Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords facts for kids

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords is an exciting role-playing video game set in the famous Star Wars universe. It was made by Obsidian Entertainment and released by LucasArts. This game is the follow-up to the popular Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.

The story takes place about 4,000 years before the Star Wars movies, like Episode I: The Phantom Menace. It uses a special game system called the d20 System. The game first came out for Xbox in December 2004 and for Microsoft Windows in February 2005. Later, it was released for other systems like OS X, Linux, Android, iOS, and Nintendo Switch.

The game uses the same Odyssey Engine as the first Knights of the Old Republic game. Work on the story started even before the first game was released. Development for The Sith Lords began in October 2003.

Knights of the Old Republic II starts five years after the first game's events. You play as "The Exile," a Jedi Knight who was kicked out of the Jedi Order. During this time, the Jedi Order has been almost completely destroyed by the evil Sith. Your adventure begins when you wake up on an asteroid mining station. You escape with your friends and find the person who exiled you. This person sends you on a mission to find the remaining Jedi and fight against the Sith.

When the game first came out, people really liked it. They praised its story, characters, and writing. Many felt the story was more complex and interesting than the first game. The character Kreia was especially popular, with GameSpy calling her the best video game character of 2005. However, some players thought the game looked too similar to the first one and had some bugs because it was released quickly.

How to Play the Game

Screenshot from the game showing how you fight and interact with the world.

Knights of the Old Republic II is a role-playing video game where you control your character from a third-person view. The combat is not strictly turn-based, but it lets you pause the action in real-time to plan your moves. This system is based on the d20 System, just like in the first game.

Starting Your Adventure

When you begin, you create your own character. You can choose different options or let the game create one for you automatically. There are 30 new Force powers you can learn and use. These are special abilities that come from the Force. The game also has fun minigames, like swoop bike racing and a card game called Pazaak.

The game's controls are easy to use. Managing your party members is simpler than before. For example, you can quickly switch between two different weapon sets.

Choosing Your Path

Just like in the first game, you can choose to follow the light side or the dark side of the Force.

• If you choose kind and helpful dialogue options, you gain light side points.
• If you choose selfish or mean options, you gain dark side points.

Your choices will change how the story unfolds and how characters react to you.

Combat and Skills

The fighting in Knights of the Old Republic II is similar to the first game. New lightsaber forms were added, each useful for different situations. For example, one form helps against enemies with blasters, while another helps you recover after using Force powers. You can use many types of weapons, like swords, firearms, or even fight without weapons.

A new feature is "prestige classes." These are advanced training options for your Jedi character. They let you become even better at lightsaber combat or using Force powers, depending on what you prefer.

Your Companions

You can travel with up to two other characters in your party. They earn experience points at the same rate as you. You can choose equipment and special abilities for them to make them stronger. You can also find items by searching defeated enemies or objects in the environment.

You have the power to "influence" your party members. If you do things they like, your influence with them grows.

• High influence can make your companions support you no matter what.
• Low influence might make them turn against you.

You can even use high influence to guide your companions to the light side or the dark side. Some characters can even be trained to use the Force!

Game Story

Where the Story Happens

The game takes place five years after the first Knights of the Old Republic game. It's a dark time because the Jedi have been almost completely wiped out by the Sith. You play as "The Exile," a former Jedi Knight who was forced to leave the Jedi Order.

Throughout the game, The Exile tries to reconnect with the Force. With the help of your companions, you try to stop the Sith. Your choices decide if The Exile follows the light side or the dark side of the Force. You travel to six different planets, either helping the Republic bring peace or making things harder for them.

New places you visit include:

• Telos
• Onderon and its moon Dxun
• Nar Shaddaa
• Malachor V
• The Peragus Mining Facility
• Various spaceships like the Harbinger and the Ravager.

You also revisit two planets from the first game: Korriban and Dantooine. These planets look much worse, with damaged buildings and more problems. Your trusty ship from the first game, the Ebon Hawk, is still your main way to travel.

Who You Meet

The Exile's past is important to the story. You learn that your character fought in the Mandalorian Wars and used a powerful weapon on Malachor V. This caused so much death that it created a "wound" in the Force. To survive, you had to cut yourself off from the Force, and the Jedi Council exiled you. As you play, you slowly regain your connection to the Force. You also form strong "Force Bonds" with other characters and places.

Many interesting characters join your team:

• Kreia: Your mysterious mentor.
• Atton Rand: A pilot and former Sith assassin.
• Bao-Dur: A technician and veteran of the Mandalorian War, along with his droid.
• G0-T0: A criminal droid.
• Visas Marr: A Sith apprentice.

Some characters from the first game also return:

• T3-M4: A loyal droid.
• Canderous Ordo: Now known as "Mandalore," a Mandalorian leader.

Other characters might join you depending on your choices:

• HK-47: A funny assassin droid, if you find his parts.
• Mira: A bounty hunter (if you are light side or neutral).
• Hanharr: A Wookiee bounty hunter (if you are dark side).
• Mical the Disciple (if you play as a female Exile).
• Brianna the Handmaiden (if you play as a male Exile).

The game has three main bad guys, who are powerful Sith Lords:

• Darth Traya: A mysterious attacker who stays hidden for most of the game.
• Darth Sion: An undead Sith Lord.
• Darth Nihilus: A Sith Lord whose body was destroyed by his strong connection to the Force.

These three Sith Lords lead a group of warriors and assassins left over from the previous game's villain, Darth Malak. They have almost wiped out the Jedi Order. Another important character is Atris, a former Jedi Council member. She tries to stop the Sith in her own way, but her methods clash with The Exile's journey.

The Main Story

Your journey begins on the Harbinger, a Republic spaceship. You are captured by an HK-50 assassin droid, meant to be delivered to a crime group called the Exchange. Luckily, you are rescued by Kreia and the droid T3-M4 on the Ebon Hawk. You escape as the Harbinger is taken over by Sith assassins.

Your ship is damaged, and you land at the Peragus Mining Facility. There, you team up with a smuggler named Atton Rand. The group escapes to the planet Telos IV. On Telos, you meet Atris, one of the few surviving Jedi Council members. She was the one who exiled you ten years ago. After some discussion, Atris forms a shaky alliance with you. She tells you to find other surviving Jedi to fight against the Sith.

You travel to four different worlds to find these Jedi Masters. You can either ask for their help or choose to get revenge on them for your exile. As you continue your quest, more people join your team.

After finding all the Masters, you return to Dantooine. There, you learn that the many deaths at Malachor V caused you to unconsciously give up your connection to the Force. This became the new teachings of the Sith.

• If you helped the Jedi Masters, they plan to permanently remove your Force connection, fearing your teachings could destroy the Force itself. But then, Kreia reveals she was once a Sith leader and kills them all!
• If you killed the Jedi Masters, Kreia attacks you and leaves.

You track Kreia to Telos and defeat a corrupted Atris. From Atris, you learn that Kreia plans to make the "wound" in the Force even stronger. This "wound" was created by you during the Mandalorian Wars when you activated a superweapon on Malachor V, causing massive destruction. Before following Kreia to Malachor V, you stop a Sith invasion of Telos and defeat Darth Nihilus.

On Malachor V, you are separated from your friends. You fight through many monsters and Sith Academy survivors. Inside the academy, you defeat Darth Sion and finally confront Darth Traya (Kreia) in the planet's core.

You defeat Darth Traya. Before she dies, she gives you a vision of the future for your companions and the planets you visited.

• If you followed the light side, you order Malachor V to be destroyed and escape. You then travel into the Unknown Regions to search for Revan.
• If you followed the dark side, you remain on Malachor V as the new Dark Lord of the Sith.

How the Game Was Made

Chris Avellone (pictured) was the lead designer for Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords.

Knights of the Old Republic II was created by Obsidian Entertainment and released by LucasArts. It's the sequel to BioWare's first Knights of the Old Republic game and uses the same Odyssey Engine. BioWare suggested Obsidian make the sequel because they knew Obsidian's past work and had a good relationship. Also, LucasArts had a very tight schedule for the new game.

Development started in October 2003. The main story idea was actually written before the first game came out. It went through many changes and rewrites. To prepare, lead designer Chris Avellone learned as much as he could about the Star Wars universe. He read many books and comics. The team also got ideas from the first Knights of the Old Republic game and the original Star Wars movies. Avellone said that Obsidian knew the story and companions were great in the first game, so they wanted to make them even better.

Game Improvements

Knights of the Old Republic II uses the same d20 System as the first game, but with some changes. The level cap (the highest level your character can reach) was removed. The team didn't want to change things that already worked well in the first game. Instead, they focused on improving and expanding areas while keeping the original style.

Obsidian worked hard on the game's graphics, including how non-player characters looked. They also improved lighting and weather effects and made the levels bigger. The lead artist, Aaron Meyers, said he was happy with how many people wanted to work on the game. However, he also mentioned that the team had a very short deadline. Chris Parker, Obsidian's COO, said the schedule was "extremely aggressive." The team felt a lot of pressure because they were making a sequel to a "game of the year" winner.

Music and Sound

For the music, the team felt that a symphony orchestra would be best. Mark Griskey composed the music, creating themes for characters and places. For example, he made a theme for the Jedi, and themes for Darth Sion and Darth Nihilus. He also created a theme for the main character, which plays when you face internal struggles. The music was recorded by the Sinfonia Orchestra in Seattle. The famous Star Wars main theme by John Williams is used at the beginning of the game.

Release and Later Updates

The Xbox version of Knights of the Old Republic II was finished on November 23, 2004, and released on December 6, 2004, in the United States. The PC version came out on February 8, 2005. In Europe, both versions were released on February 11. The game was later re-released on Steam in 2012 and GOG.com in 2015.

On July 21, 2015, versions for OS X and Linux were released. These new versions also added support for Steam Workshop, controllers, and modern widescreen displays. In 2018, it was announced that the game could be played on Xbox One. An iOS and Android version was released on December 18, 2020.

Chris Avellone later said that because LucasArts pushed Obsidian to finish the game in a short time (14 to 16 months), the game was released in an "unfinished" state. He felt Obsidian should have cut more things, like some minigames. Obsidian's co-founder, Feargus Urquhart, said the game was originally planned for 2005 but was moved up to December 2004. This meant some parts had to be removed, like the droid planet M4-78.

Even with official patches, fans created a special mod called The Sith Lords Restored Content Modification (TSLRCM). This mod fixes about 500 bugs and brings back most of the content that was cut from the game.

Images for kids

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  A friendly robot, like those you might meet in the game.

See also

In Spanish: Star Wars Caballeros de la Antigua República II: Los Señores Sith para niños