Many fans know the names of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Leia Organa from the Star Wars Original Trilogy; less know of Darth Revan, Carth Onasi, and Bastila Shan from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR). Anyone who's played or read KOTOR material has experience with both Darth Revan and Bastila Shan. Now is a better time than ever to learn about comics and games that tell who Bastila is.

Aspyr's Cinematic Reveal Teaser for the KOTOR remake has gamers excited and has many casual Star Wars fans wanting to learn about the mysterious voice declaring: "Peace is a lie. That is what the Sith believe. They promise power, now they wield it. We face the greatest Sith in generations. They must be stopped." These are new lines from the voice of Bastila Shan, voiced by her original voice artist: Jennifer Hale. Just after the custom character created by the player, Bastila is undoubtedly the most crucial character in all of KOTOR.

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About 4,000 years before Luke Skywalker looks out to the Tatooine twin sunset in 1977's A New Hope, the Jedi Order thrives throughout the galaxy. A young Jedi Padawan, Bastila Shan, is taken from her parents by the Jedi Order due to her powerful abilities with the Force. Her unique Force ability named "Battle Meditation" allows the Republic to gain an advantage against the Sith Empire led by Darth Revan. Even though she is an essential asset to the Republic, she is stubborn and inexperienced. The Jedi Council on Dantooine sends Bastila to attack Revan aboard the Endar Spire. Things get messy fast, in true Star Wars fashion. This very moment is when BioWare and Aspyr's first KOTOR game begins. Republic soldier, Carth Onasi, starts the player on a quest to find Bastila, who crashes somewhere on Taris, an urban planet below.

 

Joshua Ortega and Dustin Weaver's "Shadows and Light" from Dark Horse Comics' Star Wars: Tales #23 retell these moments in Bastila's life in the form of a vision. Before the events of KOTOR, there were other Jedi Knights from Dantooine, Shaela Nuur, Cale Berkona, Guun Han Saresh, and Duron Qel-Droma. These Jedi participate in the Great Hunt, a quest to eliminate Sith-created beasts that violently destroy innocent humanoids throughout the galaxy. The player can take part in the Great Hunt as a side-quest on Dantooine during the first KOTOR. When these Jedi arrive on Korriban, the primary Sith planet, Cale has an excruciating Force vision of the future with Bastila Shan and Darth Revan. Cale understands that Revan and Bastila's story, the player's story, is more important than his.

One of the most extraordinary things about the character of Bastila is how flexible she is with the Star Wars: KOTOR continuity. She plays a significant role in several other stories, like Ortega and Weaver's "Shadows and Light" comic, yet any detrimental actions with her character in KOTOR are still canon. The beauty of BioWare's Star Wars narratives, which inspired their Mass Effect games, lies in the player/reader's influence in the story. One doesn't just get to read about Bastila's origins; they get to interact with her and change her life. Whether the player befriends the Jedi, becomes irritated at her overconfidence, or anything in between, Star Wars: Tales #23 leaves the Bastila vision ambiguous enough to ensure that her memories match the audience's choices in KOTOR. The only way to truly learn about Star Wars' Bastila Shan is to interact with her in-game, which is pretty incredible.

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