Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords is a mess. Let's just be honest about that right out of the gate. It was rushed for a 2004 holiday release, it’s notoriously buggy, and the ending feels like someone yanked the rug out from under you. But here we are, decades later, still talking about it. Why? Because Chris Avellone and the team at Obsidian Entertainment wrote something that actually challenges the binary "Light vs. Dark" simplicity of the Star Wars universe. It’s a philosophical deconstruction wrapped in a clunky RPG.
If you’re looking for a KOTOR Sith Lords walkthrough, you’re probably struggling with more than just where to go next. You’re likely trying to figure out how to actually finish the game without breaking your save file or missing the legendary "Restored Content" that everyone on Reddit screams about.
The game starts on Peragus II. It’s a mining facility. It’s also, quite frankly, a bit of a slog. You wake up in a kolto tank, your memories are fuzzy, and you’re immediately thrust into a survival horror movie. You’re the Exile. You were a Jedi who followed Revan to the Mandalorian Wars, saw things no one should see, and ended up cut off from the Force. Now, the Sith are hunting you. This isn’t a power fantasy yet. It’s a ghost story.
Survival on Peragus and Telos
Don’t spend too much time worrying about your "build" in the first hour. Just survive. You’ll meet Atton Rand—a pilot with a suspicious mind and even more suspicious past—and Kreia. Kreia is the heart of this game. She’s your mentor, your critic, and the person who will spend the next 40 hours telling you why your "good deeds" are actually making the galaxy worse.
Escape from the Mining Facility
To get off Peragus, you need to navigate the fuel depots and the exterior of the facility in a space suit. It’s slow. Very slow. My best advice? Use the "Solo Mode" button when you’re dealing with the droids and mines. It prevents your AI companions from running headfirst into a detonator like lemmings. Once you board the Ebon Hawk and fight off the Sith assassins, you’ll head to Telos IV.
Telos is where the game actually opens up. You’ll be framed for the destruction of Peragus, deal with a bunch of Ithorians who just want to plant trees, and likely get into a street fight with the Czerka Corporation. Czerka is basically the personification of "unregulated capitalism in space." You have a choice here: help the Ithorians restore the planet’s surface or help Czerka exploit it. Honestly? The Ithorian path is generally better for Light Side players and offers better rewards in terms of Force-based items later on.
The Mid-Game Grind: Choosing Your Path
Once you get the Ebon Hawk back from Atris—a Jedi Historian who is, to put it mildly, a massive hypocrite—you can go anywhere. Nar Shaddaa, Onderon, Dantooine, or Korriban.
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Where do you go first?
Most veterans suggest Nar Shaddaa. It’s the "Smuggler’s Moon," and it’s where you can recruit several key party members, including Mira (or Hanharr if you’re playing Dark Side). It’s a dense, vertical maze of a level. You’ll deal with the Exchange, a massive criminal syndicate, and you’ll finally start to see the consequences of your past actions during the war.
The Influence System
This is the most important part of any KOTOR Sith Lords walkthrough. Unlike the first game, your companions aren't just there for flavor text. You have to "earn" their loyalty or break their spirit. If you have high influence with Atton, Bao-Dur, or Mira, you can actually train them to be Jedi.
Yes, you can have a full squad of Force users.
But be careful. Gaining influence with one person often means losing it with another. Kreia will judge you if you're too kind. She’ll also judge you if you’re too cruel. She wants you to be pragmatic. If you give a beggar credits on Nar Shaddaa, she will lecture you on how that money will lead to the beggar being robbed and killed. She’s a joy at parties.
Dantooine and the Ghost of the Jedi
Dantooine is a depressing place in this game. In the first KOTOR, it was a lush, peaceful academy. Now, it’s a bombed-out ruin being picked over by salvagers. You’re here to find Master Vrook. He’s one of the few surviving members of the Jedi Council, and he’s just as grumpy as you remember.
The main quest here involves the Kinrath caves and a political standoff between the local administrator and a group of mercenaries. It’s a classic RPG setup. But the real meat is in the Enclave ruins. Exploring the halls where you were once trained—now filled with hostile droids and memories—is one of the most atmospheric parts of the game.
Pro-Tip: The Crystal Cave
Inside the caves on Dantooine, you’ll find a unique crystal that is attuned to you. As you grow in power and check back with Kreia, she can "tune" this crystal to your current level. It is, bar none, the best lightsaber crystal in the game. Do not sell it. Do not ignore it. It scales with you.
The Onderon Civil War and DXUN
Onderon is split into two parts: the jungle moon of Dxun and the city of Iziz.
On Dxun, you’ll encounter the Mandalorians. They’re led by Canderous Ordo—now known as Mandalore the Preserver. He’s trying to reunite the clans. To get his help, you’ll have to prove yourself in their battle circle and help them with some local pest control (aka hunting massive jungle beasts).
The Onderon arc is probably the best-paced section of the game. It’s a political thriller. Queen Talia is trying to keep her world in the Republic, while General Vaklu wants to secede and join the Sith. You’re the kingmaker here. Who you support determines the fate of the planet and which Sith Lord shows up to try and kill you.
Korriban: The Valley of the Dead
Korriban is short but intense. It’s a graveyard. There are no living Jedi or Sith here, just ghosts and Hssiss (lizard-like creatures that feed on the Dark Side).
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If you go into the secret tomb in the Shyrack caves, you’ll face a series of "hallucinations" from your past. You’ll see the Mandalorian Wars. You’ll see your trial before the Council. How you answer these phantoms determines your alignment. It’s also a great way to farm experience points, though there is a famous exploit involving a specific corpse that can give you infinite XP if you click it repeatedly—though I’d argue that ruins the fun of the progression.
The Truth About the Sith Triumvirate
You aren't just fighting one villain. You’re fighting three.
- Darth Sion: The Lord of Pain. He’s literally held together by nothing but his own agony and the Dark Side. You can’t kill him through traditional means; you have to break his will.
- Darth Nihilus: The Lord of Hunger. He’s a "wound in the Force" who consumes entire planets. His mask is iconic, but his character is more of a force of nature than a person.
- Darth Traya: I won’t spoil her identity if you haven't figured it out yet, but she is the philosophical architect of everything happening.
Winning these final encounters isn't just about having a high "Strength" stat. It’s about the choices you made regarding your companions and your understanding of the Force. If you've been following this KOTOR Sith Lords walkthrough logic, you should have a team of Jedi ready to help you storm the Citadel on Malachor V.
The Malachor V Problem
The final planet, Malachor V, is where the "rushed" nature of the game becomes obvious. In the original retail version, you’re suddenly separated from your crew, and you wander through a jagged, green-tinted wasteland fighting endless waves of Storm Beasts. It’s lonely. It’s confusing.
If you are playing on PC, you must install the The Sith Lords Restored Content Mod (TSLRCM). It’s not optional. It fixes thousands of bugs and restores the cut dialogue that actually explains what happened to your friends. Without it, the ending is a series of "wait, what?" moments. With it, it’s a tragic, beautiful conclusion to the Exile’s journey.
Technical Hurdles in 2026
Running a 20-year-old game on modern hardware is a crapshoot. If you’re on Steam, use the Workshop to get the widescreen patches. If you’re on mobile or Switch, the game is surprisingly stable, but you’ll miss out on the most robust mods. Always save often. In different slots. This game loves to corrupt a save file right before a boss fight.
Actionable Steps for Your Playthrough
Don't just run through the halls swinging a saber. To get the most out of your journey, keep these points in mind:
- Pump your Awareness and Persuade skills. This isn't just for dialogue; it unlocks "hidden" options in almost every encounter that give you more XP and lore.
- Talk to T3-M4. He’s not just a trash can on wheels. If you have high Computer and Repair skills, you can upgrade him significantly, and he has one of the most touching "memories" of Revan in the game.
- Don't ignore crafting. Use the workbenches to create "Overlays" and "Underlays" for your armor. A well-upgraded suit of Jal Shey Mentor Armor is often better than bulky heavy plating because it allows you to use Force powers.
- The "Hanharr vs. Mira" choice. Remember, you get Hanharr if you are Dark Side when you reach Nar Shaddaa. He’s a beast in combat but can’t become a Jedi. Mira is much more versatile and offers a better narrative arc for Light Side players.
- Visit the Enclave last. Once you have found all the lost Jedi Masters, return to Dantooine. This triggers the endgame sequence. Make sure you’ve finished all your companion side quests before doing this, as there is no "free roam" after this point.
This game is about the grey areas. It’s about a galaxy trying to heal from a war that never really ended. Whether you decide to save the Republic or let it burn, the journey is one of the most intellectual experiences in the Star Wars canon. Treat the bugs as "features" of a crumbling universe, and you’ll have a blast.
Go to the workshop or your favorite mod site and grab the TSLRCM first. Then, start your save. Prioritize your skills over raw combat stats for the first five levels to ensure you don't miss the best dialogue. Finally, check the "Influence" guides if you're determined to turn Atton into a Jedi—it requires very specific conversation choices early on Nar Shaddaa.