| “ | Those who use the dark side are also bound to serve it. To understand this is to understand the underlying philosophy of the Sith. The dark side offers power for power's sake. You must crave it. Covet it. You must seek power above all else, with no reservation or hesitation. The Force will change you. It will transform you. Some fear this change. The teachings of the Jedi are focused on fighting and controlling this transformation. That is why those who serve the light are limited in what they accomplish. | „ |
| ~ Revan explains his philosophies of the Dark Side. |
Revan, renowned as the Revanchist, dreaded as the Sith Lord Darth Revan, and honored as the Prodigal Knight, was an eminent Jedi Knight turned conquering Dark Lord of the Sith until, stripped of his true persona, he returned to the crumbling Jedi Order and helped defeat the Sith Empire he had established.
A human male, and acknowledged as a very gifted and powerful Force-sensitive pupil, he was trained as a Padawan by Kreia and a number of other Jedi Masters, both on Coruscant and at the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine. He appears as the protagonist of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and later appears as the final antagonist of Star Wars: The Old Republic in the role of the titular main antagonist of the DLC expansion pack, the Shadow of Revan.
Due to his actions, philosophies, and involvement in major pivotal events and conflicts of the Old Republic era, Revan is arguable one of the most important characters of the entire Star Wars franchise due to his influence in the Old Republic series as well as his posthumous influence centuries later which would influence the philosophies of the Sith.
He was voiced by Rino Romano in Knights of the Old Republic (2003), and Jeff Bennett in The Old Republic (2011).
History
Rise as the Revanchist
Revan as a Jedi.
Revan, though not known by that name originally, was once a young apprentice in the Jedi Order, being trained first by Masters Kreia and then Zhar Leslin, alongside Alek. Revan had a never-ending desire for knowledge and Leslin believed he could become a great Jedi as a result. The apprentice would study more uncommon Force abilities and he and Alek both became highly regarded Jedi Knights. However, Revan demanded that the Jedi be involved in the Republic's fight with the Mandalorians. He soon gathered a group of Jedi who agreed with him, who came to call him their “Master.” Revan led his followers to join the fighting in spite of the Jedi Council being against this. He proceeded to Suuria, having his allies stay there while he went to Onderon and Dxun to find out about the Mandalorian's activities.
Revan being reprimanded by the Jedi Council.
However, the Mandalorians ambushed them and took them captive and Revan reported to the Council that he was sensing something disturbing. Despite the Republic entering the Mandalorian Wars, the Jedi Council continued to insist that the Jedi were not to get involved and Revan was sent to rescue the Jedi who'd been captured. Eventually, the Jedi were rescued by Zayne Carrick, a former Padawan who'd been framed for murder by Master Lucien Draay. Revan continued to demand that the Jedi intervene against the Mandalorians and became known as the “Revanchist,” the name of his movement. At one point, Ferroh, a Cathar Jedi who followed Revan, told him of how his entire species had vanished. He believed the Mandalorians were the culprits and used his abandoned world to help convince the Jedi to join Revan's movement. But when Revan and Alek were visiting Cathar, the Mandalorians attacked Serroco and Revan felt countless civilians dying. Later on, Revan sent Alek to an auction to bid on powerful weaponized exogorths that Jedi believed could alter the outcome of the war.
Later on, Lucien Draay was made part of the Jedi Council and he continued to maintain that it was wrong for the Jedi to intervene as Revan demanded. The Council demanded that Revan and his followers cease their actions or they would be forced to, sending the order back with Alek, who was now known as Malak. However, Malak was followed by several Jedi Masters, who demanded his group cease their actions. But Revan discovered a Mandalorian mask on the ground and they were suddenly plunged into a vision of the past, where the Mandalorians slaughtered the Cathar people.
Revan's vision and his vow to make the Mandalorians pay.
A female Mandalorian tried to speak out against Cassus Fett, who was leading the slaughter, only to die with the Cathar. Revan donned the mask, which had belonged to the Mandalorian who had spoken out against the genocide. He took on the name of Revan for the first time and declared he would wear the mask until the Mandalorians paid for their crimes. The Council, while not willing to send the entire Jedi Order against the Mandalorians, decided the war crimes were enough to approve of Revan's followers intervening for the Republic. While they officially disapproved, they no longer wished to stand in the way of the Revanchists. Revan proposed that he and his followers be deputized into the Republic army and the Council begrudgingly agreed, naming him commander of the new Mercy Corps.
Becoming a Sith Lord
Revan and Malak in command of the Republic forces.
Revan and his forces won many victories and soon he was named Supreme Commander, gaining control of a third of the army. However, Revan and Malak started focusing too much on victory without thought to the cost, using tactics just as brutal as that of their enemies. At one point, Revan and Malak found an ancient Rakatan ruin and managed to overcome the droid guardians. But before they headed into the depths, Malak told Revan that entering would risk banishment by the Jedi. He was unfazed by the risk and entered, finding a Star Map that showed part of the way to the Star Forge, a space station that was capable of limitlessly producing the ultimate army. Revan later discovered another Star Map on Kashyyyk, before eventually visiting Malachor V, finding the Sith Academy there. He was drawn to the dark side, also bringing Malak over, and learning from the Sith knowledge at the academy.
At first, Revan did not fully abandon the ways of the Jedi, continuing to fight the Mandalorians along with the Republic. He eventually entered into a long battle on Dxun, suffering heavy losses, and tried to draw the Mandalorians out by attacking Althir III. Revan had a new superweapon built called the Mass Shadow Generator to spring an elaborate trap on the Mandalorian army. He planned to use half of the fleet to lure the Mandalorians into range while his part of the army attacked the flagship. Many of the soldiers and Jedi at the battle were not particularly supportive of Revan and some believed he had done so on purpose to get rid of them.
Revan fighting Mandalore the Ultimate.
However, he was delayed from his part by a Mandalorian scouting party, but finally arrived to find battle underway. Mandalore the Ultimate challenged Revan to a duel and he accepted, successfully striking him down. Mandalore revealed he'd been manipulated by a Sith to start the war, as well as told to uncover a Sith tomb on Rekkiad before he'd began his war with the Republic. Mandalore used what was left of his strength to give Revan the coordinates. Revan took Mandalore's mask, shortly before the Mass Shadow Generator was activated by Meetra Surik.
Revan and Malak after defeating the Mandalorians.
The Mandalorians immediately surrendered and Revan had their army fully disarmed, though he refused to return Mandalore's mask, as it was the mark of leadership amongst them. With no leader, they would never again become a unified threat. Later on, Revan built an assassin droid called HK-47, planning to use him to kill specific targets to avoid more widespread destruction. Revan and Malak refused to answer to the Jedi Council for what had happened in the final battle against the Mandalorians.
They headed into the Unknown Regions claiming they were hunting down remaining Mandalorians. Malak believed they needed to kill Surik, but Revan said she was already dead, before taking his comrade with him to Rekkiad. They found the tomb of the Sith Lord, Dramath the Second, with a datacron inside that confirmed what Mandalore had said. The datacron told them of a planet called Nathema and Revan left the Mask of Mandalore inside the tomb, before heading to Nathema with Malak. They were shocked to discover the planet had no traces of the Force, but learned of Emperor Vitiate, a Sith Lord who had lived a thousand years before. He had united the Sith in a ritual that had wiped out all life on Nathema, while granting him immortality. Vitiate had then become Sith Emperor, before returning to the remnants of the Sith Empire.
Revan and Malak tracked him to Dromund Kaas, finding a new Sith empire had sprung up there. They pretended to be mercenaries and began learning all they could about the empire. Eventually the duo discovered that Vitiate planned to invade the Republic, but decided to take the emperor down themselves instead of warning the Republic. Revan and Malak received aid from Yarri, one of the emperor's Imperial Guard, but she was planning to lead them into a trap.
Revan and Malak facing off against Vitiate.
Upon arriving at the emperor's throne room, they found Vitiate was waiting for them and he used his powers to twist their minds, turning them into full Sith Lords and dubbing them Darth Revan and Darth Malak. He sent them back to the Republic to serve as his vanguard and use the Star Forge to do so, then report back when the Republic was weakened.
Revan and Malak finding a Star Map.
Revan and Malak continued to find Star Maps to the Forge and on Korriban, Revan learned more of the dark side while in the tomb of Tulak Hord. He also created a holocron describing his thoughts on the nature of a relationship between Sith master's and apprentices. The two finally discovered the last Star Map in the tomb of Naga Sadow and headed to find the Star Forge in the Lehon system. However, they crashed on Lehon and were taken captive by the Rakata. Revan used the Force to forcibly tear knowledge on how to speak their language from their leader and made a deal with them. In exchange for stealing an ancient tome from a rival tribe, their leader would help Revan and Malak access the Temple of the Ancients, which would allow them to reach the Star Forge. They succeeded in finally accessing the forge with Revan leaving his holocron in the Temple of the Ancients.
Threatening the Republic
By the time they'd gotten to the forge, the two Sith Lords had broken free of Vitiate's control, but they had succumbed to the dark side, the emperor's commands now seeming to be their own will. Revan and Malak declared themselves leaders of the new Sith Empire with Malak as Revan's apprentice.
Revan and Malak leading their new empire.
Using the forces that had followed them to the Unknown Regions, Revan armed them using the Star Forge, also making a new Sith Academy on Korriban. Additionally, the Sith Lord realized that Star Forge had far more uses than just building weapons, taking in whatever was fed into it to recreate the basic elements of the universe, even life. However, Revan realized that the Star Forge had lead to the ruination of the Rakata and only used it to create his military, though Malak saw this as weakness. Revan used his knowledge of the Republic military to devastate their forces as he began his campaign against them. He attacked shipyards and had various political figures assassinated, but did his best to keep the economy and military functional.
Thus, Revan could takeover and rebuild the Republic according to his own will. He formed a partnership with the Czerka Corporation, giving them a trade monopoly with his empire in exchange for their support. Revan also captured and corrupted as many Jedi as he could to the dark side, turning them into Sith assassins to serve his will. However, Malak had grown apart from Revan and eventually openly stated his master was not strong enough to be a Sith. A duel soon ensued that ended in Revan cutting off Malak's jaw, forcing him to wear a metal prosthesis from then on. Later on, he was lured into a trap by the Jedi, attacking a Republic fleet only to be attacked by a Jedi strike team aboard his flagship.
Revan duelng Bastila Shan.
Revan managed to cut down some of them and Malak sensed his master was in danger, but chose to do nothing so that he could take over. Revan was defeated in the chaotic battle that followed, though he killed all but one of his attackers, the leader, Bastila Shan. Shan kept him alive, healing his wounds and forming a Force bond between the two of them. The Jedi wiped Revan's mind, giving him new memories as a soldier from Deralia.
Serving the Republic
Needing to defeat Malak and wanting to know where his fleet was being produced, the Jedi told Shan to draw out Revan's memories, while keeping his identity a secret. He began serving the Jedi and the Republic in his new identity, eventually receiving Jedi training himself to help stop Malak.
Revan learning the truth from Malak.
However, Revan continually had visions that were actually his former memories and eventually was told who he was by Malak when the two confronted each other. Their confrontation ended with Revan frozen by his former apprentice using the force, only surviving thanks to his Jedi companions. Finally, Revan lead the assault against Malak in the Star Forge and faced him in one final duel. He managed to strike his former apprentice down, who wondered aloud what might have happened if he had been the one captured by the Jedi. Revan apologized for starting Malak down the path of the dark side, but he'd chosen to pursue it. He then returned to the Republic, where he was honored alongside his companions.
Revan reclaiming control of his Sith Empire.
In the dark side ending, Revan instead slaughtered his Jedi companions and after defeating Malak, he returned to Korriban, where he reclaimed position of Dark Lord of the Sith, aided by a dark side turned Bastila Shan. Revan used the Star Forge to unleash a limitless army on the Republic, annihilating it, only to mysteriously disappear soon afterwards. His Sith empire began to descend into unrest and found themselves unable to use the Star Forge with Shan deciding that he had never intended for anyone else to use it.
Torment by the Sith Empire and Fracture into Two
However, Revan was eventually driven to head back into the Unknown Regions to seek out a mysterious threat he only remembered vaguely. He was captured by Sith Lords, Darth Nyriss and Scourge, and imprisoned and tortured for months. Revan was eventually saved by Meetra Surik and escaped with her and Scourge, who he'd formed a somewhat close relationship with. Together, they went to confront Vitiate with Revan remembering how the emperor had brought about his own fall to darkness.
Revan imprisoned.
But the battle did not end well for Revan and he was imprisoned for centuries with Vitiate trying to mentally take knowledge of the Republic and the Jedi from him while also trying to sway him back to the dark side as the emperor's servant. However, he resisted the Sith's tortures but the process caused his mind and spirit to fracture. Finally, Revan was freed by Republic agents and began pursuing a means of ending the Emperor and the Sith forever. He discovered a cult dedicated to him known as the Revanites, from which he regained his mask, but wanted nothing to do with them, as he was no messiah or prophet.
Revan while running the Foundry.
Revan recovered HK-47, who'd been eagerly waiting for his return, and went to a Ratakan facility known as the Foundry he'd found long before. There, Revan began building an army of assassin droids led by HK-47, but his plans were disrupted by a strike team sent by the Sith. Defeated, Revan attempted to become one with the Force, but only succeeded partially. His light side did so, leaving a Revan consumed entirely by darkness and driven to madness. He assumed command of the Revanites and prepared to wipe out the Sith Empire once and for all, but decided he also needed to get rid of the Republic.
Threat of Dark Revan
Revan completely recreated the Revanites as fanatically loyal servants of his will, including members of both the Republic and the Sith Empire. Revan ordered his servants to create an "Infinite Army", using shards of the Star Forge on soldiers to grant them regeneration and super strength. However, Rian Darok and Darth Arkous were killed when a Republic and Imperial alliance attacked the Temple of the Ancients where the project was being performed.
Revan and his ship appearing above the Temple of the Ancients.
Revan's ship appeared and he noted his disappointment at the loss of his Infinite Army, but bombarded the temple to try and kill his enemies. Revan continued with his plans, recruiting the Nova Blades pirates to attack Republic and Imperial patrols to try and provoke a confrontation between the two groups. The Revanites would then launch against the two fleets with their own warships, even creating a signal jammer to keep the fleets from contacting one another. Revan soon abandoned the Nova Blades after they'd served their purpose when they were attacked by a group including Theron Shan, Revan's descendant, who was captured by the Revanites. Revan interrogated Shan, trying to convince him to join him, but he refused and was eventually rescued by a rescue team. As he launched his trap on the Imperial and Republic fleets, Revan's jammer was destroyed much to his annoyance as it allowed them to receive warning of Revanite saboteurs on their ships.
Revan on Yavin 4.
Finally, Revan invaded Yavin 4 where the weakened Sith Emperor was supposedly hiding out. His Revanites overwhelmed the Imperial Guardsmen and captured the Temple of Sacrifice where the emperor planned to restore himself using a ritual. Revan was followed by the Republic-Imperial coalition, which sought to also defeat the Emperor. The former Sith Lord's attempt to perform the ritual were disrupted by his enemies and he retreated to a temple where the Emperor's spirit was hiding. He was pursued by the coalition's heroes and fought them, determined to confront Vitiate himself.
Revan's two halves reuniting.
Finally, Revan was defeated and shocked and enraged when he realized the Emperor had regained his strength using the chaos from the battle on Yavin 4 and successfully left the planet. Revan was confronted by his spectral light half, who managed to rejoin with his dark side, making them whole again and allowing him to finally become one with the Force.
Legacy
Revan's death did not end his impact on the galaxy and his legacy would live on for centuries long after his death. In the aftermath of the New Sith Wars, the Sith Lord, Darth Bane, came across Revan's teachings and would form his own philosophies when it came to restructuring the Sith after it was destroyed at the hands of the Jedi and Republic once again. This would lead to the creation of the Rule of Two and it would remain the de-facto doctrine of the Sith Order for centuries as only two Sith would exist at a time, a master and an apprentice, and Revan's legacy would remain for years in the form of the Order of the Sith Lords. The Rule of Two would remain in place long after Revan had died, despite the fact that it was violated on several occasions, and it would remain that way until the formation of the One Sith in 30 ABY by Darth Krayt with the creation of the Rule of One, effectively replacing the Rule of Two. Despite this however, Revan's legacy persisted as Darth Wredd, a former One Sith member and renegade Sith Lord, defected from the One Sith and waged his own crusade to restore the Rule of Two, which ultimately costed him his life and the near-extinction of the Sith Order as a whole.
Personality
Revan has always possessed incredible determination and intelligence, constantly seeking new ways of accomplishing what he sees as right. The Mandalorian wars have given Revan a very cold attitude that makes it so he will seek victory despite the cost. However, he prefers avoiding needless carnage, which is why he built HK-47. Nevertheless, he was utterly ruthless as a Sith and he also was highly dedicated to Sith ideals and believes power is everything, ignoring any ideals of mercy or loyalty. His ideals helped influence Darth Bane create the Rule of Two as he believed that a Sith Master should have one apprentice to avoid being overcome by multiple lesser followers.
Revan favors the idea of turning his former enemies to his side through manipulation and corruption. However, he still has a sense of humor, as he was amused when HK-47 called Malak a “meatbag” and programmed him to refer to all organics as such. Revan has incredible will, which was what allowed him to endure centuries of torture from Vitiate, though he was not unscarred. His mind started to become twisted between the light and dark sides and after his light side left him, Revan was completely fueled by anger and hate. He sought to destroy his former tormentor forever, but while the dark Revan possessed his strength, he lacked his former wisdom and his mind was clouded by his malice.
Powers and Abilities
Revan is extremely powerful in the ways of the Force, masterful in combat with a lightsaber. He possesses high agility, speed, and strength boosted by the Force that he uses in his fighting style. Revan mostly uses one lightsaber, but wields two as dark Revan, both his red Sith one and his original purple one. Revan is also an extremely cunning and able military commander, an expert with his tactics and strategies. He is respected by several cultures as the epitome of a warrior and commander, as well as very charismatic in recruiting allies. Revan is fluent in several languages, mechanically minded, skilled at constructing droids, and a talented pilot. Revan is extremely powerful with the Force, and a true master of the Dark Side as a Sith Lord.
Revan can use telekinesis, which he often uses to hurl heavy objects in battle, as well as crush and choke enemies, guide his lightsaber when he throws it and has even wielded two more lightsabers telekinetically. Revan can also influence other's minds and take knowledge from them. He was also skilled in Force sense, allowing him to sense others, their emotions, and even the future, making it so he often has visions. Revan can use the Force to heal his wounds and resist poison and drugs. He can also use powerful Force lightning and devastating Force storms. Revan can use the Force for various defensive purposes, even able to absorb energy and redirect it back at his foe.
Gallery
Trivia
- He never officially speaks in Knights of the Old Republic, though Rino Romano does provide some hard to hear taunts.
- Revan was seen as a role model by later Sith Lord Darth Bane despite his being redeemed, and Bane even traveled to Lehon to seek out Revan's Sith holocron. It was from that holocron that Darth Bane first learned about the Thought Bomb that he later used to wipe out the Brotherhood of Darkness and the Jedi they were fighting on Russan.
- Revan and Bane were both meant to appear in the third season of Star Wars the Clone Wars as "advisors" to the Son, goading him to embrace the dark side more and more. The scene was cut due to conflicting with George Lucas' ideas of the Force.
- Revan however was made canon in the visual dictionary for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker where it states that the Sith troopers in the film have legions named after ancient Sith Lords and the 3rd Legion was named after Revan, thus making him canon.
- Revan's original plan for the Sith was to get them work side by side similar to the Jedi but decided that the only way the Sith can survive is to reduce their numbers to only two.
