One of the most popular parts of the Star Wars franchise that viewers wish was canon is Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Since the release of the game and its subsequent sequels, much of the game has been moved into the realm of Star Wars Legends, rendering the games and their stories non-canon. However, that does not mean that everything the games had to offer has been completely stricken from the record forever. In fact, many enthusiasts still hold out hope that Knights of the Old Republic will be brought back to canon in some way or another.
When Disney purchased Star Wars in 2012, the company made some big changes to the franchise so that they could continue writing new stories in what would hopefully be more innovative ways. Since then, though Knights of the Old Republic itself may no longer be canon, several pieces of the games have since been referenced or incorporated into the greater canon. This includes various Jedi and Sith who made appearances in the games themselves.
Also known as the Lord of Hunger, Darth Nihilus was an ancient Sith Lord with the terrifying power to consume the Force. Not only could he use this power to kill, but he has been known to wipe out entire populations of planets by simply feeding off of the energy that the Force provides to them. This power quickly became an addiction, however, and Darth Nihilus was eventually just as beholden to his need to consume as he was of his own will.
A little known fact about Darth Nihilus is that he can actually be found in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Eagle-eyed viewers have noticed that in the background during a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, Darth Nihilus’ mask is sitting there in the background. While the character himself has not made an appearance in canon, his presence is still certainly felt. Though such a powerful enemy would make for an interesting future protagonist, this statue of Darth Nihilus is so far his only reference in modern canon.
Originally making an appearance as a part of the evil Sith Triumvirate in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II, Darth Sion was a terrifying force of nature known best for his unique ability to cheat death. He became functionally immortal moments before his own death due to his pain and suffering, using all of his anger in the Force to keep him alive. He then continued on, working to resurrect the Sith Empire he once fought for.
This Sith Lord is referenced several times throughout Ahsoka, as the ship that Morgan Elsbeth used to travel all the way outside the galaxy to the planet Peridea is named The Eye of Sion. This is especially interesting considering the fact that in the game he appears in, Sion famously only has one eye. Because of this reference, Darth Sion has been made canon by the virtue of its inclusion, though whether he will make an official appearance is still up for debate.
If one thing is consistent between the Extended Universe and Disney’s canon, it is that the Jedi and the Mandalorian were once on much more uncertain terms. In the canon originally introduced by Knights of the Old Republic, the two engaged in a full-scale war that spanned across the galaxy and led directly to the deaths of countless innocent people. The Mandalorians were ruthless in their slaughter, leading directly to the rise of Darth Revan in their attempt to quell the threat.
In canon, the reality of things is far murkier. Because these wars have only ever been indirectly mentioned or briefly pictured in television series such as Star Wars Rebels or The Mandalorian, little is known about what actually transpired in this new version of canon. However, there are some similarities, as in both of these continuities the Jedi won the war, devastating the Mandalorians for years to come. Because of these similarities, it is possible that those who took part in this war, such as Canderous Ordo, could become canon later down the line, though they haven’t yet.
Throughout all the Old Republic games, one of the main goals of the Sith is to either bring back the glory days of the Sith Empire, or in the case of Star Wars: The Old Republic, to continue to keep them going strong. Darth Revan and especially Darth Malak have cited this as their goal at one point or another, with the entirety of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic spent in an effort to stop Darth Malak from achieving this goal. Since the institution of Darth Bane’s Rule of Two, the days of the Sith Empire have long since gone.
Though this grandstanding Sith Empire has been vaguely mentioned in Star Wars comics and cartoons, and even the prequels to an extent, the real power of the ancient Sith has yet to be fully explored in canon. The High Republic Era is the closest that most canon has come to covering this period of time, though The Rise of Skywalker makes mention of the powerful Sith of old. With The Acolyte on the horizon and promising to bring more information about the High Republic Era of Star Wars, it is only a matter of time before The Old Republic gets its own representation.
The first Sith Emperor that comes to mind for most Star Wars viewers is Emperor Palpatine, a character who could be considered the main villain for nearly the entire franchise. However, Darth Sidious was not the first person to hold this title. In the MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic, a body swapping Sith Pureblood known as Darth Vitiate or simply Tenebrae previously held this role during the time of the Old Republic Era, thousands of years before Darth Sidious took over.
Although Darth Vitiate does not appear by name outside of Star Wars Legends, an unnamed Sith Emperor is referenced in an issue of the 2021 Star Wars Encyclopedia. Here, it is said that he ruled sometime around the year 4,000 BBY, countless years before Emperor Palpatine’s rise to power. While Darth Vitiate is not mentioned explicitly, it is more than likely that this Sith Emperor is him, or at the very least Disney’s version of the character.
One character that many thought would be difficult to bring into Star Wars canon is that of Meetra Surik, also referred to as the Jedi Exile in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II. This is because Meetra is the main character, whose decisions and appearance are fully up to the player. Meetra later makes an appearance in Star Wars: The Old Republic in a few of the story missions revolving around the older games, though in this case she is depicted as a woman, taking player choice out of the equation.
Though the character has not made a definite appearance in Star Wars canon, Meetra Surik is mentioned by name in canon several times in both The High Republic comics and The High Republic: Rising Storm. Here, her name is referenced with the exclamation “Surik’s Blade!” in what would be decades after her life in the Old Republic Era. This single phrase has given many hope to the eventual appearance of the character, either in later comics or even a simple canonization of the Knights of the Old Republic games themselves.
Without a doubt, one of the most popular characters to ever come out of Star Wars Legends is the Sith Lord Darth Revan. Being the protagonist of the beloved original Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Revan is another character that might initially seem difficult to bring to canon due to the player-driven nature of the game. However, Revan was depicted as a male character that eventually returned to the light side of the Force in later Legends novel appearances and in the MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic.
Despite this, Revan’s name has been specifically mentioned in Star Wars canon. The name of Revan is listed among those chanted by Sith-aligned cultists on the planet Exegol in the 2022 novel Shadow of the Sith. Though this reference is a small one, the ties to such recent canon are clear, igniting hope that Revan will be brought back to canon either with a remake of the original game, or in some new movie or show that the Star Wars franchise is still planning.
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