Released all the way back in 2003, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is a classic role-playing game set thousands of years before the Star Wars films. But with the Knights of the Old Republic Remake being announced and the original game being re-released for the Nintendo Switch, it's about time we talked about this classic RPG.
Players familiar with games like Dungeons and Dragons will understand the game's attributes and skill check systems, but they'll also understand the mechanics behind choosing a party. But with such a strong cast of characters, who are you supposed to pick for your party? This list should help you make that choice, at least once you have all of these wonderful characters unlocked.
9 Jolee Bindo
Jolee Bindo is one of several Jedi party members that you will encounter throughout the course of the game, only he isn't attached to the Jedi Order anymore. Instead, Jolee is what is sometimes called a gray Jedi, someone who exists between the extremes of the Light Side and the Dark Side.
If you don't mind his rambling stories, then you'll get to enjoy Jolee's dry and sarcastic sense of humor as well as his powerful Jedi abilities, but he's not the greatest party member around and the player character's own affinity for the force can sometimes minimize his usefulness.
8 Juhani
Juhani is an interesting character and a rare example of a lesbian character in gaming from the early 2000s. That being said she is also an optional character who you defeat as part of the main questline in a duel, but you must then make all the right dialogue choices to recruit her successfully.
If you do recruit Juhani, you gain access to a Jedi who has experienced turning to the Dark Side and a character who talks openly about the trauma they have suffered. She brings an interesting tension to the party, particularly in relation to the early game events on Taris, but in combat, she isn't always the most useful to have around.
7 Zaalbar
Zaalbar is a Wookie who swears a life debt to the player character when they save him from Gamorrean slavers on Taris as part of the main questline. He's a strong character who makes for an excellent addition to your party, particularly early on in the game where he's surprisingly powerful.
When the party visits Kashyyyk later on in the game, you'll begin to see the depth that BioWare gave this character, including plenty of emotional moments where you fight to free his people from slavers.
6 Carth Onasi
Carth is the earliest permanent party member that you unlock in the game, with the player character meeting him as they reach the escape pods of the Endar Spire at the end of the opening mission of the game. His skills are crucial early in the game and he can remain a vital part member right until the end of the game too if you choose the right abilities.
The only real downside comes when you are playing a Dark Side character as Carth is essentially the epitome of lawful good and won't hesitate to criticize your actions if he doesn't agree with them. But if you are a good person or don't mind the arguments, then Carth is an ideal party member to bring along.
5 Mission Vao
Mission Vao is the youngest member of your party and a fiercely loyal friend to Zaalbar. So after you help her rescue her Wookie friend and he swears a life debt to you, Mission joins your party too, refusing to abandon her friend. Like Carth, Mission is an inherently good person, if a little more chaotic and impulsive than the man from the Republic.
And more importantly, Mission is a competent hacker who can prove essential in bypassing security later in the game. So if you're not playing a class that is capable of handling security well, Mission may well be an essential party member throughout the entirety of the game.
4 Canderous Ordo
This Mandalorian mercenary is originally your enemy as he works as the bodyguard for Davik Kang, the man you need to use to bypass the Sith blockade and get off of Taris in the first part of the game. But Canderous soon joins your side and quickly proves why Mandalorians have the fearsome reputation that they do.
More than happy to allow the player character to indulge in Dark Side actions so long as they aren't entirely heartless or unnecessary. But even when they are, Canderous won't ever react as strongly as characters like Carth, making him a more reliable party member regardless of your actions.
3 Bastila Shan
Bastila Shan is another Jedi party member, but she's much more significant than the other two you encounter. Bastila is inherently tied to the player character's storyline and the main questline of the game, something that affords her significantly more character development than many of the other party members.
She's also one of the most powerful characters you can recruit, particularly early in the game when she starts with access to a lightsaber and force powers while everyone else is using vibroblades and blaster rifles. The only downside is that she can sometimes be a little too serious for some people's liking, but if you don't mind that then go ahead and pick her for your party.
2 T3-M4
This tiny utility droid makes a strong case for being the best party member in the game despite needing specific droid armor and only being able to wield blaster pistols. But despite those limitations, T3-M4 can create security and computer spikes that allow you to hack through restricted systems.
Plus his communication being limited to beeps similar to R2-D2 allows you to have some hilarious interactions with this little silver droid regardless of what they are actually trying to communicate. So if you want a party member that follows you without hesitation and provides entertaining dialogue, T3 is the one for you.
1 HK-47
HK-47 is one of the best characters in the entirety of Knights of the Old Republic, let alone your party, which makes it all the more surprising that this droid is an optional character. More specifically, he's an optional character if you aren't doing a Light Side playthrough, which is even odder as this assassin droid is firmly situated in the Dark Side and only held back by the player character's commands.
But if you do recruit him, HK-47 will provide some amazing dialogue in the form of cutting remarks, sarcastic quips, and a general lack of respect for the player character despite obeying their every order. On top of all that, he's also a powerful ally in combat, something that just solidifies his place as the best party member in the game, and one of Bioware's best of all time.