Ludo Kressh was a male Sith Lord who lived in the era leading up to and encompassing the Great Hyperspace War. He also fathered Kressh the Younger. With ancestors comprised of both Dark Jedi and members of the Sith species, Ludo Kressh achieved the status of a formidable Sith Lord, constantly at odds with his greatest adversary, the Sith Lord Naga Sadow. When Dark Lord of the Sith Marka Ragnos died in 5000 BBY, both Kressh and Sadow sought to claim his title. While Kressh officiated the deceased Dark Lord's funeral procession, Naga Sadow arrived late, interrupting the ceremony.
Sadow declared that he was the rightful heir to the Dark Lord of the Sith title, prompting an enraged Kressh to attack him; however, the ghost of Ragnos intervened and halted their duel. Following the altercation, two individuals from beyond Sith space arrived at the funeral: [hyperspace](/article/hyperspace/legends] travelers Gav and Jori Daragon. Kressh feared that the siblings heralded an impending invasion by the Galactic Republic, whereas Sadow saw them as a means to expand the Sith Empire's dominion.
The matter of the Daragons became a recurring point of contention between Kressh and his rival. Sadow, determined to instigate a war with the Republic, orchestrated a fabricated Republic attack on the Empire. Initially convinced, Kressh advocated for reinforcing the Empire's defenses against the supposed invasion. However, the Sith Lord soon uncovered Sadow's deception and, together with his allies, attacked his fortress located on the planet Khar Delba. Sadow, however, outmaneuvered and defeated him. Kressh then feigned his own demise by dispatching his unoccupied flagship toward Sadow's citadel, where it was subsequently shot down and obliterated.
With his primary opponent seemingly eliminated, Sadow—now the new Dark Lord—initiated the Great Hyperspace War against the Republic. However, after suffering a defeat at the hands of the Republic, the Dark Lord returned to the Sith Empire with a depleted fleet. It was at this moment that Kressh revealed his survival, informing Sadow that he had indeed faked his death. A battle then erupted over Korriban, with Kressh initially appearing to gain the advantage against his weakened foe. Nevertheless, the ever-scheming Dark Lord commanded one of his doomed ships to execute a suicide run on Kressh's flagship, resulting in Kressh's death upon impact.
Ludo Kressh's origins lie within Sith Space, situated in the Outer Rim Territories, during the era of Sith history referred to as the Golden Age of the Sith. His lineage was a blend of the Sith species and Dark Jedi. These Dark Jedi had initially arrived in Sith Space following conflicts with the Jedi Order during the Hundred-Year Darkness.
Following their defeat, the group known as the Exiles were banished to the Unknown Regions of the galaxy, where they stumbled upon the desolate tombworld of Korriban. Some Dark Jedi, including Kressh's ancestors, intermarried with the native Sith population. At some point, Kressh's Force-sensitivity was discovered, leading to his training in the dark side of the Force. He eventually rose to prominence as a powerful Sith Lord. His relationship with fellow Sith Lord Naga Sadow was marked by rivalry and frequent clashes.
Ludo Kressh had a son named Elcho Kressh, whom the Sith Lord believed to be very much like himself. While the Sith Lord spent his days engaged in battle, the nights were spent in his palace on the planet [Rhelg] (/article/rhelg-legends) where he tirelessly worked on the creation of a magical device in the form of a Gauntlet that would potentially shield his son from all harm. He also employed an entire family of Human slaves to tend to his personal needs.
As his slaves embraced the Sith teachings, they also increased in favor with him; one such was a thirteen year-old Human girl named Seelah, whom Kressh allowed the privilege of caring for his feet. Though they had won his approval for all intents and purposes, Ludo Kressh's slaves were not above his wrath; he frequently beat them while in the midst of drunken fits of rage. When Seelah failed to cure an infection which resulted from an injured ankle Kressh received in battle, the Sith Lord began executing her family, causing the Human to flee for her life.
In 5000 BBY, Dark Lord of the Sith Marka Ragnos passed away after ruling with an iron fist for over a century. Ragnos' funeral took place shortly after, with Kressh leading the procession as they laid Ragnos to rest in a tomb in the Valley of the Dark Lords. Following the Sith traditions and rituals, Kressh carried Ragnos' victory helmet, which he placed on Ragnos' sarcophagus for him to wear during his battles in the afterlife. Naga Sadow arrived late to take what he felt was his rightful place in the funeral's procession as the tomb was being sealed, and a furious Kressh stated that Sadow's insolence had shamed the memory of Ragnos. Kressh believed that his rival's progressive views were a danger to the Sith's existence, while Sadow held that the title of Dark Lord of the Sith was rightfully his and that the Sith Empire had grown stagnant as a result of centuries of inactivity.
The argument escalated into a duel, with Kressh initially driving Sadow back. Sadow eventually gained the upper hand after managing to stall Kressh using telekinesis. However, their battle was interrupted by the spirit of Marka Ragnos, who warned that the fate of the Sith Empire hung in the balance and advised the two to choose their battles wisely. Kressh offered to reconcile with Sadow after this encounter, but their discussion was cut short by the arrival of a foreign starship. The ship identified itself as the Starbreaker 12, and its crew, Humans Gav and Jori Daragon, proclaimed that they had come in peace from the Galactic Republic. The pair was promptly taken into custody by Massassi guards, with Kressh telling Sadow that the two should be executed immediately. Sadow, however, believed that the two should be interrogated, thinking that they may have valuable information.
The Daragons were jailed, and a council of ten Sith Lords was called to the Sith Citadel on Ziost to discuss the prisoners' fate. Kressh contended that the two were spies for the Republic and the precursor to an invasion, and that they should be executed. Naga Sadow and an older Sith Lord, Simus, believed that the two had valuable information and should be kept alive. Although Kressh expressed that his route was safer for the general health of the Sith Empire, Sadow proclaimed that the Daragons provided a window for the Sith to expand their Empire and control the very galaxy itself. The meeting ended without a definite conclusion drawn, but Sadow had his own plans.
The Sith Lord, along with Massassi warriors, attacked the prisoners' guards and freed them from their jail cells. When the scene was discovered, Simus was found dead, with his head resting near a Republic blaster. The council of Sith Lords met again on Ziost after Simus' death, and Kressh was irate; he believed his fears of a Republic attack had been confirmed, that Simus had been killed by the Republic, and that the Sith Empire should bolster its defenses. Sadow, however, proclaimed that the time had come to fight back and pronounced himself the new Dark Lord of the Sith. The other Sith Lords agreed that Sadow should be Dark Lord; a furious and shocked Kressh left, proclaiming that he would take his supporters and refuse to join in his enemy's crusade and that he would become the true Dark Lord.
Ludo Kressh subsequently sent Massassi guards to the Starbreaker 12's impound dock on Ziost to guard it. However, his guards were attacked and defeated by Massassi loyal to Naga Sadow. In his chambers, Kressh was alerted to the attack on the Starbreaker 12, and believing that it was being attacked by the Republic, gathered his forces and rushed to the hangar. However, by the time Kressh arrived at the dock, the Starbreaker 12 had already been stolen by Sadow's forces. Kressh, observing the carnage in the hangar, found Naga Sadow's emblem amidst the Massassi corpses and realized that Sadow was responsible for the attack.
Moreover, Sadow had been the one who had killed Simus, shooting him with the blaster and planting it at the scene to make it appear like a Republic assault. Kressh returned to Rhelg, where he met with two of his supporters, Horak-mul and Dor Gal-ram. He told them about the attack on the hangar and the theft of Starbreaker 12 and revealed to them Sadow's complicity in the attack. He then ordered Horak-mul and Gal-ram to gather their forces so they could make a surprise attack on Sadow, with Kressh vowing to stop his rival before it was too late. With the assault force prepared, Kressh commenced an attack on Sadow's fortress on the planet Khar Delba, taking the firing controls on his own ship so as to land a few personal hits.
Commanding the attack, Kressh ordered his ships to attack and destroy Sadow. Horak-mul and Gal-ram were behind him fully, commenting that they had caught the Sith Lord with his guard down and that victory was inevitable. Sadow responded by ordering Massassi warriors to man the citadel's turrets. Kressh shrugged this off, believing that the turrets were Sadow's only defenses and that victory was assured. However, Sadow had deceived his enemy; he had hidden a secret fleet of warships in orbit around Khar Delba's moon Khar Shian. Meanwhile, amidst the chaos of the battle, Naga Sadow allowed Jori Daragon to take control of the Starbreaker 12 and flee the Sith Empire. Daragon was able to evade Kressh's fleet and disappeared into hyperspace.
After Daragon's escape, Kressh was caught off guard when Sadow ordered his secret fleet to attack. A taunting Sadow informed him that he had struck at the wrong fortress; all of Sadow's defenses had been at Khar Shian. Sadow then set the next part of his plan in motion by ordering the Massassi crews of Horak-mul and Gal-ram's respective ships, who had secretly been loyal to him all along, to betray and attack their masters. The two Sith Lords were killed and their ships commandeered by Sadow's minions, who then attacked Kressh. The surprised Sith Lord ordered his intact ships to flee, thus signifying his defeat.
Following Kressh's withdrawal from Khar Delba, Naga Sadow initiated a large-scale militarization effort within the Sith in anticipation of a conflict with the Galactic Republic. His triumph over Kressh secured the backing of the remaining Sith Lords, who committed their fleets and armies to his cause. However, Kressh had a plan; while the other Sith Lords met with Sadow on Khar Delba, Kressh sent his empty flagship to the planet. Kressh simultaneously transmitted a message to Sadow and his followers, proclaiming that the Dark Lord was leading them on a path of destruction. A confident Sadow ordered Gav Daragon, whom he had kept with him to become his Sith apprentice, to destroy the ship, seemingly killing Kressh.
Unbeknownst to them, Kressh had actually faked his death, intending to claim the title of Dark Lord of the Sith, for it would let him regroup, rearm, and attack Sadow when he was fully ready. Sadow soon launched his fleets, following a beacon he had placed on the Starbreaker 12 to find the Republic. His forces, upon reaching their destination, began the Great Hyperspace War. The Dark Lord attacked the Republic on two fronts: Koros Major, and the governmental capital of Coruscant, located in the Core Worlds. Ludo Kressh capitalized on Sadow's absence by gathering a fleet and declared himself Dark Lord of the Sith— he also forbade his son Elcho from participating in the conflict, and made his child wait out the conflict at a hidden location.
The initial stages of Sadow's war were initially successful, but the Republic eventually managed to repel and defeat the Sith. He returned to his region of space defeated, with his fleet a shadow of what it had been before the war. Ludo Kressh revealed himself at that moment, proclaiming to Naga Sadow that he was the true Dark Lord of the Sith. Feeling victorious, a joyous Kressh declared that Sadow was the greatest threat that the Sith Empire had ever known and that he must be stopped. The new Dark Lord therefore banished Sadow from the Sith Empire forever.
However, Sadow would not go down without a fight, and battle over Korriban quickly ensued. Sadow's already-diminished fleet found itself reduced even further during the conflagration, and Kressh appeared the victor; however, the always-cunning Sadow knew there were other ways to win a battle. Finding himself with no other options, Sadow ordered one of his already-damaged ships to make a suicide run to collide with Kressh's flagship. The new Dark Lord protested to Sadow to stop the ship, but it was too late. The vessel crashed into Kressh's flagship, killing him.
Following Kressh's defeat and death during the First Battle of Korriban, Sadow was attacked again by Republic forces that had followed him to the Sith Empire. Sadow was defeated in the battle, as his forces had already been greatly weakened after Kressh's assault in the first battle. After his death, Ludo Kressh was buried in a tomb cut into a shyrack cave in the Valley of the Dark Lords. In 3951 BBY, over a millennium after the Sith Lord's demise, the exiled Jedi Knight Meetra Surik visited the tomb. Within the chamber, Surik experienced several visions, including those of former Dark Lord of the Sith Revan and his former Sith apprentice, Darth Malak.
Ludo Kressh was a male characterized by brown hair, red eyes, and light-red skin. In contrast to his rival Naga Sadow, Ludo Kressh was a cautious individual, primarily concerned with the security and stability of the Sith Empire. Kressh was satisfied with the Empire's existing territories and feared that venturing into the wider galaxy and challenging the Republic would have catastrophic consequences. Even when Sadow fabricated the Republic attack and the theft of the Starbreaker 12, Kressh strongly advocated for remaining within Sith Space and reinforcing their defenses, unlike Sadow, who desired the Empire to strike at the Republic.
Kressh harbored a deep-seated animosity towards Sadow, whom he considered his main competitor for the title of Dark Lord of the Sith. He viewed his rival's more progressive ideas as a potential threat to the well-being of the Sith Empire. Kressh believed that the Sith would be corrupted by other species if the Empire expanded beyond the Stygian Caldera, but would remain pure if they stayed within their own region of space. Kressh readily engaged in conflicts with Sadow, both verbally and physically, but when the audacious Sadow claimed the position of Dark Lord of the Sith, Kressh chose to end the war of words and retreat to gather his followers.
While Ludo Kressh cared little for his slaves, the safety of his young son was of primary concern. His alcohol abuse gave way to violence, and incompetence on the part of his servants incited murderous rampages. Kressh was also a very cunning man; he tricked Sadow with his empty flagship and faked his death, then reemerged after the Sith defeat at the hands of the Republic in the Great Hyperspace War. Despite his wiles, Kressh was still outwitted by his rival on multiple occasions. During the Battle of Khar Delba, Kressh believed that he had caught his enemy off guard with a surprise attack on his fortress; however, the fortress was a decoy, as Sadow's forces were massed at Khar Shian. After the secret fleet attacked, Kressh was outsmarted by Sadow, who had Horak-mul's and Dor Gal-ram's subordinates mutiny and betray their masters.
Later, at the Battle of Korriban, Kressh was overjoyed at seemingly defeating the weakened Sith fleet; however, Sadow turned the tables by targeting him with a doomed ship on a suicide run. Upon noticing the ship headed in the direction of his flagship, Kressh quickly lost his poise and begged Sadow to call off the ship, but to no avail.
As a powerful Sith Lord, Kressh was trained and proficient in manipulating the dark side of the Force. Kressh possessed some knowledge of Sith alchemy and a working knowledge of Sith magic, the latter of which he used to construct a device that would protect his son from all harm. Kressh was capable of using the exotic Battlemind power, and was also able to augment his speed, strength, and ferocity by amplifying his rage through the Force.
Kressh proved to be an equal in combat with his rival Naga Sadow, with both gaining the upper hand at different points in their duel on Korriban and suffering wounds of equal proportion to their opponent. Kressh was trilingual, as he was able to speak Galactic Basic Standard as well as the Sith and Massassi languages.
In battle, Kressh utilized a Sith war sword that he infused with the power of the Force before a duel.
Ludo Kressh first appeared in the Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi – The Golden Age of the Sith second issue of the respective comic series, which was written by Kevin J. Anderson, pencilled by Dario Carrasco, Jr., and published by Dark Horse Comics on November 13, 1996.
Kressh's tomb appears in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, where the Jedi Exile, the main playable character, has the option to take Ludo Kressh's War Sword. In 2008, Kressh received an entry in The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, and in 2012, his legacy was expanded in both the Star Wars: The Old Republic video game and the Star Wars: The Old Republic Encyclopedia.