Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
A sequel set five years after the original, following the Jedi Exile.
Star Wars · CC BY 2.0
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords is a role-playing game built by Obsidian Entertainment and released by LucasArts. It follows BioWare's original Knights of the Old Republic, hitting the Xbox on December 6, 2004, Windows on February 8, 2005, OS X and Linux on July 21, 2015, Android and iOS on December 18, 2020, and the Nintendo Switch on June 8, 2022. The action takes place 4,000 years before Episode I: The Phantom Menace and uses the d20 System from Wizards of the Coast. Obsidian started story work before the first game even came out, and full development kicked off in October 2003 after BioWare handed them the Star Wars license, trusting their track record.
The plot picks up five years after the original. You play as the Exile, a Jedi Knight kicked out of the Jedi Order. The Sith have nearly wiped out the Jedi, and the game opens with you waking up on an asteroid mining facility. After escaping with some party members, you track down the person who exiled you a decade earlier, who then sends you to find the remaining Jedi and fight the Sith.
Critics generally liked the game at launch, especially the story, characters, and writing, which felt more morally gray than the first game. It made the list in 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die. The character Kreia got special praise, with GameSpy calling her the best video game character of 2005. But people also knocked it for being too similar to its predecessor in graphics and gameplay, and for shipping in an unfinished state. Over time, it built a cult following.
The game plays as an action RPG from a third-person view with pausable real-time combat. It uses the d20 System for fights and interactions, just like the first game. You start at a character creation screen—or you can let the game auto-pick for you. There are 30 new Force powers, and minigames like swoop bike racing and Pazaak return. The interface got streamlined, and party management is easier, like letting you switch between two weapon sets. You can still choose light or dark side paths, with respectful dialogue earning light side points and selfish or evil options giving dark side points.
Combat works the same as the original. New lightsaber forms were added, each suited to different situations—one for blaster-wielding enemies, another for recovering from Force powers.
Quick Facts
- Publisher
- LucasArts
- Producer
- Chris Parker
- Designer
- Chris Avellone
- Programmer
- Chris Jones
- Artist
- Aaron Meyers
- Composer
- Mark Griskey
- Series
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
- Engine
- Odyssey Engine
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The game begins five years after the events of the first Knights of the Old Republic. The protagonist, known as The Exile, is a Jedi Knight who was exiled from the Jedi Order. The Jedi Order has been almost completely wiped out by the Sith. The Exile regains consciousness on an asteroid mining facility and escapes with the help of party members, then seeks out the remaining Jedi to fight against the Sith. The story involves the Exile restoring their connection to the Force while traveling to six planets, including new locations such as Telos, Onderon, Dxun, Malachor V, and the Peragus Mining Facility, as well as revisiting Korriban and Dantooine. Key characters include Kreia, Atton Rand, Bao-Dur, G0-T0, Visas Marr, T3-M4, and Canderous Ordo (Mandalore). The main antagonists are Darth Traya, Darth Sion, and Darth Nihilus.
Reader's Guide
The game received generally positive critical reception upon release, with praise given to its story, characters, and writing, which were noted to be more morally ambiguous than the original. Particular praise was given to the character of Kreia, with GameSpy naming her the best video game character of 2005. However, the game was criticized for being too similar to its predecessor in graphics and gameplay systems, and for being launched in an incomplete state. Despite this, it has gained a cult following. The game was included in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die. Gameplay features pausable real-time combat based on the d20 System, 30 new Force powers, prestige classes, and an influence system with party members. The player can align with the light side or dark side through dialogue choices.
Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the plot of Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords?
You return as the Exile five years after the first game's events, now hunting the Sith Lords who nearly stripped the Force from the galaxy. The adventure takes you across several worlds as you recruit companions and unravel the machinations of Darth Nihilus.
Who is the main antagonist in Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords?
Darth Nihilus is the central villain, a Sith who devoured an entire planet's population and became insatiably dependent on the Force. He drives the Exile's quest to stop the Sith Lords' ongoing assault on the galaxy.
How does Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords end?
Your alignment determines the finale: on the light side, the Exile severs their own bond to the Force to shatter Nihilus's dominion, while the dark-side path lets the Exile absorb the Sith Lords' power for themselves. Either way, the confrontation takes place aboard the Sith Lords' vessel.
What engine powers Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords?
The game runs on the Odyssey Engine, a system Obsidian developed in-house to handle a larger party, more intricate dialogue trees, and broader environments than the original KOTOR could support.
More in Role-Playing Games of the 2000s
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced