Upper City Cantina

The Upper City Cantina was spacious, featuring four rooms arranged around a central area, in addition to a dueling ring that was situated elsewhere within the establishment. Upon entering, guests encountered a collection of pazaak tables where local players engaged in the popular card game. The common area, in addition to its prominent bar, included numerous tables for patrons and served as a central hub connecting the cantina's various rooms.

To the immediate left of the entrance and the pazaak area, Ajuur the Hutt used a room to orchestrate sanctioned duels between amateur or professional combatants who typically competed for a share of the winnings earned by Ajuur through gambling. Notable duelists who frequented the cantina included Gerlon Two-Fingers, Marl, Ice, Deadeye Duncan, and the champions Twitch and Bendak Starkiller. When not actively dueling, these combatants often gathered in this area, conversing with patrons. Furthermore, viewscreens were available for spectators unable to secure tickets to the duels but still wishing to watch. The dueling ring itself was circular, with a single entrance, and was surrounded by spectator stands. Equipped with energy suppressors, the ring minimized the risk of fatalities despite the combatants' freedom to choose their weapons.

To the right of the entryway, the cantina featured a relatively new addition: a room with a bandstand and biological or holographic dancers, often female Twi'leks. Tables filled the rest of the room, providing seating for patrons to watch the performances. Directly opposite the main entrance was the final room, designed as a more private setting for enjoying drinks and meals, often frequented by Tarisian nobles who were served by wait staff.

Before the Taris Civil War, a century of prosperity fueled the rapid growth of the planet's main cities, eventually covering all available landmasses. It was during this time that the Upper City Cantina was constructed. The newly formed ecumenopolis became stratified into levels: the Upper City became the domain of the wealthy and noble classes, the Lower City began to deteriorate, and the Undercity became the refuge of those banished for crimes against the government, struggling to survive. The discovery of new hyperspace routes diminished Taris's importance as a trading hub, leading to a significant loss of income. The ensuing civil war pitted the oppressed underclasses and numerous non-Human species against the planet's corrupt government. This conflict resulted in millions of deaths and widespread destruction, with large areas of the planet left in ruins or abandoned. Many more were exiled to the Undercity, while the aliens of Taris were confined to the Lower City, often falling victim to swoop gangs and other criminals.

Despite the turmoil, the Upper City Cantina remained largely unaffected, continuing to serve Tarisian ale and host gladiatorial competitions. In 3956 BBY, during the Jedi Civil War, Darth Malak's Sith Empire conquered Taris as part of an ambush planned against a small fleet supporting the Republic warship Endar Spire. The goal was to capture the Jedi Padawan Bastila Shan and exploit her battle meditation to ensure the success of his campaign. Following the conquest, the cantina became a popular entertainment venue for the occupying troops and officers. Unbeknownst to Malak, his former friend and master, whom the Sith Lord had attempted to kill one year previously, was also aboard the Endar Spire. Bastila, the amnesiac Revan, and Carth Onasi managed to escape the doomed vessel, but were separated in the process, with Shan landing in the Undercity and being captured by the Black Vulkars swoop gang. Carth and Revan sought refuge in an abandoned apartment near the cantina and the crash site of their escape pod, where the former Sith remained comatose for three days. After failing to capture or kill Shan in the initial battle, Malak imposed a planet-wide blockade.

After recovering, Revan and Carth visited the cantina to gather information about the situation on Taris, speaking with patrons such as Sarna, who invited Revan to a party in the Upper City. Revan expressed interest in Ajuur's dueling competition, entering as the "Mysterious Stranger" to earn credits for off-world passage. Following further exploration and involvement in other incidents, including winning the Tarisian Season Opener swoop race, the pair, now joined by Bastila, met with the Mandalorian mercenary Canderous Ordo at the cantina. Ordo, dissatisfied with working for Davik Kang, proposed a plan to break the Sith blockade and escape the planet. He offered Revan, Carth, and Bastila a deal: in exchange for obtaining the launch codes needed to leave the planet unhindered by the Sith fleet, he would provide them with access to Davik's flagship, the Ebon Hawk. After acquiring the codes, the team met Ordo at another establishment, Javyar's in the Lower City, to proceed with their plan.

As these events unfolded, Malak grew impatient with the increasingly fruitless search for Bastila Shan. In a desperate attempt to prevent her escape, he ordered Admiral Saul Karath to initiate an orbital bombardment. After repositioning the fleet for optimal efficiency, the bombardment commenced, with turbolaser fire relentlessly striking the city-world as automated landers descended to retrieve Sith personnel. The cantina was among the many structures destroyed in the process.

The Upper City Cantina was a popular destination for many residents of Taris's Upper City, including nobles, wealthy merchants, off-world traders, and other citizens. Reflecting the local Humanocentrism, the cantina primarily catered to Human patrons, as non-Human species typically required special permits to live or work in the Upper City. Exceptions included Twitch, the Rodian dueling champion, a trio of Bith musicians stranded on the planet, and a pair of Twi'lek dancers. Other notable regulars included the card shark Niklos, an older pazaak player named Garouk, Gana Lavin, a young noblewoman, her friend, and the duel organizer Ajuur the Hutt. The cantina's clientele was further augmented by Sith personnel and off-worlders trapped on Taris due to the blockade, with local reactions ranging from concealed resentment to open welcome. Some Sith succumbed to the potent effects of Tarisian ale.

The Upper City Cantina made its debut as a playable area within the Upper City of Taris in the video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, developed by BioWare. Players have several options when interacting with the cantina, including participating in an illegal death match against Bendak Starkiller for dark-side points, or ignoring the dueling ring altogether. Regardless, the introductory duel scene between Gerlon Two-Fingers and Deadeye Duncan automatically plays upon entering the duel room. Additionally, depending on the player character's gender, they can be invited to a party where they can acquire a set of Sith armor without using the Force, either by Sarna if male, or Yun Genda if female; this is also optional.

Cut content revealed the possibility of Deadeye Duncan surviving the destruction of Taris. In an interactive cutscene on Manaan, he would ask to use the Mysterious Stranger alias. Players could question him about his escape, during which Duncan would admit to finding an automated transport whose intended passengers had been killed by falling debris.