The man who stole the Death Star Plans.

The beginnings of Kyle Katarn.

Kyle Katarn is a farmer’s son who only went to the Carida imperial Academy for the educational opportunities. He had no idea his father was head of a local Alliance Resistance cell. His final graduation mission was to lead an attack on a Rebel held asteroid, a communications station.

Cadet Leader Katarn resisted his fellow soldier’s urgings to execute survivors, even when it was clear rebel backup would arrive before theirs. One rebel particular attracted his attention. His refusal to execute the prisoners got her attention as well.

His life turned upside down when he was told the Alliance murdered his father. But during his brief vacation on the Star of Empire star cruiser, he would run into the same young woman. Jan Ors had evidence that it was the Empire, not the rebellion, that had murdered Morgan Katarn, his father.

His first missions include stealing the first Death Star plans from Danuta. He then investigated a secret Imperial project, Dark Troopers, that started out wiping out a Rebel Base. He broke Crix Madine out of an Imperial Prison and even fought Boba Fett on Nar Shaddaa. He also met up with Rianna Saren, who stole an updated set of the Death Star plans.

Opinions:

While some on Wookieepedia see the physical difference between Kyle having a beard in the Soldier for the Empire book and the video game Dark Forces to be a conflict, I don’t. His escape from the Empire alongside Jan Ors had the side effect of a dead Imperial Governor, and even in Soldier for the Empire it’s revealed that news of his defection has spread among his graduating class. It makes sense that he would grow or even wear a fake beard when going going out in public. Scouting out the Imperial base and getting the means to break in would do no good if arrested before he got into the Imperial base. News of his defection is on the holonet and still very recent.

Source:

• Soldier for the Empire (Novella and audiodrama)
• Dark Forces (Lucasarts)
• Dark Forces (Lucasarts) Manual
• Lethal Alliance (Lucasarts)
• Dark Forces Saga, Wizards of the Coast

Continuity:

• Nar Shaddaa, where he fights Boba Fett, again appears in Jedi Knight, Jedi Academy, Han Solo Trilogy by Ann Crispin, Star Wars The Old Republic, and various prequel era Dark Horse Comics.
• Carida is the place Han Solo went to the Academy and was destroyed in Jedi Academy Trilogy by Kevin J. Anderson, and mentioned in detail in Han Solo Trilogy by Ann Crispin.
• The original Dark Forces Manual suggests Jan and Kyle first met in Imperial Operations, when Jan was undercover. If so, that would explain why she looked familiar when he saw her at the Rebel asteroid. However, there are no details on how or when this took place, The part where he was actually assigned there apparently didn’t survive later stories as he was later said to be a Cadet at this time.
• The Manual also seems to indicate both parents were killed by the Empire in the original incident. His mother, however, died in a farm accident.

Kyle Katarn’s Destiny is the Force

After the death of the Empire, its revealed that while working for the Alliance he still considered himself an independent agent. He was trying to track down who, exactly was responsible for his Father’s death. This led to the revelation of the Spirit of the Jedi, Rahn. The Dark Jedi who killed Morgan Katarn is now seeking the location of the Valley of the Jedi, a place of great power. Morgan took the knowledge of its location to his death and now, a race is on to find the message he left for Kyle to find it.

Kyle finds himself learning to be a Jedi on the fly. Qu Rahn’s guidance, his own untapped powers and even his Imperial Academy training (including fencing and knowledge of their methods) are his guides. He pursues the map and finds the lightsaber his Father ’s friend Rahn left him. One at a time, or occasionally two at a time he took on Jerec’s dark Jedi crew and his Imperial troops, until it was Kyle against Jerec to save the Valley of Jedi and free the Jedi spirits trapped there.

Source:

• Rebel Agent (Novella and audiodrama)
• Jedi Knight (Novella and audiodrama)
• Dark Forces 2: Jedi Knight (Lucasarts)

Continuity:

• Jerec also makes an appearance in the Galaxy of Fears YA series : Spore.
• Ruusan and the Valley of the Jedi, as well as how the Valley gained its power, are shown in the Darth Bane series novels and Jedi VS Sith story arc by Dark Horse comics.

Kyle Katarn Discovers Dromund Kaas!

Katarn joined forces with Mara Jade for a time. During this he was led to Dromund Kaas where the intense Dark Side presence drew him to the Dark Side. Mara however, successfully found and drew him back to the light. This rattled his confidence though and led him to turn in his lightsaber over to Luke Skywalker.

Source:

• Jedi Knight 2 Mysteries of the Sith (Lucasarts Expansion)

Continuity:

• Dromund Kaas also appears in Legacy of the Force, Fate of the Jedi series and is a playable planet in Star Wars the Old Republic.

 The Force Reclaims Kyle Katarn

The Force wasn’t through with Katarn. He and Jan Ors discovered the Empire using crystals and experimenting on creating Force sensitivity in their droids and people. Driven to pick up his lightaber again, Kyle would end up in  showdown with a fallen Jedi, Dasaan, who had attended Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Academy.

• Source:
  Jedi Knight: Jedi Outcast (Lucasarts)

Continuity:

• Luke’s Jedi Academy on Yavin 4 was established in the Jedi Academy Trilogy by Kevin J. Anderson. It also is the location of much of the Young Jedi Knight and Junior Jedi Knight series.
• Katarn went on to train Jedi apprentices, including Jaden Korr and Rosh Penin.

Source:

• Jedi Academy (Lucasarts)
• Crosscurrent by Paul S. Kemp
• Riptide by Paul S. Kemp

Students

After defeating Desanne, Katarn went on to train Jedi Apprentices at the Academy, alongside other notables such as Corran and Tionne. We know he trained at least two, Rosh Penin and Jaden Korr. Some missions he sent them on solo, investigating rumors of a Sith cult ‘the Reborn’. Others he was along as well, including to Korriban.

Source:

Jedi Academy (Lucasarts)

Kyle Katarn in the New Jedi Order era.

Kyle went on to become the Jedi Battlemaster, fighting and surviving the Yuuzhan Vong war along with Jan Ors. He was on the Jedi Council during the crisis with Darth Caedus and fought him personally. He also was involved with the conflict with Daala during the Fate of the Jedi era.

• Star Wars Tales 21: Equals & Opposites
• Dark Nest Series
• Legacy of the Force Series
• Fate of the Jedi Series

Character Growth:

Over the course of his stories, Kyle starts out as angry and cynical. The murder of his Father left a mark and his life as an agent of Rebellion pretty much is about revenge. He isn’t entirely trusted, partly as a former Imperial and partly because he’s so much a free agent they don’t trust him to put the rebellion’s needs before his own.

As he learns about being a Jedi he is still keeping much to himself, in spite of his close working relationship with Jan Ors. She continuously saves him from trouble by backing him up even without knowing what he is doing or where he is doing it. In spite of some mistakes, he finally succeeds in defeating the murderer, a Dark Side user named Jerec as well as his cronies, in a way that doesn’t send him spiraling into the Dark Side.

Kyle is still a lone wolf though at this point. A Jedi Academy exists but he is apart from it, teaming up at most with Mara Jade. Overconfident and going alone against the likes of the Sith world Dromund Kaas, his fall causes him to doubt himself, even though he is redeemed.

At last though a mission comes up, once more with Jan Ors, that brings him full circle. Once more the Empire is in pursuit of a way to use the Force against the New Republic. Only this time Jan is the one who gets hurt. Kyle is furious at her loss and desperate to track down who his responsible, someone who clearly can use the Force. Once more he returns to the Valley of the Jedi, using a shortcut to regain the power he is out of practice using. Kyle’s fury now is bypassed on finding Jan might be alive. But in the end there still is a showdown. Confidence regained, Katarn now shows himself a Jedi.

Now Katarn is ready to move on and become a full member of the Jedi, helping train others in hope (not always successful) that they will not make his mistakes. He doesn’t much go for the formal approach but cares about his students. Eventually he is on the Jedi Council and a full Battle Master of the Order.

It’s an impressive character arc given that the vast majority of it is in video games. His wit in them stands out an anyone playing his character can appreciate those moments he wise cracks. “Not another thing to fall from!”  comes after many missions where sure enough, one may steer him over a cliff in spite of best efforts.  “Your joking right?” is another of his signature lines.

One of the great virtues of Kyle Katarn as that as a game character he has so much personality and character growth, yet the player is invested in him and in his mission. We get the opportunity to steal the Death Star Plans, and the missions only gets more amazing from there, taking on the Empire, Boba Fett, becoming a Jedi Knight, fighting the Dark Side and on into becoming one of his students.

Game trailers

As someone who has played them all, I can say these are all excellent well made games. Dark Forces (the original) runs on Dos box (pre-installed if you purchase from one of the online game stores). There is plenty of shooting, lightsaber swinging action and puzzles to solve as well.

A few tips: if you want to play on newer computers, you might want to try the Force Engine (for the original game) and OpenJKDF2 for the sequel. There are novellas and full cast audio dramas that are based on the first 2 games, which add some interesting further context to his story.