History Characters / KnightsOfTheOldRepublicSithEmpire

* VillainForgotToLevelGrind: When you first meet him, he will annihilate you instantly if you get on his nerves. On your second encounter, he's an extremely challenging boss battle (especially alongside Davik Kang). But on your third encounter, after you've been trained in the Jedi arts, a lone bounty hunter with no unique powers doesn't really cut the mustard anymore - hence why he arrives with an entire gang. [[spoiler: Even so, the encounter inevitably ends with you slaying him in single combat.]]

* GalacticConqueror: Before it falls apart at the Battle of Lehon, the Sith Empire managed to take control of a good portion of the Mid and Outer rim territories, as well as at least two worlds within the Core itself. Had the Star Forge not been found by the Jedi, it is very likely the Sith would have succeeded in topling the Republic and becoming the new galactic superpower.
* INeedYouStronger: When it was under Revan's leadership, this was the Empire's longterm goal. Revan wanted to topple the Republic and put his empire in its place, using the resources of the Star Forge to establish it as a new political entity to rival the [[spoiler:[[GreaterScopeVillain True Sith Empire]] that is alive and thriving in the Unknown Regions]]. Sadly, thanks to Malak's BloodKnight tendencies, any hope of this coming to fruition was lost.

* DumbMuscle: Subverted. Many had the impression he was this while serving under Revan, and as the current reigning Dark Lord of the Sith, [[TheDragon Saul Karath]] seems to do most of the actual strategic thinking. Even so, Malak is actually quite cunning and devises a BoringButPractical strategy to beat the Republic and, through diligent experimentation, discovers many uses for the Star Forge that even Revan himself never knew about. That said, in [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords the sequel]], several characters, including Kreia and Mandalore, state that Malak really ''was'' [[OvershadowedByAwesome a dumb thug compared to Revan]], which says a lot about the latter.[[note]] Specifically, their argument is that Malak's ''strategy'' was dumb and simplistic, as opposed to his ''tactics''; there was nothing really wrong with Malak's tactical decisions, given that he was winning the war until Revan came back, but his overall strategy was stupid because he was trashing the Republic's infrastructure and needlessly butchering millions of innocents [[ForTheEvulz because he could]], with no thought for how this might affect his empire in the long term.[[/note]]

* FantasticRacism: He really hates Mandalorians, and even as a Jedi he came to believes them to be incapable of friendship, though given his hatred is understandable given his experiences with Mandalorians with them having destroyed his homeworld of Quelii, him having been experienced on and tortured by Demagol, and him experiencing their genocide of the Cathars via a force vision.

* BadBoss: After a brief cameo in the tutorial, Bandon reintroduces himself by using the Force to kill a Sith trooper just for walking in front of him and spoiling his entrance. This also killed two others troops who were standing nearby and were guilty of nothing.

* HypercompetentSidekick: To Darth Malak. While Malak isn't incompetent per say, he's not the subtlest tactician either, as his overall strategy to win the war amounts to AttackAttackAttack. Meanwhile, Karath understands the importance of using restraint, trickery, and cunning to outmaneuver the enemy, and even captures the Ebon Hawk crew by himself. Carth credits him with at least half of Malak's success in the war.

* ApologeticAttacker: If you've gotten the time to know her, then when Yuthura betrays and tries to kill you, she'll apologize for it beforehand, saying she really does like you, but Sith don't have friends. If you try to talk her out of attacking, she'll refuse, sadly saying, "Let's get it over with."

* FreudianExcuse: His planet was destroyed by Mandalorians and he later witnessed the genocide of the Cathar race by another band of Mandalorians in a Force vision.

The current Dark Lord of the Sith and former apprentice to Darth Revan. Like his master, Malak was originally a Jedi who fought in the Mandalorian Wars before being corrupted and turned to the dark side.

* AlasPoorVillain: In the Light Side ending he expresses regret for the path he had taken [[spoiler:and wonders if he could have been redeemed back to the light as Revan had if their roles were reversed. Nonetheless, he accepts that even if Revan led him on the path of the dark side, he chose to stay on it.]]
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: It's clear he resented Revan becoming the Master. [[spoiler:Though in the light side ending, Malak admits that only Revan ever had a chance at truly becoming the Dark Lord, and that it was never Malak's destiny, implying he was [[GracefulLoser at peace]] with being second best before [[TheDarkSideWillMakeYouForget the dark side]] took hold over him, and that he only [[DyingAsYourself remembered]] that contentment again in his final moments.]]

* DeathEqualsRedemption: In the light side ending, he spends his last moments quietly ruminating on how things could have been different had he and Revan's roles been reversed, and dies with a degree of peace.

* DrunkOnTheDarkSide: A contrast to Revan's PragmaticVillainy, Malak seems to be monstrous for monstrosity's sake and clearly revels in it. A prelude to this is seen in the flashback of Revan and Malak attempting entry to the Rakatan ruins on Dantooine, where remarks how he can feel the dark side's power with a degree of pleasure.

* HeWhoFightsMonsters: He fell to the dark side while trying to protect innocents from the Mandalorians.

* TragicBromance: Malak and Revan were best friends, whose friendship was ruined when they turned to the dark side. Considering that amongst the Sith, the Apprentice is ''always'' supposed to kill the Master, it was a ForegoneConclusion.
* TragicVillain: He has committed unforgivable actions. Wanna know who dragged him to TheDarkSide to begin with? [[spoiler: You did!]] On the other hand, one of your dialogue options towards the end of the game points out that while Revan started him on the path of the dark side, it was Malak's choice to ''continue'' going down it (and go further than Revan ever did).

* WeUsedToBeFriends: He and Revan were best friends when they were Jedi. After their fall to the dark side, Revan became the Master with Malak as his apprentice, and since in Sith culture the apprentice always tries to kill and usurp the Master, it comes as no surprise when he turns on Revan.

* InsaneAdmiral: ZigZagged. Saul is an utterly ruthless bastard who, after defecting to the Sith and becoming the Admiral in charge of their fleet, has razed multiple worlds. He also takes a lot of pleasure in torturing the player, Carth and Bastila, with Bastila saying the dark side's taken its toll on his mind. However, he's a [[OnlySaneEmployee paragon of rationality]] compared to Malak and Bandon, pointing out to the former the shortcomings of carpet-bombing Taris just to get one Jedi.

* AboveGoodAndEvil: She describes the Sith and the dark side as this, claiming that they're not inherently evil, they're just people giving into their nature.

* FantasticRecruitmentDrive: It eventually becomes clear that the Genoharadan were impressed with his skills and considering him for membership, though he hadn't quite proved himself worthy of that honor ''just'' yet.

The Master of the Sith Academy on Korriban, who the Sith the player must impress if they wish to get access to the Star Map in Naga Sadow's tomb.

* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: His final test is for the player to kill Yuthura Ban because his pupil, who has grown too ambitious for his liking.

** Likewise, when he casually kills some crewmembers with a force push into a computer console for apparently no other reason than just to make an entrance.

** [[spoiler:If you are on the Light Side, Malak admits there is likely more truth to the Jedi Code than he believed. Malak wonders what would have happened if his and Revan's roles were reversed, before admitting he is responsible for the path he walked thanks to his desire to be Lord of the Sith and ruler of the galaxy. Malak admits that destiny might have been Revan's but it was never his.]]

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: In his first scene, he orders Admiral Karath to [[spoiler:destroy Taris from orbit because he's frustrated that the search for Bastila is taking too long]]. This establishes him as a ruthless tyrant with no regard for life and will do whatever it takes to win.

* AlasPoorVillain: In the Light Side, ending he expresses regret for the path he had taken [[spoiler:and wonders if he could have been redeemed back to the light as Revan had if their roles were reversed. Nonetheless, he accepts that even if Revan led him on the path of the dark side, he chose to stay on it.]]

* PetTheDog: After Calo Nord fails to bring him Bastila, Saul Karath (who suggested hiring him in the first place) informs Malak of his failure and fully expects to be killed. Malak says that the price for failure is death... but the buck ultimately stopped with Calo, who already paid with his life, so Saul didn't need to be punished. Not much, but coming from him, that's a lot.

* NormalFishInATinyPond: Calo is an exceptional bounty hunter, especially on a backwater planet like Taris, having the skills, the firepower, and the cunning to make a comfortable life for himself. However, to the hidden elite of bounty hunters, he's a minnow: the [[MurderInc Genoharadan]] believe that he has potential to join their ranks, yet even after all the incredible things he's done on Taris, he's still not good enough to be given an invitation to join just yet.

* BewareTheQuietOnes: He's a man of few words, and isn't much for idle conversation. If you're lucky, he'll give you until the count of three before he gets violent.

* TheDragon: He is introduced as Davik Kang's.

* FantasticRecruitmentDrive: It eventually becomes clear that the Genoharadan were impressed with his skills and considering him for membership, though he hadn't quite proved himself worthy of that honor ''just'' yet. Ultimately, you end up killing him before the Genoharadan can make up their minds... so ''you'' end up getting the offer of membership instead.

* FromNobodyToNightmare: He started out as a kid sold into slavery by his own parents, and grew up to be a feared bounty hunter.

* ItsPersonal: Calo is quite pissed you got away from him.

* RecurringBoss: He's fought on Taris and then on which ever world you collect your first post-Dantooine Star Map on.

* FamousLastWords: [[spoiler:''"In the end, as the darkness takes me… I am nothing."'']]

!!Darth Malak / Alek "Squint" Squinquargesimus

!!Saul Karath

!!Varko

!!Derred

[[folder:Master Uthar Wynn]]

The Master of the Sith Academy on Korriban, and the Sith the player must impress if they wish to get access to the Star Map in Naga Sadow's tomb.

** The sequel reveals Malak not only damaged Revan's short-term goals of seizing the Republic [[spoiler:but also undermined efforts to prepare for the inevitable war with [[GreaterScopeVillain The Sith Empire]]]], which was evidently why Revan wanted to control the Republic in the first place. As of ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'', however, Revan's plans to combat the True Sith have been {{retcon}}ned, and the latter no longer applies.

* TragicBromance: Malak and Revan were best friends, whose friendship was ruined when they turned to the dark side. Considering that amongst the Sith, the Apprentice ''always'' kills the Master, it was a ForegoneConclusion.

* YoungFutureFamousPeople: In the comic, which shows him during the early days of the Mandalorian Wars. It's not even clear that Alek ''is'' Malak at first, since he goes by "Squint" for quite a while. And he still has hair.

Darth Malak's apprentice.