After months of speculation, an enhanced remake of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic has officially been confirmed as in development. Formally announced at Sony's PlayStation Showcase, the 2003 video game is being completely rebuilt from the ground up for the PlayStation 5 to capture what made its original iteration so great while introducing KOTOR to a new generation of gamers. And if there's one character whose legacy casts an intentionally imposing shadow over the game's story, including its subsequent follow-ups, it's the dreaded Sith Lord Darth Revan.

Here is a quick overview of Revan and his role in Knights of the Old Republic, including how the wayward Jedi Knight proved there was plenty of interesting tales yet to be told in that galaxy far, far away millennia before the events of the Star Wars prequel trilogy.

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The Fall of Darth Revan

Knights of the Old Republic is set 4,000 years before the prequel trilogy, in the midst of a devastating war between the Jedi Order and the Sith for control of the galaxy. Leading the Sith as they sweep across the cosmos from their home base on the planet Korriban are Sith Lords Revan and Malak. The two figures were once celebrated Jedi Knights who saved the Galactic Republic during its war against the Mandalorians. As Jedi, the two explored the fringes of the galaxy, both returning after succumbing to the temptations of the Dark Side of the Force.

Now at the helm of a massive Sith armada, Revan drove the Jedi Order and Galactic Republic on the brink of total annihilation until a Jedi strike force led by the intrepid Bastila Shan dealt a decisive victory by attacking Revan's flagship. Revan was seemingly defeated when Malak ordered his own ship to fire upon his master's vessel, effectively usurping him as the new leader of the Sith, while Revan was widely presumed killed. Over the course of KOTOR, the player character learns more of Revan's fall from grace and his true fate.

The Powers and Abilities of Revan

Darth Revan wielding two lightsabers in Star Wars

Even before falling to the Dark Side, Revan was renowned as one of the most powerful Force users within the entire Jedi Order, from telekinesis and mastery of the lightsaber to mind tricks and Force healing. Following his corruption, Revan was able to tap into the more sinister powers that flows through the Force, including projecting Force lightning and draining life force directly from his victims.

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The source of the Sith's vast fleet of warships was revealed to be from an ancient space station known as the Star Forge, harnessing the power of a star at the fringes of the galaxy to quickly manufacture the formidable armada. In addition to commanding the Star Forge while leading the Sith, Revan also was revealed to be something of a technical expert himself, designing and programming the assassin droid HK-47.

Revan's Formidable Design

Star Wars Darth Revan Face and Lightsaber

Prior to being seduced by the Dark Side, Revan wore the typical Jedi robes that came with those serving the Order. After his fall from grace, Revan wore black Sith robes and wore a mask that completely concealed his face. The mask was revealed to be acquired from a Mandalorian woman who was killed when her warrior race attacked the Outer Rim world Cathar. Ten years later, while hunting rogue Mandalorians, Revan discovered the mask and wore it, claiming he would not remove it until the Mandalorian insurgents were wiped out.

While Revan fashioned a lightsaber with the signature red crystal of the Sith after being corrupted by the Dark Side, he previously used a purple lightsaber while serving the Jedi Order. Some subsequent depictions of Revan have him using both the red and purple lightsabers to reflect the battle between his inner darkness and possibility for redemption.

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The Saga of Revan

The atonement of Revan serves as the central, moral crux of Knights of the Old Republic, based on choices made by the player. Comic book and prose adaptations of the game's story would expand on Revan's background, from his activities before being corrupted to the character revealing himself to confront Darth Malak for the fate of the galaxy. 2004's Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords would feature Revan leaving for the Unknown Regions to take care of a threat he encountered while in the thrall of the Dark Side.

The online game Star Wars: The Old Republic revealed Revan had been kept alive for centuries by the Sith Empire to channel his connection to the Force. Reborn due to the machinations of a splinter faction of Imperials, Revan was literally at war with his light and dark persona taking on physical forms as he stands as an epic wild card in the galaxy-spanning conflict.

KEEP READING: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - Bastila Shan's Legacy, Explained