Most video games based on movies make meager contributions to the lore of their source material. The most important characters are those who are borrowed from the books or movies, while the original creations often feel like extras. But Star Wars is unique in that its games boast some of the best additions to the franchise’s extended canon. This is especially true of Knights of the Old Republic and its antagonists.
The original Knights of the Old Republic was released in 2003 and remains widely-regarded as one of the finest Star Wars games ever made, and it is unsurprising and fortunate that Respawn’s Jedi: Fallen Order borrowed elements from KOTOR. The original KOTOR set towering expectations, not only in terms of mechanics, but storytelling as well, with the introduction of the recently re-canonized Darth Revan, one of the best-loved and most widely recognized Star Wars characters who does not appear in the films.
Knights of the Old Republic 2
Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords released just over a year later. Despite the brief development cycle, it not only satisfied fans’ expectations, but exceeded them in certain respects. One victory was the introduction of a trio of villains who are still regularly discussed in the Star Wars fandom: Darth Traya, Darth Sion, and Darth Nihilus. Of that trio, Darth Traya frequently garners attention as a compelling, complex, and nuanced antagonist, but in terms of raw intimidation, she cannot compare to Darth Nihilus—the masked Sith Lord of Hunger who graces the game’s cover. And he is an excellent example of why Respawn should continue to draw inspiration from the KOTOR franchise for Fallen Order’s follow-up.
Most Star Wars villains, particularly those in the new canon, are modeled after Darth Vader. They are instruments of war or avatars of imperialism devoted to conquest in the name of the Dark Side. And while he one of cinema’s greatest villains of all time, Vader is a weak character in Fallen Order. His appearance is simultaneously predictable and disappointing in a game that was carving out its own identity. Fallen Order’s primary antagonist, Second Sister Trilla Suduri, is also cut from the same cloth as Vader, and as a result, she is ultimately forgettable despite her complex history with Cere.
Darth Nihilus’ shares some commonalities with Vader and Trilla. He was originally a Jedi who turned to the Dark Side, and his overwhelming power with the Force establishes him as a grave threat. His single-handed desolation of the planet Katarr is an absurd display of power, but in many respects, it is the least important aspect of what makes him an excellent villain. Force firepower is essentially a requirement for Star Wars antagonists rather than a mark of distinction or originality.
Darth Nihilus
Aside from his haunting character design, the underlying creative concepts are what make Darth Nihilus uniquely terrifying and compelling. It is worth revisiting Knights of the Old Republic 2’s story to track his journey from Jedi crusader to becoming a Wound in the Force to see what makes his arc intriguing. In many ways, Nihilus is a Sith in name only. Even though he is a member of Darth Traya’s Sith Triumvirate—a broader alliance of bad guys than the franchise’s standard Rule of Two—he is inscrutable and initially seems indifferent to his collaborators. His one goal is to feed.
One could liken Nihilus to a cunning Force vampire, or, more accurately, a Force Lich. He is calculating enough to scheme and plot, betraying or predating people from both sides of the force. In essence, he is a sucking wound in the fabric of the Star Wars’ universe. By the time the player encounters him, he has ceased to physically exist, having fastened his soul to his mask and robes. All that remains is a caustic knot of Force energy that grows evermore powerful and ravenous. His very existence is a problem that exerts pressure on the player.
That kind of villain poses the same world-ending threat as a Death Star, while still remaining conceptually novel. That degree of distinction from preceding, familiar threats allows Nihilus to be truly alien in a universe saturated with a wide variety of alien races. He is a terrifying vision of otherness, and that quality of the unknown is a common quality in gaming’s most frightening villains.
It must be said, that Nihilus works so well because he is a part of ensemble of villains. He is not only a threat to the player, but to the more sympathetic and human villains as well. On his own, Nihilus would still be compelling, but he would also come across as a more conventional, otherworldly threat than an entity with a distinct persona.
Fortunately, things are looking bright for the future of the Fallen Order franchise. Seeing how the lead writer of KOTOR 2, Chis Avelone contributed to Fallen Order’s script, it seems likely he will return to provide input for the sophomore effort. But only time will tell if Respawn can craft a villain as compelling, novel, and frightening as Darth Nihilus.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 is available now on PC. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order 2 is reportedly in development.
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