Darth Revan, KOTOR's Greatest Sith Lord, Explained

Darth Revan is best known as the Sith Lord of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, but he is also one of the greatest heroes in the Star Wars franchise. Introduced as the customizable character of the first KOTOR game, Revan's story could stay on the light side or verge into the dark side, depending on the player's choices. As time went on, Star Wars sourcebooks confirmed more definitive details about Revan's character, while spinoff comics explored more of his past. This created a complete narrative of Revan's rise, fall, rebirth, and actions as both a hero and villain.

When the original Star Wars Expanded Universe was rebranded as "Legends" in 2014, Revan's history became non-canon. Many fans hoped that Revan would be adapted into a canon story, similar to other EU characters like Grand Admiral Thrawn, but this has not come to pass. Although Revan is set to return in the KOTOR remake, few details about this project have been revealed since its initial announcement in 2021. These delays make it the perfect time to learn about Revan in the Legends continuity and how his original story compares to his current status in the Star Wars timeline.

Revan's Origin In KOTOR

The gifted Jedi prodigy who craved knowledge

Revan was taken in by the Jedi Order as a child and trained in the ways of the Force, with many of his teachers believing he would grow into an extraordinary Jedi. His first instructor was supposedly Jedi Master Kreia, the woman who would eventually become Darth Traya. Alongside his best friend Alek, Revan was trained in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant and at the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine. Despite Revan and Alek becoming great and respected Jedi Knights, some of their masters were concerned by Revan's seemingly endless desire for new knowledge about the Force.

Revan & The Mandalorian Wars

The conflict that split the Jedi Order

When the Republic was plunged into war with the invading Mandalorians, the Jedi Order was split into two camps. The Jedi Council believed the Order should stay out of the conflict, while Revan felt it was the Jedi's duty to intervene. Against the will of the Council, Revan and Alek led their Jedi followers and the Republic forces in a campaign against the Mandalorians. Revan eventually defeated Mandalore, leader of the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders, and took his mask. However, just before he died, Mandalore revealed that a Sith had manipulated him into waging war against the Republic.

Although Revan successfully drove back the Mandalorians, his victory came at a great cost, with many on both sides perishing when a superweapon called the Mass Shadow Generator was used during the Battle of Malachor V. Revan and Alek, now known as Malak, were ordered to return and face judgment by the Jedi Council. Only Meetra Surik, one of Revan's top generals, answered the call out of guilt for activating the Mass Shadow Generator, and she was exiled from the Jedi Order. Meanwhile, Revan and Malak took their remaining forces on a mission to the Unknown Regions.

How Revan Became A Sith Lord

Darth Revan and Darth Malak sought to destroy the Republic

Revan and Malak eventually made their way to the Sith World of Dromund Kaas, where they confronted the Sith Emperor. Before the two could engage him, the Emperor took control of their minds with the Force, turning them to the dark side and anointing them as Sith Lords. Darth Revan and Darth Malak were sent back to wage war against the Republic ahead of the Emperor's planned invasion, and the two searched for an ancient space station called the Star Forge. This weapon, built by the Rakatan Infinite Empire, allowed them to construct the ships necessary for a Sith fleet.

In an effort to stop the Sith, a Jedi strike team led by Bastilla Shan snuck onto Revan's flagship and engaged him in a lightsaber duel. Malak, seizing the opportunity to overthrow his master, ordered his ships to fire on Revan's bridge. Rather than leaving Revan to die, the Jedi instead saved him and used the Force to wipe his memory, freeing him from the dark side. Malak assumed full control of the Sith army and continued his war against the Republic, unaware that his master was alive and in the hands of the Jedi Order.

Revan's Redemption & The Star Forge

The former Sith returned to the light and saved the galaxy

Despite having no memory, Revan was convinced by a Republic officer that he was a soldier in the war against the Sith. This led to him rescuing Bastilla, who took him to the Jedi Enclave when his Force sensitivity began to emerge. Although the Jedi were reluctant to train Revan, they knew he was their best chance of defeating Malak, so he was retrained as a Jedi. Alongside Bastilla and a crew they gained along the way, Revan retraced the Sith's steps to find a map to the Star Forge, oblivious that he and Malak's master were the same person.

Unfortunately, Revan was confronted by Malak, who revealed the truth about Revan's past. Malak then kidnapped Bastilla and attempted to turn her to the dark side, eventually succeeding in making her his apprentice. Despite having been lied to, Revan was determined to save Bastilla and stop Malak from destroying the Republic. His crew finally located the Star Forge, and Revan made his way inside while the Republic forces engaged the Sith fleet. Revan defeated Malak and saved Bastilla from the dark side, and together they returned to their friends as heroes of the Republic.

Revan and Bastilla were later married, something the Jedi Council did not approve but tolerated because of Revan's status. Just as Revan learned that Bastilla was pregnant, he discovered the threat of the Sith Empire and was determined to find them as he had before. Retracing his steps, Revan made his way to Dromund Kass but was captured and imprisoned by the Sith. Years later, he was rescued by his former general, Meetra Surik, and the two forged a temporary alliance with a Sith named Scourge to defeat the Emperor. However, Scourge betrayed the Jedi, capturing Revan and killing Surik.

The Emperor has Revan placed in stasis, allowing him to draw on the Jedi's strength and look into his mind. Despite being imprisoned, Revan used this to his advantage, using his mental link with the Emperor to keep the Sith from attacking the Republic too soon. Surik's Force ghost also remained by Ravan's side, offering him strength in his mental battle with the Emperor. Revan was kept alive for hundreds of years, and his actions gave the Republic and the Jedi time to rebuild and prepare for the Sith Empire's inevitable invasion.

The Order Of Revan Explained

A cult dedicated to Revan's legacy

During Revan's centuries of captivity, a secret society formed within the Sith Empire called the Order of Revan, based on his teachings. The Revanites believed in balancing the light and dark sides of the Force, reflecting Revan's time as a Jedi and a Sith, and they sought to change the Empire from within. They were considered heretics by the rest of Sith society and targeted by the ruling council, but things changed when Revan himself was revealed to be alive. He took control of the organization named after him, but he was no longer the man he was before captivity.

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Years of mental anguish had split Revan's mind, with his light side becoming a Force ghost and his dark half controlling his physical body. His followers infiltrated the Republic and the Sith Empire, all working toward Revan's goal of destroying both societies and killing the man who had imprisoned him. In a twist of fate, the Republic and the Sith Empire were forced to work together to defeat Revan, driving him to Yavin 4. Following Revan's defeat, his light counterpart convinced him to merge back into one being, causing his physical body to disappear.

Everything We Know About Revan In Star Wars Canon

Not much is known about Revan except his existence

Revan's story may have been fleshed out in the Legends timeline, but not much is known about him in canon. He was mentioned in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - The Visual Dictionary by Pablo Hidalgo, which identified the 3rd Legion of the Sith Eternal army as the "Revan" legion. Revan almost became canon in 2011 as a Sith spirit in Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 3, episode 17 "Ghosts of Mortis," but this scene was later cut. Until a new story returns to the Old Republic era, Revan's fate in Star Wars canon will likely remain a mystery.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic tells the story of the Star Wars universe long before the Skywalker family altered the fate of the galaxy. The player assumes control of Revan, an amnesiac Force user who finds themselves thrown into the center of the ancient struggle between the Jedi and the Sith. An open-world RPG that allows the player to explore a galaxy of planets, KOTOR puts an emphasis on player choice: Revan must decide whether to save the galaxy, or conquer it.

Franchise Star Wars

Platform(s) Xbox (Original) , iOS , Android , Switch , PC , macOS

Released July 15, 2003

Developer(s) BioWare

Publisher(s) LucasArts

Engine Odyssey Engine

How Long To Beat 30 Hours

Metascore 94