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''Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' (''KOTOR'') is a
media franchise A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program, o ...
of
space opera Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes Space warfare in science fiction, space warfare, with use of melodramatic, risk-taking space adventures, relationships, and chivalric romance. Set mainly or entirely in outer space, i ...
role-playing video game Role-playing video games, also known as CRPG (computer/console role-playing games), comprise a broad video game genre generally defined by a detailed story and character advancement (often through increasing characters' levels or other skills) ...
s created and developed by
BioWare BioWare is a Canadian video game developer based in Edmonton, Alberta. It was founded in 1995 by newly graduated Doctor of Medicine, medical doctors Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk and Augustine Yip. Since 2007, the company has been owned by American ...
, which have seen releases on the
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,
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detail ...
,
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,
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,
Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was first released in North America, parts of Europe, Austra ...
,
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,
IOS Ios, Io or Nio (, ; ; locally Nios, Νιός) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides. It is situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. It is about long an ...
,
Android Android most commonly refers to: *Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human * Android (operating system), a mobile operating system primarily developed by Google * Android TV, a operating system developed ...
and
Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...
. The franchise takes place in the fictional universe of ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' by
George Lucas George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker and philanthropist. He created the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founded Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairman ...
. The first title, and subsequent
massively multiplayer online role-playing game A massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is a video game that combines aspects of a role-playing video game and a massively multiplayer online game. As in role-playing games (RPGs), the player assumes the role of a Player charac ...
series, was developed by BioWare while the second was done by
Obsidian Entertainment Obsidian Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Irvine, California and part of Xbox Game Studios. It was founded in June 2003, shortly before the closure of Black Isle Studios, by ex-Black Isle employees Feargus Urquh ...
per LucasArts' request. All were published by
LucasArts Lucasfilm Games (known as LucasArts between 1990 and 2021) is an American video game brand licensing, licensor, former video game developer and video game publisher, publisher, and a subsidiary of Lucasfilm. It was founded in May 1982 by George ...
. The video game series is based on an earlier comic book series; the franchise includes a subsequent new comic book series. Both comic series were published by
Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, manga and Artist's book, art book publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon, by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, O ...
and act as prequels to the video games.


Gameplay

The game's system is based on
Wizards of the Coast Wizards of the Coast LLC (WotC or Wizards) is an American game Publishing, publisher, most of which are based on fantasy and List of science fiction themes, science-fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail game stores. In 1999, toy ...
's '' Star Wars Roleplaying Game'', which is based on the d20
role-playing game system A tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG or TRPG), also known as a pen-and-paper role-playing game, is a kind of role-playing game (RPG) in which the participants describe their characters' actions through speech and sometimes movements. Participants d ...
derived from the Third Edition ''
Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) originally created and designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical ...
'' rules. Combat is round-based; time is divided into discrete rounds, and combatants attack and react simultaneously. However, the number of actions a combatant may perform each round is limited. While each round's duration is a fixed short interval of real time, the player can configure the combat system to pause at specific events or at the end of each round.


Alignment system

The alignment system tracks actions and speech – from simple word choice to major plot decisions – to determine whether the player's character aligns with the light or dark side of
the Force The Force is a Metaphysics, metaphysical, mysterious, and Energy (esotericism), ubiquitous power in the ''Star Wars'' Universe of Star Wars, fictional universe. Characters refer to the Force as an energy that interconnects all things in the univer ...
. In the first game, the player's speech and actions have no effect on their teammates. However, the player has influence over their companions in ''The Sith Lords'', the player's actions determining not only what side the player is on, but their teammates as well. The influence the player has on another character can be minor, from converting a character from the dark side to the light, to something as major as teaching them the ways of the
Jedi Jedi (), Jedi Knights, or collectively the Jedi Order are fictional characters, and often protagonists, featured in many works within the '' Star Wars'' franchise. Working symbiotically alongside the Galactic Republic, the Jedi Order is depic ...
themselves. Influence can be lost, however, if the player makes an action inconsistent with past decisions, causing the player to pay very close attention before reacting in any way. The series includes "Gray Jedi" who tend to follow their own path as far as the Force is concerned rather than obeying the light or dark side.


Lightsabers

The series includes a high level of
lightsaber A lightsaber is a fictional energy sword featured throughout ''Star Wars''. A typical lightsaber is shown as a luminous laser sword about in length emitted from a metal hilt around in length. First introduced in the original ''Star Wars'' ...
customization including crystal colors and blade styles. The developers of the series "fought" to expand the number of lightsaber colors. The game includes the ubiquitous colors blue and green but also colors such as orange and yellow. Danny Paez, for ''
Inverse Inverse or invert may refer to: Science and mathematics * Inverse (logic), a type of conditional sentence which is an immediate inference made from another conditional sentence * Additive inverse, the inverse of a number that, when added to the ...
'', commented that "''KOTOR''s spectrum of lightsaber crystals led to gamers obsessing over collecting them all to design the lightsaber of their dreams. This led to fans going out of their way to explore every nook and cranny of the games".


Synopsis


Plot

Four thousand years prior to the ''Star Wars'' films,
Darth Malak The video games ''Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (video game), Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' (2003) and ''Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords'' (2004) features a large cast of characters noted for its div ...
Darth Revan The video games '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' (2003) and '' Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords'' (2004) features a large cast of characters noted for its diversity and is the subject of significant discussion ...
's apprentice – has unleashed a
Sith The Sith are the main antagonists in the fictional universe of the ''Star Wars'' franchise. They are the antithesis and ancient enemies of the Jedi. The Sith Order is depicted as an ancient cult of warriors who draw strength from the dark sid ...
armada against the
Republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...
. Many
Jedi Jedi (), Jedi Knights, or collectively the Jedi Order are fictional characters, and often protagonists, featured in many works within the '' Star Wars'' franchise. Working symbiotically alongside the Galactic Republic, the Jedi Order is depic ...
, scattered and left vulnerable by Malak's aggression, die in battle while others swear loyalty and allegiance to Malak. The game opens with the player's character awakening aboard a doomed Republic capital ship with no recollection of their past. After escaping the ship and crash-landing on Taris, the player gradually gathers companions and pieces together their past while attempting to stop Malak's forces. To accomplish this, the main character and their companions search for Star Maps that together reveal the location of the Star Forge, an ancient space station that creates massive amounts of material for Malak. The main character's actions and speech influence whether they align with the light or dark side of
the Force The Force is a Metaphysics, metaphysical, mysterious, and Energy (esotericism), ubiquitous power in the ''Star Wars'' Universe of Star Wars, fictional universe. Characters refer to the Force as an energy that interconnects all things in the univer ...
. Depending on the character's alignment, they eventually reach the Star Forge either to defeat the Sith (the light-side path) or to usurp control of the Sith from Malak (the dark side path). A light-aligned character and their companions are hailed as saviors and heroes; a dark side character stands before the remaining Sith forces as the new Sith Lord. ''The Sith Lords'' takes place five years after the events of ''Knights of the Old Republic'', in a time when the Jedi have been nearly exterminated by the Sith. The player's character is a former Jedi Knight exiled from the Jedi Order, referred to as "the Exile" or "Jedi Exile". During the Mandalorian Wars, the Exile served under Revan who ordered the activation of a devastating gravitational superweapon – the Mass Shadow Generator – that caused so many deaths to the point where they stripped themself of all connections to the Force unconsciously to save themself, and was removed from the Jedi Order. Throughout the game, the player's character restores a connection to the Force while, with the help of their new companions, try to stop the Sith. Unlike the previous game where your actions affect the fate of the galaxy, here your actions affect only the planets you visit. You can choose to either help or hinder the Republic's attempt to rebuild these planets. In the end, if the character is light-aligned, the Mass Shadow Generator is activated and destroys Malachor V and the Exile goes into unknown space to find Revan. A dark-aligned character, however, takes over the Sith academy on Malachor V and the Mass Shadow Generator is destroyed. ''The Old Republic'' takes place 300 years after the previous two games, shortly after the establishment of a tenuous peace between the re-emergent Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic. The Jedi are held responsible for the success of the Sith and chose to relocate from
Coruscant Coruscant () is an ecumenopolis planet in the fictional universe of ''Star Wars.'' It was first described in Timothy Zahn's 1991 novel '' Heir to the Empire.'' The planet made its first on-screen appearance in a scene added to '' Return of t ...
to Tython, where the Jedi Order had been initially founded, to seek guidance from the Force. The Sith control Korriban, where they re-established a Sith Academy. The game begins as new conflicts arise.


Characters


Locations

Several new planets make appearances in the series as major locations. These include, for example,
Dantooine The fictional universe of the ''Star Wars'' franchise features multiple planets and moons. While only the feature films and selected other works are considered canon to the franchise since the 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm by The Walt Disne ...
and
Korriban The fictional universe of the ''Star Wars'' franchise features multiple planets and moons. While only the feature films and selected other works are considered canon to the franchise since the 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm by The Walt Disne ...
, the locations for the
Jedi Academy Jedi (), Jedi Knights, or collectively the Jedi Order are fictional characters, and often protagonists, featured in many works within the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Working symbiotically alongside the Galactic Republic, the Jedi Order is depicted ...
and the Sith Academy, respectively; aboard the Star Forge space station where the final battle between
master Master, master's or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles In education: *Master (college), head of a college *Master's degree, a postgraduate or sometimes undergraduate degree in the specified discipline *Schoolmaster or master, presiding office ...
and
apprentice Apprenticeship is a system for training a potential new practitioners of a Tradesman, trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study. Apprenticeships may also enable practitioners to gain a license to practice in ...
takes place in KotOR; and war-ravaged Telos and its orbiting Citadel Station. Travel between locations happens aboard the freighter '' Ebon Hawk'', which is also a playable location, though no combat takes place on board, except for three instances in KotOR 2 where you have to fight off Sith attackers, the character Visas Marr, and members of the Red Eclipse slavers. A space station near
Yavin Yavin 4 (or Yavin IV) is a natural satellite in the Star Wars fictional universe. Located in the Outer Rim, this moon orbits the gas giant Yavin. It appears mainly in the films '' Rogue One'' and '' A New Hope'', for which the exterior scenes ar ...
is also playable location in the PC version of KotOR and is available to Xbox players via download from
Xbox Live The Xbox network, formerly known and commonly referred to as Xbox Live, is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Gaming for the Xbox brand. It was first made available to the origina ...
. In ''The Old Republic'', players have access to even more planets, like Ord Mantell, Nal Hutta, Balmorra,
Alderaan Alderaan ( ) is an Earth-like fictional planet featured in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. It is blue-green in appearance, depicted as a terrestrial planet with humanoid inhabitants, and characterized by a peaceful culture. It is the home planet o ...
,
Tatooine Tatooine ( ) is a fictional desert planet that appears in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. It is a beige-colored, desolate world orbiting a pair of binary stars, and inhabited by human settlers and a variety of other life forms. The planet was fi ...
, Dromund Kaas, Taris, Belsavis, Voss,
Hoth Hoth is an ice planet in the ''Star Wars'' fictional universe. It first appeared in the 1980 film ''The Empire Strikes Back'' and has also been a setting in ''Star Wars'' books and video games. Description Hoth is the sixth planet of a remote ...
, Corellia, Ilum and Quesh, and the moon Nar Shaddaa.


Video games


Original series


''Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic''

''Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' (''KotOR'') is the first installment in the ''Knights of the Old Republic'' series. ''KotOR'' is the first role-playing video game set in the ''Star Wars'' universe. The game was released on the Xbox on July 15, 2003, in North America and on September 12, 2003, in Europe. The PC version was released on November 19, 2003, in North America and on December 5, 2003, in Europe. The iOS version was released on May 30, 2013, and an Android release followed on December 28, 2014. The Nintendo Switch version was released on November 11, 2021.


''Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords''

''Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords'' (''KotOR II'') is the second installment in the video game franchise. The game was released on the Xbox in North America on December 6, 2004, in Europe on February 11, 2005, and in Australia on February 15, 2005. The PC version was released in North America on February 8, 2005, and in Europe on February 11, 2005. Per request as to have time to deal with other matters, BioWare, the original developer, handed over the job to Obsidian Entertainment. In addition to technical changes – such as more combat animation and interface scaling – ''The Sith Lords'' includes several drastic changes from the original game's features. As mentioned earlier in the gameplay section, the player's actions now affect not only the player themselves but their teammates as well. The player can also teach some teammates the ways of the Jedi. The player also has more diversity when upgrading items, and can even create certain items, such as computer spikes and explosives, themselves. In a similar way the player's actions and alignment with the light or dark side affects their teammates (both a teammate's alignment and who teams with the player in the first place), gender is also a factor when it comes to companionships and gameplay in general. In addition the appearance (due to choices) also affects your teammates. For example, choosing a female character teams the player with Mical the Disciple, while being male teams the player with Brianna the Handmaiden.


''Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic III'' (cancelled)

In 2003, LucasArts cancelled the ''Proteus'' console MMOG project during its design phase. The game was intended to be an in-house sibling to ''
Star Wars Galaxies ''Star Wars Galaxies'' (''Galaxies'') is a discontinued '' Star Wars-''themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) for Microsoft Windows, developed by Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) and published by LucasArts. The open worl ...
''. Upon its cancellation, the ''Proteus'' project's team and elements of its designs were applied to developing ''Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 3''. According to designer John Stafford, the team "wrote a story, designed most of the environments/worlds, and many of the quests, characters, and items." The game was cancelled as part of cuts initiated in 2004 aimed at positioning LucasArts for future success. Concept art from the cancelled ''Knights of the Old Republic 3'' project was published in the book ''Rogue Leaders: The Story of LucasArts'' (2008); the artwork includes depictions of Taloraan, Rodia, and a
Mandalorian Mandalorians are a fictional group of people associated with the planet Mandalore in the Star Wars universe and franchise created by Joe Johnston and George Lucas. Their appearance is often distinguished by gear such as battle helmets, armor ...
city, as well as a Coruscant vehicle and a new character named Naresha.


''Star Wars: The Old Republic''

''Star Wars: The Old Republic'' (also known as ''SWTOR'') was released for the Microsoft Windows platform on December 13, 2011, in North America and Europe, and released in Australia on March 1, 2012. It was first confirmed by
Electronic Arts Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by former Apple Inc., Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry ...
CEO
John Riccitiello John Riccitiello () is an American business executive. Previously, he was chief executive officer, chief operating officer and president of Unity Technologies, Electronic Arts, and co-founded private equity firm Elevation Partners in 2004. Ric ...
at
E3 2008 E3 (short for Electronic Entertainment Expo) was an annual trade event for the video game industry organized and presented by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). It was held principally in Los Angeles from 1995 to 2019, with its final ...
. The game was developed by BioWare, who developed the first Knights of the Old Republic game. It takes place 300 years after the first two installments, as new conflicts arise between the Republic and the Sith Empire. Players participate in a period of time known as the Cold War in the galaxy, after the First Great Galactic War, which leads into events in the Second Great Galactic War. The game has received six storyline expansions and two smaller add-ons focusing on new gameplay mechanics.


Remake

In September 2021, ''Knights of the Old Republic — Remake'', a graphically updated
remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same s ...
of the original game, was announced as in development by
Aspyr Aspyr Media, Inc. (pronounced " aspire") is an American video game developer and publisher founded by Michael Rogers and Ted Staloch in Austin, Texas. Originally founded to port gaming titles to macOS, the company, since 2005, has become a publi ...
in collaboration with
Sony Interactive Entertainment Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (SIE) is an American video game and digital entertainment company that is a major subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate Sony, Sony Group Corporation. It primarily operates the PlayStation brand of video game co ...
, for
PlayStation 5 The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was announced as the successor to the PlayStation 4 in April 2019, was launched on November 12, 2020, in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, North ...
. It will be a timed console exclusive for PlayStation 5 before releasing on other platforms. On the remake's development, lead producer Ryan Treadwell wrote: "We’re rebuilding it from the ground up with the latest tech to match the groundbreaking standard of innovation established by the original, all while staying true to its revered story". Several individuals who worked on the original game are returning for the remake, such as former BioWare developers and
Jennifer Hale Jennifer Hale is a Canadian voice actress. She is best known for her work in video game franchises such as ''Baldur's Gate'', ''Mass Effect'', '' Metal Gear Solid'', '' BioShock Infinite'', '' Metroid Prime'', '' Halo'', '' Overwatch'', and '' ...
(reprising her role of Bastila). However, certain original cast members have since been deceased or will not be returning, such as
Tom Kane Tom Kane (born 1962) is an American former voice actor. He is known for his work in animation and video games, most notably the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Career Kane began his voice acting career in 1977 when he was just 14 years old. Some of his ...
who has retired for medical reasons. Little information was otherwise revealed about the project. In July 2022, ''
Bloomberg Bloomberg may refer to: People * Daniel J. Bloomberg (1905–1984), audio engineer * Georgina Bloomberg (born 1983), professional equestrian * Michael Bloomberg (born 1942), American businessman and founder of Bloomberg L.P.; politician a ...
'' reported that the remake has been "delayed indefinitely" after Aspyr "abruptly fired the game's art director and design director". ''Bloomberg'' stated that this occurred after the
vertical slice A vertical slice (VS) is a type of milestone, benchmark, or deadline, with emphasis on demonstrating progress across all components of a project. It may have originated in the video game industry. Overview The term ''vertical slice'' refers to ...
demo was shown to production partners Sony and Lucasfilm – Aspyr's studio heads put the project on hold as the demo gameplay "wasn't where they wanted it to be .. according to two people who were in the meeting". The remake may not be released until 2025, per ''Bloomberg'''s sources, instead of its intended 2022 release. In August 2022, Aspyr was reportedly removed from the project and replaced by
Saber Interactive Saber Interactive Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Founded by Andrey Iones, Matthew Karch, and Anton Krupkin in 2001, it is controlled by Karch's investment company Beacon Interactive, cr ...
, which along with Aspyr is owned by
Embracer Group Embracer Group AB (formerly Nordic Games Licensing AB and THQ Nordic AB) is a Swedish video game and media holding company based in Karlstad. The company comprises 8 operative groups: Amplifier Game Invest, CDE Entertainment, Coffee Stain Studi ...
. In September 2023, ''
Kotaku ''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier. History ...
'' reported that 2021 teaser trailer for the remake has been "hidden" on the "official YouTube channel" and the majority of social media posts "from the original 2021 PlayStation Showcase had also been deleted" which sparked speculation on the status of the remake. In response, Sony stated that the delisting occurred because the music license expired. By February 2024, Embracer Group planned to sell off Saber in a US$500 million deal. Saber is anticipated to continue developing ''Knights of the Old Republic - Remake'' as a privately owned firm.


Other games

Select characters from the series have also made a non-canon appearance in the mobile
turn-based Timekeeping is relevant to many types of games, including video games, tabletop role-playing games, board games, and sports. The passage of time must be handled in a way that players find fair and easy to understand. In many games, this is don ...
role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, or abbreviated as RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out ...
'' Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes'', released on iOS and Android in November 2015, also published by Electronic Arts. While most of the game's playable characters come from the mainstream ''Star Wars'' continuity that Lucasfilm established under
The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...
, several characters from the ''Knights of the Old Republic'' series are also included, since Electronic Arts is responsible for both ''Heroes'' and ''Knights''.


Comics

The original '' Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi'' (and specifically '' Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - Knights of the Old Republic'')
comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...
series preceded these games, first published in 1993 by
Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, manga and Artist's book, art book publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon, by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, O ...
. They formed the basis for the game setting, as well as inspiration for the game characters and story. The second comic series, titled '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'', takes places around 3964 BBY, approximately eight years prior to the story of the video game series, and focuses on Zayne Carrick, a Padawan framed for the murder of his fellow Padawans by his masters, who are members of a mysterious Jedi Covenant. The series was written by
John Jackson Miller John Jackson Miller (born January 12, 1968) is an American science-fiction author, comic book writer, and commentator, known for his work on the ''Star Wars'' franchise and his research into comic book circulation history, as presented in the S ...
with art by Brian Ching. And published monthly from March 1, 2006, to February 17, 2010, by Mike Richardson and
Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, manga and Artist's book, art book publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon, by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, O ...
. An webcomic series, titled ''Star Wars: The Old Republic: Threat of Peace,'' was written by game developer Robert Chestney with art by Alex Sanchez. The story spans ten years from the signing of the Treaty of Coruscant to the events that start the game. The comic was produced by
Dark Horse A dark horse is a previously lesser-known person, team or thing that emerges to prominence in a situation, especially in a competition involving multiple rivals, that is unlikely to succeed but has a fighting chance, unlike the underdog who is exp ...
and released bi-monthly from February 27, 2009, to March 2010. It is separated into three acts titled ''Act 1: Treaty of Coruscant, Act 2: New Galactic Order and Act 3: Uncertain Surrender.'' A second webcomic series, titled ''The Old Republic:'' ''Blood of the Empire'', was written by Alexander Freed, with art by David Ross, and follows the story of a Sith apprentice on a dangerous secret mission set 25 years before the Treaty of Coruscant. The comic was produced by
Dark Horse A dark horse is a previously lesser-known person, team or thing that emerges to prominence in a situation, especially in a competition involving multiple rivals, that is unlikely to succeed but has a fighting chance, unlike the underdog who is exp ...
and released weekly from April 23, 2010, to August 13, 2010. It is separated into three acts titled, ''Act 1: Shades of the Sith'', ''Act 2: The Broken World'' and ''Act 3: Burn the Future''. ''Threat of Peace'' and ''Blood of the Empire'' were published in printed format from July 7 to December 2, 2010. A third series by Alexander Freed and David Ross, titled ''Star Wars: The Old Republic: The Lost Suns,'' was released, in printed form, monthly from June 8 to October 12, 2011, by Dark Horse. It follows Satele Shan's son Theron Shan.


Novels

A 256-page novel called ''Star Wars: The Old Republic: Deceived'' was released by Del Rey on March 22, 2011. Written by
Paul S. Kemp Paul S. Kemp is an American fantasy author known for his ''Forgotten Realms'' and ''Star Wars'' novels. Education Kemp is a graduate of the University of Michigan–Dearborn. Kemp is a 2000 graduate of the University of Michigan School of Law.Ke ...
, it tells of Darth Malgus, the Sith Lord responsible for the sacking of Coruscant. Another novel written by Sean Williams called '' Star Wars: The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance'' was published on July 21, 2010.
Drew Karpyshyn Drew Karpyshyn (born July 28, 1971) is a Canadian video game scenario writer, scriptwriter and novelist. He served as a senior writer on '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' for BioWare and lead writer for the first two ''Mass Effect'' vide ...
wrote a novel titled '' Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan'', published on November 15, 2011. It features
Revan The video games '' Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' (2003) and '' Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords'' (2004) features a large cast of characters noted for its diversity and is the subject of significant discussion ...
, revealing his fate after the '' Knights of the Old Republic'' game. Karpyshyn wrote another novel, '' Star Wars: The Old Republic: Annihilation'', that was released on November 13, 2012.


Films


Cinematic trailers

Bioware released six short films as cinematic trailers for ''The Old Republic'' and its expansion packs.


Film adaptation

In April 2019, Kathleen Kennedy was asked by ''
MTV News MTV News was the news production division of MTV. The service was available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network and an online news team. In 2016, MTV refreshed the MTV News brand to compete with the likes of BuzzFeed and ...
'' about a potential ''Knights of the Old Republic'' adaptation and stated, "Yes, we are developing something to look at. Right now, I have no idea where things might fall". The following month, ''
BuzzFeed News ''BuzzFeed News'' was an American news website published by BuzzFeed beginning in 2011. It ceased posting new hard news content in May 2023. It published a number of high-profile scoops, including the Steele dossier, for which it was strong ...
'' reported that
Laeta Kalogridis Laeta Kalogridis ( ) is an American screenwriter and television and film producer of Greek descent. She has written scripts for ''Alexander'' (2004), '' Night Watch'' (2004), ''Pathfinder'' (2007) and '' Shutter Island'' (2010). She also serve ...
had been hired in the spring of 2018 to write a film based on the 2003 video game, and that she was close to completing the first script of a potential trilogy. Representatives refused to comment, and nothing has been reported since.


Reception

The general critical response of ''Knights of the Old Republic'' was overwhelmingly positive. ''KotOR'' won numerous awards, including
Game Developers Choice Awards The Game Developers Choice Awards are awards annually presented at the Game Developers Conference for outstanding video game developer, game developers and video game, games. Introduced in 2001, the Game Developers Choice Awards were preceded by ...
' game of the year,
BAFTA Games Awards The BAFTA Games Awards or British Academy Games Awards are an annual British awards ceremony honouring "outstanding creative achievement" in the video game industry. First presented in 2004 following the restructuring of the BAFTA Interactive En ...
' best Xbox game of the year, and
Interactive Achievement Awards The D.I.C.E. Awards (formerly the Interactive Achievement Awards) is an annual awards show in the video game industry, and commonly referred to as the video game equivalent of the Academy Awards. The awards are arranged by the Academy of Inter ...
for best console RPG and best computer RPG. ''KotOR'' has seen success as the game of the year from many sources including ''
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
'', ''
GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady, and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
'', ''
Computer Gaming World ''Computer Gaming World'' (CGW) was an American Video game journalism, computer game magazine that was published between 1981 and 2006. One of the few magazines of the era to survive the video game crash of 1983, it was sold to Ziff Davis in 199 ...
'', ''
PC Gamer ''PC Gamer'' is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games m ...
'', '' GMR Magazine'', The Game Developers Choice Awards, '' Xbox Magazine'', and
G4TV G4 (also known as G4TV) was an American pay television and digital network owned by NBCUniversal and later Comcast Spectacor that primarily focused on video games. The network was originally owned by G4 Media, a joint venture between the NB ...
. Interactive Achievement Awards awarded it for best story and best character development. ''IGN'' gave ''KotOR'' additional awards in Best Sound (Xbox category), Best Story (PC category), Xbox RPG Game of the Year 2003, PC RPG Game of the Year 2003, Xbox Game of the Year 2003, PC Game of the Year 2003, and Overall Game of the Year 2003 across all platforms. G4TV's game review show ''
X-Play ''Xplay'' (previously ''GameSpot TV'', ''Extended Play'', and ''X-Play'') was a television program about video games. The program, known for its reviews and comedy skits, aired on G4 in the United States and has aired on '' G4 Canada'' in Canada ...
'' picked ''KotOR'' as the second "best game ever" since the show began. The game is also part of the Xbox Platinum Series/Classics for sales in excess of one million units. In 2007, a story twist within the game was ranked number two in
Game Informer ''Game Informer'' (''GI'' is an American monthly Video game journalism, video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and video game console, game consoles. It debuted in August 1991, when the video game reta ...
's list of the top ten video game twists of all time. ''The Sith Lords'' was generally well received by fans and critics alike. Mirroring the success of the first game, ''The Sith Lords'' has garnered over thirty-five "Game of the Year" awards. The game received high marks from major reviewers - 8.5/10 from GameSpot, 4.5/5 from Gamespy and 93% from IGN. Based on 30 professional reviews,
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
gave the game an average rating of 85 out of 100, compared 93 for ''Knights of the Old Republic''. The game was however criticized for being incomplete due to a rushed deadline. ''The Old Republic'' has received generally positive reviews from critics, with a score of 85 on
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
and an 83.87% on
GameRankings GameRankings was a video gaming review aggregator that was founded in 1999 and owned by CBS Interactive. It indexed over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 video games. GameRankings was discontinued in December 2019, with its staff bei ...
. G4TV gave a review of 5/5 and praised the game for "Top notch music and voice acting" and "hundreds of hours of content." PC Gamer gave a 93/100, praising the story, voice acting, and the amount of content available. Gamespy gave a review of 4/5, praising the story lines and companion system but criticising the "standard kill and fetch" quests. GameSpot gave the game 8.0/10, saying " 'The Old Republic''isn't the next step in online role-playing games. Instead, it's a highly entertaining refinement of what has come before it."
GamesRadar ''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', '' Edge'' and ''Computer ...
gave the game 8/10 calling it "an extremely satisfying experience that sets the stage for a bright future". The game has received a 9.0/10 "Amazing" rating from ''
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
''.


Notes


References


Further reading

*


External links


BioWare's Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic site

TheForce.net editorial about game problems


*
Official CargoBay comic listing
{{Disney franchises Knights of the Old Republic series Action role-playing video games Apocalyptic video games BioWare games Electronic Arts franchises LucasArts franchises LGBTQ-related video games Multiplayer and single-player video games Role-playing video games Space opera video games Space Western video games Dark Horse Comics titles Video games adapted into comics Video games adapted into novels Video game franchises Video game franchises introduced in 2003