play the original KOTOR before the remake launches. They showed what Star Wars villains should be, and few entries in the franchise have come close to capturing the shock and awe that Knights of the Old Republic’s Sith Lords compel.
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for the Knights of the Old Republic series.]
The Knights of the Old Republic games take place in an era in Star Wars history where the Sith have re-emerged from obscurity to threaten the galaxy's fate. Thousands of years before the original and prequel trilogies the Sith Lords of the Old Republic Era wreaked havoc across the galaxy. They posed a different challenge to the Jedi, not seen since the era’s end. The Knights of the Old Republic series is remarkable and stands out with some of the most essential Star Wars games ever released.
The Rule of Two had yet to exist, so there were many Sith warriors who wielded the dark side of the force at the time. Few, however, ascended to the heights of power achieved by the era’s strongest and wisest warriors. These individuals truly earned the title of Dark Lord of the Sith. Below is a list of all the prominent Sith Lords from the Knights of the Old Republic series, ranked from least to most powerful.
#5 - Darth Sion
Darth Sion takes the lowest spot on this list of Sith Lords, but he is still a mighty force to be reckoned with. A KOTOR 2 remake could give more time to explore Sion’s story, but regardless, he earned himself the moniker the Lord of Pain after having channeled his negative feelings. Sion took hold of all his anger and rage and harnessed it to achieve a feat few Sith Lords ever accomplished - immortality. The price for avoiding death, however, was a state of constant pain and agony. This is externalized in his deformed body with gray, cracked skin and an exposed eye. Sion uses the dark side to hold together his broken body.
Sion was a Sith warrior in the Exar Kun war and eventually ed Revan and Malak’s new Sith Empire. Both regimes failed, and Sion, along with Darth Nihilus and Darth Traya, formed the Sith Triumvirate. This new alliance mended the pieces of Revan’s fallen Sith Empire in KOTOR, and successfully eliminated most of the Jedi in the galaxy. Darth Sion played a vital role in its success and rightfully earned his place in Star Wars history as one of the most powerful and fearsome Sith Lords.
#4 - Darth Malak
Darth Malak is by far one of the most ambitious Sith Lords, having lived in the shadow of Darth Revan for a long time. When he saw the opportunity to advance his station, he didn’t hesitate to take it - even if that meant betraying his long-time accomplice. Regardless of their history, Malak was out for vengeance against Revan after they sliced off his jaw with their lightsaber - a key event in the old Star Wars: KOTOR canon. Malak’s metal mask conceals the wound, making him appear even more menacing.
It could be argued that without the help of Malak, Revan would not have been able to accomplish as much as they did. He played an essential role in locating and activating the Star Forge. His constitution and sense of determination are even a close match to Revan’s. Malak’s ruthless efficiency is also notable, as he significantly boosted the Star Forge's productivity before its destruction. However, Malak’s feats are challenging to consider without comparison to Revan's, proving that, even as powerful as he was, he will forever be overshadowed by his former master.
#3 - Darth Nihilus
Darth Nihilus is one of the scariest Sith Lords in the Knights of the Old Republic series. After the final battle of Star Wars' Mandalorian Wars, he became a wound in the Force that hungered for the dark side. He gave in to the cravings and soon lost his physical form. He was so powerful, however, that he could maintain his spirit and bind it to his mask and armor. Nihilus became an ethereal force presence that instilled fear in all that crossed his path.
Nihilus was part of the Sith Triumvirate with Darth Sion and Darth Traya and took on the moniker of Lord of Hunger. He cared little for the Sith, though, and ceased to feel almost all emotions as his power grew. Eventually, he ed Sion in betraying Traya by absorbing her powers. If given a chance, he would’ve ultimately betrayed Sion as well.
#2 - Darth Traya
As one of Star Wars’ best-written characters, Kreia’s teachings of the force were unorthodox and often dismissed. However, one of her most successful students was none other than Revan. She inspired Revan to search beyond the Jedi teaching for answers to the force’s greatest mysteries. When she was banished from the Order, she eventually embraced the dark side and became known as Darth Traya, the Lord of Betrayal. Traya resurrected the Trayus Academy and helped train a new generation of Sith after Revan’s redemption.
Darth Sion and Darth Nihilus were some of her most successful students, and they eventually betrayed her and severed her connection to the force. Over the course of Knights of the Republic 2, Traya finds a new relationship with the Force as she trains the Jedi Exile, Meetra Surik, one of the best Jedi characters in Star Wars games. Traya transcends the dichotomy of the dark and light sides. This understanding of the force makes Traya uniquely more powerful than the others. While the other Sith Lords wielded a crude power, Traya’s strength comes from her wisdom and insight, making her infinitely more dangerous than her disciples.
#1 - Darth Revan
Darth Revan was the most powerful and influential of all of the Sith Lords in the Knights of the Old Republic series. Their actions helped end the Mandalorian War and birthed the Jedi Civil War. Revan inspired many Jedi to abandon the Order and their cause. With their apprentice Malak, Revan discovered the Star Forge, an ancient space-station capable of producing armies, and established a new Sith Empire. It has also been theorized that Revan formed Star Wars' first Force Dyad, foreshadowing the concept's introduction in the franchise's sequel trilogy.
Revan stands out from the other Sith Lords in that they were the only one to be redeemed and renounce the dark side. They spawned their own Sith Empire as a Dark Lord and tore it down as a Jedi reborn. So, in addition to their unprecedented control of the force and skills in combat, Revan was powerful enough to overcome the hold of the dark side and firmly reject it once they re-discovered their true identity. No other Sith Lord in the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic series could achieve this feat, which set Revan apart as the strongest of them all.
