Atton Rand

Born on Alderaan, Atton Rand, known as "Jaq," experienced a series of misfortunes from the age of five and later participated in both the Mandalorian Wars and the Jedi Civil War. Initially, he served the Republic, but when Revan triumphed over the Mandalorians and assumed the title of Dark Lord of the Sith, Atton Rand, along with many Republic forces who had fought alongside the Jedi in the war, defected to his cause. At the beginning of the Jedi Civil War, Rand belonged to an elite special forces unit trained to conceal their presence and thoughts from Force users. He and others like him were tasked with killing or capturing Jedi, who would then be broken and converted to the Sith cause. It was during this period that he learned Echani combat methods and how to evade detection by Jedi.

Rand displayed a natural aptitude for masking his presence, and his superiors acknowledged his eagerness to inflict suffering on Jedi, especially by turning them to the dark side. However, near the end of the war, a female Jedi confronted Rand, revealing his Force-sensitive nature and warning him that the Sith would inevitably target him and corrupt him into a Dark Jedi if they discovered his potential. Rand believed her because he had heard rumors of disappearances of Force-sensitive individuals within the ranks, but his hatred for the Jedi prevented him from seeing reason. In retaliation, he captured her and tortured her nearly to death.

Just as he thought she was about to die, she awakened the Force within him, allowing him to see life and the harm he was causing to others. In response, he killed her. Rand later confessed that initially, he thought he would enjoy killing her, but ultimately, he killed her because he loved her. Disillusioned and filled with self-loathing, he deserted the Sith and went into hiding until the war ended.

After fleeing the Sith, Rand sought refuge in the Refugee Sector of Nar Shaddaa, blending in with countless refugees displaced by the Mandalorian and Jedi Civil Wars. It was there that he became a smuggler. In the year 3951 BBY, Rand made his way to the mining facility near the destroyed planet Peragus. He was arrested by the station's security for a security violation and imprisoned within a force cage. Ironically, this predicament saved Rand's life. Shortly after his imprisonment, the mining droids and ventilation systems became corrupted, and the facility was purged of all life, while Rand remained safe inside his force cage.

Rand was soon discovered by the awakened Meetra Surik, and after a brief introduction, he was rescued with the help of another Force-sensitive individual named Kreia, who had arrived at Peragus with Surik. They agreed to cooperate until they could escape the station, with Rand assisting Surik in her search for a way to reach the Ebon Hawk. As they attempted to escape, the Harbinger, carrying Sith Lord Darth Sion, docked at the station. Thanks to Kreia's distraction, Rand and Surik reached the Ebon Hawk and fled the facility. During their escape, the Harbinger's weapons fire initiated a chain reaction that destroyed the fuel-laden asteroid field and mining facility.

This forced the three of them to remain together as they fled to Telos IV, where they were imprisoned on suspicion of causing the explosion at Peragus. Annoyed at being imprisoned once again, Rand expressed his desire to leave the Jedi. However, after being cleared of the crime and granted free access to the station, they discovered that the Hawk had been stolen. This led to an investigation that took them to Telos's ravaged surface, where they encountered the mechanic Bao-Dur. After fighting their way to a transport, they tracked the thief to an old, abandoned irrigation system near the planet's north pole. Shortly after landing, they were imprisoned by Atris, a Jedi historian. Atris, who called herself "the last of the Jedi," imprisoned Rand, Kreia, and Bao-Dur, much to Rand's disgust and annoyance.

During their imprisonment, Kreia grew suspicious of Rand's lingering fear of the Jedi and used the Force to probe his mind, disregarding his protests. Despite his skill in shielding his thoughts, he couldn't prevent her from uncovering his entire sordid past. She then used this knowledge to blackmail him into staying with Surik because, despite his uncaring demeanor, he didn't want her to know what he had done or who he truly was, fearing that she would think less of him. Thus, when Surik returned and offered to let him go his own way, he refused. However, as Surik had spoken with some of the Handmaiden Sisters, she discovered and inquired about his Echani training. Reluctant to delve into his past, Rand concealed it, claiming he had faked it. However, Surik recognized that he knew the combat form and considered him an asset. When she told him so, he was pleased with the compliment, and his attraction to her grew.

Rand accompanied Surik throughout her mission to find the remaining Jedi Masters so she could discover truly why she had been banished and why she'd lost the Force. They traveled to several planets on this quest, including Nar Shaddaa, Onderon and its moon Dxun, Dantooine, and Korriban. Due to his knowledge of Nar Shaddaa, Surik frequently consulted Rand while there, and he was happy to offer advice. However, Rand was displeased when Surik gave the Ebon Hawk to a man named Ratrin Vhek, who claimed to be the vessel's true owner. This proved fortunate when a group of slavers called the Red Eclipse murdered him, mistaking him for the one who had claimed their prearranged landing pad. Surik slowly demonstrated her loyalty to Rand as her friend while there, which greatly pleased him, as his attraction to her was blossoming—something that she was beginning to reciprocate, calling him an expert at slicing when he asked to help her with a slicing project. She also challenged his distorted views of the Jedi Code, showing that not all Jedi were arrogant and ignored the weak.

However, Rand's carefully constructed web of lies eventually collapsed. While on Nar Shaddaa, Surik was approached by two shady Twi'leks who told her they had seen Rand when he was first hiding there and that he wasn't just a smuggler but a murderer. She confronted Rand about this, and while he was angry at her persistent questions, she had earned enough of his trust at this point that he revealed the whole truth about his past. She forgave him for what he had done and welcomed him to stay with her on her journey to stop the Sith. At his request, she reawakened him to the Force and trained him to become a Jedi Sentinel. In this role, he became increasingly loyal to her, deeply caring for her safety and well-being.

During their trip to Dantooine in search of Jedi Master Vrook Lamar, they met a man named Mical, who had once been a hopeful apprentice to Surik. He joined her in her search for the Jedi Masters, which Rand hated because he was very jealous of him and his prior friendship with Surik. Surik, however, treated them both in a friendly manner despite their differences, but Rand would continue to irritate Mical during their travels.

From that point on, Rand accompanied her as part of her entourage to the other key worlds, Onderon, Dxun, and Korriban, until the Destruction of Malachor V. Afterward, Surik left to follow Revan into the Unknown Regions, with her Force-sensitive companions setting out to rebuild the Jedi Order.

Having witnessed the brutality of the Mandalorians and the loss of millions of Republic lives, Rand developed a deep contempt for the Jedi Order. He saw them as hypocrites—cowards who pledged to protect the Republic but chose to remain safe within their temples on Coruscant and Dantooine while the Republic crumbled under invasion. Only Revan and the Jedi who rallied to his cause, such as the Jedi Exile, earned Rand's respect and dedication. He viewed Revan as a savior and a leader he would follow to the ends of the galaxy and beyond. When Revan turned against the Galactic Republic, which Rand and many others had become disillusioned with during the war, Rand didn't hesitate to declare his loyalty to the only person he believed had earned it. In his own words, "We were loyal to Revan. That was enough. He saved us."

Rand approached the galaxy with dismissive apathy and sarcasm. His laid-back attitude and reluctance to take on responsibility often clashed with Kreia's grimness as they traveled together. He harbored an irrational hatred of droids, claiming they couldn't be trusted, and referred to T3-M4 as a "trash compactor." He even suspected T3 of stealing the Ebon Hawk on Telos, saying, "He's probably joyriding around the system right now, laughing at us—laughing at me!" The origin of this dislike for droids remains unknown, as it appears to predate the droid rampage on Peragus, which is further evidenced by his statement that droids "break in the head."

Having been betrayed and deceived numerous times, Rand was slow to trust others but appreciated when others trusted him. He sought to impress those he respected, not wanting them to think poorly of him. He was naturally cocky, giving the impression that he breezed through life without a care, though after his encounter with the female Jedi who showed him the Force, his emotions were in almost constant turmoil. However, beneath that cockiness lay a man who hated the Jedi who didn't fight in the war, had some doubts about the Jedi who did, and despised arrogance. He also hated being used, which became evident in his reluctance and subsequent loathing toward Kreia's blackmail.

Rand stubbornly refused to give up, often standing to rejoin a fight even when seriously wounded. He also relied on his gut instincts to guide him. These instincts proved surprisingly reliable, which could be attributed to his Force sensitivity.

Rand's initial encounter with Meetra Surik, who entered his holding cell area in her underwear, instantly attracted him to her. After she helped him escape, Rand remarked that it must be tough considering she wasn't allowed to have a family or husband. Although he planned to separate from her and her entourage as soon as he had the chance, Kreia's blackmail forced him to stay with her, using his respect for her as a tool. Slowly, his attraction to her grew, and he was pleased when she considered him an asset because of his Echani training and expertise in slicing. His attraction for her even led him to ask Bao-Dur if he had any chance with Surik, though the Zabrak offered no comment. He became concerned for her safety, warning her about what could happen in the Jekk'Jekk Tarr, even providing her with medical packs and continuing to monitor her and her well-being.

Things became complicated for Rand when the crew landed on Dantooine, and Surik found her prospective Padawan from years before, Mical. Their relationship, though purely friendly, filled Rand with jealousy, causing him to lash out at Mical whenever he simply offered to help. When the bounty hunter Mira joined the crew of the Ebon Hawk, she immediately noticed Rand's close attention to Surik and Mical, even coming close to uncovering his secret.

Rand was a skilled combatant, proficient in handling pistols and a practitioner of Echani combat methods. He was a competent slicer, capable of exploiting loopholes in programming to achieve his goals. One example of this was when he used the standard transmission hail for freighters landing at the Peragus Mining Facility to gain access to the communications system by bouncing it back to the main console. He was also an exceptional pilot, evading General Vaklu's fighters and landing on Dxun, where he demonstrated some mechanical skill by repairing the damage to the Ebon Hawk.

A notable aspect of Rand's nature was his resistance to Jedi mind techniques. He initially taught these to himself to become an effective assassin, preventing detection and providing resistance to Force powers. The defense was so effective that even Kreia had to exert considerable effort to probe his mind. He later taught Surik one of the techniques he used, which involved keeping the mind occupied, such as imagining playing pazaak or counting sounds made by the Ebon Hawk's propulsion. Another technique he employed was concentrating on certain base emotions (e.g., lust) to unbalance Force wielders when they attempted to affect his mind. He could also mask his presence from the Jedi (and even some of the Sith he worked for) who relied on the Force to sense people's presence.

Another remarkable ability he seemed to possess was recovering from seemingly grievous injuries, enabling him to stand and fight again and again after being downed in combat. At some point, Rand was trained in Echani fighting techniques and knew them by reflex, making him a deadly hand-to-hand combatant. Rand was secretive about his past and did everything he could to hide it from others. Brianna, who didn't trust Rand, noticed that he used an Echani fighting stance but was holding back because she was unarmed. While Rand claimed he was simply a quick study, Brianna accused him of lying, stating that he knew the moves by reflex. Rand proved to be a formidable Jedi hunter, using his skill in discovering a Jedi's weak points and exploiting them. For instance, he usually refrained from attacking Jedi directly, instead choosing to kill or maim their allies, especially their Padawans. Because of the Force bond between them, this would disrupt much of the target's concentration and focus, making them easier to kill.

He was Force-sensitive and had limited training in the Force. Surik recognized this and trained Rand as a Jedi Sentinel. As a Jedi Sentinel, Rand learned to channel the power of the Force and to use a lightsaber effectively. He also gained a natural immunity to certain mind-affecting Force powers such as Force Fear and Force Stun.

Atton Rand first appears in the computer and video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, where he is a playable party character voiced by Nicky Katt. Like most companions, he was written by Chris Avellone. As with other characters in the game, Rand's character develops differently depending on the player's actions and choices.

Rand is one of the "Lost Jedi" Darth Traya mentions in her final moments, the Jedi who would rebuild the order after its near-total destruction. Traya was evasive about Rand's role in the future, as she held a long-standing animosity toward him, considering him nothing more than a fool, but a fool that the Force protects.

Rand is the game character who repeats the classic line "I have a bad feeling about this" as a reference to the movies, following in the footsteps of the previous game's character Mission Vao in this regard. Rand's "bad feeling" is also used as a small in-game feature: the game notes that when Rand is in your party and expresses his "bad feeling," it's a good idea to save the game.

Atton Rand was originally intended to be the name of the main character in the early production version of Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, but it was cut out. The player character was eventually named Jaden Korr. In The Sith Lords, if the player beats the game at least twice, Atton will break the fourth wall and introduce himself by mentioning this fact on the next playthrough. His first name, like many others in the game, suggests a word: atone, or atonement. Interestingly, the name "Jaq" is inserted between Atton's first and last names, but it is most likely his original name, as both Kreia and he himself allude that "Atton" is not his true identity. The 2012 reference guide Star Wars: The Old Republic Encyclopedia identified Rand's homeworld as Alderaan.

To train Rand as a Jedi Sentinel, the player must first obtain sufficient influence points and then speak to a pair of Twi'leks in Nar Shaddaa's refugee sector. Rand will then reveal his past and ask to be trained. If Rand falls to the dark side and becomes a Dark Jedi Sentinel, Darth Traya predicts that Rand will revert to being a murderer, hunting down and killing Jedi at every opportunity until he too is consumed by his hate. As he falls to the dark side, he begins to look much older, with the sides of his hair turning gray, and his eyes glowing yellow like a Sith.

One fluke in the game is that, despite asking Surik how she could understand droidspeak, or "garbage," he later understood what T3-M4 was saying when T3 returned after stealing a ship ID signature from Vogga the Hutt. It could be that Rand was feigning ignorance, as he did with most of his talents.

Brian Menze, the concept artist behind the visual identities of most of Surik's party in the game, was asked to create a character similar to Han Solo by the designer assigned to his in-game model. Menze's initial image of Rand was based on the singer Robert Palmer. Menze was deciding how to draw Rand that day when he came across news on the internet that Palmer had died, and he thought his face would work. As such, the original concept art for Rand depicts him as quite a bit older than how he appeared in the game. During the design process, it was decided that he should be aged down to be more suitable as a love interest for the player character. This, combined with the limited resolution possible with the game's engine, meant that much of the nuance of the original art's face was left out. According to Chris Avellone, Rand was patterned after a developer called Darren Monahan.

Rand's character was initially planned to play a significant role in several key plotlines, but these were ultimately removed from the released version of the game. One such scenario involved Rand and Meetra Surik's other companions uniting on Malachor V with the intention of assassinating Darth Traya before Surik's arrival. This attempt was unsuccessful, leading to Rand's swift defeat and subsequent imprisonment, mirroring the fate of the other companions.

Should the player choose a female character aligned with the dark side, and should Mical be more influenced than Atton, Kreia would exploit Mical's envy, driving him to embrace the dark side. He would then journey to Malachor V, where he would await Mical and challenge him to a deadly duel.

In one potential scenario, Rand engages in a lightsaber battle with Darth Sion. If Rand is defeated, he faces brutal torture and disfigurement, ultimately being left to die. Should this occur, he would not participate in the final confrontation with Kreia alongside the other companions. After being abandoned, Surik would discover him and remain by his side until his death. In his final moments, he would reveal his deepest feelings to Surik, and if the player character was female, he would profess his love for her before passing away in her arms.

Conversely, should Rand emerge victorious in his duel against Sion, he survives the ordeal and reunites with Surik after Darth Traya's defeat. In his characteristic self-assured manner, he would inquire about their next destination as they depart Malachor V, leaving it behind permanently.