The Star Wars franchise has consistently thrived on its ability to provide diverse stories that cover almost every corner of the galaxy. Whether the fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance in the core films, or a bounty hunter is becoming a reluctant father figure in The Mandalorian, the franchise is built on giving fans a wide range of content to consume. Through the years, there have been pieces of Star Wars media that make a stronger impact on the franchise than others, and few have been so impactful as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
The RPG series was a big hit with critics and fans alike when the first game released all the way back in 2003, and since then it's remained an integral part of the Star Wars franchise. Even as most elements of the games are no longer Star Wars canon, its influence still seeps into current Star Wars media from time to time. It may be an odd one out, but KOTOR's influence makes it arguably just as important as any other Star Wars film. The games are responsible for an explosion of other Star Wars content, both in the world of gaming and beyond.
A Much Longer Time Ago in Star Wars Canon
One of the most compelling aspects of Knights of the Old Republic is the fact that the events of the game take place thousands of years before any of the main Star Wars films. This was a major departure for the franchise at the time, especially considering the prequel trilogy was already in full swing. It may seem like a major risk on paper, but this new era proved to be a massive success with a lot of fans. With that much time between the events of the game and films, comes a lot of potential for memorable storytelling to fill in the gaps, and that's just what KOTOR inspired.
Because of how much time there was between Knights of the Old Republic and the films, creatives at Star Wars had a lot of room to fill in the gaps between the two. The world of literature is where a majority of this content came from, specifically comic books. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic was the main comic series to come out of the games, and it served as a prequel to the main story. There was also an additional comic series and accompanying novel titled Star Wars: Knight Errant that served as a successor to the first comic and the game.
These stories may not have necessarily followed the same characters as the Knights of the Old Republic game, but they helped put the lore of the era on the same level as the films. The novels and comics of Star Wars have almost always taken a back seat to the more accessible films, but with how popular KOTOR is, they have certainly built up a cult following.
New Ideas of Jedi and Sith in Knights of the Old Republic
On top of introducing a whole new era to the Star Wars franchise, Knights of the Old Republic flipped the script on what it means to really be a Jedi or a Sith. The story of the Jedi and Sith had been pretty black or white before KOTOR, with the Jedi being unwaveringly good and the Sith being the epitome of evil. All of that began to change with KOTOR, as the game started to make the idea of a "Gray Jedi" more mainstream.
These Gray Jedi align themselves less with the ideals of the Jedi Order or the Sith, instead focusing more on forging their own path and maintaining a deep connection to the Force. This class worked itself into Knights of the Old Republic by way of the game's alignment system, where players could embrace their light or dark side based on how they approach certain conflicts. This alignment system allowed for a more complex interpretation of the Jedi, Sith, and the Force as a whole. Those that seem good can be capable of bad, and those that appear evil can have redeemable moments.
The concept of a Gray Jedi would become more and more popular after Knights of the Old Republic released, and this popularity can still be found in current Star Wars media. Perhaps one of the most relevant examples of a Gray Jedi in canon can be found in Ahsoka Tano, who insists she isn't a Jedi even though most of her upbringing was with the Jedi Order. There are a handful of other Gray Jedi through canon and "Legends" content alongside Ahsoka, and they often make for some of the most dynamic characters in the galaxy.
The Revan Revolution
Through all of the new stories and complex interpretations of the Jedi and Sith, one of the most memorable to come from Knights of the Old Republic is the character Revan. Revan's backstory shows him running the gauntlet between being one of the strongest Jedi in the Order to leading the Sith Empire, and he's a sort of specter looming over KOTOR's story. As the game reaches its climax, it's revealed that the player's custom character has been Revan the whole time, in what remains one of the biggest twists in video game history. This deep backstory and twist reveal cemented Revan as one of the most interesting Force wielders in Star Wars, and his popularity carried on to inspire even more content.
In the world of gaming, Revan's popularity made its way into the successor to Knights of the Old Republic, the MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic. Although the character wasn't at the forefront of the game's story, he eventually appeared in DLC where he helped players take on the Sith Emperor. This DLC made extensive references to Knights of the Old Republic, and served as a way to cap off Revan's story. Revan and KOTOR as a whole also inspired an expansion for the Star Wars Roleplaying Game, where it largely followed the events of Revan's betrayal at the hands of Darth Malak.
The fact that Knights of the Old Republic was able have such a widespread influence on the overarching story of Star Wars is a testament to how successful the game turned out to be. With news of a rumored KOTOR remake circulating, it opens up the door for a whole new generation of gamers to learn about the story behind Revan and the age old conflict between the Jedi and Sith. If the remake does prove to be true, it could inspire a whole new explosion of Star Wars content, and if KOTOR fans are lucky enough more elements of the game could become canon.
A remake of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is rumored to be in development.