By: Jason Deitzel
The Order of Revan started off as a secret society within the Sith Order, founded by the human Tari Darkspanner when she stumbled upon records of Revan on Korriban during her training. Darkspanner founded the group a few decades before the Cold War, seeking to follow in the footsteps of Revan.
The group’s philosophy centered around balance and rebirth, as emulated by Revan. Revanites sought a balance between the light and dark sides of the Force and believed the true path to power did not fall with the Jedi or the Sith. Likewise, they emphasized rebirth, looking to Revan’s rebirth following his time as a Jedi and Sith, and his betrayal by both.
Despite this position, the Order of Revan’s goal wasn’t to destroy the Sith Empire, but reform it from within. As a result, they recruited members from all walks of life, emulating Revan’s actions centuries prior. Slaves, commoners, soldiers, Sith Lords, even a Mandalorian clan, joined the order. To commemorate their hero, the Revanites built a compound in the jungles Dromund Kaas, capitol planet of the Sith Empire, and erected a shrine to him. Initiates were expected to go before the statue of Revan and prove their loyalty.
Come the time of the Cold War, the Order of Revan had expanded its influence into the Galactic Republic and Jedi Order. However, the ruling body of the Sith Empire viewed the order’s teachings as heresy and drove them from the capitol, Kaas City. Losing their focus on their original goals, the order became fanatical in overthrowing both governments in their own bid to be the sole or supreme power in the galaxy.
In the year 15 ATC (3,638 BBY), during the Galactic War between the Sith Empire and Galactic Republic, none other than Revan took the reins of control over the Order of Revan. Together with his Imperial and Republic agents, Darth Arkous of the Dark Council and Rian Darok of Republic Special Forces, the order launched simultaneous assaults against both governments, intent on capturing Rakatan technology.
The Order of Revan migrated to the Temple of the Ancients on Lehon – former capitol of the Rakatan’s Infinite Empire – with their confiscated technology, and with the help of loyal scientists, created their Infinite Army of cyborg super soldiers. The Infinite Army was short lived, however, as both governments reacted and sent fleets to combat this new cyborg army. The Infinite Army was destroyed, along with Arkous and Darok, but the arrival of Revan’s fleet spelled a similar fate for the Republic and Sith forces.
Revan then enlisted the services of a pirate gang to harass both governments along major hyperspace lanes in the hopes he could lure both enemies to Rishi. There, the plan was for a Revanite fleet to attack both the Republic and Sith fleets, while sleeper agents onboard both enemy flotillas sabotaged the ships. The plan was thwarted when intelligence operatives from both governments, working together, exposed the Revanite agents and had them detained.
Rebounding from the routed assault at Rishi, Revan and his fanatic cultists traveled to Yavin IV, where the Sith Emperor Vitiate was slumbering in statis, recuperating from his previous defeat. Hoping to kill the emperor once and for all, Revan tried to resuscitate ancient Sith Lord, but was prevented by a coalition force of Jedi and Sith.
In a final battle, coalition forces were able to stop Revan and it was discovered that the torture endured by Revan while in captivity by the Sith Emperor had torn his spirit into two, one representing his light half and the other his dark half. His light half had remained a Force ghost while his dark half re-entered his body, and in the end the spirit of Revan was able to convince the dark half to reunite, causing Revan’s body to vanish, leaving only his mask and lightsaber behind as the Revan’s spirit finally moved on into the Force.
It is assumed the Order of Revan dissolved after the defeat of Revan on Yavin IV. Both governments left a minimum force present to ensure no other Revanite activities restarted. Both the Jedi and Sith would go on to engage in other conflicts and Revan would not be influential again until the end of the New Sith Wars era.
The Order of Revan’s only appearance in the Expanded Universe can be seen in the Star Wars: The Old Republic MMORPG video game and its associated online content, acting as the main antagonist in the game’s fourth expansion titled Shadow of Revan.