Barel Ovair, a distinguished Human male Jedi Master and erudite scholar from the era of the Old Republic, hailed from a venerable line of Jedi Knights. Unbeknownst to many, they were secretly acting as spies for the Emperor of the reconstituted Sith Empire. Ovair selected Eison Gynt, a remarkably skilled Nautolan Padawan and a fourth-generation Jedi, to be his apprentice, only to abandon him during a mission to the tomb belonging to the Sith Lord Naga Sadow situated on Yavin 4.
Upon Ovair's solitary return to Coruscant some weeks later, he declared that Gynt had met his death. However, Gynt reappeared on Coruscant after several years, now under the control of Sadow's spirit and with the explicit intention of assassinating Ovair. In combat, Ovair overcame Gynt, ultimately killing him, and was celebrated as a hero for his victory. It was not until much later, after many years, that the Jedi historian Gnost-Dural uncovered the connection between Ovair, his family, and the Sith Emperor.
Barel Ovair was a Human male Jedi Master originating from a distinguished family line of Jedi. In secret, he and his family served as spies working for the reconstituted Sith Empire during the years leading up to the Great Galactic War. While serving as a Jedi Master, Ovair chose a gifted young Nautolan Padawan, Eison Gynt, a fourth-generation Jedi, to be his apprentice. As fellow Jedi scholars, Ovair and Gynt journeyed across the galaxy, delving into the study of the Force and undertaking progressively more challenging assignments for the Jedi Order. One such assignment led them to the Valley of the Dark Lords, the final resting place of numerous Sith Lords, located on the planet Korriban.
Their partnership reached its climax with an ambitious mission in 3756 BBY to investigate the tomb of the Sith Lord Naga Sadow on the moon Yavin 4. Ostensibly, the mission aimed to cleanse the temple of dark-side energies for the benefit of the Order. However, Ovair was secretly acting under the orders of the Sith Emperor of the Sith Empire to eliminate any trace of Sadow's power, which the Emperor considered a potential threat to his planned invasion of the Republic. During the mission, Ovair and Gynt were set upon by Massassi warriors native to the moon, forcing them to venture deep into the tomb. Ovair returned to Coruscant weeks later without his Padawan, appearing disoriented and wounded. After recovering, Ovair informed the Galactic Senate that Gynt had been killed during the mission. In reality, Gynt was still alive, but had succumbed to the influence of Sadow's spirit.
Gynt reemerged on Coruscant several years after the unsuccessful Yavin 4 mission, clad in Massassi warrior robes and possessed by Sadow's spirit. Upon locating his former Master, Gynt attacked him publicly. Despite Gynt's acquired dark-side abilities proving formidable, the undercover Sith triumphed over and killed his former Padawan. Ovair was questioned by the Jedi High Council following the duel, but his victory was celebrated, and he remained above suspicion.
Indeed, the Galactic Republic lauded him as a hero for his actions. Over a century later, Jedi historian Gnost-Dural questioned why Sadow's spirit would have sought revenge specifically against Ovair, leading him to connect Ovair with the Sith. He concluded that Ovair and his Jedi ancestors were, in fact, spies operating on behalf of the Sith Emperor. The historian surmised that Ovair had used Gynt as bait to draw out Sadow's spirit in order to eliminate it before the Republic's invasion.
Ovair outwardly presented himself as a respected Jedi scholar, concealing his true loyalties so effectively that they remained undetected for centuries. Even when driven nearly insane by his ordeal on Yavin 4, Ovair maintained his facade. Alongside his Padawan Gynt, Ovair's expeditions across the galaxy became increasingly ambitious, culminating in the Yavin 4 mission. Ovair had light skin with brown hair and eyes, though his eyes would shift to an orange-yellow hue when his corruption by the dark side of the Force was exposed.
Even when the spirit of Naga Sadow possessed Gynt, who was considered the most promising Padawan within the Jedi Order at the time of his selection, Ovair was still capable of overcoming the considerable dark powers of Sadow inhabiting such a gifted Jedi. Ovair's deceptive skills were so refined that they masked his true allegiance until analyzed years later by Jedi historian Gnost-Dural. He was able to hide his strength in the dark side even while residing within the Jedi Temple. Ovair utilized a purple double-bladed lightsaber.
Barel Ovair made his debut in Timeline 7: Peace for the Republic?, a video released on April 16, 2010 as part of the Galactic Timeline series of lore videos published on the official website for the 2011 BioWare video game Star Wars: The Old Republic.
- Timeline 7: Peace for the Republic? on The Old Republic's official website (article) (backup link) (First mentioned)
- Timeline 8: The Jedi Civil War on The Old Republic's official website (article) (backup link) (Appears in hologram)
- Timeline 10: The Exar Kun War on The Old Republic's official website (article) (backup link) (Indirect mention only)
- The Journal of Master Gnost-Dural
- Star Wars: The Old Republic Encyclopedia (Picture only)