Shan, Bastila

• Appeared in:
  
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  V
  VI
  CW

• Homeworld:
  Talravin

• Species:
  Human

• Gender:
  Female

• Weapon:
  Double-bladed lightsaber

• Affiliation:
  Jedi Order

• 

From the Expanded Universe

Like most Jedi of the ancient order, Bastila Shan was found to be Force-sensitive at a young age, and spirited away from her family to be raised within the order. Despite the stern discipline of a Jedi upbringing, Bastila grew to be a brash, impulsive young woman.

Shan was gifted in art of Jedi Battle Meditation, a rare ability usually only accessible to the most skilled and wizened Jedi Masters. Through sheer force of will, she could influence the course of massive battles. She could bolster the courage of one side of a battle, while draining the resolve of another. It is an exhausting feat, but Bastila proved extremely valuable in crucial engagements during Darth Malak's campaigns against the Republic.

Knowing how valuable she was to the order, the Jedi Council urged Bastila to be cautious, be she nonetheless devoted every fiber of her being towards defeating the Sith menace and proving herself to the Jedi.

Bastila was instrumental in the last great Republic riposte against Darth Malak and Darth Revan, splitting the pair and conquering one of the Sith Lords. The Jedi Council had learned sketchy details about the Sith plot involving the Star Forge, but needed more information in order to stop it. They crafted a devious and controversial plan into which Bastila Shan figured prominently.

The captive Revan underwent a memory wipe, and was given a new identity. This new persona was paired with Bastila Shan in the search for Darth Malak and the Star Forge. Bastila kept a wary eye on Revan, always alert at signs of the dark side. Such an awareness opened her to the dark side more than she intended. The quest for the Star Forge, which spanned worlds, kept Revan and Bastila working side-by-side, and thrust Bastila into difficult and challenging roles as a Jedi.

Bastila, Carth Onasi and the reformed Revan were captured by Darth Malak and held prisoner aboard his flagship, the Leviathan. With the help of their comrades from the Ebon Hawk, the trio escaped, but not before Revan found out the truth behind the Jedi Council's duplicity. Stunned, Revan grappled with the revelation, as Bastila heroically attacked Darth Malak to act as a distraction. Revan and Carth fled to the Hawk, blasting free of the Sith warship, but Bastila was once again imprisoned.

Malak tortured Bastila, corrupting her will and turning her to the dark side of the Force. The next time Revan encountered Bastila, she was a dark warrior filled with rage. Bastila urged Revan to turn to the dark side, and the decision made by Revan ultimately sealed the fate of Bastila, the Star Forge, and Darth Malak's scourge.

Behind the Scenes

Bastila Shan is one of the main playable characters in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Armed with a double-bladed lightsaber and equipped with Force abilities available to a Jedi Sentinel, she is a good choice for close-assault combat action.

Depending on the choice of gender of the main player character, Bastila may be a romantic interest in the KOTOR storyline. Though Bastila is fated to fall to the dark side in the game, whether or not she stays there is up to the actions of the player character. Possible story outcomes include the player character joining Bastila, Bastila returning to the light, or the player character killing Bastila.

In the development of Bastila's character, early versions had her be Vima Sunrider -- the daughter of Nomi Sunrider from the Tales of the Jedi comics series. When that direction was abandoned, the character was briefly named Sareth Dorn before the name Bastila was taken from the Cathar Jedi, which was renamed Juhani. Bastila Shan was voiced by Jennifer Hale.