Revan/Legends

Revan was a Jedi Knight and General that embraced the dark side during the Mandalorian Wars. An unparalleled military tactician in his time, he led the Galactic Republic to victory over the Mandalorians, but after the war he claimed the title "Dark Lord of the Sith", founded a powerful new Sith Empire, and deployed his forces against the Republic, thereby sparking a conflict known as the Jedi Civil War. Darth Revan ' s brutally efficient invasion was supposedly part of a complex plan to secure the Galaxy from a long-hidden threat known as the "True Sith". His forces swiftly conquered a significant portion of the Republic's territory, but at the height of his power, the Jedi set a trap for Revan and he was captured, in part, due to the betrayal of his apprentice Darth Malak. Once in their custody, the Jedi Council opted to replace the Sith Lord's identity with one loyal to the Republic. Despite eventually discovering his former identity as the Dark Lord, Revan redeemed himself by abandoning the dark side, defeating Malak, and ending the very war that he had begun. Shortly thereafter, he departed for the Unknown Regions in a solitary quest to defeat the "True Sith".

Early life
"Revan had a mother and father, parents, ancestors, like all Jedi do. And when he awakened to his potential, I was there to see it. But where he was born, where he came from, I do not know&hellip; anymore than I know where he walks now. Some said that Revan was born in the Outer Regions, beyond the Rim, and that's what called to him during the Mandalorian Wars&hellip; and after. It was the call of home."

- Kreia

The exact details of Revan's beginnings are, for the most part, unknown. Though the most prevalent speculation places his homeworld somewhere beyond the Outer Rim Territories, this is far from certain. Whatever the truth of his origins, however, it can be assumed with reasonable certainty that his strong affinity for the Force was discovered at a young age and that he was inducted into the Jedi Order soon afterwards.

Jedi training
"Revan had many masters, Zhar, Dorak, Master Kae before Kae left for the Wars. Towards the end of his training, he sought out many to learn techniques. It is said that he returned to his first master at the end of his training, in order to learn how he might best leave the order."

- Mical

Initially, Revan's instruction was undertaken by Jedi Master Kreia on Coruscant, yet his appetite to learn proved insatiable, and he and his friend Malak were soon visiting Jedi Master Zhar Lestin for additional training. This love of knowledge did not go unnoticed by the elder Jedi, yet he dismissed it as simple exuberance and eagerness, sensing in Revan a future champion of the Jedi Order.

In time, Revan left Kreia's tutelage entirely, going on to study beneath numerous Jedi Masters, including the aforementioned Zhar, as well as Master Dorak and Master Kae. In addition, rumors perpetuated by Mical some years later suggested that Revan studied the process of Force bonding deeply during his many apprenticeships.

It is also possible that Revan sought knowledge of ancient Sith Magics at this time, as Master Vrook Lamar seemed convinced that he had done so. Whatever the validity of these accusations however, after his embracing of the dark side, the general consensus amongst the Jedi Masters on Dantooine was that though Revan had been a very promising Padawan, he had also been headstrong, proud and far too quick to dismiss the dangerous lure of the dark side.

The Mandalorian Wars
"Only Revan was worthy of our respect. We swept throughout the Outer Rim without opposition&mdash;until Revan assumed command of the Republic forces. Only then did the battle turn."

- Canderous Ordo

At the start of the Mandalorian Wars, the Republic military was in desperate need of assistance, and petitioned the Jedi Council for aid, but the Council refused. The scars from the recent Sith War still ran deep, and the Council was reluctant to charge into another conflict so soon after the last. They also sensed that there had to be something amiss about the whole situation, as though the true threat had not yet presented itself; yet not all the Jedi were willing to accept this stance of apparent inaction. Since rising to the rank of Jedi Knight, the charismatic and powerful young Revan had become a figure of admiration and awe amongst his peers, and when the devastating events of the Battle of Cathar became widely known, Revan rebelled against the Council and sent forth his call to arms. Hundreds of Jedi&mdash;Padawans, Knights and even some Masters&mdash;rallied to his cause.

Revan's entrance into the war marked its turning point, as he steadily began to push the Mandalorians back. Praised as heroes of the Republic, he and Malak were propelled through the Republic's military command until they were given complete control over a third of the Republic's entire fleet. Revan's clever military strategies and tactical ability were hailed by many as the salvation of the Republic, while others admired Malak's courage and fiery determination to win at any cost. Together, they liberated Taris, fought Cassus Fett&mdash;Mandalore's primary strategist&mdash;at Jaga's Cluster, and defeated much of the Mandalorian army at Althir.

Even so, a few became concerned by the cold and calculating methods that the Jedi were willing to implement in order to attain victory. Though Revan's tactics were near flawless and Malak's righteous fury was unmatched, the pair began to mirror the Mandalorians they were fighting, growing to despise weakness and indecisiveness in all its forms. It is no coincidence that years later, Canderous Ordo would say:

"Revan embodied our philosophy, and showed us our own weaknesses."

At some point during the war, Revan was scouting for bases along the Outer Rim Territories when he learned of Malachor V, a planet that the Mandalorians were "forbidden" to step foot on. Upon the surface, he was nearly destroyed mentally by Sith energies, yet such was his strength of will that he was able to feed on the dark power that coursed through the planet and not be consumed. Although he survived the encounter, he was not entirely unchanged. Revan soon discovered the Trayus Academy, an ancient relic of the "True Sith". What actually transpired as Revan entered the Academy's halls is unknown&mdash;what is certain is that there, Revan discovered the continued existence of the "True Sith", long thought vanished, and the threat that they still presented to the Galaxy. He came to the conclusion that the Republic as it stood was ill-equipped to defend the Galaxy from such a potent enemy and, as such, a new government would need to rise in its place; an empire founded upon the Sith teachings. He would attempt to save the Galaxy through conquest. In that moment, Revan fully abandoned the teachings of the Jedi, adopting the title of Dark Lord of the Sith and becoming Darth Revan. He took Malak, now under the name of Darth Malak, as his Sith apprentice.

During his studies on Malachor V, Revan eventually uncovered historical traces of the Star Forge, a relic of the Infinite Empire of the Rakata, and an instrument of the dark side capable of producing vast fleets by harnessing the power of the stars. Though it had the dangerous potential to consume those who relied on it, he soon realized that he had discovered the means by which he could rapidly conquer the Republic and prepare it for the coming attack of the ancient Sith. To locate it however, he would need to track down a number of Star Maps hidden across the Galaxy.

Not long after, he returned to the wars, eventually forcing a final confrontation with the Mandalorians over Malachor V. He planned to unleash the Mass Shadow Generator&mdash;a device invented by a Zabrak technician in his service, Bao-Dur, on the planet&mdash;thereby wiping out the majority of the Mandalorian fleet, as well as those Republic forces and Jedi who were not fervently loyal to him. He trusted the device's activation to a capable Jedi general (later known as the Jedi Exile), while he battled Mandalore the Ultimate himself.

The battle resulted with catastrophic losses on both sides, as Revan intended, converting many Jedi to the dark side of the Force, and seeing the Mandalorian forces crippled. Afterwards, Revan executed Mandalore in front of his surviving followers, and denied them the right to choose a successor, having his forces strip them of their weapons and armor, dismantling their Basilisk war droids, and condemning them to perpetual exile. The Mandalorians had been defeated.

Such a total victory over their adversaries, despite the Republic casualties, saw Revan hailed as both hero and savior. Yet unbeknownst to those praising him, the Sith teachings were already sweeping through the ranks of those who had followed him to war&hellip;

Instead of returning to the Republic, Revan and Malak took the remainder of their fleet and disappeared from the known Galaxy. They claimed to be searching for the remnants of the Mandalorian Fleet; those who had fled the final, devastating, battle. In reality, they were searching for the Star Forge. Keeping their fleet hidden beyond known space, Revan and Malak themselves wandered the Galaxy, tracking down the Star Maps that would reveal the hidden location of the Star Forge.

Discovery of the Star Forge
"Once we pass beyond this door, we can never go back. The Order will surely banish us."

- Malak



Whether during or after the wars, it is known that Revan and Malak visited Dantooine at some point, avoiding detection by the Jedi and delving into the old burial mounds located near the Jedi Enclave. After successfully passing the "trials" set for them by the guard droid that had been left behind by the so called "builders", they were given access to a Star Map.

Moments before they went beyond the door that led to the dark side artifact, however, Malak&mdash;still new to the dark side&mdash;warned Revan that stepping beyond this threshold would mean that they could never return to the Jedi Order. Whether or not Revan considered this, or even cared, as he paced in front of the sealed door is unknown; but if he had any doubts, he swiftly cast them aside.

After examining the Star Map on Dantooine, Revan and Malak would go on to uncover Star Maps on Tatooine, Kashyyyk, Manaan and Korriban. Though the order in which they did so is unknown, Bastila Shan was aware that Malak and Revan had both visited Korriban "at least once" when they were known as Jedi, suggesting that they may have gone to this planet during&mdash;rather than following&mdash;the Mandalorian Wars. Similarly, in 3956 BBY, the interface that Revan had installed to restrict access to the Star Map on Kashyyyk claimed that it had last been accessed "no earlier than five standard years ago", placing his discovery of that Star Map at around 3961 BBY.

With the information obtained from the five Star Maps, Revan and Malak were able to travel to the previously-unknown Rakata system; yet upon their arrival, the pair immediately crashed on Lehon. Shortly after, they were attacked by the primitive Black Rakata, who attempted to take them prisoner. The Dark Lord and his apprentice bested them easily, and though Revan could not understand the Rakatan language, such was his power by this point that he was able to rip it from their minds, driving Basic into their skulls in turn.

Having been cowed into submission after the Sith Lords had displayed their Force powers, the Black Rakata took them to meet their leader, The One. After "teaching" the Rakatan leader Basic, Revan explained that he was pursuing the power of the Star Forge, and that he would require access to the Temple of the Ancients.

From the superstitious, primitive ramblings he received in response, it soon became clear to Revan that neither the One nor his followers had any true comprehension of their species' past, nor the technological might that they had once commanded. Nevertheless, the One promised to help Revan enter the Temple, providing he used his "strange magics" to slaughter the Elders&mdash;a competing Rakatan tribe that had resisted his might for so long. Revan, having no great desire to fight his way through the entire Black Rakata encampment nor their rancor warbeasts, swore he would do so.

However, upon realizing that these "Elders" were likely in possession of the answers he sought, Revan instead approached them in peace, learning from them much of the Rakata and their old empire&mdash;and of the disruptor-field that had caused his and Malak's ship to crash. Sensing their abhorrence for their species' violent past of conquest and bloodshed, Revan proclaimed himself to be a servant of the light, searching for a way to destroy the Star Forge. Trusting him entirely, the Elders gave Revan and Malak access to the temple, and thanking them, the pair promised to destroy the Star Forge and return. They didn't.

The Jedi Civil War
"The Jedi Civil War destroyed the Jedi. By the war's end, barely a hundred Jedi remained. Many fell in battle&hellip; and many more were seduced by Revan's teachings."

- Kreia

When Revan and Malak returned to known space, they were at the head of a massive Sith invasion fleet, having reformed the former Republic forces that followed them into a militaristic imperial force, the armada of a new Sith Empire.



After intense study, Revan became aware of the Star Forge's corrosive and predatory nature, but Malak, like the Rakata before him, allowed himself to be corrupted by it utterly. Revan remained wary and minimized his exposure to the space station. He did not want to become over-reliant on the Star Forge because he knew that once its existence was made known to his enemies, it would become their primary military target.

Revan's campaign, while bloody, was orchestrated to topple the Republic while doing little damage to its underlying industrial infrastructure. Under his leadership, Sith forces bypassed militarily vital planets that would be required for the defense of the Galaxy against the threat of the "True Sith". Revan's plan was to keep the Republic largely intact for the purposes of post-war rebuilding. As such, he could begin his rule with a relatively functional military and economy rather than starting from scratch. Also, had he failed in conquering the Galaxy, the end result would be much the same: a stronger Republic, more capable of defending itself.

Revan pioneered new Sith tactics relying on secrecy rather than brute force. His Sith Assassins quietly flooded into the Republic from their base on Malachor V to kill and abduct Jedi throughout known space. Revan reestablished strongholds and academies upon worlds of ancient power such as Lehon, Dxun, and Korriban. On these particular planets, his most faithful servants broke captured Jedi and converted them to the dark side. Revan also utilized assassin droids&mdash;such as HK-47, whom Revan created himself&mdash;to eliminate threats to the stability of his fledgling Sith Empire.

With Revan at the helm, the Sith forged vital alliances to expedite the support and deployment of their forces. They conspired with the Czerka Corporation, one of the richest and most powerful Galaxy-spanning companies of the time, to amass much needed resources and they secured diplomatic relations with the ocean planet of Manaan so that they were able to export the healing agent kolto.

The reinvigorated Sith won battle after battle, until a young Jedi named Bastila Shan entered the fray with her Battle meditation, a powerful Force ability that increased the combat effectiveness of the Republic's forces and sapped the will of enemy combatants. Yet, even with Bastila's aid, the Republic forces knew that they could not hold out forever against the Sith. In a desperate attempt to end the war, the Republic set a trap for Revan and Malak. During a space battle, Bastila led a team of Jedi that boarded Revan's Flagship and managed to corner the Dark Lord on the bridge.



However, Darth Malak chose that moment to attack his master's flagship, attempting to kill both Revan and Bastila at once. He fired upon the flagship from a nearby battle cruiser, but was unsuccessful in killing either his master or Bastila. Unexpectedly betrayed by Darth Malak, Revan's plans were quickly quashed by his brash and violent apprentice, who sought to destroy the Republic entirely. It was only chance, or the Force, that kept Revan alive.

After the turbolaser blast rocked through the bridge, Bastila Shan had a terrible choice to make. Upon regaining her wits, she was confronted with the broken body of Darth Revan. The Dark Lord was nearly dead&mdash;by Bastila's own admission, just a tiny spark of the Force remained alive within him. For whatever reason&mdash;perhaps a sense of duty to the Republic, pity, or a simple urge to save his life&mdash;young Shan made the decision to grab a hold of that waning spark and keep Revan alive. Through that act, Bastila somehow tied Revan's life to her own, unwittingly forging a powerful Force bond.

Bastila stabilized Revan, but the Sith Lord was still in critical condition and his mind remained heavily damaged. Bastila brought him to the Jedi, where his broken mind was reprogrammed by the Council to conceal the Dark Lord's old identity. In this way, the Masters hoped to enable Bastila to draw out Revan's subconscious memories and find a way to defeat the seemingly unstoppable Sith fleet.

Knight of the Old Republic


Revan, under an implanted name and with no recollection of his real history or of his former mastery of the Force, was enlisted as a common military officer in the Republic army and placed under Bastila's command on the Republic warship Endar Spire. Malak, thinking his master dead, devoted all his forces to the hunt for Bastila and in orbit above the world of Taris, his fleet ambushed Endar Spire. Revan awoke in the middle of the battle and proceeded to fight his way off the ship. Along with fellow Republic soldier Carth Onasi, he managed to escape Endar Spire just moments before it exploded.

After crash-landing on the surface of Taris, Revan and Carth discovered that Bastila had been captured by the Black Vulkars swoop gang and was being offered as a prize to the winner of the Tarisian Season Opener. With few options, Revan entered the tournament himself and was able to win Bastila's freedom. These accomplishments were enough to attract the attention of the Mandalorian mercenary Canderous Ordo. With his help, Revan and his companions were able to steal the bypass codes to the Sith blockade overhead, as well as Ebon Hawk, an extraordinarily fast freighter which they took from the crimelord Davik Kang. Revan and his newfound crew made their getaway moments before Darth Malak unleashed an orbital bombardment upon the planet.

Revan and his companions fled to the Jedi stronghold of Dantooine, where Bastila convinced the Jedi academy council to retrain the amnesiac Dark Lord in the ways of the Jedi. After Revan completed his unprecedentedly short formal training, he and Bastila were sent to investigate an ancient stone structure. Inside, the two uncovered an ancient artifact known as a Star Map, a relic of the long-forgotten Infinite Empire of the Rakata. Though the Map was not complete, it pointed the way to the worlds of Tatooine, Kashyyyk, Manaan, and Korriban, on which more Star Maps could be found. Only with the combined information of these five worlds would Revan be able to rediscover the location of the mysterious Rakatan artifact&mdash;the "Star Forge".

Revan, Bastila, and their companions journeyed to these worlds, tracing the steps Darth Revan had taken years before. On each planet, the powerful dark side aura of the Star Maps had created perilous conditions that made access to the Maps difficult. Additionally, the crew of Ebon Hawk found themselves hunted by Sith and bounty hunters, and confronted with the problems of the local populace at every turn.

As the crew attempted to reach the fifth Star Map, Revan and his allies were captured by the Sith flagship Leviathan. They managed to escape from their holding cells, and headed towards the bridge of the ship, where they faced Saul Karath, Carth's old mentor who betrayed the Republic. After becoming mortally wounded Saul revealed to Carth Revan's true identity, but Bastila convinced him not to talk about it right then. As they fled toward the Ebon Hawk, Revan was confronted by Darth Malak, who revealed to him his former life as the Dark Lord of the Sith. A vicious lightsaber duel ensued, culminating with Bastila's capture by Malak. Revan was forced to deal with Malak's revelation and his loss of Bastila as the quest for the Star Forge stepped up, until at last it was found in the home system of the ancient Rakata.

After gaining the support of this race, Revan was forced to confront a fallen Bastila. Following a week of torture at Malak's hand, Bastila had at last given in to her hate and had fallen to the dark side. She was now, she claimed, the Dark Lord's new apprentice. His original apprentice, a former Jedi named Darth Bandon, had previously been slain by Revan during the search for the Star Maps.

Atop an ancient Rakatan temple, Bastila attempted to entice Revan to reclaim his former title of Dark Lord of the Sith. This was the climax of the quest for the Star Forge, and it ended with Revan, once again, making a choice that would change the fate of the Galaxy.

Revan made the choice of a Jedi, rejecting Bastila's temptation. Enraged, Bastila retreated to the Star Forge. Revan and the crew of Ebon Hawk pursued her as a Republic fleet commenced an assault of its own.



Aboard the Star Forge, displaying his now returned power in the Force and mastery of lightsaber combat, Revan faced off against Bastila once again. After defeating her, he attempted to convince her to return to the light side by drawing on the powerful bond of love that had formed between the two during the course of their quest. He succeeded and Bastila used her Battle Meditation to aid the Republic, turning the tide of the ensuing battle. Finally, Revan again confronted his old friend and apprentice, Malak, in an epic lightsaber duel, while the Republic fleet, now no longer hindered by Bastila's Battle Meditation, continued its bombardment of the Star Forge. During their duel, Malak continually sucked the life-force from captured Jedi held in stasis to replenish his energies, but even this was not enough to defeat Revan. Revan, instead, freed as many of the Jedi as he could and allowed them to become one with the Force, shortening Malak's supply of energy. At last, Malak was cut down. Before his friend's death, Revan apologized for starting him down the dark path, even though Malak had continued down it willingly. Malak accepted his apology, realizing that he had no one to blame for his fate save himself. Thus Darth Malak, Dark Lord of the Sith, died, his life ending in darkness and regret, and the Star Forge was destroyed.

Revan and his crew were given a hero's escort back to Lehon. There, they each rewarded with the Cross of Glory, the Republic's highest award. Vandar also thanked Revan, re-bestowing his rank of Jedi Knight, and proclaiming him as the "Prodigal Knight", and his friends as the heroes of the era and galaxy.

Into the unknown
"Savior, conqueror, hero, villain. You are all things, Revan&hellip; and yet you are nothing. In the end, you belong to neither the light nor the darkness. You will forever stand alone."

- Darth Malak

A year after the defeat of Malak and the collapse of the Sith Empire, Revan left the Republic, having remembered the remnants of the ancient "True Sith" he had rediscovered as the Dark Lord. Hoping to put an end to the threat it posed before it could attack the weakened Republic, Revan bade farewell to the nine comrades who had accompanied him on his quest, knowing that none whom he loved could safely accompany him in the places he had to walk.

He entrusted Carth Onasi with the Republic's safety, Canderous Ordo with reviving the Mandalorians, and said goodbye to Bastila. "It would have helped," Kreia would later remark, "had he made her understand. But she was always strong-willed, that one, and did not understand war as Revan did." Then Revan disappeared, leaving Ebon Hawk with T3-M4 and HK-47 on Malachor V, on the edge of the Unknown Regions.

In time, T3 returned to known space aboard the Ebon Hawk seeking aid to combat a new threat to the Galaxy. The droid found the "Jedi Exile". Whether it was Revan who sent T3 on that mission would remain unknown. When the Exile questioned him, T3-M4 had little to say on the matter and by that time the navigational computer of Ebon Hawk had been secured with a voice-printed lockout system so that no one except T3 could access the ship's flight records. A likely explanation was that the droid was attempting to keep Revan's plans and final destination a secret. After the Exile completed her campaign against the Sith Triumvirate with the destruction of Malachor V, Ebon Hawk and her crew began a search for Revan, hoping to aid him in his battle.

Legacy of a Dark Lord
"My time here is ended. Take what I have taught you and use it well."

- Darth Revan

Though he eventually rejected the mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith and returned to the light side, Revan's legacy as a powerful Sith Master would live on thousands of years after his death in a holocron that he had constructed during his reign. Hidden away on the planet Lehon, within the Temple of the Ancients, it would remain undisturbed for nearly three thousand years&hellip; but not forever.

Having become obsessed with the knowledge and prowess of the ancient Sith, Revan in particular, Darth Bane&mdash;recently proclaimed a Dark Lord himself&mdash;traveled to Lehon in search of power enough to topple the existing Sith regime, the Brotherhood of Darkness. Once there, he discovered Revan's holocron and from it received training and instruction that, he felt, surpassed the entirety of Korriban Academy's archives.

Partially through the wisdom and Sith philosophy imparted to him by Revan, Bane would acquire the strength, power, and knowledge necessary to reshape the Sith as he saw fit, destroying the Brotherhood of Darkness and establishing the Rule of Two, thus birthing a new incarnation of the Sith Order; one that would go on to topple the Galactic Republic and all but destroy the Jedi Order.

Talents
"What can I say? I'm a talented individual."

- Revan (possibly)

As one of the most influential individuals in the galaxy’s long history, Revan had a wide variety of skills and abilities, many of which seem to have been rooted in his strong connection to the Force. The most prominent are listed below.

Military genius
"His strategies and tactics defeated the best of us. Even Mandalore himself was taken aback by the ferocity of his attacks, the tenacity of his defenses and and the subtlety of his plans."

- Canderous Ordo

Recognized as a military commander without peer, Revan was considered to be the greatest tactician and strategist of his age. He is credited with almost single-handedly leading the Republic to victory in the Mandalorian Wars, and before his capture during the Jedi Civil War, many believed that it was only a matter of time before he conquered the entire Galaxy.

Indeed, such was Revan's skill in war that both the Mandalorians and the Echani, two warrior cultures that had suffered greatly at Revan's hands, were amongst the first to praise his abilities. To the Mandalorians, Revan represented a supremely worthy foe&mdash;one that both embodied their philosophies and showed them their weaknesses. The Echani, on the other hand, believed that Revan represented the epitome of what one could achieve in the arts of war, and that his strategic and tactical skill was borne out of a highly advanced battle precognition.

Warrior
"You, Revan, are the single greatest warrior of this age, and any battle we fight will bring me honor."

- Canderous Ordo

Revan was also a highly skilled warrior. He is known to have defeated Mandalore the Ultimate in single combat before executing him in front of his followers, to have killed the renowned Echani Yusanis, slain both Calo Nord and Darth Bandon alongside his companions and brought Darth Malak, one of the most skilled swordsmen of the era, to his knees.

Leader
"I hear he was a very powerful man. Very charismatic."

- Yuthura Ban

Revan was widely regarded as an incredibly charismatic leader. At a very young age, he managed to persuade a significant portion of the Jedi Order to rebel against the High Council, leading them into battle against the Mandalorians. Likewise, at the end of the war, all but one of the Jedi that had followed him converted to the dark side of the Force and joined the ranks of the Sith. Even after his true identity was lost to him, he swiftly rose to the leadership position of the small party that gathered around him, despite a Republic captain (Carth Onasi) and Fleet Commander (Bastila Shan) also being present within it.

"Ah, but to make officers turn on their own people, to bomb innocent worlds to make pacts&hellip; strong influence, indeed."

- Kreia

However, it is possible, given his studying and apparent understanding of Force bonding techniques, that he was in fact utilizing a similar process to that unconsciously carried out by the Jedi Exile in order to sway and influence those that followed him. This would seem to be supported by Kreia, who told the Jedi Exile that manipulating and using his followers through the Force had been “Revan’s way”. Similarly, Kreia suggested that the reason for Revan’s success in converting so many Jedi to the dark side was because he understood how to take advantage of wounds in the Force.

Polyglot
"Between that and your facility with languages, I'm lucky you're here."

- Carth Onasi

Revan seems to have had a remarkable affinity for languages. Whether this was an intuitive understanding born of his Force sensitivity&mdash;as speculated by HK-47&mdash;or the result of his having previously used the Force to rip languages from the minds of other races as he did with the Rakata, is unknown. It is interesting to note, however, that he seemed incapable of understanding the Rakatan language until the revelation of his true identity. He was also unable to interpret the language of the sandpeople, requiring the use of an interpreter.

Mechanic
"His passion for such tools, for things dead to the Force, defies me."

- Kreia

Revan was apparently, like Anakin Skywalker millennia later, a skilled mechanic. Shortly after the Battle of Malachor V, he built the sophisticated "protocol droid," HK-47.

Though HK-47 believed himself to be completely unique until the emergence of the HK-50 series of droids, this was not the case, as proven by the existance of HK-24 some years before.

Swoop racer
"You did it &mdash; you got the top time! You just beat racers who've been doing this for twenty years! This is amazing!"

- Hidden Bek mechanic

During his travels and between his responsibilities as a Jedi, Revan still had a passion for a popular past time in the Old Republic: racing swoop bikes. He received his first taste of the sport while on Taris, when he was sponsored by the Hidden Bek gang to compete and win Bastila's freedom. Thanks to some beginners luck and a specially modified prototype accelerator, Revan beat out veteran Black Vulkars racer Redros, and took the championship. Unfortunately his accomplishment there would never be officially recognized, as the planet was destroyed not long afterwards, and all records were lost.

However, that had been enough to spur him into competing professionally, and on his first (and only) season, he won the unofficial Tatooine Sector championship and the Manaan Sector championship. This accomplishment was so unprecedented that his record still stood unchallenged as of five years afterwards. His amazing natural talent at swoop racing was likely an emergent effect of his powerful Force sensitivity, much as that of Anakin Skywalker, nearly four millennia later.

These achievements also furthered his ultimate goals, first winning Bastila's freedom, and later securing sizable prize winnings to add much-needed funds to the small, independent mission team that set out to stop Darth Malak.

Behind the scenes



 * During gameplay when in combat, Revan taunts and yells at enemies. In these scenes he was voiced by Rino Romano. Revan is never heard in dialogue. However, a recently released fan mod allows a male Revan's dialogue to be heard in Rino Romano's voice when in dialogue mode.


 * Revan's story, as dictated here, is the plot of the computer game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. There are numerous possibilities to change on the details of the events above, the article deals with the canonical light side ending exclusively.




 * An action figure of Darth Revan is going to be released in late 2007 in the Saga Collection.

Name
"The importance you put in a name is misleading, young one. You of all people should remember that."

- Nemo

Revan's name can be a derivative of a real-life English word, as is the case in other Sith Lords' aliases. Some suggestions have been Ravenous or Revenge (especially considering his victory over his apprentice). It may also be derived from the Latin words revenio, meaning "to return" and revalesco, "to recover," since these meanings correspond to plot points in Knights of the Old Republic. Revenant (itself derived from the Latin words above) also seems to be a distinct possibility, as the word is used often in fantasy to describe a creature that returns from beyond the grave in order to complete a specific goal (usually&mdash;but not always&mdash;avenging its own death). It can also mean "a person who returns after a lengthy absence" and when used as an adjective, means "recurring/coming back" (i.e. "a revenant ghost") Another possibility for the origin of Revan's name, (suggested on Leland Chee's blog) is revanche, meaning: "the act of retaliating," or "the intent of regaining lost territory or standing." This word has etymological connections to English revenge.

However, it is worth noting that unlike most Darths, Malak and Revan did not choose new Sith monikers but instead used their real names.

In-game, Revan's reprogrammed identity name is chosen by the player, therefore it is not canonically established, and is unlikely to be done.

Gender
"How long have you been in that cage? Revan was a man, not a woman."

- Jedi Exile

While Revan's gender is specified by the player, the canonical Revan is confirmed by Leland Chee to be male. Also, The New Essential Chronology and the Chronicles of the Old Republic, published prior to the release of The Sith Lords, both refer to Revan as male. However, this has proven a controversial point among fans of the series. On a poll at LucasArts's official boards, 60% of responses preferred Revan as male. About a third said Revan was female, and the rest did not want a canon gender picked at all. In fanfiction and fan art about the game, female Revan stories and art outnumber those depicting a male Revan three to one. Regardless, Revan's canonical gender is still male.

In Knights of the Old Republic II, if the player chooses not to define Revan's gender during an important conversation with Atton Rand, the game sets Revan to a light side male by default. However, it is notable that Atton, at first, apparently assumes Revan to be female. This may well have been a genuine mistake, or just an attempt to hide his past. The actual physical appearance of the character has not been defined in continuity.

If the player does define Revan as light side female, Bastila never appears in game, and it focuses much more on Carth Onasi. In speaking to him as the Exile at the end of KotOR II, the player learns that Revan remained with Carth after destroying the Star Forge. Carth informs the Exile that after some time, Revan became more distant, and finally told him that a threat beyond the Mandalorians (presumably the True Sith Empire) was beyond the Outer Rim, and she had to go stop it. Carth is desperate for word of Revan, and is upset that the Exile has returned with Revan's ship, Ebon Hawk, but has seen no sign of her.

Alignment
"The darkness and light wage a constant war within you. The balance is tipped one way now, but it can easily be tipped back."

- Darth Malak

When generating the character, the player can choose to play from 3 professions: Soldier, Scout or Scoundrel. It is not known if canonically Revan had any expertise in his reprogrammed identity although in all his avatars he is wearing the clothes of a scout.

Although the player of the game may have Revan end up as a redeemed Jedi or a renewed Sith Lord, the canonical ending has him returning to the light side. This follows the usual practice of LucasArts, where when a videogame allows the player to choose to remain on the path of the light or succumb to the temptation of darkness, the canonical recorded storyline is always a victory for the light.

Lightsaber combat forms
"I've been watching you wield that lightsaber, actually. Your finesse with it is incredible."

- Carth Onasi (to non-canon female Revan)

The player can choose which fighting style is used by Revan in the game, either single-hilt dueling, double-bladed, or dual-wielding, which was known as Niman / Jar'Kai formally. In The Sith Lords, the Exile has a vision of Revan fighting in a Jar'Kai stance with a red and a purple blade in each hand. However, the main canonical reference to Revan's fighting style is in the first game's cinematic when Revan is confronted by Bastila and two other Jedi on his flagship. In this cinematic, he wields only one lightsaber. Also, in Shadows and Light, Duron Qel-Droma has a vision of Revan in which he also wields a single lightsaber. At the same time, one should note that Sora Bulq, the famous dual blades wielder in the Expanded Universe of the Clone Wars era, used only a single lightsaber in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Thus occasional use of a single blade could not totally discard the possibility of Revan being a Jar'Kai practitioner. Also, considering Revan's tactic in battle, he could have prepared to use two lightsabers later in the battle as a suprise attack.

As the first game does not include the seven forms of lightsaber combat, it is not known which form Revan favors, and no retcon is known to assign a form to the canonical Revan.

Lightsaber blade color
"The time has come for you to choose the color of your lightsaber. This color also reflects your demeanor and position within the Order."

- Dorak

When Revan was still the Dark Lord of the Sith, he used a crimson blade, but after his re-education by the Jedi Council, Revan had no canon lightsaber blade color. During gameplay, the lightsaber color is selectable by the player. It corresponds to the character class that the player chooses&mdash;green for Jedi Consular, yellow for Jedi Sentinel, or blue for Jedi Guardian.

Revan's lightsaber is shown to be blue in the comic Shadows and Light during Duron Qel-Droma's vision, but since the relevant portion of the image is tinted blue, it is impossible to actually verify the color of Revan's lightsaber in that image. If Revan's saber is confirmed to be blue, as shown in the comic, it would imply that Revan's in-game class was "Jedi Guardian," but such a classification would not be bulletproof because Jedi were not required to always use a saber color that corresponded with their class.

In Knights of the Old Republic II in a vision to the Exile, Revan is portrayed to have two lightsabers: one red and one purple. This could be a canonical portrayal of Revan by the developer Obsidian Entertainment, or it could be Revan in his quest after the end of the first game, after he has changed. The exact implication is not yet confirmed.

Also, in Knight of the Old Republic II when fighting the illusion of Revan he may use the force ability Force Jump, which was a power only useable by Jedi Guardians.

Robes
"Revan was known for wearing a full helmet and cape."

- Yuthura Ban

Near the end of the first game, the player, as Revan, could build a customized robe with the technology of the Star Forge. Light side players would obtain the "Star Forge Robe"; while dark side players the "Darth Revan's Robe," a near exact copy of the robe Revan wore as a Sith Lord, though without the mask and cape.

The in-game information of the item "Darth Revan's Robe" indicated that Darth Revan wore the same type of robe when he was captured. That robe could focus the dark side energies of the wearer, and was destroyed by the Jedi, who viewed it as an abomination. However, Revan's own Force vision revealed that he already wore his customized robe when he discovered the first Star Map. It was possible that Darth Revan made a new robe after reaching the Star Forge, based on the design of his old, simple robe.

Although the light side ending is canon, whether Revan obtained the different style "Star Forge Robe" remains unknown. If Duron Qel-Droma's vision was accurate, then Revan wore the Qel-Droma Robe that was lost on Korriban after the death of Duron. However, according to the vision, Revan would still wear his hallmark, an impressive mask.

Dark side ending
"Malak is dead &mdash; all hail the return of Darth Revan, the true Lord of the Sith!"

- Bastila Shan (from non-canon ending)



Accepting Bastila's offer, Revan struck down the Jedi Jolee Bindo and Juhani (only Jolee if Juhani was killed on Dantooine), the stain of their blood on the temple stone symbolizing Revan's return to power. He returned to the Ebon Hawk and explained the absence of Jolee and Juhani to his stunned party. Shocked by his return to the dark side, Carth Onasi fled, leaving Mission Vao to be mercilessly struck down by Revan. (Alternatively, Revan used his mind-dominating Force powers to convince Zaalbar to kill Mission, or Revan will have to kill them both.)

Flying to the Star Forge, Bastila used her battle meditation to thwart the Republic fleet, allowing Revan to penetrate the depths of the Star Forge to fight Darth Malak. Striking Malak down, Revan regained his rightful place as Dark Lord of the Sith.

Using the resources he now commanded as Master of the Star Forge, Revan created an infinite fleet that rolled forth to crush the Republic. Surprisingly, however, Revan soon halted his offensive. It was noted as odd that Revan deliberately avoided striking the Republic's manufacturing facilities in his previous war, and again that he seemingly ended the Star Forge's production of vessels early. Bastila Shan, in a holocron discovered on Korriban, reported that Revan mysteriously vanished one day and told her to wait for him.

Bereft of a strong dark side user to guide it, the Star Forge atrophied and was destroyed by the Republic. It is assumed that Darth Revan visited all his former strongholds searching for something that is not yet readily apparent. It is known, however, that he headed for the Unknown Regions with the intent of stopping something menacingly powerful, something that was apparently responsible for initially coercing the Mandalorians to invade. Revan's former master, Kreia, suggests that Revan was searching for the original Sith Empire.

Cut alternate ending


"No, it's too late for that. And it's too late for you to turn back&hellip; but you can end this here. There's still time for one final act of redemption."

- Carth Onasi (from cut non-canon ending)

Should the player had been playing a female Revan and successfully completed the romance sub-plot with Carth Onasi and then join the dark side on Lehon and murder Jolee Bindo and Juhani, Carth flees, declaring that she is not the woman he loves. When Revan defeats Darth Malak on the Star Forge, she is confronted by Carth again. At this point, Revan is forced to either kill him or have Bastila murder him. However, in a cut ending, it is possible for Revan to change her mind, kill Bastila, and die with Carth as the Republic destroys the Star Forge. The final game only includes the options for Revan or Bastila to kill Carth due to time constraints in making the final movie. Later, the Exile would discover a message in T3-M4 from Carth, which he left as a back up plan in case the increasingly dark-sided Revan eventually betrayed them.

Forbidden relationships
"Love doesn't lead to the dark side. Passion can lead to rage and fear, and can be controlled, but passion is not the same thing as love. Controlling your passions while being in love, that's what they should teach you to beware, but love itself will save, not condemn you."

- Jolee Bindo

Bastila
"I love you too, with all my heart." "You aren't afraid to love anymore?" "After this? No. Nothing could make me feel safer than to be loved by you."

- Bastila Shan and Revan

In the game, it is considered canon that Revan enters into a relationship with Bastila, although she is reluctant since the Jedi forbid love. However, after resisting for a period of time, Bastila opens up and kisses Revan, but after that, she insists that it is for the best if they stay on their mission and ignore the feelings they share.

In the canonical light side ending of the game, Revan redeemed Bastila and persuaded her to return from the dark side. When Bastila asked Revan to strike her down after he defeated her on the Star Forge, he refused and told her that he loved her. She replied by saying that there was a time when she had yearned for, yet also dreaded to hear those words. Because she loved him too, but she could never face who he was. In the end however, Bastila told Revan that she loved him too, and was no longer afraid to love. Afterward, Revan went off to face Malak, And Bastila used her Battle meditation to aid the Republic fleet against the Sith fleet. Both of them played a key role in the destruction of the Star Forge, and the victory of the Republic.

Carth
"I love you. Even now. Even after, after, all you've done. I love you like I haven't loved anyone or anything since my wife died and I didn't even think that was possible!"

- Carth Onasi (non-canon)

Although not considered canon, if the player chooses to make a female Revan, she and Carth Onasi flirt and tease each other through the entire game. Because of Carth's growing affection for Revan, he begins to think less about the death of his wife and his desire to kill Saul Karath, the man responsible for her death and the loss of his son, Dustil Onasi. Carth eventually promises to protect Revan from what is to come. When he discovers that the woman he is falling in love with was Darth Revan, he remains isolated from her, unsure what to do with this information since he believes that Revan's betrayal of the Republic destroyed his life. Carth eventually comes around and confesses that he couldn't hate her no matter how hard he tried.



If Revan declines Bastila's request to join the dark side, Carth confesses that he loves Revan in front of the rest of the party members on the beach of Lehon. Although the scene is open for interpretation, fans have assumed this to be the place of Revan and Carth's kiss. Between KotOR I and II, Carth and Revan remain together as Carth advances through the Republic military up to the rank of admiral. But Revan also begins to remember things she had done as the dark lord and used it as a wall between the two lovers. She eventually tells him that she has to go beyond the Outer Rim to find the other threat beyond the Mandalorians, the True Sith and their empire, though she doesn't specify exactly what the threat is to Carth and she leaves without warning. However, he had anticipated this, at least to some extent, and left hidden programming in T3-M4. Carth is desperate to find some sign of her, and, in KotOR II, eventually meets up with the Jedi Exile and hopes to hear some word of Revan. Unfortunately for him, the Exile has no news to offer him, but he asks that Exile tell Revan that he's still here waiting for her if Exile ever sees her.

Juhani
"I&hellip; I&hellip; I care for you. I do not know why. I do not know if anything will be possible or if you even return what I feel, but I do know it is there."

- Juhani

A second non-canon romance was available to female players. If the player turned Juhani turn back to the light side and continued to build her trust and friendship along their journey, Juhani slowly develops feelings towards Revan. After Revan rejects the dark side and former identity on the Rakatan temple, Juhani will shyly admit her feelings. This is all that happens between them for the remainder of the game, and what happens for them, regardless if Revan rejects or returns her feelings. Whatever happens between them from there to the events of KotOR II five years later is unknown. (In the original pressing, there was a bug in the game that allowed a male romance option in certain copies of the game. This bug has been fixed in subsequent versions of the game, and a male romance is not possible without hacking the game.)

Notes and references
Revan Revan