While many celebrated their favorite Jedi to commemorate Star Wars day yesterday, today is a day for the Dark Side, as we ring in #RevengeOfTheFifth. That’s right; it is a day where the bad boys and girls of this universe get to join together and talk about their favorite Sith and Dark Jedi.
To join in on that fun, we’ve come up with a list of four video game Star Wars characters so cool that you’ll want to join the Dark Side just to hang out with them.
Nihilus – Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II
Before becoming a Dark Lord of the Sith, Nihilus was one of the many victims of the Jedi’s War. He lost everything during the Galactic Republic’s war against the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders, narrowly surviving the Mass Shadow Generator superweapon that was used to surround Malachor V.
Surviving this incident drove Nihilus to seek more of this shadow, causing him to crave Force energy. He eventually becomes so powerful that he can consume the essence of entire planets, robbing them of life in the process.
Considering this power, it is no wonder that he carries such a terrifying presence whenever he is on screen in Knights of the Old Republic II, as each encounter makes you dread actually having to fight him. The combination of a haunting character design and a creepy, unintelligible scrambled voice also added to his presence, making him one of the scariest antagonists in Star Wars history.
Desann – Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
Unlike most of the characters on this list, Desann isn’t actually a member of the Sith. Instead, he’s a Jedi that has gone Dark by way of a pretty tragic backstory.
We learn in Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast that this Chistori was not only shunned by his own people because of his strange abilities, which turned out to be the Force, but that even his fellow apprentices felt he didn’t belong. They pick on him pretty ruthlessly, telling him that he is far too weak to ever actually become a true Jedi.
This bullying and hatred eventually pushes Desann toward the Dark Side, taking a once-promising Jedi and turning him evil. This tragic backstory makes him one of the more sympathetic characters to fall to the Dark Side, as you can really understand why he went down this path.
Aside from just being sympathetic, he’s also pretty powerful, favoring the combat form of Dun Moch because of his large stature and power. His abilities include use Force Grip, the Jedi Mind trick, Force Illusion, and Force lightning just to name a few.
Revan – Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic
When it comes to the video game lore of the Star Wars series, there is no character more interesting than Revan. This character is originally introduced at the start of Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic in a flashback that shows them to have died.
Despite their death, Revan is still responsible for the events of the game, as he is a former Jedi that turned to the Sith, causing a massive schism within the Order. Alongside Darth Malak, he helps the Dark Side grow in power considerably once he joins them, creating an entire Sith Empire of their own that dominated the Jedi.
If that backstory didn’t make the character interesting enough on its own, the reveal that he is the protagonist that players have been controlling throughout the whole game certainly does. This happens regardless of how players have chosen to play the game, meaning that even if he isn’t a Sith Lord by the end of things, he at least did some pretty dark stuff at the outset.
Vader – Multiple Games
Considering his significance to the overall landscape of Star Wars, this list wouldn’t be complete without Darth Vader. Due to his importance, it’s also impossible just to narrow down one game to focus on, so we will just talk about the best ones.
While it may have been short, the first one that comes to mind is Vader’s terrifying entrance in Jedi Fallen Order. As soon as players hear that raspy breathing apparatus, they know they’re in trouble.
This is reinforced rather quickly, as Vader sets his sights on Cal Kestis right after killing Trilla Suduri. What follows is a chase sequence where you try and escape the Sith Lord, engaging in some pretty one-sided fights along the way. While Cal is eventually able to get away, the entire confrontation is absolutely terrifying.
Arguably his most interesting role in the video game series comes with Forced Unleashed. Similar to the films, this series dives a lot more into the character’s backstory, as the torment and difficulties that Starkiller goes through aren’t all too different from Vader’s own rough childhood and adult life.
Later on, the game gives you a choice to join Vader. Being the ruthless Sith Lord that he is, this choice doesn’t turn out very well for Starkiller, though, as Vader ends up betraying him to keep the rule of two in his favor.
Vader also appears in all of the Battlefront games, allowing players to take control of him and dominate the battlefield. This instance is where you truly get to understand how powerful this character is, as anyone controlling him is able to slice through enemies with ease with his lightsaber or chock an entire group of people with the slightest motion of your hand.
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