The Star Wars expanded universe was a mixed bag, filled with stories both great and awful. Most fans would consider the Knights of the Old Republic era to be strongly on the "good" side of the divide, which is why more than a few fans were upset when Disney rendered it obsolete alongside the rest of the expanded universe upon acquiring the Star Wars franchise.
But all hope isn't lost, as it looks like Star Wars Rebels may be cementing some of the now non-canon Knights of the Old Republic storylines into official canon.
According to a new clip from the upcoming season two finale of Star Wars Rebels revealed by USA Today, Ahsoka, Kanan and Ezra will be traveling to the ancient Sith planet of Malachor. That name may sound familiar to those who played Knights of the Old Republic I and II, the two critically acclaimed RPG games from developers BioWare and Obisidian.
In the games, the planet Malachor V is an ancient Sith planet and an important location in the Mandalorian Wars. It was there that the final battle of the war took place, in which the activation of the superweapon known as the Mass Shadow Generator destroyed the Mandalorian fleet. The aftermath of the superweapon turned the one-time lush world into a barren wasteland with strong connections to the dark side of the force.
That certainly matches the description of Malachor the heroes of Rebels journey to in the season finale. In the clip (which takes place inside a Sith temple), Ahsoka describes what appears to be the remains of a thousand-year-old battle between Jedi Knights and Sith. The remains of the temple, and the combatants, are covered in ash, with lightsabers littering the ground.
Thousands of years ago? Site of an ancient battle? Sith temple? Barren, ash-covered wasteland? That sure sounds like Malachor V, though in the Knights of the Old Republic II players ultimately destroy the planet upon activating the Mass Shadow Generator one final time. It just so happens that the Sith temple that players visit in KOTOR II is also the home to a powerful Sith site known as the Trayus Core, a wellspring of sorts for the dark side of the force.
Might Ezra, Ahsoka and Kanan encounter something similar while exploring this new version of Malachor on Rebels? USA Today says that the Rebels crew is in search of more information about Darth Vader at the temple. The Trayus Core was used by Sith lords in the past to gaze into the future, so it could be possible that the core will be making an appearance on the show.
Showrunners haven't confirmed one way or another if this indeed is a version of Malachor V, but it wouldn't surprise us if that's the case. You can watch the Star Wars Rebels season two finale March 30 on Disney XD.
