As a Jedi Knight, Tyris and two other Knights fell to the dark side after reading ancient Sith documents and becoming disenchanted with the Jedi Order during the beginning of the Clone Wars. They believed themselves to be following the Saarai, which meant "True Way" in ancient Sith. Taking the title of Saarai-kaar, Tyris led his "Jensaarai," or "hidden followers of truth" in Sith, and the cult grew strong enough to become a concern for the Jedi Council. Tyris was approached by Count Dooku, leader of the Separatists and the alter ego of a Sith Lord known as Darth Tyranus. Dooku gifted Tyris with a Sith holocron favored by former Anzati Jedi Volfe Karkko in exchange for his allegiance.
As the war between the Republic and the Separatists continued to ravage, the Jedi Council dispatched the Knights Nejaa Halcyon, Ylenic It'kla, and Desertwind to remove the Jensaarai leadership. Attacking them on Susevfi, the Jedi engaged Tyris, Dustrose, and another loyal follower, in an attempt to remove the Jensaari from the war. Recalled as Nightsweat by Jedi It'kla, the Jedi attempted to turn the Dark Jedi from their path, but were rebuffed. As the battle raged on, the other members of the Saarai-kaar fell to the Jedi leaving Tyris alone with Jedi Halcyon. Taking advantage of Halcyon's lack of telekinetic powers, Tyris was able to impale the Human on his azure lightsaber. As Halcyon lay dying, he drained Tyris' weapon of its power, and conjured a "fist" of energy. Releasing the energy, Halcyon crushed every bone in the Anzati's body before passing into the Force. The release of dark side energies at the deaths of the three Jensaarai leaders collapsed the structure where the rest of the Jensaarai were dwelling, killing all but four of the apprentices. The survivors included the wife of one of Tyris' apprentices, the woman who would later become the Saarai-kaar of the Jensaarai.
Tyris favored the Shien variant of lightsaber combat, holding his azure blade pointed toward the ground by the strong side hand, with the off side hand riding loosely on the weapon's pommel. He moved the blade in a triangular pattern that effectively warded the lower two-thirds of his body from attack. With this unique style, he could deliver lightning-fast slashes and ripostes that could easily split an opponent from groin to neck, while also rapidly rotating upwards to block overhead strikes.
- The Official Star Wars Fact File24
- Power of the Jedi Sourcebook
- Ultimate Alien Anthology
- "I, Jensaarai" — Polyhedron 157
- The Official Star Wars Fact File116
- The New Essential Chronology
- Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties on Hyperspace
- The New Essential Guide to Alien Species
- Star Wars Roleplaying Game Saga Edition Core Rulebook
- Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- The Unknown Regions