Summary
- Some of the beloved Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic characters and species have been reintegrated into the Disney canon.
- Meetra Surik, Naga Sadow, and other iconic characters from the series have made their way into Star Wars canon.
- The hope remains for the full Knights of the Old Republic games to return to their rightful place in the Star Wars canon lineup.
Many famous characters and species came out of the beloved video game series Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and despite the fact that the games themselves are no longer canon, some of them have been reintegrated into Disney’s Star Wars canon. Though the games were once considered canon to the Star Wars universe, after Disney purchased the property in 2012, the games were moved into the Star Wars Legends continuity. Despite this, some of the characters and concepts introduced in the series have remained, giving enthusiasts hope that someday the games might be returned to their canon status.
Originally released in 2003, the first Knights of the Old Republic game follows the story of Revan and their journey to stop Darth Malak from rebuilding the Sith Empire. The game and its following sequels, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II and Star Wars: The Old Republic, are best known for their focus on player agency, allowing for personalized stories with each playthrough. The amazing stories brought with them amazing characters, and these are some of the best that have been brought to or referenced in Star Wars canon in the years since.
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10 Meetra Surik Bridged The Gap Between Legends And Canon
They Have Been Referenced In The High Republic Comics
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Meetra Surik, also known as the Jedi Exile, is the player character featured in Knights of the Old Republic II. Upon the rise of the Mandalorians and the beginning of the Mandalorian Wars, Meetra stood up against the orders of the Jedi Council and participated in the war effort. Though they did not fall to the dark side like so many others, they were still exiled from the Jedi Order for their disobedience, no matter how noble their intentions might have been.
They made their way into Star Wars canon through the popular Star Wars: The High Republic books and comics, with their name being used as a popular exclamation. “Surik’s Blade” is mentioned by Master Sskeer and OrbaLin on separate occasions, implying that there was once a famous Jedi named Surik. Because the High Republic comics and novels take place hundreds of years after what would have been the time of the Old Republic games, it is possible that this is a reference to Meetra Surik.
9 Naga Sadow Is An Imposing Sith Lord With A Long History
He Was Mentioned In The Rise Of Skywalker Junior Novel
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Known best as a powerful Sith and alchemist in Star Wars Legends, Naga Sadow is already dead by the time of Knights of the Old Republic. His tomb is heavily featured on Korriban, though ironically enough his body was never buried inside of it. Revan visits this tomb during their time at the Sith Academy, potentially killing Uthar Wynn, the leader of the Sith Academy, and even possibly redeeming another member named Yuthura Ban.
When it comes to Sith from the Old Republic, Naga Sadow is rather obscure, making his recent inclusion in Star Wars canon even more surprising. In Michael Kogge’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: A Junior Novel, a statue of him is shown to reside in the Sith Citadel on Exegol. His voice is counted among countless other Sith, heard by Kylo Ren on the planet’s surface.
8 The Rakata Have Made Their Way To Star Wars Canon
The Ancient Civilization Was Mentioned In Andor
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Being one of the first civilizations in the galaxy to reach the technological level of interstellar travel, the Rakata are an incredibly ancient species. They invented early hyperdrive technology as well as Infinity Gates that allowed instantaneous travel across the galaxy, but due to their use of the dark side of the Force, their civilization was corrupted and attempted to enslave everyone who was not Rakatan. They were brutal, ravaging entire planets and killing mercilessly if it suited their needs.
Although they have not made an official appearance in the series’ canon, the Rakata were mentioned in the Disney+ series Andor. Here, it is said that they were the first to develop hyperspace travel. In keeping with their vengeful origins, Luthen Rael mentions an uprising against the Rakata that was staged in order to repel their invasion, then says that the Rakatans eventually went extinct due to their long-term use of the dark side.
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7 HK-Series Assassin Droids Were Mentioned In Ahsoka
This Could Mean Fan Favorite HK-47 Will Become Canon
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Although they were recently included in the Ahsoka series as a nod to Knights of the Old Republic lore, the HK-series of assassin droids actually has a longer history in Star Wars canon. They have also made brief appearances in Star Wars: Tales of the Empire as well as The Mandalorian. These appearances stem from their roots in the first Knights of the Old Republic game, with the first HK-series assassin droid being HK-47, a droid who was once an ally of Darth Revan.
Categorized as brutal killers first and foremost, these droids are unmatched when it comes to hunting down a target. After all, the HK in their name stands for “Hunter Killer,” a nod to their primary function. HK-47 was best known for his quick wit as well as his excellent combat skills, showing that these droids are more than simple-minded killers. There is something more human about them, like a more advanced version of the IG-11 seen in The Mandalorian.
6 The Cathar Are A Feline Alien Species Featured In KOTOR
Characters Like Juhani And Aric Jorgan Bolstered Their Popularity In The Old Republic
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Feline in appearance and known for their loyalty, the Cathar faced countless hardships when their people were enslaved by the Mandalorians during the Mandalorian Wars. Although Juhani is possibly the best known Cathar in all of Star Wars, her appearance in Knights of the Old Republic was actually not the first. In fact, the Cathar’s origins can be traced all the way back to the Star Wars Holiday Special with the feline character Myhr Rho.
Despite the fact that Cathar have been seen all across Star Wars Legends with many beloved characters being members of this species, they were not brought into canon until 2021 with Alexander Freed’s Victory’s Price. It took even longer for them to be pictured in the Star Wars comics. 2023’s Star Wars: Revelations is their only canon visual appearance to date.
5 The Selkath Have Made Several Appearances Since KOTOR
They Were Most Recently Featured In The Acolyte
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Hailing from the oceanic planet of Manaan, this aquatic species was introduced in Knights of the Old Republic and expanded upon in later media. The Selkath were the only real manufacturers of kolto, the predecessor to bacta, and thus they played a pivotal role earlier on in the galaxy’s history. They were one of few species to remain neutral during the Jedi Civil War and later, but after bacta was popularized and kolto was no longer a viable business, their species was left abandoned until the time of the Galactic Empire.
Whereas many of Knights of the Old Republic’s contributions to canon remain as references or subtle nods to the original source material, the Selkath have actually been featured in several different Star Wars properties. They were originally introduced into canon with Star Wars: The Clone Wars in season 3, episode 11 “Pursuit of Peace.” They would later go on to make a live-action debut in The Acolyte, with Selkath being featured in the backgrounds of some scenes.
4 Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders Were A Terrifying Product Of Mandalorian Rule
One Of Their Helmets Made Its Way Into The Clone Wars
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Operating before the time of the Mandalorian Wars, the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders were a unified force operating under the banner of the Mandalorian’s leader, Mandalore the Ultimate. They operated in distinct contrast to the Republic, known for their cruelty and their incredible skill in combat. The group was disbanded once their leader was killed in the war, but they were reunited by Canderous Ordo, who was then going by the name of Mandalore the Preserver.
Although much of the context surrounding the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders is no longer canon, one of their long, uniquely shaped helmets can be found in The Clone Wars season 3, episode 22 “Wookiee Hunt.” In this episode, it is featured in the collection of the Trandoshan big game hunter known as Garnac. Though where and when these Mandalorians existed may no longer be canon, their existence can no longer be denied.
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3 Darth Sion Was Referenced In The Ahsoka Series
The Eye Of Sion Brought Morgan Elsbeth To A New Galaxy
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Featured as a powerful member of a trio of Sith in Knights of the Old Republic II, Darth Sion was the Sith Lord who cheated death. Known as the Lord of Pain, Darth Sion was a member of Exar Kun’s Sith Empire, but when he was supposedly killed during the Great Sith War, he was so motivated by pain and hatred that he effectively became immortal. Now no longer able to die, he lived on until the rise of the next Sith Empire, siding with Darth Revan and Darth Malak during their rise.
Darth Sion does not make an official appearance in Star Wars canon, but he is specifically referenced in the series Ahsoka. The ship that Morgan Elsbeth builds in order to make her way to Peridea was named the Eye of Sion. Not only is it directly named after the dark lord himself, but it is also a reference to the fact that Darth Sion only has one eye.
2 Darth Nihilus Made A Surprise Appearance In The Sequel Trilogy
His Statue Was Briefly Featured In The Rise Of Skywalker
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Known as the Lord of Hunger in Knights of the Old Republic II, Darth Nihilus is perhaps one of the most frightening Sith to have ever come out of Star Wars Legends. After surviving the detonation of a superweapon on Malachor V, Nihilus was cursed with a craving for Force energy that operated more like addiction. Eventually, this would lead him to consuming the Force energies of entire planetary populations, leaving countless dead in his wake.
Similar to the inclusion of Naga Sadow into the series’ canon, Darth Nihilus was also featured on Exegol during Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. A statue of the Sith Lord can also be found on Exegol, except this time he was featured on film and not just in one of the movie’s offshoot novels. Though he only appears in a very brief moment, this is still cause enough to say that Darth Nihilus is, at least in some way, canon to Disney’s timeline.
1 Darth Revan Was Made Canon In The Novels
This Will Hopefully One Day Lead To A Fully Canon KOTOR
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Darth Revan is one of the most famous Star Wars characters of all time, operating as the player’s character in Knights of the Old Republic. After having their memory wiped by the Jedi, Revan forgets any memory they once had pertaining to their days as a Sith. This eventually leads them to assisting the Jedi in the defeat of Darth Malak.
Despite their almost cult status as a character, Revan has only appeared once in canon. They are mentioned in Adam Christopher’s Shadow of the Sith novel, with their name being chanted by Sith cultists on Exegol. This leaves plenty of room for Revan to return in further canon projects, and hopefully the entirety of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic will one day join him.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 
4.5
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.
RPG Systems
OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Rating:84/100 Critics Recommend:85% 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 ESRB T for Teen: Violence How Long To Beat 30 Hours Metascore 94 Expand See at AmazonSee at Walmart