Darth Malak

"I wanted to be Master of the Sith and ruler of the Galaxy. But that destiny was not mine, Revan. It might have been yours, perhaps&hellip; but never mine."

- Darth Malak, at his death

Darth Malak was a Dark Lord of the Sith during the Jedi Civil War. A former Jedi Knight who fell to the dark side of the Force after being corrupted by Sith teachings during the Mandalorian Wars, towards the end of the war Malak and his friend Revan led their combined military forces into the Unknown Regions where they founded a powerful new Sith Empire to challenge the fragile Galactic Republic. After he became a Sith Lord, Malak served for a time as Darth Revan's apprentice, but he was best known for his brief and brutal tenure as Dark Lord of the Sith following his betrayal of Revan, circa 3,957 – 3,956 BBY.

Early life
"The Jedi Order moved too slowly for Revan and Malak; we were too cautious in their eyes. They always sought to learn far quicker than their Masters felt was prudent."

- Zhar Lestin

Little was known about Malak's childhood or many details of his past, including his planet of origin. His first entry in the annals of recorded history placed him on Coruscant as a young student of the Jedi Order. During his time there he befriended a fellow Padawan named Revan.

While Revan was acknowledged as having the greater potential&mdash;studying beneath a number of different masters in his pursuit of knowledge&mdash;Malak was himself extremely gifted, and like Revan, would often go to Jedi Master Zhar Lestin for training beyond that given to most Padawans.

This diligence did not go unnoticed, as the two earned a reputation as the rising stars of the Jedi Order. Though some Masters voiced concern at the speed of their progress, by the outbreak of the Mandalorian Wars the two friends had already been promoted to the rank of Jedi Knight.

Jedi Knight


"Malak was the first to join his closest friend. Others soon followed&hellip;"

- Zhar Lestin

When the Mandalorians began a massive invasion of the Galactic Republic in 3,963 BBY, Revan and Malak grew restless. They wished to aid the ailing Republic in its war effort, but the Jedi Council urged patience. As Mandalorian atrocities began to mount, Revan could not restrain himself any longer. Malak was the first to join his rebellious cause. The two powerful, popular, and charismatic Jedi defied their Masters and led a large faction of the Order to war&mdash;bent on defending the Galaxy alongside the Republic.

The two Jedi Knights proved to be extremely capable commanders in the field and they rose swiftly through the ranks. Eventually the pair found themselves with direct control over one-third of the entire Republic fleet. Revan and Malak used their new-found authority to spearhead the Republic war effort. Under their inspired leadership, the all-but-defeated Republic Navy began to push the Mandalorians back. The Jedi Masters, however, believed that Malak and Revan were only offering easy solutions to the galaxy's problems and feared that much woe would result from their recklessness.

As the war dragged on, Revan and Malak began to make certain moral shortcuts&mdash;committing several "unsavory" acts, such as leaving "non-strategic" planets completely undefended in order to accomplish the "greater goal" of speedily winning the war. They adapted to their enemies' merciless tactics by simply co-opting them&mdash;fighting fire with fire. In time, they developed a cold and calculating disposition uncharacteristic of Jedi. They grew to despise weakness and indecisiveness in all its forms. Though Revan's tactics were flawless and Malak's righteous fury was unmatched, the pair slowly began to mirror the callous Mandalorian ideals they were fighting so hard to rid the galaxy of.

Revan and Malak led the Republic to one victory after another. Finally, during the final battle of the war they defeated the Mandalorians and slew their leader, Mandalore the Ultimate above Malachor V. After ending the Mandalorian Wars with a crushing victory, Revan and Malak led the remainder of their forces into the Unknown Regions under the pretense of tracking down the remaining Mandalorians, but they seemed to have disappeared and had sent no word of their whereabouts. In time, the Republic feared them lost in some tragic disaster.

Sith Apprentice
"Once I served you, Revan&hellip;"

- Darth Malak

The truth was somewhat different. Revan had introduced Malak and the rest of his Jedi followers to Sith teachings that he had uncovered on Malachor V. Seduced to the dark side of the Force, they went on to twist the allegiance of the Republic forces under their command, building the foundations of what would eventually become a new Sith Empire.

Thoroughly committed to uniting the galaxy beneath his authority, Revan was determined to uncover the secret location of an ancient superweapon known as the Star Forge, a relic of the Infinite Empire of the Rakata. Malak, though reluctant to accept the meager title of "apprentice", followed in his wake.

Though whether or not they did so during or after the wars remains unknown, the first world the pair visited on their quest for the Star Forge was Dantooine. Skillfully avoiding detection by the Jedi, they delved 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. However, moments before they crossed the threshold that would lead them to this prize, Malak, still new to the dark side, warned Revan of the consequences:

"Once we pass beyond this door, we can never go back. The Order will surely banish us."

Such words did not dissuade Revan, however, and as always, Malak followed shortly behind.

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. Even so, the unconfirmed sightings of Revan and Malak on numerous worlds throughout their year-long disappearance imply that they visited the majority of these planets after the Mandalorian Wars' conclusion.

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 Rakata Prime. Shortly after, they were attacked by the primitive Black Rakata, who attempted to take them prisoner. However, after the pair displayed their Force powers, the natives were quickly cowed into submission. Though Revan initially negotiated with the One, who led the Black Rakata, he switched to winning the favor of the Elders after it became apparent that none among the Black Rakata had relevant information pertaining to the Star Forge.

Unlike their violent introduction to the Black Rakata, Revan and Malak approached the Elders in peace, learning from them much of the Rakata and their old empire&mdash;and of the disruptor-field that had caused their ship to crash. Increasingly aware of the abhorrence the Elders held for their species' violent past, Revan and Malak styled themselves as servants of the light, searching for a way to destroy the Star Forge. After having gained their trust, 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.

Instead, Revan took control of the Star Forge for himself and, a year after their apparent disappearance, would return to known space at the head of a massive invasion fleet. Openly revealing themselves as Sith, Darth Revan and Malak and all those that followed them declared war on the Republic and the Jedi Order.

Though but the Dark Lord's apprentice, Darth Malak proved himself more than his masters' equal when it came to bloodlust and brutality. One such display being his ordering Saul Karath to destroy Telos IV, forever earning the wrath of Carth Onasi and other surviving Telosians. Though clearly a very powerful Sith Lord, as the Jedi Civil War progressed, the ambitious Darth Malak began to chafe under the dominion of another. So it was that the man who had once been Revan's staunchest ally and most loyal of friends began to eagerly await an opportunity to replace his Sith Master...

Dark Lord of the Sith


"Malak is the strongest of us, and the strongest always rules&hellip; at least until one who is stronger can take it from him."

- Yuthura Ban

The moment came when a Republic strike team, led by Jedi Padawan Bastila Shan, staged an assault on Revan's flagship. Malak was separated from his Master at the time and in an attempt to slay the powerful Jedi and Revan at the same time, he ordered his own ship's guns to fire on Revan's flagship. After the battle he believed that Revan was dead and assumed command of the Sith Empire, at last taking the mantle of Dark Lord for himself.

While the war against the Republic was going very well, he feared Bastila's rare gift with Battle Meditation, a Force power that enabled her to strengthen the Republic forces' resolve and coordinate their fighting effort while sapping the will of their enemies. Her skill with this ability surpassed even the powerful masters of the Order, making her a grave threat to the entire Sith war effort. Darth Malak expended tremendous resources in an attempt to locate and capture her.



Malak nearly succeeded when he blockaded the planet Taris. Although he had the planet destroyed to prevent Bastila's escape, she nonetheless was able to return unharmed to Dantooine being accompanied by her rescuers. Among these were three citizens of Taris, Mission Vao, Zaalbar and a Mandalorian named Canderous Ordo; the Republic pilot Carth Onasi; the utility droid T3-M4; and an amnesiac Revan. Calo Nord, a bounty hunter who had also escaped Taris' destruction, informed Malak of who had helped Bastila escape (it was Revan who had raced in a hazardous swoop tournament in order to free Bastila from the clutches of one of the street gangs of Taris, then fled the planet in the Ebon Hawk) and offered his services to find her. Calo was hired by Malak to track down the group, capture Bastila, and kill her companions, including Revan. Unfortunately, Calo didn't survive his next encounter with Revan.

Bastila and her companions left Dantooine in search of the source of Malak's power; the Star Forge. While on their search Bastila was captured again, but this time by Malak. He tortured Bastila with Force lightning and finally corrupted her to the dark side of the Force. Malak made her his new apprentice&mdash;replacing his previous apprentice, Darth Bandon, who had been slain recently by Revan.

It was not surprising that Malak's fate would be bound up tightly with Bastila's. The two were very much alike&mdash;courageous, arrogant, and ignored the warnings of their Jedi masters to beware the call of the dark side of the Force.

The true reason Malak chose Bastila for his apprentice was the unimaginable advantages the Sith Empire could gain from her Battle Meditation.

Death


"Im&hellip; impossible. I&hellip; I cannot be beaten. I am the Dark Lord of the Sith."

- Darth Malak

Finally, reaching the end of their journey, the heroes on the quest for the Star Forge called in the Republic fleet to attack the Sith. For a while, it looked as if Malak would be able to destroy his foes in a single, glorious day. Fate&mdash;or the Force&mdash;handed Malak a stunning defeat. It would be he who would die when his former master, Revan, returned. During the battle, his old master boarded the Star Forge in the Ebon Hawk. Revan defeated an attack force of Forge droids, slew nearly all of Malak's Dark Jedi and Sith apprentices, convinced Bastila to return to the light side, and finally killed his old friend in a lightsaber duel in the Star Forge's Observation Tower.

And so it ended as Malak somehow always knew it must: in darkness.

As he lay dying, his mortal wounds dealt to him by his one-time best friend, he couldn't help but wonder: what if their positions had been reversed? Would fate decreed he be captured by the Jedi if he would have possessed the strength to return to the light as Revan did? What would his life have been like had he been able to do so?

He tried to blame Revan for his dark fate, but then admitted that in the end, the only person he had to blame for his life was himself. Humbled and belittled by that knowledge, and bested by Revan despite all his clever plans and conquests, Malak realized that nothing he had ever done would compare to the accomplishments of his former master, at last acknowledging his inferiority.

His final words were the truest he had ever spoken:

"I wanted to be master of the Sith, and Ruler of the Galaxy. But that destiny was never mine. It might have been yours&hellip; perhaps. But never mine. And in the end, as the darkness takes me, I am nothing."

- Darth Malak

In the end, Malak's story was a tragic one. He was one of the most gifted and respected Jedi in the Order, and had a long friendship with Revan. But by taking the path of the dark side (which ironically Revan started him down in the first place) he lost that respect and friendship he once had in a mad quest for power&mdash;trading it in for fear, hatred, and eventually death.

Legacy


Although Malak was gone, Revan's final duel with him would not be the last anyone ever saw of him. While exploring a shyrack cave on Korriban, the Jedi Exile discovered a tomb where she encountered visions from the past. The first vision encountered was that of a young Jedi Knight Malak, before his fall to the dark side. Malak slowly lured several Jedi to his side, including Bastila Shan. When the Exile refused to join him, the visions attacked. The Exile prevailed, and made it through the tomb alive after experiencing several more visions.

Personality and traits


Malak was a bald, pale-skinned Human who stood at an impressive two meters in height. His head was adorned with tattoos, and later in his life a large metal shield covered his face from the nose down. The shield was a prosthetic made necessary by a ghastly lightsaber injury that completely severed his lower jaw, which occurred at an unknown point in his life (possibly after he went to war and fell to the darkside as in the Jedi Exile's visions from the cave he had no injury to the face). A portion of this device allowed him to talk, but his voice now reverberated with a gruff electronic tone creating a very disconcerting effect since his jaw prosthesis didn't move. When Malak spoke, the only hint of emotion came from his cruel, sunken eyes.

During his time as Dark Lord of the Sith, Malak wore a set of skin-tight red-orange body armor that showed off his powerful and imposing physique, draped in a cape of black cloth. He was also thought to have had in his possession a powerful Sith sword recovered from Korriban, although he rarely used it in combat. Darth Malak also used a special lightsaber that produced a red blade, longer than the one produced by standard sabers. The hilt was identical to that of the short lightsabers.

Behind the scenes

 * In the Exile's vision of Malak in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, Malak wields a purple-bladed lightsaber. This may have been the same lightsaber he used when he was a Jedi Knight. According to the official player's guide, Malak's lightsaber can be found at some point in the game, but only in the Xbox version. The PC version of the game has him wielding a red saber.
 * Like many Sith Lords before and after him, Malak's name could be derived from real words&mdash;mala is Latin for "jawbone." It should be noted, however, that lead designer Drew Karpyshyn has stated that they had the name before the concept of the missing jaw-bone came up. Similarly, the word mal means "bad" in various "Romance" languages such as Spanish and French, and is similar to the word malice, possibly in reference to Malak's fall to the dark side of the Force.
 * It is also likely that the name is taken from the Arabic word "Malak" meaning Angel, and since Darth means "dark", he is "Dark Angel".
 * Unlike later Dark Lords of the Sith, Malak (and Revan) did not choose new Sith monikers, but instead used their real names.
 * While Revan's ability and destiny bore similarities to Darth Vader, Malak's physical aspect bore similarities to the infamous Dark Lord also. Both Malak and Vader had cybernetic implants and spoke with a metallic voice. According to Lead Designer James Ohlen, the Malak/Vader similarity was like the Ebon Hawk/Millennium Falcon similarity.
 * Interestingly, one of the items that can be found in Knights of the Old Republic II is "Darth Malak's Armor", which is categorized as "light", and greatly differs in appearance with the armor Malak is seen wearing in the first game.
 * It has been speculated that Malak was the red-armored Sith with a red lightsaber whom four Jedi Masters from the Covenant saw in their visions, which&mdash;after they decided that this Sith was a future version of one of their own Padawans&mdash;led them to commit the Padawan Massacre of Taris. It should also be noted that Malak and Zayne Carrick (the only Padawan to survive the massacre) are sufficiently different in appearance and background to establish them as separate personae. The red environmental suit from this vision is later given to Alek, who is also speculated as possibly being Malak.
 * An Easter egg in the ending of Knights of the Old Republic allows the player to transform Malak into a green-skinned Twi'lek Dancer and skip the final battle.

Appearances

 * Shadows and Light
 * Knights of the Old Republic: Opportunities
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
 * Darth Bane: Path of Destruction