Welcome to “The Galaxy is Yours”, ForceJunkies very own lore and roleplaying column. Here we will explore the lore behind SWTOR, its iconic characters and the unique time period we will all be immersing ourselves in, Roleplayer or otherwise. Bioware will be giving us a story-driven experience unlike any other MMORPG which I hope will inspire many players to take up Roleplaying in their communities. Because of this, we will be featuring an article on each class, hoping to highlight some of the famous lore figures who represent them and how to incorporate those elements into creating your own character’s story.
Our first article will be focusing on the Sith Warrior, the most brutal and powerful of the Sith. These heavily armored Sith can be found commanding armies and in the heat of battle itself, tearing foes apart with their powerful light saber strikes and through command of the Force. But what makes them tick?
The Old Republic’s official website describes Sith Warriors as “An unstoppable force of darkness” that “is entrusted with the task of destroying the Empire’s enemies and enforcing Sith domination across the galaxy.” Many Star Wars fans will have a hard time not picturing Darth Vader’s entrance in A New Hope, boarding the Rebel vessel in search of Princess Leia. That is the kind of Sith Warrior many wish to play; intimidating, relentless, powerful and willing to go to any lengths to achieve their goals. The dedication to their cause and their motivations may be different, but they are all driven by a rage powered by the dark side of the force.
Darth Vader is our first example of the Sith Warrior. He is mechanically enhanced to not only live, but enhance his strength and make him appear as terrifying as possible. Even so, the fall, reign and redemption of Darth Vader shows that his rage came from his own failings and flaws. They led to the death of his wife, and his horrible disfigurement that trapped him in his mechanical body. Now, this story is far less likely in the Sith Empire of SWTOR’s time, where force adepts are trained to use the dark side, but it is an excellent example of the need for motivation. The Sith Warrior is consumed with hate and rage, but at what? Perhaps the JedI Order for banishing them from the galaxy so long ago. Or maybe at their own master for using them as a blunt weapon against the Empire’s enemies. Even Sith Warriors who try to do good are trained to direct their hate as a weapon.
This Sith Lord also serves as our poster boy for the Juggernaut advanced class. Slow, powerful and near impossible to stop, Vader’s main strength is is his ability to take a hit and keep on going. Being able to replace most of his body should he suffer an injury helps as well. Roleplayers who want to emphasize their advanced class want to keep Vader in mind; from his fighting style to his iconic way of handling those who fail him, Darth Vader is the ideal Sith Juggernaut for his time period.
The poster Sith for SWTOR, Darth Malgus is far more than just a copy of Vader. As shown in the Intro Cinematic CGI trailer, his combat style is far more flexible than the mechanical Sith Lord’s. Malgus’ backstory follows a more traditional path for the Sith Empire; trained in an academy after learning of his force potential, he went on to become a great general for the Sith and led their forces in the Sacking of Coruscant. Even so, he lacked any followers of his own and was forced to follow orders, much like Vader. His goals are that of the Sith Empire’s: War, and the total annihilation of the Republic and the Jedi.
(Spoilers for the book The Old Republic: Deceived in the next paragraph. Avoid if you do not wish to know!)
Perhaps the most defining moment that roleplayers can learn from is his choice to kill his lover in order to remove her as his weakness. The Sith Empire is a brutal society, where any advantage is used to gain advantage of enemy and ally alike in order to gain power. A Sith Warrior must be just as brutal and heartless in order to succeed, or risk being used as a stepping stone to anothers power.
(Spoilers end here)
Darth Malgus before his disfigurement serves as our Marauder advanced class. His fight during the intro cinematic with the Zabrak Jedi Master shows his quick and merciless fighting style with two light sabers, if only briefly. Where Juggernauts intimidate and advance on their enemies slowly but surely, Marauders focus on the thrill of battle and war. Malgus’ philosophy was that the Sith Empire was the personification of war itself, and nothing portrays that better than the Marauder. Despite his respect for his enemies, he cut them down efficiently and swiftly. Keep in mind these traits when trying to create your own Marauder character. Life for Marauders is less about gaining power over your peers and more about living from battle to battle.
Our final Sith Warrior does not fit neatly into the category of Juggernaut or Marauder, but it a formidable and frightening man indeed: Darth Sion. One of the Sith Lords featured in Knights of the Old Republic II, Sion was pain incarnate in a very literal sense. His rage is the only thing that kept his shattered body together. He served under Exar Kun, and found that by calling upon his hate and rage he could keep himself from dying, gifting him with a shattered immortality. The pain he felt only drove him onward even more to hunt down the Jedi, leaving only him, his fellow Sith Lords, and the Jedi Exile whom you play as in KOTOR II.
Sion is all of the emotions that make a Sith Warrior manifest into form. Hate, rage, pain, jealousy and impatience all describe his cursed life and actions. It is safe to say he lived for nothing else, as these emotions fueled his command over the dark side and the dark side was the only thing keeping him alive. When creating a Sith Warrior, these emotions must always be kept in mind. Even a strong-but-silent type must succumb to his emotions, as these are what they have been trained for years to use in order to give them their unmatched strength. Should a Sith Warrior ever turn to the light, his road would be incredibly difficult as he would lose everything he knows about being powerful and striking down his enemies, leaving him almost defenseless until he wielded his hate as a weapon once more.
The Sith Warrior can be a complex and interesting character to play as, with a wide range of motivations and goals. Don’t think you should be pigeon-holed into a mindless thug who beats up Jedi for their lunch money. The Sith Warrior can be a tragic character who deals with guilt due to his sacrifices made in the name of power, either intentional or accidental, or can be a tactical genius who leads his troops from the front lines. Or perhaps you can be one of the few Sith who turn to the Light and try to change the Empire from the inside. Either way, always be on your guard Warriors. It is only through an iron fist that you will rule the galaxy.
