Behind the Game:
Sith Happens
By Danny Chihdo
Star Wars®: Knights of
the Old Republic™, from Lucasarts and developer BioWare
(Fallout, Baldur's Gate), lets Xbox gamers do what Star Wars
fans have been itching to do since 1977—create their own
lightsaber-swinging Jedi Knight and take part in the epic battle
between the Light and Dark Sides of the Force.
But, this ain't your mama's Star Wars universe—in fact, it isn't
even your great-great-grandma's Star Wars universe. Star Wars:
Knights of the Old Republic takes place 4,000 years before the
movies, offering a whole new time period, kicking off four decades
after the epic events of the Dark Horse Comics Tales of the Jedi
series.
Here are a few of characters you'll meet in Star Wars: Knights
of the Old Republic.
And Darth Maul thought he was
so original.
Carth Onasi
A decorated hero of the Republic's recent conflict with the
Mandalorians, Carth Onasi is a career soldier, who has seen more
than his share of war. But, even the ferocity of the Mandalorian
warriors could not prepare Onasi for the pure evil of the Sith and
what the Dark Side can do to soldiers unprepared to face it. After
one too many tragedies and too long in the fires of war, even Onasi
is no longer sure whether he's fighting for the honor of the
Republic or revenge for his fallen allies.
Zaalbar
Zaalbar the Wookiee won't say why he left the forests of Kashyyyk
for the planetary metropolis of Taris, and it's best not to
ask—Wookiees tend to tear the arms off of someone who gets too
nosy. Though something of an outcast and considered by most humans
to be little more than an animal, even on his adopted planet,
Zaalbar has recently partnered up with a mischievous young Twi'lek
girl named Mission Vao, who has helped pull him back from the brink
of despair.
Jedi Knights to the
rescue.
Bastila Shan
Decades earlier, the Jedi Nomi Sunrider used the rare Jedi power of
Battle Meditation to turn the tide of the war against Exar Kun and
the Sith. On the verge of another Sith war, another Jedi with
Sunrider's unique gift has emerged to help the forces of the
Republic turn back the armies of darkness—Bastila Shan. She is a
brash and impulsive young Jedi, and many on the Council fear she is
in constant danger of slipping over to the Dark Side. Still, her
rare powers make her crucial to the war effort against Darth
Malak's forces. If she can avoid temptation, Bastila Shan might
well join the ranks of Jedi legends.
And, she's easy on the eyes. Did I mention that?
Jolee Bindo
This old man would like nothing more than to be forgotten, but
history isn't through with him yet. A Jedi of great wisdom and
skill, who left the order after the war against Exar Kun decades
before, Jolee Bindo is now a recluse in the deep dark forests that
cover the Wookiee homeworld. Galactic events will soon take Bindo
from his safe home on Kashyyyk and thrust him back into the fight
between good and evil—but will the battle scars of his past consume
the old Jedi warrior?
Fancy seeing you here
...
Canderous Ordo
Like Carth Onasi, Canderous Ordo fought in the Mandalorian War—Ordo
just fought for the losing side. Now fighting without his
distinctive Mandalorian armor, the hulking brute takes on work as a
mercenary wherever he can find it. He bears the Republic no ill
will, unlike his Republic counterpart Onasi. Ordo viewed the war as
"just business." He's currently employed by shady characters with
wide-ranging criminal interests, but that, too, is just business to
him. Canderous Ordo's services will go to the highest bidder.
T3-M4
T3-M4 is a spunky three-legged prototype utility droid with a
talent for hacking into computer systems and a number of
combat-oriented upgrades not found on the factory model T3. A droid
manufacturer on Taris crafted the droid for an anonymous buyer
looking for a combination utility and security model—which explains
his combat abilities. But, the droid's generally independent
disposition and extremely advanced artificial intelligence hint at
a more ambitious purpose behind his construction.
