The lights are on
BioWare is no stranger to deep stories and engaging plot twists, but the twist in the original Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is one of the most shocking.
*Spoilers Ahead*
As the game begins, the player wakes up with no memory and under attack by the powerful Sith lord, Darth Malak. Players learn that the hero is a soldier of the Republic tasked with accompanying the Jedi Master, Bastila Shan, as she tries to locate the Star Forge and stop Malak.
During this journey, players repeatedly hear about the evil deeds perpetrated by Malak and his now-dead master, Darth Revan. BioWare does a masterful job making Revan out to be one of the most evil characters in the Star Wars universe. By the time Revan's fate is revealed, light-siders see the Sith Lord as a fearsome (but vanquished) foe, while dark-siders see Revan as a martyr.
In a climactic revelation, players realize that the character they have been controlling since the gameís beginning is none other Darth Revan himself. The Sith Lord's memories were wiped by Bastila and the Jedi Council, and the amnesiac Revan was used as a pawn of the Jedi. Players are forced to confront stark realities. For the light side players, discovering that they were once the most evil person in the universe – responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent people – is shocking. For the dark side players, this revelation means that they can attempt to reclaim Revan's lost status as Dark Lord of the Sith. The reveal also provides the opportunity for the player to completely change their path, deciding to take up their mantle as a Sith Lord once more, or embracing the light side and becoming a redeemed Jedi Knight. Either way, players never saw this twist coming.
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Certainly one of the most interesting reveals that I never go to experience because I never finished the game. If only I could wipe my brain so that I could get my true reaction to this revelation.
ahahha man I swear the whole scene was way better when I played it or remember. Animation was pretty funny and rather silling voice acting and the ingame stuff (minus the proper cutscenes that end with the mask removal) looked so silly ahaha.
i see
one of the best moments in gaming history right here....
Loved this game! :D
I was waiting for this to be included in the Moments feature. For my money this was hands-down the biggest twist in gaming history. KOTOR was an absolute gem. I got into the progression of the story so much that I wasn't sure whether my character would eventually embrace the light or fall to the dark side. I played him as a generally neutral actor with good and bad tendancies, but later something happened in-game that pushed him over the edge to embracing the dark side. It was the expulsion from one of the visitable planets due to a decision I made that damaged its ecosystem. Really, this was the game that introduced real choice and consequence for your actions. I will never forget those 50+ hours I spent as Darth Revan.