BioWare didn't just make a game in 2003. They basically rewrote how we look at the Force. Before Knights of the Old Republic dropped, most people thought of Star Wars as a simple binary—Luke is good, Vader is bad, and the Emperor is just a cackling wizard in a bathrobe. Then we got the Ebon Hawk. Suddenly, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic characters were asking the hard questions that the movies usually skipped over.
It's been over twenty years. People are still obsessed. Why? Because these characters weren't just stat blocks in a d20 system; they were messy, broken, and surprisingly human for a bunch of aliens and droids.
The Revan Problem and the Ghost in the Mask
You can't talk about this game without talking about Revan. Honestly, Revan is the sun that the entire KOTOR solar system orbits. But here’s the thing: Revan isn't just a "cool Sith." Revan represents the ultimate player agency. When you find out the truth on the Leviathan—that you’ve been playing as the amnesiac Dark Lord the whole time—it hits different because it’s your story.
Most Star Wars media treats the Dark Side like a drug you accidentally trip into. Revan treated it like a tool. That’s why the fans love them. It wasn’t about being "evil" for the sake of kicking puppies; it was about the pragmatic necessity of war against the Mandalorians.
Malak, on the other hand, is the perfect foil. He's the guy who took the power but lacked the vision. He’s all jaw-piece and ego. While Revan was a strategist, Malak was just a sledgehammer. That distinction is what makes their rivalry so much more than a standard hero-villain dynamic. It's a study in leadership versus tyranny.
Bastila Shan and the Burden of Being Perfect
Bastila is polarizing. I get it. She can be incredibly bossy, and her "holier-than-thou" Jedi attitude rubs a lot of players the wrong way early on. But look at her situation. She’s a young woman carrying the weight of the entire Republic on her shoulders because of her Battle Meditation.
She's terrified.
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The Jedi Council basically used her as a weapon. They told her she was the chosen one before Anakin was even a twinkle in the Cosmic Force's eye. Her fall to the Dark Side on Lehon isn't a surprise—it's an inevitability. When she finally snaps, it’s because she’s tired of being a symbol. She just wanted to be a person.
If you play the romance arc, the writing gets even deeper. It's one of the few times in Star Wars where "love" isn't just a plot device to make someone turn; it's the actual anchor that brings them back to sanity.
The Best Droid in the Galaxy (Sorry, R2)
HK-47.
"Meatbags."
Need I say more? Honestly, HK-47 is the soul of the game’s humor. But he’s also a fascinating piece of world-building. In a universe where droids are usually relegated to being cute sidekicks or mindless fodder, HK is a sophisticated, murderous philosopher. He has a very specific code of ethics. It just happens to involve a lot of sniping.
He provides a perspective that no other character can. To HK, organic life is chaotic, inefficient, and weirdly emotional. By viewing the galaxy through his red optical sensors, we see the absurdity of the Jedi-Sith conflict. To him, it doesn't matter who wins as long as the targets keep moving.
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Why Canderous Ordo is the Real MVP
While everyone is busy arguing about Light and Dark, Canderous is just over there being a Mandalorian. He’s the bridge to the Old Republic—the one that existed before the Jedi Civil War.
He’s a veteran with PTSD who found a new cause. Most people forget that Canderous isn't just a hired gun. He's a man looking for someone worth following. When he eventually becomes Mandalore the Preserver in the sequel, it feels earned. His loyalty to Revan isn't based on Force magic; it's based on respect. That’s rare in Star Wars.
The Complexity of the Supporting Cast
You’ve got Carth Onasi. Poor Carth. He's the "trust issues" guy. A lot of players find him annoying because he’s constantly questioning your motives. But think about it from his view: his mentor betrayed the Republic, his planet was glassed, and his family was lost. Of course he’s paranoid. He represents the "normal" person caught in the crossfire of demigods.
Then there's Jolee Bindo.
Jolee is probably the most important character for understanding the "Grey" area of the Force. He lives in a hut in the Kashyyyk Shadowlands because he’s done with the Jedi's bureaucracy. He’s the cranky grandpa we all need. He tells stories that don't always have a point, but they always have a lesson. He’s the one who tells you that the Force isn't a destiny—it's just life.
- Mission Vao: A fourteen-year-old street urchin who is way too young for this.
- Zaalbar: The silent muscle with a Wookiee life-debt that actually complicates things.
- Juhani: A character who deals with self-loathing and redemption in a way that felt very ahead of its time for 2003.
The Sequel's Shift: KOTOR 2 Characters
We have to mention the sequel, The Sith Lords, because Obsidian took everything BioWare did and turned the volume up on the existential dread.
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Kreia is, hands down, the most complex character ever written in a Star Wars game. Period. She hates the Force. She views it as a parasitic god that manipulates everyone just to achieve "balance." Her relationship with the Exile (the protagonist) is a masterclass in manipulation and mentorship. She doesn't want you to be a Jedi or a Sith. She wants you to be free.
The villains in the second game—Darth Nihilus, Darth Sion, and Darth Traya—aren't just guys in masks. They are literal personifications of trauma.
- Nihilus is a hunger that can never be filled.
- Sion is a man held together purely by pain and spite.
- Traya is the betrayal that comes from knowing too much.
Impact on the Modern Canon
Even though these games are technically "Legends" now, their DNA is everywhere. Look at The Mandalorian. Look at Ahsoka. The concept of the "Grey Jedi" or the Mandalorian wars traces its modern lineage directly back to these characters.
The High Republic era in current publishing is clearly trying to capture some of that "Jedi at their peak" magic, but it often lacks the grit that the Ebon Hawk crew had. There’s a specific kind of desperation in the KOTOR era. The Republic feels fragile. The Jedi feel fallible.
How to Experience These Characters Today
If you're looking to dive back in, don't just rush the main quest. The magic of Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic characters is in the "rest" moments.
- Talk to your crew after every planet. Their dialogue trees unlock based on your progress and your alignment.
- Bring different combinations of people. Taking HK-47 and Bastila on a mission will give you totally different banter than taking Carth and Mission.
- Pay attention to the side quests. Often, the way a character reacts to a minor moral dilemma tells you more about them than the big cutscenes.
- Mod your game. If you're on PC, the "Restored Content Mod" for KOTOR 2 is mandatory. It finishes the character arcs that were cut due to the rushed 2004 release.
The KOTOR remake has been in "development hell" for a while now, with Saber Interactive taking the reins. Whether it ever actually comes out or not, the original versions of these characters remain the gold standard for RPG storytelling. They proved that Star Wars could be sophisticated. They proved that the best stories aren't about lightsabers—they're about the people holding them.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Play the "Restored Content Mod" (TSLRCM): If you haven't played KOTOR 2 with this mod, you haven't actually played the full story of the Exile and Kreia. It fixes hundreds of bugs and restores several hours of character-specific dialogue.
- Check out the "Tales of the Jedi" Comics: To understand the world that Revan and Malak grew up in, read the 90s Dark Horse comics. They provide the historical context for the Sith wars that the game references.
- Experiment with Alignment: Don't just play a "Pure Light" or "Pure Dark" run. Try playing a character who starts Dark and finds redemption, or a "Grey" character who prioritizes the mission over morality. The character reactions change significantly.