Template:SW Character The Jedi Exile (canonical name: unknown) (also called the General by Bao-Dur) is the main character in the PC/Xbox videogame title Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. The Exile is a fully customizable character at the start of the game, and can be male or female. The player can choose what side of the Force their character takes through the course of the game. Most of this article will refer to the Jedi Exile as male.
Biography
- "You are different. When I look at you, it is like staring at the death of the Force." — Kreia
The Exile was a Padawan, on par with most Jedi Knights of the time, who studied - and taught - at the Academy on Dantooine. He was instructed under Master Kavar. Before he could begin his trials to become a Jedi Knight and take on his own apprentice, the Mandalorian War surged through the galaxy. The Exile, overwhelmed with compassion for the lives lost to the ravages of the Mandalorians on the Outer Rim, joined the Republic forces led by Revan, the first Jedi Knight who had defied the Jedi Council in order to meet the Mandalorians in battle. The Exile left a prospective Padawan, Mical (the Disciple), without a master.
The Exile served as a general under Revan during the Mandalorian Wars. Overseeing the final, titanic battle at Malachor V, The Exile gave the order to activate the mass shadow generator. This generator crushed both the Republic soldiers and Mandalorians caught in the weapon's destructive sphere. The amount of death and destruction caused such a substantial 'wound' in the Force that the Exile found himself suddenly and completely severed from it. The only Jedi under Revan able to turn away from the dark side after Malachor V, the Exile was also the only Jedi to willingly return to Coruscant, to face trial for his actions - and defend them.
Despite an impassioned plea, the Jedi Council decreed that because the Exile defied the Council's wishes and followed Revan to war, he was to be exiled from the Jedi Order (hence why he was dubbed "the Exile"). In reality, the Council feared the 'wound' in the Force that surrounded the Exile. Some on the council felt that they were punishing the Exile not because of what he did, but because he was symbolic of the many Jedi that had fallen to the dark side over the course of history, and the only one the Council could avenge themselves on. These council members felt that the Exile was the perfect opportunity to examine why and how so many Jedi fall to the dark side. More conservative council members, however, felt no need to do more than exile the former Jedi. At first, the Exile believes that the Jedi Council severed him from the Force as part of his punishment. Later, it is learned that the Exile unknowingly severed himself from the Force in order to save himself from the destructive Force wave that came from the death of all the beings at Malachor V and of the planet itself.
Full details of the Exile's travels in the Outer Rim are unknown, but it is known that Atris had orchestrated his return to known space; in order to attract the growing Sith threat, she leaked news of his return to the galaxy and, predictably, attracted the Sith's attention. However, the Ebon Hawk rescued him from an unappealing fate. With the help of the utility droid T3-M4, the Ebon Hawk was guided to the mining facility at Peragus II.
There he met with an old woman named Kreia. She was a mysterious Jedi Master - and the first, among many - who trained the eventual Sith Lord, Darth Revan. When he fell to the dark side, she was blamed for his demise by the Jedi Council and exiled from the Order. She would eventually guide the Exile through his journey to find the missing Jedi Masters who sentenced him to exile, and reinstruct him in the ways of the Force. While searching for a way off the abandoned station, the Exile encountered Atton Rand, locked in the brig. After Darth Sion and a force of Sith Assassins arrived to kill the Exile (believing he was the last of the Jedi), the three escaped with T3-M4 onboard the Ebon Hawk and traveled to Telos. During their pursuit by the Sith in the asteroid field around Peragus, laser fire ignited the volatile fuel within the asteroids. This explosion destroyed both the facility and the entire asteroid belt, though the Ebon Hawk and the Sith were able to escape.
After arriving at the massive Citadel Station in orbit around Telos, the Ebon Hawk and T3-M4 were stolen and brought to the Telosian surface. Using alternative transportation to get down to the surface, the Exile's party was shot down by Czerka air-defense turrets. A Zabrak engineer named Bao-Dur, who designed the Mass Shadow Generator and served under the Exile at Malachor V, saw the crash and pulled the three unharmed from the wreckage. While on the surface, they learned that the Ebon Hawk had been taken to the old planetary aqueducts in the polar region of the planet. Stealing a shuttle from an abandoned military compound, they traveled to the aqueducts and found Jedi Master Atris there, a member of the Council that sentenced the Exile. Atris was attempting to recover lost Jedi teachings and had surrounded herself with several Echani sisters. These sisters were known as Handmaidens, who had vowed not to learn the ways of the Jedi, and instead are trusted to watch them for traces of the dark side, and also watch after them. After speaking with Atris, the Exile and his party left with the Ebon Hawk and T3-M4. However, the last of the Handmaidens was sent to board the Ebon Hawk as a spy. Despite knowing this, and over Kreia's protests, the Exile allowed the Handmaiden to stay after she revealed herself on board the ship.
- It should be noted that if the Exile is female, the Handmaiden does not join. Instead, later on, the Republic soldier known as the Disciple (Mical) joins.
After leaving the academy, T3 revealed that he had managed to download Atris's database while being held, including a recording of the Exile's trial where the last five remaining Jedi Masters were hiding: Atris on Telos, Kavar on Onderon, Vrook Lamar on Dantooine, Zez-Kai Ell on Nar Shaddaa, and Lonna Vash on Korriban. The crew goes off to these worlds in search of the Jedi Masters in an attempt to unite them against the Sith and to find the answers as to why the Exile was sentenced as such.
Canon light side ending
- "What would you have be done with him, Atris? Be mindful of your feelings. This is not Revan who stood before you. This one walks a different path." — Zez-Kai Ell
While it is not yet explicitly clear which ending is canonical, the official stance from Lucasfilm on games where players can choose between the light side and dark side has traditionally been that the light side ending is the canonical one.
Once the Exile had met with all of the missing Jedi Masters, he returned to Dantooine to find the rebuilt Jedi Training Academy. There, the Jedi had formed a council in which they would decide his fate. They told him of why he was cut off from the Force after Malachor V, and that the Sith had learned of the Exile's ability to become stronger in the Force by leeching on to the life of others. With the threat of the Sith finding the Exile, the Masters decided it was best to cut the Exile off from the Force so none of the Sith could find him. Before the Masters were able to strip him of the Force, Kreia stormed into the meeting and killed them all. She then turned on the Exile, leaving him unconscious in the enclave, and lied to his disciple, the Handmaiden, by telling her that he was dead. Kreia and the Handmaiden journeyed to Telos to meet with Atris, who revealed herself to be a Dark Jedi. Kreia then revealed her own identity, that of Darth Traya, and left Telos and the Handmaiden behind. The Handmaiden confronted her sisters, all servants of Atris, who attacked her for betraying their mistress. She defeated them all before confronting Atris herself. She failed, but suddenly the Exile arrived to do battle as well. After Atris was defeated, the Exile made her to turn again to the light side, after which she revealed to him Kreia's dark persona.
Along with Mandalore and Nihilus's former apprentice Visas Marr, the Exile then boarded Nihilus's flag ship, the Ravager, which had arrived at Telos. Kreia had successfully manipulated him into believing that the last Jedi Academy (and thus, the last gathering of Jedi in existence) was located on Telos and contained many Jedi. Consumed by his hunger, Nihilus descended upon Telos in order to feed on the "Jedi" gathered there. A fierce battle ensued, during which the Exile killed the Sith Lord. After detonating the ship, he returned to Malachor V, the ___location of the final Mandalorian battle, and found the Trayus Academy, home of the reunited Darth Traya (Kreia) and her former apprentice, Darth Sion.
There he slew both Sith Lords. Before her death, however, Kreia revealed where Revan had set out following his defeat of Darth Malak. With that knowledge, the Exile ordered the reactivation of the mass shadow generator, tearing Malachor V apart and silencing the Wound in the Force. He made his escape aboard the Ebon Hawk (presumably piloted by Atton Rand or Mira) and with T3-M4 left to find the former Dark Lord.
Kreia spent her time developing the Exile to connect with the Force because it was the only way to kill the Force; she believed the Exile's wound would wipe the Force from the galaxy.
Alternative dark side ending
Once the Exile had found and slain all of the missing Jedi Masters, he returned to the rebuilt Jedi Enclave. Upon entering the room where the Council formerly held conclaves, he found that Kreia had followed him. She asks him why he desired to kill Atris and upon answering, he angers her. Claiming he has failed her, Kreia pulls life force from the Exile, leaving him unconscious on the ground, while she tricks the Handmaiden, the Exile's dark apprentice, into leading her to the Telos Academy and Atris. Kreia and the Handmaiden journey to Telos to meet with Atris, who is revealed to have turned to the Dark Side. Kreia then reveals her own identity, that of Darth Traya, and leaves Telos and the Handmaiden behind. The Handmaiden confronts her sisters, who attack her for betraying their mistress. In her hatred, she strikes them all down before falling at the hands of Atris herself. The Exile arrives and exacts revenge upon the former Jedi Master for condemning him to exile.
After receiving word that the Ravager had appeared out of hyperspace over Telos, the Exile, along with Mandalore and Darth Nihilus's former apprentice Visas Marr, boarded Darth Nihilus' flagship and killed the Sith Lord. After detonating the ship, he returned to Malachor V, the ___location of the final Mandalorian battle, and found the Trayus Academy, home of the reunited Darth Traya (Kreia) and Darth Sion.
There he slew both Sith Lords. Before her death, however, Kreia revealed where Revan had set out following his defeat of Darth Malak. With this knowledge, the Exile left to find the former Dark Lord after sacrificing Kreia to the core of Malachor V.
Behind the scenes
Following the tradition of the first KotOR game, the aforementioned light side story is usually presumed and will likely be canonical, even though the official position has not been determined yet [1].
The alternate dark side story only differs in the fates of the planets the Exile visits (Onderon is usurped by General Vaklu, Dantooine is captured by Azkul and his mercenaries, and Malachor V remains intact), as well as one party member (Hanharr joins the player's party instead of Mira).
The Jedi Exile is fully customizable by the player, and thus can take several different appearances and either gender. The male and female storylines have minor differences, with the most notable one being one of the player's party members (Brianna only joins a male Exile's party, and Mical only joins a female Exile's party). Promotional images present the Exile as male, and the opening video for KotOR II refers to the Exile as "him." This would seem to confirm that the Exile is male.
It should be noted, however, that on August 19, 2005, Leland Chee made a statement [2] on the StarWars.com forums in which he said he is trying to make the canonical Exile female (as opposed to the canonical Revan being male). Also, the introduction of an official name for the Exile is being considered.
See also
External links
- Jedi Exile on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki