Kyle Katarn

Kyle Katarn is a character in the fictional Star Wars universe, the protagonist of the video game Star Wars: Dark Forces and its sequels. Katarn became a surprisingly famous Expanded Universe character, surpassing the popularity of Mara Jade. The surname comes from the Katarn, a predator animal living on the planet Kashyyyk.

Son of Morgan and Patricia Katarn, farmers from Sulon, he was educated at the Imperial Academy on Carida when his mother was killed by a malfunctioning BT-16 perimeter security droid. He became a decorated Imperial trooper, but his father, unbeknownst to him, was a Rebel supporter. During the attack on his homeplanet of Sulon (officially a Rebel attack), he lost his father. Kyle began to hate the Rebel Alliance and supervised many Imperial operations against it. One such operation was the assault on AX-456, a Rebel comm center situated on an asteroid that beamed anti-Imperial propaganda to the citizens of the Barma sector and that linked up to similar facilities in the adjacent Haldeen and Kliap sectors. His success at leading this mission earned him the Imperial medal of Valor.

Eventually he learned from Jan Ors, an Imperial Intelligence double agent (actually working for the Rebellion) that his father was tortured and killed for treason. He agreed to free Jan and defected, becoming a neutral mercenary. Jan introduced Kyle to Mon Mothma, the leader of the Alliance, and he became an important spy.

Character history

Star Wars: Dark Forces

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A younger Katarn in the game

Katarn was never actually an official member of the Rebel Alliance, but rather a mercenary working directly for Mothma. Kyle was secretly dispatched by Mothma on missions deemed too dangerous or sensitive for actual Alliance operatives, and was extremely well paid for his services. In the back cover of Dark Forces, Katarn is shown wearing Mandalorian shock trooper armour - this is confirmed when Katarn is captured in one mission and one of his goals is to retrieve his equipment.

Shortly before the events of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Katarn single-handedly infiltrated an Imperial facility to retrieve the plans for the first Death Star as a part of Operation Skyhook. The plans would eventually be forwarded to Princess Leia Organa, leading to her pursuit and capture by Darth Vader.

After the Battle of Yavin and the destruction of the first Death Star, the Empire retaliated against the Rebel Alliance by unleashing the Dark Trooper Project, a secret Imperial research initiative which was manufacturing powerful battle droids to attack Alliance worlds with. After several adventures (including run-ins with Jabba the Hutt and Boba Fett), Kyle managed to defeat the Dark Troopers and destroy the Dark Trooper Project utterly.

Upon witnessing Kyle's performance in battle, Vader made an off-hand remark about the young mercenary's Force potential, causing players to expect a sequel having to do with the Jedi. Likewise, many players were disappointed that a lightsaber was not among the wide list of weaponry, even though one must know the Force to wield it properly.

In the aftermath of his victory over the Dark Troopers, Kyle supervised the training of crack Alliance undercover commandos and quickly formed a tight-knit group of agents known as the Katarn Commandoes. Lieutenant Page, one of his cadets, took over as the leader of the squad when Kyle retired. Kyle also took part in a SpecForce mission put together by Corwin Shelvay, in which he teamed up with Force-sensitives Shira Brie and Erling Tredway to sabotage the superlaser of Death Star II en route to D'rinba IV.

Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II

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Katarn with Jan Ors

A year after the Battle of Endor, Kyle was visited by the spirit of the Jedi Rahn, who told him of the Jedi heritage of his father: Morgan Katarn had helped the Jedi Master close off the Valley of the Jedi. Kyle traveled to his father's workshop, located on Sulon, a moon of Sullust, to find the family droid named WeeGee to decipher a message from his father. After his father's message was complete, the droid then ejected Rahn's lightsaber from its internals. He embarked on a journey where he battled against the Dark Jedi faction, led by the Dark Jedi Jerec, who had murdered his father and Rahn. During his journey, he fought the other six Dark Jedi who followed Jerec. He defeated, but spared, Yun. He then fought and killed Gorc, Pic, and Maw, but, with each duel, Kyle brought himself closer to the dark side. His adventure took him to a secret Jedi burial ground, the Valley of the Jedi, where the spirits of many Jedi and Sith lay quiescent, trapped there after the Battle of Ruusan. This site was a nexus of power from which Force-sensitives could draw great energies of the Force. Jerec was attempting to gain this power for his own ends.

Kyle's ship, the Moldy Crow, was destroyed, but Kyle escaped, rendering himself unconscious. One of the last Dark Jedi, Sariss, and her adopted son, Yun pulled the unconscious Jedi from the wreckage out of gratitude for sparing his life. Boc, another Dark Jedi, destroyed Katarn's lightsaber and left to assist Jerec. Sariss was about to kill Kyle, but Yun, out of guilt for executing Rahn and for Kyle sparing his life in the beginning, blocked her blow with his lightsaber. Sariss' blade was deflected and struck Yun, mortally wounding him. As Kyle woke up, he heard Yun saying Katarn shouldn't have died a coward's death and that he deserved a true fight. Yun breathed his last, possibly returning to the light side. With his lightsaber destroyed, Kyle picked up Yun's saber and defeated Sariss, being careful not to fall to the dark side in the process.

Kyle rushed to the Jedi Temple and confronted Boc, who wielded two lightsabers, but was no match for Kyle's dueling skills. After defeating Boc, Kyle rushed in to stop Jerec. The two dueled, and Kyle disarmed Jerec. The Dark Jedi tried and failed to turn Kyle to the dark side. Katarn tossed Jerec his lightsaber back. Picking up his weapon, Jerec lunged at Kyle, igniting his lightsaber. Kyle shifted aside but left his lightsaber blade in Jerec's path, severing his right shoulder and arm. The wound was mortal, and Jerec died. Kyle freed (according to prophecy) the souls of the Jedi, trapped millennia ago by Lord Kaan.

Although the player has the option to follow the dark side alternate ending, in which Kyle takes on the Powers of the Valley and becomes the new Emperor, the canonical ending is that Kyle continued to be a light side Jedi.

Kyle continued working with Jan for the New Republic, cooperated with Bey, Dash Rendar and Guri on an insertion mission to the Tof fortress world Saijo and nearly razing Space Station Kwenn while apprehending a Ketton spy. Kyle took a more permanent role with the New Republic and served with Page's Commandos, executing missions in various worlds like Kashyyyk, Boudolayz, and Garos IV.

After his adventure, Kyle put Yun's lightsaber away and built his own special blue saber as part of his training.

Luke Skywalker offered to train Kyle further but Kyle was too afraid of falling to the dark side and refused.

Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith

Approximately five years after the original "Jedi Knight", former Imperial assassin Mara Jade came under Kyle's tutelage, taking up the rare bond of reciprocal apprenticeship, a facet of the "Jedi Concordance of Fealty" little practiced since the "Cleansing of the Nine Houses". During this period, while investigating Sith ruins on the long dead world of Dromund Kaas, Kyle came under the influence of the dark side, but Jade went to him and convinced him to come back to the light. After nearly succumbing to the dark side herself, Mara helped him turn back.

Skywalker made a second offer to Katarn, and this time he accepted, believing that further training would help him tame his dark self. Kyle gave up Yun's lightsaber and built his own special blue one. Kyle developed a friendship with fellow Jedi trainee Corran Horn, but when two students of the Academy fell to the dark side, Kyle's fear of the dark side multiplied. Kyle gave up studying the Force, gave his lightsaber to Luke Skywalker and returned to his mercenary ways as Jan Ors' partner. New Republic Intelligence reports of his missions suggest Kyle's tactics were particularly "bloodthirsty." He almost always deliberately made a complete search for targets. Of particular note was a mission on Tatooine on which only one Imperial survivor was left alive for interrogation. The Imperial was so shocked all he revealed was that his orders originated from a planet named Kejim.

Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast

Three years after Mysteries of the Sith, Kyle encountered many enemies like the Rodians Beedo, and Reelo Baruk, the Gran Ree-Yees, and the Dark Jedi Desann and his apprentice, Tavion.

Jan Ors was taken prisoner by Desann and apparently killed by Tavion. Angered by his partner's death, Kyle returned to The Valley of the Jedi on Ruusan to restore his powers, but was warned by the Jedi Spirit of his late father of the corrupting power of The Valley. He also warned Kyle about the coming dangers. Kyle then stepped in The Valley's core beam to restore his Force Powers and once again treaded dangerously close to the dark side. He returned to the Jedi Academy on Yavin 4 to begin training again and to retrieve the lightsaber he had left with Luke Skywalker for safe-keeping, also learning Desann was a fallen student of Skywalker's. Luke and Kyle then set across the galaxy to bring Desann to justice. During his travels, he learned that Jan was still alive. She was eventually rescued, allowing Kyle to overcome his thirst for revenge. He learned as well that Desann had located the Valley of the Jedi by following Kyle and had begun to create an army of Dark Jedi "Reborn" warriors to rule the galaxy. Kyle tracked Desann to the Jedi Academy on Yavin 4, and after an intense lightsaber duel, killed him, ending his plan for domination.

After Desann's defeat, Kyle decided to keep his lightsaber and continue in the ways of the Force as an instructor and Jedi Master at Luke's academy.

Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy

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Katarn in Jedi Academy

In this game, Kyle is relegated to the role of supporting character. He becomes the Master of two students, Jaden Korr and Rosh Penin. Both students being talented, they quickly learn Kyle's wisdom. Kyle's quest in the game is to defeat the Sith cult known as the Disciples of Ragnos. Rosh eventually succumbs to the dark side and joins the Disciples of Ragnos. Kyle again meets Tavion, leader of the cult, who possessed a device known as the Staff of Ragnos, and plans to resurrect the ancient Sith Lord Marka Ragnos.

Kyle's other student, Jaden Korr, eventually becomes a Jedi, but depending on the player's choice, Jaden may either turn to the dark side by killing Rosh, or remain a Light-sider by forgiving him. In the latter choice, Kyle is proud of his student, who defeats Tavion. If Jaden goes to the dark side, Kyle later duels with his former pupil, who overpowers him using the Staff of Ragnos, stolen by defeating Tavion. Jaden escapes, and Kyle then questions whether or not he should be a Jedi, taking a leave of absence to apprehend Jaden.

While it is not yet explicitly clear which ending is canonical, the official stance from Lucasfilm on games where players can choose between the light side and dark side has traditionally been that the light side ending is the canonical one.

New Jedi Order

Kyle became the academy's foremost battlemaster, a close friend of Luke Skywalker, and a respected Jedi Master, educating many famous Jedi, such as Jaden Korr. He managed to slay the former Emperor's Hand Jeng Droga. During the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, in the New Jedi Order saga, Kyle helped develop strategies against the invaders, and participated in the rescue of human captives of the Imperial Remnant world Ord Sedra from the Yuuzhan Vong. Near the end of the war, the living planet Zonama Sekot agreed to help the Republic; Kyle was one of several Jedi Knights bonded to seed-partners and provided with Sekotan starships to use in Sekot's defence.

Kyle heard a rumor that the Sith Order still existed. Due to his experiences on Drommund Kaas, Kyle investigated after the invasion, following clues from Ord Sedra in the Clacis Sector to Yaga Minor, resulting in the Cloak of the Sith. During the mission, Kyle was captured by the Dark Jedi Daye Azur-Jamin, who presumably attempted to turn Kyle back to the dark side. After a successful rescue mission led by Jan Ors and Jaden Korr, Kyle revealed all that he knew about the new threat. A Force-sensitive Yuuzhan Vong is causing havoc in the galaxy, and it's apparent that an even more powerful threat looms on the horizon.

Some time later, during the Killik Expansion, Kyle is one of four Jedi Masters who attempts to destroy the dark nest. Kyle also speaks his mind during a Master's Council session, where he stands up to Chief of State Cal Omas. He, along with Corran Horn and other Masters believed that Jaina and Zekk could be the next leaders of the dark nest. During the Swarm War, Kyle led a squadron of Jedi Stealth X's against the Killiks.

Talents

Despite being almost completely self-trained, Kyle became one of the New Jedi Order's most respected and powerful Jedi Masters. With relatively little lightsaber combat training, Kyle defeated seven trained Dark Jedi: Boc, Gorc, Pic, Maw, Sariss, Yun, and then Jerec himself - an amazing accomplishment for someone of his status of training. Kyle again showed great skill defeating the Dark Jedi Desann, a Dark Jedi with power that matched that of Luke Skywalker. It is believed that his raw power was increased to rival that of Luke Skywalker's when Katarn visited the Valley of the Jedi after first encountering Desaan. Kyle also showed a strong will, resisting the many taunts and mind tricks Desann and other dark Jedi used on him. During the events of The Disiples of Ragnos, Kyle had already become the strongest swordsman in the New Jedi Order, and successfully trained one of the youngest and unarguably most famous Jedi Knight during these events, Jaden Korr.

Kyle Katarn - the Battlemaster.

While Kyle's fighting style may be a fighting style created by the New Jedi Order, it's also possible that it is a personal style. If the player chooses the Dark Side in the computer game, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Kyle uses many Force techniques, such as Force pulling the charcters lightsaber away during a battle, as well as many physical attacks such as putting his lightsaber away, grabbing the character with one hand, and punching them with the other. However, it should be noted that Kyle did learn many techniques from the spirits of Qu Rahn and the ancient Jedi Tal in the Valley of the Jedi such as the Flowing Water cut and the Falling Leaf attack.

During the events led by Desann, Kyle showed a great mastery of the Force by relearning powers of both the Light and Dark Side of the Force in a relatively short amount of time. An extraordinary swordsman, Kyle became the New Jedi Order's most powerful Battlemaster. His general mastery of the Force was incredible and surpassed all but a few of only the strongest Jedi Masters such as Luke Skywalker.

Other sources

Kyle's adventures are also told in three hardcover graphic story albums written by William C. Dietz which were even adapted into well-recieved audio dramatizations: Soldier for the Empire, Rebel Agent and Jedi Knight.

Kyle appears in subsequent sequels and further comics, games and novels. He also has an entry in the Star Wars Role-Playing Game and was a premiere figure of the New Jedi Order faction in the Wizards of the Coast Star Wars Miniatures. The Wizards of the Coast web series The Dark Forces Saga highlighted his background, as well as those of most of the other heroes and villians found in the games. In his latest appearance, he helped the Jedi and the New Republic during the Killik expansion.

Appearances

• Dark Forces: Soldier for the Empire
• Dark Forces (First appearance)
• Empire at War
• Dark Forces: Rebel Agent
• Dark Forces: Jedi Knight
• Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II
• Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith
• Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
• Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
• Force Heretic: Remnant
• Equals and Opposites
• The Unifying Force
• Dark Nest I: The Joiner King
• Dark Nest II: The Unseen Queen
• Dark Nest III: The Swarm War

Portrayers

Kyle Katarn was originally voiced by Nick Jameson for Dark Forces. He was portrayed by Jason Court in the full motion video sequences of Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II. The game model was modeled after Court to maintain consistency.

Likewise, in Mysteries of Sith, Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy, Kyle is exclusively a polygonal model, without FMV scenes, made to look like a slightly older Court, voiced by Jeff Bennett. For the audio dramatizations, he is portrayed by Randal Berger.