventually stand with Vader to overthrow his own Master.

Marek eventually carved out his own destiny, however. At one point, he received training from Jedi Master Rahm Kota and helped the "fallen" Jedi Maris Brood seek redemption. Galen, Vader, Palpatine, and Kota eventually had an ultimate confrontation.

Training under Darth Vader
"You were weak when I found you. I did not expect you to survive your training. But now, your hatred has become your strength. At last, the dark side is your ally."

- Darth Vader

Galen Marek was the son of Kento Marek and another Jedi. His mother had been killed while defending Kashyyyk from Trandoshan slavers.

As Darth Vader was about to deal the finishing blow on Kento, his lightsaber was pulled out of his hand. He turned around to find a young boy holding his lightsaber. He sensed that the boy had the potential to become the most powerful Force user in the galaxy. After killing his father, Vader saved the child's life when a clone commander tried to blast him.

Now in Vader's custody, the young Marek was instructed in the ways of the Force by the Dark Lord personally. The boy was not guided every step of the way by his new master; instead, he was allowed to find his own way, with Vader offering scant advice and instruction. The Dark Lord was never kind or encouraging towards his charge, and Marek had to endure constant punishment, and rigorous exercise. The pair frequently sparred, with their lightsabers, or even with their powers. Conversely, Marek's master would never debate or enter into deep discussion with the boy. During the brutal training regimen, Marek was pushed to his limits, and the apprentice, on several occasions, thought he was on the brink of death. He was singed repeatedly by his master's lightsaber blade, and bore scars from his multiple mock duels. All the while, Marek's existence was kept secret from the rest of the Galactic Empire which Vader served, including the Dark Lord's master, Emperor Palpatine. It was Vader's hope that in due course, he and Marek would be able to move against and overthrow Palpatine, with Vader succeeding as the new Emperor. Vader had no qualms about making his objective known to his apprentice, and would mention it on occasion.

In time, the young man was given a home on the incomplete Executor battleship, which was being constructed by droids only. All throughout his training, Marek did not know his true name, but was referred to only by the codename Vader had given him: "Starkiller." Eventually, Vader dispatched Marek on assassination missions against both adversaries of Vader and the Empire itself. Among the young man's targets were spies, thieves, and even high-ranking traitors to Imperial rule. To aid him in his task, Vader had provided Marek with two tools: a holodroid named PROXY, and a starship, the Rogue Shadow. The Rogue Shadow was piloted by an enlisted Imperial handpicked by the Dark Lord. PROXY had been programmed to make repeated attempts on Marek's life at random intervals&mdash;during the attacks, he would use his holoprojectors to adapt the form of a Jedi, or some other dangerous entity. In addition to that function, PROXY would serve as a proxy when Vader wished to communicate with his apprentice. Whenever Vader transmitted directly to the droid, PROXY would take the Dark Lord's form and voice, and would then talk to Marek.

Jedi Temple trials
"You will need all of your skill to survive."

- Spirit of Kento Marek

When Vader deemed his training complete, he sent his apprentice on a series of trials. One of them was to participate in the Jedi Trials, metaphysical challenges, in the long-destroyed Jedi Temple on Coruscant. He landed on the Temple in a starship dubbed the Rogue Shadow. There, he wiped out stormtroopers and other Imperials who were blocking his way while guarding the Temple. Further into the Temple, he confronted the spirits of long dead Jedi and Sith, as well as encountering the holocron of a Sith Lord named Darth Phobos and her apprentice, Darth Desolous.

Rahm Kota
At night, Marek would meditate and attempt to peer into the future, but he was never successful. Consequently, any break from his daily routine would come to him as a surprise. One day, after a dueling session with his master, Marek was made to kneel before the Dark Lord. While the young man knelt, he was informally knighted by his master, and for the first time Vader acknowledged him as his "apprentice." Afterward, Vader provided Marek with his new target: Jedi General Rahm Kota, who had been attacking key Imperial facilities, in particular the TIE Fighter Construction Facility over Nar Shaddaa. Aside from being his first Jedi target, another element to Marek's new mission would be different from previous ones: he was to leave no witnesses, meaning that all whom he encountered aboard, insurgent and Imperial alike, were to be killed.

Marek was taken aback by the prospect of destroying Imperial troops, but was not daunted. As he entered the hangar that held the Rogue Shadow, he was attacked by PROXY, who had taken on the appearance and lightsaber style of Jedi General and former Jedi Councilman Obi-Wan Kenobi. The pair dueled for some time, creating a substantial mess of the nearby equipment, until Marek stabbed PROXY through the chestplate. Marek had fought that particular training program before, but was impressed at how the droid had been able to surprise him. Nevertheless, PROXY was disappointed that he hadn't finally been able to kill his master. Despite the gaping hole through his chest, the droid was still able to walk and function, albeit with more difficulty than before. As they approached the ship, Marek met his new pilot: Juno Eclipse, former captain of Vader's Black Eight Squadron.

After defeating Kota's militia and Imperial Stormtroopers, the assassin finally made his way to the command center. Unfortunately, Kota and his militia did major structural damage to the facility. During the duel with Kota, the Construction Facility split in half, changing the gravity and making what was the wall the floor. At the climax of their duel, before the apprentice could finish off the Jedi, Kota said cryptically that he could see the young man's future: Starkiller would not always be Vader's servant, and also that he saw himself in that future.

Starkiller blinded Kota with his lightsaber, and finished the duel by using the Force to push him through a glass floor, sending him plummeting toward the surface of Nar Shaddaa.

Kazdan Paratus
Following his defeat of Kota, Starkiller tracked the reclusive droid maker, Kazdan Paratus to Raxus Prime. Starkiller encountered an army of droids and technobeasts. Fighting his way through the hordes, Starkiller reached a massive recreation of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Inside he fought more droids on his way to the Council Chamber, where the crazed Jedi lay in wait. At the chamber, Starkiller fought off both the Jedi Master and technobeast versions of the High Council members. After slaying Paratus, Starkiller returned to the Executor.



The Hunt for Shaak Ti
"Vader's assassin... Are you prepared to meet your fate?"

- Shaak Ti

Starkiller returned to Vader and presented Kota's lightsaber. Vader instructed Starkiller to prove himself by killing a council member, Shaak Ti, whom Vader revealed to be hiding on Felucia. While traveling to Felucia he noticed Captain Eclipse's uneasiness. After questioning her about it, he learned that she led the Imperial forces at the Battle of Callos. Upon reaching Felucia, the Rogue Shadow had been spotted, unfortunately, and Shaak Ti mobilized the Felucian forces and sent Maris Brood to hide at the Rancor Graveyard. After killing his way through Felucians and Rancors, Starkiller finally encountered the Jedi Master at the Ancient Abyss; a place of sacrifice for the Felucians, in reality the only known Mega Sarlacc pit. Shaak Ti used the native fauna and flora to aid her, but she was unsuccessful against the apprentice; nothing could hold Starkiller. He parried a blow by the Jedi master while at the same time stabbing her through the torso. She uttered a fateful prophecy and fell into the Sarlacc's maw. Just as she began her plummet, Starkiller, for reasons unknown even to himself, extended his arm to catch her and cried, "No!" With the death of Shaak Ti, Felucia descended into darkness.

First death
"Now, you will kill him, or I will destroy you both."

- Palpatine

Upon returning from Felucia and executing Shaak Ti, Vader told him that the Emperor's spies had followed him back to his rendezvous point, the under-construction Executor. Starkiller was brutally stabbed through the back by the very man who raised him as PROXY took the form of Emperor Palpatine. Darth Sidious commanded his apprentice to finish off Starkiller and prove his loyalty. Vader lifted Starkiller into the air and threw him through and out the bridge view port.

Resurrection and a new objective
"Your destiny is now your own. Sever all ties to your past. No one must know that you still serve me."

- Darth Vader

Approximately six months later, Starkiller awoke once more. As it turned out, Vader had rescued Starkiller and brought him to recover on Vader's personal science vessel, the Empirical. Vader through PROXY told Starkiller his new objective: to distract the spies following Vader by giving them something else to focus on, a Rebellion. Starkiller must take a new identity, no longer appear as Vader's assassin, but become a Rebel hero. PROXY then tells Starkiller that they need to escape as PROXY received orders from Lord Vader to fly the ship into a sun to destroy all evidence of Starkiller being onboard. Right before reaching the lift to the Rogue Shadow, Starkiller found Juno held captive. He freed her and brought her onboard the Rogue Shadow. There she told Starkiller that Vader had branded her a traitor. Starkiller told her he didn't care, that he was leaving the Empire for good.

The formation of the Alliance
"If you're willing to lead us, then we'll join your alliance."

- Bail Organa

Looking for Rahm Kota
Starkiller, PROXY and Juno began to plan how they were going to create an alliance. Starkiller remembered that Rahm Kota had said he would be in the assassin's future. The three of them decided to seek out Kota and invite him to help form the alliance. The three tracked him down to an Ugnaught bar on Cloud City. Following rumors of a drunken Jedi, they learned that one of the Empire's most dangerous agents was also after Kota. After Starkiller met up with Rahm, who appeared not to recognize him, the two quickly fled the bar being assaulted by the Emperor's Shadow Guard. They were able to escape aboard the Rogue Shadow after freezing the guardsmen with carbonite gas.

Rescuing the princess
Rahm Kota, now blind and supposedly without his connection to the Force, told the group that he had a contact in the senate who could help with their rebellion. Pursuant of this contact, but maintaining the contact's anonymity, he directed the group to Kashyyyk. Starkiller fought his way through the Imperial forces stationed there, and eventually reached a hut that felt strangely familiar. Upon entering the hut, Starkiller had a vision of the death of his father and his own kidnapping. Immediately following, he had a vision of his father, who apologized to him saying that he never wanted Starkiller's life to end up like this, and revealing his true name: Galen Marek. Upon emerging from the hut, the Starkiller persona weakened and Galen Marek grew stronger. Eventually, Galen met Bail Organa's daughter, Princess Leia held captive by Imperials. She revealed to Starkiller that her father was Kota's contact. After slaying her captors, Starkiller escorted her to her ship.

Finding a senator
Back on board the Rogue Shadow, Starkiller questioned Kota, demanding to know where Bail was. Rahm told him that Bail had originally asked Kota to rescue Leia. Rahm had refused, so Bail went to Felucia to ask Shaak Ti, not knowing she had been killed.

Starkiller and the group went to Felucia to track down the Alderaanian senator. Once he reached the planet, Starkiller determined that Maris Brood, Shaak Ti's apprentice, had gone over to the dark side, along with the rest of the planet, and was holding Bail prisoner. Starkiller easily tracked down the rogue Jedi. After slaying her pet Bull Rancor, Starkiller quickly defeated Maris Brood. She begged for forgiveness saying that when Shaak Ti was killed, the planet and all its inhabitants were corrupted. Starkiller let her go despite the protests of the rescued Bail Organa.

Bail told the group that there had been talks of rebellion among other senators, but no one had begun anything, because they needed to be shown that the Empire was weak and could be beaten. Starkiller said he would meditate on a target to attack to rally the needed support. In reality, aboard the Rogue Shadow, he communicated with Darth Vader through PROXY. Darth Vader directed him to attack an Imperial shipyard above Raxus Prime. Juno inadvertently caught the transmission and immediately after it ended confronted Starkiller about it. She challenged him to make a decision over whether he would continue as Vader's slave or actually help Bail, Rahm, and Juno with the pending rebellion.

Fighting the Empire
On Raxus Prime, Starkiller fought his way through the local Imperial troops and reached an ore cannon that was being used to launch refuse into space for use by the Imperial shipyard. Starkiller overloaded the cannon and it miraculously redirected the shot at the shipyard, destroying it. Unfortunately for Starkiller, it also damaged a Star Destroyer. As it careened out of orbit and was closing in on Starkiller, Kota told him to use the force to take it down and crash it into the ore cannon. Starkiller succeeded and incredibly survived the crash and ensuing destruction. Meanwhile, unfortunately for the crew of the Rogue Shadow, Raxus Prime's core, a super intelligent computer, corrupted PROXY while PROXY had been slicing into it. PROXY knocked out Juno, locked the ship's launch codes and took off for the core's mainframe. Upon return to the ship and learning what had transpired, Galen went after his friend. After a fierce duel with innumerable droids, the Core, and PROXY in the guise of a red-skinned Zabrak, Galen successfully defeated the core and recovered PROXY. However PROXY insisted Galen leave him behind as the core had deleted his primary function. Galen refused to leave his childhood friend behind and brought him back to the Rogue Shadow.

Declaration of a Rebellion
The destruction of the shipyard was enough to prove to Senators Garm Bel Iblis and Mon Mothma that the Empire could be defeated. Bail Organa and the other senators met with Starkiller and Rahm Kota on Corellia to officially create the Alliance. Unfortunately for the Rebels, Lord Vader and Imperial Stormtroopers attacked the gathering. Lord Vader and his troopers killed all who were present except the Senators, Rahm Kota, PROXY, and Starkiller. Vader revealed to all present that the alliance and gathering was Starkiller's ploy and ordered Rahm and the Senators to be brought to the Death Star for personal execution. Starkiller questioned the Dark Lord on why he was there. Darth Vader then revealed that this gathering had been a plot created by the Emperor himself to gather all of his enemies and capture them in one swift stroke. Vader then told Starkiller that he never planned on killing Palpatine with Starkiller and threw him off a cliff. With Starkiller hanging on for dear life, Obi-Wan Kenobi charged at Darth Vader and demanded that he put down his lightsaber. The two dueled, but Vader easily destroyed Kenobi, but it had only been PROXY disguised as Obi-Wan to try and save Starkiller. When Vader turned back to the cliff's edge, Starkiller was gone.

After the Imperials left, Juno searched for Starkiller and brought him onboard the Rogue Shadow. She asked, if Vader never planned to kill Palpatine with Starkiller, why he let them destroy all that Imperial property. Then the truth suddenly hit Starkiller that everything, including Starkiller, had been meaningless tools for Vader to accomplish his own ends and those of his master. When Juno inquired about their next destination, Starkiller replied, "We're going after Vader...." Starkiller ceased to exist, and in his place was Galen Marek.

Duel on the Death Star


Juno and Galen searched the Outer Rim for the under construction Death Star I eventually finding it. Right before Galen left to rescue Kota and the Rebels, he told Juno he would probably never see her again. The two embraced, and Juno left him with a passionate kiss. Galen jumped off the gangway and fell down a long tunnel into the station. Galen slaughtered anyone who crossed his path, desperately focused on reaching the Emperor's Observation Dome.

He was spotted and Darth Vader pursued him, not a hundred meters from Palpatine and the Rebels. Galen engaged his master in a massive lightsaber duel, which ended with Galen using the force to throw columns, support beams, and anything he could find at Darth Vader. After defeating Vader and leaving him near death, Galen found himself face-to-face with Palpatine himself. Palpatine offered to make Galen his new apprentice, if he struck down Darth Vader, taking Vader's place. Kota, in defiance, stole Palpatine's lightsaber using the force. Palpatine, turning to bear down on Kota, started electrocuting him with Sith lightning. Galen, seeking to protect his friend, began using the force to hurl Palpatine into the ceiling and walls. Galen came to the conclusion that it was Palpatine pulling all the strings all along; that he ordered the death of his father, that he ordered Galen to be raised in darkness. And while confronting Palpatine about these things, Marek continued to attack Palpatine with lightning and throwing him into walls. As Galen approached Palpatine to finish him, the Emperor tempted him goading him to give in to his hatred and strike him down. But with Kota's guidance, Marek resisted the seduction back to the dark side and did not fall again to it, sparing the Emperor. As he turned to leave, Palpatine again attacked Kota with Sith lightning. Marek, in response, dove in front of his friend and took the brunt of the blast. He grabbed hold of Palpatine and released some lightning of his own. The two blasts of lightning went through both of them and created a massive sphere of force energy swirling around them. While the lightning was illuminating the entire room, Galen, knowing what he had to do to help the rebels escape, opened his body to the Force and released everything he had within him resulting in an explosive blast all but destroying the Emperor's tower. This worked to allow Juno, Rahm, and the Senators to escape just in time aboard the Rogue Shadow.

Legacy


Galen's death inspired the Rebels to finish what he had started: a full scale rebellion against the Empire. Juno and Bail recovered PROXY from the snow on Corellia who then revealed that Galen told him that if anything happened to him, PROXY was to be in the charge of Juno. Immediately after recovering PROXY, they along with the other founders of the rebellion met on Kashyyyk. Princess Leia proposed that the Rebels use the Marek family crest as a symbol of hope to rally behind, with which all agreed.

Juno asked Kota if he always knew that the man who created the alliance was the same one who tried to kill him less than a year earlier. Kota revealed that he did, and still agreed to help, because he glimpsed in Galen's mind one bright thing that he held onto even to the bitter end: Juno.

Galen changed the very fate of the galaxy. His alliance survived and changed the shape of the galaxy forever. The Alliance eventually won the Galactic Civil War and the Galactic Republic was finally restored in the form of the New Republic.

Personality and traits
Though he was brutally and continually punished by his master, Darth Vader, Galen Marek agreed with the teaching method of the Dark Lord, essentially because he knew of nothing else. He was also of the belief that whatever did not kill him would make him more adept in wielding the dark side of the Force. Such was Marek's state of mind towards the end of his training with Vader that a part of him almost wished for death.

When hunting down and dispatching his targets, Marek was always satisfied that he had helped defend the Galactic Empire and carry out his master's will. To that end, he was disturbed by the fact that he would have to cut down Imperial troops during his mission to kill General Kota, but he made sure that he concealed his feelings from his master. At the same time, for much of his life he had craved a confrontation with a Jedi Knight, and was hugely excited at the prospect.

Galen Marek was raised by Darth Vader, who was not a very kindly father figure, creating turmoil, anger, and apathy in his mind. He was trained to be loyal, but also a ruthless assassin and an unstoppable force.

While he was extremely powerful and confident, there were many different sides to him. He was wary of his purpose in life and what he was meant to be doing.

Powers and abilities
Having been trained by the "Chosen One" of Jedi lore, Marek was highly skilled in using telekinesis, Sith lightning, and Force Jump, as well as being talented in the field of lightsaber combat. Despite his considerable abilities in the those fields, however, Marek had great difficulty with voluntary Farsight until his eventual redemption.

Galen Marek was extremely strong in the Force, and had the potential to be one of the most powerful Force users who ever existed. He was trained to use the Force to its limitations, being an unstoppable force. He was powerful enough to stop a guideless Star Destroyer from crashing on the surface of Raxus Prime. While a normal Jedi would use a simple mind trick to get past a few stormtroopers, Galen might use the Force to bring down a building on top of them. He was also proficient with Force powers such as Force lightning, Force push, and Force repulse. Marek also utilized the unorthodox Shien style of lightsaber combat, and was proficient in Soresu and Juyo.

Behind the scenes
"Ultimately we started thinking of a character who starts out as an anti-hero, and evolves into a superhero."

- Haden Blackman



Galen Marek is the main protagonist of the video game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. He is voiced by Sam Witwer, best known for his role as Lt. Crashdown in Sci-Fi's Battlestar Galactica. The actor has expressed an interest in appearing in the Star Wars live-action TV series, possibly as Vader's apprentice. His likeness and expressions are also used for the apprentice's appearance.

Character
He has been said to be what Luke Skywalker would have been if he had joined Darth Vader.

"The Apprentice is the photo negative of Luke Skywalker. He's been raised by Darth Vader, and is what Luke would have become if he had joined his father. Vader's not a very nice daddy. This guy has been raised to be a Jedi. When the Jedi use the Force, they respect it and don't overuse it. The bad guys - the Sith - keep testing their limits. Vader discovered this person who had the potential to be the most powerful Force user ever. He's up there with the top tier. He's extremely powerful. Vader has trained him in such a way that he just kept pushing his limitations, seeing how far he could use the Force. So, where a normal Jedi might use the Force to trick his way past a few stormtroopers, the apprentice might use the Force to bring down an adjacent building on top of those stormtroopers. He's extremely confident in everything he does. He's been trained by Vader to be an assassin, an unstoppable force."

- Haden Blackman

Name
Haden Blackman, writer of The Force Unleashed, said in a Spike TV interview that his codename began with 'S'; it was later revealed to be "Starkiller," a name originating in early drafts of Star Wars.

In the German language version of The Force Unleashed, Marek's name is still "Jacob Nion", which was the character's original name. Due to the earlier releases of the novel and the comic this name was used.

Luke Skywalker's name was originally going to be Annikin Starkiller. Sam Witwer said in an interview "This is what would have happened if Luke had joined Vader."

Galen's surname, Marek, is also a common Polish given name and the Eastern Europe variant of Marco, while his first name (Galen) is the Swedish word for crazy and mad.

Various guises
In the Hasbro Vader's Secret Apprentice Evolutions pack, it stated the following: "A son of a fallen Jedi is abducted by Vader to be his Secret Apprentice. As a young adult, the apprentice must choose his destiny: Join Lord Vader and wipe out the remaining Jedi, or become a noble Jedi and bring hope to the galaxy."

Also in the Evolutions pack is an alternative costume of him as a Sith Lord. He wears a mask, has spikes on his body, and carries nine lightsabers around his waist.

GamePro revealed these costumes for Marek in The Force Unleashed:
 * Bounty Hunter Disguise
 * Corellian Flight Suit
 * Father's Robes
 * Light Training Gear
 * Training Gear
 * Raxus Prime Survival Gear
 * Sith Robes
 * Jungle Combat Gear
 * Industrial Explorer Outfit
 * Ultimate Good (bears a resemblance to the Jedi costume in the Hasbro Evolutions set)
 * Ultimate Evil (bears a resemblance to the Sith costume in the Evolutions set)

In concept art, Galen also wears what appears to be some sort of Force shackles.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: The Force Unleashed game / novel
 * Star Wars: The Force Unleashed comic

Non-canon appearances

 * Star Wars: Visions of the Blade
 * Soulcalibur IV