The stories of the Jedi and Sith are some of the most interesting in all of Star Wars. After all, the franchise is the story of a consistent struggle between good and evil — and those who wield the Light and Dark sides of the Force. This ideological battle is present in the Star Wars films, but beyond that, the expanded material such as the books, comics, and video games go to great lengths to look at this clash in philosophies in more depth. Of all the examples that could be given, the video game Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords presents the most intricate look at the struggle between Jedi and Sith.
On the heroic, Jedi side of the story, players are introduced to Meetra Surik, better known as The Exile. She is the player character, and in experiencing her story, Star Wars fans are treated to a deeply philosophical look at the Force, its Light and Dark sides, and those who use each. A very nuanced character, Meetra Surik is a character that every Star Wars fan ought to get a little familiar with, from her origins to the legacy she left behind.
Origins & The Mandalorian Wars
At an early age, Meetra Surik was discovered as a Force-sensitive being and subsequently taken in by the Jedi Order for training. Due to the ongoing nature of the Mandalorian Wars, Surik’s training was less stable than others. She eventually joined the Mandalorian Wars, against the wishes of much of the Jedi Order at the time. She fought under the legendary Jedi Revan and Malak, who together led the Revanchists. Rising through the ranks, Surik became very powerful during the conflict and had many under her command.
Her time spent fighting in the Mandalorian Wars would culminate in the battle over Malachor V, where she was forced to make an incredibly consequential decision. Knowing that her forces were losing to the Mandalorians and without any backup in sight, Surik ordered the activation of the Mass Shadow Generator, a superweapon so powerful that it decimated the planet and annihilated both the Republic and Mandalorian fleets. The amount of carnage that occurred as a result of the weapon’s firing injured the force, and being subconsciously aware that she could be impacted, Surik unknowingly severed her connection with her powers.
The Exile
Returning to Coruscant to stand trial for her actions, the Jedi Council cast Meetra Surik out as a result of her disobeying the will of the Jedi Order and following Revan into battle. Fearing her power and abilities, Jedi Master Atris was worried about Surik’s next move. Following her exile from the order, however, Surik spent time in the Outer Rim. In order to weed out the remaining Sith, Master Atris let the word slip when Surik eventually returned, luring the Sith Triumvirate to Surik’s location. After being ambushed and attacked by Darth Sion’s forces, Surik managed to narrowly escape with the assistance of a droid, and evaded capture.
Surik was taken in by Kreia, who was secretly the Sith Lord Darth Traya, and the two escaped with the help of a man named Atton Rand as Sion’s forces began their next attack. The three would expand their crew over time, as Kreia would continue to groom Surik into becoming powerful enough to aid her in her secret goal of destroying the Force altogether. In the meantime, the crew faced the direct threat of Darth Nihilus and Darth Sion, both of whom Surik would face and defeat.
When Kreia regained some of her lost force abilities and revealed her true nature to Surik, the Jedi exile set out to face her deceiver. Before engaging in a fierce duel with the one whom she came to know as Darth Traya, Surik attempted to convince her against the ways of the Dark side, and to come back to the Light, but Traya refused. Surik did not want to kill Traya, but after the Sith Lord attacked her with lightsabers she wielded through the air with the Force, there was no other option. The Exile struck down Kreia, defeating her.
Legacy
Later on, after attempting to settle down and finish her Jedi training, Meetra Surik learned that her former leader Revan was alive, and had been captured by an unknown Sith Lord. After spending much time tracking him down, Surik found him on the planet Dromund Kaas, where he had been taken and held by the Sith Emperor known as Vitiate.
She came across the Sith Lord she saw capture Revan initially, named Lord Scourge. After convincing him to act in her favor, they freed the legendary Jedi, but unfortunately, not all went as planned. After a brief vision, Scourge turned sides once again on Surik, killing her with his lightsaber. Revan, while briefly freed, was recaptured by the Sith Emperor. The story of Star Wars' Meetra Surik, The Exile, ended in an effort to save her old friend.