Zez-Kai Ell was a male Human Jedi Master who served on the Jedi High Council during the period of the Mandalorian Wars. Kavar, another Jedi Master and Council member, was a close friend of his. On Dantooine, he met his end at the hands of Darth Traya, alongside Kavar and Vrook Lamar.
During the Mandalorian Wars, Ell held a position as one of the Masters on the High Council. He was also among the Masters who made the decision to banish Meetra Surik from the Jedi Order. His own Padawan succumbed to the influence of the dark side during the Mandalorian Wars; however, Master Ell did not place blame on his apprentice for opting to participate in the conflict, as he comprehended the motivations behind his apprentice's decision to follow the Jedi who chose to fight. When Surik was exiled from the Order, he felt the Council had squandered a valuable opportunity: to gain insight into why numerous Jedi were departing from the Order and to assess whether there were any deficiencies in their teachings.
Following the Jedi Civil War, as the First Jedi Purge began, Ell intentionally went into exile on Nar Shaddaa to evade detection by the Sith. Despite being aware of the bounty placed on the remaining Jedi by G0-T0, he refrained from intervening. Later, Surik arrived on Nar Shaddaa with the intention of locating him and putting an end to G0-T0's actions. When Mira, a bounty hunter hired by Ell to safeguard Surik, was captured, Ell emerged from his seclusion and resolved to assist the Exile in stopping G0-T0.
After the destruction of G0-T0's yacht, Surik and Ell were finally able to converse. He shared numerous insights with her, including his personal reservations about the Order's doctrines, and his rationale for leaving the Order. When the topic of Revan arose, he conveyed his belief that Revan's supposed redemption wasn't a genuine choice made by Revan himself, even though he had discovered Revan's true identity and Revan had adhered to the light side prior to the destruction of the Star Forge. It's probable that he was referring to the mind-wipe itself. He implied that redemption was not Revan's decision, but rather the decision made by his programmed counterpart.
He was of the opinion that the Council had acted wrongly by overwriting Revan's mind with a new identity, despite the advantages they gained from having a Jedi-controlled Revan. He also told Surik that she was right to take action and fight in the Mandalorian Wars, when so few Jedi had followed her example.
Shortly after Surik sought him out, he convened with Masters Vrook Lamar and Kavar at the restored Jedi Enclave to address Surik's inquiries. Ell met his demise when Darth Traya employed Force drain on him and the other Masters, severing their connection to the Force. This occurred after they attempted to cut Surik off from the Force in order to seal the breach she had created, but he and the other Jedi Masters could not survive without it and died.
Zez-Kai Ell exhibited a more openly reflective and thoughtful nature compared to some of his fellow Jedi Masters. He readily expressed his conviction that the Jedi Council's inaction played a role in Revan's downfall, even suggesting that the blame should not solely fall on the Jedi who departed to fight, but also on the Council itself. Following the Jedi Civil War, he ceased to identify as a Jedi, asserting that he had left the Order due to his disillusionment with both the Jedi Order and himself.
Indeed, when the Exile encountered him, he appeared to have succumbed to depression, occasionally displaying what seemed like a death wish during their exchanges. Despite this sense of disillusionment, he maintained his loyalty to the Order and continued to trust in Master Kavar's strategy of drawing out the Sith by locating the Exile.
Zez-Kai Ell was a master of advanced Force forms and an expert in lightsaber combat, practicing Ataru, Shien, Niman and Juyo. He used a violet-colored double-bladed lightsaber.
Billy Brown provided his voice.
If the player chooses to follow the dark side in Knights of the Old Republic II, the Exile and Ell engage in combat on Nar Shaddaa, resulting in the Exile killing him and acquiring his lightsaber combat technique. The Exile retains the option to kill Ell even if the player chooses the light-side path.
It is possible that Master Ell was unaware that Revan did eventually learn of his true identity but still remained loyal to the Jedi and the Republic. This might be one reason he did not believe Revan's redemption was his own choice. Though it is also possible that he may be referring to the reprogramming that gave Revan his new identity rather than the events surrounding the Star Forge.
In Star Wars: The Old Republic, you have the ability to craft his double-bladed lightsaber, provided you possess sufficient skill in Artifice. In this game, its color is orange instead of purple.