KOTOR comics are fun, with just the right blend of action, adventure, humor and suspense. New characters are well rounded with story twists and cross paths with characters that will one day be made famous (or infamous) by the Knights of the Old Republic game.
KOTOR Comics: the Story
This is the era set right before the games, during the Mandalorean War. It begins with a truly shocking twist.
Zayne Carrik is a padawan who is the opposite of the norm. He is far from the most powerful, nor the most skilled. In fact, he’s a bit of a klutz, the Jar Jar Binks of the Jedi Order if you will. But the Force is with him, in a less than controlled fashion.
The series begins as Zayne seeks to catch Gryph, a small time Snivvian con artist. After intially bungling the job, he finally succeeds only to return late for a meeting between the five Jedi Masters of Taris and his fellow apprentices. Finding them all dead at their master’s feet, the young man flees, Gryph still tied to his swoop.
Zayne is framed for the murders and Gryph is accused of being his accomplice, leading Taris authorities, other Jedi, the Republic military and bounty hunters to all join the hunt with the Taris Jedi.
In the course of escaping Taris they gain the aid of Camper and Jarael, two also in exile and in hiding.
The series continues to build out our characters from here, as Zayne evades and seeks to find out why the Taris masters turned on the students. Gryph continues trying to find a profit. Camper and Jarael try and go their way.
Camper and Jarael both have pasts revealed, as are events leading in the Mandalorian War, and hints that reveal the origins of Darth Malek.
VECTOR
The KOTOR tale is the beginning of a corssover event between series and era., It’s starts with the story of a secret covenant to seek out potential rising Sith beginning at Taris, and it was a perfect starting point. The Muur Talismen is the MacGuffin of the event, as it was made by the creator of Rakghouls and controls them. Zayne and his allies stumble across the Jedi who was out to track down this thing.
But as events twist and turn, Zayne and friends are unable to end it – leading the crossover to the next era, Dark Times and Rebellion comics, finally ending in the Legacy era long after.
SEQUEL SERIES Or KOTOR Comic continuation?
War
This KOTOR comic arc involves Zayne being drafted, and the group is apart. Lacking the other characters it loses some of the charm of the rest of the series. I found wasn’t as good as the rest. I thought it was part of the main series, but the graphic novel I own clearly states it collects issues 1-5. It had a good ending in spite of its weakness.
.I grieve that we got no more Zayne and friends. It leaves the question what happened to this zany group when the Mandalorean War ends, when Revan and Malek begin their rampage. They knew some of those involved personally. Did they survive? I guess now, we’ll never know.
KOTOR Comics Characters:
Main Characters:
Zayne Carrik: The padawan of Master Lucien Draay of Taris, accused of murder of his fellow apprentices.
Gryph Heirogryph: Snivvian con artist and scammer. He is initially caught by Zayne, then ends up on the run with him as he’s considered an accomplice.
Jarael: at least part Arkanian, possibly an Offshoot. She has a past she’d rather forget and is in hiding with an Arkanian offshoot who rescued her, known as Camper.
Camper: A senior Arkanian Offshoot who escaped and is in hiding from an Arkanian company. He’s a scientist.
Lucian Draay: Zayne’s former master, involved in the murder of the Jedi students. Son of Krynda Draay.
Raana Tey: Togruta Jedi Master of Taris
Quanila: Miralukan Jedi Master of Taris
Feln: Feeorin Jedi Master of Taris
Haazen: failed padawan who nonetheless did a great deal of Lucien’s training. Assistant to Krynda Draay.
Slyssk: trandoshan ship theif and cook
KOTOR Comics Side Characters:
Mandaloreans:
Rohlan: A Mandalorean known as the questioner, who keeps trying to leave the war to find answers to question he has about it.
Demagol: Mandalorean scientist who tortures Jedi seeking to learn about their abilities.
Cassus Fett: Mandalorean in charge of the invasion of Taris.
Mandalore: head of the Mandaloreans who leads their war effort.
Republic Personnel:
Fleet AKA Carth Onasi: a young officer in the Republic fleet.
Admiral Karath: officer in the Republic Fleet
Jedi:
Squint: Jedi apprentice to the Revanchist. Real name is Alek.
Revanchist: Jedi encouraging to disobey the Jedi Order and join the war against the Mandaloreans.
Master Vander: A Jedi Master (Yoda’s species).
Other:
Shel: sister to a Jedi Padawan killed in the padawan master.
Arvan Carrik: Zayne’s father, a banker.
Del and Dob Moomo: outcast renegade Ithorian bounty hunters
Gryff and Mission Vao – Twileks on Taris
Adasca – rich Arkanian and head of the company.
Ships:
Last Resort: Camper’s ship
Little Bivoli: a stolen fringer mess ship for the Republic fleet, used by Zayne and allies
Challenger: Admiral Karath’s first ship.
Leviathan: Admiral Karath’s second ship.
Hot Prospect: a former gem minor ship bought by the main characters.
Willywaw – the ship of the bounty hunting Moomoo brothers.
Arkanian Legacy – Adasca’s ship
Continuity of the KOTOR comics
As you might expect, there are ties to the Knights of the Old Republic games and Star Wars the Old Republic in the KOTOR comics. Some are obvious, some are not.
Both Revan and Malek are seen, but not initially identified, subtly disguised by hoods or subtle name differences, that the story does get around to explaining.
Admiral Karath, Carth Onasi, Mission, and Gryff Vao are obvious in KOTOR.
Master Vodo, of Tales of the Jedi, is mentioned as the teacher of Krynda, a critical character.
Jedi Master Arca Jeth, also of Tales of the Jedi, knighted both Krynda and Barrison Draay.
There is a Carrik Station in Star Wars the Old Republic, it’s the main Republic station in game. Presumably this is named after either Zayne or one of his siblings or their descendents.
The ship: The Hot Prospect was originally going to be the name of a new SWTOR server, during the server merges around 2018. But people ignorant of it’s history – a gem mining ship owned by Gryph and co, – misinterpreted the name as sexist, and it was changed.
The Vector arc has a flash forward vision to Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, and Cade Skywalker.
