The Malachor Sith Temple, a Sith temple, was situated on the planet of Malachor. It resided within a substantial cavern, shielded by a stony crust and encircled by vast ruins. Deep within the temple, accessible only through the combined efforts of a Sith master and apprentice, lay a Sith holocron that housed an entity referred to as the Presence. Furthermore, the temple concealed a superweapon, capable of being activated by inserting the holocron into the obelisk at the summit of the structure. According to the Presence, this weapon possessed the power to annihilate all life.
Eons prior to the rise of the Galactic Empire, the Sith erected a pyramidal temple on the desolate world of Malachor. Darth Tanis was the creator of a diabolical machine, a superweapon at the core of the Sith temple. Fueled by a massive kyber crystal, this weapon had the potential to obliterate all living organisms. The Jedi soon learned of the Sith's scheme and launched an attack on the temple. During the ensuing conflict, the superweapon was unleashed, resulting in the death and petrification of all combatants, both Jedi and Sith. This cataclysmic event later became known as the Great Scourge of Malachor.
The temple received a visit three years before the Battle of Yavin from Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus, his Padawan Ezra Bridger, and former Jedi Ahsoka Tano. Their purpose was to gain insight into how to defeat the Sith Lord Darth Vader and his Inquisitors. While present, they crossed paths with the former Sith Lord Maul, who was also seeking the destruction of the Sith. Maul and Ezra collaborated to gain entry into the temple and ultimately acquired a Sith holocron, which proved vital in reactivating the temple.
When Kanan and Ahsoka were set upon by the Inquisitors, the Fifth Brother, the Seventh Sister, and the Eighth Brother, Maul and Ezra intervened, aiding them in repelling the Inquisitors. Subsequently, he persuaded the group to unite in order to delve into the Temple and uncover the knowledge required to eradicate the Sith. The Inquisitors regrouped and launched an assault on the four travelers. Following the demise of the Seventh Sister at his hand, Maul directed Ezra to place the holocron within the temple's obelisk. After subduing the remaining Inquisitors, Maul betrayed Kanan and Ahsoka. He managed to blind Kanan but was prevented from delivering the killing blow by Ahsoka. Once Kanan had recovered, he engaged Maul in combat, ultimately casting him off the temple's edge. During their confrontation, Ahsoka departed to search for Ezra.
In the meantime, Ezra had reached the summit of the temple and inserted the Sith holocron into the central obelisk. There, he encountered the voice of the entity known as the Presence, who unveiled the temple's true nature as an ancient Sith superweapon capable of annihilating all life. When Ezra declined to wield the weapon, the Presence announced the imminent arrival of Darth Vader. Before Vader could eliminate Ezra, Ahsoka appeared and clashed with her former master. Kanan and Ezra succeeded in removing the holocron, triggering a chain reaction that resulted in the temple's destruction. As the Temple began to collapse around them, Tano, determined to remain and confront Vader, used the Force push to prevent Bridger from assisting her, and continued the duel.
Bridger and Jarrus, accompanied by Chopper, managed to escape aboard the Phantom before the temple imploded. This ordeal marked a pivotal moment for Ezra. His sorrow over the events on Malachor enabled him to tap into the Sith holocron he had discovered there, and under its influence, he began to unlock its hidden knowledge. This allure of power began to corrupt him, leading to a strained relationship with his master, Kanan. It was only through the intervention of Bendu that their relationship was ultimately restored.
After pushing Bridger away, Tano persisted in her battle against Vader within the collapsing Temple, striking the floor to create a fissure beneath Vader's feet. This maneuver left her vulnerable, and she narrowly avoided being struck down by her former master. However, the Malachor temple was linked to the mystical realm known as the World Between Worlds. In 1 BBY, Bridger gained entry to the World through its portal within the Lothal Jedi Temple. Within the realm, he was guided to a portal connecting to the Malachor temple in 3 BBY by Morai, a Convor associated with Tano and the Force wielder known as "the Daughter." Bridger extended his hand to rescue Tano before Vader could strike her, pulling her into the World Between Worlds. After Tano vanished before him, Vader plummeted as the floor finally gave way. Within the World Between Worlds, Tano realized she needed to return to her own timeline rather than departing with Bridger through his portal. Subsequently, Tano and Bridger were compelled to flee the World Between Worlds when Darth Sidious, the Sith Master and Galactic Emperor behind the Empire, attempted to exploit them to access the realm. Both returned to their respective times, with Tano departing with Morai after vowing to find Bridger again in the future.
Tano and Morai materialized outside the ravaged Malachor Temple. After Morai observed an injured Vader exiting the temple, she accompanied Tano in venturing into the depths of the Sith temple, where they entered a flooded chamber. As Morai soared above her, Tano waded through the water until she discovered a stairway and another entrance to the World Between Worlds. Meanwhile, Morai flew from the temple to the exterior, where Vader watched the bird fly away.
The Malachor Sith Temple made its debut in the Star Wars Rebels episode "Twilight of the Apprentice." The temple's design, along with everything else on Malachor's surface, was initially sketched by Dave Filoni. Chris Glenn later refined the chamber's final appearance, and Pat Presley created expansive views of the surrounding city.
In an interview with IGN, Star Wars Rebels executive producer Dave Filoni shared insights into his interpretation of the Presence's backstory. He envisioned the voice of the Presence as that of the ancient Sith Lord who constructed the Malachor temple. Filoni expressed his fondness for the concept of an ancient and formidable woman, possessing a level of dominance previously unknown to the audience, who was in the process of creating the weapon when the Jedi Order launched its attack, resulting in everyone being turned to stone. Filoni further revealed that he had a name for this character but was not yet at liberty to disclose it.