Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) is a video game series created and developed by BioWare. The games have been released on the original Xbox, Windows, OS X, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, iOS, Android, and Nintendo Switch. The franchise is set in the fictional universe of Star Wars, which was created by George Lucas.
The first game and the later large online game series were developed by BioWare, while the second game was developed by Obsidian Entertainment as requested by LucasArts. All games in the series were published by LucasArts. The video game series was inspired by an earlier comic book series, and the franchise includes a new comic book series that was created later. Both comic book series were published by Dark Horse Comics and come before the video games in the story.
Gameplay
The game's system is based on Wizards of the Coast's Star Wars Roleplaying Game, which uses the d20 role-playing game system from the Third Edition Dungeons & Dragons rules. Combat happens in turns; time is divided into short, fixed intervals called rounds. During each round, all players act at the same time, but each character can only take a limited number of actions. Players can choose to pause the game at specific moments or after each round.
The alignment system records a player's choices, such as speech and actions, to determine if their character follows the light or dark side of the Force. In the first game, a player's choices do not affect their teammates. However, in The Sith Lords, a player's actions influence their companions, deciding both the player's and their teammates' alignment. A player can guide a character to switch sides, such as from the dark side to the light, or teach them Jedi skills. If a player makes a choice that contradicts earlier decisions, they may lose influence over others, requiring careful consideration before acting. The series also includes "Gray Jedi," who do not strictly follow the light or dark side of the Force.
The games allow players to customize lightsabers, including crystal colors and blade styles. The developers worked to include more lightsaber colors than usual, such as blue, green, orange, and yellow. Danny Paez of Inverse noted that the variety of lightsaber crystals in Knights of the Old Republic inspired players to collect them all, encouraging exploration of every part of the game.
Synopsis
Four thousand years before the Star Wars movies, Darth Malak, who was once the apprentice of Darth Revan, led a powerful Sith army against the Republic. Many Jedi were scattered and left without protection because of Malak's attacks. Some Jedi died in battle, while others chose to support Malak. The game begins with the player's character waking up on a damaged Republic ship with no memory of their past. After escaping the ship and landing on the planet Taris, the player meets new allies and slowly learns about their past while trying to stop Malak's forces. To do this, the main character and their friends search for Star Maps, which together show the location of the Star Forge, an ancient space station that creates large amounts of supplies for Malak.
The choices and words of the main character decide if they follow the light or dark side of the Force. If the character follows the light side, they will reach the Star Forge to defeat the Sith. If they follow the dark side, they will take control of the Sith from Malak. A character who follows the light side is celebrated as a hero, while a character who follows the dark side becomes the new Sith Lord.
The Sith Lords takes place five years after the events of Knights of the Old Republic, during a time when the Jedi have almost been wiped out by the Sith. The player's character is a former Jedi Knight who was exiled from the Jedi Order and is called "the Exile" or "Jedi Exile." During the Mandalorian Wars, the Exile worked with Revan, who ordered the use of a powerful weapon called the Mass Shadow Generator. This weapon caused so many deaths that the Exile unknowingly cut themselves off from the Force to protect themselves. They were then removed from the Jedi Order. Throughout the game, the player's character slowly reconnects with the Force, and with the help of new friends, tries to stop the Sith. Unlike in the previous game, where choices affect the galaxy, here, choices only affect the planets the player can visit. The player can choose to help or harm the Republic's efforts to rebuild these planets. In the end, if the character follows the light side, the Mass Shadow Generator is activated and destroys Malachor V, and the Exile travels into unknown space to find Revan. If the character follows the dark side, they take control of 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 a fragile peace is formed between the re-emerging Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic. The Jedi are blamed for the Sith's success and move from Coruscant to Tython, where the Jedi Order was first created, to seek guidance from the Force. The Sith control Korriban, where they rebuilt a Sith Academy. The game starts as new conflicts begin.
New planets appear in the series as important locations. These include Dantooine, where the Jedi Academy is located, and Korriban, where the Sith Academy is located. The Star Forge space station is where the final battle between a master and apprentice takes place in Knights of the Old Republic. Other locations include the war-damaged planet Telos and its orbiting Citadel Station. Travel between places happens on the freighter Ebon Hawk, which is also a playable area. Combat only happens on the Ebon Hawk in three instances in Knights of the Old Republic 2, where the player fights Sith attackers, a character named Visas Marr, and members of the Red Eclipse slavers. A space station near Yavin is a playable area in the PC version of Knights of the Old Republic and can be downloaded by Xbox players from Xbox Live. In The Old Republic, players can visit even more planets, such as Ord Mantell, Nal Hutta, Balmorra, Alderaan, Tatooine, Dromund Kaas, Taris, Belsavis, Voss, Hoth, Corellia, Ilum, Quesh, and the moon Nar Shaddaa.
Video games
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KotOR) is the first game 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 for the Xbox on July 15, 2003, in North America and on September 12, 2003, in Europe. The PC version came out on November 19, 2003, in North America and on December 5, 2003, in Europe. The iOS version was released on May 30, 2013, and the Android version followed on December 28, 2014. A version for the Nintendo Switch was released on November 11, 2021.
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (KotOR II) is the second game in the series. It was released for 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. Because BioWare, the original developer, needed to focus on other projects, the company handed over the development of KotOR II to Obsidian Entertainment.
KotOR II includes changes to gameplay, such as more detailed combat animations and adjustments to how the game's interface appears on different screens. The player’s choices now affect not only the main character but also their teammates. Players can teach some teammates skills used by Jedi. There are also more options for upgrading items, and players can create certain tools, like computer spikes and explosives.
The player’s actions and alignment with the light or dark side of the Force influence which teammates join them and how those teammates behave. Gender also affects relationships and gameplay. For example, choosing a female character leads to partnering with Mical the Disciple, while choosing a male character leads to partnering with Brianna the Handmaiden.
In 2003, LucasArts canceled a console game project called Proteus during its design phase. The game was meant to be a sibling project to Star Wars Galaxies. After the cancellation, the Proteus team and some of its designs were used to develop Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 3. According to designer John Stafford, the team created a story, designed environments, and developed quests, characters, and items for the project. The cancellation was part of LucasArts’ efforts to focus on other goals in 2004. Artwork from the canceled KotOR 3 project was later published in the book Rogue Leaders: The Story of LucasArts (2008).
Star Wars: The Old Republic (also known as SWTOR) was released for Windows computers on December 13, 2011, in North America and Europe, and on March 1, 2012, in Australia. It was first announced by Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello at E3 2008. The game was developed by BioWare, the same company that made the first KotOR game. It takes place 300 years after the first two KotOR games, during a time of conflict between the Republic and the Sith Empire. Players experience a period called the Cold War, which follows the First Great Galactic War and leads to the events of the Second Great Galactic War.
The game has received six major story expansions and two smaller updates that add new gameplay features.
In September 2021, a remake of the original KotOR game was announced by Aspyr in partnership with Sony Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation 5. The remake was initially planned to be exclusive to PlayStation 5 for a limited time before being released on other platforms. Lead producer Ryan Treadwell stated that the remake would be rebuilt using modern technology while keeping the original story. Some original developers, including Jennifer Hale (who voiced Bastila), are returning for the project. However, some original cast members are no longer available due to retirement or passing away.
In July 2022, Bloomberg reported that the remake was delayed indefinitely after Aspyr fired the game’s art and design directors. The delay followed a demo shown to Sony and Lucasfilm, which did not meet expectations. The remake may now be released in 2025 instead of 2022. In August 2022, Aspyr was removed from the project, and Saber Interactive, which also belongs to Embracer Group, took over development. In September 2023, the 2021 teaser trailer for the remake was removed from the official YouTube channel, leading to questions about the project’s status. Sony explained that the removal was due to an expired music license. By February 2024, Embracer Group planned to sell Saber Interactive in a $500 million deal. Saber will continue developing the remake as a private company, with Mad Head Games, which previously worked on Hellraiser: Revival, assisting in development.
Some characters from the KotOR series have appeared in the mobile game Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, released in November 2015 for iOS and Android. The game is published by Electronic Arts, which also makes the KotOR series. Most characters in the game come from the main Star Wars stories, but some KotOR characters are included because Electronic Arts develops both games.
In December 2025, an action role-playing game called Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic was announced as being developed by Arcanaut Studios and published by Lucasfilm Games. The studio describes the game as a spiritual successor to the KotOR series, not a direct sequel. It aims to honor the legacy of the original games by creating a story-focused, decision-driven role-playing experience. The project is led by Casey Hudson, the game director at Arcanaut Studios.
Comics
The original Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi comic series, including Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi – Knights of the Old Republic, came before the games. It was first published in 1993 by Dark Horse Comics. This series provided the foundation for the game setting, as well as inspiration for the characters and story in the games.
The second comic series, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, takes place around 3964 BBY, about eight years before the events of the video game series. It follows Zayne Carrick, a Padawan who is falsely accused of killing his fellow Padawans by his masters, who are part of a secret Jedi group called the Jedi Covenant. The series was written by John Jackson Miller and illustrated by Brian Ching. It was published monthly from March 1, 2006, to February 17, 2010, by Mike Richardson and Dark Horse Comics.
A webcomic series called Star Wars: The Old Republic: Threat of Peace was written by game developer Robert Chestney and illustrated by Alex Sanchez. The story covers ten years, from the signing of the Treaty of Coruscant to the start of the game. The comic was produced by Dark Horse and released every two months from February 27, 2009, to March 2010. It is divided into three parts: Act 1: Treaty of Coruscant, Act 2: New Galactic Order, and Act 3: Uncertain Surrender.
A second webcomic series, The Old Republic: Blood of the Empire, was written by Alexander Freed and illustrated by David Ross. It follows the story of a Sith apprentice on a dangerous mission that takes place 25 years before the Treaty of Coruscant. The comic was produced by Dark Horse and released weekly from April 23, 2010, to August 13, 2010. It is divided into three parts: 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 also published in printed form from July 7 to December 2, 2010. A third series, Star Wars: The Old Republic: The Lost Suns, written by Alexander Freed and illustrated by David Ross, was released in printed form monthly from June 8 to October 12, 2011, by Dark Horse. It follows the story of Theron Shan, the son of Satele Shan.
Novels
A 256-page novel titled Star Wars: The Old Republic: Deceived was published by Del Rey on March 22, 2011. Written by Paul S. Kemp, it tells the story of Darth Malgus, the Sith Lord who caused the sacking of Coruscant. Another novel, Star Wars: The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance, was published by Sean Williams on July 21, 2010. Drew Karpyshyn wrote Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan, which was published on November 15, 2011. This book features Revan and shows what happened to him after the Knights of the Old Republic game. Karpyshyn also wrote Star Wars: The Old Republic: Annihilation, which was published on November 13, 2012.
Films
Bioware created six short films to serve as previews for The Old Republic and its expansion packs.
In April 2019, Kathleen Kennedy answered a question from MTV News about a possible movie based on Knights of the Old Republic. She said, "Yes, we are exploring the possibility. Right now, I do not know where this might lead." The next month, BuzzFeed News reported that Laeta Kalogridis was hired in 2018 to write a film based on the 2003 video game. At that time, she was nearly finished writing the first script of a possible trilogy. Company representatives did not provide additional details, and no updates have been shared since.
Reception
The general critical response to Knights of the Old Republic was very positive. The game received many awards, including Game Developers Choice Awards’ game of the year, BAFTA Games Awards’ best Xbox game of the year, and Interactive Achievement Awards for best console RPG and best computer RPG. It was named game of the year by several sources, such as IGN, GameSpot, Computer Gaming World, PC Gamer, GMR Magazine, The Game Developers Choice Awards, Xbox Magazine, and G4TV. Interactive Achievement Awards also honored it for best story and best character development. IGN awarded it additional recognition for 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 named it the second "best game ever" since the show began. The game is also part of the Xbox Platinum Series/Classics, having sold more than one million copies. In 2007, a story twist in the game was ranked number two in Game Informer’s list of the top ten video game twists of all time.
The Sith Lords was generally well received by fans and critics. Like the first game, it won over thirty-five "Game of the Year" awards. Major reviewers gave it high scores, such as 8.5/10 from GameSpot, 4.5/5 from GameSpy, and 93% from IGN. Based on 30 professional reviews, Metacritic gave it an average rating of 85 out of 100, compared to 93 for Knights of the Old Republic. However, some critics noted the game was incomplete due to a rushed development schedule.
The Old Republic received mostly positive reviews from critics, with a score of 85 on Metacritic and 83.87% on GameRankings. G4TV gave it a 5/5 rating, praising "top notch music and voice acting" and "hundreds of hours of content." PC Gamer gave it a 93/100, highlighting the story, voice acting, and amount of content. GameSpy awarded it 4/5, praising the story lines and companion system but criticizing "standard kill and fetch" quests. GameSpot gave it 8.0/10, stating, "[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 gave it 8/10, calling it "an extremely satisfying experience that sets the stage for a bright future." IGN gave it a 9.0/10 "Amazing" rating.