The highly-praised RPG series Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) takes place far into the past of the Star Wars timeline, meaning for the most part, it will be rare for fans of the games to encounter any Old Republic continuity in most mainline media. There are some exceptions, however. The MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) is set just three hundred years or so after the events of KOTOR and its sequel - so while it doesn't serve as an immediate continuation of its events, it does carry on its story.
The first KOTOR game was developed by BioWare, as was Star Wars: The Old Republic, which may be why so much of both its story and gameplay seems to follow familiar beats. In opposition to many other MMO titles, SWTOR includes companion characters, dialogue choices, and even romance options like many other BioWare RPGs, KOTOR included. Although individual classes involve different storylines, the primary events of the game follow the establishment of a tenuous peace between the Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic. In addition to the extensive storylines offered within the game, there are also tie-in novels and comics that help to further the expansion of the timeline.
At first glance, it might be difficult for some players to piece together how exactly SWTOR fits into the story of KOTOR, especially given the centuries of time that took place between them. However, there are many references to both the player characters of KOTOR and KOTOR 2 and the other characters and events within the games - for example, SWTOR features a descendant of KOTOR companion Bastila Shan. It's worth noting that some of Star Wars: The Old Republic's additional expansions also help to further build upon this connection, meaning that there are potentially hundreds of hours of content that help tie in all the events of the Old Republic era.
Is Star Wars: The Old Republic A Sequel To KOTOR?
In a direct sense, the events of Star Wars: The Old Republic can stand entirely on their own, and little context is needed regarding the specific events of the KOTOR series. While there are quite a few minor references and details that may go overlooked by players who haven't yet experienced KOTOR, they aren't essential parts of the story. SWTOR begins following heavy losses to both the Sith and the Republic forces in the decades following KOTOR, resulting in a peace treaty that was signed just a small handful of years before the game begins. While the Jedi Knight class storyline is arguably the closest thing to a follow-up of KOTOR's story, it isn't meant to be a direct continuation. Instead, the events between the games are outlined in the tie-in story, Revan.
Renewed focus has been given to Knights of the Old Republic following discussions that the game would be remade, as has similarly been done to other RPG titles recently such as Final Fantasy 7. Although it's currently unknown how directly the remake will follow the events of the original - rumors have claimed it could be more action-oriented than strictly RPG - it's likely that the primary events of the game will remain the same, meaning that players should be able to move into Star Wars: The Old Republic after playing it and have all the knowledge they need to understand the ever-expanding timeline of the Knights of the Old Republic era.