Kas'im

Kas'im's early life began in slavery on the world of Nal Hutta. At a very tender age, he was taken away from his parents when he was bought at auction by another Twi'lek named Na'daz. Na'daz, a Sith Lord, sensed the power of the Force within Kas'im, even though the boy was so young he could barely walk, demonstrating his presence. Master Na'daz then brought him to Ryloth, where the Twi'lek child became his apprentice and began his training. Kas'im never saw his parents again, and he retained no memories of them in his later years.

Na'daz was a highly skilled lightsaber duelist, a skill he passed on to Kas'im by teaching him how to use the double-bladed lightsaber. Eventually, Kas'im surpassed his master in strength in the dark side and also in lightsaber combat. Once he had learned everything he could from Na'daz, Kas'im challenged him to a duel, killing him and taking his curved-hilt lightsaber as a trophy.

When Lord Kaan established his Brotherhood of Darkness, he invited all surviving Dark Lords to join him, including Kas'im. The Twi'lek embraced Kaan's vision for the Sith, believing that his promise of equality among Dark Lords would put an end to the infighting that had repeatedly diminished their numbers throughout history. Kas'im's training under Na'daz had instilled in him a strong belief in the strength of arms, and he believed that the Brotherhood's new approach would allow them to crush the Jedi through sheer numbers. Consequently, he joined the many Sith who followed Kaan's lead. Given Kas'im's unparalleled dueling skills, Kaan appointed him Blademaster at the Sith Academy on Korriban, which served as the training center for all apprentices deemed strong enough in the Force to become Dark Lords.

The Twi'lek took on the responsibility of training every apprentice in lightsaber combat, instructing them in techniques from all seven forms. The Blademaster would analyze each student's basic style and assign them a key form to learn. The students were given training sabers to practice their lightsaber techniques. These training sabers were covered in millions of barbs made from the spines of the pelko bug, a deadly venomous insect native to Korriban. Each barb could cut through cloth and inject venom upon striking an opponent, causing burns, blisters, and paralysis. When struck, a student would experience extreme pain, and the affected limb would become useless due to the poison, simulating the loss of a limb from a lightsaber strike. These practice blades allowed the apprentices to engage in non-fatal combat while Kas'im observed. After a duel, Kas'im would point out areas for improvement for both the victor and the vanquished, and inform the observing students of noteworthy points to learn. Ever mindful of how he had defeated his own master, Kas'im trained all students in the use of one-bladed lightsabers, except for Sirak, who used a double-bladed variant of the training saber. Sirak was the Academy's strongest student and was rumored to have been Qordis' apprentice for nearly twenty years, long before the Brotherhood began, although this was never confirmed. Why he utilized a double-bladed saber while all others did not was also a mystery to the students. Nonetheless, Kas'im continued to train Sirak in the double-bladed saber. The Blademaster was confident that he could defeat any of the students by switching to a style unfamiliar to them—such as the variant of Form IV that utilized a lightsaber in each hand—should they turn on him. He was a relentless teacher, training the students to fight in all weather conditions, often in heavy rain.

When the apprentice Bane arrived at the academy, Kas'im immediately recognized his strength in the Force. Kopecz, the Dark Lord who had initially sensed Bane's potential, instructed the Blademaster to watch Bane closely and offer any assistance he needed. Although Kas'im knew this was because Kopecz believed any progress Bane made would reflect well on him as Bane's discoverer, he watched Bane with interest as he quickly improved his skills. He then witnessed Bane challenge the Makurth apprentice, Fohargh. Bane was constantly on the defensive against Fohargh's use of Makashi strikes, while Fohargh employed Dun Möch to further humiliate Bane. Enraged, Bane unleashed the Force, repelling his opponent mid-leap. He then proceeded to throttle the Makurth with the Force until he died. Kas'im, fascinated by Bane's performance, took note of how he overcame his enemy.

Believing that Bane had reached a new height in his powers, Kas'im was disappointed when Bane began to regress, seemingly terrified of the power he had unleashed. He consulted Qordis, who told him to abandon Bane's tutelage in favor of more worthy students. Kas'im knew that Qordis' decision was prompted by his disregard for Kopecz, but the Blademaster also thought that Bane had lost his strength and will to fight. Sensing this lack of favor, Bane challenged Sirak in an attempt to regain his standing. The Zabrak used a swift offensive, alternating his form or blending several lightsaber styles at once, toying with his outmatched opponent before breaking several of Bane's bones, hurling him across the dueling ring with the Force, and knocking him unconscious. Bane's rapid and abrupt defeat only confirmed Qordis' views to Kas'im.

After recovering from the numerous injuries inflicted by Sirak, Bane sought out the Blademaster and pleaded for Kas'im to resume his training. The Twi'lek was highly skeptical of Bane's intentions but used Qordis' orders as an excuse to initially refuse. Bane appealed to Kas'im's pride, arguing that Kaan would credit Kas'im, not the other Sith Masters, for Bane's abilities since the other masters had abandoned him. He expressed his unwavering desire for revenge against Sirak, and eventually, Kas'im agreed. The Blademaster trained Bane in secret, dueling with him, practicing new forms, techniques, and sequences, and teaching him to use the Force to anticipate and combine different forms and thrusts. Bane learned every move of the double-bladed saber, focusing on memorizing every parry and thrust. Eventually, Bane challenged Sirak, outclassing and humiliating him. However, Kas'im stopped Bane before he could deliver the killing blow, knowing that the Brotherhood would need a fighter as skilled as Sirak in the war. As a testament to Bane's skill and a gesture of pride in his apprentice, Kas'im later bestowed Na'daz's lightsaber upon him.

When Qordis manipulated Bane into leaving the Academy, Kas'im was infuriated, believing that the Academy needed a powerful apprentice for the other students to aspire to. The Headmaster told Kas'im that Bane had gone to Korriban's Valley of the Dark Lords to seek the knowledge of the ancient Sith. Despite Qordis' dismissal of the apprentice, Kas'im was sure Bane would survive. While Kas'im's student was in the wilderness of Korriban, Kaan contacted Qordis, instructing him to bring all apprentices to Ruusan. There, they were to participate in what he hoped would be the final battle of the New Sith Wars, overwhelming the last remnants of the Army of Light—a militant force of thousands of Jedi from across the galaxy. Led by Jedi Lord Hoth, the Army of Light had been established by the Jedi Order in response to the growing threat of Kaan's Sith Brotherhood. When Bane returned, he was lured into the Academy's library by Githany, a former Jedi who had secretly trained Bane to use the Force when the masters abandoned him, and attacked by Sirak. Though bent on revenge, the Zabrak was no match for Bane, who killed him. He then accused Qordis of sending Sirak as an assassin before publicly rebuking the Dark Lord. Declaring himself Darth Bane—Kaan had abolished the title to emphasize equality in the Brotherhood—Bane stole Qordis' ship, the Valcyn, leaving the Academy and the Brotherhood, despite Kas'im's attempt to convince him to meet with Kaan and see what the Blademaster believed was the truth of the Brotherhood founder's words.

All the apprentices were now considered Dark Lords, no longer students but equals in the Brotherhood of Darkness. Despite Bane's departure, Kas'im traveled with them to Ruusan. He quickly became infuriated by the "hit and run" tactics employed by the Jedi commander Lord Hoth, who hid in the forests of the planet. While far from the war, Kas'im had been content to train the apprentices. However, on the front lines, his warrior nature and hunter's instincts began to dominate Kas'im's drives. Training and sparring with the other Sith did not satisfy his need to engage in real life-or-death combat. Kaan began to fear that Kas'im's agitation could spread, causing a rebellion within the Sith and leading to the Brotherhood's dissolution through infighting. Githany, Bane's former secret teacher alongside Kas'im, had a premonition through the Force that Bane would return and eradicate the Brotherhood. After informing Kaan of this, the Brotherhood's leader decided to address two problems simultaneously by sending the Blademaster to Lehon, tasked with either convincing Bane to return or eliminating him as a threat to the Brotherhood.

Kas'im journeyed to Lehon in a Sith Buzzard, where he located the homing beacon of the Valcyn and landed nearby. He followed the trail through the forest left by the rancor that Bane had controlled with the Force to reach a Rakatan Temple where Bane had discovered the holocron of Darth Revan. Sensing the rancor's approach, Kas'im engaged it in battle, inflicting numerous wounds until it succumbed and collapsed. Satisfied that his fighting skills remained sharp, Kas'im proceeded to the Temple. There, the Blademaster confronted his former student, issuing an ultimatum: join Kaan in defeating the Jedi or be killed. By this point, Bane held no respect for Kaan or the Brotherhood, believing that his own Rule of Two—a new philosophy stating that there should only ever be two Sith, one master and one apprentice—would restore the Sith to glory through secrecy, cunning, and betrayal. Bane listened to Kas'im's description of the "Old Ways" of the Sith having failed and a new doctrine being needed. The Human was tempted into trying to sway his former teacher into becoming his new apprentice, but when Kas'im announced the Brotherhood was the new philosophy, he knew the Blademaster would not join him.

Kas'im initiated a duel, hoping to overwhelm Bane with a fast offensive. However, Bane defended himself and counter-attacked, forcing his former teacher back into the Temple of the Ancients and into a dead end. Kas'im leapt into a side chamber to avoid the dead end, but there was no escape from the room itself. When Bane paused in the doorway to savor his victory, Kas'im disconnected his double-bladed lightsaber into two single sabers and utilized Ataru against his unsuspecting opponent. Unable to defend against the unfamiliar style, Bane was forced back to the Temple entrance. At that moment, Bane unleashed a massive shockwave of dark side energy to obliterate Kas'im, but the Blademaster shielded himself with the Force. Nevertheless, the power Bane unleashed shook the entire Temple, causing the archway surrounding Kas'im to collapse and crush him beneath the stone.

Kas'im had trained Darth Bane, the apprentice who would eradicate the Brotherhood of Darkness and reshape the Sith under the Rule of Two. Kas'im's most significant legacy was this apprentice, whom he had taught to be a formidable duelist. Kas'im also left a lasting impression on Bane when he revealed that he had killed his own master once he could learn no more from him. Bane embraced this concept for his New Order, believing it represented the transition of power from a strong being to an even stronger one. It was said that Bane would have attempted to sway Kas'im into becoming the first apprentice in the New Order had he not sided with Lord Kaan.

Kas'im dedicated his life to training as a duelist and warrior, developing a hunter's instincts. He greatly anticipated battle, becoming eager to join the war on Ruusan and agitated when the enemy would not stand and fight, as Kaan observed when Hoth employed guerrilla tactics. Kaan recognized that Kas'im's willingness to fight could only be satisfied by facing real opponents, as practice sparring did little to quench his bloodlust.

Despite these instincts, Kas'im was highly disciplined and understood his role in the Brotherhood, content to train new apprentices for most of the New Sith Wars. He believed in Kaan and his Brotherhood of Darkness, confident that their strength of arms would defeat the Jedi Order. He was convinced of the "united" structure of the Brotherhood but recognized the necessity of leaders within the Academy, stating that it "avoided complications" if the other masters on Korriban deferred to Qordis, who in turn responded to Kaan.

Kas'im possessed a certain degree of pride, which the apprentice Bane would appeal to when seeking private training. He had no patience for the weak or broken, a trait reflective of his Sith and warrior nature. He was cunning and cautious in his lightsaber combat training, teaching most students to wield single blades and occasionally double blades like the one he usually used, but always keeping various techniques known only to himself, such as his mastery of the dual-wielding variant of Form IV.

Kas'im also had several tattoos across his chest.

Kas'im's greatest strength was his extraordinary swordsmanship with the lightsaber. A prodigy in lightsaber combat, he quickly honed his skills under the tutelage of his highly skilled master and eventually surpassed him, allowing him to defeat and kill him. His unmatched mastery of lightsaber combat among the Sith earned him the position of Blademaster at the Korriban Academy, and he was widely regarded as the greatest swordsman in the galaxy, perhaps even in history. Through years of study, Kas'im achieved full mastery of all seven combat forms. He then spent decades perfecting every move and sequence. His knowledge was so extensive that he could immediately identify the form best suited for each of his students and effectively instruct them on how to maximize its efficiency. While Kas'im was highly proficient with his double-bladed lightsaber, which could be disconnected in the center to create two single blades for use in Jar'Kai, he understood that the weapon lacked versatility and that its unfamiliarity was its only advantage. Kas'im admitted that this was why he preferred a Saberstaff, as it appeared to give him more options to his enemies. Kas'im was also equally capable of wielding a single-bladed lightsaber. His mastery of the forms made him extremely unpredictable and ambidextrous, allowing him to seamlessly switch between each form and use them equally effectively. However, this could be nullified if his foe had seen through all of Kas'im's versatile strategies.

Kas'im's time training students and rarely participating in active combat did not diminish his nearly unparalleled dueling skills. He kept his skills sharp by sparring with his students, always winning despite holding back to avoid killing them. He swiftly dispatched the Rancor sent by Bane, inflicting dozens of severe wounds that quickly killed it. In his duel with Bane, Kas'im revealed his full abilities, which he had held back in all their spars, and quickly gained the upper hand, nearly killing his former apprentice. Bane openly praised his master's skills. Bane was forced to fully tap into the Dark Side and utilize his superior knowledge of the Temple's environment and the counter-strategies he had created against Kas'im to overwhelm him. Although Bane nearly decisively overpowered him using these methods, Kas'im's use of Jar'Kai allowed him to almost instantly turn the tide against Bane, forcing him into a defensive position and proving his superiority as a duelist. This forced Bane to use the Force to kill him.

In addition to his immense swordsmanship, Kas'im possessed considerable strength and potential in the Force, even as a child. The great Sith Lord Na'daz was so impressed by the strength he sensed from Kas'im that he took him as his apprentice. Kas'im rapidly developed his Force capabilities under his master, eventually surpassing him in the Dark Side. Kas'im was proficient in the use of various Force powers. In addition to teaching lightsaber combat at Korriban, he was skilled enough to instruct his students in many Force techniques, such as creating shields using the Force, a technique he taught to protect them from being disarmed by telekinesis, and predicting the movements of his enemies. Kas'im's Force Barriers were powerful enough to repel Bane's Force Wave, although he could not defend himself from the falling debris of the collapsing Temple, which killed him. Kas'im was also highly skilled in telekinesis himself, displaying great aptitude in Force Jump, often using it while dueling. His proficiency in Force Push was so great that he could easily shatter Bane's shielding and blast him away with considerable force, although the attack lost enough power that Bane avoided serious injury. Kas'im also had the ability to use Force Sense, allowing him to trace the dark power Bane was emitting from the Temple to locate him.

Kas'im was created by Drew Karpyshyn for the novel Darth Bane: Path of Destruction and was killed off by the leading protagonist.