Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi (comic series)

In the year 5000 BBY, within the Koros system, the Unification Wars are being fought to unite the seven worlds of that system. Empress Teta, leader of the Koros Major forces, leads the effort, battling various armies from other Koros system worlds. To aid Teta in her unification efforts, Odan-Urr, a Jedi Knight, is dispatched by Ooroo, a Jedi Master, to support the Koros Major forces. Arriving in Cinnagar, a city on Koros Major, Odan-Urr plays a key role in defeating the armies of Kirrek, the last planet resisting unification. Using a Force technique called battle meditation, learned during his studies on Ossus, Odan-Urr helps to weaken the morale of the enemy forces, leading to a nearly bloodless victory.

Gav and Jori Daragon, two Force-sensitive siblings who lost their parents in the Unification Wars, manage to acquire the Starbreaker 12, a ship that once belonged to their parents. With their new ship, the Daragon siblings embark on a journey to make their fortune by mapping new hyperspace routes. However, their adventures lead them to be pursued by Ssk Kahorr, a merchant lord who suffers a financial loss using one of the Daragons' newly mapped routes. As a result, the siblings become penniless and lose their ship. They steal the impounded Starbreaker 12 from its berth at Aarrba's Repair Dock and set random hyperspace coordinates to escape the authorities, jumping to unknown regions. Eventually, the Daragon siblings' jump brings them into orbit around Korriban, where a funeral procession is being held for Marka Ragnos, the Dark Lord of the Sith. Before the Daragons' arrival, Naga Sadow and Ludo Kressh, two Sith Lords, had dueled to decide who would become the next Dark Lord of the Sith. However, the spirit of Marka Ragnos appears and warns the Sith Lords of a new threat, urging them to prepare. Landing their ship on the outskirts of the procession, Gav and Jori are immediately taken prisoner, suspected of being spies. Through a series of events orchestrated by Naga Sadow, the Daragons are unknowingly used as pawns to further Sadow's quest for absolute power over the Sith Empire.

The Sith Lords gather at Ziost, a fortress world, to discuss the Daragons and their true purpose on Korriban. After a lengthy debate, they decide that the potential threat posed by Gav and Jori is too great, and they must be executed to prevent the Republic from learning about the Sith. However, Naga Sadow believes that Gav and Jori Daragon hold the key to expanding the Sith Empire, so he sends one of his Massassi warriors to retrieve the prisoners' weapons from the Starbreaker 12, devising a plan to gain control through lies and deception. Sadow sets events in motion that will have lasting consequences for the Sith Empire. Using only his loyal Massassi warriors, Sadow frees Gav and Jori from their prison cells. As part of his plan, Sadow and his warriors kill several Massassi guards, as well as the Sith Lord Simus. Planting a Republic blaster at the scene of Simus's murder, Sadow makes the other Sith Lords believe that the Republic is responsible for the Daragons' escape and the murders. Following their "escape" from the Ziost prison, Gav and Jori are sent to Sadow's personal stronghold on the moon of Khar Shian. Meanwhile, Sadow and the other Sith Lords are summoned to Ziost for an emergency meeting to discuss the missing prisoners and the murders. Most of the Sith Lords are indecisive, and infighting breaks out among various factions. During the chaos, Sadow seizes the opportunity and claims the vacant title of Dark Lord of the Sith. Believing that leadership is necessary in the face of the present dangers, most of the other Sith Lords acknowledge Sadow as the new Dark Lord, swearing allegiance to him. However, Ludo Kressh, Sadow's rival, and his followers refuse to accept Sadow as the new Dark Lord, and they leave the meeting.

Believing that the first phase of his plan is succeeding, Naga Sadow orders his Massassi warriors to retrieve the Starbreaker 12 from the Ziost hangar and place a hidden tracking beacon on it. He then travels to his decoy fortress on Khar Delba, where Jori Daragon has been taken. Through Sadow's machinations, Ludo Kressh discovers that the new Dark Lord of the Sith was behind the prisoners' escape and the murder of Simus. Kressh rallies the Sith Lords who support him, Horak-mul and Dor Gal-ram, and prepares his fleet for an attack against Sadow's fortress on Khar Delba. Upon arriving, Kressh's fleet begins a bombardment of the seemingly defenseless fortress. During the initial stages of the attack, Sadow convinces Jori Daragon that she must return to the Republic before the fortress is destroyed. Reluctant to leave Gav behind, Jori agrees to leave after Sadow shows her a holorecording in which her brother tells her that they will be together again soon. After Jori jumps to hyperspace, Sadow springs his trap on Ludo Kressh's attacking fleet. Unbeknownst to Kressh, Sadow had hidden his fleet on the dark side of Khar Shian. Sadow recalls his hidden forces, trapping Kressh's combined fleets. Meanwhile, Sadow orders the Massassi warriors on the ships of Horak-mul and Dol Gal-ram to kill the Sith Lords. With the assassinations complete, the Massassi warriors direct their ships' fire on Ludo Kressh's ships. Realizing what has happened, Kressh is forced to retreat. With his power secured, Naga Sadow, the Dark Lord of the Sith, prepares his armies for an invasion of Republic space, intending to use the hidden tracking beacon on the Starbreaker 12.

Upon returning to Koros Major, Jori Daragon tries to contact the local authorities to warn them about the Sith Empire's invasion plans. However, she is quickly arrested by the planetary forces, who dismiss her warnings as lies. The Starbreaker 12 is given to Ssk Kahorr as compensation for his losses from using one of the Daragons' hyperspace routes. Jori Daragon is sentenced to work on the colony world of Ronika as punishment for her and her brother's crimes. However, shortly after arriving on the prison planet, Jori escapes by overpowering her guards and stealing a nearby ore shuttle. Believing it is her duty to inform Empress Teta and the Jedi about her experiences within the Sith Empire, Jori manages to fly the stolen shuttle back to the royal palace in Cinnagar and infiltrate the throne room. Although Empress Teta is initially skeptical, the Jedi Knight Odan-Urr confirms Jori's claims because they align with the visions he has been having of an impending war with the Sith.

Meanwhile, the Sith invasion fleet enters Republic space and launches various attacks, including an invasion of Coruscant, the Republic's capital. Under the guidance of several Jedi, including Memit Nadill, Tuknatan, and Sonam-Ha'ar, the Republic ground forces quickly mount a defense against the swarming legions of Massassi soldiers and Sith war beasts that land on the planet. Realizing the Sith outnumber them, Nadill orders the Jedi and Republic forces to retreat to the Senate Hall, where he rallies the defenders for a final stand against the invaders. Simultaneously with the attack on Coruscant, Sadow's forces target other key Republic worlds, including Koros Major. The Sith forces that invade Koros Major are temporarily stopped as Teta commits her entire military to the fight. Recognizing that another part of the Sith invasion targets Kirrek, also in the Koros system, Odan-Urr leaves Teta and, with his Master Ooroo, takes command of the defense of Kirrek. On Kirrek, Empress Teta agrees to enlist the help of prisoners captured during the earlier Unification Wars, allowing these rebels to join the defense against the invading Sith forces.

Witnessing the destruction and conflict caused by Sadow's invasion, Gav Daragon finally realizes that he has been a pawn of the Dark Lord of the Sith from the start. Understanding that he alone can stop Sadow's invasion, Daragon, who had been named commander by Sadow, uses his ship's weapons against Sadow's meditation sphere, where the Sith Lord has been using battle meditation to influence the war. Immediately after Daragon's attack, Sadow loses his concentration in the Force, causing much of the Sith army on Coruscant to simply vanish. Realizing that a large portion of the attacking force is merely illusions, Nadill and the other commanders inspire the defenders to push back and eventually defeat the remaining Sith forces. Wanting to ensure the remaining Sith legions are defeated, Daragon transmits the coordinates of Sadow's core fleet, including his meditation sphere, to Empress Teta's fleets. Knowing his end is near, Sadow fires a superweapon aboard his meditation sphere, causing several stars around his fleet and the Republic's fleet to explode. Using the impending devastation as cover, Sadow retreats back to the Sith Empire, only to be confronted by Ludo Kressh, who was presumed dead but had used a decoy ship to fake his death. However, Sadow manages to finally kill his long-time rival by crashing one of his remaining ships into the hull of Kressh's flagship, destroying it instantly.

Knowing that Teta's and the Republic's fleets can follow him back to Sith space, Sadow gathers the Massassi still loyal to him and flees to Yavin 4, an uninhabited jungle moon. Believing he can one day create a new empire for the Sith, Sadow begins construction on Yavin 4, preparing for the Sith's return to power.

One thousand years following the defeat of Naga Sadow's Sith armies, three Jedi apprentices—brothers Ulic and Cay Qel-Droma, and Tott Doneeta, a Twi'lek—are diligently learning the Jedi ways from Master Arca Jeth on Arkania. After a lightsaber training session where Ulic showcases his skill, Master Jeth gathers his apprentices to share the history of Onderon. Jeth explains that thousands of years ago, the atmospheres of Onderon and its moon, Dxun, briefly connected, allowing Dxun's native flying beasts to migrate to Onderon. Despite being easy targets for these massive animals, the primitive Onderonians eventually learned to hunt them. Jeth continues, explaining that the Dxun beasts forced Onderon's tribal cultures to evolve into a modern civilization, establishing themselves in the walled city of Iziz for better defense. As Iziz grew, so did its laws and customs, including casting criminals out into the wild. However, these criminals learned to tame the flying beasts and organized themselves into war bands against Iziz.

These criminals, banished and known as "Beast Riders," according to Master Jeth's explanation, eventually engaged in open conflict with Iziz's forces, a struggle that became known as the Beast Wars. The three apprentices discover that this conflict has been ongoing for centuries, and the Onderonian royal family has requested Jedi assistance to effectively end it. Subsequently, Arca Jeth reveals his selection as the Jedi Watchman for the Onderon system, and his intention to dispatch his three apprentices to Iziz to facilitate a peaceful resolution to the Beast Wars. Initially surprised, Ulic, Cay, and Doneeta eagerly seize the opportunity to prove themselves on their inaugural mission.

The trio departs Arkania and soon reaches Iziz on Onderon, where they are granted an audience with Queen Amanoa, the current ruling monarch. However, during their meeting with Amanoa, Beast Riders violently breach the palace windows and assault the Jedi and Royal Guards. In the resulting chaos, a specialized unit of Beast Warrior Commandos intervenes and successfully kidnaps Princess Galia, Amanoa's daughter. Amanoa, demanding her daughter's rescue, sends the three apprentices beyond Iziz to pursue the fleeing Beast Riders. Accepting Amanoa's request, Ulic, Cay, and Tott Doneeta venture into the Onderon wilderness, eventually arriving at Kira Fortress, the forest stronghold of Beast Lord Modon Kira. There, the Jedi uncover that Galia's abduction is actually a meticulously crafted scheme orchestrated by herself and Oron, Modon Kira's son. They explain that the kidnapping was staged to liberate Galia from her mother's dark influence and that of the Onderonian royal family, and to enable her to marry Oron. Galia and Oron, detailing their family's generations-long corruption by the dark side, starting with the fallen Jedi Freedon Nadd, successfully recruit Ulic and his companions to aid in overthrowing Iziz's existing government.

The Jedi, Galia, and Oron Kira, believing in the possibility of a peaceful resolution to the Beast Wars, return to Iziz and attempt to persuade Amanoa to end the conflict. Despite their efforts, Amanoa expels the Jedi and their allies from the royal hall, employing the dark side to drive them away. Realizing the failure of peaceful means, Modon Kira assembles the Beast Lords of Onderon, and the combined forces of the Beast Riders launch an assault on Iziz. The ensuing battle is fierce, resulting in the loss of Cay Qel-Droma's left arm and Amanoa's retreat beneath the royal palace to the tomb of Freedon Nadd. Sensing his apprentices' peril, Master Jeth arrives on Onderon during the Beast Riders' attack on Iziz. Utilizing battle meditation to shift the battle's momentum against Amanoa's dark side forces, Jeth secures a swift victory for the Beast Rider armies. Joining his apprentices, Galia, and Oron in the royal palace, Master Jeth confronts Amanoa within Nadd's dark side tomb. Overwhelmed by Jeth's power, Amanoa is instantly killed by the effects of the light side of the Force. Following Amanoa's demise, Princess Galia and her new husband, Oron Kira, assume leadership of Onderon, effectively ending the generations-long Beast Wars.

In 3999 BBY, Jedi apprentice Andur Sunrider, accompanied by his wife Nomi, daughter Vima, and droid A-3DO, departs their home on H'ratth to seek the secluded Jedi Master Thon on Ambria, located in the Stenness system. Sent by his former Master, Chamma, to learn from Thon, Andur carries rare Adegan crystals as a gift from Chamma. En route, the Sunriders pause at a hyperspace terminal to replenish supplies for the final leg of their journey. During their stay, Bogga the Hutt, a notorious crime lord, discovers Andur's possession of the valuable Adegan crystals. Desiring the crystals, Bogga orders his thugs to attack Andur and retrieve the crystals. Bogga's gang ambushes and kills Andur but fails to secure the Adegan crystals from his body. After his death, Andur appears as a Force ghost to Nomi, urging her to take up his lightsaber and defend herself and their daughter. Guided by her deceased husband's instructions and her latent Force sensitivity, Nomi kills two of the attackers, causing the rest to flee. She then gathers Vima, A-3DO, and the crystals, resuming their journey to Ambria.

Upon arriving on Ambria, Nomi instructs A-3DO to remain with their ship, the Lightside Explorer. Accompanied by Vima, Nomi follows her instincts, hoping to find Jedi Master Thon. Navigating Ambria's harsh deserts, Nomi and Vima encounter a lone figure riding a fierce beast. Recognizing the figure as a Jedi, Nomi follows him to his humble dwelling, a small desert farm. Meanwhile, Bogga, still seeking the Adegan crystals, dispatches gangsters who track Nomi to Ambria and locate A-3DO inside the Lightside Explorer. Believing the crystals are hidden within the ship, the thugs shoot A-3DO while searching, unaware that Nomi has taken the crystals. Following Nomi's trail to her dwelling, Bogga's men are confronted by Nomi's host. However, the Jedi is overwhelmed by the thugs' numbers. Despite the gangsters' advantage, the beast ridden by the Jedi intervenes, trampling several pirates and forcing the gang to retreat. Revealed to be Jedi Knight Oss Wilum, Nomi's host introduces her to the fierce beast, who is actually Master Thon.

Under Thon's guidance, Nomi begins her Jedi Knight training alongside Oss Wilum. During their training on Ambria, Finhead Stonebone hijacks a ship belonging to Bogga the Hutt, intending to steal valuable ore. However, Bogga, aboard his flagship Enforcer One, foils Stonebone's plan, capturing him and his pirate gang. Expecting execution for his crimes, Stonebone is surprised when Bogga decides that he and his gang will travel to Ambria to kill Master Thon and anyone with him, retrieving the Adegan crystals that have eluded Bogga's efforts. Stonebone, leading his pirate crew and Bogga's thugs, attacks Thon's homestead, capturing Thon due to Nomi's reluctance to use violence after her husband's death. However, realizing that Thon will not fight back to teach her the Jedi path, Nomi uses her Force abilities to attack Stonebone and his gang. Through the combined efforts of Nomi and the freed Thon, the pirates are driven from Ambria.

After Queen Amanoa's defeat in the depths of Iziz palace, Jedi Master Arca Jeth, joined by other Jedi and Beast Riders, attempts to relocate the sarcophagi of Freedon Nadd and Amanoa to Dxun, a jungle moon. The funeral procession is ambushed by the Naddist dark side army, soldiers of the dark side cult devoted to Freedon Nadd. Led by the heavily armored Dark Jedi Warb Null, the attackers besiege the procession. During the attack, the Naddists steal the sarcophagi of Nadd and Amanoa, while Null engages the Jedi Knights in lightsaber combat. With their targets secured, Null and the Naddists retreat aboard their groundboring war machine, escaping beneath Iziz.

Realizing that Onderon remains under darkness, Jeth, Ulic Qel-Droma, and Queen Galia seek assistance from the seemingly ill King Ommin, Galia's father and Amanoa's widower, to locate the Naddists. However, Ommin uses Sith magic taught by Nadd to incapacitate Jeth, while Qel-Droma and Galia face the spirits of Freedon Nadd and his subordinate, Warb Null. Although Qel-Droma defeats Null, Ommin manages to spirit Jeth away. Afterward, Qel-Droma sends a call for aid, prompting the Jedi leadership to dispatch Jedi, including Nomi Sunrider, to help quell the Freedon Nadd Uprising. Simultaneously, aristocratic cousins Satal and Aleema Keto, founders of the dark side cult known as the Krath, travel to the Galactic Museum on Coruscant seeking dark side knowledge. Stealing a Sith spellbook, they cannot decipher it and decide to travel to Onderon, hoping for assistance from the Naddists. The Ketos are granted an audience with Ommin, who gifts Satal a Sith amulet, enabling them to read the book.

While Ommin meets with the Ketos, Jedi reinforcements from Ossus arrive on Onderon, joining the battle with their fellow Jedi. Along with a Republic fleet, the Jedi storm the fortress, freeing Jeth and confronting Freedon Nadd's spirit again. Realizing Ommin's diminishing usefulness, Nadd withdraws his influence, causing Ommin's death. After a brief exchange with Jeth, Nadd's spirit retreats into his sarcophagus. With Ommin's death and Nadd's apparent defeat, the Naddist rebellion is suppressed by Republic and Jedi forces. Subsequently, the sarcophagi of Ommin, Amanoa, and Nadd are transported to Onderon's fourth moon, Dxun, and interred by the Jedi.

In 3997 BBY, the cousins Aleema and Satal Keto orchestrate a coup in the Empress Teta system, formerly known as the Koros system, overthrowing the Tetan Monarchy and establishing their rule over its seven worlds. Employing Sith magic learned from the stolen Sith tome, they solidify their control, demonstrating their unwavering pursuit of absolute power. News of the Krath coup reaches Master Arca Jeth, who learns that the uprising is linked to his and his Jedi Knights' work on Onderon. Believing the Krath leaders received Sith assistance during the Freedon Nadd Uprising, Jeth feels responsible for quelling the chaos in the Empress Teta system. He dispatches Knights from Onderon across the galaxy to counter the growing threats he senses in the Force.

Following Master Jeth's orders, Ulic Qel-Droma and Nomi Sunrider lead a joint Republic-Jedi task force to aid worlds in the Empress Teta system resisting the Krath takeover. Arriving in the system, they encounter a large Krath fleet orbiting Empress Teta, the last planet resisting the coup. The ensuing battle results in a Krath victory, forcing the Republic and Jedi fleet to retreat into hyperspace with heavy losses. During the retreat, a Sith magic-imbued Krath fighter crashes into the command deck of the capital ship Alliance I, where Jedi advisor Qel-Droma is located. Shrapnel wounds him, releasing his aggressive emotions and enabling him to use the dark side of the Force more freely.

After the Republic-Jedi task force's defeat, a Jedi convocation is convened on Deneba to discuss countering the Krath threat. However, Krath war droids disrupt the conclave, initiating a brief but intense battle that results in Arca Jeth's death. Ulic Qel-Droma decides to infiltrate the Krath leadership to destroy the cult from within. His infiltration is discovered by Satal Keto, leading to a confrontation where Qel-Droma uses the dark side to kill his opponent. Despite his friends' attempts to rescue him as he falls to the dark side, Qel-Droma rejects them and aligns with Satal's cousin Aleema, who is aware of his mission but believes they can mutually benefit. Abandoning his original mission, Qel-Droma becomes warlord of the Krath forces, preparing for war against the Republic and Jedi.

Sunrider and the other Jedi refuse to abandon Qel-Droma. With the Jedi Masters' approval, they organize a large force of Beast Riders and Jedi to attack the Krath palace on Koros Major. The battle features a second confrontation between Qel-Droma and his former friends, failing to return Qel-Droma to the light. Following the retreat of the Jedi and Beast Rider forces, Exar Kun, a fallen Jedi with significant Sith knowledge gained from Korriban and Yavin 4, arrives on Koros Major to eliminate Qel-Droma and any threat to his Sith empire. However, during the duel, the ancient Sith spirit of Marka Ragnos appears, declaring Kun and Qel-Droma heirs to the Sith legacy and anointing them as Dark Lords of the Sith.

Six months after Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma join forces, the Sith Lords begin their galactic conquest. Kun arrives on Ossus, intending to spread his beliefs about the Force and attract Jedi to his cause. Addressing a group of Jedi questioning their roles after Arca Jeth's death, Kun convinces many of them, who believe he possesses secrets withheld by the Jedi Masters. This group accompanies Kun to Yavin 4, where they expect instruction in the ways of the Force. After a brief confrontation with Mandalore the Indomitable, Qel-Droma gains the allegiance of the Mandalorian clans, adding their strength to his Krath forces. With the Mandalorian clans and his army combined, and Kun occupied with Sith converts, Qel-Droma and Aleema Keto plan a massive invasion of Coruscant to overthrow the galactic government.

Under Kun's guidance, the Jedi defectors travel to Yavin 4, where he claims he needs their help to destroy an ancient Sith holocron, freeing the moon from the dark side. The Jedi witness Kun's dramatic destruction of the holocron. In reality, Kun's destruction unleashes a wave of dark side magic, infecting all present except the Cathar Jedi Crado, who has already pledged loyalty to Kun. Controlled by Kun's Sith magic, the new Sith acolytes are dispatched from Yavin 4 to kill their former Jedi Masters: the Brotherhood of the Sith is formed. Kun believes this blow will weaken the Jedi Order, making it unable to resist his galactic domination. Simultaneously, Qel-Droma and Keto launch their invasion of Coruscant. However, Keto's treachery, as she aims to usurp Qel-Droma, stalls the invasion. Under Keto's orders, the Krath and Mandalorian soldiers retreat, leaving Qel-Droma to be captured by the Republic.

Although Qel-Droma is captured and tried for war crimes, he denies the charges, claiming the Republic is weak and corrupt. During the trial, Exar Kun and Massassi warriors arrive to free him. Mandalore the Indomitable, having learned of Keto's treachery, travels to Yavin 4 seeking Kun's help to rescue Qel-Droma. After a dramatic entrance, Kun uses Sith magic to paralyze non-Jedi, kills the Republic Supreme Chancellor, and confronts his former Master Vodo-Siosk Baas. While other Jedi battle Kun's Massassi warriors, Baas duels Kun but is defeated. With Baas dead, Kun and his warriors collect Qel-Droma and leave Coruscant.

While Kun rescues Qel-Droma, the Sith acolytes launch their uprising against their former Masters. Almost all targeted Masters are assassinated, though Thon survives. The deaths of so many Jedi Masters cause concern, and when word of a Sith attack on Kemplex Nine arrives, a Jedi team is dispatched. The battle at Kemplex Nine results in the deaths of all participants as the Sith, under Aleema Keto, use Sith magic to trigger stellar explosions in the Cron Cluster. The resulting supernova destroys everything, heading towards the Jedi library-planet of Ossus. Kun and Qel-Droma plan to plunder the remaining Jedi secrets after the Jedi evacuate. Though the Jedi were caught unaware, they rushed to gather artifacts and flee. However, the Sith arrived before they could leave, and Cay Qel-Droma confronts his brother. After a duel, Ulic kills Cay, horrifying himself and causing him to abandon the dark side. Nomi Sunrider, overcome with grief, strips him of his Force abilities. Broken, Qel-Droma agrees to help the Jedi end the war, leading them to Kun's base on Yavin 4. The Jedi catch Kun unprepared and level the moon, causing a firestorm that destroys Kun and his power base. However, Kun's spirit endures, as he drains the life from his Massassi followers, binding his spirit to a Sith temple on the moon.

Ten years after Exar Kun's defeat on Yavin 4, the Jedi Order is called to its first convocation since the Great Sith War by Jedi Master Nomi Sunrider. Since the war, the Jedi and Republic have focused on restoring the galaxy. However, the Jedi lacked direction, so Sunrider hopes that a conclave will unite the Jedi Order and replenish their losses. Heeding their leader's call, masses of Jedi begin arriving at Exis Station, the chosen location.

The Jedi assembly was quickly influenced by Sylvar, a Cathar Jedi who participated in the Sith War. She had lost her mate, Crado, because of Ulic Qel-Droma. Due to the fact that Qel-Droma had not been captured and tried for his wartime transgressions, Sylvar redirected the conclave's focus from rebuilding the Jedi Order to the question of Qel-Droma's fate. Meanwhile, Vima Sunrider, Nomi Sunrider's teenage daughter, grew tired of the assembly's discussions. She then chose to commandeer a spacecraft from Exis Station for a joyride. However, Vima soon encountered difficulties when she lost control of the ship. She was then in peril of being drawn into a nearby star. At that moment, Tott Doneeta, a Twi'lek Jedi who was late to the conclave, appeared in the system and rescued Vima from certain death.

Following her rescue by Doneeta, Vima felt that her Jedi training could not progress under her mother's guidance. She believed that her mother prioritized leading the Jedi Order over her own daughter's future. Consequently, Vima chose to seek out the only person she believed could assist her: Ulic Qel-Droma. Eventually, she journeyed to Rhen Var, the frozen planet where Qel-Droma was thought to have exiled himself. Vima then started her search for the former Dark Lord of the Sith. She discovered what appeared to be a deserted fortress amidst Rhen Var's desolate, frozen landscape. Upon gaining entry, Vima finally encountered Qel-Droma. Initially, the fallen Jedi refused to instruct Vima in the Force, stating that his inability to touch the Force rendered him incapable of properly training her. However, Qel-Droma soon changed his mind and accepted the young Jedi as his apprentice.

In the meantime, Sylvar's resentment toward Qel-Droma and his war crimes, especially his role in her mate's demise, brought her perilously close to the dark side of the Force. Seeking solace from her anger, Sylvar traveled to Ryloth with Tott Doneeta, a fellow Jedi. However, she allowed her anger to dictate her actions there. Overwhelmed by her anger, Sylvar believed that she could only find peace on her home planet of Cather through a ritual known as a "blood hunt." Despite this, Sylvar's anger eventually subsided, leading her to conclude that she needed to find Qel-Droma and confront him about his actions. During this period, Nomi discovered her daughter's actions and her whereabouts. She then departed Exis Station to bring Vima home. Upon arriving on the frozen planet, Nomi made her way to the fortress where Qel-Droma and Vima were located. She then met with her former lover for the first time since the conclusion of the Great Sith War. Initially angered by Vima's decision to seek out Qel-Droma, Nomi came to understand the reasons behind her daughter's choices. She also realized what Qel-Droma had managed to teach her. Qel-Droma, believing that he would finally find peace through Vima and Nomi's efforts, was soon confronted by an enraged Sylvar, who had also arrived on Rhen Var. A fierce lightsaber duel ensued, but Sylvar was unable to continue the fight when Qel-Droma made her recognize that she was gradually following the same path he had taken during the Sith War. Finally releasing her anger, Sylvar confessed how close she had come to falling. However, at that moment, Hoggon, the pilot who had transported Sylvar to the planet, shot Qel-Droma from behind, proudly declaring himself as the one to kill Ulic Qel-Droma. In Nomi Sunrider's arms, Qel-Droma died and became one with the Force, despite his inability to touch the Force and his fall to the dark side. This then demonstrated to those present that he had finally been redeemed.

As far back as 1988, Tom Veitch had imagined the possibility of writing a comic series centered around the ancient Jedi and their narratives. In that year, Veitch, along with others, presented the concept of these comics to Lucasfilm Ltd., which expressed interest in the idea of such a story. However, at that time, Lucasfilm did not believe that Star Wars had any remaining potential. They also did not anticipate any further films or other significant media that would contribute to the franchise's growth. Similarly, a number of individuals in the comic-book industry were skeptical about the prospect of any additional comic success from Star Wars beyond what had already been achieved with the Marvel line of Star Wars comics earlier in the decade. Veitch even recalled comic industry members telling him "you're crazy. Star Wars is dead."

Due to these initial obstacles, Veitch decided to put aside the concepts he had developed for the comic series and focus on other endeavors. Eventually, Dark Horse Comics successfully acquired the rights to produce Star Wars comics. They then contracted Veitch to write its first Star Wars-themed series, Star Wars: Dark Empire, which was launched in December of 1991. Dark Empire achieved considerable success in the comic industry. Its success as a comic series allowed Dark Horse Comics to maintain the Star Wars comics rights until 2015. The storyline of Dark Empire revolved around a resurgent Empire in the years following the Battle of Endor. As a part of the story, Leia Organa pilfered an ancient holocron, which had once been the property of Jedi Master Bodo Baas, from Emperor Palpatine's clone. At the conclusion of each Dark Empire issue, there appeared a series of endnotes which Veitch would use as a type of "history" lesson on the Star Wars universe. This was presented through the perspective of Organa as she examined the stolen holocron. Within these endnotes, Veitch was able to introduce the characters and ideas that he had conceived years earlier for the comic series he had proposed to Lucasfilm Ltd. After Dark Empire's commercial success became evident, Lucasfilm approached Veitch about overseeing an Indiana Jones comic. Instead, Veitch pitched his concept of a comic series centered around the Jedi in their prime, which he titled "The Jedi Chronicles." This time, however, he was able to communicate directly with George Lucas, who Veitch stated "loved the idea." Lucas then granted Veitch free rein to write and explore the Star Wars universe 4,000 years before A New Hope. Lucas's only stipulation was that Veitch had to obtain his final approval on the comic's storyline. Lucas also informed Veitch that the name "Jedi Chronicles" was unavailable due to its similarity to his The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. This led Veitch to modify the name to Tales of the Jedi.

With permission granted to finally commence writing Tales of the Jedi, Veitch once again began compiling his characters and events into a storyline that would adhere to the mythic dimensions that he believed had been touched upon by the Star Wars films. To achieve this, Veitch re-watched all three films repeatedly in an effort to prepare himself for writing such a diverse story. At this point in his career, Veitch commented that he wanted to "…study all of the layers of detail in the movies," and to "…study the way the movies were constructed." Additionally, Veitch utilized the West End Games roleplaying game books and adventures to ensure that his ideas aligned with what had already been created for the Star Wars universe. Veitch had previously introduced the story of Ulic Qel-Droma in his Dark Empire endnotes. He then determined that his tale would be a logical starting point for the new series. Thus, he decided to focus the early issues on the fallen Jedi Knight.

Eventually, following the release of the initial run of five Tales of the Jedi comics, Veitch was introduced to fellow author Kevin J. Anderson, who had been asked to write an introduction for the trade-paperback edition of Dark Empire. During their introduction, the two authors began discussing their current writing projects related to Star Wars. Veitch explained that he was currently developing another story arc for his Tales of the Jedi series. Anderson then described his Jedi Academy Trilogy series of novels, which he was writing for Bantam Spectra. During their discussions, Veitch mentioned that he was planning an even larger run of comics for Tales of the Jedi, which would center around a significant new story. Anderson, likewise, explained that his trilogy of novels hinged on the spirit of a long-dead Dark Lord of the Sith named Exar Kun, who had been killed thousands of years before the books' setting. Through further discussions, the two authors realized that the character of Kun would fit well into the new story that Veitch had planned for Tales of the Jedi. Believing that they could create a memorable comic story together, Veitch invited Anderson to join the Tales of the Jedi production team.

Even though Veitch had decided to make the story of Ulic Qel-Droma the focal point of the early Tales of the Jedi issues, he came to the realization that he would be unable to construct the entire world on his own. He then needed a team of artists capable of meeting this challenge. With the approval of editor Barbara Kesel, Veitch assembled a three-page sample Tales of the Jedi script, which he distributed at conventions in the hope of finding interested and skilled artists. In 1992, Veitch encountered a young artist named Chris Gossett at the San Diego Comic-Con. Veitch then handed Gossett his three-page script and was highly impressed with Gossett's sketches. Influenced by the work of Akira Kurosawa, Gossett, who was assigned to draw the first two Tales of the Jedi comics, set out to, in his own words, "visually invent the Old Republic out of my own imagination."

Working in collaboration with Lucy Wilson, a liaison for Lucasfilm Ltd., Veitch, Gossett, and editor Dan Thorsland commenced work on the initial run of five Tales of the Jedi comics. The first two comics, titled Ulic Qel-Droma and the Beast Wars of Onderon, introduced several core characters such as the Jedi Ulic Qel-Droma, Cay Qel-Droma, Tott Doneeta, and Arca Jeth, as well as the spirit of Freedon Nadd, a long-dead Dark Lord of the Sith. The last three comics, titled The Saga of Nomi Sunrider, introduced other characters such as Nomi and Vima Sunrider, Jedi-in-training Oss Wilum, and Jedi Master Thon. Throughout the production of these two story arcs, Veitch, Gossett, and Thorsland worked closely with Wilson, who provided guidance during the series' creation. Wilson's role was to ensure that the team adhered to the boundaries established by Lucasfilm and to verify that they were meeting their expectations. During this time, Veitch and others created various questionnaires that explained their intentions regarding the storyline. These questionnaires were then submitted to George Lucas, who would either approve or disapprove of their contents. Veitch commented in an interview that "These were reviewed by George, because he wants to make sure, if you're going to tell about the ancient Jedi, he wants to have input on it. We have to write very carefully detailed questionnaires and list the ideas we want to use." Similarly, in the same interview, Thorsland commented on how "exacting" Lucasfilm's standards were. He believed that this policy was beneficial as it helped to enhance the quality of Tales of the Jedi.

Christian Gossett, who collaborated with Tom Veitch as the artist for the first two comics, aimed to create a diverse array of terrifying beasts and creatures that had never been seen before in the Star Wars universe. In an interview for Star Wars Adventure Journal 2, Gossett explained that as a child, he had always been terrified of magnified images of insects, such as fleas. He stated that these images served as the basis for the numerous creatures he created for the planet Onderon and its moon, Dxun. Working in close communication, both Veitch and Gossett sought to constantly exchange ideas to achieve a unique feeling in the comics.

Veitch envisioned Tales of the Jedi as an ongoing, anthological series that would focus on different stories and characters rather than centering on a single, specific narrative. While Gossett drew the first two issues, Veitch turned to other artists to draw the subsequent issues. Janine Johnston, a rookie artist from Canada whom Veitch met at a convention in Glasgow, was selected to draw the third issue of Tales of the Jedi. Johnston was responsible for designing the primary character Nomi Sunrider, whom she modeled after a friend. However, her inexperienced attempts at drawing starships were eventually redone before the issue was published. David Roach, a veteran artist who had previously worked for Dark Horse Comics, drew the final two issues of the Nomi Sunrider arc. As the artists were working simultaneously, Roach was unaware of the direction in which Johnston was heading, and some of his artwork had to be altered to match Johnston's portrayals.

Following the release of the first five Tales of the Jedi comics, Dark Horse Comics requested Veitch to write a one-shot story arc that would serve as a bridging comic for the characters initially created and the comics that would be produced in the following years. To this end, Veitch wrote the forty-eight-page comic series, spread across two issues, entitled The Freedon Nadd Uprising. The artist for this series was a newcomer to Tales of the Jedi named Tony Akins, who had been discovered and contracted by editor Dan Thorsland to create the artwork. Additionally, Veitch brought in Denis Rodier, a friend with whom he had collaborated on other non–Star Wars projects, to ink the series.

With the successful production of The Freedon Nadd Uprising, work commenced on the next story arc, which Veitch had initially envisioned as a massive new storyline spanning twelve issues. However, Lucasfilm Ltd. divided the story into two distinct arcs, with the first six issues being titled Dark Lords of the Sith and the last six The Sith War. Veitch invited fellow author Kevin J. Anderson to co-write the first arc and once again invited Christian Gossett to create the artwork. Working closely with Gossett, Anderson and Veitch ensured that their dialogue aligned with the artwork he had produced. This was achieved through a series of rough sketches, mosaics, and stick figures to ensure that each page closely resembled their shared vision. At other times, Gossett would work independently to produce entire pages and scenes, particularly the battle scenes, for which Anderson admitted Gossett had a "keen" eye. Similarly, Gossett tackled the portion of the story that centered on the death of Arca Jeth, and he effectively portrayed it as both authors had jointly envisioned it. During this time, Gossett designed the double-bladed lightsaber, which appeared as Exar Kun's weapon in The Sith War and would later be featured on the silver screen in Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace. With Anderson and himself planning to introduce Exar Kun in the Dark Lords of the Sith arc, Veitch and Lucasfilm were uncertain about George Lucas's reaction to their plans to portray the Sith. However, to their surprise, Lucas loved the idea.

Despite Gossett's impressive work, he had fallen behind schedule by the release of his fifth issue due to the heavy workload involved in that stage of production. To assist Gossett, Dark Horse Comics brought in a relief artist named Art Wetherell, who took on various parts of the sixth and final issue of Dark Lords of the Sith. According to Anderson, Wetherell's work appeared rushed, and his portrayal of the climactic scenes was significantly less interesting than Gossett's. Nevertheless, Dark Lords of the Sith was completed on time, and the production team enjoyed a brief respite before commencing work on the next story arc. During this time, however, events beyond Tom Veitch's control compelled him to leave the project he had initially started. When asked about this period and his decision to leave Tales of the Jedi, Veitch responded that it was a long story, but that, "As Star Wars once again became a cultural phenomenon, I felt my freedom begin to slip away, and so it was time to do other things." Despite this, Veitch also commented that he thoroughly enjoyed his work and time on Tales of the Jedi, stating that it was a great time to be working in Star Wars.

After co-plotting the first two issues of The Sith War with Veitch, Anderson was left to complete the remaining four issues of the original twelve. Anderson admitted that he felt comfortable with the work he had done so far on Dark Lords of the Sith and that he was confident in his ability to work with the comic format to finish the job. Anderson was also reassured by the fact that he and Veitch had thoroughly mapped out the general storyline for all twelve issues. Thus, it was simply a matter of taking the basic points and elaborating them into a detailed story. For the artwork for The Sith War, Anderson brought in artist Dario Carrasco, Jr., whom Anderson described as a "very reliable and enthusiastic guy."

Early in 1996, Anderson and his crew were able to finish the remaining issues of The Sith War, thereby paving the way for another project. Following the conclusion of the events that began in Dark Lords of the Sith, Anderson and the other members of the Tales of the Jedi project wanted to take a short break from the story of Ulic Qel-Droma. Anderson and the others knew that there was still more to Qel-Droma's story, but they also knew that creating and producing the final installment would be an intense and emotional journey. To this end, Anderson began work on the first of two prequel story arcs for Tales of the Jedi, set more than 1,000 years before the events that had already been written about. The first story arc was entitled The Golden Age of the Sith and focused on the ancient Sith Empire, as well as the hyperspace explorers Gav and Jori Daragon. During this time, Anderson again worked with Carrasco, and the two collaborated closely with Lucasfilm on the storyline. They submitted specific questions about the ancient Sith to George Lucas, who personally answered them, providing a significant amount of material for use in the story. Although Lucasfilm directed Carrasco not to copy any historical human setting while designing the world of The Golden Age of the Sith and its successor, The Fall of the Sith Empire, Carrasco gave his setting a decidedly ancient Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and feudal Japanese flair.

With the conclusion of The Golden Age of the Sith in 1996, Anderson completed his ancient Sith project by writing the second installment of his prequel series, entitled The Fall of the Sith Empire. In this installment, Anderson effectively brought to an end the story of the Sith Lord Naga Sadow, Gav and Jori Daragon, and the Great Hyperspace War, in which the Sith launched an attempt to conquer the Republic. For the artwork, Carrasco continued what he had begun in the first story arc, The Golden Age of the Sith. The final issue of The Fall of the Sith Empire was released on October 22, 1997, and was titled "End of an Empire."

With the successful completion of the two story arcs about the ancient Sith, Anderson once again turned his attention to the story of Ulic Qel-Droma, which he had left partially completed at the end of The Sith War. According to Anderson, "That was a very powerful experience, especially during the writing of what I consider to be the most emotionally intense piece of SW fiction I have ever written." For Anderson, writing Redemption, originally titled The Redemption of Ulic Qel-Droma, was a significant milestone in his career, and he wanted to ensure that it was one of the best pieces of Star Wars literature he ever produced. Similarly, Christian Gossett, whom Anderson had worked with on Dark Lords of the Sith and had brought in to create the artwork for Redemption, wanted to make Redemption a comic unlike any previously published Star Wars work.

According to Gossett, his aim was to make the story arc as "visually character-driven as possible," a characteristic that he felt was severely lacking in Dark Lords of the Sith, which he claimed had turned into a "circus" by the third issue. Gossett explained that in Dark Lords of the Sith, it was sometimes difficult for him to match a name to a character's face, and he could only imagine what that must have been like for the readers and viewers of his work. He also felt that the story had too many characters and believed that the story suffered as a result. Therefore, with Redemption, Gossett wanted to create a handful of core characters that he could truly connect to Anderson's writing, thus avoiding the mass injection of persons experienced in his earlier work. To accomplish this, Gossett traveled to Anderson's home and stayed with the writer and his wife during various stages of the production of Redemption. Gossett's and Anderson's aim was to work on each issue together, laying out the artwork and scripts panel by panel, page by page, and issue by issue. Although Veitch had already written a long story treatment about Qel-Droma's ultimate fate, Anderson and Gossett decided to take Redemption in a different direction. By the time Anderson and Gossett reached the climax of the story, Qel-Droma's redemption and subsequent death, both admitted that it was a very emotional time for them. According to Anderson, "…we got so involved in the story that we were practically shaking by the time we got to Ulic's death and redemption." Gossett gave a similar account when he admitted in an interview that he was in tears during the writing and creation of the last few pages of the final issue.

Throughout the creation and writing process of the Tales of the Jedi comic book series, Dark Horse Comics brought forth a number of characters sharing the "Sunrider" surname. These characters often played pivotal roles in the narratives of different comic books, such as Nomi Sunrider, and later Vima Sunrider in Redemption. However, despite their significance to the storylines, a legal dispute concerning the "Sunrider" name arose. While specific details about this legal issue are scarce, it's known that subsequent utilization of the surname was largely discontinued in most Star Wars media. Even so, there have been numerous instances where the "Sunrider" surname has appeared, most notably in sourcebooks for roleplaying games, miniature games, and several Essential Guides like The New Essential Chronology and Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force.

Despite the legal complications surrounding the name, there exists an example within the widely-played video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic where the character Jolee Bindo, while conversing with the player, mentions Nomi Sunrider. According to Chris Avellone, Creative Director at Obsidian Entertainment, the game's producer, these references are simply oversights that slipped past the editing phase. Because of the aforementioned legal issue, the developers were prevented from employing the "Sunrider" name throughout the game, even though they had initially intended to feature Vima Sunrider as a leading character. As a result, they were compelled to create a new character, named Bastila Shan, rather than assigning the lead character role to Vima in the game. In the sequel to the original game, The Sith Lords, there exist two items named "Nomi," one labeled "Nomi's Robe" and the other "Nomi's Armband." When a player selects these items and examines their descriptions, only the first names "Nomi" and "Andur," without the "Sunrider" surname, are used in the descriptions. Even though the legal challenges concerning the name persist, they don't entirely prevent the "Sunrider" name from appearing in Star Wars media—however, it is unlikely to appear in a place where it might be confused with a trademarked product, such as in the title of a book or attached to an action figure.

During the production of the Tales of the Jedi series, several continuity errors and other inconsistencies surfaced in the various narratives and media.

The Freedon Nadd Uprising story arc was subsequently adapted into the first Tales of the Jedi audio drama, and the audio adaptation introduced a number of possible and outright contradictions. In the original Freedon Nadd Uprising comics, Jedi Knights Nomi Sunrider, Dace Diath, Kith Kark, Qrrrl Toq, and Shoaneb Culu were chosen on Ossus to provide assistance to Ulic Qel-Droma and the other besieged Jedi stationed on Onderon. According to the comics, these Knights were immediately dispatched from Ossus to aid Qel-Droma. However, in the Tales of the Jedi audio drama, the entire discussion that occurred on Ossus regarding sending reinforcements to Onderon was omitted; instead, Nomi Sunrider accompanied Thon to the Republic capital of Coruscant, where she delivered a speech to the Senate advocating for the Republic to support the Jedi who were battling the Naddists. From there, Sunrider was reportedly appointed as the Supreme Commander of a Republic fleet dispatched to Onderon, with no mention of the other Jedi from Ossus in the audio drama. Although Sunrider's address to the Senate was not included in the comics, and the Jedi assembly on Ossus was not depicted in the audio drama, it can be inferred that one event directly follows the other in continuity, and that the other Knights from Ossus (Kark, Diath, Toq, and Culu) were excluded from the audio drama due to their limited roles in the original comic script penned by Tom Veitch. Some of their roles were assumed by Tott Doneeta and Cay Qel-Droma. Some events of the Conclave at Deneba and the ensuing battle, are portrayed simplified, or differently; Arca speaks instead of Shayoto, who doesn't appear in the drama, and Vodo was already present in the Conclave when he sensed the fall of Exar Kun, whereas in the comic he was still in his spaceship, arriving late.

On multiple occasions, Onderon was described as being on "the other side of the galaxy" from Ambria, yet later sources situated both systems within the Inner Rim, and the Stenness Node.

In the comic issue Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War 3: The Trial of Ulic Qel-Droma, Aleema Keto engages in a conversation with Mandalore the Indomitable after their unsuccessful invasion of Coruscant. During this exchange, Keto instructs Mandalore to lead his Mandalorians in an assault on the Republic space station at Kemplex Nine. This conversation caused some confusion, owing to specific wording in Keto's orders: "We will do a double-feint and strike the Kemplex Nine jump-station after all! The Republic forces thought it was a diversion of Ulic's, and now they will have left it virtually unguarded!" Following this interaction between Keto and Mandalore, the comic's narration states that "Mandalore sets Aleema's orders in motion, following them to the letter. He knows his warriors will see that they are carried out." Despite this, there are no subsequent mentions, depictions, or details in any of the following Tales of the Jedi comics regarding what was apparently a planned and executed Mandalorian attack on Kemplex Nine. In fact, the next appearance of Kemplex Nine occurs in the subsequent comic, Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War 4: Jedi Holocaust, which depicts the Battle of Kemplex Nine carried out by Aleema Keto and Crado, under the orders of Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma. The narration at the start of this event adds further confusion for the reader, stating, "Kemplex Nine was a bustling city in space…the only inhabited station in a hot, unstable cluster of ten stars known as the Cron Cluster. After Aleema's attack, though, it is no longer inhabited." Given these specific lines and narrations, it can be argued that the sequence of events is ambiguous, and it remains unclear whether the Mandalorians or Keto were responsible for the station's attack. Since Lucasfilm has not provided any clarification on this matter, Keto's initial order to Mandalore has been interpreted as a continuity error superseded by the line "After Aleema's attack, though, it is no longer inhabited…" due to the complete absence of Mandalorians following the order, as well as Keto's presence at Kemplex Nine, coupled with its subsequent destruction by Keto and Crado.

In the Power of the Jedi Sourcebook, the entry for Dace Diath indicates that Oss Wilum and Diath were the ones who tested the new and experimental Star Saber XC-01 starfighters shortly before the Second Battle of Empress Teta. However, in the comic story arc Dark Lords of the Sith, Diath and fellow Jedi Knight Cay Qel-Droma tested the new fighters. The Tales of the Jedi Companion also introduces a range of continuity errors and other inconsistencies that sometimes contradict what was established in the comics or even within its own information. The entry for Arca Jeth stated that "…two dozen Jedi warriors…" were dispatched by the Jedi Masters to address the threat posed by the Nelori Marauders, resulting in the Hyabb-Twith Campaign. However, later in the same paragraph, it is mentioned that "Only five of the twelve Jedi survived the encounter." As previously established in the book, there were twenty-four, not twelve, Jedi initially dispatched. Additionally, within the pages of the Tales of the Jedi Companion, Chamma's entry incorrectly states that he engaged in a fierce battle with an unidentified Sith Lord on the planet of H'ratth. However, this battle actually took place on the planet of Athiss, which the Companion identifies as being in the Loro Babis system. Earlier in Chamma's entry, it is clearly stated that Chamma and several other Jedi responded to a distress call on Athiss, and it was on that planet that they encountered the Sith.

Nomi Sunrider's hairstyle undergoes significant changes throughout the course of the Tales of the Jedi comics. In her initial introduction in The Saga of Nomi Sunrider, Sunrider has long, flowing hair. However, in the subsequent story arc, The Freedon Nadd Uprising, which occurs almost immediately after The Saga of Nomi Sunrider, Sunrider is depicted with the upper portion of her forehead appearing to be shaved midway on the scalp, with small braids intersecting the baldness, while still retaining the long hair down her back as seen in her original appearances. Her hairstyle changed again repeatedly in the following story arcs, consistently disrupting the visual consistency of her character's appearance. Sunrider was drawn by at least three different artists during the production of the Tales of the Jedi saga, each providing their own artistic interpretations of her hairstyle at any given time.

The ancient Mandalorians first appeared in Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War as warrior soldiers originating from the planet of Mandalore. According to the Tales of the Jedi comics, the warriors referred to themselves as the "Mandalorian Clans" and were a grey-skinned Near-Human species united under their leader, Mandalore the Indomitable, and constituted the entire force of "Mandalorians" in these stories. This species was eventually identified as the Taung, a race that existed thousands of years before the rise of Humans on Coruscant. However, under Mandalore the Ultimate, a Taung soldier who became Mandalore at the conclusion of The Sith War story arc, the Mandalorians adopted a completely different appearance in the Knights of the Old Republic meta-series; in this context, the Mandalorians were no longer solely composed of Taung soldiers but included warriors from various species and races. The only recognizable Taung in that timeframe remains Mandalore the Ultimate, whose appearance behind his mask was established in the Tales of the Jedi comics. Similarly, a second, albeit dying, Taung was introduced in the Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide who makes references to Mandalore the Indomitable. After that timeframe, it appears that the Taungs have largely become extinct.

The initial two story arcs, Ulic Qel-Droma and the Beast Wars of Onderon and The Saga of Nomi Sunrider, comprised the first Tales of the Jedi comic line produced by Dark Horse Comics. Eventually compiled into various collections, these two story arcs became recognized under the collective title of Knights of the Old Republic, marking the first appearance of that name in Star Wars continuity. Written by Tom Veitch, illustrated by Christian Gossett, and published in 1993, Ulic Qel-Droma and the Beast Wars of Onderon introduced many of the key characters of the Tales of the Jedi saga. In 1994, following the release of the initial run of five comics, Ilene Rosenberg conducted an interview with Tom Veitch, Christian Gossett, and Dan Thorsland titled Making Star Wars Comics Come Alive for Star Wars Adventure Journal 2, which focused on the then-new comic series of Tales of the Jedi. When Rosenberg inquired about the feedback received from readers of the comics, Gossett noted that, at the time of the interview, the majority of fan reception for Tales of the Jedi was positive. He also mentioned that Tales of the Jedi had received several "nice" reviews in the comic magazine Hero Illustrated. Thorsland similarly stated that the fan reception had been overwhelmingly positive, the press had provided a favorable review, and, crucially, it was critically acclaimed. Veitch simply stated that the Tales of the Jedi team had received hundreds of positive fan letters, with only one or two negative pieces of mail. Following the release of the first five Tales of the Jedi comics, Tom Veitch was commissioned to create a one-shot 48-page comic series, which resulted in The Freedon Nadd Uprising.

The immensely successful Knights of the Old Republic video game takes place approximately thirty years after the events depicted in Tales of the Jedi: Redemption, and initiated an ongoing meta-series that centers on the decades preceding the death of Ulic Qel-Droma. Given the meta-series' placement within the Star Wars timeline, numerous mentions and references to the earlier Tales of the Jedi saga can be found in the Knights of the Old Republic games, comics, and stories.

Both video games, Knights of the Old Republic and its sequel, The Sith Lords, feature various mentions and uses of the events, creatures, and characters from Tales of the Jedi. Within the original game, the most notable examples include: Nomi Sunrider, during a potential conversation between the player and Jolee Bindo; Ulic and Cay Qel-Droma, while the player interacts with Dorak; Exar Kun, when Suvam Tan recounts his enslavement under him; accounts of the Great Sith War, as retold by various characters to the player; and the Cathar species, originally created for the Tales of the Jedi saga, but established as the species of Juhani, one of the player's main companions. Similarly, several Tales of the Jedi characters had locations or items named after them, such as Marka Ragnos's tomb, Naga Sadow's tomb, Ulic Qel-Droma's mesh suit, and Exar Kun's light battle suit. Likewise, The Sith Lords mentions a significant number of characters originating from Tales of the Jedi, such as Nomi and Andur Sunrider, Ulic Qel-Droma, Freedon Nadd, Exar Kun, Sylvar, Aleema Keto, Arca Jeth, Crado, and several others. Various locations from Tales of the Jedi were also featured in The Sith Lords, such as the Tomb of Freedon Nadd, initially seen in its current form in the final pages of Tales of the Jedi: The Freedon Nadd Uprising 2: Initiates of the Sith, which serves as a prominent site in the game and the main setting for one of the player's major quests in the storyline. Additionally, the planet of Onderon and its fourth moon, Dxun, both of which initially appeared in the first Tales of the Jedi story arc, are major locations within The Sith Lords's storyline. Onderon is the setting for a civil war, which the player assists in quelling; among other things, Dxun served to reintroduce the character of Canderous Ordo to the meta-series, who first appeared in Knights of the Old Republic. Similar to the first game, The Sith Lords features a number of items and locations named after individuals from the Tales of the Jedi saga, such as the Tomb of Ludo Kressh, Ludo Kressh's armband, Nomi's robe, Nomi's armband, Sylvar's robe, Crado's robe, Aleema Keto's robe, Thon's robe, Arca Jeth's robe, Freedon Nadd's blaster, and Freedon Nadd's short lightsaber, among many others.

Beyond the video games, Tales of the Jedi also received mentions and references in the Knights of the Old Republic comic series. Jedi Master Vodo-Siosk Baas, the former Master of Exar Kun, was written as also being the Master of Krynda Draay, the founder of the Jedi Covenant, a significant organization within the Knights of the Old Republic comic series. The Jedi Knight Alek references the conclusion of the Great Sith War during a conversation with the fugitive Jedi Zayne Carrick. Exar Kun is also mentioned by Lucien Draay, who uses Kun as an example of how even a seemingly harmless Padawan can plunge the galaxy into a full-scale war. In Field Report: Project Black Harvest, Argaloh Adasca mentions Arca Jeth and his death during the Great Sith War.

Similarly, Arca Jeth appeared in flashbacks in the comic issue Knights of the Old Republic 33 and is seen awarding the rank of Jedi Knight to Barrison Draay and Krynda Hulis. Also appearing in that issue was the character of Noab Hulis, who had previously only been minorly portrayed in the Tales of the Jedi Companion. Vindication, Part 2 further expanded upon the events of the Great Sith War, briefly recounting the events of the Battle of Toprawa and the subsequent Sith ambush that resulted in the death of Barrison Draay, also explaining how Haazen became so disfigured. The character of Mandalore the Ultimate, who originally appeared briefly as a Taung soldier in the issue Tales of the Jedi – The Sith War 6 published in 1996, is prominently featured within the Knights of the Old Republic comics. The Knights of the Old Republic comics greatly expanded upon Mandalore the Ultimate's role in the Mandalorian Wars. A major reference to the Tales of the Jedi series was the appearance of Exar Kun's lightsaber, which was a significant item in the Demon arc. The lightsaber was revealed to be kept in the Sanctum of the Exalted by the Jedi Covenant alongside other Sith artifacts. The lightsaber was later wielded by the villain Chantique, who immediately felt an enhancement to her Force powers.

In 2005, Tales of the Jedi was again referenced in the short story "Shadows and Light" which appeared in Star Wars Tales 23. Shadows and Light was created as a prequel story for the first Knights of the Old Republic video game, detailing the events surrounding a group of diaries discovered during the course of the game. One of the story's main protagonists is Duron Qel-Droma, cousin to Ulic and Cay Qel-Droma. The story references Naga Sadow's tomb, Ulic Qel-Droma, Naga Sadow, Exar Kun, the Great Sith War, Onderon, and other topics all originating in the Tales of the Jedi comics.

In the autumn of 2007, Dark Horse Comics revealed that John Jackson Miller, the author behind the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic comic series, would collaborate with John Ostrander, known for his work on the Legacy comic, on a fresh crossover comic project. This project was titled Star Wars: Vector and was slated to be a series arriving in 2008. The Vector narrative was designed to unfold across all four of Dark Horse Comics' then-current ongoing series: Knights of the Old Republic, Rebellion, Dark Times, and Legacy.

The Vector saga primarily revolves around the pursuit of the Muur Talisman, a Sith relic predating the era of Naga Sadow, the antagonist from Tales of the Jedi. It's discovered that the Talisman was forged by another Sith Lord, Karness Muur, during the establishment of the ancient Sith Empire. This Empire was originally conceived by Kevin J. Anderson for his two prequel Tales of the Jedi storylines, The Golden Age of the Sith and The Fall of the Sith Empire. Anderson's character, Naga Sadow, was integrated into the Vector narrative during the exposition of the Muur Talisman's history, revealing his battles against fellow Sith Lords in his quest for the Talisman. Sadow's backstory was further enriched in Vector, Part 4, which detailed his translation of the Codex of Karness Muur, a Sith text, into Basic.

Similarly, several other characters from Tales of the Jedi received brief mentions in the comic's debut issue, with the introduction of the Epistle of Marka Ragnos, Jori Daragon's amulet, and the Eye of Horak-mul. These artifacts allude to significant and minor figures from the Golden Age of the Sith and The Fall of the Sith Empire storylines. Furthermore, the Vector writers utilized these elusive artifacts to introduce Celeste Morne, a Shadow within the Jedi Covenant, who had either destroyed or recovered each of them.

Serving as a spiritual successor to the Knights of the Old Republic games, the video game Star Wars: The Old Republic also expands upon the continuity established in Tales of the Jedi. The game's core conflict originates from the initial Great Hyperspace War depicted in Tales of the Jedi. Through The Old Republic and its associated multimedia, the aftermath of the Great Hyperspace War is elaborated upon: amidst Supreme Chancellor Pultimo's extermination campaign against the remnants of the Sith Empire, the Sith Lord known as Lord Vitiate attains immortality and immense power. He achieves this by deceiving the remaining Sith Lords into performing a ritual of Sith magic alongside him. Vitiate—now known as the Sith Emperor—leads the remnants of the shattered Empire into uncharted territories. The Emperor reconstitutes the Sith Empire, establishing Dromund Kaas as its capital, and dedicates over a millennium to rebuilding its strength and plotting revenge against the Republic.

Within the in-game Codex, The Old Republic presents a series of Galactic History entries; twenty-eight out of eighty-seven entries are specifically dedicated to summarizing the events of all Tales of the Jedi's story arcs. Four Jedi Masters initially introduced in Tales of the Jedi—Chamma, Arca Jeth, Nomi Sunrider, and Noab Hulis—are featured in The Old Republic as gatekeepers of the Noetikons, a collection of three holocrons, each guarded by three Jedi Masters. However, Nomi's surname is consistently omitted in The Old Republic; she is primarily referred to as "the Jedi Nomi," and is only once identified as Nomi Da-Boda. The planet Athiss, which debuted in the Tales of the Jedi Companion as the setting for Chamma's story, appears in The Old Republic. It is revealed to be the final resting place of the deranged Sith Vodal Kressh, a descendant of Ludo Kressh, and remains haunted by the descendants of Vodal's followers. The Miraluka, a species first seen in Tales of the Jedi and later in Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, is available as a playable species in The Old Republic.

Numerous worlds and locations that originally appeared in Tales of the Jedi are referenced in The Old Republic, which incorporates a crewskill mission system that extensively references elements of the Expanded Universe. Planets such as Ch'hodos, Ambria, Keres II, Koros Major, and Khomm are among the planets introduced in Tales of the Jedi that are mentioned in The Old Republic. One crewskill mission centers on the discovery of a secret chamber belonging to Memit Nadill, Empress Teta's advisor during the Great Hyperspace War, located within Teta's palace. Upon the initial launch of The Old Republic, several dozen of the game's servers were named after characters, items, and locations from Tales of the Jedi, including Tott Doneeta, the Goluud Corridor, the Iron Citadel, and hssiss. Several Sith Lords from the Great Hyperspace War play significant roles in The Old Republic. The tombs of Marka Ragnos and Naga Sadow are both present on Korriban, and Horak-mul appears as a Force ghost in the Sith Inquisitor class storyline; Dor Gal-ram and Ludo Kressh are also frequently mentioned. Relatively few continuity errors have emerged between Tales of the Jedi and The Old Republic, with most occurring in the in-universe history video Timeline 10: The Exar Kun War: the video depicts Cay Qel-Droma with two intact arms at the time of his death and portrays the duel between Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma as a large-scale battle between Krath and Massassi armies, contrasting with the comic's depiction of a smaller confrontation within the Iron Citadel involving only the two combatants.

Before the release of the first Tales of the Jedi comics, fans received previews of the then-upcoming comic book series, as detailed in the Dark Empire endnotes. Dark Empire, penned by Tales of the Jedi author Tom Veitch, is a comic series chronicling the resurrection of Emperor Palpatine and his eventual defeat by the Rebel Alliance. Each comic concluded with endnotes, essentially short essays by Veitch, exploring the backstory of Dark Empire and various aspects of galactic history, including background details on elements of the upcoming Tales of the Jedi series. These notes described characters like Ulic Qel-Droma and Nomi Sunrider, organizations such as the Krath, and other elements that would later be incorporated into Tales of the Jedi. However, despite the details provided in these endnotes, Veitch ultimately treated them as preliminary drafts, revising and sometimes significantly altering information for its inclusion in the finished Tales of the Jedi comics.

Kevin J. Anderson's initial involvement with Tales of the Jedi stemmed from his work on The Jedi Academy Trilogy novel series. During this time, he and Veitch agreed that his character, Exar Kun, would seamlessly integrate into the ongoing Tales of the Jedi storylines. At the conclusion of The Sith War comic storyline, Kun was defeated and entombed within his Sith temples when Yavin 4 was destroyed by the Jedi. In Anderson's novel trilogy, set in the year 11 ABY, these temples were occupied by Luke Skywalker and the students of his Jedi Praxeum, a school where Skywalker sought to recreate the Jedi Order of old. A central element of Anderson's stories was the spectral presence of Exar Kun, whose disembodied spirit lingered in the temples 4,000 years after his death. Appearing as a mysterious stranger, Kun's ghost approached a young Jedi named Gantoris, eventually corrupting and killing the apprentice. Kun later successfully corrupted another Jedi trainee, Kyp Durron, who, under Kun's influence, committed atrocities such as the destruction of Carida. As Kun's spirit grew stronger, he challenged Skywalker, extracting Skywalker's spirit from his body and plunging his Jedi students into chaos. Ultimately, Kun's spirit was vanquished through the combined efforts of the remaining Jedi students, Skywalker's spirit, and the long-deceased spirit of Vodo-Siosk Baas, another character from the Tales of the Jedi comics.

The short story Firestorm, written by Kevin J. Anderson and published in Star Wars Adventure Journal 15, takes place between the novels Jedi Search and Dark Apprentice. It features Exis Station from Tales of the Jedi: Redemption and the stories of several characters from the Tales of the Jedi comics. The story follows Luke Skywalker's search for candidates for his Jedi Praxeum, recently established on Yavin 4. During his search, he encounters a scavenger named Fonterrat who claims to have located Exis Station, the site of an ancient Jedi Conclave. Believing he might find lost Jedi artifacts and lore, Skywalker sets out to find the station. There, he meets Tionne, who is also searching for lost Jedi history. Together, they discover several data plaques containing recordings of Nomi Sunrider, the former leader of the Jedi Order, and her speech during the Conclave on Exis Station. Following this discovery, Skywalker invites Tionne to join his Praxeum to study the Force and Jedi history. The short story also mentions numerous other Tales of the Jedi characters, including Gav and Jori Daragon, Tott Doneeta, Vodo-Siosk Baas, Vima Sunrider, and Odan-Urr.

In the video game Star Wars: The Clone Wars, released in 2002 for the GameCube and PlayStation 2, and 2003 for the Xbox, Ulic Qel-Droma makes a significant cameo appearance. The game's plot reveals that the Dark Reaper, an ancient Sith weapon developed during the Great Sith War, is being reassembled by Count Dooku and his Separatist forces. The Jedi realize that the completion of the Dark Reaper project would likely determine the outcome of the war. Mace Windu informs Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan Anakin Skywalker that Ulic Qel-Droma, an ancient Jedi Knight, had learned how to combat the Dark Reaper and defeated it during the Great Sith War. Windu advises the two Jedi to travel to the frozen planet of Rhen Var to find Qel-Droma's tomb, hoping to find a way to defeat the Separatist threat. After defeating spectral guardians guarding Qel-Droma's tomb, Skywalker communicates with Qel-Droma's spirit, who teaches the young Jedi how to withstand the Dark Reaper's effects long enough to defeat it.

Various Tales of the Jedi characters and events were incorporated into several Essential Guides, including The Essential Guide to Characters, The Essential Guide to Planets and Moons, The New Essential Chronology, and Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force. These guides provided information about topics in Tales of the Jedi that had not been referenced in the comics, such as Arca Jeth's involvement against the Lorell Raiders in The Essential Guide to Planets and Moons, Jeth's actions during the Great Droid Revolution in The New Essential Guide to Droids, canonically establishing Nomi Sunrider's height, hair, and eye color in The Essential Guide to Characters, and the inner thoughts and perspectives of Vima Sunrider regarding Ulic Qel-Droma and her training under him in Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force.

Similar to the information in the Essential Guides, numerous roleplaying game sourcebooks expanded upon topics from Tales of the Jedi. The Jedi Academy Sourcebook elaborated on Exar Kun's history and role in Kevin J. Anderson's Jedi Academy Trilogy novels. Other sourcebooks, such as the Power of the Jedi Sourcebook, introduced previously unexplored characters like Ooroo, providing new pictures and background details. Major characters like Nomi Sunrider, Arca Jeth, and Ulic Qel-Droma are also included in the Power of the Jedi Sourcebook, though their entries largely retell events from the comics. However, these characters received new artwork and pictures within the sourcebook. Sourcebooks like The Dark Side Sourcebook focused on Sith characters such as Satal and Aleema Keto, Amanoa, Freedon Nadd, and Marka Ragnos, expanding on their backstories and providing information on their experiences with the dark side of the Force.

In the film Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, a frieze depicting a massive battle from the Great Hyperspace War, originally featured in Tales of the Jedi: The Fall of the Sith Empire, appears in Chancellor Palpatine's office. George Lucas requested the creation of a picture depicting an ancient conflict between the light and dark sides of the Force as part of the art collection in Palpatine's office. Artist Erik Tiemens created the original art that served as the basis for the final frieze used in the film.

Following the early success of the comic series, West End Games was commissioned by Lucasfilm Ltd. to create a sourcebook for their Star Wars Roleplaying Game focused on Tales of the Jedi. The sourcebook was written by George R. Strayton, a Star Wars author who had worked on various other projects for West End Games. Released in August 1996, the Tales of the Jedi Companion focused on the first three story arcs of the comic series, providing extensive background details on characters, planets, vehicles, and other elements. Included entries covered Ulic and Cay Qel-Droma, Nomi Sunrider, the SunGem, Freedon Nadd, and boma beasts. The Companion also included entries and descriptions for light- and dark-side Force powers for use in the Star Wars Roleplaying Game. The Companion features vignettes scattered throughout its pages, focusing on small stories ranging from a tale of Amanoa during the events of Ulic Qel-Droma and Beast Wars of Onderon to a story about Vara Nreem, a young Jedi Knight not previously featured in the Tales of the Jedi series, and her fall to the dark side of the Force.

Fan reception of the Tales of the Jedi Companion sourcebook was generally positive, with The Wanderer's Rest giving it three stars and calling it "Highly recommended." The Wanderer's Rest also commented that "In some ways you are better of [sic] just using the comics books, but [we] feel the Companion is an excellent reference for the comic books." Goodreads.com had readers who gave the Companion between four and five stars out of five. On the Jedi Council Forums of TheForce.Net, a user named "Blithe" commented, "I would also like to suggest the Tales of the Jedi companion and Dark Empire Sourcebook as well. Both are very well written pieces of literature – some of the best EU out there, IMHO." On the same forum thread, a user named "LastOneStanding" said, "While I love the TotJ Companion, the creation of Warb Null isn't that great. The story about how Freedon Nadd became the evil being he eventually was is much better…"

Between the completion of the comic story arcs The Sith War (1996) and Redemption (1998), HighBridge Audio was commissioned to produce two audio dramas based on Tales of the Jedi stories. In 1997, HighBridge produced and released two audio dramas on cassette tapes based on the characters, planets, and storylines of the first four Tales of the Jedi arcs. Starting with the Tales of the Jedi audio drama, HighBridge Audio used scripts by John Whitman, based on Tom Veitch's original comic scripts, to adapt the stories of Ulic Qel-Droma and the Beast Wars of Onderon, The Saga of Nomi Sunrider, and The Freedon Nadd Uprising across two cassette tapes. Several months after the release of the Tales of the Jedi audio drama, HighBridge released the audio adaptation of Dark Lords of the Sith. This second drama was again written by John Whitman, who based his script off of the originals by Tom Veitch and Kevin J. Anderson. Both the Tales of the Jedi and Dark Lords of the Sith audio dramas were eventually released on compact disc by HighBridge Audio in 2005.

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