From his introduction in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic to his role in Star Wars canon, Darth Revan had developed into one of the franchise's most engaging characters. While he was initially a character that players could customize in any way, Revan's story has expanded significantly in subsequent Star Wars releases, including video games, books, and comics. With such a detailed timeline and an incredible design to match, it's no wonder Darth Revan has become one of Star Wars' most popular characters.

Revan's history was highly detailed in the Star Wars Legends continuity, but this raises whether he has a role in canon. Disney and Lucasfilm can leave Revan in Legends or expand on the iconic Sith Lord with the upcoming KotOR remake. Ultimately, the character's fate may depend on what the fans want, and this begins with understanding Darth Revan's complete history from KotOR to Star Wars canon.

Darth Revan's KOTOR & Legends Story Explained

Revan was a Jedi who believed the order needed to take action against the Mandalorian Neo Crusaders invading the Republic. When the Jedi Council refused to participate in the war, Revan and his friend Malak amassed an army of fellow Jedi and led the Republic against the Mandalorians. The war ended on Malachor V when Revan defeated Mandalore the Ultimate and unleashed the Mass Shadow Generator on the planet, killing thousands on each side and leaving the surface a barren wasteland. Although the Republic praised Revan and Malak as heroes, their ally Meetra Surik became the Jedi Exile when she returned to the Council to face judgment.

Believing someone else had influenced the Mandalorian Wars, Revan and Malak traveled to the Unknown Regions and discovered that the Sith Empire had returned. They attempted to kill the Sith Emperor on their own, but he reached into their minds and turned them to the dark side of the Force. The Emperor then sent them back as his advance agents for an invasion of the Republic, tasking them with finding the ancient Rakatan Star Forge superweapon to construct a fleet of warships. Revan and Malak traveled across the galaxy and located the pieces of a map that revealed the Star Forge's location.

By the time they found the Star Forge, Revan and Malak had broken free of the Emperor's mind control and decided to create their own Sith Empire. Now known as Darth Revan and Dark Malak, master and apprentice, the Dark Lords of the Sith led their forces in a campaign to destroy the Republic they had once defended. The Jedi Civil War continued until Bastila Shan and her Jedi strike team attacked Revan on his flagship, with Malak seizing the opportunity to kill his master. He ordered his ships to fire on Revan and the Jedi, killing most of the strike team and severely injuring Revan.

Rather than leaving Revan to die, Bastila took him to the Jedi Council, who wiped his mind and gave him a new identity as a Republic soldier. Believing he was meeting Bastila for the first time, Revan accompanied her to the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine and was trained as a Jedi. Revan and Bastila shared a strong Force bond because of their previous encounter, so the Council tasked them with retracing Malak's steps to find the Star Forge. After being captured by Malak, Revan's former apprentice revealed his true identity and took Bastila prisoner. Although Revan was shocked by this revelation, he and his allies were determined to save Bastila.

Revan located the Star Forge and found that Malak had made Bastila his new apprentice, but Revan's love convinced her to return to the light side. Revan defeated his former apprentice in battle and saved the Republic from the Sith, now hailed as a hero once again and welcomed back into the Jedi Order. Even though emotional attachments were forbidden among Jedi, Revan and Bastila were permitted to marry as long as they did not spread their heresy to other Jedi. Years later, Revan's memories of the Sith Empire resurfaced, leaving for the Unknown Regions to find answers.

Revan was captured by the Sith and imprisoned for years until Meetra Surik tracked him down, and the two agreed to work with the Sith Lord Scourge to defeat the Emperor. When Scourge betrayed the Jedi, Revan was held in stasis for 300 years, using that time to influence the Emperor's mind to keep him from invading the Republic. Revan was killed when his first attempt to destroy the Sith Empire failed, but while part of him became one with the Force, another part rejected death and embraced the dark side. Revan's light side aided in defeating the dark Revan, with his two halves merging back together.

Revan's spirit aided the galaxy one last time in the Emperor's final defeat before finally becoming one with the Force. Long after his death, Revan was remembered as a great Jedi and one of the most powerful Sith. Darth Bane discovered Revan's Sith Holocron and learned from its teachings to develop his Rule of Two, creating a new line of Sith that would eventually destroy the Jedi Order.

Darth Revan Has Become Star Wars Canon Again

Most of Revan's history is exclusive to the Legends continuity, but Star Wars has made the Sith Lord canon. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - The Visual Dictionary by Pablo Hidalgo revealed that the 3rd Legion of the Sith Eternal army was called the "Revan" legion, confirming that a version of Revan still exists in the new timeline. Revan would have been canon years earlier had he appeared in the Mortis arc in Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 3, but George Lucas decided that Sith could not return as spirits. Even so, Star Wars can now tell new stories featuring Revan.

Related: 20 KOTOR Characters, Planets & Events That Exist In Star Wars Canon

Will Lucasfilm's KOTOR Remake Tell A Canon Version Of Darth Revan's Story?

The upcoming video game remake of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic will determine whether Revan's story is retold in canon. The game may tell the same story as the original and remain exclusive to Legends, or it could be reworked to fit the canon timeline. Both options have merit, as there is demand for Legends content, but a canon version would open new opportunities. The remake could connect to Disney Star Wars content while introducing entirely new elements, but fans will have to wait until Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic releases to know how the game will approach Darth Revan.