Darth Malak

In 3993 BBY, the Jedi Duron Qel-Droma, accompanied by fellow Jedi Shaela Nuur within a Dreshdae settlement residence on the Sith tomb world Korriban, experienced a vision of the future. This vision included the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Malak and an impending conflict marked by the devastation of an ecumenopolis, the capture of a Jedi, and the enslavement of Wookiees. As Qel-Droma lay dying, he had another vision, this time foreseeing the defeat of Malak at the hands of the Jedi Revan. The Human male who would later be known as Darth Malak was born as Alek on the planet Quelii, specifically in the village of Squinquargesimus. After surviving the Mandalorians' destruction of his homeworld, Alek sought refuge with the Galactic Republic, where his home village's name was mistakenly recorded as his surname by Republic immigration officials.

In time, Alek was discovered to possess sensitivity to the Force and subsequently received training as a Jedi Padawan at the Jedi Enclave situated on the verdant planet Dantooine. During his tenure as a Padawan, Alek's peers gave him the nickname "Squint" due to the difficulty they had pronouncing his surname. Alek developed a friendship with another Padawan who would eventually become known as "Revan." While Revan was recognized as the more powerful of the two, Alek's dedication to expanding his knowledge was also noted. Like Revan, he sought further instruction from the Twi'lek Jedi Master Zhar Lestin on Coruscant, the galactic capital. Prior to 3964 BBY, both young men successfully completed their training and were elevated to the rank of Jedi Knight.

In 3964 BBY, around the same time that Alek and Revan were promoted to Jedi Knight, the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders initiated an attack on the Republic, marking the beginning of the Mandalorian Wars. Both Alek and Revan were eager to confront the invading forces. However, the Jedi Council advised the Jedi to exercise patience and explicitly forbade any action against the Mandalorians, believing that the real threat had yet to emerge. Revan remained unconvinced, and both he and Alek felt that the Order was acting too slowly and being overly cautious in its decisions. Alek was the first to join Revan's movement, known as the Revanchists, and other Jedi soon followed suit. Alek and the Revanchists began contributing to the war effort through reconnaissance missions along the Outer Rim. Under Revan's leadership, whom Alek referred to as "his honorary Master," Alek and his fellow Jedi investigated the Mandalorian threat along the Republic border, defying the wishes of the Jedi Council.

The Revanchists briefly stopped on the ecumenopolis of Taris, hoping to recruit more Jedi from the local Jedi temple. While there, Jedi Master Lucien Draay tasked Alek with locating Zayne Carrick, Draay's Padawan. Alek rescued Carrick, who was falling into the cityscape after attempting to apprehend the Snivvian black marketeer Marn Hierogryph, by leaping off his airspeeder and catching the Padawan. Following the rescue, the two Jedi discussed the ongoing war. Alek, introducing himself to Carrick as "Squint," attempted to recruit Carrick to the Revanchists. However, the Padawan declined, stating that the Taris Jedi Masters believed that the Sith, not the Mandalorians, were the Jedi's concern. Despite Carrick being a less-than-promising student, Alek suspected that he would play a significant role in the war.

Before departing Taris with the Revanchists, Alek shared his opinion with Carrick and advised him that it was sometimes necessary to embrace the darkness in order to preserve the light. However, after Alek and the Revanchists left Taris, Lucien Draay and his fellow Jedi Masters of the secret Jedi organization known as the Covenant acted on a vision, murdering their Padawans in an attempt to prevent the rise of a potential Sith Lord. The Covenanters framed Carrick for the crime, causing him to flee from the Masters. Carrick was subsequently forced to evade both the Jedi Order and civil authorities.

Shortly after leaving Taris, Alek and his companions were abandoned on the planet Suurja while Revan investigated events on Onderon and its jungle moon, Dxun. Approximately a week after his meeting with Carrick on Taris, Alek and his fellow Revanchists were captured by the Mandalorians in an ambush that preceded the fourth battle of Suurja. They were then taken to Flashpoint Station, a former Republic research station that the Mandalorians had seized several months earlier.

There, Alek became the preferred test subject of the Mandalorian scientist Demagol, who was attempting to uncover the source and nature of the Jedi's Force abilities. Demagol subjected Alek to various experiments, including irradiation, electroshock, and stress tests on a torture rack. Alek was able to use the Force to suppress the pain inflicted by Demagol, although he lost his hair as a result of the scientist's experiments.

Several weeks later, Jarael, a female Arkanian offshoot who had assisted Carrick in evading the Jedi Masters on Taris, arrived at the station as a prisoner. Alek immediately realized that the Mandalorians had mistaken her for a Jedi. When Demagol came to retrieve Jarael, Alek volunteered to be studied in her place, insisting that he possessed abilities that Demagol had yet to discover. After Alek was returned to the holding area, Demagol intended to immediately begin testing Jarael, but Carrick and the rest of the crew of the starship Last Resort arrived to rescue her. Carrick pretended to have been captured by the rogue Mandalorian Rohlan Dyre and was taken in Jarael's stead by Demagol.

When Dyre and Demagol emerged, they announced that Carrick was dead. However, after the Mandalorians were tricked into evacuating the station during a fabricated "Republic attack" orchestrated by Marn Hierogryph, who had allied himself with Carrick, it was revealed that Carrick was impersonating Demagol, whom Dyre had managed to incapacitate. Before he and the remaining freed Jedi prisoners escaped, Alek asked Carrick to rejoin them. Carrick declined, stating that he had something he needed to complete. Alek bid farewell to Jarael and took the unconscious Demagol to Coruscant for trial. However, en route to the galactic capital, Demagol fell into a drug-induced coma and could not be awakened to face trial.

As the Mandalorians launched a full-scale invasion of the Republic, Revan, publicly known as "The Revanchist," could no longer restrain himself and openly defied the Jedi Council. Alek, now Revan's trusted lieutenant, traveled to planets such as Dantooine to recruit more Jedi to their growing rebellion. While on a mission to the planet Cathar to investigate the truth behind a massacre that had occurred there, Alek, Revan, and the accompanying Jedi sensed death in the Force when the Mandalorians unleashed a devastating nuclear attack on the Stereb homeworld Serroco.

After the Mandalorian's destruction of Serroco, Arkoh Adasca, the eighth lord of the House of Adasca and the leader of the Adascorp Medical Corporation, invited Revan to a meeting to bid on exogorth creatures, after Adasca discovered that they could be constructed into biological superweapons. Revan, who had remained on Cathar to search for evidence related to the Mandalorian massacre, sent Alek to the Omonoth system as a representative for the Revanchists. Prior to Alek's departure, several Jedi had experienced visions regarding the potential importance of Adasca's exogorths and the role they could play in the ongoing conflict.

Revan instructed Alek to ensure that this new threat did not affect the war. Upon arriving aboard the Arkanian Legacy, Adasca's flagship, Alek was reunited with both Jarael and Dyre. Alek confided in Jarael that he did not believe Zayne Carrick was guilty of the murder charges that had been filed against him for the Padawan Massacre of Taris. Jarael, who had spent the past few days in Adasca's company, attempted to inform Alek that Adasca was scheming, but she was quickly interrupted and prevented from doing so by Adasca.

Later, aboard the Legacy, Adasca revealed his plan to sell his exogorth superweapons to the highest bidder. Alek reacted with disgust, believing that such a force was too powerful to be entrusted to any government. However, he felt that they could be entrusted to the Jedi, as the Revanchists foresaw sorrow and chaos in the years to come. As Admiral Saul Karath, representing the Republic, attempted to engage further with Adasca, Alek and the Republic officers Carth Onasi and Dallan Morvis reacted in shock upon learning that Mandalore the Ultimate, the leader of the Mandalorians, had also been invited by Adasca to bid on the exogorths.

As Mandalore entered the Arkanian Legacy, Alek ignited his lightsaber and lunged forward in an attempt to kill Mandalore and end the war. Anticipating the attack, Mandalore quickly struck him down with his newly crafted battle axe, knocking the young Jedi off his feet. While Mandalore and Adasca discussed the exogorth deal, Alek tried to convince Karath to arrest them, but the Admiral would not risk doing so while they were outnumbered. As the invited representatives proposed their offers, Alek expressed disbelief that Mandalore would offer Adasca a powerful position in the Mandalorian war effort in exchange for the device controlling the exogorths. He was further surprised when Karath offered Republic territory for the device.

Eventually, Lucien Draay, who had arrived on the Legacy earlier to investigate Adasca, and Carrick met up with Carth Onasi and Dyre to collaborate on a plan to undermine Adasca's scheme. When Carrick initiated a diversion, which involved leading the Mandalorians to believe that Adasca, the Republic officers, and Jedi at the meeting had set a trap for them, Alek immediately realized what was happening and participated in the brawl that ensued. Shortly afterward, Alek, Carrick, Draay, Onasi, Karath, Jarael, Dyre, and Morvis were forced to escape the Legacy's observation dome as the exogorths, which had gone out of Adasca's control, devoured it and killed Adasca.

While Karath, Morvis, and Onasi escaped on the latter's ship, the others searched for another vessel, as Alek's ship had been destroyed in one of the docking bays. Before Draay could arrest Carrick, the starship Moomo Williwaw crashed into the Arkanian Legacy, preventing Draay from apprehending his former Padawan. Alek traveled with Carrick and his crew in the Williwaw so that the fugitive could rendezvous with Marn Hierogryph on Taris.

After arriving on Taris, which had been captured by the Mandalorians, Carrick rocketed down to the city below using a jetpack to aid the local resistance against the Mandalorians and meet up with Hierogryph. After this, Alek and the crew flew off in the Williwaw. Alek later engaged in a sparring match with Jarael, in which she bested him. The match brought the two closer together, with Alek explaining to Jarael that the Jedi had refrained from emotional relationships since the Great Sith War; however, he stated that he did not agree with this sentiment. Although he was interested in her romantically, Jarael was reluctant to enter into a relationship with him.

Alek, accompanied by Jarael, "Dyre" (actually Demagol), and the crew of the Williwaw, eventually made landfall on Jebble. Their mission: to rescue Carrick and Marn Hierogryph. These two had departed Taris alongside Jedi Knight and Covenant operative Celeste Morne, all in pursuit of an ancient Sith talisman. As the group prepared to leave Jebble, a Mandalorian squadron, under the command of Mandalore's chief strategist, Cassus Fett, materialized. Carrick, driven by the need to prevent the spread of a transmutative illness affecting the Mandalorian warriors, dispatched a warning to Fett, urging him to refrain from deploying his forces onto the planet's surface.

Fett's response was to order a nuclear onslaught against the planet. The apparent demise of Morne during the bombardment only strengthened Carrick's resolve. Reminding Alek of a debt owed from Flashpoint Station, Carrick enlisted his aid, along with the Williwaw's crew, to thwart the Jedi Covenant. Before their paths diverged once more, Alek instructed Carrick, the architect of a plan to dismantle the Covenant, to present evidence of the Covenant's Sith relic repository to the Jedi High Council. Alek, together with Taris Resistance fighter Shel Jelavan, whose sibling had perished in the Padawan Massacre at the hands of the Covenant, journeyed to Coruscant to execute their part of Carrick's strategy.

Given the Jedi Council's outstanding arrest warrant for the Revanchists, Alek adopted the persona of "Captain Malak," concealing his identity with azure–gray markings on his head. After transmitting a projected message to Masters Vandar Tokare and Vrook Lamar on Coruscant to arrange a meeting, Alek and Jelavan met the two Masters within a tavern located in the lower levels of Coruscant, intending to share proof relating to the Padawan Massacre.

Following their statements, the quartet proceeded to the designated meeting location to rendezvous with Carrick and Hierogryph. Despite Alek's assurances that Carrick's name would be cleared, Lamar cautioned that accusing Krynda Draay, the Covenant's founder, of any wrongdoing would fracture the Order. Lamar and Tokare emphasized the need for a Covenanter to step forward and confess.

While Alek and Jelavan were discussing the Covenant's actions with Lamar and Tokare, Covenant Jedi Master Xamar arrived with Carrick and Hierogryph, agreeing to testify against the Covenant's illicit activities before the Council. Subsequently, Alek provided testimony to the Council on Carrick's behalf, following the events of the Covenant incident, the Covenant's unsuccessful rebellion against the Jedi Order. Alek was then dispatched to the Revanchists with a final warning to cease their involvement in the Mandalorian Wars, a mission he accepted reluctantly, determined to maintain the "Malak" identity until the war's suffering ended.

After departing Coruscant, Malak returned to Cathar, where Revan sought evidence of the Mandalorians' decimation of the Cathar people. Vrook Lamar, accompanied by a group of Jedi, tracked Malak and Revan to the planet. Lamar and his Jedi companions confronted Revan, Malak, and the Revanchists, instructing them to abandon their efforts and disband permanently. The Jedi Masters believed the Mandalorians posed no significant threat and that the Jedi's intervention in the Mandalorian Wars was unwarranted.

During the discussion, Revan noticed a Mandalorian helmet beneath his feet and retrieved it. As light illuminated the helmet, all present Jedi experienced a shared vision of Mandalorians driving Cathar hordes into the ocean. A Mandalorian woman, the helmet's original owner, attempted to persuade Cassus Fett—the leader of the attack on the planet—that the Cathar were defeated and did not need to be exterminated. Fett refused, asserting that the Cathar had stained the Mando'ade's honor and that he intended to cleanse that stain through genocide. Fett then ordered the planet's destruction, resulting in the deaths of both the Cathar and the Mandalorian woman.

Upon the vision's conclusion, Malak and the Revanchists witnessed Revan's pledge to defeat the Mandalorians. Despite the revealed truth of the Cathar massacre, the Jedi still did not fully endorse Revan and Malak. However, Revan successfully united the Revanchists under the banner of a Republic Relief organization. Subsequently, the Jedi Council permitted Revan, Malak, and the Revanchists to participate in the Mandalorian Wars. Both Malak and Revan were elevated to the rank of commander. Malak later contacted Marn Hierogryph in search of Jarael, and the Snivvian informed Malak that they were on the planet Wor Tandell. Intent on surprising Jarael, Malak traveled to the planet and greeted her by her crew's vessel. That evening, Malak informed Jarael and Hierogryph that the Jedi Council had officially sanctioned the Revanchist Jedi's participation in the Mandalorian Wars.

Malak conveyed to Jarael that the Revanchists possessed nearly all the necessary elements for victory in the war, requesting that she contribute her combat skills and firsthand knowledge of the Mandalorians' atrocities to their cause. When Hierogryph mentioned Jarael's newly discovered Force abilities, Malak expressed his enthusiasm, asserting that she belonged with him. Dyre then appeared, declaring that Malak would never take her. When Malak attempted to reason with him, the Mandalorian struck him in the jaw. Malak activated his lightsaber and engaged Dyre, who evaded him with his jetpack and fired at the Jedi with his firearms. Jarael pleaded with Malak to stop, but he refused, arguing that the Mandalorians were incapable of friendship, only torture and genocide. Malak eventually severed Dyre's blasters and wrestled him to the ground, questioning whether he had been present during the Mandalorians' slaughter of the Cathar.

At that moment, Republic captain Telettoh and the Cathar Jedi Ferroh arrived at Carrick's camp along with the former Padawan. They separated Malak from Dyre, calming the Jedi. Telettoh reprimanded Malak for attacking Dyre, emphasizing that the Revanchists could not afford any scandals. Carrick apologized to Malak for his delayed arrival, expressing surprise that Malak had brought the Republic warship Testament solely to visit Carrick and his companions. Malak informed Carrick that he was there for Jarael, and Carrick feigned a romantic involvement with Jarael, which surprised Malak. Having failed to enlist Jarael, Malak bid farewell to Carrick, Jarael, and their crew. Later, Malak was contacted by Jarael, who requested his assistance in locating Carrick, who had been abducted by the slavery organization known as The Crucible during a mission to rescue the Crucible's slaves. However, Malak was unable to provide aid due to his and the Revanchists' ongoing conflict with the Mandalorians.

Eventually, Malak and the Republic forces under his command reclaimed the Omonoth system and recovered the remnants of the Arkanian Legacy. Sometime after this, Demagol emerged from his drug-induced coma; however, the individual whom Malak and the Republic believed to be Demagol was actually Rohlan Dyre. The Mandalorian deserter had been drugged on Flashpoint Station by Demagol, who had exchanged suits with Dyre to travel with Jarael, Carrick, and their companions.

Malak participated in a public hearing for Demagol, held in Coruscant's legislative hall. Before Malak testified against Demagol, he met with Zayne Carrick and Marn Hierogryph, who had also been summoned to testify against the scientist. When Malak inquired about Jarael's whereabouts, Carrick informed him that she had left his group. Malak informed Carrick and Hierogryph that following his testimony, he would be returning to the war's front lines, and that the ship under his command was already with Admiral Karath's patrol. He also informed them about the recovery of the Arkanian Legacy.

During the trial, Malak recounted Demagol's experiments on both himself and the Jedi who had not survived the scientist's studies. As Malak continued, Dyre, who insisted that the Jedi cease addressing him as Demagol, broke free of his restraints. Malak employed the Force to propel Dyre across the chamber, publicly vowing to save the Republic by permanently defeating the Mandalorians, in the name of the millions whom the Mandalorians had slain, tormented, or subjugated. Dyre openly questioned Malak's methods, asking who would protect the Republic from Malak after the Jedi succeeded in his mission.

The Senate guards escorted Dyre out of the Senate chamber and placed the Mandalorian in a vehicle for transport back to his holding cell. However, the two guards in the speeder were Zayne Carrick and Marn Hierogryph, who had deduced that Demagol had switched places with Rohlan Dyre. Upon learning that "Demagol" had not arrived at his holding cell, Malak initiated a search for the scientist on Coruscant, ordering his forces to detain and search every speeder they encountered. Shortly after, the true Demagol was killed, but Malak, unaware of this, continued his search.

The entry of Revan and his Jedi into the war marked a pivotal shift in the conflict. Revan's military strategies and tactics, combined with Malak's bravery and resolve, propelled the pair to become the war's foremost heroes. Although the Battle of Duro was a disaster, a recent advancement in gravity well technology had led to the creation of the Interdictor-class ship, enabling Revan and Malak to effectively utilize a fleet of these new ships to prevent the Mandalorians from escaping with stolen materials from the Duro factories.

Public admiration for the pair, coupled with his desire to express his dissatisfaction with the Jedi Council, motivated Supreme Leader Tol Cressa to grant Revan direct command over the entire Republic naval forces. With his newfound authority, Revan spearheaded the Republic war effort, steadily pushing the Mandalorians back. While Malak lacked Revan's strategic brilliance, he proved to be a capable war leader. Malak eventually gained notoriety as a reckless warrior who charged headfirst into danger. Together, Revan and Malak freed Taris, engaged Cassus Fett at Jaga's Cluster, and vanquished a significant portion of the Mandalorian forces on the Outer Rim world of Althir III.

Despite these victories, the Jedi Masters they had left behind believed that Revan, Malak, and their Jedi followers were offering simplistic solutions to the galaxy's problems, fearing the potential consequences of their recklessness. As the war progressed, concerns arose regarding Revan and Malak's behavior. They gradually transitioned from the idealistic individuals who had initially defied the Jedi Council, adopting characteristics similar to their Mandalorian adversaries. For Revan and Malak, ultimate victory became paramount, and to ensure it, they met their enemies' brutal, merciless tactics with a similar ruthlessness. Over the course of the war, Malak and Revan developed a cold, calculating demeanor uncharacteristic of Jedi, growing to despise weakness and indecisiveness. "Moral compromises" became commonplace under their leadership, alongside other questionable actions. While some disapproved of these actions, the majority of the galaxy only cared that Revan and Malak were winning the war, hailing them as heroes.

During the Mandalorian Wars, Revan discovered a Rakatan navigation chart within the ancient remains near the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine. This chart was essential for uncovering the location of the Star Forge, a space-based war relic of the Rakatan Infinite dominion that had governed the galaxy approximately 20,000 standard years prior. This device was powered by the dark side and capable of rapidly constructing starships.

Revan and Malak explored the ancient ruins, successfully navigating a series of trials that guarded their path, granting them access to the Star Map. Just before crossing the threshold to their prize, Malak cautioned Revan about the potential consequences, suggesting that examining the Star Map would result in their expulsion from the Jedi Order. However, Revan remained undeterred. Although a part of Malak longed to turn back and rejoin the Order, he remained by Revan's side, knowing that crossing the threshold meant forfeiting any chance of returning to his former life.

Approximately a year prior to the end of the Mandalorian Wars, Revan located another Star Map on the Wookiee home planet of Kashyyyk. Soon after, Revan and Malak journeyed to the Sith planet of Malachor V, where they discovered the Trayus training center and delved into the Sith secrets contained within. It was there that Revan introduced Malak to the Sith doctrines, leading to his fall to the dark side. The heroic reputation that Revan and Malak had cultivated during the Mandalorian Wars was solidified during the final confrontation of the war, in which Revan forced a decisive battle with the Mandalorians over Malachor V. During the battle, Revan killed Mandalore the Ultimate, claiming his helmet and learning of a Sith menace behind the Mandalorian Wars. Mandalore's defeat compelled the Mandalorians to surrender unconditionally.

Following the cataclysmic final battle, Jedi General Meetra Surik departed Revan and Malak's fleet to answer for her actions before the Jedi Council. Malak urged Revan to order the assassin droid HK-47, whom Revan had recently constructed, to eliminate her. However, Revan refused to authorize her assassination. Having defeated the Mandalorians, the two now-famous Jedi Knights did not return to the Republic. Instead, they led their remaining forces into the uncharted territories, pursuing surviving Mandalorians. For the next year, their whereabouts remained unknown, and the Republic feared the loss of its heroes.

In the three rotations following the battle at Malachor V, Malak and Revan journeyed to the frozen planet of Rekkiad in search of Dramath the Second's burial chamber. They located the Sith Lord's tomb concealed within a massive ice formation and discovered a data storage device that would lead them to the planet Nathema. To condemn the Mandalorians to wander without leadership, Revan left Mandalore's mask in the tomb before he and Malak departed for Nathema. Upon arriving, they found the planet bereft of the Force. They searched through the vacant structures, seeking information to guide them closer to the source of the Sith threat.

During their expedition into the Unknown Regions, Revan and Malak stumbled upon the Sith Empire on the Imperial capital world of Dromund Kaas, and learned of the Dark Lord of the Sith known only as the Sith Emperor that led it. While there, the two Jedi masqueraded as mercenaries for months, attempting to glean any and all information about the Emperor. They discovered that the Emperor was amassing an army to invade the Republic again, and eventually located a member of the Imperial Guard who agreed to smuggle them into the Imperial Citadel; however they were unaware of the Imperial Guard's subservience to the Emperor's will and were instead led into a trap. Revan and Malak attempted to fight the Emperor but were overwhelmed by his power. He broke their will, twisted their minds and granted them the "Darth" title and sent them back to act as the vanguard of his invasion and report back when all resistance was crushed.

Their mission was to recover the Rakatan Star Maps and locate the Star Forge. He intended to use the Star Forge to accelerate the construction of his Sith armada, which would enable the Sith to defeat the Jedi and the Republic centuries ahead of schedule. However, the Emperor underestimated the power and strength of their will and minds. Revan and Malak believed that they were acting of their own accord and, in doing so, were able to block their memories of the Sith and the Emperor. Revan and Malak located three additional Star Maps on the desert world Tatooine, the Selkath's aquatic homeworld Manaan, and the planet Korriban.

After examining all five Star Maps, Revan and Malak eventually pinpointed and traveled to the uncharted Lehon system, where the Star Forge resided, drawing energy from the system's sun, Abo. Upon their arrival, the pair crash-landed on the Rakatan homeworld Lehon due to a dampening field protecting the Star Forge. Shortly thereafter, they were ambushed by the primitive Black Rakata, who attempted to capture them. However, after the two Sith Lords demonstrated their Force abilities, the natives were swiftly subdued. Although Revan initially engaged in negotiations with The One, the leader of the Black Rakata, it soon became clear that none of the Black Rakata possessed relevant information about the Star Forge. Revan then resolved to gain the favor of the Elders, a Rakatan tribe at war with the Black Rakata. In contrast to their violent encounter with the Black Rakata, Revan and Malak approached the Elders peacefully, learning much about the Rakata, their ancient empire, and the disruptor field that had caused their crash.

Becoming increasingly aware of the Elders' disdain for their race's violent history, Revan and Malak presented themselves as servants of the light side of the Force, seeking a way to destroy the Star Forge. After gaining the Elders' trust, they granted the Sith access to the Temple of the Ancients, which enabled Revan and Malak to disable the disruptor field and reach the Star Forge. Thanking the Elders, the two Sith Lords vowed to destroy the Star Forge and return. After finding the Star Forge, Revan and Malak began to have visions of their own Sith Empire. Revan seized control of the Star Forge and proclaimed himself the new Dark Lord of the Sith, with Malak reluctantly accepting the role of his Sith student. In 3959 BBY, the pair established a new Sith domain and returned to Korriban, seizing control of the planet and re-establishing the Sith training center there. Revan and Malak then re-entered known Republic space at the head of a massive invasion fleet, composed of Jedi Knights and Republic soldiers who were veterans of the Mandalorian Wars.

The pair, revealing their true identities as Sith Lords, along with their assembled followers, openly challenged the Republic and the Jedi Order, declaring war. This action signaled the start of a meticulously planned two-decade-long campaign aimed at dismantling the Jedi Council's perceived "tyranny," thus igniting the conflict known as the Jedi Civil War. During his time as Darth Revan's apprentice, Malak began to perceive his Master as exhibiting weakness, a sentiment that bred discord between them and ultimately precipitated a furious lightsaber battle. In this confrontation, Revan severed Malak's jaw with a precise lightsaber strike, necessitating the use of a substantial metal prosthetic to cover the exposed area. While a vocabulator enabled Malak to maintain his ability to speak, his voice now possessed a harsh, electronically-tinged resonance.

In the year 3958 BBY, Revan and his Sith forces orchestrated a successful assault on the ship-producing world of Foerost, seizing control of a significant portion of the Republic's naval assets. Admiral Saul Karath, who had previously served under both Revan and Malak during the Mandalorian Wars, declared the Republic unworthy of his continued allegiance and transferred his services, along with his command ship, the Leviathan, to Revan's banner. During this period, Malak assumed command of the Leviathan, designating it as his personal flagship. Karath also supplied security protocols that allowed the Sith to bypass the scanner systems of a Republic Navy docking bay. This critical advantage allowed the Sith forces to swiftly infiltrate and obliterate over half of the docked vessels before the Republic could mount a defense. Subsequently, Revan elevated Karath to the position of commander of the entire Sith fleet.

To assess Admiral Karath's loyalty to the Sith cause, Darth Malak commanded him to destroy Telos IV, a planet that Revan had initially intended to conquer. Karath obeyed Malak's order, resulting in the deaths of countless innocent inhabitants and incurring the lasting animosity of the surviving Telosians, including the Republic officer Carth Onasi, who had once regarded Karath as a mentor and Malak as a figure of admiration. Later that same year, Darth Malak orchestrated the bombardment of the Zabrak homeworld, Iridonia, and executed a successful invasion of the planet Rodia. Despite his formidable power as a Sith Lord, the ambitious Darth Malak grew increasingly resentful of Revan's authority as the war progressed. The individual who had once been Revan's most steadfast ally and devoted friend began to eagerly anticipate an opportunity to supplant his Sith Master.

The chance for Malak to seize control from Revan materialized in 3957 BBY when the Jedi Council dispatched a specialized assault team with the mission to capture the two Sith Lords. This team managed to trap Revan on the command deck of his capital ship. Malak, who was not with his Master, ordered the weapon systems of his own flagship, the Leviathan, to target Revan's vessel. His intent was to eliminate both his Master and the Jedi, particularly Bastila Shan, the leader of the strike team, due to her mastery of battle meditation. This Force ability allowed her to bolster the Republic forces' morale and synchronize their combat efforts while simultaneously undermining the will of their adversaries.

Unbeknownst to Malak, Shan intervened to save Revan's life, subsequently delivering him to the Jedi Council. Under the guidance of Masters Dorak and Zhar Lestin, the Council initiated a process to reprogram Revan's mind, imbuing him with the persona of a Republic soldier. Although Malak's attempt on Revan's life was unsuccessful, his Master was rendered incapacitated during the attack. Believing his actions to have been successful, Darth Malak seized control of the Sith Empire, finally assuming the mantle of Dark Lord. However, a part of Malak always felt remorse for betraying his Master from a distance. Malak was aware that some would perceive his actions as cowardly, suggesting that he acted out of fear to avoid confronting Revan in direct combat.

Despite his strategies often relying on overwhelming force, Malak achieved numerous victories against the weakened and outnumbered Republic forces, primarily due to the sheer size of his fleets. In contrast to his former Sith Master, the Sith Magnus favored the destruction of entire worlds over their capture, ensuring that neither the Sith nor the Republic could access their resources. He harnessed the power of the Star Forge, modifying it to produce the ships and combat droids that comprised the Sith fleet, by exploiting the Force abilities of captured Jedi Knights. Following Revan's presumed death, Malak selected a former Jedi whose ambition for power had set him apart from his peers and designated him Darth Bandon. He appointed Bandon as his Shadow Hand, elevating the young Sith to the position of second-in-command within the Sith Empire. Jedi who were not killed by Malak's forces succumbed to the dark side, transforming into Dark Jedi and pledging their loyalty to the Dark Lord.

As the war against the Republic continued with success, Darth Malak grew increasingly concerned that Bastila Shan's exceptional talent for battle meditation—surpassing even the most skilled Jedi Masters—posed a significant threat to the Sith war effort. In 3956 BBY, Malak invested considerable resources in an attempt to locate and capture Shan. He came close to achieving this goal when his apprentice, Darth Bandon, led an attack on her ship, the Endar Spire, above the planet Taris. Shan, along with other Republic soldiers, was compelled to abandon the vessel via an escape pod, ultimately crashing into the lower levels of Taris.

To prevent Shan's escape, Malak seized control of Taris and imposed a blockade around the planet. However, Malak, who was aboard the Leviathan, soon grew impatient with the search for Shan and instructed Karath to utilize the Leviathan to obliterate the planet. Despite this, Shan managed to return safely to Dantooine aboard the light freighter Ebon Hawk, thanks to the efforts of Carth Onasi, the amnesiac Revan—who was unaware of his former identity as the Dark Lord—and their companions. Shortly after their arrival, Revan underwent retraining in the ways of the Jedi at the Enclave on Dantooine, as he began experiencing visions of his past and the Star Maps that led to the Star Forge. The local Jedi Council tasked Revan, Shan, and their allies with locating the Star Forge.

Soon after, a bounty hunter known as Calo Nord—who had been defeated by Revan on Taris and had managed to escape the planet's destruction—was hired by Malak to track down Shan and her companions, capture her, and eliminate her allies. Nord and Karath revealed to Malak that Revan, whom the Sith Lord had long believed to be dead, was among Shan's companions. Despite Nord's widespread reputation as a skilled bounty hunter, he did not survive his subsequent encounter with Revan. Following Nord's demise, Karath informed Malak of the bounty hunter's failure. Malak, recognizing that no bounty hunter could withstand a Jedi, resolved not to repeat the same error and dispatched his apprentice, Darth Bandon, to pursue Shan. Malak instructed Bandon to locate Shan and, if possible, bring her to him alive.

Rumors circulated that Bandon intended to challenge Malak for leadership of the Sith, but Bandon never had the opportunity to execute his plans, as he failed to capture Shan and was killed by Revan during the quest to locate the Star Forge. During Revan's search for the Rakatan space station, Malak and his Sith forces launched an attack on Dantooine. Although the Jedi Council had foreseen this event and attempted to evacuate the population, they were unable to prevent the Enclave's destruction, and Malak's assault resulted in numerous casualties, both Jedi and civilians. Malak also captured eight Jedi for later use on the Star Forge. The Sith Lord plundered the ruins of the Enclave in search of Jedi artifacts, but many of the Jedi holocrons and relics had been relocated to a different location.

During their search for the fifth and final Star Map required to locate the Star Forge, the Ebon Hawk and its crew were captured by the Sith and brought aboard the Leviathan. While Malak, who was in another sector at the time, traveled to the Leviathan, Karath initiated the torture and interrogation of Revan, Shan, and Onasi in an attempt to ascertain the objective of their mission. Some time after Karath concluded the interrogation, a member of the Ebon Hawk crew who had evaded capture managed to free Revan and the others from the detention area. The crew then divided into two groups. Shan, Onasi, and Revan proceeded to the bridge of the Leviathan to disable the ship's shields, deactivate the tractor beam, and unlock the door to the docking bay, while the remaining crew members headed directly to the docking bay to prepare the Ebon Hawk for departure.

By the time Malak arrived on the ship, Shan, Onasi, and Revan had already deactivated the tractor beam, resulting in Karath's death. Malak encountered the trio as they made their way to the docking bay, impeding their escape. Engaging in conversation with his three adversaries, Malak discovered that Revan still possessed no knowledge of his past as a Dark Lord. Amused, Malak revealed to Revan the truth about his former identity, which Shan confirmed to the shocked Revan. Malak then employed the Force to create a stasis field around Shan and Onasi and prepared to kill his former Master. However, Revan proved to be a skilled combatant, holding his own against the Dark Lord before being caught in stasis, rendering him defenseless. Meanwhile, Shan and Onasi were released from stasis, and Shan intervened to allow Revan and Onasi to escape, though her actions resulted in her defeat and capture by Malak.

After successfully capturing Shan aboard the Leviathan, Malak transported the Jedi to the Temple of the Ancients on Rakata Prime. Seeking to make Shan his apprentice in order to strengthen the Sith Empire's efforts with her battle meditation, Malak attempted to turn her to the dark side, subjecting her to torture with Force lightning. Shan initially remained resolute and resisted his efforts, but Malak insisted that it was not merely torture—it was an introduction to the power of the dark side that she could wield. Following a week of torture, Malak succeeded in breaking Shan's will, finally converting her to the dark side, and took her as his apprentice to replace the deceased Darth Bandon.

Eventually, the Star Forge exceeded the Sith's expectations, operating at three hundred percent capacity, and the space station added new ships to the Sith fleet daily. Malak was informed by Sith Admiral Varko that the fleet awaited the Dark Lord's instructions; the Sith Lord was confident that they would be invincible once Shan provided assistance with her battle meditation. Assuming victory, Malak shared his plans with Varko to initiate the final conquest of the Core Worlds, which would permanently cripple the Republic. However, Revan and his crew located the Star Forge and transmitted the space station's coordinates to Republic Admiral Forn Dodonna, enabling her to lead the Republic fleet and Jedi reinforcements, commanded by Jedi Master Vandar Tokare, in an attack against the Sith and their Star Forge.

After Revan and the Jedi breached the Star Forge's defenses, Malak was not surprised and ordered one of his Dark Jedi to deploy the Star Forge battle droids to confront them. However, Malak underestimated the Jedi, and the Dark Jedi Master returned with news of the droids' failure. Malak was initially astonished that any Jedi could withstand an army of Star Forge droids, but he was then informed that Revan was among the Jedi. Acknowledging Revan's power, Malak dispatched his forces and Dark Jedi to impede Revan's progress and buy enough time for the Sith Lord himself to fully prepare the Star Forge's defenses, knowing that his Sith troops would only delay Revan, not defeat him.

Malak summoned his new apprentice, Bastila Shan, and informed her that Revan was on the Star Forge. Shan experienced inner conflict due to her affection for Revan, but Malak declared that she would prove her worth as his apprentice by defeating the former Sith Lord, a task that Shan vowed to complete. The Dark Lord later pondered that Shan might defeat Revan, but even if she failed, it would provide the necessary time to fortify the Star Forge's defenses. However, Revan also persuaded Shan to return to the light side and assist the Republic through her battle meditation.

Malak—who was in the process of using the Force to choke two Jedi prisoners—was confronted by Revan outside the turbolift leading to the Star Forge's observation tower. Upon his former Master's arrival, the Dark Lord hurled his lightsaber into one of the Jedi and blasted the other with Force lightning, killing both. Revan offered Malak a chance to surrender, reminding the Dark Lord that the Jedi might show him mercy. However, Malak retorted that the erasure of an individual's identity was not an act of mercy and declared that he would rather die. The Sith Lord then unleashed his limitless army of Star Forge battle droids against Revan, using the opportunity to escape to the Star Forge's observation deck.

Revan managed to stop the droids from attacking him and followed Malak to the observation tower. Malak realized that his former Master's powers had surpassed those that he had possessed during his reign as the Dark Lord. Malak proclaimed his intention to break Revan's will and make his former Master his apprentice, as Revan would be a far more valuable asset than Shan and her battle meditation. However, Malak feared that Revan was too powerful to be his apprentice, believing that Revan would betray him should the former Sith Lord become the stronger of the two. After Revan retorted that he would not return to the dark side, the two engaged in a lightsaber duel, in which the victor, unlike in their previous encounters, would determine the fate of the galaxy.

Malak and Revan engaged in a fierce duel in the observation tower. However, Malak disengaged from the battle, explaining to his former Master that he could not be defeated. He then revealed to Revan that he had brought the bodies of eight Jedi from the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine to the Star Forge and explained that instead of allowing the deceased Jedi to become one with the Force, he had used the Star Forge to corrupt what remained of their Force energy. Malak employed the Force to drain the life force from one of the Jedi, transferring it to himself. After replenishing his vitality, Malak resumed his duel with Revan. However, the former Sith Lord freed as many of the captive Jedi as he could, allowing them to become one with the Force and depleting Malak's supply of energy.

Malak was eventually brought to his knees, mortally wounded. He began to regret turning to the dark side, and Revan apologized to his old friend for leading him down the dark path. Malak was reminded by his former Master that he had chosen to continue practicing the dark side, and Malak told Revan that perhaps there was more truth in the Jedi Code than he had ever believed. The dying Dark Lord realized that he alone had to accept responsibility for his fate. With his last words, Malak acknowledged that as the darkness consumed him, he was ultimately nothing. Malak died with sorrow and regret over his actions, but without hatred or malice toward Revan, his former closest friend. Malak's corpse was consumed by the flames of the collapsing Star Forge as the Republic fleet destroyed the ancient space station.

Two years following Darth Malak's demise and the defeat of his Sith Empire, Revan began to recover memories from his time as the Dark Lord and disappeared from known Republic space to seek out and defeat the Sith Emperor and his Sith Empire. Although Malak perished in his duel with Revan, that final confrontation was not the last time anyone saw of him.

Three years after Revan's disappearance, Meetra Surik, who had served as a Jedi General under Malak and Revan during the Mandalorian Wars, discovered the lost tomb of the ancient Sith Lord Ludo Kressh while exploring a shyrack cave on Korriban. Surik encountered visions from her past, the first of which was an apparition of the young Malak before his fall to the dark side. As Surik watched, Malak slowly enticed several Jedi to join his cause. When Surik refused to join him, Malak and the other apparitions attacked; however, Surik prevailed over the visions. Shortly after this, Surik defeated the Sith Triumvirate and their Sith forces, which comprised forces that had served under Malak's Sith Empire.

Revan never returned from the Unknown Regions, as he was captured by the true Sith Empire, and three centuries after Malak's death, the Sith Empire launched an offensive against the Republic. This ignited a war that spanned decades until the Sith Emperor signed a treaty with the Republic. Images of Malak were featured in four holographic records produced by the Kel Dor Jedi archivist Gnost-Dural—who investigated Malak and Revan's significance to the Sith Emperor whose forces had besieged the galaxy in Gnost-Dural's time—for the Jedi Archives. In addition, a collection of Darth Malak's writings, known as the Morrigan Scrolls, survived for some time after his death. Containing a wealth of Sith knowledge and tactics from the Jedi Civil War, the Morrigan Scrolls were worth thousands of credits to collectors who were aware of the work's significance.

The atrocities committed by Darth Malak overshadowed his positive contributions as a Jedi Knight in galactic history. While Revan was remembered and admired by many for his tactical genius and subtleties, and celebrated as a hero both before and after his corruption for winning the Mandalorian Wars and the Jedi Civil War, Malak, in contrast, was remembered by others, such as the Exchange crime boss G0-T0, as a brute who left the galaxy in disarray.

Many sentients speculated that the situation would have been different if Revan had remained the Dark Lord of the Sith, believing that Revan's strategies would have led to a stronger and more unified galaxy, while Malak's genocidal reign only further destabilized the galaxy and nearly undermined all of his former Master's original objectives. In contrast to Revan, Malak employed brute force and excessive violence rather than strategy to defeat his enemies, as demonstrated when he ordered the bombing of Telos IV, the destruction of Taris, and the bombing of Dantooine. The destruction caused by Malak exposed him as a monster who, despite his attempts to gain absolute power, was still inferior to Revan.

Malak was documented in historical texts of the Jedi Order, such as Gnost-Dural's journal of his historical research, completed in 3651 BBY, The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force, first released approximately in or after 990 BBY, and Jedi Master Tionne Solusar's Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force in 40 ABY. The Historical Council of the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances covered Malak in their comprehensive timeline of galactic history published in 36 ABY. He was also mentioned in the Book of Sith, a collection of Sith writings compiled by Darth Sidious in circa 19 BBY to 18 BBY.

Darth Malak possessed fair skin and stood at a height of two meters. His eyes were initially blue, and his hair was black. Later in life, as a Sith Lord, Malak became bald and his eyes turned gray. Malak's head was decorated with blue tattoos, which he acquired while assisting Zayne Carrick in clearing his name. He was fluent in both Galactic Basic Standard and the Sith language.

Before adopting the moniker "Malak," Alek was a hopeful young Jedi, known for his strong sense of justice which he shared with his mentor and close friend, Revan. Alek, convinced of the Jedi Order's inaction, chose to join Revan's fight against the Mandalorians, as he felt the Jedi Council was incapable of resolving the conflict. He was even prepared to embrace the dark side if it meant saving the light. Alek, convinced that the Council had failed to uphold the Jedi Order's pledge to protect peace and justice, not only joined Revan but also assisted in recruiting other Jedi, leveraging his influence and charisma to draw many to the Revanchist cause. Alek was not only honored to fight alongside Revan to defend the Republic, but he also sought to uphold its founding ideals, such as freedom and justice. Alek's belief was that he was fulfilling the Jedi Council's neglected duty: protecting the citizens of the Republic that the Jedi had sworn to defend.

Alek took the name Malak after aiding the fugitive Padawan Zayne Carrick in exposing the Jedi Covenant. He later explained to Jarael, an Arkanian female, and Marn Hierogryph, a Snivvian, that "Malak" represented more than just a name; it was the identity he felt destined to embody. After the Mandalorians had destroyed his life on Quelii, Malak had answered to names given to him by others, names that were not his own, because he no longer cared; Malak thought that because his home was gone, his identity no longer mattered. However, after becoming Malak, he came to believe that his identity did matter, as no one remained who knew him as Alek. He vowed that people would remember him as "Malak." Following a vision of the Mandalorians' genocide of the Cathar people, Malak became convinced that all Mandalorians were incapable of friendship, including Jarael and Carrick's companion Rohlan Dyre, who was actually Demagol. After the man Malak believed to be Demagol escaped following a staged trial on Coruscant, the Jedi led the hunt for the scientist. He directed his forces to detain and search every speeder for Demagol, disregarding citizens' rights and the various Coruscanti jurisdictions.

At Flashpoint Station, when Alek first encountered Jarael, he realized she was not a Jedi and implored Demagol to examine him instead, hoping to save Jarael from the torture. Soon after Carrick and Dyre successfully rescued the Jedi on the station, Alek requested that Jarael call him by his given name, rather than his nickname, Squint, when they next met. Alek further showed his protectiveness towards Jarael during Arkoh Adasca's auction of the exogorth superweapons. When Adasca struck Jarael for using her wrist comlink and insulted her, Alek reacted by igniting his lightsaber and threatening Adasca, declaring that Jarael was special and warning him against harming her again.

After ending Adasca's scheme and returning to Taris, Alek tried to begin a romantic relationship with Jarael. However, she was not ready, as recent events had left her vulnerable. He asked her to consider whether the timing was the issue, or if she simply did not want to be involved with him. After changing his name to "Malak" and helping to clear Carrick's name, he reunited with Jarael on Wor Tandell and attempted to persuade her to not only join the Revanchists, but to also pursue a romantic relationship with him. Following Malak's fight with Rohlan Dyre, who was in actuality Demagol, Carrick tricked Malak into thinking that he and Jarael were romantically involved. When Malak met with Carrick before Demagol's trial, the former Padawan informed Malak that he and Jarael had ended their relationship. Malak had expected the supposed relationship to fail, believing that Jarael would ultimately become involved with someone older and more established.

While many in the Republic attributed the Republic's success in the Mandalorian Wars to Revan's military strategies, others emphasized Malak's intense bravery and relentless aggression on the front lines of every battle as the critical factor in their victory. Because the victories during the Mandalorian Wars often involved significant moral compromises, Malak sensed that he was succumbing to the dark side but saw no other option. Fully aware of the horrors of war, he knew he would face this difficult choice. After Malak and Revan defeated the Mandalorians at Malachor V, Malak realized that all of their efforts would be futile without a strong leader in control of the galaxy. He felt that the only people he could trust were the soldiers he had fought alongside, believing them to be capable defenders. It was at this point that Malak truly understood the dark side, believing it to be named from the ignorance of never having killed and of never having to order friends to their deaths. Malak also thought the dark side was named from the ignorance of not experiencing the constant fear that each day could be one's last—all for cowards unwilling to fight for their own survival. He shared these thoughts with his closest friend, Revan, who agreed and fully understood his friend's perspective.

When Revan first showed Malak his assassin droid, HK-47, the droid immediately disliked him. During Malak's training under Revan, the droid informed him of his "meatbag status." While Malak was not amused by the droid's term, Revan found it funny and modified HK-47's programming to ensure the droid continued using the "meatbag" insult. This greatly frustrated Malak. After the Jedi Civil War, HK-47 viewed Malak as an angry bludgeon who engaged in excessive brutality and murder that seemed inefficient and often unnecessary. However, the Echani Handmaiden Brianna argued that Malak's destruction of Taris demonstrated his true nature through the operation's execution and intent. Brianna, who, like most Echani, understood people through their fighting style, believed that the razing of Taris showed Malak's dedication to defeating the Jedi, despite the act's brutality and lack of finesse.

Even after Malak's initial descent to the dark side, a part of him remained true to the Jedi way. As Revan began his search for the Star Forge, Malak was hesitant, knowing that following Revan further would mean forever abandoning his commitment to the Jedi and the Republic. Yet, despite further corruption by the dark side, Malak could never completely eliminate the good within him. Moments before his death from wounds inflicted by a redeemed Revan, the Dark Lord allowed himself to release his hate and anger, reflecting on how his life could have been different if he had not been corrupted by Revan as a Sith Lord—or if he had found the strength to reject the dark side and return to the light, as Revan had done. Malak died regretting his actions and without animosity towards his former friend.

During his time as a Jedi, Malak received training as a Jedi Guardian, focusing on lightsaber combat and the Force's physical aspects. Darth Malak eventually became known as one of the most skilled swordsmen of his era. In battle, he employed an aggressive, one-handed fighting style. During his torture sessions at Flashpoint Station under Demagol, Alek used the Force to suppress the pain Demagol inflicted. As a Jedi, Malak utilized the Force for protection and healing.

Later, as a Sith Lord, Malak used the Force to choke multiple people simultaneously. He demonstrated this ability to Revan before their final duel, choking two captured Jedi at once. Immediately afterward, he showcased his skills by throwing his lightsaber into the chest of one of the captured Jedi. Malak's Force strength allowed him to create a whirlwind of Force energy around his victims, and he could also create a Force stasis field to freeze enemies in place. He was skilled in using the Force to augment his speed and to suppress the abilities of other Force users. Malak could make himself nearly invulnerable to most Force powers for a short time and could also leap great distances to reach his opponents.

Darth Malak could amplify his screams, creating shock waves that resonated through the Force. He also used the Force to tap into his deepest fears, pain, and hate, converting them into intense anger that enhanced his speed, strength, and ferocity. Malak's connection to the dark side allowed him to use Dark Healing, an ability that boosted his regenerative processes by draining the life force of others. He was skilled in Sith sorcery. As a Sith, Malak was proficient in Force lightning, which he used effortlessly while torturing Bastila Shan and dueling Revan aboard the Star Forge.

Malak's willpower appeared to rival Revan's. During their travels, he resisted the overwhelming influence of the Star Maps and Malachor V, as well as the vast emptiness of Nathema. After seizing control of the Star Forge, the factory's production capacity increased to 300%, and he could command it more effectively than his former Master.

As a Jedi Knight, Malak wore red Jedi robes and wielded a lightsaber with a blue crystal. As the Dark Lord of the Sith, Malak wore tight, red-orange body armor that emphasized his physique, along with a half-cape of black cloth, and used a self-built lightsaber that emitted a red blade longer than standard lightsabers. Malak also possessed a powerful Sith sword recovered from Korriban, though he rarely used it in battle.

Malak later wore a large metal shield covering his face from his upper lip down, to protect a lightsaber wound inflicted by Darth Revan that had completely severed his lower jaw. A vocabulator allowed Malak to speak, but his voice had a harsh electronic tone, which was unsettling because his cybernetic jaw did not move.

BioWare created Darth Malak as the primary villain for their 2003 video game, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, with Rafael Ferrer providing his voice. Malak's name came from the word "malice." According to James Ohlen, the video game's lead designer, the designers at BioWare realized they needed a compelling antagonist as they developed their initial story about Revan. BioWare created Malak to help explain why and how Revan, the game's protagonist, lost his power and memories.

A character named Alek or "Squint" who shared traits with Malak appeared in issue 0 of John Jackson Miller's 2006 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic comic series, published on March 1, 2006, leading fans to speculate that Alek and Darth Malak were the same person. This was confirmed with the release of the reference book Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force in 2007. Miller, who also wrote the Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide, released on August 19, 2008, confirmed in his production notes that he had always intended to transform Alek into Malak.

In a Q&A session on his blog, Miller said that the Jedi was closer in age to Jarael—who was born in 3988 BBY—and that Malak was older than Zayne Carrick. In his production notes for the thirty-first issue of the comic, released on July 23, 2008, Miller stated that Malak's immigration experience was inspired by Vito Corleone from The Godfather movies, who adopted the name of his Italian hometown when he immigrated to the United States. Miller later disclosed that Alek's surname, "Squinquargesimus," was not his real name but was assigned by Republic immigration officials.

According to his entry in the Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide, Malak held the title "Sith Magnus." Abel G. Peña, who wrote Malak's entry, stated on his official StarWars.com thread that the "Sith Magnus" was a canonical rank, but he could not yet explain its meaning. In the introduction of the Knights of the Old Republic video game, Malak is described as Revan's last surviving apprentice. However, other sources state that Malak was Revan's only apprentice.

The light-side ending, in which Revan defeats Malak and destroys the Star Forge, is considered the canonical ending. However, in the dark-side ending for Knights of the Old Republic, Revan succumbs to the dark side at the Temple of the Ancients on Rakata Prime. He and Bastila Shan, now loyal to him, board the Star Forge and head to the command center. Revan confronts Malak on the Star Forge's observation deck after killing three of the Dark Lord's Dark Jedi and defeating the Star Forge droids. Revan ultimately defeats Malak, reclaiming his title as Dark Lord of the Sith.

While some artwork depicts Malak with brown eyes, both the Knights of the Old Republic video game and Celebration IV's exclusive bust of Malak show him with gray eyes. In the Jedi Exile's vision of Malak in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, the 2005 sequel to the original game, Malak wields a lightsaber with a red blade. However, the 2004 strategy guide for The Sith Lords states that Malak's lightsaber contained a violet crystal and could be found in the game. An item found in The Sith Lords is "Darth Malak's armor," which looks different from the armor Malak wears in the first game.

An easter egg in the Xbox version of Knights of the Old Republic allows players to transform Malak into a green-skinned female Twi'lek dancer and bypass the final battle. Darth Malak appears in Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, a 2015 mobile game by Electronic Arts.