Star Wars: Is The Infamous Starkiller A Jedi Or Sith?

The time following the Fall of the Republic has a wealth of content in "Star Wars" lore. In the nearly two decades between "Revenge of the Sith" and "A New Hope," the intervening years have been explored in books, comics, and video games. But Darth Vader's dynamic with his surrogate son and secret apprentice, Starkiller, is one of the more nuanced portrayals of the Sith and Jedi dichotomy. Voiced by frequent "Star Wars" actor Sam Witwer in "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed," he is one of the only Sith protagonists in the world of video games.

Born to two Jedi on the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk as Galen Marek, he was orphaned when the Empire invaded the planet. Sensing the untapped potential in the young Force user, powerful Sith lord Vader takes him under his wing to train him in the ways of the dark side. Because of the Sith Rule of Two, Vader keeps this a secret and raises Marek to be Starkiller. But while it was the young aspiring Sith's understanding that he would use his powers to one day overthrow the Emperor, his complex relationship with Vader leads him to the side of the light.

A dark father without his children and a Force-sensitive child without parents, Darth Vader and Starkiller are connected for obvious reasons. But as the ambitious Sith came into his own, he learned he could not trust Vader as a true father. Vader continually betrays Starkiller until he can't bear it any longer. After Vader enlists his apprentice to join the rebel alliance as a double agent to feed him information, Starkiller learns this is only a plot to further strengthen the Empire. Once he rallies Mon Mothma and Bail Organa to his cause, Vader captures the senators and leaves his apprentice for dead. This act is the final straw, pushing the young Force-wielder toward the light side.

Galen Marek understands that Vader's only intention is to side with the Emperor, and he decides he must face his master. He breaks into the Death Star, freeing the rebels, and makes one final stand against those who made him. No longer armed with a red lightsaber, but one in the fashion of the Jedi Order, Marek's final act toward redemption is complete when he sacrifices himself so the senators can live. His actions are so significant that they use the sigil of the Marek family crest as a sign of the rebellion when it is in full swing. Ultimately, actions speak louder than words. Marek never became a full-fledged Sith, and his final moments cement him as a force for good that kickstarted a rebellion.