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- "With Tales of the Jedi, the potential is as vast as the galaxy itself. We haven't scratched the surface of what TotJ could be. It's so far back in the past, that there is no reason to fear that any story we tell could interfere with core continuity."
- ―Christian Gossett, Tales of the Jedi artist
Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, abbreviated as TotJ, is a comic book series covering eight story arcs, all published by Dark Horse Comics. The first story arc, entitled Ulic Qel-Droma and the Beast Wars of Onderon, was written by veteran Star Wars author Tom Veitch, and was part of the first series of comics, which eventually became known as Knights of the Old Republic. Veitch went on to write the next two story arcs, The Saga of Nomi Sunrider and The Freedon Nadd Uprising, and co-authored the fourth story arc, Dark Lords of the Sith, with fellow author Kevin J. Anderson. With the successful completion of Dark Lords of the Sith, Anderson continued the TotJ series as the sole storyline writer, with Veitch opting not to continue writing for the series. Anderson went on to write the final two story arcs, involving the main protagonist Ulic Qel-Droma, completing The Sith War in the spring of 1996 and Redemption in the fall of 1998. In the years between the writing of The Sith War and Redemption, Anderson pioneered two more story arcs, both taking place 1,000 years before the other TotJ stories, and introducing readers to the events surrounding the Great Hyperspace War. The Tales of the Jedi story arcs are the currently the earliest-set Star Wars works.
Set during the Old Republic era, six of the eight Tales of the Jedi story arcs take place during the time surrounding the events known collectively as the Great Sith War, a conflict instigated by Sith forces aimed at galactic domination. These six story arcs nominally focus on the Jedi Knight turned Sith Lord Ulic Qel-Droma, his love interest Nomi Sunrider, and a cast of supporting characters, including Ulic's own brother Cay Qel-Droma. Likewise, first appearing in Dark Lords of the Sith, the fallen Jedi Exar Kun would go on to become a Dark Lord of the Sith and wage war against the Republic and Jedi. The remaining two story arcs, The Golden Age of the Sith and The Fall of the Sith Empire, occur in the year 5,000 BBY and revolve around Sith Lord Naga Sadow and his schemes to invade Republic space through his manipulation of the Daragon siblings, Gav and Jori.
The Tales of the Jedi saga also produced several non-comic productions, such as the Tales of the Jedi Companion, a sourcebook for West End Games' Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, and two different audio dramas based on various TotJ comics. Tales of the Jedi was the inspiration for the popular Knights of the Old Republic video game series, and a bridging comic has been published by Dark Horse Comics.
Conception
- "I came up with the idea and I contacted [Lucasfilm Ltd.] about doing it as a follow-up to Dark Empire. "Oh, George will never go for this," they said. Well, he loved the idea, of course, and gave us free-reign to imagine the Star Wars universe of 4000 years before Luke Skywalker."
- ―Tom Veitch, commenting on his conception of creating Tales of the Jedi
As early as 1988, Tom Veitch had envisioned writing a comic series which revolved around the ancient Jedi and their stories. That year, Veitch and others proposed the idea of these comics to Lucasfilm Ltd., who were interested in the actual concept of such a story. However, at that time Lucasfilm did not believe that Star Wars had any more life in it, nor that there were going to be any more films—or other significant media—produced which would help to carry the franchise along. Likewise, a number of people in the comic book industry were dubious of any more comic success from Star Wars beyond that which had already been experienced with the Marvel line of Star Wars comics earlier in the decade. Veitch even recalls members of the comic industry telling him "you're crazy. Star Wars is dead."[1]
Tom Veitch, who was the original mind behind Tales of the Jedi.
Due to the initial setbacks, Veitch shelved the ideas that he had drawn up about the comic series, and decided to focus on other projects.[1] Eventually, Dark Horse Comics managed to buy up the rights to produce Star Wars comics, and contracted Veitch to write its first Star Wars-themed series, Dark Empire, which was released in December of 1991.[2] Dark Empire was an enormous success in the comic industry, and its success as a comic series has allowed Dark Horse Comics to retain the Star Wars comics rights ever since.[3] Dark Empire's storyline revolved around a resurgent Empire in the years following the Battle of Endor. As part of the story, Leia Organa stole an ancient holocron, which had once belonged to the Jedi Master Bodo Baas, from Emperor Palpatine's clone. At the end of each Dark Empire issue, there appeared a series of endnotes which Veitch would use as a type of "history" lesson on the Star Wars universe, as seen through the eyes of Organa as she searched through the stolen holocron. As a part of these endnotes, Veitch was able to introduce the characters and ideas that he had created years before for the comic series he had pitched to Lucasfilm Ltd.[4] It was during his writing of Dark Empire that Veitch again approached Lucasfilm with his ideas of the comic series about the ancient Jedi, which he had named Tales of the Jedi,[5] and which would eventually be abbreviated as TotJ.[6] This time, however, he was able to communicate directly with George Lucas, who Veitch said "loved the idea," and who gave Veitch free rein to write and explore the Star Wars universe 4,000 years before A New Hope. Lucas's one condition was that Veitch had to get final approval from him on the comic's storyline.[5]
With permission to finally begin writing Tales of the Jedi, Veitch again began to compile his characters and events into a storyline that would follow the mythic dimensions which, he felt, had been touched upon by the Star Wars films. To this end, Veitch began to watch all the three films again and again in an effort to get himself in the right frame of mind to begin writing such a diverse story. At this time in his career, Veitch commented that he wanted to "…study all of the layers of detail in the movies," and to "…study the way the movies were constructed." Likewise, Veitch also made use of the West End Games roleplaying game books and adventures, to make sure that his ideas would fit in with what had already been produced for the Star Wars universe.[1]
Eventually, following the release of the initial run of five Tales of the Jedi comics, Veitch was introduced to fellow author Kevin J. Anderson, who had been asked to write an introduction for the trade paperback edition of Dark Empire. During the course of their introduction, the two authors began to communicate to each other about what each was currently writing in respects to Star Wars. Veitch explained how he was currently working on another story arc for his Tales of the Jedi series, while Anderson described his Jedi Academy Trilogy series of novels, which he was writing for Bantam Spectra. During the course of their discussions, Veitch commented that he was planning on doing an even larger run of comics for Tales of the Jedi, which would revolve around a big new story. Anderson, likewise, explained how his trilogy of novels hinged on the spirit of a long-dead Dark Lord of the Sith named Exar Kun, who had been killed thousands of years prior to the setting of the books. Through further discussions, the two authors came to the realization that the character of Kun would fit well into the new story which Veitch had planned for Tales of the Jedi.[7] Believing that the two of them could create an memorable comic story, Veitch invited Anderson to be a part of the Tales of the Jedi production team.[5]
Production
- "We would do sketches of each page with a rough mosaic of the panels and stick figures inside just to help the artist (Chris Gossett for the first 5 issues of DLOTS). When we received pencils back, we would make sure the dialog fit with the images and tweak it as necessary. Sometimes we would very carefully map each panel, other times Chris would plan it himself with his artist's eye (especially the battle scenes). He made some particularly effective changes in how he wanted to draw the death of Master Arca."
- ―Kevin J. Anderson, describing his work with artist Christian Gossett
Early 1990s
Working in conjunction with Lucy Wilson, a liaison for Lucasfilm Ltd., writer Tom Veitch, artist Christian Gossett, and editor Dan Thorsland began work on the first run of five Tales of the Jedi comics.[1] The first two comics were titled Ulic Qel-Droma and the Beast Wars of Onderon, and introduced various core characters such as the Jedi Ulic Qel-Droma, Cay Qel-Droma, Tott Doneeta and Arca Jeth, as well as the spirit of Freedon Nadd, a long-dead Dark Lord of the Sith. The last three comics were titled The Saga of Nomi Sunrider, and introduced other characters such as Nomi and Vima Sunrider, Jedi-in-training Oss Wilum, as well as the Jedi Master Thon.[8] During the production of these two story arcs, Veitch, Gossett, and Thorsland worked in a close relationship with Wilson, who helped guide them during the series' creation. Wilson's job was to ensure that the team was working within the allowed boundaries established by Lucasfilm and see if they were on course with their expectations. During this time, Veitch and others created various questionnaires which explained their intentions with regards to the storyline. These questionnaires were then given to George Lucas, who would either approve or disapprove of their contents. Veitch would comment during an interview that "These were reviewed by George, because he wants to make sure, if you're going to tell about the ancient Jedi, he wants to have input on it. We have to write very carefully detailed questionnaires and list the ideas we want to use." Likewise, in the same interview, Thorsland commented how very "exacting" Lucasfilm was in their standards. This policy was something which he believed to be a good thing as it helped enhance the quality of Tales of the Jedi.[1]
Christian Gossett, who worked with Tom Veitch as the artist for the first two comics, wanted to create a wide variety of beasts and creatures which both were terrifying and had never been seen before in the history of Star Wars. In an interview for Star Wars Adventure Journal 2, Gossett explained how as a small child he had always been terrified of pictures which showed magnified insects, such as the flea, when its picture was blown up to abnormal sizes. These, he explained, were the basis for the large number of different creatures that he had created for the planet of Onderon and its moon of Dxun. Working in close communication with each other, both Veitch and Gossett wanted to constantly bounce ideas of one another, so that they could eventually get a unique feeling out of the comics.[1]
1994: A one-shot deal, and a joint venture
Kevin J. Anderson, creator of several TotJ story arcs.
Following the release of the first five Tales of the Jedi comics, Veitch was asked by Dark Horse Comics if he could write a one-shot story arc which would act as a bridging comic for the characters initially created and the comics which would be produced in the following years. To this end, Veitch wrote the forty-eight page comic series, spaced over two issues, entitled The Freedon Nadd Uprising. The artist for this series was a newcomer to Tales of the Jedi by the name of Tony Akins, who had been found and contracted by editor Dan Thorsland to do the artwork. Likewise, Veitch brought in Denis Rodier—a friend of his with whom he had collaborated on other non–Star Wars projects with—to be the inker for the series.[5]
With the successful production of The Freedon Nadd Uprising, work began on the next story arc, which Veitch had initially envisioned to be an enormous new storyline spanning twelve issues.[5] However, Lucasfilm Ltd. cut the story into two distinct arcs, with the first six issues being called Dark Lords of the Sith and the last six The Sith War. Bringing in fellow author Kevin J. Anderson to co-write the first arc, Veitch again invited Christian Gossett to do the artwork. Working closely with Gossett, Anderson and Veitch would make sure that their dialog would fit with the artwork that he had produced. This was done through a series of rough sketches, mosaics, and the use of stick figures so that the trio could get each page as close to their shared vision as possible. At other times, Gossett would work by himself to produce entire pages and scenes, especially the battle scenes, which, Anderson admitted, Gossett had such a "keen" eye for. Likewise, Gossett tackled the portion of the story which centered around the death of Arca Jeth, and he was able to effectively portray this as both authors had jointly envisioned it.[7]
1995: One conclusion leads into a new series
Despite the work which Gossett was able to produce, by the release of his fifth issue he had fallen behind due to the workload involved in that stage of production. To help Gossett, Dark Horse Comics brought in a relief artist named Art Wetherell, who took on various parts of the sixth, and final, issue of Dark Lords of the Sith. According to Anderson, Wetherell's work seemed rushed, and he did a vastly less interesting job of portraying the climatic scenes than Gossett had done. Nevertheless, Dark Lords of the Sith was completed on time, and a short rest was enjoyed by the production team before work began on the next story arc.[7]
During this time, however, events outside of Tom Veitch's control forced him to leave the project he had initially started. When asked about this time, and why he decided to leave Tales of the Jedi, Veitch responded that it was a long story, but that, "As Star Wars once again became a cultural phenomenon, I felt my freedom begin to slip away, and so it was time to do other things." Despite this, Veitch would also comment that he thoroughly enjoyed his work and time on Tales of the Jedi, commenting that it was a great time to be working in Star Wars.[5]
Left to complete the remaining six issues of the original twelve, Anderson admitted that he felt comfortable with the work he had done so far on Dark Lords of the Sith, and that he was more than confident in his ability to work with the comic format to finish the job. Anderson was also comfortable in the fact that he and Veitch had thoroughly mapped out the general storyline for all twelve issues, and that it was simply a matter of taking the basic points and fleshing them out into a detailed story. To do the artwork for the The Sith War, Anderson brought in artist Dario Carrasco, Jr., whom Anderson called a "very reliable and enthusiastic guy."[7]
1996: End of The Sith War, the prequels begin
Early in 1996, Anderson and his crew were able to finish the remaining issues of The Sith War, thus clearing the way for another project. Following the conclusion of the events first started in Dark Lords of the Sith, Anderson and the other members of the Tales of the Jedi project wanted to take a short rest from the story of Ulic Qel-Droma. Anderson and the others knew that there was still more to Qel-Droma's story, but they also knew it was going to be an intense and emotional journey to create and produce the final installment of it. To this end, Anderson began work on the first of two prequel story arcs for Tales of the Jedi, set more than 1,000 years prior to the events which had already been written about.[7]
The first story arc was entitled The Golden Age of the Sith and focused on the ancient Sith Empire, as well as the hyperspace explorers Gav and Jori Daragon. During this time, Anderson again worked with Carrasco, and the two worked closely with Lucasfilm on the storyline, submitting specific questions about the ancient Sith to George Lucas, which he would personally answer, thus providing a fair amount of material for use in the story.[7]
1997: Conclusion of the ancient Sith stories
Christian Gossett, artist for several TotJ story arcs.
With the conclusion of The Golden Age of the Sith in 1996, Anderson completed his ancient Sith project by writing the second installment of his prequel series, entitled The Fall of the Sith Empire. In this installment, Anderson effectively brought to an end the story of the Sith Lord Naga Sadow, Gav and Jori Daragon, and the Great Hyperspace War, in which the Sith launched an attempt to conquer the Republic. For the artwork, Carrasco continued what he had begun in the first story arc, The Golden Age of the Sith.[9] The final issue of The Fall of the Sith Empire was released on October 22, 1997, and was titled "End of an Empire."[10]
1998: Ulic Qel-Droma's redemption
With the successful completion of the two story arcs about the ancient Sith, Anderson again turned his attention to the story of Ulic Qel-Droma, which he had left partially completed at the end of The Sith War. According to Anderson, "That was a very powerful experience, especially during the writing of what I consider to be the most emotionally intense piece of SW fiction I have ever written." For Anderson, the writing of Redemption,[7] originally titled The Redemption of Ulic Qel-Droma,[11] was an important milestone in his career, and he wanted to do everything possible to make sure that it was one of the best pieces of Star Wars literature that he ever produced. Likewise, Christian Gossett, whom Anderson had worked with on Dark Lords of the Sith and had brought in to do the artwork for Redemption, wanted to make Redemption a comic unlike any other previously published Star Wars work.[7]
According to Gossett, his aim was to make the story arc as "visually character-driven as possible," a characteristic which he felt was severely lacking in Dark Lords of the Sith, which he claimed had turned into a "circus" by the third issue. Gossett explained that in Dark Lords of the Sith it was sometimes very hard for him to match a name to a face of a character, and he could only imagine what that must have been like for the readers and viewers of his work; likewise, he felt that that story had too many characters, and as a result believed the story suffered from it. So, with Redemption, Gossett wanted to make a handful of core characters that he could really marry to Anderson's writing, thus avoiding the mass-injection of persons experienced in his earlier work. To accomplish this, Gossett traveled to Anderson's home and stayed with the writer and his wife during various stages in the production of Redemption. Gossett's and Anderon's aim was to work on each issue together, laying the artwork and scripts out panel by panel, page by page, and issue by issue.[6] By the time Anderson and Gossett got to the final climax in the story, Qel-Droma's redemption and subsequent death, both admitted that it was a very emotional time for them.[7][6] According to Anderson, "…we got so involved in the story that we were practically shaking by the time we got to Ulic's death and redemption."[7] Gossett, likewise, gave a similar account when he admitted in an interview that he was in tears during the writing and creation of the last few pages of the final issue.[6]
Main characters
- "Four Millennia [sic] is such a long, long, long time. It's total freedom. We could explore some in-depth Jedi philosophy from a backwater system that was lost over the span of the millennia. We could show conflicts between certain aspects of the Republic itself. We could tell more stories of Rogue Jedi.[sic] If Ulic Qel Droma [sic] is out there, wandering the perimeter systems, finding whatever adventure comes his way, then there are countless others out there as well."
- ―Christian Gossett, commenting on the freedom that the Tales of the Jedi time line provides
Ulic Qel-Droma
Main article: 
Ulic Qel-Droma is the main protagonist for five of the eight Tales of the Jedi story arcs. First mentioned in the endnotes of Dark Empire 5: Emperor Reborn,[12] the character of Ulic Qel-Droma was expanded upon by writer Tom Veitch in the first story arc of the TotJ comic series, where Qel-Droma was introduced as a Jedi-in-training. Veitch took Qel-Droma through numerous battles and experiences in this initial comic-appearance,[13] and would resume his story in the third story arc, entitled The Freedon Nadd Uprising. Working in conjunction with artist Tony Akins, Veitch continued the chronicle of Qel-Droma, in which he and his fellow Jedi Knights would fight against the spirit of Freedon Nadd, a former Dark Lord of the Sith.[14] Eventually, Veitch teamed up with fellow author Kevin J. Anderson, and together would propel Qel-Droma, along with many other TotJ characters, into the next story arc, Dark Lords of the Sith. It was during the writing of this story arc that Ulic Qel-Droma began his fall to the dark side of the Force; eventually, in the last issue of the Dark Lords of the Sith, Veitch and Anderson decided that Qel-Droma would be anointed a Sith Lord, and apprenticed to Exar Kun, a character created by Anderson who was also a fallen-Jedi who joined the Sith.[15] With the conclusion of Dark Lords of the Sith, Anderson would continue the story of Qel-Droma in the fifth TotJ story arc, The Sith War.[16] After completing The Sith War, Anderson chose to work in a close partnership with artist Christian Gossett to produce Redemption, the final story arc to feature Qel-Droma. This story arc told of both the redemption and death of Ulic Qel-Droma.[17]
Nomi Sunrider
The character of Nomi Sunrider was created by Tom Veitch,[5] and initially drawn by artist Janine Johnston for the first issue of The Saga of Nomi Sunrider. This story arc introduced Sunrider as a Force-sensitive, along with various other core TotJ characters, and told the story of her road to Jedi Knighthood.[18] Tom Veitch would eventually comment that he always harbored a "soft spot" for Sunrider,[5] and with regards to her character he had "…wanted to do at least one Jedi character with complex emotions and motivations."[1] Using this frame of thinking, Veitch continued his work with Sunrider when he was contracted by Dark Horse Comics to write a forty-eight page graphic novel to build off his work done on previous TotJ stories.[5] The end product was The Freedon Nadd Uprising, which allowed Veitch to bring the characters of Ulic Qel-Droma and Sunrider together[14] in preparation for future TotJ stories and tales, and allowed him to continue building a network of complex characters like he had always envisioned.[1] The story of Sunrider continued throughout the story arcs Dark Lords of the Sith, The Sith War, and finally Redemption. By the time of Redemption, Sunrider's character had been styled into the leader of the Jedi Order,[19] and it was in this story arc that author Kevin J. Anderson portrayed the Conclave on Exis Station, which was led by Sunrider.[20]
Odan-Urr
Odan-Urr first appeared in issue three, titled Descent to the Dark Side, of the Dark Lords of the Sith story arc as a Jedi Master and leader of the Jedi convocation during the time of the Great Sith War. Co-created by Tom Veitch, Kevin J. Anderson, and Christian Gossett,[7] Odan-Urr first appeared as a millennium-old Jedi Master who presided over the Conclave on Deneba. Eventually, following the conclusion of The Sith War line of comics, Anderson would write two more TotJ story arcs which would feature a young Odan-Urr as one of the central characters. These two story arcs, The Golden Age of the Sith and The Fall of the Sith Empire, take place 1,000 years prior to the events already expanded in the previous TotJ stories, and provide details surrounding the back story for Odan-Urr in which he takes part in the Great Hyperspace War. Within these two story arcs, Odan-Urr was portrayed as a battle-shy Jedi Knight who was more interested in studying Jedi lore than using his Force talents in the field.[21] However, readers eventually witnessed the transformation of this shy Jedi Knight into one of the leading figures of the Jedi Order.[9] The character of Odan-Urr was later expanded upon in various non-TotJ works, where his story would continue.[19] Details would be written about how he clarified and refined the Jedi Code, where his version of the Code was used for almost 4,000 years, right up until the Great Jedi Purge.[22]
Naga Sadow
The Sith Lord Naga Sadow was created by Kevin J. Anderson,[7] and first appeared in a flashback within issue one of the Dark Lords of the Sith story arc. This issue, entitled Masters and Students of the Force, showed Sadow as a Human while stating that he was of pure Sith blood; his appearance would later be changed by Anderson to reflect his Sith heritage during the writing of The Golden Age of the Sith, thus contradicting the original portrayal of Sadow. The Golden Age of the Sith, written by Anderson, would detail the events prior to the Great Hyperspace War, a war waged against the Galactic Republic and instigated by Sadow.[23] Provided by Lucasfilm Ltd. the freedom to write his stories the way he wanted,[7] Anderson created an entire back story for Sadow, expanding off the brief mention he gave the character in the first few pages of Masters and Students of the Force, and writing a detailed explanation about the rise and fall of both Sadow and the Sith Empire. The Golden Age of the Sith detailed the events which saw Sadow usurp the mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith, and enter into a civil war with fellow Sith Lord Ludo Kressh. Eventually besting Kressh, Sadow manipulated two young fugitive siblings from the Republic, Gav and Jori Daragon, into helping him launch a brutal, but brief, war against the Republic. Sadow's efforts at toppling the Republic would be detailed in the story arc The Fall of the Sith Empire, which also told about Sadow's defeat and exile to the fourth moon of Yavin.[9]
Freedon Nadd
The character of Freedon Nadd, a fallen Jedi turned Dark Lord of the Sith, was first created by Tom Veitch for use as a catalyst in the first TotJ story arc, Ulic Qel-Droma and the Beast Wars of Onderon. In this story arc, it was the tomb and mummified corpse of Nadd which acted as an agent for the dark side actions of the Onderon Royal Family, more specifically Queen Amanoa. Veitch would continue with this story during his writing of The Freedon Nadd Uprising, the third TotJ story arc, in which the story was centered around a dark side cult on Onderon which worshiped Nadd. Moving forward, the character of Nadd would be influential in the joint Veitch-Anderson venture Dark Lords of the Sith. In this story arc, Nadd's spirit was used to help propel Exar Kun down the dark side path towards becoming a Sith Lord. Nadd's spirit would eventually be destroyed by Kun on Yavin 4, thus bringing his story within TotJ to an effective end. Nevertheless, Nadd's character and back story would be expanded upon in various reference[24] and source books,[25] as well as novels.[26]
Exar Kun
Exar Kun's character was first conceived by Kevin J. Anderson for his novel series The Jedi Academy Trilogy, where he appeared as a spirit bent on regaining the power he had once wielded as a Dark Lord of the Sith. During the course of writing these novels, Anderson and Tom Veitch found themselves in communication with one another. During the course of their conversations, it was revealed the role that Kun's character would play in The Jedi Academy Trilogy, and it was felt that Kun's back story would fit perfectly into the storyline that Veitch had drawn up for the Tales of the Jedi comic series.[7] While Anderson worked on Kun's story for his novel trilogy, both Veitch and Anderson co-authored the TotJ story arc Dark Lords of the Sith, which explained how Kun was a fallen Jedi who had decided to sate his curiosity of the dark side by searching out ancient Sith artifacts. Eventually, Kun proclaimed himself the Dark Lord of the Sith, and escalated the already ongoing galactic conflict to new heights.[15] Under the penmanship of Anderson, Kun's character was defeated in the story arc The Sith War, and reinforced the facts stated in The Jedi Academy Trilogy about how Kun, and eventually his spirit, would come to be trapped in the Massassi temple of Yavin 4.[16]
Gav Daragon
Gav Daragon is one of the main protagonists, along with his sister Jori, for Kevin J. Anderon's two story arcs The Golden Age of the Sith and The Fall of the Sith Empire. Gav's first appearance was in issue zero of The Golden Age of the Sith, titled Conquest and Unification in which he and his sister were forced to accept the fact that their parents were killed during the final stages of the Unification Wars. Throughout the Golden Age of the Sith story arc, Anderson took Gav's character on a journey which spanned new worlds and new characters. Running from the authorities, Gav and his sister made a blind hyperspace jump and found themselves in the center of the Sith Empire, in the center of a power struggle between Naga Sadow and Ludo Kressh. Using Gav's character as a catalyst for the action, Anderson's story would place Gav on the side of the Sith, with Jori being allowed to escape back to the Republic.[21] With the end of the Golden Age of the Sith, Anderson wrote The Fall of the Sith Empire to continue the story of Gav and the other characters previously introduced. Throughout The Fall of the Sith Empire story arc, Gav would ignorantly prove to be a pawn of the Dark Lord of the Sith, Naga Sadow, and be a key player in helping set off the Great Hyperspace War. Gav was eventually killed after changing sides and helping the Republic defeat the Sith forces of Sadow.[9]
Jori Daragon
The character of Jori Daragon, like her brother Gav, was created by Kevin J. Anderson for his epic story arcs The Golden Age of the Sith and The Fall of the Sith Empire.[7] Jori's first appearance was in Conquest and Unification, issue zero of The Golden Age of the Sith story arc, and she became one of the central figures in these two story arcs. The daughter of Hok and Timar Daragon, Jori and her brother became orphans when their parents were killed at the Battle of Kirrek, while on a run to resupply Empress Teta's army.[27] Along with the character of her brother Gav, Jori's character was used by Anderson as a vehicle to help push the events of The Golden Age of the Sith story to climax. Having gotten themselves into financial troubles, Jori helped her brother steal their ship, which had been impounded by the authorities, in order to set out and hopefully find an unknown hyperspace route, thus making them rich.[28] However, their search would take them into the middle of the Sith Empire, where they became prisoners of the Sith Lords.[29] Eventually, Jori was allowed to escape from the Sith Empire, unknowingly leading the Sith forces of Naga Sadow back to the Republic, thus sparking off the Great Hyperspace War.[30] Jori would prove instrumental in helping defeat the Sith forces of Sadow, despite the death of her brother.[9]
Story arc summaries
The Golden Age of the Sith
In the year 5,000 BBY, in the Koros system, a conflict known as the Unification Wars is underway in an effort to unite the seven worlds located in that system. The main effort is led by Empress Teta, the leader of the Koros Major forces, who are fighting against various armies from other Koros system worlds. To help aid Teta in her fight for unification, the Jedi Knight Odan-Urr is sent by Jedi Master Ooroo to lend his support to the Koros Major forces. Arriving at the city of Cinnagar, located on Koros Major, Odan-Urr is instrumental in helping defeat the armies of the last planet to offer resistance—the world of Kirrek. Utilizing a Force technique known as battle meditation, which he had learned in his studies back on Ossus, Odan-Urr helps demoralize the enemy forces, thus allowing an almost bloodless victory to be had.[27]
Having lost their parents in the Unification Wars, two Force-sensitive siblings, Gav and Jori Daragon, manage to acquire a ship, the Starbreaker 12, which had belonged to their deceased parents.[27] Using their newly acquired ship, the Daragon siblings set out to make a fortune in mapping out new hyperspace routes.[28] In the course of their adventures, however, Gav and Jori find themselves on the run from Ssk Kahorr, a merchant lord who loses a fortune using one of the Daragon's newly mapped routes. Due to this, the duo are themselves destitute and without a ship. Stealing the impounded Starbreaker 12 from its berth at Aarrba's shop, they plot a completely random set of hyperspace coordinates to escape the authorities, jumping to parts unknown.[28] Eventually, the Daragon siblings' random jump lands them in orbit around the planet of Korriban, where a funeral procession is being held for Marka Ragnos, Dark Lord of the Sith. Prior to the Daragon's arrival, the Sith Lords Naga Sadow and Ludo Kressh had dueled to determine who would be the next reigning Dark Lord of the Sith. However, the spirit of Marka Ragnos appears, and advises the Sith Lords that a new threat is upon them, and that they must be prepared. Landing their ship on the outskirts of the procession, Gav and Jori are immediately taken prisoner in the belief that they are spies.[29] Through a series of events put into action by the Sith Lord Naga Sadow, the Daragons are unwittingly used as pawns to help further Sadow's own plans for absolute power over the Sith Empire.[31]
Cover art for Golden Age of the Sith issue #0
Taking their prisoners to the fortress world of Ziost, the Sith Lords gather to discuss the Daragons and their true purpose on Korriban. After a long debate between those present, it is decided that the potential threat that Gav and Jori represent is too great, and that they are to be executed to prevent them from letting the Republic learn of the Sith. However, believing that Gav and Jori Daragon possess the key he needs to expand the Sith Empire, Naga Sadow sends one of his Massassi warriors to retrieve the prisoners' weapons from the Starbreaker 12; developing a plan through which he would gain control using lies and deception. As such, Sadow starts events in motion which will have long-lasting consequences for the Sith Empire. Utilizing only his loyal Massassi warriors, Sadow manages to free both Gav and Jori from their prison cells. As part of his plan, Sadow and his warriors kill a number of Massassi guards, as well as the Sith Lord Simus. Planting an acquired Republic blaster at the scene of Simus's murder, Sadow effectively sows the seeds needed so that the other Sith Lords would believe that the Republic is responsible for the both the Daragons' escape and the various murders that had taken place. Following their "escape" from the Ziost prison, Gav and Jori are sent to Sadow's personal stronghold on the moon of Khar Shian. Meanwhile, Sadow, along with all other Sith Lords, is summoned to Ziost for an emergency meeting to discuss the missing prisoners, and the murders that had occurred. The majority of the other Sith Lords are indecisive about what to do, and squabbling begins to break out among various factions. During the chaos and confusion of the meeting, Sadow takes the opportunity available and claims the vacant title of Dark Lord of the Sith. Believing that leadership is now required in the face of the dangers present, the majority of the other Sith Lords acknowledge Sadow as the new Dark Lord, thus swearing fealty to him. However, Sadow's rival Ludo Kressh, and those loyal to him refuse to accept that Sadow was the new Dark Lord, storm out of the meeting.[31]
Believing that the first phase of his plan is coming to fruition, Naga Sadow orders his Massassi warriors to retrieve the Starbreaker 12 from the Ziost hangar, and plant a hidden tracking beacon on it. He then travels to his decoy fortress on Khar Delba, where Jori Daragon has been transported to. Through Sadow's own designs, Ludo Kressh discovers that the new Dark Lord of the Sith is the one who was actually behind the prisoners' escape, as well as the murder of Simus. Rallying together with the Sith Lords who support him, Horak-mul and Dor Gal-ram, Kressh prepares his fleet for an attack against Sadow's fortress of Khar Delba. Having arrived at Khar Delba, Kressh's fleet commences a bombardment of the apparently defenseless fortress.[32] During the initial stages of the attack, Sadow is able to convince Jori Daragon that she has to return to the Republic before the fortress is destroyed. Reluctant to leave Gav behind, Jori agrees to leave after Sadow presents her with a holorecording in which her brother tells her that they would be together again, one day soon. Following Jori's jump to hyperspace, Sadow then springs his pre-arranged trap on the attacking fleet of Ludo Kressh. Unbeknown to Kressh, Sadow had previously hidden his fleet on the dark side of Khar Shian. Recalling his hidden might to action, Sadow's forces are able to hem in Kressh's combined fleets. It was during this time that Sadow sends out an order to the Massassi warriors on the ships of Horak-mul and Dol Gal-ram, ordering them to kill the Sith Lords. With the assassinations complete, the Massassi warriors then direct their ship's fire on the ships of Ludo Kressh. Realizing what has taken place, Kressh is left with no choice but to retreat from the onslaught. With his power firmly established, the Dark Lord of the Sith Naga Sadow prepares his armies for an invasion of Republic space, intending to use the hidden tracking beacon that had been placed on the Starbreaker 12.[30]
The Fall of the Sith Empire
Having arrived back on Koros Major, Jori Daragon attempts to contact the local authorities to advise them of the Sith Empire's plans for invasion. However, she is quickly arrested by the planetary forces, her warnings are dismissed as lies, and the Starbreaker 12 is given to Ssk Kahorr as compensation for his losses in using one of the Daragons' hyperspace routes.[33] As payment for the crimes of her and her brother, Jori Daragon is sentenced to work on the colony world of Ronika. However, not long after arriving on the prison planet, Jori escapes by breaking free of her guards, and steals a nearby ore shuttle. Believing that it is her duty to inform Empress Teta and the Jedi about her experiences within the Sith Empire, Jori manages to fly the stolen shuttle back to the royal palace in Cinnagar, and also manages to infiltrate the throne room. Though Empress Teta is skeptical of the information at first, the Jedi Knight Odan-Urr confirms Jori's claims due to their striking similarities with the visions he has been having of an impending war with the Sith.[34]
Cover art for The Fall of the Sith Empire issue #5.
Meanwhile, the Sith invasion fleet enters Republic space and immediately begins various attacks, including an invasion of the Republic capital, Coruscant. Under the direction of several Jedi, including Memit Nadill, Tuknatan, and Sonam-Ha'ar, the Republic ground forces are able to mount a hasty defense against the swarming legions of Massassi soldiers and Sith war beasts which land on the planet. Realizing that the Sith are too many in number, Nadill orders the Jedi and Republic forces with him to retreat to the Senate Hall, where he rallies the defenders for a final stand against the invaders. Coinciding with the attack on Coruscant, Sadow's forces focus their efforts on other key Republic worlds, including the planet of Koros Major. The Sith forces which invade Koros Major are temporarily halted, as Teta throws her entire military might into the fight. Realizing that another prong of the Sith invasion is aimed at the planet of Kirrek, also in the Koros system, Odan-Urr leaves Teta, and, along with his Master Ooroo, takes command of the defense of Kirrek. Meanwhile, on Kirrek, the Empress Teta agrees to enlist the help of prisoners captured during the earlier Unification Wars, and allows these rebels to join in the defense against the invading Sith forces.[35]
Witnessing the devastation and strife caused by Sadow's invasion, Gav Daragon is able to finally realize that he has simply been a pawn to the Dark Lord of the Sith from the very beginning. Understanding that he alone is able to halt Sadow's invasion, Daragon, who had been named commander by Sadow, uses his ship's weapons against Sadow's meditation sphere, where the Sith Lord has been using battle meditation to influence the war. Immediately following Daragon's attack run, Sadow loses his concentration in the Force, causing much of the Sith army on Coruscant to simply fade into nothingness. Realizing that a vast portion of the attacking force is merely illusions, Nadill and the other commanders are able to inspire the defenders into pushing back, and eventually defeating, the remaining Sith forces.[36] Wanting to see that the remaining Sith legions are defeated, Daragon transmits the coordinates of Sadow's core fleet, including his meditation sphere, to the fleets of Empress Teta. Knowing that his demise is at hand, Sadow fires a superweapon aboard his meditation sphere, causing several stars around his fleet and that of the Republic to begin to explode. Using the impending devastation as cover, Sadow retreats back to the Sith Empire, only to be confronted by the presumed-dead Ludo Kressh, who had used a decoy ship to fake his own death. Sadow, however, manages to finally kill his longtime rival by crashing one of his remaining ships into the hull of Kressh's flagship, destroying it instantly.[10]
Knowing that the fleets of Teta and the Republic would be able to follow him back to Sith space, Sadow gathers together those Massassi still loyal to him, and flees to the uninhabited jungle moon of Yavin 4. Believing that he can one day bring about a new empire for the Sith, Sadow begins construction on Yavin 4, in preparations for the Sith's return to power.[10]
Ulic Qel-Droma and the Beast Wars of Onderon
A thousand years after the defeat of the armies of the Sith Lord Naga Sadow, three Jedi apprentices—the brothers Ulic and Cay Qel-Droma, and the Twi'lek Tott Doneeta—are busy learning the ways of the Jedi from Master Arca Jeth on the planet Arkania. Following a lightsaber training match, in which Ulic demonstrates his skill with the blade, Master Jeth gathers his three apprentices to tell them the history of a planet called Onderon; thousands of years before, Jeth explains, the atmospheres of Onderon and one of its four moons, the moon of Dxun, briefly came into direct contact with one another, thus allowing the native flying beasts from the jungles of Dxun to migrate to the surface of Onderon. Even though the primitive native Onderonians proved to be easy targets for these gigantic animals, the Onderonians eventually learned to hunt the great flying beasts which had invaded their world. Jeth continues by explaining how the arrival of the Dxun beasts forced the primitive tribal cultures of Onderon to evolve into a modern civilization, establishing themselves in the walled city of Iziz, thus allowing for an easier defense against the flying beasts. As the city of Iziz grew, so did its laws and customs. As part of these customs, criminals are cast out into the wild, beyond the protection afforded by Iziz's walls. However, these criminals eventually learned to tame the flying beasts, and managed to organize themselves into war bands against city of Iziz.[37]
Cover art for Tales of the Jedi issue #2.
These exiled criminals, who Master Jeth explain were called "Beast Riders," eventually found themselves in open warfare with the forces of Iziz in a conflict which would come to be known as the Beast Wars. This conflict, the three apprentices learn, had been raging for hundreds of years, and the Onderonian Royal family had requested the aid of the Jedi to help bring an effective end to the conflict. Following this, Arca Jeth explains that he had been chosen as the Jedi Watchman for the Onderon system, and that he is going to send his three apprentices to Iziz to help bring about a peaceful end to the Beast Wars. At first, Ulic, Cay, and Tott are surprised at this revelation, but then jump on the chance to prove themselves on their first mission.[37]
The trio depart Arkania, and soon arrive at Iziz on Onderon, and are granted an audience with Queen Amanoa, who is the ruling monarch at that time. However, during their meeting with Amanoa, several Beast Riders burst through the large palace windows and attack the Jedi and Royal Guards. During the ensuing struggle, a special unit of Beast Warrior Commandos enters the fray and manage to kidnap Princess Galia, daughter to Amanoa. Demanding that the Jedi find and rescue her daughter, Amanoa sends the three apprentices outside of Iziz to pursue the fleeing Beast Riders. Accepting Amanoa's demands for help, Ulic, Cay, and Tott Doneeta journey into the Onderon wilds, and eventually make their way to Kira Fortress, the forest citadel of Beast Lord Modon Kira. There, the Jedi discover that Galia's kidnapping is actually an elaborate plot planned by herself and Oron, Modon Kira's son. The kidnapping, they explain, took place so that Galia can be rid of the dark influence of her mother and the Onderonian Royal family, and also so that she could marry Oron. Explaining how her family had been influenced by the dark side for generations, beginning with a fallen Jedi named Freedon Nadd, Galia and Oron are able to enlist the help Ulic and his companions in helping overthrow the current government of Iziz.[38]
Believing that a peaceful resolution to the Beast Wars should be attempted, the Jedi, Galia, and Oron make their way back to Iziz and are able to speak with Amanoa, pleading that she help bring an end to the war. Despite their intentions, the Jedi and their allies are expelled from the royal hall by Amanoa, who had called upon the dark side to drive them away. Sensing that the peaceful solution has failed, Modon Kira gathered together the various other Beast Lords from across the whole of Onderon, and together, the combined armies of the Beast Riders attack the city of Iziz. The battle turns into a fierce affair, in which Cay Qel-Droma's left arm is cut off, and Amanoa is forced to retreat below the royal palace to the tomb of Freedon Nadd. Meanwhile, having sensed that his apprentices were in trouble, Master Jeth travels to Onderon and arrives during the Beast Riders' assault on Iziz. Using the art of battle meditation to help turn the tide of the fighting against the dark side forces of Amanoa, Jeth is able to bring a swift victory to the Beast Rider armies. Joining his apprentices, Galia, and Oron in the royal palace, Master Jeth confronts Amanoa in the dark side tomb of Nadd. Overwhelmed by the power which Jeth possessed, Amanoa is instantly killed by the effects of the light side of the Force. Following the death of Amanoa, Princess Galia and her new husband Oron Kira, take their places as the new rulers of Onderon, thus effectively bringing an end to the Beast Wars which had plagued the planet for generations.[38]
The Saga of Nomi Sunrider
In the year 4,000 BBY, the Jedi apprentice Andur Sunrider, along with his wife Nomi, their daughter Vima, and their droid A-3DO leave their home on the planet H'ratth in order to seek out the reclusive Jedi Master known as Thon on Ambria in the Stenness system. Having been sent by his old Master, Chamma, to learn from Thon, Andur carries several rare Adegan crystals, which he was to present to Thon as a gift from Chamma. Midway through their trip to the Stenness system, the Sunriders stop at a hyperspace terminal to gather food and supplies for the final leg of the journey to see Thon. During their time on the hyperspace terminal, it is discovered by Bogga the Hutt, a known crime lord, that Andur is in possession of several rare Adegan crystals. Wanting the crystals for himself, Bogga orders his gang of thugs to attack the young man and bring the crystals back to him. Bogga's gang managed to surprise and kill the young Andur, but are unable to gather the Adegan crystals from the corpse. Following his death, Andur reappears as a Force ghost to his wife Nomi, telling her to pick up his fallen lightsaber and defend both their daughter and herself. Through her dead husband's insistence and knowledge that she is Force-sensitive, Nomi is able slay two of the criminals and send the rest fleeing. She then gathers up Vima, A-3DO, and the crystals, and depart once again for Ambria.[39]
Cover art for Tales of the Jedi issue #5.
Having arrived on the desolate world of Ambria, Nomi orders A-3DO to stay behind with their ship, the Lightside Explorer. Bringing Vima along, Nomi sets out to follow her feelings in the hopes that they would lead her to that whom she sought—Jedi Master Thon. Eventually making her way through the harsh deserts of Ambria, Nomi and Vima encounter a lone being riding atop a fierce-looking beast. Knowing that this being is a Jedi, Nomi follows him back to his modest dwelling, a small farm in the middle of the desert. Meanwhile, at the order of Bogga, who still wants the elusive Adegan crystals, several gangsters manage to track Nomi to Ambria, where they find A-3DO inside the Lightside Explorer. Believing that the crystals they sought are inside the ship, the thugs shoot A-3DO while in the process of looking for the hidden treasure, unaware that Nomi has taken the crystals with her. Following their quarry's trail to the dwelling where Nomi and Vima are, Bogga's men are confronted by Nomi's host. However, the Jedi is overwhelmed by the sheer number of thugs. Despite the apparent advantage held by the gangsters, the beast which Nomi had seen the Jedi riding intervenes in the struggle. Advantaged by the element of surprise, the beast is able to trample several of the pirates, thus forcing the remainder of the gang into retreat. Safe for the time being, it is soon revealed that the being whom she had met was actually a Jedi Knight by the name of Oss Wilum, and that it is the fierce-looking beast who actually Master Thon.[39]
Under the guidance of Thon, Nomi begins her training as a Jedi Knight, alongside Oss Wilum. While the Jedi training continues on Ambria, a ship of Bogga the Hutt's is hijacked by the pirate Finhead Stonebone, who is intent on capturing the valuable ore which was contained aboard the ship. However, Bogga himself, aboard his flagship Enforcer One, is able to thwart Stonebone's plans and captures both him and his pirate gang. Believing that Bogga was going to execute him for his crimes, Stonebone was surprised when Bogga decides that the pirate and his gang would pay for their crimes by traveling to Ambria, where Stonebone was to kill Master Thon and anyone with him, and retrieve the Adegan crystals which had previously eluded Bogga's best efforts.[40] Stonebone, as the leader of both his pirate crew and several thugs of Bogga, leads an attack on Thon's homestead, and manages to capture Thon due to Nomi's reluctance to engage in violence following her husband's murder. However, upon realizing that Thon is not going to fight back, in order to show her the path of the Jedi, Nomi decides to use her Force abilities to attack Stonebone and the rest of his gang. Through the combined efforts of Nomi and the freed Thon, the pirates are soon driven from Ambria, never to return again.[41]
The Freedon Nadd Uprising
Following the defeat of Queen Amanoa in the bowels of the Iziz palace, Jedi Master Arca Jeth, along with various other Jedi and Beast Riders, attempts to move the sarcophagi of Freedon Nadd and Amanoa to the jungle moon of Dxun. During the funeral procession, the group is attacked by the Naddist dark side army, soldiers of the dark side cult which worshiped Freedon Nadd. The attackers are led by the large armored Dark Jedi Warb Null, and proceed to lay siege to the procession. During the attack, the sarcophagi of both Nadd and Amanoa are stolen by the Naddists, while Null holds off the several Jedi Knights by engaging them in lightsaber combat. With their intended targets secured in their grasp, Null and the Naddists retreat aboard their groundboring war machine, and escape back into the ground beneath Iziz.[42]
Cover art for The Freedon Nadd Uprising issue #2.
Realizing that the dark side influences of Amanoa have not ended with her death, Jeth, Ulic Qel-Droma and Queen Galia approach the apparently ailing King Ommin, father to Galia and husband to the late Amanoa, for assistance in finding the Naddists. However, the trio are soon betrayed by Ommin who has actually been using Sith magic, taught to him by the spirit of Freedon Nadd, to keep himself alive. Using his dark side powers, Ommin is able to knock Jeth unconscious, while Qel-Droma and Galia are confronted by the spirit of Freedon Nadd and his right-hand subordinate, Warb Null. The ensuing confrontation sees a short but fierce duel takes place between Qel-Droma and Null, during which the Dark Jedi is killed when Qel-Droma cut off his head. Even though Null is killed, Ommin is provided enough time to spirit away the unconscious body of Jeth deeper into his underground lair.[42] Believing that he and his fellow Jedi are in need of assistance, Qel-Droma puts forth a call to both the Jedi leadership back on Ossus, and the Republic Defense Ministry on Coruscant, requesting that additional aid be sent to Onderon.[43] In response to the call for help on Onderon, the Jedi leadership assigns Jedi Knights Nomi Sunrider, Dace Diath, Shoaneb Culu, Kith Kark and Qrrrl Toq to travel to their fellow Jedi outside of Iziz, and to help bring an end to the Freedon Nadd Uprising.[42]
Meanwhile, on the Republic capital of Coruscant, two aristocratic cousins by the names of Satal and Aleema Keto, travel to the Galactic Museum in search of ancient dark side artifacts and lore. The two are the creators of a dark side cult known as the Krath, and are seeking to expand their knowledge of the ancient Sith. Among the pieces harbored within the Sith Hall exhibit of the museum is an ancient Sith spellbook, its pages capturing the attention of Satal; sensing its importance, he manages to steal the book from the museum. However, neither he nor Aleema can read it due to the fact that it is written in the ancient Sith language. The duo, though, notice on a local HoloNet news cast that there are reports of Sith practitioners who are active on the planet Onderon, and who are currently engaged in an uprising. Believing that these Sith hold the key to translating the book, the Ketos fly to Iziz to in search of assistance.[42] The Ketos are eventually granted an audience with Ommin, and the old man gives Satal the gift of a Sith amulet. With the amulet Satal and Aleema find that they can read the contents of the book.[44]
While Ommin is meeting with the Ketos, the Jedi reinforcements from Ossus arrive on Onderon and join the battle alongside their fellow Jedi already there. Along with the Republic attack fleet, the Jedi are able to storm the fortress of Ommin and free the captured Arca Jeth. During the attack on the fortress, the Jedi and Jeth are again confronted by the spirit of Freedon Nadd. Realizing that Ommin can no longer be a vessel for his means, Nadd withdraws his dark side influence from the old man, causing Ommin to be die. After a brief war of words with Jeth, the spirit of Nadd once again retreats into his sarcophagus. With the death of Ommin, and the apparent defeat of Nadd, the Naddist rebellion is effectively put down by the Republic and Jedi forces. Following this, the sarcophagi of Ommin, Amanoa, and Nadd are all successfully transported to Onderon's fourth moon of Dxun, and interred there by the Jedi.[44]
Dark Lords of the Sith
Occurring in the year 3,997 BBY, a violent coup is masterminded in the Empress Teta system[45]—formerly known as the Koros system[46]—by the cousins Aleema and Satal Keto, who manage to overthrow the Tetan Monarchy and establish their own rule over the seven worlds of that system. The two cousins utilize Sith magic that they had learned from the Sith tome they had stolen from Coruscant, thus effectively cementing their control and demonstrating that nothing would stand against them in their quest for absolute power. Word of the Krath coup eventually reaches Master Arca Jeth, and he learns that the political uprising is in part related to the work which he, and the Jedi Knights under his command, had done on Onderon. Learning that the Krath leaders had received help from the Sith forces during the Freedon Nadd Uprising, Jeth believes that it is his responsibility to help quell the chaos that has engulfed the Empress Teta system. To this end, Jeth dispatches several of the Knights on Onderon around the galaxy in an effort to halt the growing threats he could feel in the Force.[45]
Cover art for Dark Lords of the Sith issue #2.
Meanwhile, following orders from Master Jeth, Ulic Qel-Droma and Nomi Sunrider take control of a joint Republic-Jedi task force whose mission is to lend aid, if possible, to any worlds in the Empress Teta system who are still resisting the Krath takeover. Arriving in the system, they find a large Krath fleet in orbit around the namesake Empress Teta, which is the final planet to not be subdued during the coup. The ensuing battle sees a Krath victory against the Republic and Jedi fleet, which retreats back into hyperspace after sustaining heavy casualties. During the retreat, a Krath fighter imbued with Sith magic crashes into the command deck of the capital ship Alliance I, that Jedi advisor Qel-Droma is on. Shrapnel from the ship embeds itself in his side and, unbeknown to him, the Sith magic releases his aggressive emotions, thus allowing him to use the dark side of the Force more freely.[47]
With the defeat of the Republic-Jedi task force in the Empress Teta system, a Jedi convocation is organized on the planet Deneba to discuss a course of action to combat the rising threat of the Krath. However, the events of the conclave are interrupted when a force of Krath war droids attacks the assembly and wage a brief, but bitter, battle, which sees the death of Arca Jeth. Ulic Qel-Droma then decides to infiltrate the Krath leadership in an attempt to destroy the cult from within.[48] Qel-Droma's infiltration, however, is soon discovered by Satal Keto, and a confrontation breaks out between the two which ended in Qel-Droma using the dark side to strike down and kill his opponent. Though several of his friends, including his lover Nomi Sunrider, attempt to rescue him when they realized that he was falling to the dark side, Qel-Droma shuns them and aligns himself with Satal's cousin Aleema, who is aware of his mission but believes that they can both serve each other's ends.[49] Having lost sight of his original mission, Qel-Droma becomes warlord of all the Krath forces and prepares for war against the Republic and Jedi.[50]
Nevertheless, Sunrider and the other Jedi refuse to give up on their old friend. Gaining the Jedi Masters' blessing to attempt to rescue Qel-Droma again, the Jedi Knights organize a large force of Beast Riders and Jedi to attack the Krath palace on Koros Major. The proceeding battle witnesses a second confrontation between Qel-Droma and his former friends, though it too is unsuccessful in returning Qel-Droma to the light. Following the retreat of the Jedi and Beast Rider forces, Exar Kun, a fallen Jedi who had gained significant Sith knowledge studying artifacts on Korriban and Yavin 4, arrives on Koros Major in an effort to destroy Qel-Droma and any other threat to the rise of his would-be Sith empire. However, during the duel the ancient Sith spirit of Marka Ragnos appears and declares that both Kun and Qel-Droma are the heirs to the Sith legacy, and that they are now both anointed as Dark Lords of the Sith.[50]
The Sith War
Six months after the joining of forces by Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma, the two Sith Lords set out to begin their plans of galactic conquest. Kun arrives on the planet of Ossus intent on preaching his newfound beliefs with regards to the Force, hoping that he would be able to attract a large number of Jedi to his cause. Speaking to a group of Jedi, many of whom, following the death of Arca Jeth, had begun to question their roles in the Jedi Order, Kun is able to convince a majority among them of what he was saying; believing that Kun possesses secrets which the Jedi Masters had so far withheld from them, this group of Jedi accompanies Kun to the moon of Yavin 4, where they believe that Kun would instruct them in the ways of the Force. Meanwhile, after a brief confrontation with Mandalore the Indomitable in which he emerges the victor, Qel-Droma is able to gain the allegiance of the Mandalorian clans, thus adding their manpower to those of his Krath forces. With the clans of Mandalore combined with his already enormous army, and with Kun busy gaining Sith converts, Qel-Droma and Aleema Keto plan for a massive invasion of Coruscant, with the intent of toppling the reigning galactic government.[51]
Cover art for The Sith War issue #5.
Under the guidance of Kun, the Jedi defectors travel with him to Yavin 4 where he advises them that he needs their help in destroying an ancient Sith holocron, thus freeing the moon from the dark side's grasp. Once on the ground, the Jedi watch as Kun makes a spectacle of destroying the holocron. In reality, however, Kun's destruction of the device unleashes a strong wave of dark side magic which infects all those around him, excluding the Cathar Jedi Crado who has already sworn fealty to Kun. Under the control of Kun's Sith magic, the new Sith acolytes are dispatched from Yavin 4 with the mission of finding, and killing, their old Jedi Masters: the Brotherhood of the Sith is formed. Kun believes that such a blow against the Jedi Order would weaken it to the point where it can no longer resist his efforts at galactic domination. Meanwhile, Qel-Droma and Keto launch their invasion of Coruscant, however due in a large part to treachery by Keto, who believes she could usurp Qel-Droma and claim his power, the invasion is stalled by the Jedi and Republic. Under orders from Keto, the Krath and Mandalorian soldiers retreat from the surface, leaving Qel-Droma to face capture by the Republic Inquisition.[52]
Though Qel-Droma is captured and placed on trial for his war-crimes, he steadfastly denies the charges brought against him, claiming the Republic is a weak and corrupt government. During the proceedings, Exar Kun, and a party of Massassi warriors, arrive to help free the captured Sith Lord. Mandalore the Indomitable, who has learned of Keto's treachery against Qel-Droma during the attack on Coruscant, traveled to Yavin 4 to seek out Kun in the hopes that he would help rescue Qel-Droma from the Inquisition. After a dramatic entrance, in which he uses Sith magic to paralyze all those non-Jedi present, Kun kills the Republic Supreme Chancellor and confronts his former Master, Vodo-Siosk Baas. While other Jedi battle Kun's Massassi warriors, Baas duels with Kun, but is soon bested by his former student. With the death of Master Baas, Kun and his remaining warriors collect Qel-Droma and depart Coruscant.[53]
While Kun is busy on Coruscant rescuing Qel-Droma, the various Sith Acolytes departed Yavin 4 and launch their pogrom against their former Masters. With great efficiency, almost all of the targeted Masters are assassinated, although at least one, Thon, is able to best his assassin and survive the attack. Nevertheless, the deaths of so many Jedi Masters garners worry among the remaining Jedi, and when word of a Sith attack against Kemplex IX arrived, a team of Jedi is hastily dispatched to deal with it. The ensuing battle at Kemplex IX witnesses the deaths of all participants on both sides, as the Sith, under Aleema Keto, use Sith magic to set off a chain reaction of stellar explosions in the nearby Cron Cluster. The resulting supernova cannot be controlled, and utterly destroys everything surrounding it;[54] the supernova is on a collision course with the Jedi library-planet of Ossus, and Kun and Qel-Droma believe that once the Jedi evacuate the world, they can then swoop in and plunder the remaining Jedi secrets.[55] Though the Jedi were caught unaware by the catastrophe, they rushed to gather what artifacts they could and flee. However, the Sith arrived on the planet before the Jedi could leave, and Cay Qel-Droma confronts his brother. After a duel, Ulic kills Cay. However, this act horrifies Ulic, and he abandons the dark side. Nomi Sunrider, horrified by Ulic's actions, found herself overcome with grief and torment and strips him of his ability to use the Force. Broken and unable to touch the Force, Qel-Droma agrees to help the Jedi end the war by leading them to Kun's secret base on the moon of Yavin 4. The Jedi catch the Dark Lord of the Sith unprepared, and they are able to completely level the moon, causing an enormous firestorm to spread across the planet, thus effectively destroying Kun and his seat of power. However, Kun's spirit lives on, as before his death he uses his powers to drain the life from his Massassi followers, binding his spirit to a Sith temple on the moon.[56]
Redemption
Ten years after the devastating defeat of Exar Kun on the moon of Yavin 4, the Jedi Order is called to its first convocation since the Great Sith War by its new leader, Jedi Master Nomi Sunrider. Since the end of the war, both the Jedi and the Republic have focused on helping to restore the damaged parts of the galaxy. The Jedi, however, lacked direction, and so Sunrider hopes that, through a conclave, the Jedi Order can begin to build a united front and start replenishing the numbers they had lost during the conflict. And so, heeding the call of their leader, masses of Jedi begin descending upon Exis Station, the location chosen for the conclave.[20]
Cover art for Redemption issue #4.
The conclave, however, is soon manipulated by one of the Jedi present: a Cathar by the name of Sylvar, who had fought during the Sith War, and who lost her mate, Crado, due to Ulic Qel-Droma. Angry that Qel-Droma has not been apprehended and brought to trial for the crimes he had committed during the war, Sylvar manages to successfully turn the focus of the conclave away from rebuilding the Order, to the question of "What should be done to Ulic Qel-Droma?"[57] During the proceedings, a teenage Vima Sunrider, daughter to Nomi Sunrider, grows bored with the assembly's banter and decides to steal a spacecraft from Exis Station and go for a joy ride. However, Vima soon finds herself in trouble when she loses control of her ship, and is in danger of being pulled into a nearby sun. Nevertheless, Tott Doneeta, a Twi'lek Jedi who arrives late to the conclave, appears in system at that very moment and manages to save young Vima from death.[20]
Following her rescue by Doneeta, Vima feels that her Jedi training cannot continue under the guidance of her mother, who she believes cares more about leading the Jedi Order than she does about the future of her own daughter. Vima then makes the decision to seek out the only person whom she thinks can help her: Ulic Qel-Droma. Eventually making her way to Rhen Var, the frozen planet which some believed Qel-Droma had exiled himself to, Vima begins her search for the former Dark Lord of the Sith.[57] Vima makes her way to what appears to be an abandoned fortress in the middle of the desolate frozen wastes of Rhen Var. Finding a way inside, Vima is finally confronted by Qel-Droma. The fallen Jedi initially refuses to train Vima in the ways of the Force, believing that since he can no longer touch the Force he can not adequately train her. Qel-Droma, though, soon changes his mind and takes the young Jedi as his apprentice.[58]
Meanwhile, Sylvar's anger at Qel-Droma and his war crimes, specifically his involvement with her mate's death,[20] drives her close to the dark side of the Force.[58] In an effort to find solace for her anger, Sylvar travels to the planet of Ryloth with fellow Jedi Tott Doneeta, but allows her anger to control her actions there.[57] With her anger clamoring to claim her, Sylvar believes that she could only find peace on her home planet of Cather, through a ritual called a "blood hunt." Nevertheless, Sylvar's anger does leave her, and she concludes that she must find Qel-Droma and confront him about everything he has done.[58] During this time, Nomi discovers what her daughter had done and who she is with, and departs Exis Station in an effort to bring Vima home.[59] Arriving on the frozen planet, Nomi makes her way to the fortress where Qel-Droma and Vima are, and proceeds to meet with her former lover for the first time since the end of the Great Sith War. Initially angry that Vima has chosen to seek out Qel-Droma, Nomi is able to realize both the reasons behind her daughter's choices and also what Qel-Droma has been able to teach her thus far. Qel-Droma, believing that he would finally be able to find peace now through the efforts of both Vima and Nomi, is soon confronted by the angry Sylvar, who has also arrived on Rhen Var. A fierce lightsaber duel ensues, but Sylvar is unable to continue fighting when Qel-Droma makes her realize that she was slowly walking down the same road that he had walked during the Sith War. Finally releasing her anger, Sylvar admits how close she has come to falling. However, at that moment the pilot Hoggon, who had transported Sylvar to the planet, shoots Qel-Droma from behind, proudly proclaiming that he is the one to kill Ulic Qel-Droma. In the arms of Nomi Sunrider, and despite his inability to touch the Force and his fall to the dark side, Qel-Droma dies and becomes one with the Force, showing those present that he has at last been redeemed.[60]
Media
Comics
| Color code key: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Story arcs | Written by Tom Veitch | Written by Kevin J. Anderson | Co-written by Veitch and Anderson |
Guide books
- "When I first learnt that West End Games [was releasing] a companion to the Tales of the Jedi comics, I was overjoyed. I had enjoyed the comic books immensely, and still believe them to be the best that Dark Horse has produced so far in the Star Wars Universe. The group I am currently a member of attempted a Tales of the Jedi campaign earlier, but stopped it due to numerous difficulties. Now with this companion, we plan to return to the fascinating world of Star Wars once more."
- ―David Schibeci
| Title | Publisher | Author | Editor | Cover artist | Date published | Type | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cover art of the Tales of the Jedi Companion.
Following the initial success of the first few runs of comic series, West End Games was contracted by Lucasfilm Ltd. to produce a sourcebook for their Star Wars Roleplaying Game which centered around Tales of the Jedi. The sourcebook was written by George R. Strayton, a veteran Star Wars author who had worked on various other projects for West End Games. Released in August of 1996, the Tales of the Jedi Companion focused on the first three story-arcs produced for the comic series, and provided extensive background details on a number of characters, planets, vehicles, and otherwise. Some of the included entries were for Ulic and Cay Qel-Droma, Nomi Sunrider, the SunGem, Freedon Nadd, and boma beasts. Likewise, the Companion included entries and descriptions for various light and dark side Force powers which could be used by players of the Star Wars Roleplaying Game. Of note are several vignettes that are scattered throughout the pages of the Companion which focus on small stories, ranging from a tale of Amanoa which takes place during the events of Ulic Qel-Droma and Beast Wars of Onderon, to a story about Vara Nreem, a young Jedi Knight not previously featured in the TotJ series, and her fall to the dark side of the Force.[61]
With the release of the Tales of the Jedi Companion fan reception of the sourcebook was overall positive, with the website The Wanderer's Rest giving it three stars, and commenting that it is "Highly recommended." The Wanderer's Rest would also comment in its review that, with regards to the usability of the sourcebook, "In some ways you are better of [sic] just using the comics books, but [we] feel the Companion is an excellent reference for the comic books."[62] Likewise, Goodreads.com had several readers who recorded between four and five stars out of a possible maximum of five stars with regards to the Companion, with no reviewers scoring lower than a four-star rating.[63] Similarly, on the Jedi Council Forums of TheForce.Net, a user under the alias of "Blithe" commented, "I would also like to suggest the Tales of the Jedi companion and Dark Empire Sourcebook as well. Both are very well written pieces of literature–some of the best EU out there, IMHO."[64] On the same forum thread, but a separate page, a user under the screen name of "LastOneStanding" is noted as saying, "While I love the TotJ Companion, the creation of Warb Null isn't that great. The story about how Freedon Nadd became the evil being he eventually was is much better…"[65]
Audio dramas
- "Anyone who is familiar with what a Jedi Knight is supposed to stand for will grasp early on that whoever wrote 'Tales of the Jedi' has read more Conan novels than Zen philosophy."
- ―Mike Perschon, commenting on the script for the Tales of the Jedi audio drama
| Title | Release date | Audio publisher | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cassettes | |||
| Tales of the Jedi | August 1, 1997 | HighBridge Audio | 1565111982 |
| Dark Lords of the Sith | July 1, 1997 | HighBridge Audio | 1565111990 |
| Compact Discs | |||
| Tales of the Jedi | April 7, 2005 | HighBridge Audio | 1565119738 |
| Dark Lords of the Sith | May 5, 2005 | HighBridge Audio | 1565119746 |
Between the writing of the comic story arcs The Sith War (completed 1996) and Redemption in (1998), HighBridge Audio was contracted to produce two audio dramas centered around the events of various Tales of the Jedi stories. In the year 1997, HighBridge produced and released two separate audio dramas on cassette tapes based upon the characters, planets, and storylines of the first four Tales of the Jedi arcs. Beginning with the Tales of the Jedi audio drama, HighBridge Audio used scripts written by John Whitman and based on Tom Veitch's original comic scripts, to bring to life the stories of Ulic Qel-Droma and the Beast Wars of Onderon, The Saga of Nomi Sunrider, and The Freedon Nadd Uprising, spread across two cassette tapes. Several months following the release of the Tales of the Jedi audio drama, HighBridge delivered the audio adaptation of Dark Lords of the Sith. This second drama was again written by John Whitman, who based his script off of the originals created by Tom Veitch and Kevin J. Anderson.
Reception of the audio dramas and their interpretations of the stories were mixed among fans of Star Wars and Tales of the Jedi. On Amazon.com, a user under the screen name of "JediMack" gave the Tales of the Jedi audio drama a mere three out of five stars, and commented, "The focus is on the action and dialog, and they sacrific[e] some of the background."[66] Likewise, another Amazon.com user by the screen name of "Mike Perschon" rated the book with one out of five stars, and commented, with regards to the Ulic Qel-Droma in the first audio drama, "Constant threats such as 'back off or I'll cut you in half with my lightsaber' would seem more appropriate in the pages of any sword and sorcery pulp novel, but in the Star Wars universe, being spouted by a Jedi (even a novice) is so ridiculous as to make the listening unbearable." Continuing his thoughts, "Mike Perschon" would comment that he believed the one redeeming quality of this audio drama was the voice actor for Arca Jeth "…who puts in a splendid performance despite atrocious dialogue."[67] Nevertheless, another user who bought the audio drama as a gift for their son, posted simply, "He was pleased," and proceeded to rate the drama as five out of five stars.[68] Likewise, another user, who also rated the drama as five out of five, was quite pleased with their purchase, saying that, "The descriptive sceneries throughout this story lend themselves to good imagination. The music and the special sound effects are superbly well done. I highly recommend it for a long drive."[69] Overall, the average customer rating for the Tales of the Jedi audio drama was scored as four out of five stars on Amazon.com.[70]
Fan reception of the Dark Lords of the Sith audio drama was more positive in nature, with one user scoring it four out of five stars, and stating simply "Good CD quality. Very happy with the purchase."[71] Likewise, another user, known simply as "A Customer" commented " The sound effects and voice dictions are superbly well done. I highly recommend the audio version for a good long drive. The ending is totally climatic leaving you with a cliff hanger."[72] Nevertheless, a user by the name of "Nathan" stated that "This audio book translation of a comic is just terrible. I'm surprised I didn't get in an accident as I kept rolling my eyes as this story got worse and worse." This user also complained that the characters lacked motivation, a lot of the script's lines were cliches, and that the story simply started and finished in the middle of the tale.[73] Overall, however, the average customer rating for the Dark Lords of the Sith audio drama was scored as 4.5 out of five stars on Amazon.com.[74]
Both the Tales of the Jedi and Dark Lords of the Sith audio dramas were eventually released on compact disc, again by HighBridge Audio, in 2005.
Reception of the comics
- "…I think SW does very well in the comics format, because it's such a visual story and universe. I did enjoy the different costumes, the different government and environment in the TOTJ timeframe."
- ―Kevin J. Anderson
The first two story arcs, Ulic Qel-Droma and the Beast Wars of Onderon and The Saga of Nomi Sunrider, composed the first Tales of the Jedi comic line to be produced by Dark Horse Comics. Eventually compiled into various different collections, these two story arcs would come to be recognized under the collective title of Knights of the Old Republic, which was the first time that that name appeared in Star Wars continuity. Written by Tom Veitch, drawn by Christian Gossett, and published in 1993, Ulic Qel-Droma and the Beast Wars of Onderon introduced many of the key figures of the Tales of the Jedi saga. In 1994, following the release of the initial run of five comics, Ilene Rosenberg did an interview with Tom Veitch, Christian Gossett, and Dan Thorsland entitled Making Star Wars Comics Come Alive for Star Wars Adventure Journal 2 which focused on the then-new comic series of Tales of the Jedi. When asked by Rosenberg what kind of feedback had been received from those who had read the comics, Gossett pointed out that, at the time of the interview, the majority of fan reception for Tales of the Jedi was positive. He also went on to say that TotJ had been given a number of "nice" reviews in the comic magazine Hero Illustrated. Thorsland, likewise, replied that the fan reception had been so far terrific, that the press had given a wonderful review, and that, critically, it was very acclaimed. Similarily, Veitch simply stated that the TotJ team had received hundreds of positive fan letters in the mail, with only one or two negative pieces of mail.[1]
Artwork of Nomi Sunrider, used for the cover of Dark Horse Comics 7 which featured a preview of the then yet-to-be-published Saga of Nomi Sunrider story arc.
Nevertheless, fan comments with regards to the first story arc, Ulic Qel-Droma and the Beast Wars of Onderon, ranged from mild to good, with several fans posting mixed reviews about their experience while reading it.[75][76] In a post on Amazon.com written by a user under the alias of "Excellence," commented "The art quality is a sample of what you'll put up with in TOTJ: horrible. Comics now, dominated by the ever-popular Republic series, have never looked better; and despite how art technology back then isn't up to today's standards, console yourself that at least this is better than that dreadful so-called art of Dark Empire." In the same post, "Excellence" further explains how several of the stories' ideas were hard to comprehend, such as Cay Qel-Droma being able to affix a replacement droid arm on himself to replace his severed one; likewise, they comment, "More disturbing is Onderon's moon. If it orbits so close that their atmospheres periodically brush, allowing the moon's hostile fauna to migrate to Onderon, how doesn't it succumb to gravity and drop into the planet as well?" Even though there were a number of things which were found lacking in this story arc, "Excellence" posted that the comics were worth getting, and commenting that they did enjoy the story and plot, saying that it "…moves along swiftly…."[77] Other readers also found the plot line engaging, and worth reading, even if the art work is considered "low" by twenty-first century standards. A reviewer by the screen name of "mastadge" commented that, "Overall this is a pretty good comic, and it paves the path for what will be one of the most exciting epics in Dark Horse's Star Wars publishing run."[78]
Likewise as part of the first Tales of the Jedi run of comics, The Saga of Nomi Sunrider introduced important TotJ characters such as Nomi and Vima Sunrider, Thon, and Oss Wilum, among others. Released following the production of the first two comics, detailing Ulic Qel-Droma and Onderon, Sunrider's story was likewise written by Veitch. It was drawn by Janine Johnston and, in the final two issues, David Roach. Similar to its predecessor, The Saga of Nomi Sunrider received mixed reviews about its content and artwork, though the reviews tended to be more positive in their nature. One user on Amazon.com commented that the, "…story was much more enjoyable than Ulic's, and all around much better. The art, however, is pretty weak and ugly."[78] Having been discussed on the Jedi Council Forums of TheForce.Net, The Saga of Nomi Sunrider was commented upon by user "lord-darkhelmet," who exclaimed that, "The story was good, and the illustrations were great for the last two issues when David Roach took over the visuals."[79] Another user, also from TheForce.Net under the alias of "Charlemagne19," commented that "I'd argue that Nomi Sunrider is one of the greatest EU creations in the series. She's one of the first strong and powerful female creations of the EU, certainly ranking with Mara Jade and one of the few who manages to stand on her own. I consider "The Saga of Nomi Sunrider" to be probably the best single "short story" (3 issues) in the entire EU."[80] Another user who posted under the screen name of "GreenLantern_Jedi" gave very positive reviews for The Saga of Nomi Sunrider, describing how they enjoyed the characters which Veitch introduced, as well as the general style of the series, which they described as "…a distinct late 60's / early 70's vibe - recalling the works of Carlos Castenada, the original Dune trilogy, 'Heavy Metal' magazine…"[81]
Concept art, drawn by Christian Gossett, of a Mandalorian soldier.
Following the release of the first five Tales of the Jedi comics, Tom Veitch was contracted to produce a one-shot 48 page comic series, and the end product was The Freedon Nadd Uprising.[5] Eventually being produced as a bridging series which brought together the main characters from the first two story arcs, The Freedon Nadd Uprising was better received among fans than the original story arcs, though reviews were still largely mixed. On Amazon.com, a user under the screen name of "Big Irish Guy" stated that ""The Freedon Nadd Uprising" is another example of the good decision Lucas Books made in deferring to Dark Horse Comics to telling of the Tales of the Jedi series."[82] Along with this Amazon.com user, several others would comment that they enjoyed how The Freedon Nadd Uprising was used a bridge between the comics, and how it was able to successfully introduce new characters who would become major players in the future story arcs.[83] One user, who ultimately rated the comic series as four out of five stars, wrote "This quick little graphic novel does a marvelous job at laying the groundwork for the treachery that is to come."[82] A minor complaint that several fans have commented on with regards to The Freedon Nadd Uprising story arc was that it was too short, thus allowing the story to feel rushed.[84][85] The series, these users agreed, could have easily been expanded from two issues to perhaps four or six issues, thus allowing the story to grow and for more detail to be given.[86] Another complaint, which echoes those of the first two story arcs, revolved around the artwork of The Freedon Nadd Uprising which was drawn by artist Tony Akins. Among fans, comments have been made such as the artwork being "sloppy,"[86] the inconsistency of the colors is terrible,[87] and that the general feel of the comic's artwork was "lazy."[86] One user, under the alias of "Sturm Antilles," was so let down by The Freedon Nadd Uprising that they commented that the story arc was, "The worst of the TotJ series for me, by far."[88] Nevertheless, there were several comments which supported the style of artwork chosen, such as the art being reminiscent of the influential and successful comic artist Jack Kirby,[85] to the effects the art had on the lightsaber duels which caused the lightsabers to seemingly come to life.[87]
Following the release of The Freedon Nadd Uprising, Tom Veitch teamed up with Kevin J. Anderson to write the next Tales of the Jedi story arc. This arc was entitled Dark Lords of the Sith and it focused on both of the characters of Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma's, and their descent to the dark side of the Force. This fourth story arc would eventually end with both Kun and Qel-Droma being anointed Dark Lords of the Sith. Generally, the reception of fans to this arc was far better than that of the first three, with several fans making the assertion that it was the best story arc of Tales of the Jedi.[89][90] One reviewer, under the screen name of "Kurt A. Johnson," commented on the trade paperback of Dark Lords of the Sith, "Overall, we found this to be a great book. The illustration work is very good, and the story is gripping."[91] Another user who went by the username of "handofthrawn45" commented that "…this is probably the strongest of the TotJ series. Its storyline is the best defined by far, and Gosset's art is very effective." Several others also commented that the art for some, if not all, of the comics was quite good,[92] while still others disliked the artwork for either the entire series, or individual issues.[93][94][95] One negative comment which can be found in numerous comments by reviewers is how the artwork in issue six, Dark Lords of the Sith 6: Jedi Assault, is very poor in comparison to the previous five issues of the story arc.[95][94][90] The simple explanation for the change in art style was that issue six was drawn by artist Art Wetherell, while the first five issues were all drawn by Christian Gossett. Overall, Amazon.com gave Dark Lords of the Sith a total of 4.5 out of five stars,[96] while Barnes & Noble.com gave it four out of five stars.[90]
Concept art, drawn by Christian Gossett, of a Republic soldier.
The next story arc to be written was entitled The Sith War and spanned six issues which witnessed the height of Kun and Qel-Droma's power as Sith Lords, as well as their downfalls and defeats at the hands of the Jedi. Overall, fan reception to this series was positive, with many consistent reviews being given; nevertheless, as with previous story arcs, there were several complaints and dislikes listed with regards to The Sith War, though none negative enough to greatly impact any individual reviewers opinions of the story arc. One unnamed reviewer of the story arc, in a post titled "Better than the Star Wars movies" on the Barnes & Noble website, commented that, "Everything in this story arc–from the interpersonal relationships to the weapons to the dialogue–is SO MUCH richer, more logical and more satisfying than the Star Wars films." This fan would go on to write that, "These comics have a wonderful rhythm: even minor characters are completely understandable and fleshed out in just a few frames, yet dramatic tension and surprise come at appropriate times (in complete contrast to "Phantom Menace" and "Attack of the Clones")."[97] Also on Barnes & Noble.com, another fan commented that the plot for The Sith War was "outstanding," and that the entire story arc was "great."[98] On Amazon.com, one reviewer by the screen name of "JediMack" decided to compare the artwork of the older Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War comics to the artwork which was, at the time of 2003, found in Dark Horse Comics issues, and decided to rate the artwork of The Sith War as rather low based on this criteria. Despite this, "JediMack" commented that even though the story line is sometimes a little hard to follow, the action which is present in the series is "tremendous" and "unpredictable."[99] Another reviewer, under the alias of "Handofthrawn," scored the series a three out of five stars, but commented that "It's an attempt to tell a whole war in one comic book. Thus, the war seems a bit more like a collection of skirmishes and mishaps than an actual large-scale conflict." "Handofthrawn" would also comment that he would not recommend the story arc to other readers.[100] As with previous story arcs, one consistently negative comment was about the artwork, which has been called "wanting,"[101] "bad,"[102] and "not quite up to par."[103] Nevertheless, an unknown reviewer commented that "This story is great! Everything you can expect from a battle against good and evil,"[104] while another reviewer, under the screen name of "Angie Hager" said that "There are many exciting points, such as a climactic battle with the leader of the Mandalorians, the turning of many Jedi to the dark side, and what seems like an unbearable judgment carried out on the traitorous protagonist of the series, Ulic Qel-Droma."[105] Overall, Barnes & Noble.com scored The Sith War five out of five stars,[106] while Amazon.com gave it a score of four out of five stars.[107]
The final Tales of the Jedi story arc to feature the characters first introduced by Tom Veitch was entitled Redemption, and took place approximately ten years after the conclusion of the events portrayed in The Sith War. This story arc focused on Vima Sunrider, now a young adult, and her eventual training under the fallen Jedi Knight, Ulic Qel-Droma. As the title suggests, Qel-Droma and others are in search of redemption; some for acts committed during the Great Sith War, and others for their own actions and feelings of hate. One difference among reviewers with regards to this story arc, which separates it from all previous TotJ works, is the quality of artwork, which several have commented on in a positive light. The artwork, which was drawn by Christian Gossett, received comments such as "fabulous,"[108] "well done,"[109] and "…has progressed by leaps and bounds."[110] With regards to the actual story, one reviewer, under the screen name of "Big Irish Guy," wrote that "Dark Horse Comics strikes gold again in this graphic novel sequel to 'The Sith War'," and "The feelings and emotions of such ordeals could easily be imagined and applied in real life. This story provides a satisfying, if bittersweet, finale to the story of Ulic Qel-Droma and the history of the Jedi of that era."[111] Another reader who wrote that the story line of the arc was very good, commented that "I wished the dialogue between Ulic and Vima could be deeper," citing that they believed Qel-Droma and Sunrider to have an almost father-daughter type of relationship.[112] Nevertheless, some readers of the story arc were unimpressed with it and had negative comments with regards to it. One user, under the alias of "daronin" wrote that, "I don't know what Anderson was smoking at the time, but the thought that this is a suitable way to end Ulics [sic] tale of Redemption was just plain Idiocy.[sic]"[113] Another user, after rating the series four out of five stars, commented that "…at times there are just too many single, even double, page shots. This flows the pages to the end way too fast. Some panels and scenes were a bit absurd, but the overall quality of this story balances things up."[114] Overall, the story arc Redemption received four out of five stars from Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, and Goodreads.com[115][116][117]
Cover art for Omnibus: Tales of the Jedi, Volume 2 which collected various TotJ story arcs.
Between the writing of The Sith War and Redemption, author Kevin J. Anderson was contracted to write two prequel story arcs for the Tales of the Jedi saga set over a thousand years before the events of the Great Sith War. The first prequel story arc was titled The Golden Age of the Sith and introduced readers to the characters of Gav and Jori Daragon and the events which would eventually culminate into the Great Hyperspace War. Fan reception of this story arc was generally mild, with one fan, under the screen name of "ShriDurga" making the observation that Anderson had a "wonderful opportunity" in developing such an untouched piece of the Star Wars history; however, he goes on to write that Anderson's writing was "…about as developed and predictable as painting by numbers," and that the artwork "…evokes Egypt in very obvious ways." This reviewer would finally conclude with a warning to fellow readers and fans: "…with so many other comic books out there to read, you can surely find something more engaging, more worth you time and your money than this underdeveloped Star Wars adventure."[118] In direct contrast with this review is a post by "Guy DeBlanc," in which he says that The Golden Age of the Sith "…is a fast-paced read that entertains all the way through."[119] Another fan, who attempts to walk a middle ground between the two extremes, commented that "Fans of Star Wars will buy this book to complete their collections, and just might enjoy it for it's[sic]historic tale set in the far past of the Star Wars [sic] continuity. However, the tale is so bizarre that it bears almost no resemblance to the current Star Wars universe."[120] Overall, Amazon.com would rate this story arc as 3.5 out of five stars.[121]
The second prequel story arc produced was entitled The Fall of the Sith Empire, and concluded the events put in motion in The Golden Age of the Sith. In this story arc, readers witness the beginning, events, and conclusion of the Great Hyperspace War, a war of conquest begun by the Dark Lord of the Sith Naga Sadow. Much like its predecessor, The Fall of the Sith Empire received mostly negative to mild feedback. On Amazon.com one user, under the screen name of "mastadge" commented that "The Fall of the Sith Empire is absolutely the worst of all the SW comics yet published. A jumbled mishmash of ultimately irrelevant events, clumsily constructed, boringly paced."[122] Similarly, another user posted their dislike for the story arc, writing that "Between the disjointed, jerky storytelling, the terrible art, and lack of character development, this comic collection was enough to make me ill."[123] Despide the various negative comments left, another fan wrote that, "I do not agree with any of the negative past reviews given here. I thought Fall of the Sith Empire was a fitting conclusion to the setup in The Golden Age of the Sith." This same user also goes on to discuss how they believe that Anderson was perhaps, in their opinion, attempting to give off a feeling of a story that was passed down through the generations.[124] Likewise, another fan who went by the name of "fenderguy84" talked about how much he enjoyed this story arc, writing that "This is one of the best stories in the Star Wars universe, with several conflicts occurring at once. You'll also discover an age where everything was primitive by Star Wars standards and Coruscant looked like a large Egyptian city."[125] Despite a sprinkling of positive reviews, the majority of fan reaction towards The Fall of the Sith Empire was mostly negative, with Amazon.com giving it three out of five stars.[126]
Effect on continuity
- "…Lucasfilm was extremely flexible with these comics and allowed us to do basically whatever we wanted, so long as we remained true to the spirit of Star Wars."
- ―Kevin J. Anderson
The Tales of the Jedi saga is set between the years 5,000 BBY and 3,986 BBY, beginning first with the Golden Age of the Sith story arc and the events of the Great Hyperspace War, and finishing with the death of Ulic Qel-Droma in Redemption. To date, the Tales of the Jedi story arcs are the earliest-set Star Wars works.[127][128]
Major continuity errors and peculiarities
- "The best that could be hoped for was to avoid direct contradictions. Transmedia storytelling evolved with the works of Kevin J. Anderson who placed Exar Kun in pivotal roles in both the Jedi Academy novel trilogy and the Tales of the Jedi comics."
- ―Leland Chee
Throughout the production of the Tales of the Jedi saga there appeared a number of continuity errors and other idiosyncrasies in the various stories and media.
The story arc The Freedon Nadd Uprising was eventually portrayed in the first Tales of the Jedi audio drama, and with the audio production a whole number of possible and outright contradictions were introduced. In the original Freedon Nadd Uprising comics, the Jedi Knights Nomi Sunrider, Dace Diath, Kith Kark, Qrrrl Toq, and Shoaneb Culu were selected on Ossus to lend relief to Ulic Qel-Droma and the other besieged Jedi stationed on Onderon. According to the comics, these Knights were dispatched from Ossus immediately to the aid of Qel-Droma.[42] However, in the Tales of the Jedi audio drama the entire debate which took place on Ossus with regards to sending reinforcements to Onderon never took place; in fact, Nomi Sunrider accompanied Thon to the Republic capital of Coruscant where she gave a speech to the Senate demanding that the Republic lend aid to the Jedi who were fighting the Naddists. From here, Sunrider was said to have been made the Supreme Commander of a Republic fleet sent to Onderon, and no mention of the other Jedi from Ossus was given at all in the audio drama.[129] Even though Sunrider's speech to the Senate was not included in the comics, and the Jedi gathering on Ossus was not represented in the audio drama, it can be determined that one event simply follows the other in continuity, and that the other Knights from Ossus (Kark, Diath, Toq, and Culu) were not included in the audio drama due to their limited roles in the initial comic script written by Tom Veitch.
The Battle of Kemplex IX, the focus of some confusion among readers.
In the comic issue Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War 3: The Trial of Ulic Qel-Droma, Aleema Keto speaks with Mandalore the Indomitable following their failed invasion of Coruscant. In this conversation Keto orders Mandalore to lead his Mandalorians in an attack on the Republic space station at Kemplex IX. This conversation was the cause of some confusion, due to specific pieces of the wording of Keto's orders: "We will do a double-feint and strike the Kemplex Nine jump-station after all! The Republic forces thought it was a diversion of Ulic's, and now they will have left it virtually unguarded!" Following this interaction between Keto and Mandalore, the comic's narration goes on to say that, "Mandalore sets Aleema's orders in motion, following them to the letter. He knows his warriors will see that they are carried out."[53] Despite this, no where in any of the following Tales of the Jedi comics are there any mentions, pictures, or information on what was apparently a planned and executed Mandalorian attack on Kemplex IX. In fact, the next appearance of Kemplex IX was not until the following comic, Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War 4: Jedi Holocaust, which witnesses the Battle of Kemplex IX that was carried out by Aleema Keto and Crado, at the orders of Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma. The narration at the beginning of this event lends even more confusion to the reader, where it is said, "Kemplex Nine was a bustling city in space…the only inhabited station in a hot, unstable cluster of ten stars known as the Cron Cluster. After Aleema's attack, though, it is no longer inhabited."[54] Due to the nature of these specific lines and narrations, it can be argued that the sequence of events is unclear, and that it is unknown whether it was the Mandalorians or Keto who led to the station's attack. Since there has been no clarification from Lucasfilm Ltd. regarding this situation, the initial order by Keto to Mandalore has been perceived as a continuity error which was superseded by the line, "After Aleema's attack, though, it is no longer inhabited…" due the complete lack of Mandalorians following the order, and also due to the presence of Keto at Kemplex IX, combined with the proceeding destruction of it by Keto and Crado.
In the Power of the Jedi Sourcebook, the entry for Dace Diath incorrectly states that it was Oss Wilum and Diath who tested the new and experimental Star Saber XC-01 starfighters shortly before the Second Battle of Empress Teta. However, as determined by the comic story arc Dark Lords of the Sith, it was Diath and fellow Jedi Knight Cay Qel-Droma who in fact tested the new fighters.
The Tales of the Jedi Companion also introduces a variety of continuity errors and other peculiarities which sometimes contradict what was established within the comics or even its own information. In the entry for Arca Jeth, it is stated that "…two dozen Jedi warriors…" were sent by the Jedi Masters to deal with the threat presented by the Nelori Marauders, and what ensued was the Hyabb-Twith Campaign. However, later in the same paragraph, an error occurs when it is said that, "Only five of the twelve Jedi survived the encounter." As previously established within the book, there were twenty-four, not twelve, Jedi who were initially dispatched. Also within the pages of the Tales of the Jedi Companion, it is incorrectly stated in Chamma's entry that he engaged in a vicious battle with an unknown Sith Lord on the planet of H'ratth. This battle, however, actually took place on the planet of Athiss, which the Companion states is in the Loro Babis system. Previously, near the beginning of Chamma's entry, it is clearly stated that Chamma and several other Jedi had responded to a distress call on Athiss, and that it was while on that planet that they encountered the Sith.
A Taung soldier.
One comment about the character of Nomi Sunrider was how her hair style drastically changes from one style to the next throughout the duration of the Tales of the Jedi comics. In her initial introduction in The Saga of Nomi Sunrider, Sunrider has long, flowing hair.[18] However, in the following story arc, The Freedon Nadd Uprising, which takes place almost immediately following The Saga of Nomi Sunrider, her hair style witnessed a visible change in design. In this story arc, Sunrider is characterized with the upper portion of her forehead appearing to be shaved mid-way on the scalp, with tiny braids intersecting the baldness, but still maintaining the long hair down her back as seen in the original appearances.[42] Her hairstyle would change again in the following story arcs repeatedly, thus constantly disrupting the visual continuity of her character's appearance.[15][16][17] One explanation for this could be the simple fact that Sunrider's character was drawn by at least three different artists during the production of the Tales of the Jedi saga, and that the hair-style changes were simply artistic interpretations of the artists who were drawing her at any given time.
Another peculiarity is the appearance of the Mandalorians, who first appeared in Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War as warrior soldiers hailing from the planet of Mandalore. According to the Tales of the Jedi comics, the warriors called themselves the "Mandalorian Clans" and were a grey-skinned Near-Human species who were united under their leader, Mandalore the Indomitable, and composed the entire force of "Mandalorians" in these stories.[16] This species would eventually be established as the Taung, a race which was established thousands of years before the rise of Humans on Coruscant.[130][23] However, under Mandalore the Ultimate, a Taung soldier who became Mandalore at the conclusion of the Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War story arc, the Mandalorians took on a completely different look in the Knights of the Old Republic meta-series, where the Mandalorians were no longer composed of just Taung soldiers, but warriors from many different species and races.[131][132] In fact, with the writing of the Knights of the Old Republic meta-series, the Taung species appears to be virtually extinct, with the one of the only recognizable Taung being Mandalore the Ultimate,[132][133][134] whose appearance behind his mask was established in the Tales of the Jedi comics.[16] Likewise, a second, though dying, Taung would be introduced in the Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide who make references to Mandalore the Indomitable.[135]
References in the Knights of the Old Republic meta-series
- "With origins in the Tales of the Jedi comics, the era lept to the forefront with the success of the Knights of the Old Republic video game."
- ―Leland Chee, commenting on the Old Republic era
The hugely successful[136] Knights of the Old Republic video game takes place approximately thirty years after the events portrayed in Tales of the Jedi: Redemption, and would be the start of an ongoing meta-series which focuses on the decades proceeding the death of Ulic Qel-Droma. Due to the placement of the meta-series within the time line of Star Wars, there are numerous mentions and references to the older Tales of the Jedi saga found within the Knights of the Old Republic games, comics, and stories.
Cover art for the first video game, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
The two video games, Knights of the Old Republic and the sequel, The Sith Lords, both make various mentions and uses of the events, creatures, and characters of Tales of the Jedi. Within the original game, the most notable examples are: Nomi Sunrider, during a possible conversation between the player and Jolee Bindo; Ulic and Cay Qel-Droma, while the player interacts with Dorak; Exar Kun, when Suvam Tan describes his enslavement under him; accounts of the Great Sith War, as retold by various characters to the player; and the Cathar species, originally created for the Tales of the Jedi saga, but established as the species of Juhani, one of the main companions of the player. Similarly, several Tales of the Jedi characters had locations or items named after them, such as Marka Ragnos's tomb, Naga Sadow's tomb, Ulic Qel-Droma's Mesh Suit, and Exar Kun's Light Battle Suit.[131] Likewise, The Sith Lords, mentions a large number of characters originating from Tales of the Jedi, such as Nomi and Andur Sunrider, Ulic Qel-Droma, Freedon Nadd, Exar Kun, Sylvar, Aleema Keto, Arca Jeth, Crado, and several others. Various locations from Tales of the Jedi were also featured in The Sith Lords, such as the Tomb of Freedon Nadd, originally seen in its current form in the final pages of Tales of the Jedi: The Freedon Nadd Uprising 2: Initiates of the Sith, which is a prominent site in the game as it is the main setting for one of the player's major quests in the storyline. Likewise, the planet of Onderon and its fourth moon of Dxun, both of which originally appeared in the first Tales of the Jedi story arc, are both major locations within The Sith Lords's story line. Onderon is the setting for a civil war, which the player helps quell; among various other things, Dxun would serve to reintroduce the character of Canderous Ordo to the meta-series, who first appeared in Knights of the Old Republic. Similar to the first game, The Sith Lords features a number of items and locations named after individuals from the Tales of the Jedi saga, such as Ludo Kressh's tomb, Ludo Kressh's Armband, Nomi's Robe, Nomi's Armband, Sylvar's Robe, Crado's Robe, Aleema Keto's Robe, Thon's Robe, Arca Jeth's Robe, Freedon Nadd's Blaster, and Freedon Nadd's Short Lightsaber, among many others.[137]
Aside from the video games, Tales of the Jedi also received mentions and references in the Knights of the Old Republic comic series. Jedi Master Vodo-Siosk Baas, the one-time Master of Exar Kun, was written as also the Master of Krynda Draay, who was the founder of the Jedi Covenant, an important establishment within the Knights of the Old Republic comic series.[138][139] The Jedi Knight Alek references the end of the Great Sith War during a conversation with the fugitive Jedi Zayne Carrick.[140] Exar Kun is likewise mentioned by Lucien Draay, when he used Kun as an example of how even an apparently harmless Padawan can cause the galaxy to be dragged into a full scale war.[141] In Field Report: Project Black Harvest, Argaloh Adasca makes mention of Arca Jeth and his death during the Great Sith War.[142] Likewise, Arca Jeth would actually appear in flashbacks in the comic issue Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 33: Vindication, Part 2 and would witness Jeth awarding the rank of Jedi Knight to Barrison Draay and Krynda Hulis. Also appearing in that issue was the character of Noab Hulis, who up until that point had only been minorly portrayed in the Tales of the Jedi Companion. Vindication, Part 2 would also expand upon the events of the Great Sith War, briefly recounting the events of the Battle of Toprawa as well as the Sith ambush afterwards which resulted in the death of Barrison Draay and which would also explain how Haazen came to be so disfigured.[143] Featured prominently within the Knights of the Old Republic comics is the character of Mandalore the Ultimate, who originally, but briefly, appeared as a Taung soldier in the issue Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War 6: Dark Lord which was published in 1996. The Knights of the Old Republic comics would take the character of Mandalore the Ultimate and expand greatly upon his role in the Mandalorian Wars.[144][145]
In 2005, Tales of the Jedi was again referenced in the short story Shadows and Light which appeared in Star Wars Tales 23. Shadows and Light was created as a prequel story for the first Knights of the Old Republic video game, detailing the events surrounding a group of diaries discovered during the course of the game. One of the stories main protagonists is Duron Qel-Droma, cousin to Ulic and Cay Qel-Droma. Referenced in the story is Naga Sadow's tomb, Ulic Qel-Droma, Naga Sadow, Exar Kun, the Great Sith War, Onderon, and other topics all originating in the Tales of the Jedi comics.[146]
References in Star Wars: Vector
Star Wars: Vector, Issue #1.
In the fall of 2007, Dark Horse Comics made an announcement that the writer of the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic comics, John Jackson Miller, would be working with Legacy comic author John Ostrander on a new cross-over comic series entitled Star Wars: Vector, which at the time was an upcoming series for 2008. The story of Vector would span across all four of Dark Horse Comic's ongoing series at the time: Knights of the Old Republic, Rebellion, Dark Times, and Legacy.[147]
In Vector, the main storyline centers around the hunt for the Muur Talisman, a Sith artifact dating back to the time of Tales of the Jedi antagonist Naga Sadow.[148] The Talisman, it is discovered, was created by another Sith Lord called Karness Muur from the old Sith Empire, the same Empire created by Kevin J. Anderson for his two prequel TotJ story arcs, The Golden Age of the Sith and The Fall of the Sith Empire.[149] Anderson's character of Naga Sadow was worked into the Vector storyline when the history of the Muur Talisman was told, and it was learned that Sadow had battled many of his fellow Sith Lords in the quest to find the Talisman.[148] Sadow's history was again briefly expanded and touched upon in Vector, Part 4 where it is described that he translated into Basic the Codex of Karness Muur, a Sith document presumably authored by Karness Muur.[150]
Similarly, several other TotJ characters were likewise given brief mentions in the opening comic of the series, when the reader was introduced to the Epistle of Marka Ragnos, Jori Daragon's amulet, and the Eye of Horak-mul. Each of these three artifacts make reference to both major and minor characters of the Golden Age of the Sith and The Fall of the Sith Empire storylines. Also, these supposedly rare and hard-to-acquire artifacts were used by the Vector writers to introduce the reader to the character of Celeste Morne, a Shadow for the Jedi Covenant, who had either destroyed or recovered each artifact.[148]
Significant references in other Star Wars media
Prior to the release of the first Tales of the Jedi comics, fans were treated to various previews of the then-upcoming comic book series, as detailed in the Dark Empire endnotes. Written by Tales of the Jedi author Tom Veitch, Dark Empire is a comic book series which detailed the resurrection of Emperor Palpatine, and his ultimate defeat at the hands of the Rebel Alliance. At the end of each comic were endnotes, which were essentially small essays written by Veitch, that explored not only the backstory of Dark Empire, but as well as certain aspects of galactic history, including background details of various elements of the upcoming Tales of the Jedi series. Described were various characters, such as Ulic Qel-Droma and Nomi Sunrider, organizations like the Krath, as well as various other elements which would eventually be written into the Tales of the Jedi series. However, despite the details given in the various endnotes, Veitch eventually treated them as rough drafts, taking a lot of information and ultimately changing it, sometimes substantially, for its incorporation into the finished Tales of the Jedi comics.
Kevin J. Anderson's The Jedi Academy Trilogy, which would prominently feature the spirit of Exar Kun.
Kevin J. Anderson's initial involvement with working on Tales of the Jedi came about during his writing of The Jedi Academy Trilogy series of novels, when he and Veitch decided that his character of Exar Kun would fit into the ongoing TotJ storylines.[7] At the end of The Sith War comic storyline, Kun had been defeated and encased in his Sith temples when Yavin 4 is destroyed by the Jedi.[151] In Anderson's novel trilogy, in the year 11 ABY, these temples became occupied by Luke Skywalker and the students of his Jedi Praxeum, a school where Skywalker was attempting to re-create the Jedi Order of old. Central to Anderson's stories was the ghostly specter of Exar Kun, whose disembodied spirit was still present in the temples 4,000 years after his death. Under the guise of a mysterious stranger, Kun's ghost appeared to a young Jedi by the name of Gantoris; eventually, Kun was able to corrupt and kill the Jedi apprentice. Likewise, Kun was later able to successfully corrupt another Jedi trainee named Kyp Durron,[152] and under the influence of Kun, Durron committed several atrocities such as the destruction of Carida.[153] As Kun's spirit grew stronger, he was able to challenge Skywalker, and managed to pull Skywalker's spirit from his body, thus throwing his Jedi students into confusion and panic. Nevertheless, Kun's spirit was eventually destroyed through the combined efforts of the remaining Jedi students, Skywalker's spirit, and the long-dead spirit Vodo-Siosk Baas, another character from the Tales of the Jedi comics.[153]
Appearing in the pages of Star Wars Adventure Journal 15, the short story Firestorm, written by Kevin J. Anderson, took place between the novels Jedi Search and Dark Apprentice and would feature Exis Station from Tales of the Jedi: Redemption, as well as the stories of several characters, likewise from the Tales of the Jedi comics. The story revolves around Luke Skywalker and his search for candidates for his Jedi Praxeum, which has recently been established on Yavin 4. During his search, he encounters a scavenger named Fonterrat who claims to have found the location of Exis Station, where an ancient Jedi Conclave had once took place. Believing that he might be able to find forgotten Jedi artifacts and lore, Skywalker sets off to find the station. Once there, he encounters a young woman by the name of Tionne, who was also interested in finding pieces of lost Jedi history. Eventually, the two companions managed to find several data plaques that contained recordings of Nomi Sunrider, the one time leader of the entire Jedi Order, and her speech during the Conclave on Exis Station. Following this discovery, Skywalker offers Tionne a place in his Praxeum where she can study the Force and Jedi history. Also mentioned in this short story are numerous other Tales of the Jedi characters, including Gav and Jori Daragon, Tott Doneeta, Vodo-Siosk Baas, Vima Sunrider, and Odan-Urr.[154]
Ulic Qel-Droma's ghost, right, as depicted in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars video game.
In the video game Star Wars: The Clone Wars, released in 2002 for the GameCube and PlayStation 2, and 2003 for the Xbox, the character of Ulic Qel-Droma is provided a significant cameo appearance in the game's storyline. As the plot in the game becomes known, it is revealed that the Dark Reaper, an ancient Sith weapon which was developed during the Great Sith War, is slowly being reassembled by Count Dooku and his Separatist forces. The Jedi soon realize that if the Separatists are able to complete the Dark Reaper project, then the outcome of the war is all but decided. Nevertheless, Mace Windu advises both Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan Anakin Skywalker that an ancient Jedi Knight named Ulic Qel-Droma had once learned how to fight the Dark Reaper, and was able to defeat it during the Great Sith War. Windu advises the two Jedi to travel to the frozen planet of Rhen Var and seek out the tomb of Qel-Droma, where they might find help in defeating the Separatist threat. After defeating a pair of Spectral Guardians who were guarding Qel-Droma's tomb, Skywalker confers with the spirit of Qel-Droma who teaches the young Jedi how to withstand the effects of the Dark Reaper long enough to defeat it.[155]
Various Tales of the Jedi characters and events would eventually be incorporated into a number of Essential Guides such as The Essential Guide to Characters, The Essential Guide to Planets and Moons, The New Essential Chronology, and Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force, as well as others. Several of these guides provided information not about topics in Tales of the Jedi which had not been referenced in the actual comics: such as a brief mention of Arca Jeth's involvement against the Lorell Raiders in The Essential Guide to Planets and Moons; Jeth's actions during the Great Droid Revolution, mentioned in The New Essential Guide to Droids; The Essential Guide to Characters which would canonically establish Nomi Sunrider's height, as well as her hair and eye color; and also the inner thoughts and perspectives of Vima Sunrider with regards to Ulic Qel-Droma and her training under him, as detailed in the pages of Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force.
The frieze from Episode III depicting a battle from the Great Hyperspace War.
Similar to the information collected in the Essential Guides, a large number of roleplaying game sourcebooks would eventually expand upon a number of topics originating from Tales of the Jedi. The Jedi Academy Sourcebook, for example, expanded upon Exar Kun's history and role in Kevin J. Anderson's Jedi Academy Trilogy novels. Other sourcebooks, such as the Power of the Jedi Sourcebook would take never-before-explored characters such as Ooroo, and provide new pictures and background details to their lives. Major characters, such as Nomi Sunrider, Arca Jeth, and Ulic Qel-Droma are also included in the Power of the Jedi Sourcebook, though their entries are largely just a retelling of the events already established in the comics. Nevertheless, despite the lack of new information in their entries, these characters were provided with new artwork and pictures within the sourcebook. Sourcebooks such as The Dark Side Sourcebook would focus on the Sith characters, such as Satal and Aleema Keto, Amanoa, Freedon Nadd, and Marka Ragnos, expounding upon their back stories and lending information on their experiences with the dark side of the Force.
Within the film Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith there appears in Chancellor Palpatine's office a frieze which depicts a massive battle from the Great Hyperspace War, which was originally featured in Tales of the Jedi: The Fall of the Sith Empire.[156] As part of the art collection featured in final cut of Palpatine's office, George Lucas had requested that a picture be created depicting an ancient conflict between the followers of the light and dark sides of the Force. Artist Erik Tiemens created the original art which was eventually used as a base for the final frieze used in the film.[157][158]
The Sunrider naming controversy
- "Vima was supposed to be Bastila in K1 (seriously), but there are legal issues with using the name "Sunrider" so we were not allowed to use it in K2."
- ―Chris Avellone
Game concept art of Vima Sunrider.
Throughout the creation and writing of the Tales of the Jedi comics, Dark Horse Comics introduced several characters with the last name "Sunrider." In most instances these characters played crucial roles in the storylines of various comics, such as Nomi Sunrider, and later Vima Sunrider in Redemption. Nevertheless, despite their importance to the various storylines, a legal issue surrounding the name "Sunrider," appeared. Though actual details regarding the specifics of the said legal issue are few and far between, it is known that future use of the surname ceased in most Star Wars sources.[159] Likewise, per the agreement, it appears that Lucasfilm Ltd. was allowed continued use of their already established characters as long as the surname of "Sunrider" was not used in production. However, there have been a myriad of instances where the last name "Sunrider" has been used, most notably in roleplaying game sourcebooks,[19] miniature games,[160] as well as in several Essential Guides such as The New Essential Chronology and Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force.
Despite the legal issue surrounding the name, there is an instance in the popular video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic where the character Jolee Bindo, in conversation with the player, discusses Nomi Sunrider.[131] According to Chris Avellone, Creative Director of Obsidian Entertainment the producer of the game, these references and instances are simply oversights that managed to get past the editing stage.[159] Due to the said legal issue, the developers could not use the name "Sunrider" throughout the game, even though they had initially planned on using Vima Sunrider as one of their lead characters. To this end, they had to invent a new character, by the name of Bastila Shan, instead of giving the lead character position to Vima in the game.[161] In the sequel to the first game, The Sith Lords, there are two items which bore the name "Nomi"; one described as "Nomi's Robe," and the other called "Nomi's Armband." When the character selects these items and reads their descriptions, only the first names "Nomi" and "Andur," without the last name "Sunrider," are used in the descriptions.[137]
Notes and references
See also
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
- WookieeProject Tales of the Jedi
- Wookieepedia's interview with Tom Veitch
- Wookieepedia's interview with Kevin J. Anderson
- Wookieepedia's interview with Dario Carrasco, Jr.
- Wookieepedia's interview with Christian Gossett
Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi — "[[]]"