Following the utter annihilation and capitulation of the Sith species after their devastating invasion of Repuiblic space around 5000 years before the Skywalker saga, a long period of peace ensued. For almost a thousand years, there were very few miliatary skirmishes and the Sith were nowhere to be found. The only real threat to peace was the Third Jedi Schism, an event which saw a group of Jedi turn against the order in a similar way to the precursors to the Sith had a few milenia earlier as we discussed in previous videos in this series. However, though sheer incompetence, these dark Jedi almost immediately blew themselves up when trying to use an ancient celestial superweapon, meaning the Third Jedi Schism was quickly forgotten.
But in around 4000 BBY, the galaxy would shift yet again into a state of war and chaos. The first reason for this was the Mandalorians, a relatively unknown species which had taken over several worlds in the outrim, often using brutal tactics such as the extermination of entire species. The Republic though, did nothing to stop them, believing they were little more backwards warlords operating largely outside of Republic jurisdiction. But as they ransacked more worlds, the Mandalorians grew exponentially in strength. Through the seizure of technology and other military equipment, the Mandalorians became far more lethal, with the acquisition of the Baserlisk War droids being by far the most notably example.
Meanwhile in the deep core, the powerful Empress Teta system underwent a violent coup’ dedat, ushering Aleema and Satal Keto into power. Keto was a dark side user inamoured by the history of the Sith and she soon began the Krath Holy crusade against the Republic, inflicting a series of devestiting defeats against the Jedi using the fearsome looking Krath War droids.
But of greatest consequence to the fate of the Galaxy was the decisions of one young Jedi named Exar Kun. A talented but arrogant individual, Exar believed he could study and learn the dark side without fully succumbing to its power. His study of the dark side took him to Onderon, a world which at this time was ruled over by a dark side cult and embroiled in a bloody civil war known as the Beast Wars. This cult had been founded nearly 500 years before by a dark Jedi named Freedon Naad, who learned the way of the Sith through the force ghost of Naga Sadow, the mad Sith who invaded the Republic. During Exar’s exploration of Freedon Naads tomb on Onderon, he discovered the ghost of this ancient Sith, who warned him that the dark side was rewarding albeit dangerous.
Nadd unveiled hidden scrolls beneath his remains written by none other than Naga Sadow, prophesying Kun's powerful destiny within the dark side. Armed with these scrolls from Nadd, Kun's quest for Sith wisdom continued. Heeding the guidance from the scrolls, Kun journeyed to the ancient Sith planet, Korriban. Venturing into the Valley of the Dark Lords, he explored vast tombs holding the remnants of bygone Sith Lords. Yet, Nadd tested him by triggering a tomb's collapse while Kun was inside. His leg trapped and in agony, Kun pleaded for salvation. Nadd then proposed a deal: he'd rescue Kun if he fully embraced the dark side. Kun’s dark power then surged, lifting the debris into the air whilst simaltanously mending Kun's injuries. Consumed by dark side-infused anger and frustration, Kun unleashed a potent scream in the Force which rippled across the cosmos.
Nonetheless, Exar Kun did not embrace the dark side in this moment, although his temporary fall to the dark side also meant he lost the ability to fully control the light side. Despite the events on Korriban making him less powerful, he chose to depart to Yavin 4, the final resting place of Naga Sadow. There he found the remains of Sadow’s once great army of Massassi warriors. In a savage frenzy, they overcame the depowered Exar Kun, planning on sacrificing him to a giant beast. On the verge of death, Exar Kun fully embraced the dark side, letting out a powerful blast of energy which killed the creature and many of the Massassi warriors. With his power now greater than ever, he vanquished the spirit of Freedon Nadd and enslaved the remains of Naga Sadows army, vowing to follow in the footsteps of other great Sith that had come before him.
Elsewhere in the Galaxy, the Republics low-scale war with the Krath raged on. Fearing the menace of the Krath and their deployment of Sith magic, the Jedi convened a grand assembly on Deneba, specifically at Mount Meru. Countless Jedi Masters and Knights heeded this summons, converging at the gathering. Highlighting the peril presented by the Krath and the looming danger of the resurgent Sith, a Jedi named Ulic-Kel Droma outlined a strategy to neutralize the Krath and eliminate the Sith menace.

#starwars #starwarsexplained #starwarslegends #starwarslore #exarkun