In Star Wars: The Old Republic, players will explore an age thousands of years before the rise of Darth Vader when war between the Old Republic and the Sith Empire divides the galaxy. Players can choose to play as Jedi, Sith, or a variety of other classic Star Wars roles, defining their personal story and determining their path down the light or dark side of the Force. Along the way, players will befriend courageous companions who will fight at their side or possibly betray them, based on the players’ actions. Players can also choose to team up with friends to battle enemies and overcome incredible challenges using dynamic Star Wars combat.

The Galactic Republic stood for generations as a bastion of peace in a galaxy of warring star systems. Protected by its stalwart Jedi guardians, the Republic held the greatest hope for the progress of civilization and galactic unity.

Deep in unknown space, however, a mighty Sith Empire was forged, led by dark Sith Lords who dreamt of galactic domination and vengeance against their ancient Jedi enemies. After centuries of preparation, the time came for the Sith to make their return.

Sith Inquisitor

The history of the Sith Empire is fraught with scheming politics and dark secrets—the lifeblood of the Sith Inquisitor. Treachery hides around every corner in the Empire’s dark corridors, and survival depends on an individual’s natural cunning and the will to manipulate and defeat their enemies and allies alike. The Inquisitor experiments with forbidden powers to not only survive in this cutthroat environment, but to excel and seize authority.

Regardless of potential, few acolytes succeed in facing the rigorous trials to become Sith Inquisitors. Only the most determined acolytes attain such an achievement, but these Sith are often the ones to watch. Due to their manipulative genius, Inquisitors are skilled at exploiting both their enemies and their allies to further their own personal agendas. Channeling this Force energy, Inquisitors are capable of draining the life from their enemies and using it to feed themselves and their allies.

Though their skills are varied and many, Sith Inquisitors are most feared for their ability to channel the energy of the Force, making them a spectacle to behold on the battlefield. Seething sparks of lightning explode from the Inquisitors’ fingertips and wrap their enemies in tendrils of pure Force energy. Because Inquisitors can twist the Force into lightning to stun, subdue, or destroy their foes, it has become their signature. Those who have experienced the sensation of the Inquisitor’s Force Lightning and survived forever recoil from the crackling sound of electricity.

Mastering the Dark Side

To reach the highest echelons of power, the Inquisitor needs more than Force Lightning and a razor-sharp mind. The most formidable Inquisitors dare to explore unorthodox practices by investigating the enigmas of the past and by unlocking new powers for themselves. The Force is a source of unlimited potential—a wellspring Inquisitors tap and bend to their will. Such intensity allows Sith Inquisitors to become architects of the Empire’s future… or simply the architects of their own destruction.

Field Reconnaissance

The destruction Sith Inquisitors leave in their wake rarely allows for the survival of any recorded images. In the cases where the Inquisitors fury has been caught on holo, however, the daunting presence and the awe-inspiring power at the Inquisitors’ disposal present a striking picture. Whether the Inquisitor wields a Lightsaber with lightning-sharp attacks, or just Force Lightning itself, it’s always a dazzling display of deadly energy.

Outfitting

Asserting power and authority is one of the highest priorities for the Sith Inquisitors. Their choice of attire reflects this strategy, as they often prefer dark, high-contrast robes to express their sophisticated tastes and ambitions for political control. Nonetheless, despite regal appearances, great attention is given to ensure all their attire allows the flexibility for stunning acrobatics in Lightsaber combat. Of course, some Inquisitor outfits take expression to the highest extreme—designed to inspire sheer terror in those the Inquisitor comes into contact with.

Combat Tactics

Whether facing a traitorous fellow Sith or a crowd of Republic soldiers, the Inquisitor fights with unlimited fury to create a storm of destruction. Expertise in conducting Force energies further allows Inquisitors to draw upon the life essence of themselves and others. This energy can be channeled to bolster their powers, harm their foes, and even to reinvigorate their allies. An Inquisitor’s skills with a Lightsaber are equally impressive. Often wielding a double-bladed Lightsaber, Inquisitors use quick, guileful, and lethal maneuvers to strike their enemies down with astonishing speed.

With a massive fleet and an awe-inspiring army of fearless troops, the Sith Emperor launched a surprise assault, quickly capturing dozens of worlds in the Outer Rim, and sparking a war unlike any other in the galaxy’s history.

From the frozen wastes of Ilum to the desert plains of Dathomir, violent battles killed untold millions. Despite its avowed neutrality, surface structures on the water-covered world of Manaan were completely destroyed, forcing the Selkath to retreat to their ocean underworld. Other star systems fared worse—some destroyed, others left uninhabitable. The carnage concluded with the Sith Empire sacking the Republic's capital planet of Coruscant and forcing the Republic Senate into the controversial Treaty of Coruscant.

In the years since the treaty, fear and uncertainty have gripped the galaxy, enabling the Sith Emperor to pursue his own mysterious purposes while the Republic has made efforts to rebuild its infrastructure and adjust military priorities to the new galactic landscape.

Now, tensions between the Republic and the Empire are running high, and a series of border skirmishes and proxy wars have broken out, even on planets as historically peaceful as Alderaan. The uneasy truce established by the Treaty of Coruscant is quickly tearing apart at the seams, and a return to all-out war has begun in all but official terms.

A new generation of heroes, both light and dark, emerges to face the difficulties of these chaotic times, and fight for the fate of the galaxy in this most desperate age.