Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is 20 years old, but it continues to shape Star Wars canon in the most surprising ways. In 2003, BioWare and LucasArts introduced gamers to the Old Republic era. The game was an absolute hit, becoming Xbox’s fastest-ever seller at the time of its launch, and the characters and concepts it introduced into Star Wars lore continue to influence the franchise – even though the main story is no longer considered canon.
Countless different KOTOR characters, planets, and events have made their way into Disney canon, despite the fact they technically happened almost 4,000 years before the Skywalker saga. Major protagonists (and antagonists) such as Darth Revan and the Jedi Exile have been explicitly referenced. But, surprisingly, one of KOTOR’s subtlest influences endures in the shape and form given to the Jedi and the Sith – designs that have even been seen in The Mandalorian season 2, when Grogu used the Force on the ancient Jedi world of Tython.
KOTOR Set The Pattern For Jedi & Sith Force Vergences
KOTOR introduced players to Force vergence – specific places or even entire planets rich in the Force. What is striking, though, is that it also established an architectural design for Jedi and Sith structures built around some of these vergences. There are monoliths of different designs, all surrounding a central point at which a Force ritual can be performed. No explanation for this recurrent design – used many times in canon since – has ever been made, but it’s actually possible to deduce the likely purpose using more recent lore.
Star Wars comics have introduced a new mineral called kyberite, related to the kyber crystals that power Jedi lightsabers. According to a scientist named Dr. Istan Zaly, kyber crystals grow in this mineral, which Zaly theorized is able to channel the Force rather than concentrate it. This would explain the repeated patterns of Jedi and Sith architecture; presumably the monoliths in this vergence design are made of kyberite, designed to channel the Force toward a central point where a Jedi or Sith can tap into it and perform unusually notable feats.
The Mandalorian Season 2 Reused KOTOR’s Classic Force Vergence Design
This basic Jedi and Sith design has been reproduced many times, including in The Mandalorian season 2. There, Din Djarin took Grogu to a Force vergence on the planet Tython. The power of the Force was concentrated on a seeing stone at the center of a group of monoliths, allowing Grogu to reach out across the stars – and draw the attention of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. The KOTOR era’s influence endures, in the most surprising way.
It’s interesting to note the Ahsoka trailer appears to show the villainous Morgan Elsbeth performing a ritual of some kind at a similar structure. This may well be another Jedi or Sith design – or perhaps even a Nightsister one, assuming the Jedi and Sith were not the only ones to discover how to harness the Force in this manner. Knights of the Old Republic is still a lot more important and influential than many realize.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
