Freedon Nadd

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

- A line from a children's rhyme

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

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

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

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

- Jedi Master Matta Tremayne



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

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

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



However, while Nadd hurriedly walked away, Tremayne called to him and proceeded to tell him that the Masters could not show him what needed to be done&mdash;he needed to figure out what was required, and learn from that experience. Tremayne further explained that until then, he would not be promoted to the rank of Jedi Knight. Nadd's frustration gave way to pure anger, and accused Tremayne and the other Masters of being afraid to share their knowledge, and thus any power they had in the Force. Nadd then declared himself a Jedi, one who did not require the permission of the Masters. He vowed to become the greatest Jedi that ever lived, but Tremayne interrupted him with the ignition of her lightsaber, and issued a challenge for Nadd to prove to her that he deserved all the power he claimed. He responded in kind, and a fierce duel ensued, one which saw Nadd struggling to match the pace of with which his Master fought. After several passes, Nadd noticed and took advantage of an opening in Tremayne's defenses and swung his lightsaber down in a killing blow. At that moment, Tremayne looked into Nadd's eyes and he was filled with a sense of calm he had not felt since the Knighting Ceremony. The entire confrontation had been a test manufactured by Tremayne, and Freedon realized at the last second before his lightsaber cut into the wizened Master. He tried to halt the blade of his falling lightsaber, to no avail; Tremayne, who had deactivated her own weapon, was struck and killed instantly.

At first, Nadd was overcome with grief at his actions as he stared at the empty Jedi cloak which had just moments before contained the person of Matta Tremayne. However, as Nadd continued to dwell on what had transpired, his anger rose to new heights. He believed that the Masters had chosen the wrong way with which to test him, and that Tremayne had brought her own death upon herself by playing games with him. Believing that she was responsible for all the pain and rage he was feeling, Nadd continued to allow his anger to draw him further towards to the dark side of the Force. He left Ossus in a fit of rage, believing that the Masters had engineered the tests to drive him from the Order. With thoughts of revenge clouding his judgment and fueling his anger, Nadd set his starship's coordinates for the heart of the old Sith Empire, believing that he could find the revenge he craved within the annals of dark side knowledge. Freedon Nadd no longer had ambitions of becoming the greatest Jedi ever known; he instead aspired to become the most powerful Sith sorcerer to ever have lived.

King of Onderon
"Some of the Jedi who became students of the dark way couldn't wait to be chosen&mdash;or not chosen&mdash;to succeed the reigning Dark Lord&hellip;one such was Freedon Nadd. Nadd roamed the uncharted systems, until he found a world he could dominate using the powers of the dark side."

- From the holocron of Vodo-Siosk Baas



Nadd traveled to the ancient Sith planet of Ashas Ree where he rediscovered the original Sith holocron of King Adas, which had been lost several hundred years earlier by a Sith Lord named Garu. It was also believed that he may have acquired and studied the holocron of the ancient Dark Lord Darth Andeddu. Nadd eventually mastered the magics of the Sith, but was unable to progress any further down the dark path because a reigning Dark Lord of the Sith&mdash;a position that could only be held by a single individual at a time&mdash;still lived. Temporarily forestalled, Nadd journeyed to the jungle moon of Yavin 4, where he encountered the spirit of the Dark Lord Naga Sadow from whom Nadd received further training in the ways of the Sith. When he believed that he had learned all he could, Nadd destroyed Sadow's spirit and declared himself the new Dark Lord of the Sith. After collecting many Sith artifacts from old Sith ruins, Nadd began searching for a world to conquer. He made his way to Onderon, where he deposed the planet's previous monarchs and assumed the throne as king. Nadd transformed Onderonian culture into one steeped in Sith lore and magic. He ruled from the planet's only establishment, the city of Iziz, a walled city that protected Onderon's citizens from the vicious predators who migrated to the planet from its fourth moon, Dxun. Nadd armed his people against the beasts while also exiling those who refused to accept his Sith teachings. However, those same outcasts managed to tame the creatures of Onderon's wilderness, and became the Beast Riders, with whom Nadd engaged in a protracted war. Legends were spread spread down through generations on Onderon about Nadd single-handedly using Sith magic to repel the Beast Riders, until Nadd himself became somewhat of a god within Onderon truism for defeating the planet's wild beasts and aborigines. Even after many years of warring with the Beast Riders, they continued to pose a threat to the city of Iziz where Nadd ruled. Although his dynasty was cruel and oppressive, his teachings were widely accepted by the Onderonian people.

Upholding tradition
"Come to the dark side now, when it calls, or you will have failed. The dark side will forever shun you, the weak-minded fool who believed he had the right to wield its power!"

- Freedon Nadd seduces Ommin to the dark side



Darkness permeated Onderon for centuries after Freedon Nadd died, as his spirit lurked in the physical world and continued to influence the planet's citizens. His tomb, buried deep underneath the palace of Iziz, became focal point of dark side energy, and adherence to the way of the Sith also grew on Onderon as Nadd's lineage was extended. The rulers of Iziz constantly refreshed their skills in the presence of Nadd's spirit, and the Dark Lord readily obliged those who summoned him from Chaos with the desire to study Sith sorcery. Each took care to hide their dark allegiance, and cast out dissidents as they arose. One such was Ommin, a direct descendant of Nadd's who, after rising to power as King of Onderon, appealed to the Dark Lord to complete his Sith indoctrination. For many years Nadd trained Ommin in the arts of Sith sorcery, a secret that was kept from the king's wife, Queen Amanoa. When she discovered the relationship between Nadd and her husband, Amanoa fell into despair. Nadd, however, patiently waited while the queen's depression turned into a loathing that gave way to anger and eventually a deep-seated hatred for Ommin's dark side devotion. It was then that the Dark Lord began to transform Amanoa into an agent of the Sith as he had done with her husband.

Nadd's ultimate goal was to physically resurrect himself. By teaching his descendants well, Nadd hoped to find a powerful candidate to learn alchemical practices of his own Master Naga Sadow, and use them to create a body to hold his spirit. To ensure Ommin or Amanoa would achieve the necessary strength, Nadd made them to compete with each other. Years passed before Ommin's progression in Sith power caused him to lose control of his body, which forced him to retire from the forefront of Onderonian events to receive medical attention. Amanoa took full control of Iziz, and her relentless persecution of the Beast Riders pushed the conflict to the fringes of all-out war. Nadd realized then that the couple had failed him: Ommin would never be strong enough to fulfill Nadd's dream, while Amanoa would not continue her studies once her husband failed to compete with her anymore.

The Freedon Nadd Uprising
Hoping to con the queen back to studying, Freedon Nadd approached Amanoa during a Sith ritual with a warning that she would be destroyed if she allowed the Beast Wars to fully erupt. Amanoa completely misunderstood Nadd; in a desperate attempt to end the civil war, the queen requested help from the defenders of the Galactic Republic, the Jedi Knights. A team arrived led by Ulic Qel-Droma,, and when negotiations failed, Amanoa called upon the power of Freedon Nadd to support her during the ensuing battle against the combined forces of Jedi and Beast Riders. Amanoa fled to Nadd's tomb in the midst of the chaos, and summoned the Dark Lord's power to aid the Iziz defense forces against her enemies. Nadd assisted his worshipers for a time, but the arrival and subsequent intervention of Jedi Master Arca Jeth turned the tide of battle in the Beast Riders' favor. Nadd's influence was then cast out of Iziz after the Jedi located his tomb in the bowels of the palace. In doing so, the darkness was also driven from Amanoa, who died as a result.

It was during this time that Freedon Nadd's spirit was aroused from Chaos by King Ommin, who had learned of his wife's defeat and subsequent death at the hands of the Jedi and Beast Riders. Together they planned reclaim Iziz and take revenge against their foremost enemy, Arca Jeth. Under Nadd's instruction, Ommin assembled a new army whose ranks consisted of the Dark Lord's worshipers, and was led by Nadd's personal guardian, a Dark Jedi named Warb Null. They plotted to ambush the Jedi while preparations were being made to move both Nadd's sarcophagus and Amanoa's remains to Onderon's fourth moon of Dxun, and as the funeral procession commenced, the Naddist army attacked. The Naddists managed to recover the sarcophagi of Nadd and Amanoa before they retreated, and the Jedi pursued them to their underground lair, only to be confronted by the spirit of Freedon Nadd himself. King Ommin was also present, and while Warb Null distracted Ulic Qel-Droma, the Dark Lord and the king captured Arca Jeth. Together they planned to torture Jeth to the brink of sanity, that he might forsake the Jedi way and embrace the dark side of the Force.

Nadd's defeat
"The Jedi have not won today. As you will one day learn, the Jedi have lost!"

- Freedon Nadd, to Arca Jeth

While Freedon Nadd and King Ommin attempted to corrupt Arca Jeth, the remaining Jedi Knights contacted their Order on Ossus, as well as requesting assistance from the Galactic Senate in dealing with the Naddist uprising on Onderon. The Republic Navy, joined by a team of Jedi Knights, arrived to defeat the dark side army and in the process laid siege to Iziz. During the battle two aristocrats from the Empress Teta system named Satal and Aleema Keto also came to Onderon with a stolen Sith magic book in search of King Ommin, hoping to discover its secrets. Their meeting was short lived, as the reinforced team of Jedi Knights stormed the king's stronghold and freed Arca Jeth. Realizing that his pawn was no match for the Jedi, Nadd withdrew his support from Ommin and left him to the mercy of his enemies. The Dark Lord took notice of the Ketos, however, and saw in them the potential to perpetuate the legacy of the Sith; he returned their spellbook to them and also gave them a trove of other Sith artifacts, including several amulets and a pair of Sith swords. After guiding the young initiates to safety, Nadd's spirit returned to the Jedi and the dying Ommin. He personally terminated the king and declared the defeat of the Jedi, but Master Jeth called upon the light and drove Nadd's spirit away, finally cleansing Onderon of the dark side.

Resurgent Sith


At long last the Dark Lord's remains were relocated to a new tomb on the far side of Dxun, one that was made of nearly-indestructible Mandalorian iron. The Jedi hoped that a combination of the moon's natural predators and the tomb's remote location would deter would-be grave robbers and treasure seekers from attempting to access Nadd's power. The mausoleum was also filled with many of the Sith artifacts that had once belonged to Nadd, and had since been in the late King Ommin's possession. Several of the relics were collected and cataloged by the Jedi for shipment to the Jedi Archives on Ossus. During that time, Nadd's ghost appeared to one of the Jedi, Ulic Qel-Droma, and warned the Jedi not to interfere with the machinations of the dark side. When Qel-Droma attempted to denounce the Sith spirit, Nadd rebuked him, and also issued an ominous proclamation which told of the return of the Sith, and Qel-Droma's destiny as one of them. He then departed from Onderon and took up residence in his new tomb on Dxun.

Although Nadd's spirit resided in the tomb on Dxun, he regularly appeared to his new charges, Aleema and Satal Keto, to whom Nadd gave extensive training in Sith magic. They became powerful Sith sorcerers in their own right and, under the guise of their recently established Krath cult, used their newfound abilities to stage a political and militarial upheaval their home system's government. The Krath then launched a crusade against the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order itself. Satal Keto masterminded the successful ambush of a Jedi mass-gathering on the planet Deneba, one which resulted in the death of Freedon Nadd's old enemy, Arca Jeth. Jeth's passing sparked a hunger for revenge in Ulic Qel-Droma, who undertook a mission that involved infiltrating the Krath in an attempt to destroy them from within. In doing so, he slew Satal and fell to the dark side of the Force&mdash;just as Freedon Nadd had predicted.

First encounter


While the teachings of Freedon Nadd allowed the Krath to wreak havoc through the galaxy, another ambitious Jedi was stricken with a curiosity for knowledge of the ancient Sith. After learning the legend of Freedon Nadd from a Jedi holocron, Exar Kun abandoned his Master, Vodo-Siosk Baas, and embarked on a quest to Onderon for dark side knowledge. Kun's initial attempts to acquire Nadd's artifacts from the Jedi on Onderon were rebuffed, and he was forced to seek help elsewhere, namely from two Naddist sympathizers he came across while walking the streets of Iziz. These two men, Rask and Nebo, escorted Kun to Freedon Nadd's tomb on Dxun, where the curious Jedi managed to penetrate the structure's nearly-impregnable walls with his lightsaber to gain entry. He explored the crypt, and while doing so disturbed the spirit of Freedon Nadd. The Dark Lord recognized Kun's insatiable lust for greater power, and realized that in this curious Jedi lay an opportunity to bring his ultimate goal to fruition: physical resurrection. He instructed Exar Kun to reach into his sarcophagus and take the Sith scroll that was hidden beneath the husk of his former self, and with it he told the Jedi to travel to Korriban, the ancestral homeworld of the Sith.

On Korriban, Nadd's spirit approached Exar and tricked him to trap himself. Nadd claimed to the injured Kun that only the dark side of the Force could save him. Refusing to join the dark side, Exar's mind called for his Master. When Master Vodo received the call, the Jedi Master meditated with the light, trying to shield Exar from the dark side influence. Freedon Nadd detected Vodo's interference, and in a masterful display of his dark power, Nadd attacked Vodo from light years away. Vodo suffered no injury, but was not able to help his apprentice anymore.

Receiving no help from his Master, Exar pledged himself to the dark side, and was healed by Nadd's dark power. Nadd then led Exar to the resting place of the ancient Dark Lords, unleashing guardian beasts to attack Kun while Nadd himself took away Kun's lightsaber. In order to survive, Exar Kun called upon the power of anger and slaughtered the beasts, thus gaining the approval of the ancient Sith spirits in the tomb.

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

- Freedon Nadd to Satal and Aleema Keto

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

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

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

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

Personality and traits
"Freedon Nadd was a Dark Jedi. The stories say he was far worse than Revan and Malak ever were."

- Xarga to the Dxun Scout

As both a Jedi and a Sith Lord, Freedon Nadd was a man whose ambitions knew no limits. The rejection he felt that he received from the Masters on Ossus sparked in Nadd a desire to become the greatest Jedi of all time, with or without their approval.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Appearances



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