I was there on Katarr, many years ago. I saw the ruins and the bodies. And even now I can still hear their screams in my head.
—Kalnar Zan
Kalnar Zan was a Jedi Master during the Black Republic. Kalnar followed a twisted version of the light side, believing so much into his religion, he was willing to murder and imprison anyone who he thought was a threat to the Jedi Order, even if they were really not.
The warped master begun his training since the beginning of his childhood. He had never known his true parents as he was adopted by the Order since birth, however it did not matter, for him the Order was his family.
While the Mandalorian Wars were happening, Kalnar refused to disobey the wishes of the council and never become active during that war. During the Jedi Civil War however, he did became active and fought against the Sith. Kalnar was devastated when he learned the academy on Dantooine had been destroyed.
The First Jedi Purge was where Kalnar's madness first originated, as he traveled to Katarr after the massacre that had happened there - he saw the deaths of all the masters and the others that were on the world. For the rest of the purge, he went into hiding on Dashaad and eventually discovered the long lost Jedi academy.
Kalnar had two apprentice's during his lifetime; Naresha, being his first, and Voner Niro. Kalnar trained both of them on the secret Jedi academy on Dashaad, and Naresha eventually left after realizing how far he has fallen, Naresha was eventually replaced by Voner Niro, who remained loyal and believed in Voner's cause.
In 3,931 BBY, Kalnar's men captured The Dark Hero and took him to a prison above Coruscant, for they could sense a dark emptiness within him. They were aware his connection to the force had been cut off and that he was Sith. However, he was able to escape with the help of Naresha and her droid Q-10. After hearing of their escape, Kalnar sent the Shadow Jedi to track them.
Eventually The Dark Hero and his companions discovered Kalnar and the Shadow Jedi residing in the Jedi academy on Dashaad. After infiltrating the academy, Naresha killed Voner while The Dark Hero fought Kalnar. Kalnar ultimately met his end within the academy's central mediating chamber after being defeated by The Dark Hero. Shortly after his death, the ancient Jedi academy was destroyed for good.
Personality and traits[]
I will not allow the Order to fall. Being a Jedi is all I have ever been throughout my life, and it is the only thing I have left.
—Kalnar
Kalnar was a man who was traumatized by the events of the First Jedi Purge. After everything that had happened, he went to extremes to make sure the Jedi Order continued, and adopted a style and technique the Sith Triumvirate used; strike the enemy from the shadows. Ironically, the main base of operations he used to lead the Shadow Jedi was an ancient secret academy, similar to the Trayus Academy.
Kalnar's fall into madness was never a cause of the dark side, but instead by his intense fear of the Jedi Order's extinction and the physiological trauma he suffered from by the horrors of the Jedi Purge.
Behind the scenes[]
Kalnar Zan was partly inspired by the character of Claude Frollo from "The Hunchback of Notre Dame".
Appearances[]
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: Fall of the Empire (First mentioned)
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: Fall of the Empire - The Lost Knights (First appearance)
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: Fall of the Empire - Shadows of Crime (Mentioned only)
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: Fall of the Empire - Fallen Hero's (Mentioned only)
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: Fall of the Empire - Returning Home (Mentioned only)