• Spencer Crilly

Character spotlight: Kira Carsen

Kira Carsen was a Jedi Knight who was a part of the Jedi order during the Cold War and the Galactic War between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire. She was born as a child of the Sith Emperor meaning the Emperor could possess her mind and body at will.

Carsen was fearful of what he might do to her, so she stowed away on a cargo ship that was leaving Imperial space. She arrived at the elevated city, Nar Shadaa, where she lived on the streets stealing anything she could to survive. Eventually, she met up with and joined a group of alien refugees in the High Security Lockdown.

Carsen would spend her time on the Nar Shadaa and would use what Force abilities she had to defend herself and her friends. After a failed attempt at negotiating with a gang called

Ur’Kossags cost the deaths of several gang members, many feared the refugee group. Carsen didn’t know that she had killed them and left the planet.

Carsen met Jedi Master Bela Kiwiiks when she attempted to steal a hyperdrive engine from her ship in a spaceport. Master Kiwiiks sensed the Force within Carsen and brought her into the Jedi Order. Carsen believed that joining the Jedi was a way to end the Sith’s evils that they had committed, and became Kiwiiks' apprentice.

Carsen met the apprentice of Orgus Din. This individual was to eventually be known as the Hero of Tython. Carsen was later captured by agents of Darth Angral on the Ord Mantell Space Station.

When the Hero of Tython freed her the Sith Emperor found her as she had previously misled the Sith to believing her master was on Corellia. Carsen revealed her dark past, at her master’s recommendation to the Jedi Council.

Later on, she and her master redeemed Lord Praven, a Sith pureblood and saved Master Kiwiiks on Tatooine. Kiwiiks promised Kira that despite her dark past, she believed she still had great potential to be a great Jedi.

Darth Angral was driven insane by the death of his son on Coruscant and planned to use the Desolator superweapon to the destroy the planet of Tython. Carsen and her master disabled the weapon and confronted Angral. The Emperor possessed Carsen and tried to use her to kill her master. Carsen came to her senses and eventually severed the link the Emperor had over her. After returning to Tython, Carsen was granted the full rank of Jedi Knight.

Carsen joined a Jedi strike force to capture and redeem the Emperor. Lord Scourge believed that Carsen’s master was the one who would destroy the Emperor.

Carsen continued to travel with her former master and eventually accompanied her master to Dromund Kaas so her master, The Hero of Tython could confront the Emperor. Carsen and the rest of the crew of the ship, except for the droid T7-01, kept their distance in order to avoid the Emperor’s control while the Hero engaged him.

After the Emperor was defeated, Carsen and the rest of the crew were given the Cross of Glory for their actions.

Eventually, Carsen had a vision of the planet Rishi which led to the Hero of Tython confronting the reborn Revan.

When the Eternal Empire invaded, Carsen lost her master. When the war was lost the crew of the Defender disbanded, which greatly saddened Carsen.

Kira was very talented with the double-bladed lightsaber and could deal quite a lot of damage to an enemy. She also seemed to show great strength in the Force as she was able to destroy the control Emperor Vitiate had over her.

It is possible for Kira to have a romance with the male Jedi Knight character (she romanced mine), and it can affect the story as well. However, this is secondary canon as it is not known for certain if she did romance the Hero of Tython.

If the player plays as a Jedi Knight in the Old Republic MMO, then Kira will be a companion available to the player. She appealed to me because of how headstrong she was, and because of her loyalty towards her companions. I also enjoyed her sarcasm. Of all the

companion characters, she is still my favorite. As of now, we don’t know the rest of her story. As the Old Republic continues to put more content out, hopefully we will see her again and learn more about what she has been doing as her master--now known as the Outlander--is dealing with the Eternal Empire.


  • Star Wars: The Old Republic (First appearance)

  • Star Wars: The Old Republic: Rise of the Hutt Cartel

  • Star Wars: The Old Republic: Galactic Starfighter

  • Star Wars: The Old Republic: Galactic Strongholds

  • Star Wars: The Old Republic: Shadow of Revan

  • Star Wars: The Old Republic: Knights of the Fallen Empire

  • Star Wars: The Old Republic: Knights of the Eternal Throne

The Expanded Universe | TheExpandedUniverse.com
