The story of Darth Malak is quite the tragic
tale. This epic journey is in direct connection with Revan, and even the Sith Emperor.
Malak is a human male, with the birth name of Alek. He was born on an outer rim world named
Quelii, where he was raised within a native
village. A few years before the Mandalorian wars
hit the core worlds, the mandos had first laid siege to many worlds in the outer rim.
Including the one where Alak lived.
Because of the ensuing chaos, Alak
was forced to flee his homeworld and find refuge within the Republics safety net.
It didn't take too long after that for the Jedi to sense that Alak was force sensitive.
Given the fact he needed a new home
and he had potential within the force, the Jedi
Order decided to take him in and train him.
This was still before the Mandalorian
wars had reached the core worlds. For now, everyone was safe.
Alak spent most of his time being trained on Coruscant, along
his fellow padawans. Among them he met
human male, named Revan. Quickly, they both became
friends and were almost always seen together.
Alak had surely felt so alone during
his time training, he was so far from home and didn't really know anyone.
But meeting Revan had given him a reason to keep moving forward. As we all
know, Revan himself inspired loyalty
in those around him, he was a natural
born leader. Alak was probably drawn to this and wanted to cling to it.
As it was something he didn't have himself... He was inspired by Revan.
All of this helped them both form a strong bond as not only friends, but partners.
During this era, it was not uncommon for padawans to be taught or seek out knowledge, from multiple
masters. Alak followed where Revan lead, so Alak was also trained to some
extent, by all those who trained Revan.
Despite what might appear as rivalry to others,
was in fact, an equal brotherly bond.
However... Eventually the mandalorian wars
moved closer and closer to the core worlds.
The Republic was now forced to get involved.
Yet, the Jedi Council refused to aid them.
Because of this, a faction of
Jedi lead by Revan and Alak, had decided to disobey the Jedi Council and
instead help the Republic in it's time of need. When the council discovered
these actions, an arrest warrant
was issued the rogue Jedi's arrest. This
is likely why Revan started wearing a mask and why Alak changed his name
to Malak. To avoid obvious detection from authroties. I also wonder if Malak
tattooes his head at this point too
as another identity blur. But it's quite
possible he had them from a child as per some tradition on his homeworld.
Revan and Malak had successfully created a faction of Jedi that wanted to
help the Republic with the war.
It was even Malak who recruited Meetra Surik,
later known as the exile, to the cause.
As we know from here, Revan, Malak
and Meetra were able to help the Republic claim victory against the Mandos.
But this came at a great cost... Meetra had activated the mass shadow generator,
a superweapon that would surely
gurantee exile for anyone involved.
Malak knew what he was getting into, but he followed Revan. He trusted him.
Together Revan and Malak had discovered a sinister plot. But clues still needed
to be revealed. When revan defeated
mandalore in 1v1 combat, mandalore had
confessed that the Sith provoked the war. Rather than returning to Coruscant and
the JEdi council after winning the war, Malak and Revan went in search of more
clues to the mysertious Sith threat.
The reason they took this so
seriously, is because the Sith were meant to be excinct at this point in time.
To think one existed somewhere, was a dangerous line of thought. One that had to be discerned.
Malak and Revan were lead to the planet Rekkiad, were they discovered an ancient
sith tomb which housed
a Sith lords remains. What they found inside this
tomb, lead them to the world of Nathema...
When the two Jedi Knights stood
on the surface of this planet. They knew they had to take this threat
more seriously than anything before. Someone, had completely devoured the
presence of the force here.
After investigating the planet further,
they discovered more clues, which lead them to another world... Dromund Kaas.
A storm covered planet hidden deep within the outer rim. The dark side was
powerful here, very pwerful.
Revan and Malak had discovered the
hidden Sith Empire. They were both in complete shock, but they needed to
Take action. Returning to the council would be futile, they would simply
be exiled and no one would listen.
They had to do this on their own.
Over time, they were both able to pose as mercenaries on the planet.
Using this cover, they obtained as much information on the Sith empire as
they could. What they found out was
unsettling... The empire had been
in hiding for over a thousand years, lead by an emperor who just as old.
Allegedly, there is a whole skue of politics, including even a dark council and
several spheres of influence.
They also found out it was this Sith emperor that
decoured the previous world they searched.
Knowing that Mandalore confessed
to sith influence, Revan and Malak knew it would be best to confront and defeat
the Sith Emperor, without anyone knowing they had even been there. Hopefully, that would
be enough to stop any kind of attack.
Using their skills and persuasion, they were
able to gain a contact from within the Emperors citadel. A citadel guard so happened
to be on Revan and Malaks side, this guard knew the Emperor was an evil
person and needed to be dealt with.
However, they were betrayed
by the guard who was in fact under the emperors control the entire time.
Malak and Revan thought they were sneaking up on the emperor, but he had outplayed them.
While they were within his presence, their minds became corrupted. Knowing
only the dogmatic teachings of the Jedi
meant that they had no defense against
this. The Emperor subdued their minds with ease and bent them to his will.
The Emperor had his own plan for these two, new dark lords. He told his dark
council that he killed Malak and Revan.
What he actually did was far worst. He forced
Revan and Malak to return to the republic, as his dark lords, as his vanguard of invasion.
Revan and Malak were instructed to find the Star Forge, and use it to crush
the Republics defenses.
But there was a fatal flaw in the emperors plan,
he had severely underestimated Malak and Revan.
When they returned, their minds were once
again sent into haywire. The new dark side presence has tainted their thoughts.
Somehow, they were able to twist and contort the Emperors instructions, until
they truly believed it was their own idea.
Somehow, their minds removed all memory of the
emperor and the sith empire they discoverd.
I have reason to believe that the Emperor actually
did this intentionally. He wired Revan and Malak to turn on the republic, whether or not
they did under his banner didn't really matter. But that would contradict the Emperor
wanting them to return word of their success.
Anyways. Moving forward, Revan and Malak
were still corrupted to the dark side, however they were under no direct
influence from the emperor anymore.
With them falling to the dark side,
they did of course take the Darth title. Malak, was now Darth Malak.
However, Darth Malak and Darth Revans relationship, completely changed. They
were once close friends and partners.
Now, they were both fallen jedi claiming
to be dark lords. The dynamic of the relationship needed to change with them...
Revan believed he was the more powerful Sith, so he proclaimed himself the new dark lord.
Malak, had likely disagreed in some way.
This will be how Malak lost his jaw, in a
fight between Revan to decide who is master, and who is apprentice.
According to Revans code, there can not be two dark lords. The power
should be emobdied in a single leader.
This means, Revan chose to no longer see Malak, as his equal. He was less than.
Accepting this truth was hard for Malak.
It would forever cast a shadow over him, that
he was not good enough to be the dark lord.
In my own opinion, Malaks fall
to dark side is cemented when he realises he lost his friend, Revan.
He would no longer be seen in the same way again, he would be expected to kneel,
say yes my lord, thank you my lord,
what is thy bidding my lord... The thoughts
probably made him sick to the stomach.
This would eat at him, along with
his injury being a constant reminder of being weak. He would decide to bide his time.
For his revenge. While Revan would dance around the republic and seek out new knowledge,
Malak would spearhead the domination
of the galaxy. Being relentless with his assaults.
Eventually, as we know from the KOTOR game, a jedi strike team was able to infriltrate
revans flagship and confont him on the bridge. In this moment, Malak saw his opportunity to
fire on his "master" and take his place.
A cowardly and cheap way to defeat Revan,
perhaps... But effective none the less, and since when was the dark side about being chivalrous.
Malak had turned on Revan, and fired on his ship. Assuming he had killed Revan, Malak
takes his place as the dark lord and continues his domination
of the entire galaxy.
Malak moved forward unphased at the loss
of his former friend, further proving that he grown to hate Revan, despise him.
Revan was everything that Malak was not.
Or perhaps that was just what he told himself...
Malak knew that the only real threat to him now, was the Jedi prodijy Bastila Shan.
Who was the most powerful force user
of battle meditation in the galaxy. Malak spent
his time and resources pursing this Jedi across the galaxy, resulting in the bombardment
of Taris, which was meant to draw her out
of hiding. And then later, Malak sends Calo Nord
the bounty hunter. However, that was also when Darth Malak discovered something incredible.
Calo Nord had told Darth Malak, that REVAN was with bastila shan. Malak could not
believe what he was hearing... It didn't make sense. How could he be alive?
Then it all started to come together. Malak had discerned that the jedi council
had wiped revans mind, and were once again trying to teach him to be a Jedi.
Malak found the the entire thing to be a comedic charade. So much so, that he allowed
it to continue while he pursued Bastila.
Not much later, Malak and Revan met once
again and the revelation comes full circle. Malak tells Revan what happened to him.
But it's hard for him to accept, and he remained with the light side. Bastila Shan
intervenes with this confrontation, while Revan
and friends escape. Malak was able
to finally capture Bastila Shan, and he successfully turned
her to the dark side.
She would be brought back to the light later
on by Revan of course. With the help of the Republic armada, Revan was able to
confront Malak for the final time, on board the Star Forge space station.
In this final fight, Malak is very powerful, he was able to drain the life of those
around him and even had great mastery over force lightning and stun.
However, the Jedi Hero Revan, had overcome Malaks strength. Darth
Malak refused to turn back to the light, he continued the fight until his last breathe.
And only in his final moments, did he see clearly, for the first time.
The reason I believe this is a tragic tale, is because we start out with
two very good friends. Who were then later forced into a hateful relationship.
with such horrible terms that no friendship could ever survive. The dark side
inspires rivalry and strife after all...
Malak and Revan faced death together,
they traveled the entire galaxy and even confronted the Sith Emperor. All of this
was lost, but never forgotten.