Freedon Nadd

"The Jedi who fall are the most dangerous of all."

- A line from a children's rhyme

Freedon Nadd was a Human male Jedi prodigy whose conscious decision to embrace the dark side of the Force had a significant impact on galactic events for many generations following his death. Beginning his career as a student in training under Jedi Master Matta Tremayne, Nadd's lust for greater power caused him to slay his teacher before abandoning the Jedi Order. He then fled the planet Ossus and made his way to the heart of the old Sith Empire, where he gained an enormous wealth of dark side knowledge. He eventually followed the Force to the jungle moon of Yavin 4, where he apprenticed himself to the ancient Dark Lord Naga Sadow. Sadow trained Nadd in the ways of the Sith, and led the young Jedi even further down the dark path. Eventually believing that he had learned all he could from Sadow, Nadd used his newfound powers to destroy his mentor, and left behind the temples of Yavin 4. Proclaiming himself to be the new Dark Lord of the Sith, Nadd traveled to the remote planet of Onderon, where he used his sorcerous powers to subjugate the world and make himself king. Nadd ruled Onderon from his fortress in Iziz until his physical death, several hundred years prior to the onset of the Old Sith Wars. Following Nadd's demise, his body was entombed below the royal palace of Iziz, where his dark side spirit continued to live on, teaching the descendants of his bloodline.

The exaltation of Freedon Nadd's memory catalyzed the centuries-spanning Beast Wars of Onderon, a conflict between the citizens of Iziz who worshiped the deceased Dark Lord, and those who had been cast out for their refusal to pledge allegiance to the dark side. In 4,000 BBY, a team of Jedi Knights led by Arkanian Master Arca Jeth came to Onderon and ended the final battle of the war by bringing a temporary end to Nadd's influence over the planet when they defeated Iziz's Queen Amanoa. However, Amanoa's husband, King Ommin, reasserted Sith influence over Onderon when he summoned Freedon Nadd's spirit from the depths of Chaos. The restored Naddist cult initiated an uprising when they stole the Dark Lord's sarcophagus during a surprise attack on Amanoa's funeral. Nadd then revealed himself to the Jedi and ordered the capture of Arca Jeth, who was ultimately rescued by a team of Jedi Knights when they defeated Ommin during the final stages of the Naddist Uprising. Conceding to failure, Nadd abandoned King Ommin to the mercy of the Jedi, and his spirit was forever banished from Onderon by the power of Arca Jeth. Upon his departure, however, Nadd happened socialites Aleema and Satal Keto, in whom he chose to perpetuate the legacy of the ancient Sith.

For months Nadd initiated the Ketos in Sith magic, while also corrupting the fallen Jedi Exar Kun, who had stirred the Dark Lord's spirit from within his jungle-moon grave. Nadd's seduction ultimately led Kun to the ancient dwellings of his own Sith Master on Yavin 4, where Kun surpassed Nadd in power and betrayed him. Consigned to oblivion for a second time, Nadd's contacted the Keto's in his final act and warned them about the threat that Exar Kun posed as well as declaring that in them rested the future of the Sith. He then died a second death as his spirit faded into Chaos.

Early Jedi career
"Freedon, some things cannot be taught directly. Some things you must find in yourself. If we were to show it to you, to point to it and say 'look, here it is,' you would not understand it. Jedi must be willing to look into their own hearts and spirits. If you do not&hellip;well, let us just say that you will never become a true Jedi."

- Jedi Master Matta Tremayne

Four hundred years before the outbreak of the Great Sith War, Freedon Nadd arrived on the Jedi Library world of Ossus to begin his Jedi training. Upon his initial arrival, the Jedi Masters on Ossus were astounded by the level of knowledge and proficiency that Nadd demonstrated through his use of the Force. Likewise, the Masters were also impressed with his openness and efforts to attain universal harmony. Under the guidance of his teachers, Nadd learned to willingly trust in the Force and to immerse himself in its fabrics. Those who taught Nadd all agreed that he would become a Jedi Master far sooner than any other student who had come before him&mdash;if not in technique, then in understanding of the Force.

Nadd's first test, however, came in an unexpected form when it came time to promote several apprentices to the rank of Jedi Knight. The Masters, though, completely passed by Nadd, who believed that his promotion to Knight was imminent. With the Masters' decision upon him, Nadd's universe seemed to collapse around him. As he began to dwell on the situation, feelings of hurt and despair began to cloud his mind. He could not understand why the Masters had not promoted him as a reward for all of the progress and hard work that he had demonstrated during his time on Ossus. The fact that the Masters had denied him the rank of Jedi Knight caused an enormous internal conflict to take place within Nadd's mind.



Confused about what the Jedi Masters now expected of him, Nadd followed his feelings to an ancient Master by the name of Matta Tremayne. Tremayne spent a large majority of her time on the outskirts of the Jedi enclave, practicing and perfecting a series of lightsaber cadences. What attracted Nadd to Tremayne was her sense of calm and serenity with the universe, which Nadd could feel through the Force. Believing that she could help guide him towards what the Masters expected of him, Nadd positioned himself just outside of the training area where Tremayne was performing a flawless rhythm of lightsaber moves. Growing frustrated that Master Tremayne had not acknowledged his presence, Nadd was determined to wait for her attention&mdash;however, after thirty minutes of watching her practice and not address him, Nadd exploded and screamed out the frustration that he had been feeling since the Knighting ceremony. In a flurry of movement, Master Tremayne brought her lightsaber to bear mere centimeters away from Nadd's chest. With Nadd stunned by her sudden acknowledgment of him, Tremayne continued with her practice motions. This action, however, caused Nadd to grow even more frustrated and he proceeded to storm off, away from where Master Tremayne was training.

However, while Nadd hurriedly walked away he heard a withered voice from behind. Nadd turned to face the ancient Jedi Master, who proceeded to tell him that the Masters could not show him what needed to be done&mdash;he needed to figure out what was required, and learn from that experience. Until then, Tremayne told him, he would not be promoted to the rank of Jedi Knight. Allowing his frustration to turn into anger, Nadd persisted by telling Tremayne that the Masters were afraid to share their knowledge, and thus any power they had in the Force. Nadd continued to berate the calm form of Tremayne, until she interrupted him and told him to prove to her that he deserved all the power he claimed. Grabbing his lightsaber from his belt, Nadd and Tremayne proceeded to engage in a talented lightsaber duel. After several long minutes, Nadd took advantage of an opening in Tremayne's defenses and swung his lightsaber down in a killing blow. Nadd, however, had failed to see that the entire confrontation had been a test manufactured by Tremayne, and did not realize it until the last second before his lightsaber cut into the wizened master. At that moment, Tremayne looked into Nadd's eyes and he was filled with a sense of calm he had not felt since the Knighting Ceremony. Nadd unsuccessfully tried to halt his falling lightsaber, but it struck Tremayne, who had deactivated her own weapon, killing her instantly.

At first, Nadd was overcome with grief at his actions as he stared at the empty Jedi cloak which had just seconds before contained the person of Matta Tremayne. However, as Nadd continued to dwell on what had transpired, his anger rose to new heights. He believed that the Masters had chosen the wrong way with which to test him, and that Tremayne had brought her own death upon herself by playing games with him. Believing that she was responsible for all the pain and rage he was feeling, Nadd continued to allow his anger to draw him further towards to the Dark side of the Force. In a fit of rage, Nadd left Ossus, believing that the Masters had engineered the tests to drive him from the Order. With thoughts of revenge fueling his anger, Nadd set his ship's coordinates for the heart of the old Sith Empire, believing that he could find the revenge he craved within the annals of dark side knowledge. With his mind set on this course of action, Nadd traveled to the ancient Sith planet of Ashas Ree to begin his search for Sith teachings. While on Ashas Ree, Nadd rediscovered the holocron of Adas lost several hundred years earlier by the Sith Lord Garu.

Sith career and King of Onderon
"The dark side does not come without its price, you have the power over the Force, but in exchange you have lost power over your own body."

- Freedon Nadd to King Ommin

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 Dark Lord, Naga Sadow, and sought to complete his training under his tutelage. Before the completion of his training, however, Nadd felt he was strong enough to conquer and claim the Sith throne as his own. He murdered 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 proclaimed 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 Riders; 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." Even after many years of "Beast Wars," a civil war against the Beast Riders, they continued to pose a threat to the city of Iziz where Nadd ruled. Although his rule was cruel and oppressive, his teachings were widely accepted by the Onderonian people. The dark side grew on Onderon as Nadd's bloodlines were extended during his stay.



Onderon was not cleansed with the death of Freedon Nadd, because his spirit would lurk in the physical world for many centuries after his body had expired. Nadd's descendants often summoned him in order to study the power of the dark side and the magic of the Sith. Thus, time could not put Nadd's dark techniques and influence to rest, as the rulers of Iziz constantly refreshed their skills and the presence of darkness, and the tomb of Nadd deep under the palace in Iziz became a focal point of the dark side. Around three hundred years after Nadd's death, his direct descendant King Ommin rose to power. Nadd's spirit taught Ommin the ways of the Sith, and later the pair corrupted Queen Amanoa to the dark side as well.

Nadd's ultimate goal was to physically resurrect himself. By teaching his descendants well, Nadd hoped to find a powerful candidate to study Sith alchemy and create a body to hold his spirit. To ensure Ommin or Amanoa would be powerful enough, Nadd made them to compete with each other.

Eventually, as Ommin lost the ability to control his body, Nadd realized that the couple had failed him: Ommin himself would never be strong enough to fulfill Nadd's dream, while Amanoa would not further her study once her husband failed to compete with her anymore. Indeed, Queen Amanoa assumed the daily duties as the ruler of Onderon and abandoned her dark side study. Freedon Nadd told the woman she would be destroyed if she allowed the Beast Wars to fully erupt, hoping to con the Queen back to studying.

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

However, the Queen completely misunderstood Nadd. As a desperate measure of survival, Amanoa asked for the help of the Jedi. When negotiation failed, 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 Riders.

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 the sarcophagi of Nadd and Amanoa to Dxun.

However, Freedon Nadd's revenge had just begun. King Ommin mustered a group of dark side followers to revolt, which resulted in the Naddists, led by Warb Null, stealing the sarcophagi of Nadd and Amanoa from the Jedi. In order to recover the sarcophagi, Master Arca visited King Ommin, but Nadd's spirit appeared to confront the Jedi. With the help of Nadd's dark power, Ommin defeated Arca and kidnapped him.

Retreating to his 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 enabled him to read the book, in exchange for making a copy for himself. Ommin's plan was short lived, as reinforced Jedi Knights stormed into his stronghold. As Ommin fought for his life, Nadd had forsaken him, leaving King Ommin to his fate. The long dead Dark Lord saw potential in the Ketos, 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 King and declared the defeat of the Jedi, but Master Arca called upon the light to drive Nadd's spirit away.

At long last the Jedi were able to move Nadd's remains to Dxun. In a tomb made of Mandalorian iron, the Jedi hoped to seal Nadd's influence forever. But the long dead Dark Lord was far from defeated.

Corrupting Exar Kun
Although his spirit was trapped in the new tomb on Dxun, he could still appear if a Sith amulet was activated. Ulic Qel-Droma discovered one such amulet on Onderon, and Nadd's spirit appeared to speak of a new prophecy. Nadd claimed that the young Jedi would be one of the great Sith, but there would be another who would become even greater than Ulic.



Soon, another ambitious Jedi learner named Exar Kun learned the legend of Nadd. Abandoning 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 went to Dxun searching for Nadd's new tomb. There he burned through the Mandalorian iron and entered the tomb, discovering it's many Sith artifacts and the spirit of Freedon Nadd. The broken tomb could no longer trap the ancient spirit, and Nadd once again saw his chance. He commanded Exar to uncover two Sith scrolls, which would guide the young Jedi to Korriban.

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. Refusing to join the dark side, Exar's mind called for his Master. When Master Vodo received the call, the Jedi Master meditated with the light, trying to shield Exar from the dark side influence. Freedon Nadd detected Vodo's interference, and in a masterful display of his dark power, Nadd attacked Vodo from light years away. Vodo suffered no injury, but was not able to help his apprentice anymore.

Receiving no help from his Master, Exar pledged himself to the dark side, and was healed by Nadd's dark power. Nadd then 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 slaughtered the beasts, thus gaining the approval of the ancient Sith spirits in the tomb.

The end of Freedon Nadd
"Beware of Exar Kun! He has acquired great Sith powers and he has ambition without limit&mdash;I now declare it&hellip;Exar Kun is a pretender to the Sith legacy&hellip;the real power of the Sith rests with you three&hellip;"

- Freedon Nadd to Satal and Aleema Keto

Exar Kun then journeyed to Yavin 4 and was captured by Massassi warriors. In Naga Sadow's temple, Exar was attacked by a monster made by Sadow's Sith alchemy. Unable to defeat the monster by himself, Exar took the Sith amulet of Marka Ragnos to boost his dark power, eventually destroying the powerful monster. As Kun gained the loyalty of the Massassi, Nadd finally found what he desired for three centuries: a candidate strong enough to learn the lost art of Sith Alchemy, which could create a fresh body to hold Nadd's spirit. Sensing the time of resurrection was near, Nadd urged Kun to study Sith Alchemy at once. Exar Kun had enough of Nadd's guidance, however, and wiped out Nadd's spirit once and for all with his new found power through the amulet. Before his ultimate destruction, Freedon Nadd appeared before Satal and Aleema one last time to warn them about Exar Kun, declaring Exar Kun as a pretender to the Dark throne. Freedon Nadd, the ancient Dark Lord of the Sith and King of Onderon, was finally destroyed.

Legacy of the Dark Lord
"Freedon Nadd was a Dark Jedi. The stories say he was far worse than Revan and Malak ever were."

- Xarga to the Dxun Scout

Approximately fifty years later, during the Onderon Civil War in 3,951 BBY, Nadd's tomb on Dxun was occupied by Darth Nihilus's Sith forces, which 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 three of the Jedi Exile's allies were dispatched there. They broke through the Sith defenses, and killed a group of Dark Jedi and Sith Lords, who were performing a ritual to control the beasts in Iziz. Specifically one large Drexl which the Sith were using to break into Queen Talia's throne room. The expedition scavenged through his sarcophagus and took several of his belongings, including his shoto.

Much later, after the end of the New Sith Wars around 1,000 BBY, Darth Bane, the sole surviving Sith Lord traveled to Dxun to further his knowledge of the dark side in order to resurrect the Sith. Entering Nadd's tomb through the opening Exar Kun burned, Bane was guided by the spirit of Lord Kaan to discover a Sith holocron, where Bane was attacked by orbalisks. After Bane finished studying the holocron in the tomb, his new vision guided him to resurrect the glory of the Sith.

Freedon Nadd's legacy proved to be his biggest contribution to the dark side: a role in the formation of the powerful Order of the Sith Lords which would one day triumph over the Jedi and rule the Galaxy.

Powers and abilities
As a Jedi, Freedon Nadd displayed considerable power. He was regarded as a prodigy by the Masters of his time, many of whom believed Nadd's own Mastery would be attained far sooner than any other student before him. He was very learned in and attuned to the Force, and his abilities made Nadd impatient. His fall to the dark side began with the slaying of Master Tremayne, and was completed when Nadd traveled to Yavin 4 where he studied under Dark Lord Naga Sadow.

As a Sith, Nadd's abilities advanced. From Sadow, Nadd became very proficient with Sith magic. Nadd's abilities assisted him in the destruction of his Sith Master once Nadd felt his training to be complete, and in the subsequent domination of the Onderonian peoples. As King of Onderon, Nadd suffused the planet's atmosphere with the power of the dark side, and forced its citizens to worship the Force through Sith teachings.

In death, Nadd's power and influence remained considerable. His Sith spirit continued to rule Onderon through his successors, all of whom worshiped the dark side Master that Nadd was. He was careful, however, to never impart upon his sons and his sons' sons enough for them to progress in status to that of Sith Lord; simply teaching them advanced practices in Sith magic and lore was enough to keep Nadd's spirit more powerful than his pupils.

Appearance
Freedon Nadd has never appeared alive in any story, much like Marka Ragnos, another influential Sith Lord. In his first appearance in Tales of the Jedi: Knights of the Old Republic, Nadd appears as a mummified corpse, and in later stories either as a mummified corpse, a spirit, or both. His early life was either narrated by other characters, or revealed in reference materials.

Nadd's spirit changed significantly from The Freedon Nadd Uprising to Dark Lords of the Sith. Not only his aura changed from orange to violet, his "spiritual clothing" also changed from time to time. In addition, his features looked relatively sharper in the orange aura.

Equipment
Freedon Nadd used a short bronze bladed lightsaber, which could be found as an usable item in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. Another item of the Dark Lord which could be found in the game was "Freedon Nadd's blaster," a vile ranged weapon with a bronze surface which "has killed more Jedi than any lightsaber."

Appearances



 * Tales of the Jedi: Knights of the Old Republic
 * Tales of the Jedi audio drama
 * Tales of the Jedi: The Freedon Nadd Uprising
 * Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith
 * Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith audio drama
 * Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
 * Bane of the Sith
 * Darth Bane: Rule of Two
 * Empire's End audio drama
 * Invincible