Daegen Lok, hailing from the Tython system, was a male Human who became a member of the Je'daii Order, having been instructed by Je'daii Master Quan-Jang. The Despot War began in 25,805 BBY, a year, when the Despot Queen Hadiya attempted to take over the Tython system. In response, Lok infiltrated Hadiya's Despot Army, becoming one of her generals and her lover. Lok ultimately killed Hadiya, which ended the conflict, and he was elevated to the rank of Master in 25,800 BBY. His confidence inflated, Lok entered the Chasm, a fissure on the surface of the planet Tython known for inducing madness in those who ventured too far into it. While there, Lok had a vision of a dark warrior army wielding blades of fire, an experience that drove him to embrace the dark side of the Force. The Je'daii Council dismissed Lok's vision and exiled him to the moon of Bogan, where the Je'daii held onto his vision, accumulating dark side power for the subsequent seven years.
In 25,793 BBY, Lok experienced another vision featuring the dark warrior who commanded the army in his Chasm vision. Coincidentally, Xesh, the young man, arrived on Bogan as an exile just days later. Discovering Xesh's knowledge of Forcesabers, Lok enlisted Xesh in his mission to create more of these weapons and validate his vision to the Council. The pair escaped Tython in a concealed starfighter to manufacture Forcesabers, constantly pursued by the Je'daii. Several confrontations occurred before a final showdown on Shikaakwa. Lok's ambitions of conquest were thwarted when Xesh decided to betray him, leading to Lok's re-imprisonment on Bogan as the Je'daii prepared for war against the Rakata Infinite Empire. However, as the Empire gained more ground, Lok was freed and appointed as a general to lead the Je'daii.
Daegen Lok, a Force-sensitive Human male, originated from the Tython system and received training within the Je'daii Order under the guidance of Quan-Jang, who was the Temple Master at Anil Kesh, the science-focused Je'daii Temple on the planet Tython. During his time as a Je'daii, Lok embarked on an adventure to Sunspot, the planet closest to the star Tythos in their system, where he rescued a Koorivar alien. Subsequently, Lok befriended Hawk Ryo, a Twi'lek Je'daii from Shikaakwa. Both became Je'daii Rangers before 25,805 BBY, a year when the Despot War began. This conflict pitted the Je'daii Order against the Despot Army led by Despot Queen Hadiya, who sought to conquer the Tython system after uniting the crime barons of Shikaakwa. Volnos Ryo, Hawk's brother and the middle son of the baron of Clan Ryo on Shikaakwa, approached Lok and offered his assistance in infiltrating the Despot Army to avenge the deaths of his father and older brother at Hadiya's hands.
With Ryo's backing, Lok feigned disgrace and joined the Despot Army, quickly ascending through the ranks to become one of Hadiya's generals and her lover. As Lok developed genuine feelings for Hadiya, the distinction between his deception and his true mission started to blur. Volnos Ryo intervened, reminding him of his original purpose. At the time, the Despot Army was besieging Kaleth, the Temple of Knowledge, on Tython. One night, while sleeping in Hadiya's tent, Lok stabbed her through a gap in her armor with a dagger. However, Lok's hesitation, stemming from the Je'daii's prohibition against assassination and his feelings for Hadiya, made the strike non-fatal. Hadiya retaliated with her own dagger, slicing Lok's face across his right eye. Enraged, Lok drew his sword and killed Hadiya, then fought his way out of the command camp, leaving only one survivor. Without Hadiya's leadership, the Despot Army's generals turned against each other, allowing the Je'daii to defeat the remaining forces.
Around 25,800 BBY, Lok was promoted to Je'daii Master. Soon after, he and Hawk Ryo decided to explore the Chasm, a deep rift beneath the Anil Kesh Temple of Science. Overconfident in his abilities, Lok disregarded the Chasm's reputation for affecting the minds of those who entered and ignored Ryo's warnings against venturing too deep. As they peered into the darkness, both Lok and Ryo experienced a Force vision of a dark warrior army wielding blades of frozen fire marching across Ska Gora, led by a being with one red eye. In Lok's vision, he led the Je'daii against them.
The vision drove Lok mad, pushing him toward the dark side of the Force. Ryo, resisting the vision's influence, pulled them out of the Chasm. When questioned by the Je'daii Council, Lok shared his vision and warned of the impending danger. However, the Council dismissed Lok's vision, and Lok's continued immersion in the dark side led him to manipulate others' minds using the Force. As a consequence, both Lok and Ryo were exiled to the moon of Bogan, where they were instructed to meditate on the Force and restore their inner balance. Ryo eventually rejected his vision and regained his balance, but Lok refused to abandon his vision and the dark side. Over the next seven years, Lok learned to remove the restraints that kept prisoners separated and discovered a crashed Pho-V fighter that had gone unnoticed. Consumed by madness, Lok carved a massive depiction of himself wielding a blade of fire, along with numerous images of the weapon.
In 25,793 BBY, Lok had another Force vision, this time of an armed warrior wearing a helmet with a single red eye and wielding a blade of fire. It was the same warrior who led the dark army in his earlier vision. Lok watched from Bogan as Tython was engulfed in a powerful Force Storm. A few days later, the dark warrior, exiled by the Je'daii, arrived on Bogan. Two months later, Lok tested the stranger's powers, attacking him and using a mind twist to manipulate his mind. The stranger quickly overcame him and demonstrated the ability to generate lightning. Lok halted his attack by asking why the stranger had appeared to him in a vision. When Lok asked his name, the young man identified himself as Xesh, a Force Hound of the Rakata.
Lok released Xesh from his restraints, concealing them under his blankets to deceive the sentry droids, and then took Xesh to the cave where his Pho V fighter had crashed. Lok recounted the story of his vision and exile. Xesh's recognition of the carvings Lok had made of the blade of fire abruptly halted his story. Excited, Lok demanded that Xesh help him create more "Forcesabers," but Lok revealed that the ship's power cells were empty, only to be astonished when Xesh generated lightning to power the cells, restoring the ship's power. As Xesh continued to restore power, he began to overload the reactor. Lok angered the young warrior when he pulled Xesh away from the cells. While Xesh rested, Lok piloted the ship, setting course for Krev Coeur, all the while contemplating whether allying with Xesh was a wise decision.
As they approached the crystalline planet of Krev Coeur, the starship began to malfunction due to engine overload and unresponsive controls. Xesh awoke and joined Lok in the cockpit as they entered the atmosphere of Krev Coeur and began to crash. They grabbed parachutes and leaped to safety. On Krev Coeur, Lok sought out Slug, who was on the world, and he called in the favor Slug owed him from Sunspot. Slug led them to a valuable reserve of crystals, which Xesh began to examine to find the crystals necessary to create Forcesabers. When Slug objected to Xesh's selection, Lok used a mind trick to force Slug to accept the deal. However, when Slug began to discuss the rumors of Lok's madness and demanded payment to keep his presence on Krev Coeur secret from the Je'daii, Lok threw Slug off a nearby cliff.
Fortunately for Slug, Bel Zana, a Je'daii Ranger, reached out with the Force and saved him. Zana ordered the two fugitives to surrender. As Xesh moved to confront Zana, Lok delved into Zana's mind and discovered her fear of fire, leading him to use a mind twist on her. Lok's control over her mind was so complete that Zana's body began to manifest burn marks. Jake Fenn, a Temple Master, and Sek'nos Rath, a Je'daii Journeyer, arrived to support Zana. Fenn engaged Lok in battle, and though Fenn landed an early blow, Lok gained the upper hand by feigning weakness. Delving into Fenn's mind, Lok discovered his feelings for Zana and proceeded to cast the Ranger off the cliff. Sek'nos Rath sacrificed himself to save Zana, allowing Xesh and Lok to escape in the ensuing distraction.
The two traveled to the factory world of Nox, where Lok secured access to Gratz Foundry by mind-tricking its owner, Gratz, into believing that his factory was being invaded by nashtah. Lok shaved, cleaned off the filth of his imprisonment, and donned a suit of leather armor. He also acquired a set of armor that Xesh requested while the Force Hound began creating the Forcesabers and modifying the crystals to work in the weapons. Once complete, Xesh gave one of the weapons to Lok, explaining that it was powered by the dark side. Lok proved himself capable of igniting the blade. Next, Lok planned to gather an army. He and Xesh sought out Hadiya's four remaining generals—Bakko, Shri-Lan, Gav Vannar, and Ka'un Damm—at Skrag's Cantina in the city of Boneyard. Lok, hooded, introduced Xesh to the four criminals before revealing his face. Xesh and Lok quickly dispatched the slugthrowers that the four drew on Lok when they recognized him. Holding them at bladepoint, Lok asked them to return to Shikaakwa with him and help gather an army to take Tython.
Ignoring their skepticism, Lok explained his desire to save the Je'daii from the army in his vision. Xesh interrupted, informing Lok that the Je'daii were tracking them. Xesh and Lok left the cantina just before Hawk Ryo arrived. Lok and Xesh split up as Ryo began to follow Lok, but Lok manipulated his friend's mind with a mind trick, causing Ryo to pursue an imaginary version of himself while the real Lok headed towards the nearby spaceport. The imaginary Lok briefly battled Ryo, demanding that the Ranger admit to having shared the vision in the Chasm before leaping off a building. The real Lok met up with Xesh at the spaceport. Xesh had captured one of his pursuers, a Journeyer named Shae Koda.
Despite losing Hadiya's generals as allies, Lok and Xesh proceeded to Shikaakwa to seek further allies. Pacifying Koda with a mind trick, Lok led Xesh and Koda to Ryo Fortress, the headquarters of Clan Ryo, and used a mind trick to bluff his way inside. Locating Baron Volnos in his chambers, Lok explained his plans to unite the remaining Hadiya loyalists on Shikaakwa into an army. Lok countered Ryo's disbelief by reminding the baron that he had helped Lok infiltrate the Despot Army, contributing to Hadiya's death. An angry Ryo deployed a security droid that targeted both Xesh and Ryo with lasers. When Ryo implied that Xesh was Lok's servant, the infuriated Force Hound pulled Ryo into the line of fire with the Force before using his Forcesaber to deflect the droid's fire and destroy it. Further conversation was cut short by the arrival of Hawk Ryo, Ranger Rori Fenn, Sek'nos Rath, and a stranger named Trill, who demanded that Lok and Xesh surrender.
Reaching out with the Force, Lok brought down the chamber ceiling and ordered Xesh to grab Koda and follow him as he leaped onto the roof. Lok and Xesh split up to divide their pursuers. Lok swiftly destroyed Rori Fenn's sword with his Forcesaber when the Ranger attacked him. As he knelt over the downed Je'daii, preparing to manipulate her mind, Hawk Ryo delivered a flying kick to Lok's jaw, knocking him away. Drawing their Forcesabers, the two began to duel as Lok pried into Ryo's mind, overwhelming him with memories of the vision they shared in the Chasm. Ryo disrupted Lok's attempts by throwing him against a wall with the Force. Lok expressed his fury and disgust with his former friend for refusing to acknowledge the truth of their vision and for failing to recognize that the Je'daii could only survive by embracing the dark side. Xesh's arrival allowed Lok to recover his Forcesaber, and he sliced off Ryo's leg below the knee as the Ranger battled Xesh. However, Ryo's cry of pain awoke Koda, who overcame Lok's mental influence and attacked Lok with Ryo's fallen Forcesaber.
Lok ordered Xesh to kill Koda so that he could kill Ryo, but Koda convinced the Force Hound to make his own choices, to choose not to be a slave. Xesh turned on Lok, vowing never to be anyone's slave again. Angered by Xesh's betrayal, Lok delved into Xesh's mind, but the darkness and pain overwhelmed Lok, almost knocking him unconscious. The Je'daii promptly captured Lok and returned him to Tython, where the Je'daii Council sentenced him to imprisonment on Bogan once more. During his sentencing, Lok demanded that the Masters force Hawk Ryo to confess what he saw in the Chasm, promising that the Je'daii would have to summon him back when the dark army from his vision arrived. Ketu, a Temple Master, did speak with Ryo about the vision, though Ryo admitted that their visions had been different. In Ryo's vision, it was Xesh who had led the Je'daii, not Lok.
As the Infinite Empire of the Rakata invaded the star system and gained ground over the course of a year, the Je'daii decided to free Lok from Bogan, hoping he could lead them to victory. The Je'daii had repelled the Rakata from Tython, but the invaders had taken Obri, Mawr, and Ska Gora. The Settled Worlds had allied with the Je'daii under the leadership of Master Rajivari. In 25,792 BBY, the Je'daii predicted the Rakatan attack on Shikaakwa. Lok's forces ambushed the Flesh Raider soldiers as they attempted to attack Ryo Fortress. Lok located the main Rakatan position, but when he encountered large walkers, he fled their destructive firepower and encountered Xesh. Xesh identified the attackers as Rakatan annihilators. At Xesh's instruction, Lok ordered Hawk Ryo's squadrons to strafe their position, despite the presence of Je'daii in the area. The attack successfully destroyed the annihilators and blunted the main Rakatan assault. Lok called for Rajivari to send all forces to converge on his position.
Joined by units under Masters Tave, Quan-Jang, and Tem Madog, Lok's forces overran the Rakatan position, forcing the Rakatan Sub-Predor Ceh'let to retreat to Ska Gora. At Xesh's warning, the Je'daii were forced to eliminate the Flesh Raiders to the last man, as they would never surrender. Lok slew dozens of the enemy before the battle ended. In the aftermath, Lok gave a victory speech to rally his troops, claiming that any sacrifice was necessary for victory and that the Force was with the Je'daii.
Lok, a fair-skinned Human with black hair and golden eyes, was a proud and brash Je'daii considered Quan-Jang's most promising student before his vision in the Chasm. Lok wore a loop earring on his right ear and bore a scar over his right eye from Hadiya's attack during the Despot War. While on Bogan, Lok's hair turned gray, grew long, and became unkempt. He later cut his hair and shaved his face, leaving a small goatee on Nox. He discarded his prison robes and donned black leather armor. Skilled in deception and espionage, he convincingly played the role of a disgraced Ranger without raising suspicion. However, he became entangled in his role and his feelings for Hadiya until Volnos Ryo reminded him of his mission. Even before his vision, Lok flirted with the dark side, and his frequent use of mind tricks earned him reprimands from other Je'daii. After the Despot War, Lok's sense of superiority grew, and his invincibility led him to ignore warnings about the Chasm's depths in his pursuit of adventure.
The vision in the Chasm drove Lok insane, and he sank deeper into the dark side when the Je'daii Council dismissed his vision and exiled him to Bogan. In his madness, Lok saw himself as a savior for the Je'daii, refusing to renounce his vision or regain the balance expected of a Je'daii. He became ruthless and even more manipulative, delighting in twisting the minds of others to exploit their fears and weaknesses. Lok was wary of Xesh's power but recognized the young warrior's potential. He decided to control Xesh to use his strength to further his own goals. Lok believed that the mind was more dangerous than the blade and freely used the Force to manipulate the minds of his enemies and others to achieve his objectives. Hawk Ryo's refusal to acknowledge the truth of their vision was a betrayal in Lok's eyes. He genuinely believed that the Je'daii needed to abandon balance and embrace the dark side to survive the coming war.
Adept in the ways of the Je'daii, Daegen Lok possessed considerable Force abilities, especially those related to the dark side. Though skilled in telekinesis, Lok's forte resided in Force powers affecting the psyche; he was a grandmaster of the mind trick. Furthermore, he innovated a technique called the mind twist, capable of compelling a target to accept Lok's desired reality. The mind twist held such potency that it could manifest physical effects—Bel Zana's body, for example, showed signs of burns when Lok manipulated her mind to perceive burning sensations. Lok was also adept at penetrating others' minds, uncovering their deepest fears and exploiting them. In later times, he was known to employ Force Lightning as a means of self-defense. A seasoned combatant, Lok demonstrated proficiency with swords and various armaments, maintaining his combat readiness even during his banishment on Bogan.
The characters of Daegen Lok were brought to life by John Ostrander and Jan Duursema, who authored the Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi comic book series. His character was initially teased in preview issue 0 of the comic series. Lok made his debut in the second issue of the initial story arc, Force Storm, and he makes smaller appearances in subsequent issues of this arc. He then became a central figure in the second arc, The Prisoner of Bogan. Furthermore, Lok's character was referenced within the Blaster section of Star Wars Insider 138, specifically during an interview featuring Ostrander and Duursema discussing the forthcoming The Prisoner of Bogan storyline.