Volfe Karkko, existing over a millennium before the Invasion of Naboo, was a Jedi Master of the Anzat species who transitioned to become a Sith magician. He erroneously thought himself immune to his species' inherent predatory nature. However, after sampling the "soup," or life essence, of various sentient beings, including Jedi, he quickly became addicted, leading to his descent into the dark side of the Force. The Jedi High Council, alarmed by Karkko's escalating bloodlust, engaged him in battle, which resulted in the Anzat's defeat. Instead of executing Karkko, the Council imprisoned him in stasis on the prison world of Kiffex. He remained captive for a thousand years, fully conscious so he could contemplate his errors. Defiantly, Karkko refused to abandon the dark side, using his isolation to scheme revenge against his captors. Over time, he became a legend among Anzati; drawn to Kiffex by his mental calls, they worshiped him as the "Dark Dreamer," transforming his prison into a sacred site. Karkko, in turn, consumed their essence, causing them to degenerate into bestial versions of their former selves.
In 30 BBY, Volfe Karkko sensed the arrival of Aayla Secura, an amnesiac Twi'lek Padawan, on Kiffex. He lured her to his prison and manipulated her into freeing him. Karkko corrupted Secura to the dark side, intending to make her his apprentice and queen after escaping Kiffex. He placed her in charge of his Anzat slaves, ordering them to terrorize Kiffex's population to attract the Jedi's attention. Several Jedi responded, but only Aayla Secura's former Master, Quinlan Vos, entered Karkko's fortress to confront him. When Vos broke Karkko's hold over Secura, Karkko tried to seduce Vos to the dark side, but failed. He then fought Vos in lightsaber combat and was killed when the Kiffar Jedi Master bisected him.
Living over a thousand years prior to the Invasion of Naboo, Volfe Karkko was a male Anzat native to the planet of Anzat. Discovered to be Force sensitive by the Jedi Order when he was already over eight hundred years old, he was chosen for Jedi training at a time when only children were typically accepted. Karkko rose to become a powerful, yet arrogant, Jedi Master, whose service to the Order was exemplary. He was also known for his extensive study of a rare Sith holocron within the Temple's Archives. He enjoyed reminding other Jedi that his people remembered the first Sith Lords, although his scrutiny of the holocron yielded no proof of this claim.
Some Jedi, including the Jedi High Council, worried about the risks of training Anzati in the Force, fearing Volfe Karkko's ability to resist his species' instinct to consume the "soup," or life energy, of other sentients. Karkko dismissed these concerns, his pride convincing him that a Jedi of his caliber was above such urges. He believed that one taste would be harmless, having never tasted soup before. However, after his first taste, Karkko became immediately addicted, craving soup constantly. Using his Jedi abilities, he began preying on other Jedi, growing stronger in the Force by consuming their essence. This led to his fall to the dark side, believing he could conquer the galaxy alone.
The Jedi Council intervened, deeming Karkko's ambitions a threat. He fled to Kiffex to escape persecution, but the Council pursued him. A battle ensued, during which Karkko initially held his own. Ultimately defeated, he was not killed, but imprisoned in a stasis field, remaining fully conscious to reflect on his actions. His lightsaber was placed nearby in a miniature stasis field, serving as a reminder of his former life and a warning to others. The building housing Karkko's prison was sealed to prevent access by non-Jedi.
The memory of Volfe Karkko's downfall persisted throughout his one-thousand-year imprisonment. He became a legend among both the Anzati and the Jedi, his tale recorded in a holocron locked in the Holocron Chamber of the Jedi Temple's Tower of First Knowledge. Isolation did not sway Karkko from the dark side; he plotted the Jedi Order's downfall and the resources needed for it. Over centuries, his prison became a nexus of dark side power. His spirit telepathically summoned other Anzati to Kiffex. They infiltrated his prison, worshiping him as "The Dreaming One." Corrupting them with his power, he replenished his strength by mentally draining their essence. The Dark Jedi amassed an army of feral Anzat slaves, devoid of sentience and bound to his will. Only a Jedi could release Karkko from the stasis field.
In 30 BBY, after a millennium in stasis, Volfe Karkko found an opportunity to escape when Aayla Secura, a Twi'lek Jedi Padawan, arrived on Kiffex. Suffering from amnesia, Secura retained one memory: the murder of her uncle by her Jedi Master, Quinlan Vos. Karkko sensed Secura's anger and desire for revenge, corrupting her to the dark side. He telepathically summoned her to his prison, persuading her to release him. Resisting the urge to consume her soup, despite his deprivation, Karkko instead took Secura as his apprentice, planning to make her his queen after escaping Kiffex and avenging himself against the Jedi Order.
Karkko immediately prepared his escape, viewing his army of degenerate Anzati, led by Aayla Secura, as the means to do so. He placed her in command of his slaves, ordering them to attack a nearby security facility, slaughtering everyone inside. This drew the attention of Sheyf Tinté Vos, ruler of Kiffex, who contacted the Jedi Council, requesting her nephew Quinlan to be dispatched to investigate.
Simultaneously, Astaal Vilbum, the Caretaker of the Jedi Temple's Tower of First Knowledge, witnessed the activation of the holocron containing Volfe Karkko's legend, undisturbed for nearly fourteen lifetimes. Troubled by this omen, Vilbum alerted Master Mace Windu, the Councilor who approved Quinlan Vos' intervention on Kiffex. The holocron's activation signified Volfe Karkko's release, and Vilbum and Windu realized Vos was walking into a trap, given his fear of Anzati.
A pack of Volfe Karkko's slaves attacked Quinlan Vos and Master Tholme upon their arrival on Kiffex, but were quickly defeated. Another group, led by Aayla Secura, was sent to capture sentients for Karkko to consume. They attacked the Black Hole cantina, but were opposed by Vos, Tholme, and Master Zao, a Veknoid. While Karkko's slaves harvested the cantina's patrons, his Twi'lek apprentice briefly fought her former Master, until Karkko's telepathic suggestion reminded her that her mission superseded her need for vengeance. Secura and Karkko's Anzat minions fled, pursued by the Jedi. Gaining a lead, Secura ordered the Anzati to ambush the Jedi, taking them alive if possible for Karkko to feast upon. The attack was repelled, thanks to the intervention of Kiffex's Jedi Watchman, Master T'ra Saa.
Secura joined Karkko, reporting her failure to complete her missions. He acknowledged her failure but explained that his will compelled her to abandon her task. Karkko mused that consuming a Jedi's soup would greatly increase his strength, prompting his apprentice to offer her own essence. He refused, preferring to wait for the Jedi he knew would come.
Karkko awaited the four Jedi Masters who approached his fortress, battling the Anzat defenders outside. They defeated Karkko's slaves, but only Quinlan Vos entered Karkko's domain. Karkko, with Secura, Vos' former Padawan, greeted Vos in the inner sanctum before ordering the Twi'lek to attack. Secura dueled with Vos briefly before the Jedi Master broke Karkko's spell by refusing to fight. Enraged, Karkko incapacitated Secura with Force lightning, turning his attention to Vos.
Karkko ignited his lightsaber and engaged Vos in lightsaber combat, taunting him and attempting to lure him to the dark side. Vos tried to strike Karkko down, but the Dark Jedi vanished, conjuring illusions of monstrous beasts. Karkko appeared behind Vos, using the Force to slam him into a wall. Pressing his advantage, he was halted when Vos unleashed Force lightning, unexpected from a proponent of the light. Stalled momentarily, Karkko projected his own lightning, disabling Vos long enough to prepare to harvest his soup. However, he neglected Vos' companions—Tholme, T'ra Saa, and Zao—whose combined power gave Vos enough strength to break Karkko's telepathic hold. Recovering, Karkko saluted Vos with his lightsaber, readying for another exchange, only to be killed immediately when Vos cut him in two.
The legend of Volfe Karkko and his fall to the dark side persisted long after his death. Count Dooku, the Jedi–turned–Sith Lord and leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, acquired one of Karkko's Sith holocrons, using it to seduce another Anzat Jedi, Nikkos Tyris. Karkko was a role model for Tyris, who studied his teachings. Tempted by Dooku's promise of power, Tyris fell to the dark side, abandoning the Jedi Order as Karkko had. He believed he had discovered the "Saarai," or "True Way," upon which the Jensaarai Order of Force-users was founded.
Volfe Karkko, whose given name was common among Anzati, stood nearly two meters tall, wearing flowing, black robes. He had olive skin and long black hair tied back. Karkko also had a slight mustache and goatee. Like all Anzati, Volfe Karkko possessed two tentacle-like proboscises hidden within his cheeks, revealed when he was ready to feed on a sentient being's soup. He spoke his native Anzat language and Basic.
Volfe Karkko served the Order well as a Jedi, but was criticized for his pride and arrogance. He was known for his study of a rare Sith holocron, often boasting about the Anzati's knowledge of the original Sith Lords, a claim never proven. His teachings on the Sith, compiled from Sith lore, were considered unorthodox. Karkko felt superior to the urge to consume soup, citing his Jedi training. His first indulgence, based on this belief, led to addiction. He developed a preference for Jedi soup. These acts, combined with his pride and brazen demeanor, led him to the dark side.
The Jedi Council hoped Karkko would reflect on his fall when imprisoned in stasis. Instead, he nursed his hatred of the Jedi Order and plotted revenge. By 30 BBY, the fear of Karkko's freedom troubled the Jedi Council, making preventing his escape a priority. Once freed, Karkko focused on tasting soup and leaving Kiffex, enacting his plan upon release. He desired Jedi essence and anticipated the arrival of those aware of his freedom. Karkko was angered by Aayla Secura's treachery, considering her a turncoat after Quinlan Vos broke his spell. He immobilized Secura without hesitation when she ceased to be useful. He was intrigued by the darkness within Vos, but failed to sway him.
While Anzati possessed natural telepathic abilities to subdue prey, Volfe Karkko's Jedi training enhanced his mental manipulation. The Jedi developed methods to resist Anzati hypnotic powers, but Karkko learned to counter these techniques. Draining Jedi essence satisfied his hunger and strengthened his Force abilities.
Karkko was strong in the Force and learned in Sith magic. He was considered such a threat that the Jedi Council personally pursued him, succeeding in slaying several Councilors before his capture. In stasis on Kiffex, Karkko's dark side aura permeated his prison and the planet. He manipulated the Force, summoning Anzati from as far as Anzat. Continuous exposure eroded their sentience, binding them to his will. Karkko treated Aayla Secura similarly, exploiting her fragile mental state to convert her. Besides telepathy, Karkko was skilled with Force lightning, which he mastered. He also cast Force illusions, disappeared, and used telekinesis to slam opponents or paralyze them before consuming their soup.
Karkko owned a red-bladed lightsaber of his own making, wielding it with his Force powers. He switched between a single-handed, reverse grip and a two-handed style. Before his imprisonment, he could fight multiple Jedi Council members simultaneously. He would have defeated Quinlan Vos then, were it not for the mental interference of three Jedi Masters.
Volfe Karkko debuted as the main antagonist in the Star Wars: Republic story arc Darkness, written by John Ostrander and drawn by Jan Duursema. Karkko is mentioned in connection to other Star Wars characters in various sources, including The New Essential Chronology, Star Wars Insider 87's Order 66: Destroy All Jedi, and Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force. He was further mentioned in StarWars.com Databank entries for Aayla Secura and Quinlan Vos. "T'ra Saa: An Expanded Universe Character" first identifies him as a Sith magician, later corroborated by Saa's entry in 2008's Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia.
Contradictions exist between the Star Wars: Darkness comic books, The Official Star Wars Fact File 137, and The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia. In Star Wars: Republic 35: Darkness, Part 4, Volfe Karkko holds his lightsaber when Quinlan Vos bisects him. The Official Star Wars Fact File 137 states Vos used Karkko's lightsaber to kill him. The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia says Karkko enthralled Kiffex's local Anzati, but The Official Star Wars Fact File 137 and Star Wars: Republic 34: Darkness, Part 3 state the Anzati were drawn to Kiffex from their homeworld through Karkko's telepathic summons.