Khem Val, also known by the names Shadow Killer and Devourer, was a male Dashade who served as both a warrior and servant. He first served the Sith Lord Tulak Hord, and then, centuries later, he served the heir of Aloysius Kallig, who would become known as Darth Nox.
On Urkupp, Khem Val reigned as the supreme shadow assassin until Tulak Hord issued a challenge, leading to an honorable duel where Hord emerged victorious. Serving Hord, Khem Val fought alongside Ortan Cela, Hord's apprentice, and Veshikk Urk, his Dashade comrade, consuming over one thousand Jedi during the battles at Yn and the Battle of Chabosh. As his master's conquests grew, so did his feasting, forging a unique connection between the Sith Lord and the Shadow Killer. However, with the passage of centuries, Khem Val's existence faded into legend. To ensure his safety, Tulak Hord placed Khem in a stasis field within the tomb of Naga Sadow on Korriban, guarded by a field of electrical energy, deterring even the most powerful Sith Lords from attempting to release him. He remained in this suspended state for millennia.
A promising Sith Acolyte eventually freed him, acting under the orders of Zash. Upon his release, Khem Val was furious to discover Hord's death and sought to kill the acolyte. However, weakened from his long stasis, he was defeated and forced to serve the acolyte, who would later become known as Darth Nox, the heir of Aloysius Kallig. Khem Val asserted that he would eventually regain his strength.
As Darth Nox's power increased, Zash summoned her apprentice. Khem accompanied his master, knowing it was a trap. Zash revealed her impending death and her intention to seize her apprentice's body. During the ensuing battle, Zash managed to initiate the transfer ritual, but Khem Val intervened to protect his master, disrupting the process. This resulted in Khem becoming the vessel for Zash's essence, forcing him to share his body with the Sith Lord. The ghost of Aloysius Kallig, Lord Kallig's ancestor, declared this a betrayal by Tulak Hord, regardless of Khem Val's feelings. Lord Kallig vowed to eventually expel Zash from Khem's body.
Zash soon resorted to blackmail, compelling Khem to retrieve Tulak Hord's bones by tormenting him with nightmares of a thief hiding them in a storehouse on Hoth. The bones emitted the same energy that had confined Khem in Naga Sadow's tomb, weakening his control over his own body and granting Zash the opportunity to devise a method to remove Khem. With Kallig's assistance, Khem discovered Zash's scheme: to replicate the ritual using a Rakata Mind prison discovered on Taris. As the device began to separate their spirits from the body, Khem proved too formidable for Zash to control. Consequently, she was drawn into the box, finally freeing Khem. The Dashade then proclaimed his master the rightful heir to Tulak Hord and pledged to safeguard their legacy forever.
By the time the Eternal Empire launched its conquest, Khem had garnered the respect of Ak'ghal Usar, the Last Lord of Urkupp, for his dedication to Tulak Hord.
Initially, Khem Val deemed Kallig unworthy to inherit Tulak Hord's legacy, promising to devour him upon regaining his full power. However, as time passed, Khem began to admire his new master, eventually acknowledging his initial misjudgment. He transitioned from a reluctant servant to a devoted enforcer of Kallig's power.
As a Dashade, Khem Val was bound by honor and willingly served his masters. This created an unbreakable bond, forcing Zash to serve Kallig upon entering Khem's body. Khem frequently boasted about Tulak Hord's legacy and proudly announced Kallig's ascension to the ranks of Sith Lord and Darth.
Khem Val was trained as an elite assassin, a virtually flawless killing machine described as the "very embodiment of death and destruction." He reveled in slaying Force users and possessed the power, cunning, and ruthlessness to eliminate even the most formidable ones. Khem also often bragged about his triumphs at Yn and the Battle of Chabosh, where he annihilated thousands of Jedi.
Despite his inclination towards brutality, Khem Val possessed a strong moral code, believing in upholding one's promises regardless of the consequences. During his travels with Lord Kallig, he often expressed approval when his master entered into an honorable agreement and disapproval when the Sith betrayed a trust.
Khem Val's exceptional Force resistance granted him remarkable durability, allowing him to withstand numerous attacks before succumbing. Wielding a vibrosword, his melee attacks were exceptionally brutal. Khem Val lived up to his nicknames by consuming the essences of his fallen adversaries, replenishing his health.
Khem Val holds the distinction of being the initial companion character to join the Sith Inquisitor class players in Star Wars: The Old Republic. Before the game's launch, he was featured in the "Biographies" section of the website's "Holonet" feature. His entry contained several phrases in Aurebesh, which, when translated, read "Vessel for the master," "Bitter rivalry," and "Unwilling servant." "Vessel" alludes to his sharing a body with Darth Zash, "bitter rivalry" refers to Aloysius Kallig's betrayal by Hord, and "unwilling servant" describes his bond with Lord Kallig.
Following Zash's entrapment within Khem Val's body, players have the option to choose dialogue that supports either Zash or Khem. As Zash lacks her own approval rating, supporting her typically results in Khem's disapproval.
During the final companion quest, "The Escape," when Khem and Zash struggle against the Rakata mind prison's attempt to control Khem's body, players are presented with three choices: they can lend their power to either Zash or Khem, or they can abstain from assisting either, allowing the stronger to prevail. If Zash triumphs, she will express her gratitude to the player and pledge her allegiance to her former student. If Khem wins, he will thank his master and reaffirm his loyalty. Khem will emerge victorious if Kallig chooses not to intervene.
During the flashpoint "The Nathema Conspiracy," if the Outlander is a Sith Inquisitor who chose to support Zash and banish Khem's spirit, Khem will spend years fighting his way out of the prison and eventually reclaim his old body. He will then seek vengeance on his former master and join the Order of Zildrog led by Vinn Atrius, only to be sacrificed as fuel to awaken Zildrog by GEMINI 16 on Nathema. If the player chose to support Khem or allowed him to overcome Zash, she will take his place, having acquired a new body, while the other classes face adversaries from their own class stories.
If Khem was not involved in the conspiracy, the Outlander Sith Inquisitor will encounter Khem on Ossus, hunting and devouring Jedi. Khem can then be recruited and becomes a romance option if Khem deems the player's decisions honorable, confiding in the Sith Inquisitor that the Force no longer satisfies his hunger and that he yearns to be bonded once more.