Freedon Nadd

Four centuries prior to the Great Sith War's commencement, Freedon Nadd emerged on the Jedi Library world of Ossus to commence his Jedi training. Upon his initial arrival, the Jedi Masters on Ossus were astonished by the degree of knowledge and skill that Nadd exhibited through his command of the Force. Similarly, the Masters were also impressed with his receptiveness and dedication to achieving universal harmony. Under his teachers' direction, Nadd learned to willingly place his trust in the Force and immerse himself in its essence. Many of the Masters on Ossus actively participated in Nadd's training, including Odan-Urr, the founder of the Great Jedi Library. Nadd's instructors concurred that he would attain the rank of Jedi Master far more rapidly than any previous student—if not in technique, then in comprehension of the Force.

Nadd's initial trial, however, manifested unexpectedly when the time came to elevate several apprentices to the rank of Jedi Knight. He firmly believed that his own promotion to Knight was imminent, but was shocked when the Masters overlooked him entirely. With their final judgment rendered, Nadd's world seemed to crumble around him. As he pondered the situation, feelings of pain and despair began to darken his mind. He could not grasp why the Masters had not promoted him in recognition of the progress and diligence he had demonstrated during his tenure on Ossus. Being denied the rank of Jedi Knight ignited a profound internal conflict within Nadd's psyche.

Perplexed about the Jedi Masters' expectations, Nadd sought guidance from his Master, Matta Tremayne. As the lightsaber combat instructor of the Jedi Order, Tremayne devoted much of her time to practicing lightsaber sequences with flawless precision in a garden on the outskirts of Ossus City. Nadd was drawn to her sense of tranquility and harmony with the universe, which he could perceive through the Force. Believing she could guide him toward meeting the other Masters' expectations, Nadd positioned himself just outside the garden where Tremayne was executing a flawless rhythm of lightsaber movements. Growing impatient that the elderly woman had not acknowledged his presence, Nadd resolved to await her attention—however, after observing her practice for thirty minutes without any acknowledgement, Nadd erupted with the frustration that had been building since the Knighting ceremony. In a swift motion, Master Tremayne brought her lightsaber to within mere centimeters of Nadd's chest. With Nadd stunned by her sudden acknowledgement, Tremayne resumed her practice motions. This action, however, further aggravated Nadd, and he stormed away from the garden.

As Nadd hastily departed, Tremayne called out to him, explaining that the Masters could not reveal to him what he needed to do—he had to discern what was required for himself and learn from that experience. Tremayne further clarified that until then, he would not be promoted to the rank of Jedi Knight. Nadd's frustration morphed into pure anger, and he accused Tremayne and the other Masters of being reluctant to share their knowledge, and therefore any power they possessed in the Force. Nadd then proclaimed himself a Jedi, one who did not require the Masters' permission. He vowed to become the greatest Jedi ever, but Tremayne interrupted him by igniting her lightsaber, challenging Nadd to prove that he deserved the power he claimed. He responded in kind, and a violent duel ensued, during which Nadd struggled to keep pace with his Master's combat skills. After several exchanges, Nadd identified and exploited an opening in Tremayne's defenses, bringing his lightsaber down in a fatal blow. At that moment, Tremayne gazed into Nadd's eyes, and he was overcome by a sudden sense of calm. The entire confrontation had been a test orchestrated by Tremayne, and Nadd realized this at the last instant before his lightsaber struck the wizened Master. He attempted to halt the blade of his descending lightsaber, but to no avail; Tremayne, who had deactivated her own weapon, was struck and killed instantly, leaving only her Jedi robes behind as she vanished into the Force.

Initially, Nadd was overwhelmed with remorse for his actions as he stared at the empty robe that had moments before contained Matta Tremayne. However, as Nadd continued to dwell on what had transpired, his anger surged to new heights. He believed that the Masters had chosen the wrong method to test him, and that Tremayne had brought about her own demise by toying with him. Convinced that she was responsible for all the pain and rage he was experiencing, Nadd allowed his anger to draw him further toward the dark side of the Force. He abandoned Ossus in a fit of rage, believing that the Masters had designed the tests to expel him from the Order. With thoughts of vengeance clouding his judgment and fueling his anger, Nadd set his starship's course for the heart of the old Sith Empire, believing that he could find the retribution he sought by becoming a servant of the dark side. Freedon Nadd no longer aspired to be the greatest Jedi ever known; instead, he sought to become the most powerful Sith sorcerer who had ever lived.

Nadd journeyed to the region of space where the Sith Empire had once held sway. His quest for the Sith initially led him to the planet Ashas Ree, where he rediscovered the original Sith holocron: that of King Adas, which had been lost centuries earlier by a Sith Lord named Garu. Rumors then prompted Nadd to continue his search across the vastness of the old empire, but when he failed to locate any members of the original Sith species, disillusionment threatened to prematurely end his journey. His fortunes finally improved when he learned of the legendary Dark Lord Naga Sadow and his forced exile on Yavin 4. Nadd set a course for the jungle moon, hoping to find the Lord of the Ancient Sith.

Upon landing on Yavin 4, Nadd encountered the Massassi, a Sith subspecies that had been alchemically bred by Sadow himself generations ago. They immediately attacked him, but the power Nadd had acquired during his expedition served him well, and the Massassi deemed him worthy of Naga Sadow's attention. Nadd was led to Yavin's Great Temple, where he awakened Sadow from his centuries-long slumber. The Dark Lord recognized that Nadd was a prime candidate for his dark legacy and took the fallen Jedi as his Sith apprentice. Nadd absorbed all he could from Sadow, even mastering his teachings in the magic of the Sith. However, Nadd's training eventually reached a standstill because, according to tradition, only one being could hold the title of Dark Lord of the Sith—a position Sadow still occupied. When he believed he had learned everything Sadow had to offer, Nadd compiled his accumulated knowledge into a holocron of his own design. He then assassinated Sadow and declared himself the new Dark Lord of the Sith.

After acquiring numerous artifacts from ancient Sith ruins, Nadd sought a world to conquer. He traveled to Onderon where, using the knowledge he had gained from studying Adas's holocron, he overthrew the planet's existing rulers and seized the throne as king. Nadd transformed Onderonian culture, imbuing it with Sith lore and magic. Although his reign was brutal and oppressive, his teachings were widely embraced by the Onderonian populace. He governed from the planet's sole settlement, the city of Iziz, a walled stronghold that shielded Onderon's inhabitants from the ferocious predators that had migrated to the planet from its fourth moon, Dxun. Nadd aided the Onderonians in developing advanced technology to repel the beasts and, later, those who rejected his Sith teachings. The penalty for anyone who defied Nadd and his decrees was exile from Iziz, leaving them vulnerable to the monstrous creatures from which the walled city provided protection. However, these outcasts managed to tame the creatures of Onderon's wilderness, becoming the Beast Riders, with whom Nadd engaged in a prolonged civil war. Despite years of conflict, the Beast Riders continued to pose a threat to Iziz, and even Freedon Nadd's power was insufficient to subdue them.

Onderon endured Freedon Nadd's unwavering dominion for over a century. Reports of his tyranny eventually reached the Jedi Order, who sought to liberate Onderon from his rule. A team of Knights was dispatched to confront the Sith Lord, and after a fierce battle, Freedon Nadd and his forces were defeated.

Darkness permeated Onderon for centuries following Freedon Nadd's death, as his spirit lingered in the physical realm, continuing to exert influence over the planet's inhabitants. His tomb, located deep beneath the palace of Iziz, became a nexus of dark side energy, and adherence to the Sith way grew on Onderon as Nadd's lineage expanded. The rulers of Iziz consistently honed their skills in the presence of Nadd's spirit, and the Dark Lord readily assisted those who summoned him from Chaos with the intention of studying Sith sorcery. One such individual was Ommin, a direct descendant of Nadd's who, after ascending to the throne as king of Onderon, appealed to the Dark Lord to complete his Sith indoctrination. For many years, Nadd instructed Ommin in the arts of Sith sorcery, a secret concealed from the King's wife, Queen Amanoa. When she finally discovered the connection between Nadd and her husband, Amanoa fell into despair. Nadd, however, patiently awaited the Queen's depression to transform into loathing, which then evolved into anger and, eventually, a deep-seated hatred for Ommin's dark side devotion. It was at this point that the Dark Lord began to convert Amanoa into an agent of the Sith, as he had done with her husband.

Nadd's ultimate objective was to resurrect himself physically. By effectively teaching his descendants, he hoped to find a worthy candidate to learn the alchemical practices of his late Master Naga Sadow and use them to create a body to house his spirit. To ensure that Ommin or Amanoa achieved the necessary strength, Nadd pitted them against each other. Years passed before Ommin's advancement in Sith power caused him to lose control of his body completely, forcing him to withdraw from Onderonian affairs to seek medical attention. Amanoa assumed full control of Iziz, and her relentless persecution of the Beast Riders pushed the conflict to the brink of all-out war. Nadd then realized that the couple had failed him: Ommin would never be strong enough to fulfill his dream, and Amanoa would cease her studies once her husband could no longer compete with her.

Hoping to sway the queen back to her studies, Freedon Nadd made his presence known to Amanoa during a Sith ritual, cautioning her that the full eruption of the Beast Wars would lead to her demise. However, Amanoa misinterpreted Nadd's intentions entirely. In a desperate bid to quell the civil strife, the queen sought assistance from the protectors of the Galactic Republic, the Jedi Knights. A team, with Ulic Qel-Droma at its helm, arrived on Onderon. When negotiations broke down, Amanoa invoked the power of Freedon Nadd to bolster her forces in the subsequent clash against the combined might of the Jedi and Beast Riders. Amidst the ensuing chaos, Amanoa retreated to Nadd's tomb and channeled the Dark Lord's power to support the Naddists against their adversaries. For a time, Nadd lent aid to his adherents, but the arrival and intervention of Jedi Master Arca Jeth shifted the advantage to the Beast Riders. After the Jedi discovered his tomb beneath the palace, Nadd's influence was banished from Iziz. Consequently, the darkness was purged from Amanoa, resulting in her death.

It was at this juncture that King Ommin, having learned of his wife's defeat and death at the hands of the Jedi and Beast Riders, stirred Freedon Nadd's spirit from Chaos. United in purpose, they plotted to reclaim Iziz and exact vengeance upon their greatest foe, Arca Jeth. Under Nadd's guidance, Ommin amassed a new army composed of the Dark Lord's devotees, led by Nadd's personal guardian and apprentice, a Dark Jedi named Warb Null. Their scheme involved ambushing the Jedi during preparations to relocate both Nadd's sarcophagus and Amanoa's remains to Onderon's fourth moon, Dxun. As the funeral procession commenced, the Naddist army launched their assault. They successfully retrieved the sarcophagi of Nadd and Amanoa before retreating, prompting the Jedi to pursue them to their underground lair, where they were confronted by the spirit of Freedon Nadd himself. King Ommin was also present, and while Warb Null diverted Ulic Qel-Droma, the Dark Lord and the king captured Arca Jeth. Together, they devised a plan to torture Jeth to the edge of sanity, hoping to compel him to renounce the Jedi path and embrace the dark side of the Force.

As Freedon Nadd and King Ommin worked to corrupt Arca Jeth, the remaining Jedi Knights reached out to their Order on Ossus, requesting aid from the Galactic Senate in addressing the Naddist insurgency on Onderon. The Republic Navy, accompanied by a contingent of Jedi Knights, arrived to confront the dark side army, besieging Iziz in the process. During the battle, two aristocrats from the Empress Teta system, Satal and Aleema Keto, journeyed to Onderon with a stolen Sith spellbook, seeking King Ommin in the hope of unlocking its secrets. Their meeting was brief, as the reinforced Jedi Knights stormed the King's stronghold shortly after he acquired the book, freeing Arca Jeth. Recognizing that his pawn was no match for the Jedi, Nadd withdrew his support from Ommin, leaving him to face his enemies alone. However, the Dark Lord took notice of the Ketos, seeing in them the potential to perpetuate the Sith legacy. He returned their spellbook and bestowed upon them a collection of other Sith artifacts, including several amulets and a pair of Sith swords. After guiding the young Tetans to safety, Nadd's spirit returned to the Jedi and the dying Ommin. He personally terminated the King and declared the defeat of the Jedi, but Master Jeth invoked the light and banished Nadd's spirit, finally cleansing Onderon of the dark side's influence.

After the conflict on Onderon, the remains of Freedon Nadd, King Ommin, and Queen Amanoa were transported to a new tomb located on the far side of Dxun, constructed from nearly indestructible Mandalorian iron. The Jedi hoped that the moon's native predators and the tomb's isolated location would dissuade potential grave robbers and treasure hunters from attempting to access Nadd's power. The mausoleum was also stocked with many of the Sith artifacts that had once belonged to Nadd, and had since been in the late King Ommin's possession. The Jedi collected and cataloged several of the relics for transport to the Great Jedi Library on Ossus. During this period, Nadd's ghost materialized before Ulic Qel-Droma, warning the Jedi not to interfere with the machinations of the dark side. When Qel-Droma tried to dismiss the Sith spirit, Nadd condemned him and delivered an ominous prophecy foretelling the return of the Sith and Qel-Droma's destiny as one of them. He then departed from Onderon and established his presence in his new tomb on Dxun.

While Nadd's spirit primarily dwelled within his tomb, he frequently appeared to his new apprentices, Aleema and Satal Keto, providing them with extensive training in Sith magic. They evolved into formidable sorcerers and, under the guise of their newly formed Krath cult, employed their newfound abilities to orchestrate a political upheaval within their home system's government. Subsequently, the Krath initiated a jihad against the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order. Lord Satal Keto masterminded the successful ambush of a Jedi mass-gathering on the planet Deneba, resulting in the death of Freedon Nadd's old adversary, Arca Jeth. Jeth's demise ignited a desire for vengeance in Ulic Qel-Droma, who embarked on a mission to infiltrate the Krath in an attempt to dismantle them from within. In doing so, he slew Lord Keto and succumbed to the dark side of the Force—just as Freedon Nadd had foreseen.

While the teachings of Freedon Nadd bestowed upon Aleema and Satal Keto powers that enabled them to unleash chaos across the galaxy, another ambitious Jedi became consumed by a curiosity for knowledge pertaining to the ancient Sith. After discovering the legend of Freedon Nadd from a Jedi holocron, Exar Kun abandoned his Master, Vodo-Siosk Baas, and embarked on a quest to Onderon in search of Sith secrets. Kun's initial attempts to acquire Nadd's artifacts from the Jedi on Onderon were thwarted, compelling him to seek assistance elsewhere, specifically from two Naddist sympathizers he encountered on the streets of Iziz. The two men, Rask and Nebo, escorted Kun to Freedon Nadd's tomb on Dxun, where he managed to breach the structure's nearly impenetrable walls with his lightsaber to gain entry. He explored the crypt and, in the process, disturbed the spirit of Freedon Nadd. Recognizing Kun's insatiable hunger for greater power, the Dark Lord realized that this man presented an opportunity to achieve his ultimate goal of physical resurrection. Nadd instructed Exar Kun to reach into his sarcophagus and retrieve the Sith scroll concealed beneath his corpse, instructing the Jedi to travel to Korriban, the ancestral homeworld of the Sith.

Nadd's spirit next encountered Exar Kun as he was being assailed by the guardian spirits of Korriban's Valley of the Dark Lords. When the besieged Jedi pleaded with Nadd for help, the spirit directed Kun to seek refuge in a dilapidated Sith temple. However, this was a deception; Nadd trapped Kun inside by sealing off the entrance behind him and compelling him to venture deeper into the temple. As they progressed, the Dark Lord explained that the temple was saturated with the power of countless long-dead Sith. Nadd led him before a crystal obelisk, which he revealed to be the final resting place for the tormented souls of Jedi Masters who had once opposed the Dark Lords and failed. When Kun inquired whether Nadd intended to release the trapped spirits from their imprisonment, the Dark Lord reminded him that he was not a savior of Jedi, but rather their destroyer. He reinforced this declaration by collapsing the roof upon Kun, crushing every bone in the Jedi's body. Kun then attempted to contact his former Master, Vodo-Siosk Baas, through the Force for assistance, but Nadd intervened when he realized that the Krevaaki was trying to save his student. He unleashed the power of the dark side upon Baas, severing the connection between him and Kun. Nadd now held the broken man precisely where he desired. He asserted that if Kun wished to survive, the only power capable of saving him was that of the dark side. Nadd rebuked Kun each time he refused to fully submit. Left with no other recourse, the fallen Jedi finally surrendered to the dark side and, through its power, was healed. Nadd then accepted Kun as his Sith apprentice.

Following Kun's recovery, Nadd guided him further through the temple, instructing the Jedi to decipher the inscriptions on the walls, hieroglyphic symbols written in the language of the ancient Sith species. One inscription provided a detailed account of Nadd's own Sith Master, Naga Sadow, and his final residence on Yavin 4. Nadd revealed to Kun that the next stage of his enlightenment would transpire there. Before their departure, Nadd stated that the lingering spirits of the deceased Dark Lords, with whom he had been in constant communication, required an assessment of Kun's newly declared allegiance to the dark side. He stood by as Tuk'ata hounds—Force-sensitive abominations that roamed the temple's halls and preyed upon intruders—attacked his apprentice. Nadd confiscated the Dark Jedi's lightsaber and demanded that Kun wield his newfound power. Initially hesitant, Kun ultimately succumbed to his anger and slaughtered all of the beasts. Freedon Nadd, along with his fellow Sith spirits, was finally satisfied that his new student had embraced the Sith way, declaring that Exar Kun had become one with the dark side of the Force.

Nadd next encountered his new student on Yavin 4, after Kun had been captured by the moon's native Massassi warriors. Nadd trailed them as they led the Dark Jedi into Naga Sadow's temple, where Kun was prepared as a sacrifice to its guardian Sith wyrm. The specter commanded his reluctant apprentice to utilize the power that was now his to command, and Kun finally relented. He used the Force to seize a Sith amulet from the shattered statue of Naga Sadow, which amplified his power exponentially. Nadd observed as Kun freed himself and obliterated the monstrosity and several Massassi, prompting the remaining Sith to bow before him in submission. Nadd was immensely pleased, having finally discovered a being with the necessary power to execute the alchemical processes required to create a physical body for him. However, upon revealing his true intentions to Exar Kun, he was betrayed. The Dark Jedi had grown weary of Nadd's constant presence and refused to assist him outright. He then tested the amulet's power by attacking the Sith spirit with a blast of Force energy. When Nadd recoiled in pain from the assault, Kun unleashed a full-strength blast that fatally wounded the Dark Lord. In the throes of a second death, Nadd appeared one last time before Aleema and Satal Keto, warning them of the threat now posed by Exar Kun's tremendous power. He named them, along with Ulic Qel-Droma, as the inheritors of his Sith legacy, before fading into Chaos for a second and final time.

Each individual who had become entangled with Freedon Nadd following his final defeat on Onderon went on to become influential figures in the galaxy as they delved deeper into the dark path and sought to perpetuate the ways of the Sith. The most prominent among them was Exar Kun, who ascended to the title of Dark Lord of the Sith alongside Ulic Qel-Droma. Kun then combined his resources with those of Qel-Droma's and Aleema Keto's Krath cult, forming the Brotherhood of the Sith, which subsequently ignited the galaxy-spanning conflict known as the Great Sith War.

Approximately fifty years after Freedon Nadd's spiritual demise, his tomb on Dxun was occupied by the forces of the Sith Triumvirate under the Dark Lord Darth Nihilus. The Onderon Civil War erupted that same year, and Nihilus's Sith aligned themselves with a general named Vaklu, the rival and cousin of Onderon's Queen Talia—a direct descendant of Freedon Nadd. This alliance posed a threat to the united Neo-Crusaders of Mandalore the Preserver, whose base was situated near Nadd's tomb on Dxun. The Mandalorians eventually discovered the Sith camp near the tomb, dispatching three companions of Meetra Surik to investigate. They breached the Sith defenses and eliminated a group of Dark Jedi and Sith Lords who were performing a ritual to control the beasts in Iziz, specifically a large drexl they intended to use to infiltrate Queen Talia's throne room. The Jedi Exile's allies ransacked Freedon Nadd's sarcophagus, taking several of his possessions, including his shoto.

The sorcery practiced by Freedon Nadd later served as the means by which another Sith Lord learned to manipulate the dark side of the Force. Following the conclusion of the New Sith Wars in 1000 BBY, Darth Bane, the last surviving Dark Lord of the Sith in the galaxy, visited Nadd's tomb. Bane unearthed Nadd's holocron on Dxun and studied it extensively, only to find himself unable to grasp the intricacies of Sith magic. Instead, Nadd's teachings were acquired by Bane's apprentice, Zannah, who mastered all of the spells contained within the device. Zannah subsequently employed Nadd's magic in a duel to defeat her Master, enabling her to continue his nascent Order of Sith Lords in the manner that Bane had established. Thus, millennia after his death, Freedon Nadd's influence contributed to the advancement of the reformed Sith Order, which ultimately annihilated the Jedi and elevated the dark side to prominence in the form of a Sith-ruled Galactic Empire.

In his younger years, Freedon Nadd was a bright, cheerful young man, possessing a deep appreciation for life. However, he was also a man utterly convinced of his own prowess in comprehending and manipulating the Force, and with such assurance, he aspired to become the greatest Jedi of all time. He felt certain that he would be granted the title of Jedi Knight, but when the Masters on Ossus denied him promotion, Nadd was deeply shaken. His inability to grasp the reasons behind the Masters' decision gave rise to an anger that rapidly intensified. When he sought answers from his own mentor, Matta Tremayne, he refused to accept her explanation: that the path to self-discovery was one he had to traverse alone.

Nadd's descent into darkness commenced with the slaying of Matta Tremayne, whom Nadd blamed for the emotional distress he experienced due to being denied Jedi Knighthood. In his arrogance, Nadd refused to accept responsibility for his Master's death, instead attributing her demise to her own actions. Consumed by anger and festering hatred following his fall to the dark side, Nadd became solely focused on exacting revenge upon the entire Jedi Order. He pursued his objective with unwavering determination, amassing a vast repository of dark side knowledge in his ambition to become the most powerful Sith sorcerer to ever exist.

As Freedon Nadd grew in power and understanding, he came to believe that the Force existed solely to serve him. He felt that once an individual had embraced the dark side, the two became inseparable. After transitioning from a follower of the light to a Master of the Sith, he embraced the belief that he and his servants would ultimately triumph over the Jedi through the dark side. He even asserted that the Jedi harbored a deep-seated fear of its power. After assuming the mantle of Dark Lord, he developed a craving for conquest, selecting the planet Onderon as his domain. The planet's inhabitants were compelled to worship him, and dissent was not tolerated. Those who refused to acknowledge his authority were banished from Iziz and left to the mercy of the beasts inhabiting Onderon's wilderness. He also established a bloodline to ensure continued dominion over Onderon even after his death.

As Dark Lord of the Sith, Freedon Nadd donned heavy battle armor and a helmet that also served as the crown symbolizing his kingship. The dark side's poisonous influence visibly affected Nadd, leaving his flesh blanched and withered beneath his protective coverings. When he ultimately passed into Chaos, Nadd refused to sever his ties to the physical realm. Despite admitting his powerlessness in spirit form, Nadd was still capable of influencing the living world through his Sith devotees. His spirit continued to direct the actions of the Onderonian people for his own purposes, and they unquestioningly submitted to the Dark Lord's demands for loyalty. He readily assisted those who sought his wisdom, fortifying them in dark side magic. However, he was careful not to impart enough Sith wisdom to allow his disciples to surpass him in power. The primary reason for Nadd sharing his knowledge was to identify an individual whose skill would eventually reach the level necessary to create a physical body for Nadd through Sith alchemy, enabling the Dark Lord to be resurrected and once again wield the full power of the dark side. He actively encouraged King Ommin and Queen Amanoa to reach their full potential through competition, hoping that one of them would become powerful enough to realize his plan. When he realized that neither Ommin nor Amanoa would ever attain the level of ability he required, Nadd abandoned them both to the mercy of the Jedi. Nadd was also prone to moments of sinister laughter when his schemes appeared to be unfolding as planned.

Freedon Nadd amassed a significant collection of antiquities as he immersed himself further in the ways of the Sith. Initially, he possessed the holocrons of King Adas and Darth Andeddu. By the time of King Ommin's reign over Onderon, Nadd had bestowed upon his descendant a plethora of amulets, tomes, and other artifacts, all imbued with the power of Sith magic. Upon Ommin's death, the Jedi confiscated the majority of Nadd's relics and stored them within Nadd's tomb on Dxun. However, several items eluded the Jedi's attempts to catalogue them, including two Sith swords that Nadd's spirit bequeathed to Satal and Aleema Keto as they fled capture in Iziz. Another item, a priceless Sith scroll detailing the downfall of Nadd's Sith Master, was concealed beneath the remains of Nadd's former self and was given by the Dark Lord to his final apprentice, Exar Kun.

Freedon Nadd was a scholar of the Force, impressing the Jedi Masters on Ossus with his effortless command over it. Even before commencing his Jedi training, Nadd demonstrated the ability to wield many of the powers commanded by the Jedi Masters themselves, and more. His teachers believed that such intuitiveness would surely see Nadd join their ranks sooner than any student before him. His skill with a lightsaber was nearly on par with that of his Master, Matta Tremayne, whom Nadd was still able to kill, albeit only after Tremayne ceased defending herself. The murder of Master Tremayne, combined with a thirst for power, led Freedon Nadd to the dark side, where he gained access to more violent and corrupting uses of the Force. The holocrons of King Adas and Darth Andeddu provided his initial knowledge base, and further study under Naga Sadow transformed Nadd into a master of Sith sorcery. Sith magic was the means by which Nadd eliminated Sadow when the Dark Lord was no longer useful, and it was also the power Nadd invoked to aid in the conquest of Onderon. The Dark Lord recorded the entirety of his knowledge within his own holocron, a device that would contribute to the tutelage of the Sith apprentice Darth Zannah some three thousand years later. Also contained within Nadd's holocron was his extensive knowledge regarding the orbalisk parasites of Dxun, crustaceans that thrived on the power of the dark side of the Force.

Despite his sickly appearance, Nadd remained a formidable force. Countless Jedi fell in battle to his short bronze-bladed lightsaber, and many more were destroyed by his personal blaster. Nadd's very presence on Onderon saturated its atmosphere with the dark side so thoroughly that the planet remained under its influence even after Nadd's physical death. Both his sarcophagus and tomb became focal points of dark side energy, radiating so intensely that Force-sensitives in close proximity were immediately affected. Darksiders became empowered, while followers of the light felt stifled in the Force, as if suffocated by the dark side. When confronted by the power of Arca Jeth, Nadd's influence was unable to withstand the Jedi Master's presence and was driven from Iziz—temporarily.

In contrast to his future apprentice, Nadd possessed sufficient strength to withstand and repel the Massassi when they confronted him. This display of power ultimately led to Naga Sadow considering him worthy. The spirit of Nadd, retaining a portion of his former might, continued to wield influence over his descendants, who governed Onderon in his name. The Dark Lord's spectral form could traverse the galaxy at will, moving between celestial bodies. Nadd demonstrated prophetic abilities by foretelling the destinies of both Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma. He could also manipulate the Force to unleash dark side attacks on his enemies, a power he employed to thwart Vodo-Siosk Baas's attempts to prevent Exar Kun's corruption. Nadd also had the ability to heal with the Force, which he used to further convince Exar Kun of the dark side's superiority. However, Exar Kun ultimately extinguished Freedon Nadd's spirit with a powerful blast of Force energy that Nadd was unable to defend against.

Tom Veitch conceived the character of Freedon Nadd for the second installment of the initial Tales of the Jedi narrative arc, Ulic Qel-Droma and the Beast Wars of Onderon from 1993. Making Star Wars Comics Come Alive, an interview featuring Veitch, Tales of the Jedi artist Chris Gossett, and editor Dan Thorsland, delved into the creative process behind the Tales of the Jedi series. Thorsland emphasized the importance of Freedon Nadd and the events unfolding on Onderon within the context of Tales of the Jedi, including the planned resolution of the situation in an upcoming Tales of the Jedi special. The subsequent release of The Freedon Nadd Uprising story arc, as Thorsland elaborated in Making Star Wars Comics Come Alive, marked the conclusion of Freedon Nadd's involvement with Onderon. The Freedon Nadd Uprising did not portray Nadd alive, but rather as a mummified corpse, a form in which he continued to appear, alongside his spectral presence, in the subsequent Dark Lords of the Sith narrative arc. Nadd also featured in both Tales of the Jedi audio dramas, with the first adapting Ulic Qel-Droma and the Beast Wars of Onderon and The Freedon Nadd Uprising. He received passing mentions in two issues of The Sith War story arc, as well as in Legacy of the Force: Invincible, the final novel in the Star Wars: Legacy of the Force series. His corpse, sarcophagus, and tomb were all depicted in The Sith Lords, the sequel to the Knights of the Old Republic video game.

The character of Freedon Nadd was reintroduced through mentions in Bane of the Sith, a short story penned by Kevin J. Anderson, another contributor to Tales of the Jedi, for Star Wars Gamer #3. Nadd subsequently appeared as the guardian of his holocron in Darth Bane: Rule of Two, which provided details about his physical appearance during his lifetime. West End Games' Tales of the Jedi Companion sourcebook offered an extensive account of Freedon Nadd's background. Additional information regarding Nadd's origins was presented in various issues of The Official Star Wars Fact File and The Dark Side Sourcebook. While his name appears in connection with other entities in numerous other sources, Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force provided a more comprehensive overview of Nadd's history.

Conflicting accounts exist in several sources regarding the nature of Freedon Nadd's relationship with Matta Tremayne and the circumstances surrounding his departure from Naga Sadow. The most recent of these sources, 2008's Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, identifies Matta Tremayne as Nadd's Jedi Master and asserts definitively that Nadd eliminated Sadow before leaving Yavin 4.