Star Wars has just brought a major relic from the Knights of the Old Republic era, one that amplifies a Jedi's power in the Force. When Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, it didn't take long for the House of Mouse to decide almost everything outside the films and TV shows were officially "Legends" - that is to say, non-canon. For all that's the case, though, it increasingly feels as though the classic Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic games should be considered part of the canon again. The most prominent reference to date was in the Andor Disney+ TV show, which name-dropped a race of aliens known as the Rakata - ruthless dark side conquerors who were opposed by the early Jedi in KotOR lore.
Lucasfilm has continued to build on Andor's surprising KotOR Easter egg. Sam Maggs' novel Jedi: Battle Scars actually reintroduces a Force relic from the games, the Circlet of Saresh, a headband associated with a Twi'lek Jedi Knight in Legends, Guun Han Saresh. It boosted a wearer's power in the Force, but it was lost after its original owner was killed by Sith-created Force predators. Over the centuries it was associated with two of the most powerful Force-sensitives in the KotOR games, Revan and the Jedi Exile, Meetra Surik. Jedi: Battle Scars sees it recovered by Cal Kestis and his crew, meaning it could potentially return again in the games, perhaps even in the upcoming Jedi: Survivor.
The Circlet Of Saresh Is A Direct Link To Classic KotOR Stories & Characters
The Circlet of Saresh is tied to many important KotOR characters who've already been canonized - and others who have not. In Legends, it was originally owned by a Jedi named Guun Han Saresh who joined a party hunting Sithspawn across the galaxy. He met a tragic end when he encountered a tarantatek on Kashyyyk, a monstrous creature that drinks the blood of Force-sensitives. The Circlet of Saresh was lost for centuries, only to be recovered by Darth Revan. It was later used by Meetra Surik, the Jedi Exile. Both Revan and the Exile are key playable characters in the KotOR games, making this reference to the Circlet of Saresh a particularly significant one.
Star Wars Is Gradually Making More & More KotOR Aspects Canon Again
This isn't the first allusion to Revan and Surik in Star Wars canon. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker officially made Darth Revan canon, because each of Palpatine's Sith legions was named after a different Sith Lord - one of them being named after Revan. Adam Christopher's novel Shadow of the Sith revisited the Sith planet Exegol some years before the film, and included a scene in which a group of Sith cultists chanted the names of past Sith Lords - including Revan. There have been fewer nods to Surik, though, with the most explicit being a Jedi oath; "Surik's blade!" Writer Cavan Scott took to social media to confirm this was a deliberate reference to the Exile. It was only a throwaway comment, but it strongly implies another KotOR character is back in Star Wars canon.
In truth, it's increasingly beginning to seem as though Knights of the Old Republic should simply be considered canon again. Another game is in development, meaning Lucasfilm is unlikely to explore the era in a different way. KotOR references in comics, books, and Disney+ TV shows are becoming increasingly common, and it will be exciting to see what is canonized next.