DARTH MALAK
Darth Malak, originally born Alek Squinquargesimus and nicknamed "Squint," is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe and the primary antagonist of the 2003 video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. A former Jedi Knight who defied the Jedi Council to fight in the Mandalorian Wars, he eventually fell to the dark side alongside his master Darth Revan. As Dark Lord of the Sith, Malak ruled the Sith Empire during the Jedi Civil War until his defeat at the hands of a redeemed Revan.
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Biography
Darth Malak is a towering Human Sith Lord recognizable by his bald head, blue head tattoos, red-bladed lightsaber, and a distinctive metallic jaw prosthesis covering a missing lower jaw severed by his former master, Darth Revan. Originally a Jedi Knight who fought in the Mandalorian Wars, Malak served as the Dark Lord of the Sith during the Jedi Civil War (c.
3959–3956 BBY). After betraying Darth Revan during a Jedi strike mission in 3957 BBY, Malak seized full control of the Sith Empire. Operating from the ancient Rakatan space station known as the Star Forge, he waged an aggressive campaign against the Galactic Republic.
During his reign, he ordered orbital bombardments on planets such as Telos IV and Taris, destroyed the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine, and captured Jedi Knight Bastila Shan, turning her to the dark side as his apprentice. Malak's bloody rule ended in 3956 BBY during the Republic attack on the Star Forge. Confronted by a redeemed Revan on the station's observation deck, Malak was killed in a final lightsaber duel, expressing remorse for his fall to the dark side just moments before dying.
Backstory
Born Alek on the Outer Rim planet Quelii, he fled to Galactic Republic space after Mandalorian raiders destroyed his homeworld village of Squinquargesimus. Republic immigration officials assigned the name of his destroyed village as his surname.
Upon discovery of his Force sensitivity, he was accepted into the Jedi Order and trained at the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine, where peers nicknamed him "Squint" due to difficulty pronouncing his surname. He befriended fellow Padawan Revan, and both completed their training under Twi'lek Jedi Master Zhar Lestin on Coruscant before becoming Jedi Knights prior to 3964 BBY.
When the Mandalorian Wars broke out in 3964 BBY, Alek became the first Jedi to join Revan's "Revanchist" movement, defying the cautious Jedi Council. Taking aliases such as "Captain Malak" to evade arrest warrants, he served as a Republic general. Following the war's end at Malachor V in 3960 BBY, Alek and Revan tracked Mandalorian remnants into the Unknown Regions, where they encountered Sith Emperor Vitiate on Dromund Kaas. Corrupted by Vitiate, Alek was rechristened Darth Malak and served as apprentice to Dark Lord Darth Revan.
I PEZZI DI DARTH MALAK
Powers & Abilities
* Force Pain Suppression: Capable of using the Force to block extreme physical pain, as demonstrated during radiation and electroshock torture by Mandalorian scientist Demagol on Flashpoint Station. * Dark Side Force Powers: Master of destructive Sith Force abilities and dark side techniques. * Lightsaber Combat: Expert combatant proficient in wielding a red-bladed lightsaber in single combat.
* Metallic Jaw Prosthesis: Wears an electronic vocalizer jaw enclosure after his lower jaw was severed by Darth Revan. * Battle Meditation Manipulation: Successfully captured Bastila Shan and turned her to the dark side to harness her Battle Meditation for the Sith armada. * Star Forge Energy Extraction: Utilized the dark side energies of the Rakatan Star Forge to power his fleet and augment his combat abilities.
Appearances
* Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003) - Main antagonist in the landmark video game, voiced by Rafael Ferrer. * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (2004) - Video game appearance as a Force vision in the Tomb of Ludo Kressh; features collectible "Darth Malak's Armor". * Star Wars Tales #23 (2005) - Comic book issue ("Shadows and Light") depicting the Jedi Council confrontation with Revan and Malak. * Star Wars: The New Essential Chronology (2005) - Reference book providing historical detail on Malak and the Jedi Civil War. * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Comic Series (2006–2010) - Dark Horse comic series (Issues #0–#50) detailing Alek's early life, the Mandalorian Wars, and his transformation into Lord Malak. * Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force (2007) - Reference book detailing Malak's lightsaber style and Force techniques.
* Star Wars: Vector (2008) - Crossover comic event featuring Alek alongside Zayne Carrick during the Muur Talisman arc. * Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (2010) - Video game featuring Darth Malak as an unlockable character skin. * Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan (2011) - Novel by Drew Karpyshyn detailing Alek and Revan's journey into the Unknown Regions and fall to the dark side. * Star Wars: The Old Republic (2011) - MMORPG featuring lore holocrons, codex entries, armor sets, and statues of Darth Malak. * Book of Sith: Secrets from the Dark Side (2012) - Reference book documenting Sith history and the Star Forge campaign. * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic — War (2012) - Comic miniseries focused on the conclusion of the Mandalorian War. * Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes (2015 / 2019) - Mobile game featuring Darth Malak as a playable Dark Side Sith Tank unlocked via the "Star Forge Showdown" event in 2019. * Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary (2019) - Reference book establishing modern canon lore context for Old Republic Sith legends.
Relationships
* Darth Revan: Alek's closest friend and fellow Jedi who became his Sith Master; Revan severed Malak's jaw in a duel and later defeated him aboard the Star Forge. * Bastila Shan: Jedi Knight with Battle Meditation captured by Malak and turned into his temporary Sith apprentice. * Darth Bandon: Malak's ruthless Sith apprentice and Shadow Hand during the Jedi Civil War. * Zayne Carrick: Rogue Jedi Padawan befriended by Alek during the Mandalorian Wars while trying to clear Carrick's name.
* Emperor Vitiate / Tenebrae: Ancient Sith Emperor on Dromund Kaas who corrupted Revan and Malak to the dark side. * Saul Karath: Republic Admiral who defected to serve as Malak's high-ranking Sith military commander. * Calo Nord: Deadly bounty hunter and mercenary hired by Malak to hunt down Revan and Bastila Shan. * Demagol: Mandalorian scientist who subjected Alek to painful scientific experiments on Flashpoint Station. * Jarael: Arkanian offshoot defended and rescued by Alek during their captivity on Flashpoint Station. * Mandalore the Ultimate: Leader of the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders who defeated Alek in a brief melee aboard the Arkanian Legacy.
Evolution
Darth Malak's character arc is defined by a tragic descent from an idealistic Jedi defender to a brutal Sith tyrant. Initially introduced as Alek, a headstrong Padawan nicknamed "Squint," his eagerness to protect the Republic led him to co-found the Revanchist movement alongside Revan. His experiences in the Mandalorian Wars gradually hardened him; while captured on Flashpoint Station by the scientist Demagol, he endured torture and lost his hair, relying on Force pain suppression to survive.
As the war dragged on, Alek took on the mantle of "Captain Malak" and embraced increasingly aggressive tactics. His ultimate corruption occurred in the Unknown Regions at the hands of Emperor Vitiate, transforming him into Darth Malak. After losing his lower jaw to Revan's lightsaber, he adopted a metallic vocalizer prosthesis. Following his betrayal of Revan over Taris, Malak fully embraced the dark side's cruelty, displaying no hesitation in ordering planetary massacres until his final moments on the Star Forge, where he ultimately expressed regret for his downfall.
Collecting
Darth Malak is a prized figure among Star Wars action figure and statue collectors, particularly those dedicated to Expanded Universe and Knights of the Old Republic items. In late 2022, Hasbro announced a 6-inch action figure of Darth Malak in its Star Wars: The Black Series Gaming Greats line, which was officially released worldwide in 2023.
The figure accurately features his signature red lightsaber, detailed Sith armor, and removable metal jaw piece exposing his vocalizer prosthesis. Collector demand for Malak items remains strong due to his enduring popularity in media such as EA's mobile title Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes and the in-development Knights of the Old Republic Remake by Saber Interactive. Additionally, legacy items such as physical statues, armor replicas in Star Wars: The Old Republic, and vintage Expanded Universe merchandise continue to command high interest on collector secondary markets.
Trivia
* Alek's legal surname "Squinquargesimus" was given to him by Republic immigration records because it was the name of his destroyed homeworld village. * He was nicknamed "Squint" by fellow Jedi Padawans on Dantooine because they could not pronounce his surname.
* Malak permanently lost all his hair as a direct result of radiation and stress tests conducted on him by the Mandalorian scientist Demagol. * His lower jaw was completely severed by Darth Revan during a lightsaber duel caused by a dispute between master and apprentice. * Players can unlock Darth Malak as a playable character skin in the 2010 video game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II.
