The Bladeborn were a Sith splinter faction that originated as elite Sith assassins of Darth Revan's Sith Empire. They believed edged weapons were better than lightsabers for focusing the dark side of the Force and, as a result, trained in combat with steel swords. Select members of the Bladeborn were awarded the masterblade rank as well as the cortosis-laced Sith Tremor Swords.
The Bladeborn originated as the most elite of Darth Revan's Sith assassins (a Sith assassin pictured).
The Bladeborn were an organization descended from the Sith tradition of Force-users. Its Human members were Sith blademasters who believed that edged weaponry was superior than lightsabers for the purpose of focusing the dark side of the Force. Consequently, the Bladeborn were dedicated to the mastery of combat with steel swords. Only a few members of the group attained the rank of masterblade, which was given to those individuals who had survived at least ten duels against a lightsaber-wielding opponent.
The Bladeborn wore Sith masks and were equipped with stealth field generators as well as infra-goggles that allowed them to see in low-light conditions. They wielded hold-out blasters and exotic vibroblades. The latter included the Sith Tremor Sword, which was laced with the lightsaber-resistant cortosis ore and was awarded to masterblades as an indication of their skill and rank. The Bladeborn would also use double-bladed lightsabers, albeit even less frequently than Sith Tremor Swords.
Members of the Bladeborn were highly acrobatic and stealthy individuals who were highly proficient at using melee weapons such as swords and lightsabers and also adept at the use of blaster pistols. They were also Force-sensitive, being able to draw upon the Force to improve their martial prowess, channel the dark side in the form of a state of rage, and let them move quickly and jump great heights and distances. The Bladeborn spoke Galactic Basic Standard and the Sith languages.
The Bladeborn originated as the most elite members of the Sith assassins, which were established by the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Revan as part of his empire at some point between 3959 BBY and 3957 BBY. By 3956 BBY, the Bladeborn had become a Sith splinter faction, and they were still active by 990 BBY. That year, Chief Librarian Restelly Quist of the Jedi Order mentioned the group in the Jedi trainee guidebook The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force.
The Bladeborn were introduced in the 2003 BioWare video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. The 2010 sourcebook The Unknown Regions, published by Wizards of the Coast for use with the Star Wars Roleplaying Game, included the roleplaying mini-adventure "The Mask of Darth Nihilus." The latter included the character Collan Eislo, who was a noble and the leader of the Apex Society Sith cult. Eislo was presented as being well-trained in melee combat and wielding a Sith sword, and the mini-adventure suggested using for him the roleplaying statistics of a Bladeborn Sith assassin.
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords: Prima Official Game Guide
- Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- The Unknown Regions
- The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force