Kyle Katarn

Kyle Katarn
Star Wars character
Jason Court as Kyle Katarn in Jedi Knight
First appearance	Star Wars: Dark Forces
Portrayed by	Nick Jameson (voice actor, Star Wars: Dark Forces); Jason Court (Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II); Rino Romano (voice actor, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith); Jeff Bennett (voice actor, Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast/Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy)
Fictional profile
Species	Human
Gender	Male
Position	Alliance Commander, Jedi Master, Jedi Battlemaster
Homeworld	Sulon
Affiliation	Galactic Empire, Rebel Alliance, New Republic, Galactic Alliance, Jedi (former mercenary)

Kyle Katarn is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, the protagonist of the video game Star Wars: Dark Forces and its sequels.

Kyle has been well-received by IGN, and GameSpot included him in a vote for the greatest characters of all time. Kyle was eliminated in round two of GameSpot's vote when faced against Lara Croft.

Appearances

Video games

In the computer game Star Wars: Dark Forces, Katarn is introduced as a mercenary working for the Rebel Alliance under Mon Mothma. Kyle was secretly dispatched by Mothma on missions deemed too dangerous or sensitive for actual Rebel operatives, and was extremely well paid for his services. Shortly before the events of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Katarn single-handedly infiltrated an Imperial facility on the planet Danuta to retrieve the plans for the first Death Star. The plans would eventually be forwarded to Princess Leia Organa, leading to her pursuit and capture by Darth Vader.

After the destruction of the first Death Star, the Empire retaliated against the Rebel Alliance by unleashing the Dark Trooper Project, a secret Imperial research initiative which was manufacturing powerful robotic stormtroopers to attack Alliance worlds. After several adventures (including run-ins with Jabba the Hutt and Boba Fett), Katarn defeated the Dark Troopers and destroyed the Dark Trooper Project aboard its flagship, the Arc Hammer.

The game Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II takes place one year after the events of the film, Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. It begins with Kyle being visited by the spirit of the Jedi Qu Rahn, who tells him of The Valley of the Jedi, a resting place for deceased Jedi and a nexus for Force energy. Kyle traveled to his father's workshop, located on Sulon, a moon of Sullust, to decipher a message from his father. There he recovered a lightsaber from the family droid and embarked on a quest against the Dark Jedi, led by the Jerec, his father's killer. Kyle's journey would eventually lead him to The Valley of the Jedi, where he confronted Jerec. The two dueled, and Kyle disarmed Jerec. The Dark Jedi tried and failed to turn Kyle to the dark side and was defeated.

The computer game Star Wars Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith takes place approximately five years after the events of Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II. The game describes how former Imperial assassin Mara Jade came under Kyle's tutelage. During this period, while investigating Sith ruins on Dromund Kaas, Kyle came under the influence of the dark side, but Jade went to him and convinced him to come back to the light. After nearly succumbing to the dark side herself, Mara helped him turn back.

Three years after the events of Mysteries of the Sith, Kyle's adventure continues in Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast. Kyle battled the Dark Jedi Desann and his apprentice, Tavion. Luke Skywalker and Kyle set across the galaxy to bring Desann to justice. He learned as well that Desann had located the Valley of the Jedi by following Kyle and had begun to create an army of Dark Jedi "Reborn" warriors to rule the galaxy. Kyle tracked Desann to the Jedi Academy on Yavin 4 and killed him after an intense lightsaber duel, ending his plan for domination. After Desann's defeat, Kyle decided to keep his lightsaber and continue in the ways of the Force as a Jedi Master and then Battlemaster at Luke's academy.

In the game Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Kyle is relegated to the role of supporting character. He becomes the Master of two students, Jaden Korr and Rosh Penin. Both students being talented, they quickly learn Kyle's wisdom. Kyle's quest in the game is to defeat the Sith cult known as the Disciples of Ragnos. Rosh eventually succumbs to the dark side and joins the cult. Kyle again meets Tavion, leader of the cult, who possessed a device known as the Staff of Ragnos, and plans to resurrect the ancient Sith Lord Marka Ragnos.

Kyle's other student, Jaden Korr, eventually becomes a Jedi, but depending on the player's choice, Jaden may either turn to the Dark Side by killing Rosh, or remain on the Light Side by forgiving him. In the light side choice, you first fight Tavion, and then the ghost of Marka Ragnos as he possesses Tavion's body. If Jaden goes to the dark side, Marka Ragnos is not resurrected and you fight first Tavion, then Kyle, dueling with your former teacher. Upon defeating Kyle,it is shown that Kyle is overpowered from Jaden using the Staff of Ragnos, which was obtained by defeating Tavion. Jaden escapes, apparently becoming a commander of the Imperial Remnant, and Kyle then ruminates over having lost both of his students to the dark side and questions whether or not he should be a Jedi, taking a leave of absence to apprehend Jaden.

Star Wars literature

In The New Jedi Order series of novels, Kyle became the academy's foremost battlemaster, a close friend of Luke Skywalker, and a respected Jedi Master. During the Yuuzhan Vong invasion portrayed in The New Jedi Order series, Kyle helped develop strategies against the invaders, and participated in the rescue of human captives of the Imperial Remnant world Ord Sedra from the Yuuzhan Vong. Near the end of the war, the living planet Zonama Sekot agreed to help the Republic; Kyle was one of several Jedi Knights bonded to seed-partners and provided with Sekotan starships to use in Sekot's defence.

During The Dark Nest Trilogy, Kyle is one of four Jedi Masters who attempts to destroy the dark nest. Kyle also speaks his mind during a Master's Council session, where he stands up to Chief of State Cal Omas. He, along with Corran Horn and other Masters believed that Jaina Solo and Zekk could be the next leaders of the dark nest. In The Swarm War, Kyle led a squadron of Jedi Stealth X's against the Killiks. Kyle appears in the Legacy of the Force novels Bloodlines, Sacrifice, and Exile as a Jedi Master participating in Council meetings. In Bloodlines, he helps to point out the "embarrassment" to the Jedi Order of Jacen Solo's actions in apprehending Corellians on Coruscant. Additionally, he plays the part of a devil's advocate in Exile regarding Leia Organa's supposed betrayal of the Galactic Alliance, though he reasserts his loyalty to Leia by being first to formally declare his faith in her at the meeting's end.

Other appearances

Kyle's adventures are also told in three hardcover graphic story albums written by William C. Dietz which were adapted into audio dramatizations: Soldier for the Empire, Rebel Agent and Jedi Knight. Kyle appears in subsequent sequels and further comics, games and novels. He also has an entry in the Star Wars Roleplaying Game and was a premiere figure of the New Jedi Order faction in the Wizards of the Coast Star Wars Miniatures. The Wizards of the Coast web series The Dark Forces Saga highlighted his background, as well as those of most of the other heroes and villains found in the games.

Development

Kyle Katarn was originally voiced by Nick Jameson for Star Wars: Dark Forces. He was portrayed by Jason Court in the full motion video sequences of Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II. The game model was modeled after Court to maintain consistency. Likewise, in Mysteries of Sith, Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy, Kyle is exclusively a polygonal model, without FMV scenes, made to look like a slightly older Court, voiced by Rino Romano in Mysteries of the Sith, and Jeff Bennett in the later games. For the audio dramatizations, he is portrayed by Randal Berger. In Pendant Audio productions of their drama, Blue Harvest, Kyle is voiced by Scott Barry.

Reception

GameDaily's Robert Workman listed Kyle as one of his favourite Star Wars video game characters. IGN put Kyle as their 22nd top Star Wars character, praising him as "a gamer's reliable blank state" which they felt it made him one of the most "human" Star Wars character, as well as stating that they believed Kyle's endearence to fans was because of his "mishmash of quirks and dispositions". IGN's Jesse Schedeen also felt that the character shouldn't appear in the upcoming Star Wars live-action TV series, as Schedeen felt "Katarn isn't very interesting without his Jedi abilities" and Schedeen wasn't convinced deeply exploring his past was warranted. Schedeen also included Katarn as one of their favourite Star Wars heroes and video game sword masters. GamesRadar was critical of the character, calling him the third worst character in video gaming, saying "he's bearded, he’s boring, he’s bland and his name is Kyle Katarn" and comparing his outfit to that of a "beige-obsessed disco cowboy". GamesRadar commented that while "originally a genuinely interesting character in the Han Solo mold", they thought he became emotionless after he gained force powers. In GameSpot's vote for the all time greatest videogame hero, Kyle Katarn was eliminated in round two against Lara Croft, after garnering 27.5% of the votes. In round one he faced off against Dig Dug, and gathered 67.6% of the votes against him.

External links

• Kyle Katarn in the Star Wars Databank
• Kyle Katarn on Wookieepedia: a Star Wars Wiki