Darth Malak

"There’s nobody left who remembers who I was before. But they’ll remember Malak. I’ll make sure of that."

- Malak

Darth Malak was a Human male born on Quelii who took the mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith during the Jedi Civil War. Before taking the name Malak, Alek Squinquargesimus, nicknamed Squint, was a famed Jedi Knight and military commander. During the Mandalorian Wars, Squinquargesimus gained a reputation as a headstrong warrior who would recklessly charge into danger. He befriended the Jedi Padawan Zayne Carrick, whom he assisted in defeating the Jedi Covenant shortly before taking the name "Malak." He eventually drew closer and closer to the dark side, ultimately being seduced by Sith teachings imparted to him by his closest friend and fellow Jedi Knight, Revan. After the final battle of the Mandalorian Wars at the Sith planet Malachor V, the two twisted the allegiance of the Revanchists and the Republic forces under their command, building the foundations of what would eventually become a new Sith Empire.

In his role as Revan's chosen apprentice, Darth Malak helped his Master track down the Star Maps, devices that led to the Star Forge, an ancient superweapon built by the Rakata. A year after Revan and Malak disappeared from known Republic space into the Unknown Regions, they returned and declared war on the Republic, determined to end the "tyranny" of the Jedi Order. At one point under Darth Revan's tutelage, Malak's entire jaw was removed by a lightsaber strike from Revan himself, forcing Malak to wear a large metal prosthesis. After the Jedi dispatched a strike team to capture Revan and Malak, the latter betrayed his Master, ordering the guns of his flagship Leviathan to fire on Revan's vessel. Convinced that his Master had died, Malak usurped Revan's mantle of Dark Lord and ruled the Sith unchallenged, brutally conquering territory after territory. He even took an apprentice of his own, a former Jedi named Darth Bandon.

It would not be long until Malak was proven wrong about his belief that Revan was dead. The next year, Malak intercepted the Jedi Knight Bastila Shan and an amnesiac Revan, whose identity as the Dark Lord had been replaced with an identity that was loyal to the Republic by the Jedi Council. After Malak told Revan of his former identity as the Dark Lord, Malak and Revan fought each other, but Shan allowed herself to be captured by Malak so that Revan and his companions could escape. Malak corrupted Shan, whom he had once considered a threat. She eventually became his apprentice, replacing Darth Bandon, whom Revan and his companions had previously killed. Now assisted by Shan's battle meditation, Malak considered his Sith Empire to be invincible. When the Republic fleet attacked the Star Forge above Rakata Prime, a redeemed Revan boarded the ancient space station and confronted Malak in a lightsaber duel that resulted in the Dark Lord's defeat. With that, Malak's reign as the Dark Lord ended, and the Republic was victorious.

Early life and Jedi training
"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

Alek Squinquargesimus was a Human male born on the planet Quelii in a village named "Squinquargesimus." After he escaped Quelli when the Mandalorians devastated the world, the name of his home village was used as his surname on the immigration records. Eventually, Squinquargesimus was found to be sensitive to the Force, and was trained as a Jedi Padawan at the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine. Nicknamed "Squint" by his peers, Squinquargesimus' closest friend was the Padawan who would eventually be known as "Revan." Though Revan was recognized as the stronger of the two, Squinquargesimus' desire to broaden his knowledge did not go unnoticed and he, like Revan, would seek out additional training from the Twi'lek Jedi Master Zhar Lestin on the galactic capital of Coruscant. Some time before 3,963 BBY, both of the young men completed their training and attained the rank of Jedi Knight.

Recruiting for the Revanchists
"Our Master's an acquaintance of your Master Lucien. We were hoping to recruit some Jedi to come with us."

- Alek Squinquargesimus, to Zayne Carrick on Taris

When the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders attacked the Republic and began the Mandalorian Wars, both Squinquargesimus and Revan were eager to defeat the invading forces. As the war continued, however, the Jedi Council urged the Jedi to be patient, and strictly forbade action against the Mandalorians, feeling that the true threat had not yet emerged. Revan would not be dissuaded, and both he and Squinquargesimus believed that the Order moved too slowly and was too cautious in its decisions. Squinquargesimus was the first to join Revan's movement, known as the Revanchists, and other Jedi soon followed. In the year 3,964 BBY, Squinquargesimus was one of a number of Jedi who chose to take a more proactive role in the ongoing war by participating in a scouting mission along the Outer Rim, just prior to the Mandalorian invasion of the Republic. Led by Revan, whom Squinquargesimus called "his honorary Master," Squinquargesimus and his fellow Jedi investigated the Mandalorian threat along the Republic border against the wishes of the Jedi Council.

Sometime before Squinquargesimus and the Revanchists came to Taris in an attempt to recruit more Jedi, four Sage Masters of the secret Jedi organization known as the Covenant&mdash;which was dedicated to preventing the return of the Sith&mdash;envisioned a Sith Lord in red armor, armed with a red lightsaber, that was responsible for their deaths. The Masters assumed that the Sith Lord symbolized one of their Padawans, each of whom was wearing a red environmental suit on a moon when the Masters experienced the vision. The Revanchists stopped briefly on the ecumenopolis of Taris in hopes of recruiting more Jedi from the local Jedi temple. While there, Squinquargesimus met a Jedi named Zayne Carrick, who was Jedi Master Lucien Draay's apprentice. Draay was the son of Krynda Draay, the Covenant's founder. When Carrick failed to capture the Snivvian black marketeer Marn Hierogryph, whom he had been unable to apprehend seven times previously, Squinquargesimus rescued the Padawan from falling into the cityscape. After this, the two Jedi conferred, and one subject that they discussed was the ongoing war. Not only did the Jedi High Council disapprove of the war, but the teachers on Taris counseled their students that the Jedi were supposed to defend the Republic from the Sith.

During their discussion, Squinquargesimus reminded Carrick that the Sith threat had ended decades ago. Squinquargesimus stated that sometimes one had to enter the darkness in order to save the light, and he opined that more Jedi should share his beliefs. Squinquargesimus unsuccessfully tried to recruit Carrick, who refused because the Jedi Masters, including Draay, believed that the Sith, not the Mandalorians, were the Jedi's business. Squinquargesimus laughed, saying that the Mandalorians could be in the Masters' presence, but to get the Jedi's attention, the Mandalorians would have to act like Sith. Though Carrick was a less than promising student, Squinquargesimus suspected that he would be a major player during the war. After Squinquargesimus and the Revanchists left Taris, the Jedi Masters killed their apprentices and framed Carrick for the Padawans' deaths, subsequently forcing him to hide from the Jedi Order and civil authorities.

Capture at Flashpoint
"We'll go to the front&mdash;and beyond it, if it'll save the galaxy. Sometimes you have to enter the darkness to save the light."

- Alek Squinquargesimus

Soon after leaving Taris, Squinquargesimus and his companions were left behind on the planet Suurja while Revan investigated events on Onderon and its jungle moon Dxun. Roughly a week after his meeting with Carrick on Taris, Squinquargesimus was captured in an ambush before the fourth battle of Suurja by the Mandalorians and taken to Flashpoint Station, an old Republic research station that the Mandalorians had captured a few months before. There, Squinquargesimus became the favorite test subject of a Mandalorian scientist named Demagol, who was attempting to divine the source and nature of the Jedi's Force abilities.

Weeks later, a female Arkanian offshoot named Jarael, who had helped Carrick elude the Jedi Masters on Taris, arrived on the station. Squinquargesimus immediately knew the Mandalorians had mistaken her for a Jedi, and when Demagol came to take Jarael, Squinquargesimus volunteered to be studied in Jarael's place, insisting that he had some abilities that Demagol had yet to discover. After Squinquargesimus was brought back to the holding area, Demagol intended to waste no time in testing Jarael due to her unusual Arkanian features, but Carrick&mdash;who was on the run from his Jedi Masters&mdash;as well as the rest of the crew of the Last Resort, a starship which belonged to the elderly male Arkanian offshoot Gorman Vandrayk, going by the nickname of "Camper," arrived to rescue Jarael. Carrick pretended to be captured by the rogue Mandalorian Rohlan Dyre, and was taken in her stead by Demagol. When Dyre and Demagol emerged, they announced that Carrick was dead. However, after the Mandalorians were tricked into leaving the station during a false "Republic attack" masterminded by Marn Hierogryph, who had allied himself with Carrick, it was revealed that Carrick was posing as Demagol, whom Dyre had managed to incapacitate.

Before he and the rest of the freed Jedi prisoners escaped, Squinquargesimus asked Carrick to join them once again, but Carrick declined, saying that there was something he had to finish. Squinuargesimus said his good-byes to Jarael and took the unconscious Demagol to Coruscant for trial; en route to the galactic capital, however, Demagol fell into a drug-induced coma and could not be awakened. Doctors informed Squinquargesimus that his hair would not grow back completely due to Demagol's experiments. As the Mandalorian atrocities continued to mount, Revan, who was known to the public as "The Revanchist," could no longer restrain himself. As Revan's closest friend, Squinquargesimus traveled to worlds such as Dantooine to recruit even more Jedi to his and Revan's growing rebellion. While on a mission to the planet of Cathar to investigate the truth about the massacre that took place there, Squinquargesimus, Revan, and the Jedi accompanying them felt death in the Force when the Mandalorians unleashed a devastating nuclear attack on Serroco.

Adasca's plot and return to Taris
"This is an advance that transcends simple monetary compensation, don't you agree?''" "A dangerous advance. The power to destroy matter on an astronomical scale&mdash;that's too much for any'' government to wield responsibly!"

- Arkoh Adasca and Alek Squinquargesimus

Following the journey to Cathar, Squinquargesimus was sent to Omonoth as a representative for Revan's Jedi faction, responding to the invitation that Lord Arkoh Adasca, the eighth Lord of the House of Adasca and the leader of Adascorp, had extended to Revan. Prior to Squinquargesimus' departure, several Jedi had experienced visions regarding the possible importance of Adasca's "discovery" and the role it could play in the ongoing conflict. Squinquargesimus was instructed by Revan to ensure this new danger was taken "out of the mix." Upon his arrival aboard the Arkanian Legacy, Adasca's flagship, Squinquargesimus was reunited both with Jarael and Rohlan Dyre, the rogue Mandalorian he had met at Flashpoint. During this time, Squinquargesimus confided to Jarael that he did not believe Zayne Carrick was guilty of the charges levied against him. Jarael attempted to make Squinquargesimus see that Adasca was a madman, but she was quickly interrupted and restrained by Adasca.

Later aboard the vessel, when Adasca's plan to use exogorths&mdash;giant worm–like creatures&mdash;as destructive biological weapons was revealed, Squinquargesimus reacted with disgust, feeling such a force was too powerful to be entrusted to any government. Adasca asked Squinquargesimus if he should entrust the exogorths to the Jedi, and Squinquargesimus stated that it was not a bad idea, which shocked Jarael. Squinquargesimus then told Jarael that the Revanchists saw heartache and chaos in the years to come, stating that as the reason why Revan sent Squinquargesimus to the meeting. The Republic Admiral Saul Karath, who had been invited to the meeting by the Duro Eejee Vamm, Adasca's servant, then stated that Squinquargesimus did not speak for the Jedi, and that he and the Revanchists were freelancers. Squinquargesimus' disgust transformed into alarm, and he lit his lightsaber when the final party to the negotiations announced his arrival via transmission.

As Mandalore the Ultimate, the leader of the Mandalorians, entered the Legacy, Squinquargesimus leaped forward and ignited his lightsaber in an attempt to kill Mandalore and end the war. Predicting the attack, Mandalore quickly struck him down with his newly–made battle axe, knocking the young Jedi off his feet. While Mandalore and Adasca discussed the exogorth deal, Squinquargesimus tried to convince Karath to arrest them, but the admiral would not take that risk while they were outnumbered. When Adasca struck Jarael for talking in her wrist comlink to Gorman Vandrayk, who had been involved with the exogorth project nearly forty years before, Squinquargesimus ignited his lightsaber and placed the blade near Adasca's throat, warning him not to hurt her again. Squinquargesimus then deactivated his weapon, allowing the discussion to continue. He expressed disbelief that Mandalore would offer Adasca a powerful position in the Mandalorian war effort in exchange for the device controlling the exogorths, and was also surprised when Admiral Karath offered Republic territory for the device.

When the Mandalorians boarded the Courageous, Karath's command ship, after the devastating events of the battle at Serroco, Zayne Carrick, along with Admiral Karath, Lieutenant Carth Onasi, and Commander Dallan Morvis, escaped on the Deadweight, Onasi's ship. After Karath received a transmission regarding Adasca's meeting from Vamm, Carrick eventually boarded the Legacy with Karath, Onasi, and Morvis. Carrick was then imprisoned with his former Master Lucien Draay, who had been ordered by Haazen, a co-founder of the Jedi Covenant, to investigate Adasca, who was an old friend of Draay's. After Draay and Carrick destroyed the HK-24 units watching them, they met up with Onasi and Dyre and worked together to crate a plan to put an end to Adasca's scheme.

When Carrick&mdash;dressed in spare armor that had been given to Dyre earlier by Mandalore&mdash;started a diversion, Squinquargesimus immediately knew what was going on and participated in the brawl that erupted. Squinquargesimus, along with Carrick, Draay, Onasi, Karath, Jarael, Dyre, and Morvis, escaped the Legacy observation dome as the exogorths under the scientist Gorman Vandrayk's command devoured it, killing Adasca. While Karath, Morvis, and Onasi escaped on the Deadweight, the others searched for another ship because Squinquargesimus' ship had been destroyed in one of the docking bays. Squinquargesimus was shocked that Draay would deny them passage just to get to Carrick, but as Carrick was about to comply with Draay, the Moomo Williwaw, the starship of the Ithorian bounty hunters Dob and Del Moomo, crashed into the Legacy. This prevented Draay from apprehending Carrick, and Squinquargesimus traveled with Carrick and his crew in the Williwaw to Taris in order help the resistance there.

When the Williwaw returned to Taris, the ship was hassled by Mandalorians that had recently invaded the world. When Dyre managed to get the Mandalorians to fly away from the ship, Squinquargesimus signaled Carrick, who was dressed in the Mandalorian armor that he had acquired from Dyre on the Legacy. With a jetpack, Carrick then rocketed down to the city below. After this, Squinquargesimus and the crew flew off in the Williwaw. Squinquargesimus later engaged in a sparring match with Jarael, in which she bested him. The match brought the two closer together, with Squinquargesimus explaining to Jarael that the Jedi had refrained from emotional relationships since the Great Sith War. He was interested in her romantically, but she was reluctant since she had not gotten over her abuse by Adasca. Unconvinced, Squinquargesimus told her to ask herself if it was the timing or if it was just him that she did not want to have a relationship with.

Against the Jedi Covenant
"That's why I'm pleased you've approved my first motion&mdash;ordering the recall, and, if necessary, detention of the prowar renegades! Including Alek of Quelii, whose rogue actions in the Adasca affair, including aiding the fugitive Zayne Carrick, I have duly reported."

- Lucien Draay

Squinquargesimus, along with Jarael and Dyre, eventually landed on the planet Jebble in the Williwaw to rescue Carrick, who had left Taris with the Jedi Knight and Shadow Celeste Morne, to pursue an ancient Sith amulet known as the Muur Talisman. A base had been set up on the planet for Mandalorian troops planning to capture the peaceful planet of Alderaan, but the Rakghoul Plague, which was caused by the Muur Talisman, had spread through the base, turning all of the Mandalorians into Rakghouls, deformed mutants that lived in the Undercity of Taris. While they were leaving Jebble in the Williwaw, the Mandalorian fleet commanded by Cassus Fett, Mandalore's primary strategist, arrived.

In order to stop the plague from further spreading, Carrick sent a message to Fett, warning him not to land his troops on the surface. Fett took the warning most seriously; when the Williwaw had left, he ordered a nuclear bombardment of the planet. Changed by the apparent death of Morne, who had seemingly died during the bombing, Carrick reminded Squinquargesimus that he owed him a favor from Flashpoint Station, and asked him, along with the rest of the Williwaw ' s crew, for assistance in stopping the Jedi Covenant. Before they separated once more, Squinquargesimus told Carrick to bring evidence of what the Covenant was doing to the Jedi High Council. Soon after, Carrick's former Master Lucien Draay gained a seat on the High Council on Coruscant. In the Council Chamber before the other Masters, Draay claimed that the path sought by Revan was wrong for both the Republic and the Jedi. The Council approved Draay's first motion, which involved the recall&mdash;and if necessary, the detention&mdash;of the Revanchists, including Squinquargesimus, as well as any renegade Jedi.

While searching for Sith artifacts that were owned by the Covenant on the planet Odryn, Carrick told Jarael that Squinquargesimus, along with Shel Jelavan, whose brother was killed by the Covenant, went on ahead to Coruscant for "his part of the plan." Squinquargesimus and Jelavan sent out a holographic transmission to Masters Vandar Tokare and Vrook Lamar on Coruscant. However, due to the arrest warrant for the Revanchists, Squinquargesimus went under the guise of "Captain Malak" and adorned blue tattoos on his head. Squinquargesimus and Jelavan met up with Lamar and Tokare inside a cantina in the underlevels of Coruscant to discuss evidence pertaining to the Padawan Massacre. Following the end of their testimony, they arrived at the rendezvous point to meet with Carrick and Hierogryph. Despite Squinquargesimus' assurances of clearing Carrick's name, Lamar stated that if they accused Krynda Draay, the founder of the Covenant, they would tear the Order apart, saying that what they needed was one of the Masters to stand up and confess.

At that moment, the Khil Jedi Master Xamar, one of the Covenant's members, appeared with his lightsaber leveled at Carrick and Hierogryph's throats. Xamar ultimately handed Carrick and Hierogryph over to the Jedi and agreed to go before the Council, and also testified to the Councilors, telling them everything he knew about the Covenant's illegal activities. Xamar agreed to accept whatever fate they decreed for him with a single caveat: that Krynda Draay be given full immunity if and when action was taken against the Covenant. After Vindication, the Covenant's failed insurrection against the Jedi Order led by Covenant co-founder and Sith acolyte Haazen, Squinquargesimus testified to the Council on Carrick's behalf. Squinquargesimus was then sent to the Revanchists with a final warning. He went under protest, telling Jarael that he would remain "Malak" until there was an end to the war's suffering.

Masks
"They were beaten! You didn't have to do it! One of you knew, but you didn't listen! I don't know your name&mdash;but I take up your cause. I will not remove your mask until there is justice&mdash;until the Mandalorians have been defeated once and for all. So swears&hellip;Revan!"

- Revan, after the vision of the Mandalorians slaughtering the Cathar

After Malak left Coruscant and returned to Cathar, where Revan had been attempting to find proof of the Mandalorians' devastation of the Cathar people, Vrook Lamar and a group of Jedi tracked Malak and Revan to the planet. Lamar and the Jedi met with Revan, Malak, and the Revanchists, and told the group to abandon their efforts and disperse permanently. The Jedi Masters felt that the Mandalorians were not a threat, and that nothing warranted the Jedi's aid in the Mandalorian Wars. During the discussion, Revan noticed a Mandalorian mask underneath his own feet and picked it up. When the light struck it, all the Jedi experienced a vision of the past, in which the Mandalorians were driving hordes of the Cathar into the sea. A Mandalorian female, to whom the mask in Revan's hands belonged, tried to convince Cassus Fett&mdash;who had led the attack on the planet&mdash;that the Cathar were defeated, and did not need to all be killed. Fett refused to stand down, saying that the Cathar left a stain of dishonor amongst the Mando'ade, and that he intended to wash that stain clean by committing genocide. Fett then ordered the planet's devastation, killing the Cathar and the Mandalorian female.

After the vision was complete, Revan became enraged, shouting that the Mandalorians did not have to kill all the Cathar since they were already beaten. Recognizing that the lone Mandalorian female knew that the genocide was wrong, Revan decided to take up her cause of protecting innocents from unnecessary destruction. Revan donned the Mandalorian female's mask, vowing not to remove it until there was justice against the Mandalorians and until they were defeated. After this, the Jedi Council officially sanctioned Revan and his Jedi's involvement in the Mandalorian Wars, and Malak and Revan were promoted to the rank of general.

Vision to Jarael
A few months after the events of Vindication, Zayne Carrick participated in a swoop-dueling event known as the Tandem Open, which was organized on Jervo's World, a large network of swoop–dueling arenas, above the world Pantolomin. Jarael, who was accompanying Carrick, had a vision through the Force while resting aboard the Hot Prospect, a Calipsan mining ship that Trandoshan crew member Slyssk had purchased when Marn Hierogryph sent him to buy a ship. In the vision, she was back on Taris in the Jedi Tower, wearing a red spacesuit and wielding Carrick's old yellow lightsaber. But instead of Carrick's former Jedi Masters, she saw the men who had played significant roles in her life over the past few months: Malak, Rohlan Dyre, Demagol, and Arkoh Adasca. The four men who expressed interest in Jarael in reality told her that the reason for that was hidden within herself, pointing to her clouded past and mysterious destiny. A moment later, Carrick appeared in the vision, bound in chains and blaming Jarael for betraying him. A mysterious woman who held Carrick's chains told Jarael that he now belonged to her and left her at the mercy of Malak and the other three men.

Confrontation with Rohlan Dyre
"Stop! Rohlan is a friend!''" "They're not capable of friendship, Jarael! Only torture&mdash;and genocide! Like Cassus Fett&mdash;and Demagol''!"

- Jarael and Malak

Malak contacted Marn Hierogryph in search of Jarael, and the Snivvian told Malak that she was on the planet Wor Tandell. Malak went to the planet intending to surprise Jarael, and met her by the Hot Prospect. Later in the night, Malak told Jarael and Hierogryph of how the Jedi Council officially sanctioned the Revanchist Jedi's involvement in the Mandalorian Wars. He also explained that to him, "Malak" was more than a name&mdash;it was what he was born to be. Since the Mandalorians destroyed his life on Quelli, Malak had answered to names others gave him and were not his because he did not care; Malak thought that because his home was gone, it did not matter who he was. However, he concluded that on the contrary, his identity did indeed matter because there was nobody left who knew him as Alek Squinquargesimus, and Malak stated that he would make sure people would remember who he was now.

Malak told Jarael that he had contacted Hierogryph, saying that the Revanchists had almost everything needed to win the war. However, Malak felt that he would not be complete without Jarael, citing Jarael's abilities as a fighter and how she had witnessed the Mandalorian atrocities up close. He reminded Jarael that Zayne Carrick and Hierogryph were not fugitives any longer, and that Revan's Jedi needed Jarael. Malak also stated that the Revanchists could not afford to be involved with anyone who had a hint of controversy in their lives, as Carrick and Hierogryph had, and reasoned that since Rohlan Dyre could walk freely in public, there was nothing hindering Jarael from joining Malak. When Hierogryph mentioned Jarael's Force talents, Malak became excited, telling Jarael that she belonged with him. Dyre then appeared, shouting that Malak could not take her now or ever. When Malak attempted to reason with Dyre, the Mandalorian punched him in the jaw, addressing Malak by his former nickname, Squint. Malak then ignited his lightsaber and began attacking Dyre, who evaded Malak with his jetpack and firing at the Jedi with his blasters. Jarael screamed at Malak to stop, but he would not, reasoning that the Mandalorians were incapable of friendship, only torture and genocide. Malak eventually cut Dyre's blasters in half and wrestled him to the ground, asking Dyre if he was there when the Mandalorians killed the Cathar.

The Republic captain Telettoh and the Cathar Jedi Ferroh arrived at Carrick's camp along with the former Padawan. They pulled Malak off Dyre, which calmed Malak down. Telletoh berated Malak for attacking Dyre, stating that the Revanchists could not afford any scandals. Carrick apologized to Malak for not arriving at the camp sooner, expressing his astonishment at the fact that Malak had brought the Republic cruiser Testament just to see Carrick and his friends. Malak informed Carrick that he was there for Jarael like he had promised. Carrick then pretended that he and Jarael were involved romantically, which surprised both Malak and Hierogryph. Malak asked Jarael why she did not tell him that she and Carrick were together, and Carrick replied that they had gotten together recently. Carrick explained how Telletoh and Ferroh told him of Malak's plans, and that he and Jarael had plans of their own. Shortly after that, Malak bid goodbye to Carrick, Jarael, and their crew.

The final battles
"Revan and Malak were heroes, the great saviors of the Republic."

- Dorak

The entrance of Revan and his Jedi into the war marked the conflict's turning point. Revan's military strategies and tactics, coupled with Malak's courage and determination, saw the pair becoming the foremost heroes of the war. Claiming victory time after time, they were propelled through the ranks of the Republic military, and Revan was given direct control over the entire Republic fleet. With his newfound authority, Revan spearheaded the Republic war effort and began to steadily push the Mandalorians back, and though Malak lacked Revan's military genius, he exemplified himself as an incredibly capable war leader. Malak eventually gained a reputation as a headstrong warrior who would recklessly charge into danger.

Together, Revan and Malak liberated Taris, fought Cassus Fett at Jaga's Cluster, and defeated much of the Mandalorian army at Althir. Yet, despite such victories, there were concerns raised over the Jedi's behavior. The pair began to adopt characteristics similar to their Mandalorian adversaries, growing to despise weakness and indecisiveness. The Jedi Masters they had left behind believed that Revan, Malak, and the Jedi that had joined them were only offering easy solutions to the galaxy's problems, fearing that much woe would result from their recklessness. As the war progressed, Malak and Revan changed from the idealistic men that had first rebelled against the Jedi Council. Ultimate victory became all that mattered to them, and in order to ensure it, Malak and Revan met their enemies' brutal, merciless tactics with a ruthlessness of their own.

Developing a cold, calculating disposition uncharacteristic of Jedi, "moral shortcuts" became common practice under Revan and Malak's leadership, as did a number of other unsavory acts. If a world had no strategic significance, then it had no significance, regardless of the cost in sentient life. Though there were those who frowned upon such actions, the vast majority of the galaxy cared only that Revan and Malak were winning the war and hailed them as heroes. This heroic reputation was finally cemented during the final battle of the war, where Revan forced a final confrontation with the Mandalorians over the Sith planet of Malachor V. Revan intended to unleash the Mass Shadow Generator&mdash;a recently constructed superweapon by the Zabrak engineer Bao-Dur&mdash;on the planet, wiping out the majority of the Mandalorian fleet in addition to the Republic forces and Jedi who were not fervently loyal to him. Trusting the device's activation to a capable Jedi General that would later become known as the Jedi Exile, Revan battled and killed Mandalore the Ultimate himself. In the end, many Jedi were twisted to the dark side, and the once–proud Mandalorian clans were crippled, just as Revan had intended.

After the final battle of the Mandalorian Wars, Revan constructed HK-47, an assassin droid. When the Exile&mdash;who disconnected herself from the Force during the cataclysmic final battle&mdash;left Revan and Malak's fleet to answer for her actions before the Jedi Council, Malak wanted Revan to order HK-47 to kill her. However, Revan, who saw the woman as a Jedi who was already dead, would not allow her assassination. After having defeated the Mandalorians, the two now–legendary Jedi Knights did not return to the Republic. Instead, they led the remainder of their forces into the Unknown Regions, claiming to be hunting down surviving Mandalorians. For a year afterward, nothing was heard from them, and the Republic feared its heroes to be lost.

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

- Malak

The purpose of the two Jedi's quest was somewhat different from what the Republic believed. Sometime during the Mandalorian Wars, Revan found a Rakatan Star Map in the old ruins near the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine. Revan and Malak delved into the ancient ruins, and 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 the Star Map. Moments before they crossed the threshold that would lead them to their prize, Malak warned Revan of the consequences, feeling that if they examined the Star Map, the Jedi Order would banish both he and Revan. However, such words did not dissuade Revan from continuing to the Star Map. Though a part of Malak yearned to return to the Order, Malak remained at his friend's side, knowing that once he crossed the threshold, there would be no chance of ever returning to the life he once had.

In the final year of the Mandalorian Wars, Revan found another Star Map on the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk. Shortly thereafter, Revan traveled to Malachor V, where he discovered the Trayus Academy and delved deeply into the Sith secrets contained within. Revan introduced Malak to the Sith teachings, causing him to fall to the dark side. 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 Rakatan Infinite Empire that had ruled the galaxy approximately 20,000 standard years before. Revan and Malak would go on to uncover three more Star Maps on the desert world Tatooine, the Selkath homeworld Manaan, and the ancient Sith tombworld Korriban.

Sith apprentice
"When they left after the Mandalorian Wars ended, they were Jedi. When they returned&hellip; they were something else."

- Carth Onasi

With the information obtained from the Star Maps, Revan and Malak were able to travel to the previously unknown Rakata system, and upon their arrival, the pair crashed on Rakata Prime. Shortly after, they were attacked by the primitive Black Rakata, who attempted to take them prisoners, but after Revan and Malak displayed their Force powers, the natives were quickly cowed into submission. Though Revan initially negotiated with The One, who led the Black Rakata, it soon became apparent that none among the Black Rakata had relevant information pertaining to the Star Forge, and Revan decided to win the favor of the Elders, a Rakatan tribe that the Black Rakata was at war with. 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, and of the disruptor field that had caused Revan and Malak's ship to crash. Increasingly aware of the abhorrence that 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 Revan and Malak gained the Elders' trust, the Elders gave the Jedi access to the temple. Thanking the Elders, Revan and Malak promised to destroy the Star Forge and return.

Instead, Revan took control of the Star Forge, and he and Malak declared themselves Darths Revan and Malak, the new Dark Lords of the Sith. In 3,959 BBY, they established a new Sith Empire, and returned to Korriban, seizing control of the planet and establishing a new Sith Academy. Revan and Malak then returned to known Republic space at the head of a massive invasion fleet. Openly revealing themselves as Sith Lords, the pair and their followers declared war on the Republic and the Jedi Order. This marked the beginning a twenty–year campaign to end the "tyranny" of the Jedi Council once and for all, initiating the Jedi Civil War. At one point under Darth Revan's tutelage, Malak saw his Master as being soft, causing tension between the two that culminated in a lightsaber duel. Malak's jaw was removed by a lightsaber strike from Revan himself, and Malak was forced to wear a large metal prosthesis cover over where his jaw had once been. A portion of the device allowed Malak to talk, but his voice now reverberated with a gruff electronic tone because his cybernetic jaw could not move.

In the year 3,958 BBY, Revan and his Sith carried out a successful attack on the shipyard world Foerost, capturing a majority of the Republic fleet. The Republic Admiral Saul Karath, who had served under Revan and Malak in the Mandalorian Wars, declared the Republic unworthy of his loyalty, and transferred his services and his flagship Leviathan to Revan's service. Karath also gave the Sith codes which enabled the Sith to bypass a Republic Navy docking bay's scanners. This allowed the Sith forces to sweep in and destroy over half of the docked ships before they had time to react. Later, Revan promoted Karath as the commander of the entire Sith fleet. As a final test of loyalty to the Sith, Darth Malak ordered Karath to destroy Telos IV, a planet that Revan had originally intended to conquer. Karath complied, killing millions of innocent people and earning the wrath of surviving Telosians, including the Republic commander Carth Onasi, who once considered Karath his mentor and Malak a hero. Later in 3,958 BBY, Darth Malak bombed the Zabrak homeworld Iridonia, and the Sith also carried out a successful attack on the planet of Rodia. Though a powerful Sith Lord, the ambitious Darth Malak began to chafe under the dominion of Revan as the war progressed. The man who had once been Revan's staunchest ally and most loyal friend began to eagerly await an opportunity to replace his Sith Master.

Betraying the Master
"I betrayed you when I realized my own strength was greater than yours&hellip;"

- Darth Malak, to Revan on the Star Forge.

Malak's chance to usurp Revan's position came in 3,957 BBY when the Jedi Council sent a strike team to capture both Revan and Malak. The team had managed to corner Revan on the bridge of his flagship. Malak, who was separated from his Master, ordered the guns of his flagship, the Leviathan, to fire on Revan's vessel in an attempt to slay both his Master and the Jedi&mdash;specifically the strike team's leader Bastila Shan because of her power 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.

Unbeknownst to Malak, Shan saved the life of Revan and brought him to the Jedi Council, where his mind was reprogrammed with the identity of a Republic soldier. Though Malak failed in his attempt on Revan's life, his Master had been incapacitated during the attack. Believing himself to have been successful, Darth Malak assumed command of the Sith Empire, at last taking the mantle of Dark Lord for himself. A small part of Malak always regretted betraying his Master from afar, and Malak knew there would be some who thought and claimed that he was a coward, that he had acted out of fear, or that he did not want to face Revan in personal combat again.

The search for Bastila
"I am more interested in the young Jedi Bastila and her Battle Meditation. Have you learned how she escaped the destruction of Taris?"

- Darth Malak, to Saul Karath

Although his stratagems and tactics centered around brute force, the sheer size of Malak's armadas allowed him to win many victories over the battered and outnumbered Republic forces. Unlike his former Sith Master, Revan, Malak would destroy worlds rather than capture them, ensuring that neither side of the conflict had vital resources. He fueled the Star Forge, which was modified to produce the ships and assault droids of the Sith fleet, by using the Force powers of captured Jedi Knights to augment the input of Rakata Prime's sun. After Revan's apparent death, Malak took a former Jedi whose quest for power had set him apart from his fellow students and named him Darth Bandon, taking him as his Shadow Hand and elevating the young Sith to the second-in-command in the Sith Empire. Jedi that were not killed by Malak's Sith forces fell from the light, becoming Dark Jedi and swearing their allegiance to the Dark Lord.

While the successful war against the Republic continued, Darth Malak feared that the Jedi Bastila Shan's rare gift with battle meditation&mdash;which surpassed even the powerful Jedi Masters&mdash;would make her a grave threat to the Sith war effort. Malak expended tremendous resources in an attempt to locate and capture Shan. He nearly succeeded when his apprentice, Darth Bandon, led an attack on her ship, the Endar Spire, above the planet of Taris. Shan, among other Republic soldiers, was forced to evacuate via an escape pod, and she crashed into the lower levels of Taris. To prevent Shan from escaping the planet, Malak blockaded Taris. However, Malak grew impatient with the search for Shan, and Malak ordered Admiral Saul Karath aboard his flagship Leviathan to destroy the planet. Nonetheless, Shan was able to return unharmed to Dantooine on the light freighter Ebon Hawk, thanks to the efforts of the Republic commander Carth Onasi; the amnesiac Revan, who was unaware of his former identity as the Dark Lord; and their companions. After Revan was retrained in the Jedi ways in the Enclave on Dantooine, the local Council ordered Revan and his allies to search for the Star Forge.

Soon after, a bounty hunter named Calo Nord, who was defeated on Taris by Revan, Shan, and Onasi, managed to escape Taris' destruction. Nord was hired by Malak to track down the group, capture Shan, and kill her companions. Nord and Karath revealed to Malak that one of Shan's companions was Revan, whom Malak had long believed to be dead. Despite Nord's galaxy–wide reputation as a bounty hunter, he did not survive his next encounter with Revan. After Nord's death, Admiral Karath informed Malak of his failure. Malak told Karath that no bounty hunter could stand against a Jedi, and to avoid making the same mistake twice, the Sith Lord sent his apprentice, Darth Bandon, after Shan. Malak ordered Bandon to find Shan and to bring her to him alive, if at all possible. There were rumors that Bandon would challenge Malak for the right to rule the Sith, but Bandon never had a chance to develop his plans, as he failed to capture Shan and was killed by Revan after he found a fourth Star Map. During Revan's quest to locate the Star Forge, Malak and his Sith forces attacked Dantooine. They destroyed the Jedi Enclave and killed many, Jedi and civilian alike. Malak also captured eight Jedi for later use on the Star Forge. Malak plundered through the ruins, looking for Jedi artifacts. The Jedi Council had sensed this would happen, and tried to evacuate everyone, but it was too late. The local Jedi Council managed to escape, however, and some of the Jedi holocrons and relics were moved to another location.

Revelation on the Leviathan
"You cannot hide from what you once were, Revan! Recognize that you were once the Dark Lord&mdash;and know that I have taken your place!"

- Malak, to his old Master, Revan

While on their search for a fifth Star Map, Revan and the crew of the Ebon Hawk were captured by the Sith and brought on board the Leviathan, Malak's flaship. Before Revan and his crew were taken to the detention area, Revan sent a member of his crew to free the rest of the crew from the Leviathan ' s detention area. After taking Revan and his crew into custody, the Sith Admiral Saul Karath tortured and interrogated Revan, Shan, and Onasi in an attempt to find out what their mission was. Sometime after Karath departed the detention area, the Ebon Hawk crew member that Revan chose to free him and the rest of the crew from the detention area managed to free them all. The crew then split in two groups; Shan, Onasi, and Revan headed to the bridge of the Leviathan to lower the ship's shields, disable the tractor beam, and unlock the door to the docking bay, while the Mandalorian Canderous Ordo led the rest of the crew to the docking bay.

When Shan, Onasi and Revan made their way to the bridge, they were confronted by Admiral Karath. The Admiral informed the two Jedi and Onasi that Malak was on his way to the bridge and asked for their surrender. After Revan, Shan, and Onasi refused, a fight broke out, which ended when Karath was struck down. Before the two Jedi and Onasi made it to the docking bay, Malak arrived, hindering their escape. During a discussiion with them, Malak discovered that Revan still had no knowledge of his time as the Dark Lord. Amused, Malak told Revan the truth about his former identity of the Dark Lord, which had been wiped by the Jedi. Revan, who was shocked by the revelation, asked Shan if this was true. Shan confirmed this and that she had been part of the Jedi strike team that had captured him. Following their brief discussion, Malak used the Force to create a stasis field around Shan and Onasi and prepared to kill his former Master. Revan proved himself a capable swordsman however, holding his own against the Dark Lord. However, Shan intervened so that Revan and Onasi could escape, and Malak defeated and captured her.

Training Bastila
"Such resolve in your words, but I see the truth in your heart. The dark side calls to you, Bastila. You hunger to taste it. Become my apprentice, and all its power can be yours!"

- Darth Malak, to Bastila Shan

After successfully capturing Shan aboard the Leviathan, Malak took the Jedi to the Temple of the Ancients on Rakata Prime. Seeking to make Shan his apprentice to fortify the Sith Empire's efforts with her battle meditation, Malak attempted to turn her to the dark side and tortured her with Force lightning. Shan was at first firm and resisted his efforts, but Malak insisted that it was not merely torture; it was a taste of the dark side power that she could possess. After a week of torture, Malak succeeded in breaking Shan's will, finally turning her to the dark side and taking her as his apprentice to replace the deceased Darth Bandon.

Battle of Rakata Prime
"You made a mistake coming here, Revan. The Star Forge fuels my command of the dark side. You are no match for me here. And this time you will not escape!"

- Darth Malak, to Revan

The preparations for the Star Forge were nearing completion, and every day it added new ships to the Sith fleet. The Star Forge operated at three hundred percent beyond the Sith's expectations. The fleet was merely awaiting Malak's instructions, and the Dark Lord was confident that they would be invincible once Shan provided assistance with her battle meditation. Assuming they would be victorious, Malak was already planning to begin the final conquest of the Core Worlds and crush the Republic forever.

After Revan and his crew located the Star Forge, they sent the space station's coordinates to the Republic admiral Forn Dodonna, so that Dodonna could take the Republic fleet and attack the Sith and the Star Forge. When the Jedi penetrated the Star Forge's defenses, Malak was not surprised, ordering one of his Dark Jedi to dispatch the battle droids&mdash;that had been constructed by the Star Forge&mdash;to deal with them. However, Malak underestimated the Jedi, and the Dark Jedi brought news of the droids' failure. Malak was at first surprised that a Jedi could stand against an army of Star Forge droids, but then he was told that Revan was with the Jedi. Though Malak knew they would not kill Revan, he dispatched the Sith troops and Dark Jedi on the Star Forge against Revan so that they would slow Revan down enough for Malak to fully prepare the Star Forge's defenses.

Malak summoned his new apprentice, Bastila Shan, and informed her that Revan was on the Star Forge. Shan feared Revan’s power, but Malak said that if she defeated Revan, Shan would prove herself worthy of being his apprentice. Shan proclaimed that she would not fail Malak again. After their conversation, Malak mused that perhaps Shan would be able to defeat Revan, but even if she failed, it would give Malak the necessary time to prepare the Star Forge's defenses. After defeating an attack force of Forge droids, killing nearly all of Malak's Dark Jedi and Sith forces, and convincing Shan to return to the light side, Revan confronted Malak, who was using the Force to choke two Jedi prisoners. Malak then threw his lightsaber into one and blasted the other with Force lightning, effectively killing both. Revan offered Malak a chance to surrender, reminding Malak that the Jedi might show him mercy. However, Malak replied that the wiping one of an individual’s identity was no act of mercy, and that he would rather die. Malak unleashed the unlimited army of Star Forge battle droids against Revan. Malak used the opportunity to escape to the Star Forge's observation tower.

Final confrontation and death
Revan managed to stop the droids from attacking him and followed Malak to the observation tower. Malak realized that Revan had become much stronger than he ever was as the Dark Lord, and told Revan he could break his will and make Revan his apprentice. Malak surmised that Revan would be a far greater asset to him than even Shan and her battle meditation. Malak then theorized that perhaps Revan was too powerful to be his apprentice, and that when and if Revan became stronger than him, Revan would betray him. However, Revan replied that he would never turn to the dark side again. After this, Revan and Malak began a lightsaber duel, in which the victor, unlike in their previous duels, would decide the fate of the galaxy.

Revan proved himself to be a better lightsaber duelist, almost defeating Malak, but the Dark Lord withdrew from battle, explaining to Revan that he could not be defeated. Malak told Revan that he had brought the bodies of Jedi from the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine to the Star Forge. Malak explained that rather than letting the deceased Jedi become one with the Force, Malak used the Star Forge to corrupt what remained of the dead Jedi's Force energy. After explaining this to Revan, Malak used the Force to drain the life force from one of the Jedi, transferring it to himself. After replenishing his energy, Malak resumed battling Revan. However, Revan freed as many of the captive Jedi as he could, allowing them to become one with the Force and shortening Malak’s supply of energy. Malak was eventually brought to his knees, mortally wounded. Malak began to regret turning to the dark side, and Revan apologized to his old friend for starting him down the dark path. Revan reminded Malak that he chose to continue down that path, and Malak told Revan that perhaps there was more truth in the Jedi Code than Malak ever believed. Malak realized that he alone had to accept responsibility for his fate. With his dying words, Malak realized that as the darkness took him, in the end he was nothing. Malak died with sorrow and regret over his deeds, but without hatred or malice toward Revan, his one-time closest friend. Malak's corpse was consumed by the flames of the dying Star Forge as the Republic fleet destroyed the ancient space station.

Legacy
"He left quite a mess."

- G0-T0

One year after Darth Malak's death and the defeat of his Sith Empire, Revan, now in possession of his full memories from his time as the Dark Lord, vanished from known Republic space to search for a mysterious Sith faction known only as the "True Sith". Although Malak was gone, Revan's final duel with him would not be the last anyone ever saw of Malak. Four years after Revan's disappearance, the Jedi Exile discovered the lost tomb of the ancient Sith Lord Ludo Kressh while exploring a shyrack cave on Korriban. The Exile encountered visions from her past, the first of which was an apparition of the young Malak before his fall to the dark side. As the Exile looked on, Malak slowly lured several Jedi to his side, including Bastila Shan. When the Exile refused to join him, Malak and the other apparitions attacked. The Exile prevailed, and made it through the tomb alive after experiencing several more visions, including one of Malak's former Sith Master, Revan.

Approximately three centuries after Darth Malak's death, it was presumed that Revan never returned from the Unknown Regions. However, the True Sith Empire&mdash;which was led by a mysterious Sith Emperor&mdash;that Revan went to battle launched an attack on the Republic, igniting a war that lasted for decades until the Sith Emperor signed a treaty with the Republic. An image of Malak was featured in a record of the event that was produced by the Kel Dor Jedi Master Gnost-Dural for the Jedi Archives.

The atrocities that Darth Malak committed would overshadow his good deeds as a Jedi Knight in galactic history. Although Revan was remembered, and even admired by some, including Canderous Ordo, for his tactical genius and subtleties, Malak was remembered by others, such as the droid and Exchange crime boss G0-T0, as something of a brute who left the galaxy in a mess. Many sentients, including the Jedi Mical, thought the situation would have been different if Revan had remained as the Dark Lord. While Revan's strategies would have led to a stronger and more unified galaxy, Malak's genocidal reign only caused a greater destabilization of the galaxy and nearly destroyed all of Revan's original goals. Revan's tactics in galactic conquest included relying on the Star Forge only to a certain extent, sparing worlds with military and economic significance from the brutality of conquest, killing off political and military figures who were destabilizing the galaxy, and converting many to his cause rather than simply annihilating them outright.ref name="KotOR II game" /> Contrasting his Sith Master Revan, Malak used brute force rather than strategy to defeat his enemies, as demonstrated when he ordered both the bombing of Telos IV and the destruction of Taris. The destruction that Malak caused would portray Malak as a monster who, despite all his attempts to gain absolute power, was still inferior compared to Revan.<

When Darth Revan first introduced Malak to his assassin droid, HK-47, the droid liked Malak. HK-47 expressed this opinion to Revan after his reconditioning by the Jedi, stating that Malak was efficient and brutal. However, HK-47 informed Revan that if he had know that Malak would betray Revan, HK-47 would have "gladly removed his entrails" when the droid first met Malak. After the Jedi Civil War, HK-47 thought of Malak as an angry club who was given to grandiose displays of brutality and murder that seemed inefficient, and in many cases, unnecessary. However, the Echani Handmaiden Brianna was of the opinion that when Malak destroyed Taris, the attack showed Malak's heart through the operation's execution and intent. Brianna felt that while Taris' destruction was brutal and without finesse, it showed Malak's commitment to defeat the Jedi.

Personality and traits
"Your predecessor once made the mistake of questioning my orders, Admiral. Surely you are not so foolish as to make the same mistake?"

- Darth Malak, to Saul Karath

Darth Malak was a light–skinned human male who stood at two meters in height. Malak's head was adorned with blue tattoos, which he received while helping Zayne Carrick clear his name. Malak later wore a large metal shield that covered his face from his upper lip down. The shield was a prosthesis made necessary by a lightsaber injury that completely severed Malak's lower jaw, which was inflicted by his Sith Master, Darth Revan. A portion of this device allowed Malak to talk, but his voice now reverberated with a gruff electronic tone, creating a disconcerting effect since his cybernetic jaw did not move. As a Jedi Knight, Malak wore a set of red Jedi robes. During his time as the Dark Lord of the Sith, Malak wore a set of skin–tight red-orange body armor that showed off his physique, draped in a half–cape of black cloth. As a Jedi, Malak used a lightsaber containing a blue crystal; after he fell to the dark side, Malak used a self–built lightsaber that produced a red blade which was longer than the one produced by standard lightsabers. Malak also possessed a powerful Sith sword recovered from Korriban, although he rarely used it in combat.

Before he took the name Malak, Alek Squinquargesimus was an optimistic young Jedi with a distinctive sense of justice, which he shared with his friend and "Master", Revan. Because of Squinquargesimus' opinion of the Jedi Order's passiveness, he joined Revan's campaign against the Mandalorians, believing that the Jedi Council would not be able to solve the conflict. For Squinquargesimus, the option to enter the darkness to save the light was not excluded if it was required. Even when being tortured by the Mandalorian scientist Demagol, Squinquargesimus did not lose his sense of humor. Believing the Council had failed to uphold the Jedi Order's vow as the "guardians of peace and justice," Squinquargesimus not only joined Revan, but aided him in recruiting hundreds of like–minded Jedi that had become resentful of the Council's leadership. Not only was Squinquargesimus proud to stand at Revan's side in the Republic's defense, Squinquargesimus also sought to defend the ideals of the Republic, such as freedom and justice. Squinquargesimus believed that in doing so, he was fulfilling what the Jedi Council failed to do: defend the Republic citizens that the Jedi had sworn to protect. Squinquargesimus utilized his influence and charisma to successfully attract many Jedi to join him and Revan against the Mandalorians, including the Jedi Exile. When Squinquargesimus assisted the fugitive Padawan Zayne Carrick in exposing the Jedi Covenant, he changed his name to Malak. Malak later explained to the Arkanian female Jarael that his new name was more than just a name to him, it was what he felt he was born to be. Malak was determined to make sure everyone knew what he did. After experiencing a vision of the Mandalorians' genocide of the Cathar people, Malak came to believe that all Mandalorians were incapable of friendship, including Jarael and Carrick's companion Rohlan Dyre.

While many in the Republic credited Revan's military strategies for the Republic's success during the Mandalorian Wars, other individuals were quick to point to Malak's fierce courage and relentless fury at the forefront of every battle as the key to the Republic's victory. Since the victories during the Mandalorian Wars corresponded frequently with crushing moral compromises, Malak sensed that he was falling to the dark side, but he saw no alternative path. Malak knew that he would face this dilemma, the horrors of the war were not a mystery to Malak. After he and Revan defeated the Mandalorians at Malachor V, Malak realized that all his efforts would be for nothing if a strong hand was not in control of the galaxy. Malak knew the only people he could put his trust in were the forces he had fought with, feeling they were capable defenders. That was when Malak understood the dark side, believing that it was named from the ignorance of never having killed and of never having to order friends to their deaths. Malak also believed the dark side was named from the ignorance of not experiencing what it was like to always think that today was your day to die&mdash;all for cowards unwilling to fight for their own safety. Malak shared these thoughts with his closest friend Revan, and found that Revan agreed, understanding Malak's mindset completely.

Even after Malak's initial fall to the dark side, a part of Malak still held true to the Jedi. At the beginning of Revan's quest to find the Star Forge, Malak was apprehensive, knowing that if he followed Revan any further, he would forever forsake his commitment to the Jedi and the Republic. Yet despite further corruption by the dark side, especially after he betrayed Revan, Malak was never fully able to rid himself of the good in him. Moments before he died from wounds inflicted by a redeemed Revan, Malak allowed himself to let go of his hate and anger, reflecting on what his life could have been like if he had not been corrupted by Revan or if he had the strength to forsake the dark side and return to the light, as Revan did. Malak died with sorrow and regret over his deeds, and without hatred or malice towards Revan.

Powers and abilities
"This is but a taste of the dark side to whet your appetite."

- Darth Malak, to Bastila Shan

Having been a Jedi Guardian, Darth Malak was a skilled lightsaber duelist. He spoke and comprehended Basic, the Republic's trade language, and the Sith language. As a Jedi, Malak was known to have used the Force as a means of protection and for healing. When he was a Sith Lord, Malak could use the Force to choke more than one person at a time; before his and Revan's final duel, Malak demonstrated this ability to Revan when he simultaneously choked two Jedi that he had captured. Immediately after, Malak displayed his ability to throw his lightsaber, igniting and throwing it at one of the captured Jedi's chest, killing him. Malak's strength with the Force enabled him to create a whirlwind of Force energy that would encircle his victim, Malak also had the ability to use the Force to create a stasis field which froze his enemies in place. He was also proficient in using the Force to augment his speed, and could also use it to supress the abilities of another Force user. Malak could render himself virtually invulnerable to most Force powers for a limited amount of time, and was capable of using the Force to leap large distances in order to reach his enemy.

Darth Malak was capable of using the Force to amplify his screams, triggering shock waves that rippled through the Force. Malak could use the Force to tap into his innermost fears, pain and hate, and convert them into intense anger, channeling the anger to increase his speed, strength, and ferocity. Malak's connection to the dark side gave him the use of Dark Healing, an ability that fueled regenerative processes by draining the life force of another. He was also skilled in the use of Sith sorcery. During his time as a Sith, Malak was proficient in the use of Force lightning, which he used with ease while torturing Bastila Shan and while dueling Revan aboard the Star Forge.

Behind the scenes
Darth Malak was created by BioWare as the primary antagonist for the 2003 Xbox and PC video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. In both Knights of the Old Republic and its sequel, The Sith Lords, he was voiced by the actor Rafael Ferrer. According to the Knights of the Old Republic video game's lead designer James Ohlen, as the designers at BioWare began to flesh out their initial story about Revan, they realized they needed a good antagonist. Malak’s immigration experience was inspired, according to John Jackson Miller&mdash;the writer of the Knights of the Old Republic comic series&mdash;by the character Vito Corleone of The Godfather movies, who took the name of his Italian hometown when he came to America. In the article "The 100 Greatest Things About Star Wars&hellip; Ever!", which appeared in Star Wars Insider 100, Malak came in the twenty-third place, being beat out by his Sith apprentice, Darth Bandon, who came in at twenty-second place. A miniature of Darth Malak was featured in the Champions of the Force set of Star Wars Miniatures, which was released in June 6, 2006. The Knights of the Old Republic set of miniatures, released in August 19, 2009, features another miniature of Darth Malak, as well as one of his former identity of Squint.

In the letters section of the twenty-ninth issue of the Knights of the Old Republic comic series, John Jackson Miller said that the comics would "speak to the matter of Revan and Malak&mdash;perhaps sooner than you may think." Also, in production notes for the same issue, Miller promised that the comics would reveal more information on Malak, now that Malak's homeworld has been established. According to the Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide, Darth Malak held a rank called the "Sith Magnus". Abel G. Peña, who wrote Malak's section in the campaign guide, said on his official thread on Starwars.com that while the Sith Magnus position is canonical, he could not elaborate on its meaning yet.

An easter egg in the ending of the Xbox version of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic allows the player to transform Malak into a green-skinned female Twi'lek dancer and skip the final battle. In the Jedi Exile's vision of Malak in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, Malak wielded a red–bladed lightsaber. An item that can be found in The Sith Lords is "Darth Malak's armor," which differs in appearance with the armor Malak is seen wearing in the first game. According to the sequel's official strategy guide, Malak's lightsaber, which contained a violet crystal, can be found at some point in the game, but only in the Xbox version.

Darth Malak's appearance in artwork has been inconsistent. While Knights of the Old Republic and other artwork portray Malak with a sickly head, yellow scleras and brown irises, other artwork, including Celebration IV's exclusive bust of Malak, portray his head as being pale and having white scleras and gray irises. Due to the increased popularity of Darth Malak in comic and video game media, he has been made available in the Hasbro 3–3/4 inch figure range. Released in 2007 as part of the Expanded Universe wave of the 30th Anniversary basic figure collection, Malak was the thirty–fifth figure to be released in this line. Malak has become a sought–after and collectable figure whilst still on card, sometimes demanding twice his original retail price depending on condition. Malak's figure includes a jaw plate that, when removed, shows his battle–damaged face detail. The figure pays accurate attention to Malak's appearance, armor, cape and an articulated body. Malak's figure contains two supplied accessories, which come in the form of one ignited lightsaber and one deactivated lightsaber hilt. A silver collector's coin was also packaged with the figure, a feature that is common to all other basic 30th Anniversary figures of this range.

Appearances

 * Shadows and Light
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 0: Crossroads
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 6: Commencement, Part 6
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 8: Flashpoint, Part 2
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 10: Flashpoint, Part 3
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 14: Days of Fear, Part 2
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 15: Days of Fear, Part 3
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Daze of Hate
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 22: Knights of Suffering, Part 1
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 23: Knights of Suffering, Part 2
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 28: Vector, Part 4
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 29: Exalted, Part 1
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 31: Turnabout
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 34: Vindication, Part 3
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 35: Vindication, Part 4
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 37: Prophet Motive, Part 2
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 40: Dueling Ambitions, Part 2
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 42: Masks
 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 47: Demon, Part 1
 * Knights of the Old Republic: Opportunities
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
 * Timeline 1: Treaty of Coruscant
 * Darth Bane: Path of Destruction
 * Darth Bane: Path of Destruction